Running back Lamical Perine played a pivotal role in Florida's second-half rally on Saturday. (Photo: Tim Casey/UAA Communications)
Gators Notebook: Rotating running backs, trick plays, more tidbits
Monday, October 1, 2018 | Football
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By: Ethan Hughes, FloridaGators.com Intern
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Anyone who follows Gators football closely on social media knows that the fans' assessment of the team's running backs changes frequently.
In the first quarter, Player X should be the starter and receive most of the carries. An hour later, he should be replaced by Player Y and never allowed to touch a football again. Then Player Z comes along and blows the whole thing up.
The consensus among fans is that they want to see Coach Dan Mullen pick one guy as his featured back and ride him. However, Mullen likes his by-committee approach and does not envision the Gators straying from it anytime soon.
"I think you get into a game, and, all the sudden, linebackers are hitting this guy, hitting this guy, hitting this guy, and, all the sudden, here's a new guy," Mullen said on Monday. "And, all the sudden, there's another guy. And they keep hitting him, saying, 'Holy cow, I was thinking we were going to wear this guy down, but it's the other way around. They keep coming at a wave and wearing us down.' That's what we'd like to be. I talk to our guys all the time -- it's not the quantity of plays you play, it's the quality of which you play those plays [that] is going to help us win."
First, there's redshirt junior Jordan Scarlett, who has started all five games. He is the oldest, most experienced and is the best in pass protection. During the offseason, he worked on his route-running and pass-catching skills to become a more complete back, Mullen said. Scarlett, a physical runner, leads the team with 40 carries.
"He's a strong kid," Mullen said. "I mean, physically strong, so I think that helps in blitz pick-up. It's tough duty. Guys get a running start to come hit you. You've got that natural strength, you just pop them and you don't get moved. It helps. You're seeing him as a guy who is learning the offense more and playing with more confidence and understanding how important that aspect of the game is."
Then there's junior Lamical Perine. While not the biggest, strongest or fastest, he always seems to do his job and produce. When Scarlett (10 carries, 21 yards) struggled in the running game against Mississippi State, Perine came off the bench midway through the third quarter and sparked the lone touchdown drive of the game. On the drive, he ran the ball three times for 29 yards and caught two passes for 24 yards.
"Perine's got speed, he's got make-you-miss and he's got the physicality to run between the tackles," Mullen said. "Does a great job also with pass protection, catches the ball well out of the backfield as an all-around running back."
Lastly, there's freshman Dameon Pierce, who Mullen has used in a role similar to that of a closer in baseball. Scarlett and Perine wore the Bulldogs' defense down in the first three quarters, and Pierce, a 216-pound sledgehammer, finished them off with four rushes for 30 yards. He continues to lead UF with 255 yards despite having just the fourth-most attempts.
D-LINE DEPTH
Florida's defense became more dominant as the game went on against MSU. After surrendering 159 yards and recording just one sack in the first half, the unit held the Bulldogs to 43 total yards and sacked quarterback Nick Fitzgerald five times in the second half.
Like the running backs, the Gators believe their success in the second half is a product of rotating players on the defensive line. UF regularly plays eight or nine defensive linemen in a game.
Gators defensive line coach Sal Sunseri talks to Jabari Zuniga and Kyree Campbell during Saturday's win at Mississippi State. (Photo: Tim Casey/UAA Communications)
"You get to the second half of a game like last week when your defense is fresh, and I think we gave up 43 yards in the second half total," Mullen said. "And, at that point, your defense is fresh … because the guys that are on the field have not played. It's not play 60 of the plays. Guys are fresh. The players are understanding that and starting to buy into it."
Added junior nickelback Chauncey Gardner-Johnson: "Mississippi State, they got a great D-Line. Watching them play on defense, they were good. They're physical and fast upfront, but you could see how not having depth can really wear you down. Having depth on our sideline – you know, our D-Line was just constantly rolling, got different guys coming in.
"When they're number was called, they just went and made plays. They wasn't too tired, and they wasn't exhausted from anything. They just had to keep their mind into the game."
PITTS ON RISE
After only playing in two of the first four games, freshman tight end Kyle Pitts made his first career catch in the second half on Saturday night. Freshman tight end Kyle Pitts. (Photo: Tim Casey)
Mullen said Pitts will be more involved as the season progresses due to his versatility. Pitts can line up on the end of the line like a traditional tight end, or he can split out wide and line up as a receiver, as he did on the play he recorded his catch.
"We think he's going to be a guy as a tight end that's a tough mismatch in the future, so we're going to accelerate him, and, as the season goes on, you might see him play more and more and more for the future," Mullen said.
Mullen could have opted to take advantage of the NCAA's new redshirt rule that allows players to play in any four games without sacrificing their eligibility to redshirt. That won't be the case with Pitts. TOUGH TIGERS
Florida will face arguably the best defense it's seen all season on Saturday when LSU visits the Swamp.
Up front, the Tigers are led by junior end Rashard Lawrence, a preseason third-team All-SEC selection by the league's coaches. He is tied for fourth on the team with three tackles for loss.
The back-seven is where LSU is most dangerous. At linebacker is junior Devin White, who is second in the league in tackles and is tied for second on his team in both tackles for loss and passes broken up.
"He's a physical 'backer," Mullen said. "In theory, 'Oh, he's an inside linebacker, he should be physical.' But, what separates him is speed, his quickness. A very, very intelligent player. You watch him, how he fits, how he studies the game and then how he knows what his opponents are doing. He's a tremendous athlete, but I think also, one of the things you see is intelligent players look a lot faster."
Finally, there's the secondary, which features talented corners Greedy Williams and Kristian Fulton, and safety Grant Delpit. Williams (2 INTs) is regarded by some as the top corner in the SEC.
"He's a long, lengthy guy," junior receiver Josh Hammond said. "He can run. He'll be a good matchup. I think their DBs are kind of similar to ours in a way, so I think we'll be up for the challenge and kind of prepared. Going against Marco [Wilson] and CJ [Henderson] every day is not an easy day in practice at all. So, I think the biggest thing is just we got to come out and be ready to compete."
Fulton leads the league with six passes broken up, while Delpit leads the Tigers with 6.5 tackles for loss and is tied for the most sacks with three.
Statistically, LSU is fourth in the conference in rushing defense at 103 yards per game. They are tied for third with 10 takeaways and are fifth in sacks.
If there's one spot the Tigers are vulnerable, it's in the passing game. They rank just 10th in the league in passing defense. Mullen said head coach Ed Orgeron and defensive coordinator Dave Aranda like to load the box to stop the run, leaving one-on-one coverage on the outside.
"They're going to give you some one-on-one matchups, and you're going to have to find a way to win some one-on-one matchups out there on the perimeter," Mullen said.
MORE TRICKS UP MULLEN'S SLEEVE?
Mullen was asked again on Monday about wide receiver Kadarius Toney's decisive touchdown pass on a trick play. He said the play is called "Kodak," a nod to Kodak Black, a Florida-based rapper who is popular among the players. He used this name because it is simple and easy for his players to remember.
The Gators include three to four trick plays in the game plan every week, he said, although they don't always use all four depending on how the game plays out.
"We've got a bunch more in the back pocket for when the time calls because if you call it at the right time and it works, you look like a genius, right?" Mullen said. "Or, you call it, and it doesn't work and, 'Boy, that guy's an idiot. How did they think that would work?' It's a lot about timing."
