The UF offense may still be looking for its identity, but its statistics continue to show signs of a talented core.
Coach Urban Meyer said the unit looked "awful" at times Saturday but would then rebound with a drive that marched down the field.
A perfect example came in the third quarter when quarterback Tim Tebow threw his first interception of the season. On the next drive, he led the Gators down the field for a six-play, 83-yard touchdown drive, during which he went 4-of-4 for 76 yards.
The Gators are scoring on 50.8 percent of their drives, only slightly down from their 54-percent clip of a year ago. They score an average of 2.79 points per drive, tops in the Southeastern Conference.
A week after turnovers cost UF against Mississippi, it was 110 yards of penalties that hindered the Gators offense against the Razorbacks.
Even with the flags, they still managed to put a season-high 514 yards of total offense.
"If you take away the penalties, I think it's one of our best offensive performances we've had," Meyer said. "We had one three-and-out on a misread. Everything else was just methodically moving the ball down the field."
Big plays allowed UF to rack up 21 points in the fourth quarter, but there were times when the offense looked out of rhythm.
Fans have voiced frustrations about the offense, and Meyer said he is right there with them.
"I complain about the offense, too," he said. "I ask the coaches every Sunday when they come in. That's the nature of the beast - we expect to score points. We expect to look clean, and at times it hasn't looked clean."
When the clock hits the fourth quarter, however, UF has found a whole different gear for its offensive play.
It gained 246 of its 514 total yards - nearly 48 percent - in the last 15 minutes against Arkansas. All three third downs were converted for first downs.
Trailing against Mississippi posed no hassle, either. While Tebow came up short on fourth and 1 on the Gators' final drive, he led them on two touchdown-scoring drives earlier in the fourth quarter, the last of which would have tied the game if not for a blocked extra point.
Meyer attributed the success late in the games to Tebow's leadership and physical play by the offensive line. Offensive coordinator Dan Mullen added that UF's summer conditioning may be paying off.
"Our guys just keep plugging away," Mullen said. "They're still going to come at you and be fresh in the fourth quarter."
One key to Saturday's success was the variety of playmakers that touched the ball. Eight different players caught a pass against Arkansas, up from five against Mississippi.
"When we spread it out, we move it up and down the field," receiver Louis Murphy said. "We move the chains."
Big plays have become scarcer due to opponents' decisions to keep two or three defenders deep. Meyer said teams that usually play man-to-man coverage, such as Tennessee and Miami, switched to a more cautious zone defense when facing UF. He expects LSU to stick with its man coverage.
"You're not going to have perfect drives every game," Murphy said. "We're getting better."
