Finally, real football is here.
It’s Tennessee week, and while most everyone who gives a damn about the Gators couldn’t be more excited, Will Muschamp is worried.
You could hear the doubt in his voice minutes after clinching a 39-0 laugher in The Swamp.
Despite winning in what most casual observers would consider impressive fashion, Muschamp saw something.
The Gators scored 80 points against FAU and UAB, while only allowing three. For the second straight game, the defense held the opposing offense in check and imposed its will. Multiple Gators scored touchdowns and the defense forced a turnover. So what’s all the fuss about?
Muschamp knows what’s coming to Gainesville this weekend: two absolute monsters, hungry and ready to eat the Florida secondary for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Justin Hunter and Da’Rick Rogers have combined for more than 500 yards receiving and five touchdowns through Tennessee’s first two games. Led by sophomore gunslinger Tyler Bray, the Volunteers tout the ninth-ranked passing offense in the nation.
On the year, Bray has completed 51 of 65 passes for 698 yards and seven touchdowns — good for more than 10 yards per attempt. Rogers and Hunter both average more than 13 yards per reception and each already has a catch of more than 45 yards.
In the season opener, they became the first pair of UT receivers to each rack up 100 yards in the same game. Then they did it again in Week 2.
If you don’t get it by now, the point is this: UF’s underclassmen-laden secondary doesn’t stand a chance.
If you don’t believe me, you probably weren’t watching the same game. Either way, let’s go to the tape.
Fire up your DVR. Fast-forward “Breakfast with the Gators” to the start of the second quarter.
Watch as UAB motions to empty. See how Bryan Ellis (who?) nails a 38-yard strike down the sideline for a touchdown? Marcus Roberson had decent coverage on the play, but it didn’t matter.
OK, now, skip ahead to the Blazers’ next series. On 2nd-and-10 from the UAB 25, safety Matt Elam made the type of mistake you can expect to see when two freshmen and two sophomores start in the secondary. He bit on a pump fake, hesitating just enough to allow Patrick Hearn to get behind the last line of defense.
Had it been Bray instead of Ellis, that pass goes for six.
Muschamp knows it. He said as much afterward.
“Defensively, I just didn’t feel like we were on top of where we needed to be at times. … We had some miscommunications,” he said. “Those are the two I saw come out — I’m sure there will probably be some others on film as I watch it.”
Sophomore corner Cody Riggs also admitted there was plenty to clean up before Saturday. But for as honest as he was, Riggs was also confident.
“It wasn’t no big mistakes, we can correct them and we’ll have them corrected by next week.”
You sure about that, Cody?
Contact Matt Watts at mwatts@alligator.org.
