The Opening Kickoff: Florida at Alabama -- #UFvsBAMA
Saturday, September 20, 2014 | Football, Scott Carter
The Opening Kickoff
Florida (2-0, 1-0 SEC) at No. 3 Alabama (3-0)
#UFvsBAMA
Saturday, 3:30 p.m.
Bryant-Denny Stadium
Broadcast Info | Game Notes
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – He was a true freshman not expected to play that night three years ago in The Swamp.
And then Alabama linebacker Courtney Upshaw introduced himself to Gators starting quarterback John Brantley. Brantley's night was over.
Gators coach Will Muschamp turned to that true freshman and ordered: "Get your helmet."
That true freshman's response: "What?"
That was the first time Florida starting quarterback Jeff Driskel, now a wiser and battle-tested fourth-year junior, played against Alabama.
The second time comes Saturday afternoon when Driskel will try to lead the Gators to a victory over the No. 3-ranked Crimson Tide.
Muschamp won't need to tell him to put on his helmet.
"He's come miles,'' Florida's head coach said this week.
After missing most of last season with a broken leg, Driskel has returned to lead Florida to wins over Eastern Michigan and Kentucky to start the 2014 season.
Driskel has completed 63.6 percent of his passes for 543 yards and four touchdowns. He has one interception.
Driskel has tried to put memories of the 38-10 loss to Alabama his first season -- he finished 2 of 6 for 14 yards and suffered an ankle injury -- out of his mind this week.
"They weren't good,” he said. “I was definitely underprepared. Didn't know how to prepare at that time to play anybody, especially Alabama as good as they were. Just going in not knowing what you're doing is not a good situation. I'm not going to let that happen again.”
For more on the Florida-Alabama showdown, here is The Opening Kickoff:
FIVE STORYLINES
--The Gators make a rare trip to Tuscaloosa. Saturday will mark only the sixth time since 1978 the Gators have faced the Crimson Tide on Alabama's campus. Florida is 5-7 all-time in Tuscaloosa and lost 31-6 in their last visit four years ago.
--The Gators can prove they are back among the SEC elite with a victory on Saturday. While they are nearly 15-point underdogs, many believe the Gators have closed the talent gap with Alabama since the programs last met in 2011.
--Alabama coach Nick Saban and Muschamp go back to their days at LSU together. Both are considered defensive masterminds and this is the fourth time Muschamp and his former boss have squared off, and the second time as head coaches.
--Both teams have first-year offensive coordinators in Kurt Roper and Lane Kiffin. Roper came to Florida after six years at Duke and the Gators are averaging 593.5 yards per game through two games. Kiffin returned to the SEC after a stint as head coach at USC. The former Tennessee coach has a return date to Knoxville on Oct. 25, which should be interesting. Alabama is averaging 568.3 yards of total offense through three games.
--First-year Alabama quarterback Blake Sims will make his first start in an SEC game against a Florida defense ranked third in the conference (287.5 ypg). Sims' ability to extend plays with his scrambling ability is a concern for Florida. Sims has thrown for 646 yards and four touchdowns in his first three starts while averaging 34 yards rushing.
CAST OF CHARACTERS
--Gators cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III is one of the top defensive backs in the country. Alabama receiver Amari Cooper is a pass-catching machine with 33 receptions in three games. The Hargreaves-Cooper matchup is one worth watching Saturday and could play a big part in in the game's outcome.
--The Crimson Tide's run defense has been dominant. Alabama leads the nation in yielding just 47 yards rushing per game. As usual under Saban, Alabama's defensive line features large run-stoppers in nose guard A'Shawn Robinson and defensive ends Jonathan Allen and D.J. Pettway. A physical group of linebackers, led by Trey DePriest, is also potent against the run.
--While Cooper is having an outstanding season for the Crimson Tide, the Gators appear to have finally found their go-to receiver in sophomore Demarcus Robinson. In Florida's win over Kentucky last week, Robinson hauled in a school-record-tying 15 catches for 216 yards and two touchdowns.
--Gators running back Matt Jones could be a huge factor Saturday if it becomes one of those grind-it-out defensive battles. The 6-foot-2, 226-pound Jones rushed for 156 yards on a career-high 29 carries against Kentucky. With the game on the line in the third overtime, Jones carried four consecutive times for 25 yards to give Florida the win.
--Florida's backfield is deep with Jones and Co., but so is Alabama's. The Crimson Tide duo of T.J. Yeldon and Derrick Henry is perhaps the best 1-2 punch in the nation at halfback. Yeldon is averaging 75 yards rushing per game, and Henry 69.7.
