The season is young, but the Gators could already use a break.
Luckily for them, they have an unusually early bye week.
“It’s a good thing for us,” linebacker Mike Taylor said. “Perfect timing.”
The last time Florida had an open week this early in the season was 2009. That season’s bye followed a 41-7 win against Kentucky in which quarterback Tim Tebow suffered a concussion.
Tebow used the bye to recover and returned to action the following week, helping top-ranked Florida defeat LSU 13-3 and remain unbeaten.
Several players with minor injuries stand to benefit in the same way this season. Coach Will Muschamp indicated that some players who would be questionable for a game on Saturday are likely to play against LSU on Oct. 6.
Defensive end Dominique Easley missed Saturday’s win against Kentucky with swelling in his surgically repaired left knee. The time off should reduce the swelling.
Trey Burton also sat out against the Wildcats with back spasms and Chaz Green missed the game with an ankle injury.
Jordan Reed had to leave UF’s game against Kentucky with what Muschamp described as a “head injury,” and Sharrif Floyd left with a shoulder injury.
“How much they will do this week, we’ll determine that as the week goes,” coach Will Muschamp said. “But I think all of those guys should be fine.”
The healthy Gators plan to use the extra time to try to improve their performance. Muschamp said Florida would use Tuesday and Wednesday to simply focus on self-improvement — not looking at the Tigers. Florida begins preparing for LSU on Thursday.
Two specific areas Muschamp said the team plans to work on offensively are short-yardage situations and timing on certain passing routes. He also added that the team would “spend a good portion” of Tuesday and Wednesday’s practices on kickoff returns and blocking punts. The Gators are 86th in the country with an average of 19.5 yards per kick return and have yet to block a punt this season.
“It’s always good to focus on what you can do as a team and play to get better, especially before a big game,” Taylor said. “The game is so far away that coach Muschamp said we’re going to focus on us, and get ourselves better.”
Wide receiver Frankie Hammond Jr., who leads UF in receiving yards and touchdowns, agreed that the team still has plenty of areas to address.
“We haven’t played our best game,” Hammond said. “We haven’t put together our best game, so we’ve got a bye week, and we’re going to take advantage of it. We’re going to clean up things, penalties, whatever it may be. Pass protection, just making reads, anything. We’re going to go back and look at the film [Sunday] and just make improvements.”
Muschamp also mentioned the downside of an early bye week. Florida has built significant momentum with a 4-0 start and now has to wait a week to build on it.
When asked if he preferred the bye earlier or later, Muschamp said he’d have to wait and see.
“I’ll tell you after LSU,” he said.
Contact Josh Jurnovoy at jjurnovoy@alligator.org.
Gators prepare to run out of the tunnel before playing Bowling Green on Sept. 1 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Florida pulled away in the fourth quarter en route to a 27-14 win.
