Some in the Gator nation have questioned the Florida offense this season including me ( privately ) but this post from a Gatorsports forum sheds very good light on what has actually been happening: "After reading various article, going over highlights, box scores, and play by plays, I have come to eat my crow. I was wrong about the offensive production. Reason #1. Four special teams and defensive touchdowns #2. Punt block for a Safety #3. The Gators are ranked 12th in the country with kickoff return yardage. More return yards-shorter field. #4.Turnovers and short field= more points and less yardage. Last year the Gators had to drive a great length because of poor defensive play. #5. The Gators have only run 171 offensive plays. #6. Top defenses: Tennessee and Miami both Rank in the top 26 in defense. #7. 3rd down conversion: 54%. High 3rd down conversion shows the offenses ability to move the chains and sustain drives. #8. Red Zone Scoring: the Gators are 10/11 on the year, the one missed opportunity was our final possession against Tennessee. Rainey ran it on fourth down from around 10 yards out. So the Gators are perfect on the year. The Gators may not have the statistics, but there's a very good reason for it. Short field position and more turnovers combined with less time in each game. If anything this shows how good the defense is performing." I might add that great punt returns have also shortened the field at times for the Florida offense. The object is of course winning the games....not piling up offensive stats.
interesting <t>I guess the question is, as good as the numbers are..<br/> <br/> what if you run into a team that makes you drive 75+ yards all day and doesn't give up the big turnover/kickoff return?<br/> <br/> are you confident that the offense could win that game?</t>
Good question Corey. They haven't really been put in a position of being behind but against Miami it was a tight game early in the 4th and the offense broke the game open when it counted.
Indeed they did...but that isn't my question about Florida at the moment. My question is.. How will Florida respond/perform against a team that doesn't make the big mistake (read turnover or kick return for TD) and makes them drive the length of the field? I think LSU just might show us the answer to that question.
In fact, LSU may give the Gators a taste of their own medicine. Trindon Holiday is as much lightning in a bottle as Brandon James. That should be an interesting game. I'm not completely sold on LSU's defense but their offense was humming right along without a superstar at QB and we may have seen their next superstar QB formed before our eyes Saturday night. I suspect the game between the Gators and the Bayou Bengals to be a preview of the SECCG.
Should be a whale of a game and I'm going with my 20 year old son who is a huge Michigan born and bred Gator fan.
Re: interesting <r><QUOTE><s> </e></QUOTE> We had a couple of long drives against Miami in the 2nd half.<br/> <br/> I'm very confident in our offense, it's been kept kind of quiet as Meyer has played clock management after getting the lead. The new rules limit the number of possessions per game and I think the Gators are playing safer under the philosophy that with less possessions there is less room for error.<br/> <br/> A lot of Gators are asking the same question, but I am of the opinion that we have the same offense, haven't had to open it up so far but will when we have to.</r>