GAINESVILLE — Out of sync. Inconsistencies. Communications issues.
Pick a phrase. Florida gave many reasons as to why its offensive line struggled against USF in Saturday’s 18-16 home loss, but the overarching message remains the same: If the Gators repeat that performance against No. 3 LSU this Saturday, they won’t survive a trip through Death Valley.
Some of the changes Florida could make here are simple: the penalties. Nothing quite garnered the attention that the defensive lineman Brendan Bett received after he spat in the face of an opposing player.
As a result, Florida’s offensive line’s dismal performance flew under the radar. Every position in the group added to Florida’s 11 total penalties, resulting in 103 yards freely given to the Bulls. UF coach Billy Napier freely admitted his frustration with what he called the procedural issues: the illegal substitution and the false starts.
“The only ones that I get disappointed with are the decision-making,” he said. “Sometimes, like Jake Slaughter is at the point of attack and pass protection, and the quarterback scrambles, he doesn’t know where the quarterback’s at. The things I’m focused on are the substitution infraction, the personal foul, the false starts. Those are the ones that keep you up at night.”
Yes, the penalties transform manageable second downs into a constant flow of third-and-longs.
But, to focus solely on that aspect oversimplifies Florida’s struggles.
The team is 10th in the SEC in rushing and scoring. The Gators only averaged 4.8 yards per carry. And that stat includes a game against Long Island University, which isn’t an FBS team.
A glance at the Tigers’ defensive stats, and alarm bells start ringing. LSU only allowed an average of 1.89 yards per carry.
Florida didn’t throw many long balls in the USF game, and sophomore quarterback DJ Lagway looked out of place at times. As a result, the offensive line will need to create lanes for running back Jaden Baugh to take advantage of.
“It’s one of those things players we got to adjust better on the fly, on the move in the game, kind of get a feel for what the defense is doing,” center Jake Slaughter said. “It falls on us as players to play better.”
To Florida’s credit, the offensive line only allowed two pressures and one sack in Saturday’s matchup. Despite another sack during the LIU game, Florida has allowed Lagway enough time to get rid of the ball before getting into trouble.
Facing the No. 3 Tigers is a tall order, however the Gators seem interested in accountability and holding each other to a higher standard. Whether that results in a game-winning performance or another loss depends on how well Florida’s offensive line holds firm against one of the defenses in the nation.
“It’s always been that we’re not proving ourselves to anybody outside this building,” Slaughter said. “We just want to play our best ball for each other.”
