Eight games in, we still don’t really know the UF offense.
Sure, fans were ready to write the unit off before last week. Fire the offensive coordinator. Bench the quarterback. Promote verbal commit Jeff Driskel from Hagerty High like a Triple-A relief pitcher.
Then the Gators rolled up to Jacksonville and brought some Outdoor-Cocktail-Party fun with them. UF used a flashy two-quarterbacks-on-one-field system and even went no huddle.
Florida’s offense gained 450 yards, its second-best output of the season (and best against a team not named Kentucky). The Gators even scored on a 91-yard drive, its longest of the year.
But as much as the offense teased fans with long-overdue bright spots, the Gators still needed their defense to light up the scoreboard Saturday. Including Will “The (occasional) Thrill” Hill’s overtime interception, half of Florida’s points were preceded by turnovers in its 34-31 win against Georgia.
And that’s been the theme all season. Florida leads the SEC with 93 points off turnovers this year. Auburn ranks second with 90 points, and the other 10 teams are averaging 41.5 points off interceptions and fumbles.
At first glance, the War Eagle/Tigers/Raging Cam Newtons seem comparable to Florida in the area. But, leading the conference with 40 points per game, Auburn does not rely on turnovers nearly as much as Florida.
To understand just how hard the Gators lean on turnovers, consider this: 41 percent of the team’s points come after defensive takeaways. For the 11 SEC teams not named Florida, about 20 percent of their points fall under the same category.
About one-quarter of Auburn’s points come off turnovers.
In UF’s five wins, the Gators sport a plus-11 turnover margin. In its three losses? Minus-six. That, of course, is not surprising. In the three hours a day producers release him from his cage, even ESPN’s Skip Bayless could tell you turning the ball over is very bad.
But how comfortable do you feel about your team if it’s identity revolves around forcing turnovers? Some chalk takeaways up to right-place, right-time, good-bounce-of-the-ball luck.
But a talented defense will get its hands on the ball more than a mediocre one, and Florida’s been able to force turnovers because of the skill of its defensive backs. The Gators are tied for first nationally with 16 interceptions, while the team ranks 113th with just three forced fumbles.
Janoris Jenkins’ interception on the first play of Saturday’s game, when he jumped an A.J. Green hitch route, came because Jenkins has good instincts and can quickly change direction.
Theoretically, though, a team is going to force a lot of turnovers by dominating up front. But the Gators rank 66th with 15 sacks this season, so opposing quarterbacks aren’t making bad decisions because they’re under pressure.
And Florida has, on occasion, been lucky. Urban Meyer won’t factor luck into the game because that implies parts of his job can’t be controlled through hard work. It’s understandable logic, but that doesn’t mean its true.
Both of The Thrill’s interceptions came when tipped passes sailed right to him. He even said after the game that his overtime interception fell right in his lap.
Again, not every interception or forced fumble is blind luck. Most aren’t. But some are.
And the Gators might need a few opportunities to fall in their lap if they want the rest of the season to be memorable.