TALKING POINTS
GatorZone.com senior writers Scott Carter and Chris Harry discuss the Florida-Alabama matchup in their latest video:
QUOTE FILE
"I don't know that philosophically they are the same that they've always been. I don't see a whole lot of difference schematically, some things here and there. But that's always going to change a little bit with a play-caller. Guys have a certain rhythm and may feel differently about a player or two here or there." -- Muschamp on Alabama's offense with Kiffin
"We're not really looking at ourselves as underdogs. I mean, we never have. We're looking at it as Florida against Bama. It's a big game, we all know it, that's not a secret." -- Hargreaves on Saturday's matchup
"I've always been comfortable with Demarcus. He's a guy that can get open and make people miss in space. That's something you want in a receiver.'' -- Driskel on his early-season connection with Robinson
"Long down and distances with these guys are going to bring a lot of issues on third down. You definitely want to stay on schedule, as everybody likes to say.'' -- Roper on avoiding negative plays against Alabama's defense
"I think we have guys that are willing to go the distance. They're not going to tap out.'' -- Center Max Garcia on offensive line's stamina against Alabama's big front
HISTORY LESSON
The tweet below came from Twitter follower Cantrell Tyson earlier this week. In one of the most historical wins in Florida football history, the Gators traveled to Tuscaloosa and knocked off the No. 3-ranked Crimson Tide in 1963.
The loss was the first for legendary Alabama coach Paul "Bear" Bryant at Bryant-Denny Stadium and one of only two losses in Tuscaloosa during his tenure, the other one in 1982.
@GatorZoneScott Will History repeat itself? #Bama was ranked #3 here as well! #Gators pic.twitter.com/Y6icsd1pcs
— Cantrell Tyson (@KIDD_DINK69) September 17, 2014
TOPICAL TWEET
Captains for Saturday against Alabama. #UFvsBAMA pic.twitter.com/hF8GDGEDfT
— GatorZone Football (@GatorZoneFB) September 18, 2014
10 QUICKHITTERS
--The Gators (seven) and Crimson Tide (four) are ranked first and second in number of SEC championships since conference instituted a title game in 1992.
--Driskel, Jones and Robinson combined for 468 yards of total offense in win over Kentucky, or 87.9 percent of Florida's 532 total yards.
--Quinton Dunbar has caught a pass in 30 consecutive games, which ties him for third with O.J. Small on the school's all-time list. A revision in regard to Dunbar's streak was made this week due to more extensive research. Dunbar is five games from tying former UF receiver Ike Hilliard's all-time UF mark of 35 consecutive games with a catch.
--Robinson is averaging 10.5 catches per game, third among FBS schools behind Cooper (11.5) and West Virginia's Kevin White (10.7).
--The Gators are 14-23 all-time against the Crimson Tide, 8-7 since 1990. Alabama has won the last three meetings.
--UF defensive line coach Brad Lawing was the DL coach at Michigan State in Saban's final season at the school in 1999.
--The Crimson Tide has won 10 or more games in six consecutive seasons, breaking the school record set under Bryant from 1971-75.
--Alabama is 76-4 under Saban when leading at halftime.
--Roper's up-tempo offense ran 86 plays in the season opener and 94 in the triple-overtime win over Kentucky. In research by UF's sports-information office, that ties the most plays for the Gators in a game dating back to 1980 (Mississippi State, 1990).
--The Gators lead the SEC with a plus-seven turnover margin; Alabama is tied with South Carolina for 12th with a minus-two turnover margin.
COOPER WATCH
Cooper's quick start -- 33 catches for 454 yards in three games -- has put him on many Heisman lists despite no receiver winning the award since Desmond Howard in 1991.
Here is a video from ESPN.com studying why Cooper has been so effective.
WHAT THEY'RE WRITING
--Pressure is on for Florida's defensive backs writes David Jones of Florida Today.
--Gainesville Sun beat writer Robbie Andreu writes Gators will hang tough at Bama.
--Florida set to open stretch to determine where program stands writes Andy Staples of SportsIllustrated.com.
--Kansas City Star blogger Blair Kerkhoff would like to see Florida and Alabama play more than they do.
--ESPN.com's Ed Aschoff dissects Gators cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III's cover skills.
BOTTOM LINE
As I walked down the aisle toward the back of Delta Flight No. 1455 on Friday morning in Atlanta, the slow trot on the full flight to Birmingham allowed me to listen in on multiple conversations about the Florida-Alabama game on Saturday.
Based on what I heard, fans of both teams -- at least those on my flight -- give the Gators little chance to knock off the No. 3-ranked Crimson Tide. I see it differently. Will Florida beat Alabama? No one knows of course. However, the talent gap between the programs has narrowed considerably since their last meeting in 2011 and I expect this game to competitive and determined in the fourth quarter.
