Florida Gators

FLORIDA GATORS
2012 overall record: 11-2

2012 overall record: 11-2
2012 conference record: 7-1 (2nd Eastern Division)
Returning starters: Offense: 6; defense: 4; kicker/punter: 1

Top returners

QB Jeff Driskel, C Jonotthan Harrison, RG Jon Halapio, RB/WR Trey Burton, DE/DT Dominique Easley, CB Loucheiz Purifoy, CB Marcus Roberson, S Jaylen Watkins, P Kyle Christy

Key losses

RB Mike Gillislee, TE Jordan Reed, DT Sharrif Floyd, S Matt Elam, S Josh Evans, LB Jon Bostic, LB Jelani Jenkins

2012 statistical leaders (*returners)

Rushing: Mike Gillislee (1,152 yards)
Passing: Jeff Driskel* (1,646 yards)
Receiving: Jordan Reed (559 yards)
Tackles: Josh Evans (83)
Sacks: Dominique Easley* (4.0)
Interceptions: Matt Elam (4)

Spring answers

1. Back in business: Sophomore Matt Jones running back had a fantastic spring and the coaching staff is convinced he’ll be a more than capable replacement for Gillislee. The 6-foot-2, 228-pound Jones is a perfect fit for Will Muschamp’s power-run offense. He’s a straight-ahead, downhill runner, who runs through contact and gets tough yards. The offense will be built around him, especially with the questions surrounding the passing game. Redshirt junior Mack Brown and freshman Kelvin Taylor, the son of former UF standout running back Fred Taylor, give the Gators solid depth at the position.

2. Lined up: UF’s offensive line made strides in 2012 and it will be even better in 2013. The addition of transfers -- Max Garcia (Maryland) and Tyler Moore (Nebraska) -- gives the Gators a pair of former starters to add to an already solid base with Harrison and Halapio. Plus, sophomore D.J. Humphries is an immediate upgrade from Xavier Nixon at left tackle. Garcia will start at left guard and pair with Humphries to give Driskel better blind-side protection than he had a year ago.

3. The middle is settled: With the loss of Bostic and Jenkins, the Gators needed a middle linebacker. The staff moved sophomore Antonio Morrison from weakside linebacker, and Morrison showed pretty quickly he was up to the task. He’s not the biggest middle linebacker the Gators have had (6-foot-1, 230 pounds), but he is certainly one of the most physical. Morrison hits like he weighs 260 pounds -- just ask 245-pound former FSU quarterback EJ Manuel, whom Morrison leveled last season. Morrison proved he could handle making the defensive calls and he should easily step into the role Bostic held for the past two seasons.

Fall questions

1. Receiver issues ... again: The Gators have problems at wide receiver and must get better at the position or the offense will again struggle. That’s been the case since the 2009 season ended. The latest attempted solution is former Kentucky head coach Joker Phillips. He has coached receivers for 18 seasons at Kentucky (1991-96 and 2003-2009), Cincinnati (1997), Minnesota (1999-2000), Notre Dame (2001) and South Carolina (2002). NFL players Steve Johnson (Buffalo) and Randall Cobb (Green Bay) are among the receivers Phillips worked with during his tenure at Kentucky. He also coached Craig Yeast, Keenan Burton, Dicky Lyons Jr. and Derek Abney, all of whom rank in the top five in school history in career receptions or career receiving yardage. Can Phillips get consistent production out of Quinton Dunbar, Andre Debose, Raphael Andrades, Latroy Pittman, Burton or Solomon Patton? Can he turn one of the five freshmen -- notably Demarcus Robinson or Ahmad Fulwood -- into the big-time playmaker the Gators have lacked since Riley Cooper? Zach Azzani, Aubrey Hill and Bush Hamdan have tried and failed.

2. Safety dance: There’s some concern about the Gators’ safeties because some of the younger and less experienced players haven’t developed as the staff had hoped. Cody Riggs and Watkins, who started at corner early last season, will begin August practices as UF’s two starting safeties. They have both played there during their UF careers and there are no concerns about those two players, but there are some about Valdez Showers, Marcus Maye and Jabari Gorman. Realistically, the Gators are better off with Riggs and Watkins starting because that gives UF the chance to get its top four defensive backs on the field at the same time instead of working Watkins, Riggs, Roberson, Purifoy and Brian Poole in a rotation at cornerback. Still, those other three need to earn more trust from the coaching staff.

3. Just for kicks: Kickers Austin Hardin and Brad Phillips struggled throughout the spring. Neither is as reliable or as good from long range as Caleb Sturgis was, but it’s the first part that’s more important. The offense, especially if the receivers don’t get any better, will continue to have a hard time consistently moving the ball. Sturgis was able to bail the Gators out because they needed only to get to the 35-yard line to be in range for a makeable field goal. That mark may have to be the 20 in 2013. Unless Hardin or Phillips makes a major leap this summer, expect the Gators to go with the kicker who practices the best each week.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Florida released a post-spring depth chart on Wednesday. There were no big surprises, although seeing running back Mack Brown behind Matt Jones and ahead of Kelvin Taylor did earn a raised eyebrow.

