That line-of-scrimmage whooping was a fluke. Florida’s offensive linemen swear.
By now the numbers have been shoved down every Gators fan’s throat: 15 yards rushing, three sacks allowed, nine first downs. Those stats were well south of Florida’s earlier performances; but, of course, last weekend’s game was the only time the Gators have faced a respected defense.
To hear Florida’s offensive linemen describe it, Saturday’s shortcomings had little to do with Alabama. The Gators’ message Tuesday afternoon was clear: We won’t let that happen again.
“We just didn’t have our best game,” right tackle Chaz Green said. “If we come ready to play and play up to our ability, we should be able to hang with many teams.”
Green and the rest of the line will have a shot at redemption Saturday, when Florida travels to Death Valley to take on No. 1 LSU. The Tigers’ run defense is just as stout as the Crimson Tide’s, if not tougher.
LSU ranks second in the Southeastern Conference in rushing defense (60.4 yards allowed per game) and has a reputation for clogging the nation’s best running lanes. Against Oregon on Sept. 3, the Tigers limited the Ducks to 95 yards on the ground — 272.7 yards less than Oregon’s average in its other three games. Mississippi State squeaked out just 52 yards on the ground against LSU on Sept. 15; the Bulldogs have averaged 218.5 rushing yards in their four other contests.
“We can’t lose the line of scrimmage,” offensive coordinator Charlie Weis said. “We lose the line of scrimmage Saturday afternoon, we’ll be in for a long day.”
Reflecting on the Alabama game, Green said Florida’s offensive linemen didn’t play with proper technique, and he added that he and his teammates need to “get in the playbooks.”
For his part, right guard Jon Halapio said Alabama’s defensive linemen didn’t run any special plays; Florida’s offensive line just missed its assignments too often.
Halapio did admit, however, that the size of the Tide’s linemen and linebackers made life difficult.
“There were times when it was hard to move them,” he said.
While just as effective against the run, LSU’s defense is not as big as Alabama’s.
The Tigers rely more on speed and confusion, something the Gators’ front five will try its best to prepare for.
The linemen had not started watching film prior to Tuesday, but Green said he would be paying close attention to the type of stunts LSU’s defensive line uses.
Establishing the run will be even more important this week, with Florida’s quarterback situation in flux. Freshman Jeff Driskel suffered a sprained ankle against Alabama, and Weis said the starter won’t be decided until later this week.
Regardless of who is taking snaps Saturday, Florida’s offensive line will have its hands full in pass protection. LSU has applied plenty of heat to opposing passers this year, ranking second in the SEC with 12 sacks, and on Saturday the Gators’ offensive line will need to keep the floodgates closed if their quarterback has a chance.
And if they don’t, those line-of-scrimmage struggles won’t just be a fluke anymore.
Contact Tyler Jett at tjett@alligator.org
Will Muschamp said Monday that offensive tackle Chaz Green (above) would miss the 2013 season after suffering a torn labrum during an Aug. 20 practice. Green will undergo surgery soon to fix structural damage.
