Big men need love, too.
We hate on offensive linemen so much when they fail our teams. No running lanes? Blame the hogs. Sacks? Do your job, fatties. Holding calls? False starts? Fumbled snaps? Big men, big men, big men.
They don’t receive enough praise — any football player will tell you that. So let’s not fall into such a trap. The big men did great last weekend. Alabama’s big men.
Saturday’s 38-10 loss was decided at the line of scrimmage. Florida couldn’t establish the run; Florida couldn’t stop the run.
Answering all those master-padawan questions about Nick Saban last week, Will Muschamp made it clear that his former boss provided Muschamp with his blueprint for running a college football team. Among those instructions was a simple rule: Use a pro-style offense.
On Saturday, we attended a clinic revealing just how much Florida needs to grow to reach Muschamp’s intended destination: Saban Status. The difference in the two programs? About 10 pounds — the discrepancy between Florida’s average starting offensive lineman (302.2 pounds) and Alabama’s bigger big men.
In the first quarter, the Crimson Tide ran. In the second quarter, they ran some more. After halftime, they kept it up, chipping away until the Gators’ defense didn’t want any more, until the unit that ranks third in the Southeastern Conference against the run resorted to piggy-back rides and arm tackles.
Defensive end Sharrif Floyd said after the game that fatigue didn’t set in, but on-field evidence proved otherwise, as did the stats.
Crimson Tide running back Trent Richardson gained a career-high 181 yards on the ground; Jeff Demps and Chris Rainey combined for 8 yards on 14 carries. Alabama’s defense notched three sacks; Florida got zero. The Tide held on to the ball for 18:40 in the second half; the Gators picked up just two first downs after the break.
Not all of this can be chalked up to the big men. John Brantley’s leg injury changed the complexion of the game, kind of. He was playing the best game of his career, but even that was not enough. Even then, Florida was trailing 24-10. Even with 190 first-half passing yards, Demps and Rainey gained 1 yard on eight carries.
Some will argue that Alabama’s hogs weren’t the difference, that Richardson and his grown-ass-man strength carried the Tide. But backup Eddie Lacy was just as effective, averaging 6.4 yards per carry.
So, how do Florida’s big men get some love? They have to get bigger.
Offensive coordinator Charlie Weis found himself in a similar situation when he took over at Notre Dame. After three seasons with offensive lines averaging 300 pounds or lighter, the Irish bulked up in 2008, when players recruited by Weis went through the team’s training program.
The Irish’s opening-day starting linemen averaged 315.4 pounds — about 15 pounds heavier than the average lineman the year before.
Expect a similar jump in Gainesville as Muschamp and Weis try to create a Tuscaloosa-feel at the line of scrimmage. For now, though, the Gators face a steep battle.
LSU’s offensive line is even bigger than Alabama. And don’t forget Georgia. The Dawgs will bring the heaviest o-line in the nation to Jacksonville when they play the Gators on Oct. 29.
That line averages 329.4 pounds, and it will expect love. A whole lot of love.
Contact Tyler Jett at tjett@alligator.org.
