Film study reveals weaknesses in the Florida passing game

So it's Monday night and I'm watching a handful of last weekend's games a little more closely on the ESPN video server, and when the Hawaii-Florida game flickers to life my intention is to pay extra attention to Florida's young running backs and their impact on the offense.

Are Chris Rainey and Jeffrey Demps the real deal? Does the film match the stats and hype? And, perhaps most importantly, can they take some of the load off Tim Tebow's shoulders without the running game's suffering terribly?

After one game versus a pedestrian Hawaii defense, the answer to all three questions appears to be "yes." Both backs flashed their home run speed, with Demps breaking off a 76-yard run and Rainey busting a 58-yarder. In addition, sophomore Brandon James accounted for 121 all-purpose yards and is yet another versatile weapon capable of breaking a game open as a runner, receiver and return man. And oh, by the way, USC transfer Emmanuel Moody might be the most complete back in the group, and he has yet to make an impact.

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Todd McShay

Scouts Inc.

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• ESPN College Football and NFL Draft Analyst
• Joined ESPN in 2006
• Played quarterback in high school and was a backup QB for the University of Richmond.