Here’s the breakdown:

Offense

LT: D.J. Humphries (6-5, 285, So.)/Trenton Brown (6-8, 363, Jr.)

LG: Max Garcia (6-4, 307, RJr.)/Ian Silberman (6-5, 290, RJr.)

C: Jonotthan Harrison (6-3, 303, RSr.) /Kyle Koehne (6-5, 314, RSr.)

RG: Jon Halapio (6-3, 317, RSr.)/Trip Thurman (6-5, 313, RSo.)

RT: Tyler Moore (6-5, 315, RSo.) OR Chaz Green (6-5, 305, RJr.)

TE: Clay Burton (6-4, 247, Jr.)/Tevin Westbrook (6-5, 258, Jr.) OR Colin Thompson (6-4, 250, RFr.) OR Kent Taylor (6-5, 223, So.)

RB: Matt Jones (6-2, 228, So.)/Mack Brown (5-11, 215, RJr.)

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida quarterback Jeff Driskel is searching for a new safety net.
With tight end Jordan Reed, the Gators’ leading receiver last season, headed for the NFL, Driskel has to find someone else upon whom he can rely for a sure completion and positive yardage.

Offensive coordinator Brent Pease wants him to start looking at the guys lined up beside and behind him.

Pease said the Gators’ running backs were not used enough in the passing game last season. Not counting Trey Burton and Omarius Hines -- who were utility players who lined up in the backfield as well as at tight end and receiver -- UF’s backs last season combined to catch just 26 passes for 186 yards and one touchdown.

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Enrolling into college has become a growing trend in college football. Missing prom and Senior Skip Day has become a regular for a lot of high schoolers these days.

In the SEC, getting a high number of early enrollees is becoming more and more of a priority for coaches. This year, all 14 SEC teams had players from their 2013 classes enroll in school early. Georgia leads the SEC with 13, Alabama has nine, and Florida and Texas A&M both have eight. In fact, 73 players from this year's recruiting class enrolled early at SEC schools in this year.

ESPN colleague Travis Haney unveiled his top impact early enrollees from around the country Wednesday, and of his five players who made the cut, three came from the SEC. Well, four, because he said defensive backs Tray Matthews and Reggie Wilkerson would make immediate impacts at Georgia.

Florida running back Kelvin Taylor, who was the nation's No. 1 running back, and Alabama tight end O.J. Howard, who was an ESPN 150 member, also made the list.

Those all make sense. Georgia is basically replacing its entire secondary outside of cornerback Damian Swann, so the Bulldogs will need all the help they can get in the secondary. Florida proved that it could survive -- for the most part -- on a very strong running game last fall, but workhorse Mike Gillislee is gone, so the Gators will need help for Matt Jones and Mack Brown. Taylor is an elusive, physical back who could find himself getting a boatload of carries this fall. And Howard is a real difference-maker at tight end. The Alabama coaches are very excited about his big-play ability and his ability to create a lot of mismatches for defenders.

Haney also gave Tennessee wide receiver Paul Harris the honorable mention nod. Harris comes in at a position of great need, and it will only benefit, well, everyone, having him on campus early.

But what other players who decided to trade in their prom tuxes for shoulder pads could make immediate impacts in the SEC? Glad you asked, because here are some other guys I think you should all keep an eye on:

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NEW ORLEANS -- It's funny how the perception of a team can change so quickly.

Most of the time leading up to Florida's bout with Louisville in the Allstate Sugar Bowl involved conversations about how good the Gators could be in 2013. The overwhelming thought from pretty much every side of the college football spectrum was that the Gators would handle a talented, yet, overmatched Louisville team and then wait to see how high they would rise in next year's preseason polls.

With a chunk of talent returning on defense and an offense that just had to get better, Florida was looking at being a legitimate national title contender in 2013.

However, all that talk ceased when Louisville's Terell Floyd intercepted Jeff Driskel's opening pass and took it 38 yards for a touchdown to give the Cardinals an immediate 7-0 lead. At the time, the play looked harmless in the grand scheme of things, but it proved to totally break the Gators' offensive concentration.

From there, Florida panicked offensively (star running back Mike Gillislee ran the ball just nine times), and Driskel's composure and pass attempts became harder and harder to watch.

The offense rarely wowed in 2012, but during its first appearence in 2013, with a month of work, it totally collapsed, leaving the Gators with a load of question marks entering spring practice.

