Three Changes Florida Can Make Ahead of Miami
The Gators struggled, to say the least, in their matchup against No.3 LSU at Death Valley, losing 20-10. To turn the season around, Florida must make changes if it wants to see improvement.
Here’s where they can start:
QB Improvement
It all begins with the Sophomore quarterback DJ Lagway improving his ability on the field. As the face of the franchise, Lagway has far from lived up to the hype coming into this season.
Throughout the season thus far, Lagway has struggled to find the consistency and prowess that he showed in his freshman year.
In last week alone, Lagway threw for five interceptions, with four of them coming on third downs. As a whole, his performance went down as the second-most interceptions thrown in a single game by a Gator, a historically bad outing.
“DJ will take accountability for the things he can improve upon,” said Florida head coach Billy Napier.
Loading ...Pass Rush Concerns
Further, the Gators pass rush should seek improvement as well. Entering Week 4 , Florida’s pass rush should be almost nonexistent. As a team, they have recorded a measly two sacks through four games, none of which occurred last weekend.
The anticipated return of standout defensive edge Caleb Banks ended unfortunately as he re-injured his foot in the third quarter against the Tigers.
With the daunting schedule that Florida still has ahead of it, the team must find ways to improve its pass-rush ability, or else it will likely face similar results as the past two weeks.
Offensive Line Play
Florida must improve its offensive line play if it wants to not only win games but also protect the prized possession in Lagway. The offensive line for the Gators had a lot of expectations because it retained four starters from the previous season. However, they have not lived up to the hype.
In the matchup against LSU, penalties were a massive problem for the offensive line. The offensive line for Florida committed five penalties, with four of them counting as holding penalties. A costly flag came up when guard Knijeah Harris was called for a holding that negated an 87-yard touchdown.
These changes must be made rapidly as the Gators are set to take on No. 4 Miami Hurricanes Saturday at Hard Rock Stadium.
Category: Gators Football
