Florida Faces Biggest Offensive Test Yet vs. Explosive Ole Miss
Florida has faced some talented offenses this season — Georgia, Texas A&M, Miami, USF — but none compare to Saturday’s opponent, Ole Miss. The Rebels enter with the fourth-ranked scoring offense, averaging 489.4 yards per game to go along with scoring 37.5 points a game (13th in FBS) — making it one of the most dangerous offenses in the country.
Florida has not done well in games this season against high-caliber offenses, giving up nearly 30 points a game, and is 0-4 in those contests. But the Gators will get another crack at one when they hit the road for the final time to take on Ole Miss.
The man behind Ole Miss’ offense is coach Lane Kiffin, who has the Rebels primed for a College Football Playoff run if they can finish the season out strong. Kiffin has gotten a lot of buzz in college football, not so much for his offense, but for the current coaching vacancies at schools like Florida, LSU and Auburn.
Loading ...In Gainesville, “The Lane Train” is the talk of the town and the only man they want representing UF next season. Buzz like this could easily find its way into the football program and create distractions, but players and coaches don’t believe it has or will.
“I’m on the internet. I see it here and there, but I don’t really pay much attention to it,” Gators cornerback Devin Moore said. “I’m really just focused on getting better each day and trying to win games.”
Interim coach Billy Gonzales followed with a similar sentiment.
“I’ve not mentioned it to our staff. I’ve not mentioned it to our players. Do I read them and I’m aware of it absolutely, but no, we just, we’ve got to prepare,” Gonzales said. “And I keep saying this for us is we got to take care of ourselves. We got to continue to take care and persist.”
But coaching news is the last thing Florida needs to worry about right now, because the Gators’ top priority is bouncing back after a flatlining performance against Kentucky. Florida came out slow and Kentucky delivered a first-round TKO that UF never recovered from.
The defensive collapse, in particular, seemed the most surprising as for the first time all year, Florida looked helpless on defense — an area that has been a strength all year long. If Florida wants to pull off a massive upset on the road this week, the defense must bounce back.
Pulling off upset starts with coming out fast and setting the tone early, something Florida did not accomplish last week. Going on the road can be a challenge for anyone, but when the opposing defense is able to gain an early advantage, whether it be an early three-and-out or forcing a turnover, that creates momentum to use the rest of the game.
“It’s incredibly important,” Moore said. “These big SEC road games, you got to bring your own energy. It’s really your team against the world. So just being able to have that energy, start fast and let it be contagious among the team, spread from offense to defense to special teams, that’ll change the game for sure.”
The best way to combat aggressive defenses is to speed them up and wear them out. Ole Miss has no issues doing so and will hope to use its up-tempo offense to lean on Florida as the game progresses.
Saturday marks the third time Florida will face a team that primarily runs an up-tempo style offense. The Gators held their own in the previous two against South Florida, who averages around 21 seconds per play (2nd in FBS), and Mississippi State, who is sixth, averaging 22.1 seconds per play. Ole Miss is currently 14th, with 23.5 seconds per play and the biggest priority Florida faces against them.
“The tempo is always a big issue. When you got teams that go fast and you’re not able to line up or get the call as well. Kind of scan the whole formation,” Moore said. “When you’re able to scan the formation, you get kind of cues or estimates of what they might run from this formation or that formation. When it’s tempo, you got to look to the sideline, get right back on the ball and they’re already lined up. So you don’t get those advantages.”
Interestingly, while it appears to the average viewer that all fast-paced offenses look the same and would make it easier to prepare for the more you see it, the reality is teams tend to put their own spin on things to keep defenses guessing. While the basic principles apply to each one, teams tend to bring their own style of tempo, which can make things difficult.
“It differs. You’re able to watch from the film the average time the offense will line up on the ball, things of that nature,” Moore said. “So it’ll differ a little on a time basis. But as a whole, it’s the same idea. Making sure you get the calls, gather formation quick, get lined up and be ready to play.”
The key will be to win first down and not allow Ole Miss to get into rhythm offensively. If Florida allows positive yardage of five-plus yards or more, then Ole Miss can get into tempo and catch the Gators off-guard.
To get that part figured out, Florida must disrupt what is one of the more balanced offenses in the country. Ole Miss is seventh in passing offense (305.5 ypg) and 39th in rushing (183.9 ypg), going up against the 61st pass defense and 47th rushing defense. Many believed that Ole Miss’ passing attack could take a step back this season after losing Jaxson Dart to the NFL. But when opening day starter Austin Simmons went down with an injury in Week 2, Division II Ferris State transfer Trinidad Chambliss stepped in and turned this offense into a machine.
Chambliss has thrown for 2,356 yards, completing 64% of his passes, has 20 total touchdowns and six interceptions and earned a spot as a Maxwell Award semifinalist this week. The Maxwell Award is handed out each year to the nation’s best quarterback.
As good a passer as Chambliss is, his legs are his biggest weapon. Chambliss has rushed the ball 99 times for 434 yards this season, with six of his 20 scores coming on the ground. Gonzales knows that in order to slow him down, Florida has to be able to contain his legs, which is easier said than done.
“He’s close to 500 yards running right now. Ran the ball 100 times this year, and he’s not afraid to run it down in the gold zone. He’s a fantastic player. Obviously, he’s done a great job,” Gonzales said. “But the ability to run. You’ve got to focus on keeping him contained as well.”
Category: College Football, Feature Sports News, Gators Football, SEC
