The Gators have been playing with fire all season. They just haven’t been burned.
Even after throttling South Carolina 44-11 on Saturday, Florida has been outgained in the first quarter of every game this season.
That statistic don’t bother offensive coordinator Brent Pease.
“If you come into this thing every week asking me about yards, I mean, I’m not really concerned about that,” Pease said. “I’m concerned about winning, efficiency in the red zone, third-down conversions, (and) ball security.”
Yes, all that matters is winning. And for that reason, no one spends too much time nitpicking at the Gators’ first seven wins, or saying they do not deserve their No. 2 BCS ranking. They’ve more than earned it.
But the style of play that got Florida those wins won’t cut it against Georgia on Saturday.
As Pease said, the first-half yardage totals on Saturday were not surprising. The Gators started touchdown drives at the Gamecocks’ 1- and 2-yard lines. The offense simply did what it had to do in those situations.
But on Florida’s five drives in the first half that began outside the South Carolina 30-yard line, the offense went three and out on every possession.
The inability to move the ball early didn’t cost the Gators because the Gamecocks turned the ball over three times, but counting on four fumbles every game is unwise. Expecting to recover three of them is equally dicey.
If Florida starts slow this Saturday, Georgia is more likely than South Carolina was to build a lead against the Gators. The Bulldogs average 486.9 yards per game, good for second in the Southeastern Conference. The Gamecocks are ranked 10th with an average of 354.9.
South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney finished with two tackles for a loss and was in the backfield before most of the Florida offensive linemen came out of their stances. The Gators will face an equally disruptive pass rusher this week in Georgia linebacker Jarvis Jones, who is only two sacks behind Clowney despite playing three fewer games this season.
During the Bulldogs’ 24-20 comeback win against the Gators in 2011, Jones sacked John Brantley four times.
“He can cause fumbles,” Pease said. “He’s all over the field. They move him. He’s in coverage. He’s rushing. He’s a D-lineman. He’s got an extreme talent and plays the game extremely well.”
The Gators can’t afford to fall behind, which would force them to throw the football. Three of Jones’ four sacks in the 2011 matchup came while Florida was leading. Jeff Driskel will become better acquainted with Jones than his predecessor if the Bulldogs grab a lead and force the Gators to be one-dimensional on offense.
Florida has proven that its second-half adjustments will win out if it can keep the game close during the first 30 minutes.
While Florida has had to come from behind, the offense hasn’t had the run game taken off the table in any of those games. They can’t afford to let it happen this week, either.
Contact Josh Jurnovoy at jjurnovoy@alligator.org.
