AUBURN, Ala. — On the final play of the game Saturday, Jeff Driskel was still fighting for something. Pride, maybe.
He dropped back, eyed the end zone and set his feet. And then … sacked, blind-sided. Therein lie Florida’s problems the last two weeks.
Sure, the Gators have been handicapped with two freshman quarterbacks. And, yeah, Charlie Weis’ offense has become downright Addazio-esque. But at its root, Florida just isn’t talented enough — at any position.
That offensive line, the one that gave up four sacks Saturday? It hasn’t helped at all. Against the best Southeastern Conference teams — the ones Florida once competed with, once made a joke of, even — the Gators have gained just 194 rushing yards in three games, including 66 on Saturday.
And those speedy little “rug rats,” as Charlie Weis calls them? They can’t do much without an offensive line paving the way.
Chris Rainey has 89 rushing yards in those three games, and he averaged more than 100 in Florida’s first four wins. Jeff Demps, meanwhile, has been out with an ankle injury, even though Gators coaches scoffed before the season about Demps’ ability to stay healthy.
Defensively, things aren’t going much better.
Will Muschamp has talked about a ball-hawking D since he was hired, but Florida has created zero turnovers the last three games.
All things considered, the Gators’ defense didn’t play too bad Saturday. Florida finally stopped the run, relatively speaking. And it only allowed one true touchdown drive.
Auburn’s other 10 points came off Florida muffed punts — and Florida had four of those. But Frankie Hammond said after the game that the muffs by Chris Rainey and Robert Clark did not cost Florida the game.
And he was right. The Gators would have still lost 7-6.
On Florida’s second-to-last play of the game, the one right before Driskel was sacked from behind, the quarterback kept a play alive with his feet, scrambling in the backfield until a receiver could get open.
A receiver did, Jordan Reed. He was open, inside Auburn’s 5-yard line. Driskel fired a laser, the type of pass that made him the best quarterback recruit in the country last year.
The ball hit Reed between the numbers. Then it hit the ground.
Reed has struggled all season, as has every other receiver, save for Andre Debose, and he suffered an injury in the first quarter. Figures.
Debose has been pretty much Florida’s whole offense the last couple of weeks, catching a bomb from the quarterback (whoever that may be) and running for a 60-plus yard score. But even he has disappeared after those catches.
That is not necessarily his fault. It’s everyone’s fault. The offensive line, which can’t hold blocks. The running backs, who can’t do anything without the offensive line. The quarterbacks, who are simply too young for this.
Neither Jacoby Brissett nor Driskel cost Florida the game. They both played OK — not good, of course, but OK. At the same time, neither one helped Florida win the game. They were both just sort of there.
It’s not their fault, necessarily. It’s everyone’s fault.
And that’s the scariest part.
Contact Tyler Jett at tjett@alligator.org.
Freshman Jeff Driskel replaced Jacoby Brissett at quarterback to start the second half Saturday.
