- Oct 5, 2017
- 2,306
- 6,270
Ok, first things first, the Subtitle is based on a sign in Fayetteville in 2016 that said "Dround the Gators" on SEC Nation. I'll upload if I can find it. That's Arkansas education for you.
I also would like to thank Saturday Down South for using a photo of my Halloween outfit for their power rankings graphic on the Instagram this week.
Anyways, this is a game that for reasons different than the UGA game has been circled on our calendars. It is the return of former UF starter Feleipe Franks. A guy who gave us some great memories like breaking losing streaks to FSU and Michigan, the Heave to Cleave, and leading multiple mutli-score comebacks in 2018 (we know we shouldn't have been down in those games, but doesn't change the fact that we were). He also was frustrating at times, got booed, shushed the crowd, and made some "strong as an _____" creatures swoon. At times probably overcriticized and under appreciated while others not getting enough flack. With all that said, he has done the unexpected at Arky and let them to multiple wins when people, like myself, didn't see a single win on their schedule. As I've said many times over, the few times myself or classmates met him he was a class act.
This weekend he comes to Gainesville and he is looking for a Brock Berlin/Jevan Snead QB spurned by UF story. I don't see it happening. His head coach missing the game due to a positive Covid test will not help either.
Offense
When Dan Mullen let's this offense go and doesn't be too cute, I don't know if there is a defense in America that can stop it consistently. We have had two weeks in a row with 5 receivers who had a catch of 30 or more yards. Kyle Trask is on pace to throwing 40 TD's and over 3,000 yards. All against SEC defenses. Our offense, before we went very conservative was humming against UGA both before and after Pitts went out. That isn't to say that we won't miss him if he is out, he is a big loss, but I don't think it shuts down our offense like some people on Twitter believe.
I know we would like a bigger running game, but I would also throw out there that if we are capable of throwing for 500 yards a game (which we could have easily eclipsed if we had kept being aggressive in Jacksonville). Also, as mentioned in my WLOCP recap, the players we were abusing with the wheel routes weren't the DT's or safeties (you know the injured positions that UGA had), it was the players who helped make the defense feared. Though yes, the injuries played a role, that was not the main focus of the routes.
Fun fact, our defense, which has been trending up still isn't getting respect from UF fans (more on that later; not saying what should and/or shouldn't) is giving up a not so good 402 yards per game. Meanwhile, the Arkansas defense that Gators have said will give us a run is doing MUCH better giving up 401.5 yards per game. Oh, that difference is half a yard, but somehow the belief in the defenses is for some weird reason vastly different. I don't get it. Maybe it's that Arky is only allowing 222 yards through the air while we give up 262. BUT the defense allows 179 rushing yards per game where we give up 139.
If they do take away the aerial game, it will be time for Pierce, Wright, and Davis to show what they are made of. Pierce and Davis have over a 4 ypc. I do believe some of these numbers are misleading as we have been doing a lot more running while ahead, leading to a lower average. Harder to raise your average when the defense knows what your going to do. They might be able to get the jumpstart, if necessary, against the second worst run defense in the SEC.
Defense
The defense was absolutely horrendous going into our time off. Since then, our defense has done incredibly well. We shut done Rountree from Mizzou and a passing attack that scorched LSU and then after two bad drives, we only allowed one more offensive touchdown the rest of the game against UGA. After we had basically gone into the Grantham "let them run the clock out on themselves" mode. I have to say that after we went into that mode and shut down the offense, the defense did answer the challenge with multiple stops. No, the UGA offense isn't good, but many overthrows and INT's were not unforced errors. We did cause the QB's to escape the pocket, hurry throws, and we even hit the QB on several throws including Davis' interception. By no means am I saying they are good yet, but they are improved from what we saw at the beginning of the season.
I'm not sure where the idea that Franks is an accurate downfield passer comes from. In my 2019 season preview, I mentioned that his biggest area of improvement needed was the downfield passing game. If we remove the Heave to Cleve, or even include it, Franks missed a lot more downfield passes than he completed. On the weekend after UGA two years ago he was benched because he kept overthrowing receivers against Mizzou. That was a week after he overthrew a wide open receiver on the first offensive play of the game.
There is no doubt that he might of improved, but he hasn't exactly been going downfield a lot. He's averaging throwing the ball just 6.8 yards downfield per attempt according to SDS. He does have possibly the strongest arm in UF QB history, but downfield accuracy to this point has not been his strength. I don't doubt he does hit one or two this week, but the new narrative that his is a downfield throwing machine that will put up 500 yards on us baffles me. He's averaging 238.5 yards per game through the air and 11 yards per completion, three yards less than Trask.
Arky also has a makeshift offensive line, which without Pittman to help coach, could be in for a world of hurt this week with our aggressive front. Zach Carter had a seriously good second half against UGA last week. He could continue that this week.
Overall
There's a reason why there is a 17.5 point spread. Our offense has shown ability to score on anyone. Arkansas' defense is statistically similar to ours so I do not see them changing that. Our defense has improved since our bye weeks. Not perfect by any means, but improved. We know the strengths and weaknesses in Franks' game. Arkansas averages 24 points a game, we average 42 points a game. Our defense may allow them to score more, but I don't think they shut down Trask and company. Add in the x-factor of Sam Pittman missing the game and this is a game that Florida should win going away.
