Five Keys to Success for Florida vs. Ole Miss
The Florida Gators are on the road again to face the No. 7 Ole Miss Rebels after the worst loss of the season, 38-7 against Kentucky.
Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin continues to be the heavy betting favorite for the vacant coaching position at Florida, but with his team primed for a playoff run, there is doubt as to whether he believes he has a better chance to win in Gainesville or not.
Questions swirl not only around the head coaching job, but at quarterback. DJ Lagway was benched at halftime last time out after throwing three interceptions in the first two quarters. Interim coach Billy Gonzales said he is still practicing with the starters, but could his future as the starting quarterback at Florida be in jeopardy?
Storylines meet in the middle in this matchup in Oxford. Lagway will look to get right and the Gators will try to make their pitch to Kiffin why Florida is the better job.
Here are the five keys to successfully executing those goals.
Stop the Run
The Rebels offense averages 183.9 rushing yards per game, spearheaded by running back Kewan Lacy and quarterback Trinidad Chambliss. Lacy leads the country in rushing touchdowns with 16 and is top-15 in rush yards with 912. Chambliss has 434 yards and six touchdowns on the ground.
The two-headed monster has been a big reason for the Rebels’ success this season. In a game where the Gators are the clear underdogs, they will need to ensure a strong performance from the front seven to prevent Ole Miss from extending drives.
Running quarterbacks, especially, have posed problems for Florida this season. Marcel Reed and Byrum Brown both created wins over the Gators with their legs. Chambliss arguably creates bigger problems than both of them.
“We’ve got to be able to contain him,” Gonzales said. “He’s a dual threat, he can really tuck the ball and run it in open space.”
Limit Big Plays
Ole Miss is eighth in the country in yards per completion with 14.48. They live off explosive plays. The offense is similar in that way to Texas A &M, which beat the Gators 34-17. The Aggies immediately hurt Florida with passes over the top of the defense.
If the depleted secondary allows the Rebels receivers to get past them, Chambliss has the arm to find them deep down field. Forcing Chambliss into quick decisions is the best way to prevent it.
The defense in general will need to step up. The unit looked like it gave up in the loss to Kentucky, allowing 38 points. The defense will need to get back to the form seen against Texas if the Gators are going to be able to take down a top-10 Ole Miss team.
Play Mistake Free
Florida has shot itself in the foot continually this year. The main concerns are penalties and turnovers.
Lagway leads the country in interceptions with 12, and the Gators have turned the ball over 16 times in nine games. Ole Miss’ offense is too good to afford multiple turnovers. It not only gives the ball away, but gives the Rebels good field position from which their offense can capitalize.
Penalties also continue to be a problem. Small mistakes like holding calls on a big Jadan Baugh run can be the difference in a game. The Gators are going to be punching up on the road. It’s going to need almost a perfect effort to win and self-inflicted wounds will make the already small margin they need to hit impossible.
Give Lagway the Opportunity to Shine
Lagway has been bad this year. There isn’t much else to say. Even in the second most protected game he’s had all season against Kentucky, only pressured on 10% of passes, he managed to throw three interceptions in one half. Nevertheless, he will be on the field, and the only way to win is for him to show improvement.
That being said, the Gators will need to keep his pocket clean again. If Lagway can make plays early, it can create confidence for the rest of the game. It’ll require some more faith in the sophomore quarterback, but he needs to be able to make plays to keep up with the explosive Rebels offense.
It may be for nothing, but all that can be asked from the rest of the team is to give Lagway the opportunity.
Win Special Teams
The theme of this list has been winning the small parts of the game. It’s clear the Gators don’t have the team and coaching to beat Kiffin and Ole Miss on equal footing.
Special teams plays are going to be the way to make that difference. Florida’s only major win, against Texas, included a blocked punt for a safety that shifted the tide of the game. A similar play against Ole Miss can be what gives the Gators an edge.
Whether it’s a blocked field goal or consistently returning kicks to create better field position, the special teams needs to do whatever they can to make the job easier for Lagway and the crew.
Category: College Football, Feature Sports News, Football, Gators Football, SEC
