Gator Offensive Line Looks To Regroup Against LSU
Wednesday, October 6, 2010 | Football, Scott Carter
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Gators senior left guard Carl Johnson is as funny and easy going as about any player on the roster.
But when the 6-foot-5, 355-pound Johnson lines up at the goal line with the Gators needing one yard for a touchdown, he turns into a raging bull looking for something to gore.
The Gators twice drove to Alabama's 1 on Saturday and neither time was Johnson able to celebrate in the end zone.
“I was just mad,'' Johnson said of the offensive woes at Alabama. “If we can't get a yard, the way I look at it, it's our fault. We have probably the biggest offensive line and probably one of the best in the country, then why can't we get one yard. That's the way I look at it.''
On Florida's opening drive of the game, Gators quarterback Trey Burton lost a yard on third-and-goal from the 1, and then threw an interception on fourth down. In the third quarter, the Gators once again drove to Alabama's 1, but on a second-and-goal starting quarterback John Brantley tripped over Johnson as he attempted to hand off to Emmanuel Moody. Alabama's Courtney Upshaw recovered the fumble to end the Gators' threat.
Johnson's blood pressure shot up.
“I pulled to the right,'' Johnson said. “I pulled, was about to plant and just ram it in there, and then somehow I think I stepped on Johnny's foot and just tripped.''
The Gators' offensive line is aiming for a better performance on Saturday against LSU, which leads the SEC in total defense (246.6 yards per game) and sacks (16).
The unit has already experienced a small victory: all five starters are able to practice together this week, something they didn't do last week in preparation for Alabama. In the Gators' win over Kentucky on Sept. 25, all five offensive line starters hobbled off the field at different times with nagging injuries, disrupting chemistry and preparation.
“Five guys were hurt up front and it looked like it,'' Gators coach Urban Meyer said of last week's practices. “That sets off everything else. ''
Offensive coordinator Steve Addazio, also the offensive line coach, doesn't expect any sympathy. Every team is battling injuries this time of year.
Still, the lack of continuity can creep into performance on the field.
“It is what it is,'' Addazio said Tuesday. “It's Game four in the SEC. You guys saw it out there what happened the week before [against Kentucky]. They all went down with ankle injuries. They were pretty sizeable. But that's not an excuse.
“To their credit, those guys are tough guys. They were rock-and-roll ready to go on game day [at Alabama].''
Addazio has relied primarily on six players up front as Matt Pachan (wrist) and James Wilson (knee) continue to recover from injuries. The starting offensive line at Alabama featured Marcus Gilbert at left tackle, Johnson at left guard, Mike Pouncey at center, Maurice Hurt at right guard and Xavier Nixon at right tackle. Reserve Jon Halapio has also played significantly, especially when Nixon has moved to tight end in a six-lineman package.
The Gators were able to move the ball against the Crimson Tide, but the lack of scoring in the red zone did not sit well with the veteran group of linemen considered one of the team's strengths.
“We had more mistakes than usual,'' Gilbert said. “We blocked them pretty well; we just didn't execute. Everybody wasn't firing all at once at 100 percent on every play. We just have to have better execution. The effort was good.''
Gilbert said cleaning up missed assignments and reading the defense better will be at a premium on Saturday against LSU if the Gators are going to cash in near the goal line.
LSU's defensive line includes tackle Drake Nevis, who is third in the SEC with 3.5 sacks, and freshman defensive end Sam Montgomery, who has six tackles-for-loss.
“They are really good, the same defensive line you are probably going to see every year from them,'' Gilbert said. “It will be another strong challenge for us.''
Another key area will be protecting Brantley, who went down momentarily late in the Alabama game when he tried to run for a first down on fourth down.
Pouncey immediately came over to check on Brantley.
“I asked him, 'Why didn't you slide?' He said it was fourth down and I was trying to get the first down,'' Pouncey said. “That's something I'll have in the back of my mind. He is a competitor.''
The offensive line plans follow Brantley's lead and show its competitive side on Saturday. From listening to the players, they still believe the unit's best game is ahead.
“We've been playing all right, but obviously we can always play better,'' Pouncey said. “We do have to come out and make a statement this game up front.''
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