The Superdome turf seemed like an ideal field for Florida’s Southeastern Conference speed. Instead, Louisville made UF look like it had just come off Bourbon Street from Mardi Gras.
Cardinals quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, with legs almost as deadly as his arm, threw passes to nine different receivers. Jeff Driskel spread the ball to as many players, but for 91 fewer yards as the Gators’ passing game lacked spark.
Now when Gators offensive coordinator Brent Pease looks down onto the field from the coaches’ booth, he will watch a different team — one that resembles the squad that won the Sugar Bowl.
“The thing I hope I see is that there are more people to be productive around on the perimeter, particularly with the receivers,” Pease said. “We’ve got to do things to get the ball in their hands, but they’ve got to also do things that they can be productive and make the defenses accountable to them.”
Feel free to yawn at what has become a yearly tradition at UF, where the discussion surrounding the offense focuses on a lack of playmakers. For the last four seasons, questions have been asked about who will step up and become a go-to receiver.
Those questions are still waiting to be answered, but it sounds like the Gators have found that spark. Quinton Dunbar has taken the role of mentoring true freshmen Demarcus Robinson and Ahmad Fulwood.
Sophomore Valdez Showers has filled the void left by Omarius Hines. UF has installed a package for defensive back Loucheiz Purifoy, who has worked at receiver this offseason. Florida still has Trey Burton to find mismatches and quarterback Jeff Driskel enters his second year in Pease’s system.
Florida will stay true to its running identity, Pease said, but ask any of the defensive backs and he’ll say how it’s been a changed passing game this time around with a more confident quarterback.
“Going against (Marcus) Roberson, Purifoy and me,” Jaylen Watkins said, “they won some of the battles this year (as) opposed to last year.”
Two days after the Sugar Bowl shellacking, tight end Jordan Reed chose to forgo his senior season and left the Gators without their best vertical threat from a year ago. The additions of Robinson, who is 6-foot-2, and Fulwood, who is 6-foot-5, provide Driskel with the size at receiver he didn’t have last season.
Airing it out vertically is more than throwing the football and finding an open receiver, though.
“[Pease] would love if it was that easy to just throw the ball down the field and score, but he wants everything to be more vertical with more depth,” backup tight end Tevin Westbrook said. “He wants us to get down the field and just pick and screen for one another so we can get open.”
Robinson has led an “improved” set of playmakers expected to catch more footballs from Driskel. Pease described what he wants to see from a young receiver like Robinson on Tuesday.
“Initially you want to see consistency (and) how you’re going to perform,” Pease said. “‘Oh you had a good day? Let’s see how you do it again.’”
Follow Adam Pincus on Twitter @adamDpincus.
Quinton Dunbar reaches for a pass during warm-ups prior to Florida’s game against Kentucky on Sept. 22 in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. The Gators defeated the Wildcats 38-0.
