Florida offensive coordinator Brent Pease wants Jordan Reed to get more touches.
“He could have had a few more,” Pease said. “There were a couple of other throws we tried to get to him. Some things happened on one. We had some breakdowns in protection here or there and a misread. He’s got to get more.”
Reed proved a popular target for Jeff Driskel during the Gators’ season opener on Saturday. The quarterback-turned-tight end tied Frankie Hammond Jr. and Quinton Dunbar with a team-high three catches in Florida’s 27-14 win against Bowling Green. Reed’s 33 receiving yards placed second among Gators pass-catchers. Two of Reed’s three catches resulted in first downs.
Even without the ball in his hands, Reed proved his worth. On Mike Gillislee’s 38-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, Reed made the block that allowed Gillislee to take the ball up the right sideline on the way to the end zone.
Reed, who has been working on his blocking with tight ends coach Derek Lewis, said that aspect of his game is the most improved since last season.
“Just footwork and hand placement, hat placement,” Reed said when summarizing his work on blocking. “Just being more physical and tenacious and things like that.
“It’s getting better. I used to just throw my head in there, so now I use my hands more, so I guess it takes some pain off my neck.”
Defense misses opportunities: Florida forced two turnovers in its 27-14 victory against Bowling Green on Saturday, but that’s not enough for defensive coordinator Dan Quinn. Marcus Roberson intercepted a pass from Falcons quarterback Matt Schilz on the first play of the fourth quarter, and Cody Riggs forced a fumble on a punt return recovered by Drew Ferris near the end of the game. Still, Florida fell short of Quinn’s goal of three takeaways per game.
Both Riggs and Jaylen Watkins dropped potential picks in the second quarter.
“We had some missed opportunities for interceptions,” Quinn said. “We had two of those in the secondary that we thought we could get our hands on those balls and give the offense a chance to go back the other way with it. … Once you get your chance at them, you’ve got to convert on them.”
Despite the low takeaway count, Quinn was happier with the Gators’ pass rush. Florida had one sack and three quarterback hurries.
“We did pressure the quarterback some,” Quinn said. “We didn’t get the same number that you’d like in a ball game, but I do think we affected the quarterback in that way.”
The Gators pass rush will earn a boost should Ronald Powell complete his rehab from a torn left ACL before year’s end. Florida coach Will Muschamp has not given an update on Powell since he set Oct. 1 as a loose target date for the Buck linebacker’s return on Aug. 20. As part of his rehab, Powell is working with Quinn after practice.
“What we do, generally, is he does rehab and then we do some exercises and things post practice where we’re starting to get ready, whether it’s hands or rush and that kind of thing,” Quinn said.
Fowler earning significant reps: Freshman Dante Fowler Jr. received more playing time than the majority of Florida’s first-year players in Saturday’s season opener. That trend will likely continue against Texas A&M.
“He had a good training camp,” Quinn said. “I wasn’t surprised that he played a lot of turns and that kind of stuff because I really felt like he was ready to do that.”
Fowler made three tackles, assisted on a tackle for loss and notched a quarterback hurry against Bowling Green. Perhaps his biggest play came on a fourth-and-3 play on Florida’s 24-yard line during the fourth quarter. In a two-score game, Fowler stopped Falcons running back John Pettigrew for no gain.
“He played a lot on third down for us and I think he’s really improving as a rusher,” Quinn said. “I’m kind of excited to see where he can go to.”
Fowler has adjusted to the college game quicker than his fellow incoming defensive linemen. His ability to crack the lineup early is a testament to Fowler’s skill set.
“That’s the balance with the new players,” Quinn said. “Who’s able to handle it physically and how fast can you get acclimated from a terminology standpoint.”
Contact Joe Morgan at joemorgan@alligator.org.
Defensive lineman freshman Dante Fowler Jr. (6) runs down Bowling Green University quarterback Matt Schilz (7) during the season opener win on Saturday at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
