Gators defensive line coach Dan McCarney was proud of his front four after the group held Miami (Ohio) to four rushing yards last Saturday. But he knows the Florida defense faces a much tougher ground attack this week against South Florida.
The Gators will face a dual-threat quarterback in B.J. Daniels, who led the Bulls with 772 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground last season.
Coaches have told their players to keep an eye on Daniels throughout every play this week, and the line will be charged with keeping him in the pocket.
“B.J. Daniels is a great player,” linebacker Jelani Jenkins said. “We’ll definitely have our hands full. We’re watching him on tape, trying to figure out ways we can stop him.”
McCarney, who coached at USF when Daniels signed, compared him to former Iowa State quarterback Seneca Wallace, who played for McCarney from 2001-2002.
“(Daniels) can turn a bad play into a good one, a good one into a great one, a no-play into a heck of a play,” McCarney said. “If you’re just going to tee-off and just collapse the pocket and run up the field, he’ll pull it up and run.”
Offense opening up: After managing just 25 yards through the first three quarters last weekend, the Gators gained 187 yards and scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter. The team made a conscious effort at halftime to open up the offense, coach Urban Meyer said.
Four of quarterback John Brantley’s first five passes to start the game were thrown near the line of scrimmage, which he said was part of the team’s game plan.
Meyer blamed the team’s conservative play calling on the now-infamous 13 botched snaps.
“When you get out of rhythm as many times as we did in the first half, it’s tough,” he said.
The Gators will be more explosive if their quarterback-center exchange becomes consistent, Meyer said.
D-Line Rotation: Defensive coordinator Teryl Austin said the Gators played defensive linemen Jaye Howard and Justin Trattou too much last week. He said the team needs to keep its biggest players fresh and give inexperienced players a chance to improve.
“We’ve got to try to get some rotation, especially when it’s as hot as it is,” Austin said. “They’re taking on double teams and getting cut every play, so it’s really important to develop some depth.”
Receivers blocking: Omarius Hines said the team has yet to find a receiver who blocks as well as Riley Cooper, who exhausted his eligibility last fall.
Meyer criticized his receivers last weekend for poor blocking, and the group has focused on that area all week in practice, including a long session Tuesday, Hines said.
“We got to be able to block on the perimeter in order for us to be successful and have big plays,” he said.
Injuries, Suspensions: Left tackle Xavier Nixon (knee) has practiced with the team this week and he could be back in the lineup Saturday, Meyer said.
He also expects defensive tackle Terron Sanders (knee) and guard Carl Johnson (suspension) to be available to play Saturday.
Left tackle Matt Patchan (wrist), however, is still in a long cast and will miss “a few weeks.”
iTebow: Former quarterback Tim Tebow went viral Wednesday, launching an official Twitter account, a Facebook page and his own website, www.timtebow.com.
These moves were handled by his company, XV Enterprises, to increase Tebow’s marketability.
