UF's offensive struggles by the numbers
Friday, October 22, 2010 | Football, Volleyball, Scott Carter
Urban Meyer has many roles to fill.
Coach. Mentor. Teacher. Guidance counselor. Face of the Florida football program.
The list could go on and on.
This week he sort of played the role of a pesky parent the way your dad used to remind you to repeatedly take out the garbage until you finally did.
Meyer's constant message to the Gators has focused on an urgent need to improve. To help the cause, Meyer had reminders written down on paper and on dry-erase boards all around the UF football offices for players and coaches to see.
Meyer called this the most important bye week of his coaching career.
Why? The Gators need a win after losing three straight for the first time in 11 years.
For a closer look at what's going on, here are some numbers:
--The Gators have eight turnovers in their last three games and 14 on the season. When they won their second national title in three years in 2008, Florida committed just 13 turnovers in 14 games. In 2009, they had just 16 turnovers in 14 games.
--The running game has been decimated by injuries. Prior to the Mississippi State game, Florida's medical staff told Meyer that the offense might be without a healthy regular running back.
Turned out Jeff Demps and Mike Gillislee were able to go, but neither at full-speed. Emmanuel Moody also remains hobbled.
The lack of punch from the running game is a top concern. The Gators have four plays of 20 or more yards from their running game all season, including none in the past five games. For a comparison, the Gators had five running plays of 20 or more yards against FSU last season – Demps had 62- and 20-yard runs, Gillislee a 28-yard run, Chris Rainey a 45-yard run and former quarterback Tim Tebow a 47-yard run. Overall, UF reeled off 25 runs of 20 yards or more in 2009.
“We have not had a running back make a big play in the run game since South Florida, which is alarming,” Meyer said earlier this week. “Around here, we've always had hits in the run game.”
--The Gators have a passing efficiency rating of 98.5 over the last three games. From 2007-09, Florida's passing efficiency rating led the nation at 165.0; Boise State was second over that span at 160.4.
The reason for the offensive struggles is multi-faceted. While the spotlight often shines on the skill players when production drops, the offensive line play, perimeter blocking by the receivers, and the backfield's ability to pick up the blitzes have all played a role in the lack of production the past three games.
--The Gators' red-zone efficiency has also dropped off. The Gators have led the SEC in red-zone efficiency the last three seasons and in the first four games scored on 16 consecutive trips inside the red zone. In the last three games, the Gators have scored just three touchdowns on 11 trips inside the opponent's 20-yard line, including three turnovers and two missed field goals.
-- Finally, since the SEC started keeping statistics for drive production in 2000, Florida has the two best percentages, scoring on 54 percent of its drives in 2007 and 52 percent in 2008. In the last three games, the Gators are scoring on just 19 percent of their drives.
Add it all up, and you can see why Meyer made sure to post those reminders around the office this week.
