Inconsistency on Offense Continues to Hamper Gators
Sunday, November 27, 2016 | Football
The Gators opened strong at FSU but failed to match the production of their first drive the rest of the game.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Gators' opening drive was quick, efficient, and featured the same energy that Florida displayed all week following its SEC East-clinching win at LSU last weekend.
The drive included a 13-yard run by Jordan Scarlett, a 24-yard end-around by Antonio Callaway, and a 25-yard pass from quarterback Austin Appleby to Lamical Perine. But despite signs of early life, the offense stalled at Florida State's 3-yard line, and the Gators came away without points for the effort.
Even with nothing to show for it, it was the best the Gators would look all night at Doak Campbell Stadium.
"We had a pretty good plan on that first eight [plays],'' UF coach Jim McElwain said. "You know, we became stagnant. Give their defense credit. We couldn't block them up front, couldn't protect, turnovers. The defense did enough for us to win the game.''
Indeed, the muscle of this Florida team – the secondary – effectively turned the Seminoles' offense into a one-dimension affair, holding Deondre Francois to just 138 yards on the night to go with a single passing touchdown.
Unfortunately, that other dimension highlighted Dalvin Cook, who led a rushing attack the Gators couldn't keep up with. What was once a manageable 10-3 halftime deficit became increasingly steep, and Florida was forced to abandon the run game.
Appleby attempted 35 passes – completing 19 for 149 yards. There were plays that were close – a would-be 20-yard strike to Antonio Callaway bounced off his fingertips near the goal line. Later, a deep pass to an open Tryie Cleveland was just off. It was a play that, if made, would have served as an instant reminder of the tying score against LSU.
Those plays just didn't trend positive for Florida against its in-state rival.
"You know, we had our opportunities," Appleby said. "We moved the ball really well, we just didn't punch them in. If you go back and look at the tape, which we are, there were a couple plays where we had our shots and we were able to hit them in weeks past, and for whatever reason, today, we were an inch off or we weren't able to make the grab or we weren't able to hold up in protection for that one more second, or we weren't able to break that tackle like we did. That's just the way football goes some weeks."
A lack of consistency has plagued the offense all season, which now ranks 112th nationally among FBS schools following Saturday night's 207-yard output. Meanwhile, injuries certainly haven't made it any easier. Without their starting center – or even the primary backup – freshman T.J. McCoy was in for the third game. Junior tackle David Sharpe was in, albeit banged up. Sophomore guard Martez Ivey exited the game early with a leg injury, though he would return to start the second half.
All said, the Gators' line came into the game having allowed just 15 sacks all season, and they left Tallahassee with 21. FSU's defensive line found success behind two of the top pass rushers in the country – and DeMarcus Walker, in particular, gave the Florida offense fits all night.
FSU entered the game leading the nation in sacks and didn't let up in defeated the Gators four the fourth consecutive season.
The most eye-popping statistic of the game has to be the Gators' third-down conversation rate, or lack thereof. Florida failed to convert any of its 12 third downs, struggling to maintain any momentum on extended drives. It was the first time since 1998 that a team had not converted a third down against the Seminoles.
In a culmination of factors, it is perhaps what most epitomized Florida's struggles to score.
"Personally, I feel like we just need to be able to lift this offense up," said senior defensive end Joey Ivie. "You know, you discourage them, they lose their confidence. I believe we need to bring them up and you know, continue to work in practice and continue to help them get better at what they're doing.
"But like I said, at this point, I think a lot of the older guys just need to step up and come together as a team and say, 'we need to fix this, this and this,' and learn from the last game and get better so we can come out and try to get a win next week."
With SEC West champion Alabama on the horizon, the Gators will look for a quick rebound, both in morale and performance – in that order. With their win against LSU in mind, we will see if Florida has any magic left up its sleeve in Atlanta.