Florida 52 Arky 24
Go Gators!
I also would like to thank Saturday Down South for using a photo of my Halloween outfit for their power rankings graphic on the Instagram this week.
Anyways, this is a game that for reasons different than the UGA game has been circled on our calendars. It is the return of former UF starter Feleipe Franks. A guy who gave us some great memories like breaking losing streaks to FSU and Michigan, the Heave to Cleave, and leading multiple mutli-score comebacks in 2018 (we know we shouldn't have been down in those games, but doesn't change the fact that we were). He also was frustrating at times, got booed, shushed the crowd, and made some "strong as an _____" creatures swoon. At times probably overcriticized and under appreciated while others not getting enough flack. With all that said, he has done the unexpected at Arky and let them to multiple wins when people, like myself, didn't see a single win on their schedule. As I've said many times over, the few times myself or classmates met him he was a class act.
This weekend he comes to Gainesville and he is looking for a Brock Berlin/Jevan Snead QB spurned by UF story. I don't see it happening. His head coach missing the game due to a positive Covid test will not help either.
Offense
When Dan Mullen let's this offense go and doesn't be too cute, I don't know if there is a defense in America that can stop it consistently. We have had two weeks in a row with 5 receivers who had a catch of 30 or more yards. Kyle Trask is on pace to throwing 40 TD's and over 3,000 yards. All against SEC defenses. Our offense, before we went very conservative was humming against UGA both before and after Pitts went out. That isn't to say that we won't miss him if he is out, he is a big loss, but I don't think it shuts down our offense like some people on Twitter believe.
I know we would like a bigger running game, but I would also throw out there that if we are capable of throwing for 500 yards a game (which we could have easily eclipsed if we had kept being aggressive in Jacksonville). Also, as mentioned in my WLOCP recap, the players we were abusing with the wheel routes weren't the DT's or safeties (you know the injured positions that UGA had), it was the players who helped make the defense feared. Though yes, the injuries played a role, that was not the main focus of the routes.
Fun fact, our defense, which has been trending up still isn't getting respect from UF fans (more on that later; not saying what should and/or shouldn't) is giving up a not so good 402 yards per game. Meanwhile, the Arkansas defense that Gators have said will give us a run is doing MUCH better giving up 401.5 yards per game. Oh, that difference is half a yard, but somehow the belief in the defenses is for some weird reason vastly different. I don't get it. Maybe it's that Arky is only allowing 222 yards through the air while we give up 262. BUT the defense allows 179 rushing yards per game where we give up 139.
If they do take away the aerial game, it will be time for Pierce, Wright, and Davis to show what they are made of. Pierce and Davis have over a 4 ypc. I do believe some of these numbers are misleading as we have been doing a lot more running while ahead, leading to a lower average. Harder to raise your average when the defense knows what your going to do. They might be able to get the jumpstart, if necessary, against the second worst run defense in the SEC.
Defense
The defense was absolutely horrendous going into our time off. Since then, our defense has done incredibly well. We shut done Rountree from Mizzou and a passing attack that scorched LSU and then after two bad drives, we only allowed one more offensive touchdown the rest of the game against UGA. After we had basically gone into the Grantham "let them run the clock out on themselves" mode. I have to say that after we went into that mode and shut down the offense, the defense did answer the challenge with multiple stops. No, the UGA offense isn't good, but many overthrows and INT's were not unforced errors. We did cause the QB's to escape the pocket, hurry throws, and we even hit the QB on several throws including Davis' interception. By no means am I saying they are good yet, but they are improved from what we saw at the beginning of the season.
I'm not sure where the idea that Franks is an accurate downfield passer comes from. In my 2019 season preview, I mentioned that his biggest area of improvement needed was the downfield passing game. If we remove the Heave to Cleve, or even include it, Franks missed a lot more downfield passes than he completed. On the weekend after UGA two years ago he was benched because he kept overthrowing receivers against Mizzou. That was a week after he overthrew a wide open receiver on the first offensive play of the game.
There is no doubt that he might of improved, but he hasn't exactly been going downfield a lot. He's averaging throwing the ball just 6.8 yards downfield per attempt according to SDS. He does have possibly the strongest arm in UF QB history, but downfield accuracy to this point has not been his strength. I don't doubt he does hit one or two this week, but the new narrative that his is a downfield throwing machine that will put up 500 yards on us baffles me. He's averaging 238.5 yards per game through the air and 11 yards per completion, three yards less than Trask.
Arky also has a makeshift offensive line, which without Pittman to help coach, could be in for a world of hurt this week with our aggressive front. Zach Carter had a seriously good second half against UGA last week. He could continue that this week.
Overall
There's a reason why there is a 17.5 point spread. Our offense has shown ability to score on anyone. Arkansas' defense is statistically similar to ours so I do not see them changing that. Our defense has improved since our bye weeks. Not perfect by any means, but improved. We know the strengths and weaknesses in Franks' game. Arkansas averages 24 points a game, we average 42 points a game. Our defense may allow them to score more, but I don't think they shut down Trask and company. Add in the x-factor of Sam Pittman missing the game and this is a game that Florida should win going away.
Florida 52 Arky 24
Go Gators!
