The matchup between Florida and Alabama on Saturday will feature the Southeastern Conference’s leading receiver, a member of the Biletnikoff Award watch list and one of the nation’s most potent deep-route threats.
Amari Cooper will be there too.
In just two games, Florida’s Demarcus Robinson has stolen the spotlight from Cooper in the SEC after recording 21 catches for 339 yards, including three touchdowns.
His 169.5 receiving yards per game paces the SEC and is second in the country.
The sophomore’s 15-reception performance against Kentucky — which tied Carlos Alvarez’s school record set back in 1969 — was enough for him to earn a spot on the Biletnikoff Award watch list Tuesday.
Robinson also became the first Gator to have two straight 100-yard games since Jabar Gaffney in 2001.
"At times, I was like ‘Man, is Demarcus (Robinson) the only receiver we have? It felt like every time he was the one catching the ball," center Max Garcia said. "Yeah, really impressed in how he performed against Kentucky and really excited to see him develop because he’s still very young and defenses are going to have to game plan against him, which is only going to leave other receivers open. So we’re going to need him."
Robinson, a four-star receiver out of Fort Valley, Ga., was expected to make this kind of impact as a freshman in 2013.
But off-the-field issues limited him to making just five catches in seven games.
Now with his suspensions behind him, Robinson has made his mark on Florida’s offense as the Gators’ No. 1 receiver.
Quarterback Jeff Driskel targeted Robinson 21 times Saturday night, making the 6-foot-2 receiver Driskel’s primary go-to pass catcher.
"He’s a guy that can get open and make people miss in space," Driskel said. "That’s something that you want in a receiver. He’s going to have to continue to develop and make big plays, along with the rest of the receiving corps."
Despite Robinson’s astonishing start to the 2014 campaign, offensive coordinator Kurt Roper said there are always things to work on.
His wife, Britt Roper, agrees.
"You know I was coming home and my wife, she’s an old sports reporter so she knows something about football … and she goes, ‘Oh but his ball security,’" Roper said.
"I said, ‘Well let’s just put him on the bench. You don’t want to play him. You want, we’ll put him on the bench. We won’t play him.’ She goes, ‘Wait a second. Hold on.’"
Joking aside, Roper knows the importance of diligent preparation when facing Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide.
As Duke’s offensive coordinator in 2010, Roper was pitted against Alabama’s defense.
The Blue Devils scored only 13 points compared to the Tide’s 62.
"We watched (the film), obviously, and I’ve watched it since then to try to learn anything from it," Roper said.
"But we felt like, for that season, that really hurt us for a couple of weeks, that a was tough to get over … That was a long day."
Follow Jonathan Czupryn on Twitter @Jczupryn
Demarcus Robinson runs with the ball during Florida's 36-30 win against Kentucky on Saturday at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
Demarcus Robinson runs with the ball during Florida's 36-30 win against Kentucky at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