That Gators always found a way to bounce back with its mediocre offensive attack, but had no answers against the Cardinals. Now, it really is back to the drawing board for Will Muschamp and offensive coordinator Brent Pease.

But what does Florida do? Backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett is still unsure if he'll return, but if he leaves, players have to have more confidence in Driskel than they had this fall. The rhythm and timing has to improve or this offense isn't going anywhere.

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Editor’s note: Each day between now and Florida’s Allstate Sugar Bowl date with Louisville, GatorNation will review the season for a key Gators player and attempt to project what’s next. Today we’ll look at RB Matt Jones.

RB Matt Jones
Freshman
49 carries for 259 yards and 2 TDs; 3 catches for 10 yards

Role in 2012: After a somewhat slow start, Jones emerged as the top backup to Mike Gillislee. He is third on the team in carries and rushing yards and finished the regular season by setting career highs in back-to-back games.

The good: The 6-foot-2, 226-pound Jones is built like a power runner, but he didn’t start the season playing that way. He was tentative and danced a bit in the backfield before hitting the hole. That changed after a chat with coach Will Muschamp, and Jones started hitting the hole aggressively and decisively. He played his best football in November, rushing for 65 yards against Jacksonville State and 81 yards and a touchdown against Florida State. With Gillislee on the sideline with sore ribs, Jones iced the victory over the Seminoles with a 32-yard TD run in the fourth quarter.

The bad: Despite his size, Jones isn’t a great short-yardage back ... yet. It was much easier for him in high school, but gaining a yard or two to convert a first down in the SEC is a little tougher. It’s a pad-level and leg-drive issue, and Jones will eventually get it fixed.

Crystal ball: Gillislee’s final game will be the Allstate Sugar Bowl, and Jones will enter spring practices as the top tailback. Mack Brown and Chris Johnson will be the only other experienced backs. Recruit Kelvin Taylor is expected to enroll in January and participate in spring practice, but Jones’ experience in the system should enable him to enter fall as the starter. Recruit Adam Lane gets added to the mix then as well, but Jones likely will be the opening day starter.

Jacksonville State (6-5) at No. 6 Florida (9-1)
Saturday, 1 p.m. ET
Florida Field, Gainesville, Fla.
Pay-per-view

Gators to watch

RB Matt Jones: Going on the assumption that the Gators get up big and play a lot of young players in the second half (although we thought that last week, too), Jones should get some pretty significant work, especially with Mack Brown out with an ankle injury. Jones has run for 113 yards and a touchdown on 33 carries in spot duty. He hasn’t done much lately, though. Since carrying the ball 10 times for 45 yards against Kentucky, he has touched it only 10 times in the last six games, including six carries for 24 yards against Missouri.

SS Matt Elam: This likely is Elam’s last game at Florida Field because he’s expected to leave early for the NFL instead of returning for his senior season. He is such a versatile player and the Gators lean on him pretty heavily for a lot of things. He lines up near the line of scrimmage to help in run support, can play as a single high safety as well as two deep, and is also pretty solid in man coverage.

QB Jacoby Brissett: He’ll be making his first start since the opener and should put up some pretty decent numbers considering Jacksonville State has one of the worst defenses in the Football Championship Subdivision. Two things on which to focus: How quickly does he get rid of the ball, and how does he react to the blitz. Those are two important issues that he’ll have to deal with against Florida State next week if starter Jeff Driskel can’t play.

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GAINESVILE, Fla. -- Florida coach Will Muschamp took to the SEC's weekly teleconference on Wednesday morning to talk about the Gators’ game against Louisiana-Lafayette on Saturday. He touched on injuries, the passing offense, and what he remembers about telling QB Jacoby Brissett that Jeff Driskel had won the starting job.

1. Three guys are out

The Gators will be without two reserves and their top kickoff returner against the Ragin’ Cajuns, Muschamp said.

“Mack Brown probably will be out with an ankle. He’s not been able to do anything thus far this week.

"Andre Debose hyperextended his knee last Thursday and has been unable to get back in action so far, so definitely those two guys [won’t play]. Expecting everybody else back.

"Leon Orr, who’s missed time with an illness, right now is working his way back in shape. Probably will not play Saturday.”

The Gators’ other injured players -- LT Xavier Nixon (undisclosed), LG James Wilson (knee), RG Jon Halapio (ankle), FB Hunter Joyer (thigh bruise), K Caleb Sturgis (ankle) -- will play.

2. Airing it out

UF has thrown the ball 52 times in the last two games, including a season-high 29 times against Georgia. Not by design, though.

“I think it’s a little bit how the game played out. We realized we need to do a little bit more vertically throwing the football. It’s been a little bit of a conscious effort but more than anything what the defense is giving us. People are loading the box. We’ve got to create some opportunities for us down the field.”

