Eddy Pineiro has never kicked a field goal in a football game.
But by the end of tonight, he hopes to put at least one through the uprights in The Swamp.
"We’ve got to see Eddy kick in front of people and not on his YouTube," coach Jim McElwain said. "This is kind of an important deal there."
Pineiro has been recorded hitting field goals upwards of 70 yards, which elevated him to the ranking of top junior college kicker in the country despite his lack of experience.
But that lack of experience didn’t stop McElwain from paying the then-Alabama commit a visit and pursuing him harder than any other kicker he’s ever recruited. And if Pinerio's progress in Spring practice is any indication, McElwain's diligence could soon pay off.
"I’ve had guys that have been to the Pro Bowl, I’ve had guys that have won the Lou Groza award," special teams coordinator Greg Nord said. "(Eddy) responds like those guys, not the bad ones."
But the kicking game wasn’t the only problem last season. UF's offense was anemic at times, especially in the season’s last three games, when Florida was outscored 97-24. But when tits offense clicked, they hinged largely on players like running back Kelvin Taylor, quarterback Treon Harris and receiver Antonio Callaway.
With all three players gone for spring — Taylor to the NFL Draft, Harris and Callaway to university suspensions — McElwain has had to look for new weapons this spring.
And on offense, that starts with a new crop of quarterbacks.
Redshirt sophomore Luke Del Rio has a "leg up" according to McElwain, but he faces plenty of competition. Joining him are true freshmen Feleipe Franks and Kyle Trask — the former a four-star passer who flipped from LSU to Florida and the latter a backup in high school — along with graduate transfer Austin Appleby, who said he expects to compete for playing time.
But regardless of who UF's signal caller is, the offensive line will need to be better for the quarterbacks to be productive. Last season, Florida allowed more sacks than any other FBS school.
"Most of them that we gave up weren’t really because we wanted to," offensive line coach Mike Summers said.
"What we have to do is be in a better position to handle what happened to us. We need to be better finishers. And we just need to be better pass protectors."
That won’t be easy tonight against Florida’s defensive front.
"D-line is probably our deepest group," cornerback Jalen Tabor said. "If they come to play, we … can hold people under 10 points no matter who we play."
But while the defensive line has depth, it lacks proven playmakers. Last season’s sack leaders — Jonathan Bullard and Alex McCalister — are gone, and while the talent to replace them is there, who takes the next step remains to be seen.
Whether it’s who steps up on defense, which quarterback stands out, who can fill the explosive void left by Callaway or whether Pineiro can put the ball through the uprights, plenty of questions surround tonight’s game.
And McElwain sounded excited about answering them.
"I would just say this... we’ve got some guys that are able to finish," McElwain said, "and that’s good."
Contact Ethan Bauer at ebauer@alligator.org and you can follow him on Twitter @ebaueri.
Florida quarterback Luke Del Rio throws a pass during a Spring practice on March 16, 2016, at the Sanders Practice Fields.
