Burton, Gillislee have produced in red zone
Thursday, October 14, 2010 | Men's Basketball, Football, Scott Carter
At his Monday press conference, Gators coach Urban Meyer identified the offense's lack of points inside the red zone as one of his concerns after back-to-back losses.
Meyer pointed out that the Gators are putting together some long drives – including a 14-play drive against LSU that yielded no points – but not cashing in when they get the chance.
“We're possessing the ball, but red-zone efficiency is not where we started the season'' Meyer said.
While Meyer seeks more production on Saturday against Mississippi State, the Gators do have players who have been successful in the red zone this season.
According to CFB.com, freshman QB Trey Burton has scored on eight of 16 carries inside the red zone, the second-best percentage in the SEC for players with at least 10 carries in the red zone.
The leader is Mississippi State's Vick Ballard, who has scored on 10 of his 16 carries inside the opponent's 20-yard line.
For another red-zone efficiency comparison, check out the chart below. Burton and Gators RB Mike Gillislee rank as the top tandem of scoring on carries (minimum 25) inside the red zone:
Players/School Rushes TD Efficiency
Burton/Gillislee, Florida 31 12 38.7%
Lattimore/Garcia (USC) 30 9 30.0%
Fannin/Newton (Auburn) 30 8 26.6%
Bolden/Davis (Ole Miss) 27 7 25.9%
Ingram/Richardson (Ala.) 27 7 25.9%
Sanders/ Locke (Kentucky) 32 7 21.8%
Jefferson/ Ridley (LSU) 38 6 15.7%
King/Ealy (Georgia) 26 2 7.6%