3. A smooth conversation

Muschamp has commented several times this season about how well Brissett has handled himself after losing out on the starting job. Muschamp was asked what the meeting was like when he told Brissett that Driskel had won the job and what his message to Brissett was.

“Jacoby is a competitor and a guy that has handled this as good as anybody can handle it. But [the meeting went] very well. ... [Muschamp told him] that I thought he had done a great job preparing and working and we decided to go with Jeff. That meeting is between Jacoby and I. He was very professional.”

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- These five Florida players and/or coaches have something to prove or redeem themselves when the No. 14 Gators play host to Kentucky on Saturday (12:21 p.m., SEC Network and ESPN3):

RB Mack Brown: We’re giving Matt Jones a pass because he’s a freshman, but Brown really should be more productive than he has been. Mike Gillislee is getting the bulk of the carries, so Brown hasn’t had many opportunities but he hasn’t really done much with the ones he’s had. He was on the field for the game-sealing final possession against Texas A&M, but he gained just 11 yards on four carries. He is averaging only 2.9 yards per carry this season. Gillislee needs a break now and then, and Brown has to be better in relief.

WR/KR Andre Debose: It seems like he’s on this list every week, but he has yet to make a significant impact in two SEC games. In fact, he nearly put the Gators in a big hole on the road against Tennessee when he fumbled the handoff on a reverse near the goal line on the first play. He has no catches and is still struggling fielding punts.

C Jonotthan Harrison: The Gators are averaging 232.7 yards per game rushing, which is fantastic. But they’re still struggling in short yardage. That means the OL has to get a better push and create more space, especially in the middle. That falls up on Harrison and guards Jon Halapio and James Wilson, but since Harrison is in charge of the line he’s got the most pressure.

WR Solomon Patton: He has shown he’s capable of making plays as a ball carrier on the jet sweep, but he has just one catch in three games. Granted, it was a 17-yarder that converted a first down, but he needs to find ways to become more involved in the passing game.

Offensive coordinator Brent Pease: The Gators are converting only 27 percent of their third downs (11-of-41). Some of those have been the short-yardage failures, and Pease took blame for not making the right calls and putting the players in bad spots. Pease said UF needs to be a little more creative on those short-yardage plays (spread the field, maybe?) and that falls on his shoulders.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- These five Florida players have something to prove or need to redeem themselves when the No. 18 Gators play at No. 23 Tennessee on Saturday (6 p.m. ET, ESPN):

RB/FB Trey Burton: UF coach Will Muschamp and offensive coordinator Brent Pease have raved about Burton’s versatility -- as did the previous coaching staff -- and how much of an impact he could have on the offense. However, through two games Burton has two carries for 1 yard and four catches for 28 yards. He did catch a 3-yard pass on a fake field goal to convert a first down and ran for another first down against A&M, but Pease needs to get Burton more involved so he can make a bigger impact on an offense without a lot of playmakers.

KR/PR Andre Debose: Texas A&M took him out of the game last week by kicking the ball deep into the end zone, which is something he has no control over. However, he misplayed two punts. Instead of making a fair catch he let them bounce. Then, inexplicably, he didn’t get away from the ball as it bounced along the ground, and one time even hit one of the players who were circled around the ball to down it. Had he been hit by the ball it would have been live and A&M could have recovered. Debose has to be smarter in his approach.

RB Mike Gillislee: He has already proven that he’s capable of carrying Florida’s offense (he leads the SEC with 231 yards rushing) but the biggest question about Gillislee was if he would be able to stay healthy throughout the season because he’s been injured the past two seasons. Well, two games in and he’s got a groin strain. He practiced this week, and UF coach Will Muschamp said he’ll be able to play against the Vols, but how effective can he be? Backups Matt Jones and Mack Brown are averaging 3.4 and 2.9 yards per carry, respectively, and have a combined 18 carries. Gillislee has to prove he can be counted on all season.

WR Frankie Hammond: Muschamp called Hammond the Gators’ most consistent receiver throughout the spring and August, but the redshirt senior has nearly as many drops (three) as catches (five) in two games. He missed what would have been a touchdown pass against Texas A&M on a slant pattern when Jeff Driskel’s pass went through his hands at the goal line. Hammond has to become a more reliable player, because the Gators certainly don’t have many of those at receiver.

CB Marcus Roberson: Roberson had a hard time against the Vols last season, committing two of the Gators’ six pass interference penalties, including one which wiped out what would have been his first career interception. Roberson will again have his hands full with UT’s big receivers (6-foot-4 Justin Hunter and 6-3 Cordarrelle Patterson) on Saturday. Roberson has to be smarter in how he plays those two. It’s OK to be physical, but he’s got to make sure he doesn’t become overly aggressive and help keep drives alive for the Vols.