Skip to Content, Navigation, or Footer.
We inform. You decide.
Thursday, March 28, 2024
<p><span id="docs-internal-guid-afb1b5d4-7fff-4fc3-e671-4d15208ccfe0"><span>Freshman running back Dameon Pierce scored on a 68-yard touchdown run on his third carry of the game. Florida finished with 222 yards rushing on 29 attempts.</span></span></p>

Freshman running back Dameon Pierce scored on a 68-yard touchdown run on his third carry of the game. Florida finished with 222 yards rushing on 29 attempts.

Perhaps it was the focus on mental toughness in practice. Perhaps it was all the banter about the lack of physicality following an embarrassing loss to Kentucky.

We can speculate as to what it was, but something forced the Gators’ offensive line to execute on Saturday afternoon.

The ease with which Florida rolled past the Colorado State Rams in a 48-10 win on Saturday showed the Gators took several necessary steps forward for their second win of the year.

And that execution woke up a Florida run game that has been relatively dormant to start the season.

Florida outgained the Rams 222-70 on the ground on Saturday thanks to the open space that the offensive line provided for its runners.

Jordan Scarlett danced into the endzone for a 30-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. The O-line picked up its blocks and carried out the play exactly the way it was intended. It was something Gators fans haven’t seen a lot of from the team.

“There’s always going to be times when guys are going to have to improvise because everything isn’t going to be how it was drawn up, so we just got to be ready for everything,” Scarlett said. “But it felt great that the play was executed perfectly.”

However, the Gators’ 7.7 yards per carry on Saturday was against a Rams team that ranks 119th in the nation in run defense. As Florida learned in its Week-2 loss, a team like Kentucky or LSU or even Tennessee won’t roll over so easily.

Maybe the Gators’ ground attack did finally make its arrival in Game 3 of the season. But coach Dan Mullen will need his team to show that same effort in its first road test of the season at Tennessee to prove that Saturday’s production wasn’t simply an anomaly.

“I wanna see more consistency of performance you know from us,” Mullen said after the win. “I see positives. I’ve seen us take positive steps every single week so far this season. And I like that out of our guys.”

Colorado State repeatedly made mistakes as the game dragged on. Those masked some areas that Florida has to address before heading to Knoxville.

The Gators got some decent blocking from their tight ends, primarily out of Kemore Gamble on the Scarlett touchdown run. But outside of that, tight ends were not much of a factor and haven’t been for most of the season.

Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Alligator delivered to your inbox

UF tight ends also have at least one drop in all three games the Gators have played this season.

Redshirt senior R.J. Raymond dropped one in consecutive games against Charleston Southern and Kentucky. Redshirt senior C’yontai Lewis couldn’t make a back shoulder catch that would have put six on the board after an early forced turnover by the defense. It was excellent coverage on the play by the Rams’ defender, but the ball hit the veteran tight end in his hands.

Lack of help from the tight ends didn’t have any bearing on the outcome of Saturday’s game, though, especially due to the work of the Gators’ special teams.

But Florida will face a talented Vols defensive line that will test the Gators’ physicality in ways that the Rams couldn’t.

“We’re going to go into a pretty hostile environment,” Mullen said. “I know this is a rivalry game, and so it’s going to be a tough deal and we got to have great mental discipline and mental focus.”

You can follow Alanis Thames on Twitter @alanisthames or contact her at athames@alligator.org.

 

Freshman running back Dameon Pierce scored on a 68-yard touchdown run on his third carry of the game. Florida finished with 222 yards rushing on 29 attempts.

Support your local paper
Donate Today
The Independent Florida Alligator has been independent of the university since 1971, your donation today could help #SaveStudentNewsrooms. Please consider giving today.

Powered by SNworks Solutions by The State News
All Content © 2024 The Independent Florida Alligator and Campus Communications, Inc.