If there's such a thing as being fashionably late in college football, UF's offense has that party strategy down pat.
After spending most of their first five games looking like anything but the offensive powerhouse that averaged just over 42 points per game in 2007, the Gators offense put on the type of performance that would make Steve Spurrier squeal.
For weeks, UF preached patience amid questions about quarterback Tim Tebow's health and offensive coordinator Dan Mullen's playcalling. Fifty-one effortless points later against one of the Gators' top rivals, the founder of firedanmullen.com is considering a name change, and, more importantly, UF appears to have regained its swagger.
"We've got a lot of playmakers," wide receiver Percy Harvin said. "Sometimes we've got too many playmakers and Coach doesn't know who to get the ball to sometimes, but when we spread it around we've got (Jeff) Demps, we've got (Chris) Rainey, you've got me, Murphy, when we're all clicking it's going to be tough to beat us."
The emergence of Rainey and Demps in particular is what may make UF's offense more fearsome than the 2007 incarnation. Last year, the Gators relied heavily on Harvin and Tebow's individual greatness to carry them. While they were undoubtedly explosive a year ago, the Gators have a chance to run a more varied offensive attack this season.
Demps leads UF in rushing with 307 yards and is averaging an absurd 13.3 yards per carry. His four touchdowns have come on plays that average 47 yards. Rainey has rushed for 286 yards and two scores on 6.8 yards per carry.
And that's not mentioning Emmanuel Moody, who appeared to be coming into his own before a sprained ankle kept him out of the better part of the last three games.
But with all the fireworks Rainey and Demps sparked on the field, a lot of their success has to be attributed to the respect defenses must give Harvin and Tebow. Harvin eclipsed 100 receiving yards before the end of the first quarter, and that seemed to loosen LSU's normally stout defense.
"We can be a very good, very effective with two great backs," Tebow said. "The good thing we did was that (LSU) have really good run-stoppers in there, and what we did was spread them out and use the pass to set up the run and they were kind of confused a little bit with spreading them out and bringing those guys into the backfield."
The biggest difference between last season and this season could very well be when UF scores, rather than how much. Naysayers have been quick to point out that Tebow has never led a fourth-quarter comeback or won a big game, but tangible growth was shown when the Gators marched methodically down the field for a score after the Tigers cut the lead to 20-14 early in the third quarter.
"We're a more mature team," Tebow said. "A more poised team."
Better fashionably late than never.
