This should be a nothing game for Florida against Samford (4-5) after the 4-5 Gators were blown out by a mediocre South Carolina team last weekend. Here are the three keys to a Gator win.
By Steve Wright
1 – Keep it simple
When things aren’t going so well the best bet is to keep things uncomplicated. For this Florida squad, that means running the ball early and often. And again. And again. And so on. The Samford defense is simply not good enough to stop a Florida rushing attack that was up there with the triple-option only schools like Army and Air Force earlier in the year in rushing yards per game. That is the blueprint that Florida goes with here, mauling the smaller Samford defensive linemen on their way to in the region of 300 rushing yards on the day.
2 – Turnovers. Stop them
It looks like Anthony Richardson is going to be able to play after a knee injury kept him out of the clash with South Carolina. Given that Emory Jones took his person interception’s thrown total up to 10 on the year in that one, this is probably a good thing. Richardson is prone to giving it away himself, but that needs to change here. He has the explosiveness that the offense needs, but he needs to calm down on some of his decision-making and know that not every play needs to be the home run ball.
3 – Beware the big play
Samford may have a losing record but this is a team with the offensive chops to keep up with the Gators early. Last week against the Citadel they scored on a 68-yard punt return, a 69-yard run, and a 94-yard fumble return. Those are the types of big plays that could stop Florida from getting comfortable if they allow them. Quarterback Liam Welch is also a threat worth keeping tabs on as he averages almost 350 yards of total offense per game.
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