Shotgun snaps from Week 1 to Week 2
Thursday, September 16, 2010 | Football, Scott Carter
If you were around Ben Hill Griffin Stadium last week, the “snap issue'' was perhaps the most popular topic entering the Gators' first meeting with USF.
In the season opener, center Mike Pouncey delivered several errant snaps to quarterback John Brantley in the shotgun.
In UF's 38-14 win over USF on Saturday, Pouncey had no problems after staggering his right foot back slightly in his stance.
“I played great,'' he said earlier this week. “But I'm not satisfied. One week isn't going to prove anything. I've got to go out and do it again week in and week out.''
While many wondered if the Gators would limit their shotgun snaps in the USF game, that turned out not to be the case according to stats provided by Florida's quality-control staff.
In their season-opening win over Miami (Ohio), the Gators ran 48 of 59 (81.3 percent) plays from the shotgun. Against USF, they actually ran one more play from the shotgun 49 of 70 (70 percent) but a less overall percentage.
The Gators play at Tennessee on Saturday and with more than 100,000 fans at Neyland Stadium, Pouncey and Brantley will be tested when lined up in the shotgun. Then again, after Pouncey's first couple of games, a little extra noise probably won't bother him.
“I heard it all,'' he said. “I was going through the drive-through [Sunday] night at McDonald's. As I was leaving, the guy told me, 'man, don't mess up the snaps anymore. I said, don't mess up my sandwiches anymore.' ''
