Florida Three Keys: South Carolina

Three-keys-Florida

The Florida Gators played very poorly in Week 1… on the defensive side of the ball. On offense, they could not have been any better. The brilliance of their offensive performance was the main story, and to be sure, coach Dan Mullen fervently hopes his offense can continue to set a very high standard.

By Matt Zemek

Yet, his defense will need to be vastly better in the weeks ahead if the Gators are going to fulfill their high hopes and expectations for 2020. As Florida prepares to face South Carolina, the priorities for Mullen are clear:

1 – Do it again, Kyle (and Kyle)

Florida has a two-Kyle attack this year. Quarterback Kyle Trask and tight end Kyle Pitts were unstoppable in their season opener against Ole Miss. Trask threw for 416 yards and six touchdowns, completing 30 of 42 passes in a dominant display. Four of Trask’s six touchdown passes went to Pitts, who hauled in eight passes for 170 yards. Pitts is a matchup nightmare, and he was clearly Trask’s main go-to option against Ole Miss. Florida was able to roll up over 600 yards of offense against the Rebels. The Gators moved the ball so easily that they faced only 10 third downs the whole game, converting six of them. Florida gained 32 first downs and did whatever it wanted to do, scoring at least 10 points in all four quarters and punting only once all game.

While that level of output was tremendous, skeptics of the Gators will say, “Sure, but it was only Ole Miss, a team with a bad defense.” Everyone in that Gator huddle needs to make sure games such as the Ole Miss win – in which Florida scored 51 points – are normal, not exceptional. Make it a habit, not an occasional surprise.

Do it again, Kyle… and Kyle. Prove that you really are the big dogs in the SEC East, and better than Georgia.

2 – Everyone accountable on defense

Lane Kiffin is a creative offensive tactician. Ole Miss was not an ideal Week 1 opponent for a defense which is learning how to adjust without Jon Greenard and Jabari Zuniga, two hugely critical players from 2019 who are now in the NFL. The Gators took their lumps, giving up 35 points and over 600 yards. The offense had the defense’s back, though, so Florida didn’t pay a supreme price for being so out of position on defense.

Now we get to find out if the Gators can substantially improve and ultimately restore order on this side of the ball. No finger-pointing. No dissension. No complaining. Get to work, fix problems, and show everyone that Week 1 was just a season-opening instance of rust and sluggishness. A strong performance against South Carolina will relieve a lot of worries and fears in Gainesville.

3 – Secondary is primary

Ole Miss roasted the Florida secondary. Mississippi receiver Elijah Moore piled up 227 receiving yards against Florida. The Gators allowed four passes of 33 yards or more against Ole Miss. The Gators weren’t dinked and dunked to death; they sprang massive leaks on a regular basis. While the whole defense left a lot to be desired, the secondary was especially vulnerable. That is the position group which needs to make the biggest leap from game one to game two.

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