Gators Notebook: Maye shows off versatility, winning at home, more tidbits
Tuesday, September 22, 2015 | Football, Softball, Scott Carter
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – There was a lot of open field in front of Kentucky receiver Dorian Baker after he caught a fourth-and-3 pass from Patrick Towles on the Wildcats' final drive Saturday night.
Baker gained 20 yards on the play, but if not for a shoestring tackle by Gators defensive back Marcus Maye, the damage could have been much worse.
Maye's tackle dropped Baker at Kentucky's 47-yard line, and from there the Wildcats moved backward in Florida's 14-9 win.
“There were a lot of individual plays that stood out, but one of the things that really kind of maybe went unnoticed a bit was when [linebacker] Jeremi Powell went down, we got into a bunch more dime,'' Florida coach Jim McElwain said. “Some of the formational things [Kentucky did] forced Marcus Maye to come in and play Mike linebacker based on formations.
“What he did in that game at that position was something that should be written about. He made some really good open-field tackles on plays that broke.”
A redshirt junior, Maye had eight tackles and a quarterback hurry in one of his best games. With Powell out because of a foot injury and linebacker Alex Anzalone sidelined due to a shoulder injury, Maye is expected to see additional reps at linebacker on Saturday when the Gators are in their dime package against Tennessee.
The 6-foot, 207-pound Maye is not intimidated by the opportunity to get more physical by playing closer to the line of scrimmage.
“I feel like, it's closer to the ball, more action,'' Maye said after Tuesday's practice. “It just allows all the DBs to be on the field at one time covering. They started throwing the ball around a lot. Once I got out there I started to get used to the position, I got the hang of it.”
Cornerback Quincy Wilson made a game-clinching interception four plays after Maye's tackle kept Baker from running full-speed ahead toward the end zone.
Maye's performance did not surprise Wilson.
“We have confidence that he'll get the job done,'' Wilson said. “He can play anywhere on the field and we're just going to put him in the right position to make plays that we need.”
Maye's 13 tackles through three games rank third on the team behind linebackers Jarrad Davis (24) and Antonio Morrison (18).
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HOME PROJECT
The Gators are 1-4 in their last five SEC home games and are determined to make The Swamp one of the country's most feared venues again.
The Gators opened the season with a pair of home victories against New Mexico State and East Carolina, but they know with Tennessee coming to town Saturday, the intensity turns up a notch.
Senior receiver Valdez Showers said Tuesday that McElwain urges the Gators to “restore the order.”
Maye remembers as a true freshman watching the Gators go 7-0 at home as he redshirted in 2012. When the Swamp is rocking, the Gators clearly have an advantage.
“You win more games, people want to come out and see you,'' he said. “The more we win, the better we play, the more fans we get in the stands, just a better environment at home.”
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KICKING WOES
Redshirt junior kicker Austin Hardin entered the season with as good a grip on job security as perhaps any player on the roster in McElwain's first season.
He's one of only two kickers on the roster and the backup, redshirt freshman walk-on Jorge Powell, has never appeared in a game.
Hardin is off to a shaky start, missing three of his first six attempts. Hardin had a 34-yard field goal blocked at Kentucky. On the previous snap, he made a kick from 29 yards but the play was wiped out due to a delay-of-game penalty. On the next play, Hardin's low kick was blocked by Kentucky's Cory Johnson.
Hardin also had an extra-point attempt blocked against New Mexico State.
“The missed field goals are something that are starting to become a concern,'' McElwain said. “I'll be straight up. The low trajectory, I mean, it's not like there's a block issue in there as far as the schematics of protecting. The delay-of-game penalty should have never happened.”
Hardin is now 14 of 28 in his career. The upside: 15 of Hardin's 20 kickoffs have been touchbacks.
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EXTRA POINTS
Hardin's ability to kick the ball deep into the end zone could play an important role Saturday. Tennessee leads the SEC and ranks third in the country in kickoff return average (39.3 yards per return) … Florida's 50 yards in sacks at Kentucky was its most since dropping Ohio State for 51 yards in the 2007 BCS National Championship game … The Gators are plus-14 in turnover ratio during their 10-game win streak over Tennessee.
