Whooped. Outmatched. Overpowered.
No matter what words you use to describe the Gators offensive line in their 33-17 loss to Michigan, the message is clear.
Leading up to No. 17 Florida’s season opener against No. 11 Michigan, UF coach Jim McElwain bragged about his offensive line, saying that the group has turned a corner and will be the team’s top unit come September.
Then September came, and McElwain’s top-tier offensive line was nowhere to be found.
“Their guys were bigger and stronger,” McElwain said after the loss. “They whooped us. Plain and simple."
A cursory comparison of each team’s rushing statistics shows just how physically dominated the Gators were up front.
Michigan: 215 rushing yards. Florida: 11.
“I’ve seen their level of play rise from the previous years,” defensive end CeCe Jefferson said of his counterparts on the offensive line. “So for those guys to come in here and have the mistakes that they did, it kind of surprised me.”
It wasn’t that the Gators didn’t try to run the ball — they did. Starting running back Lamical Perine had 7 carries for 8 yards. Backup Mark Thompson had 5 carries for 13 yards.
Offensive tackle Martez Ivey said the Gators planned to run the ball coming into the game, but weren’t able to execute.
“Blocking assignments, you can't have somebody run free in the backfield,” Ivey said. “Lot of mistakes, so got to correct those."
Florida had one rushing play go for more than 10 yards, and it wasn’t the result of great blocking; it was the result of terrible blocking — when quarterback Feleipe Franks’ pocket collapsed and he was forced to scramble 16 yards for a first down. Michigan on the other hand, had 7 runs go for more than 10 yards, ripping off an 18-yard chunk here, a 29-yard chunk there.
It wasn’t just the running game, either.
Florida quarterbacks Franks and Malik Zaire were sacked six times.
"Just doing simple blocks,” Ivey said. “Communication. That was a big key to the game. We've got to have that.”
For the offensive line to get where it needs to be, McElwain said the group will have to get stronger. But he’s not giving up on the unit.
“I think you continue to challenge them,” McElwain said. “It isn’t back to the drawing board. There’s some things that were there that didn’t get executed.”
Jefferson echoed his McElwain’s optimism, confident the offensive line will get better under first-year assistant coach Brad Davis.
“They’re a strong group of guys,” Jefferson said. “They got a great coach that’s gonna get them back on track ... This game’s over, we’re just ready for next week.”
You can follow Matt Brannon on Twitter @MattB_727, and contact him at mbrannon@alligator.org.
UF coach Jim McElwain looks on during Florida's 33-17 loss to Michigan on Saturday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
