Josh Clemons has been asked to run through some narrow holes this season. Those lanes are only going to close up more come Saturday.
When the Wildcats’ running back takes the field against the No. 15 Gators (3-0, 1-0 Southeastern Conference) at 7 p.m. in Lexington, Ky., Clemons will be going into the teeth of the nation’s best rushing defense. Florida has allowed just 92 yards on the ground through three games, including minus-9 against Tennessee last week.
For its part, Kentucky (2-1, 0-0 SEC) has been one of the country’s worst rushing teams, in part because of a banged-up offensive line.
Right tackle Billy Joe Murphy has missed the last two weeks with a knee injury and is doubtful for Saturday. Center Matt Smith was out for the first two games with an ankle injury. Right guard Larry Warford is questionable after suffering an ankle injury toward the end of Kentucky’s loss to Louisville last week.
Working with a patchwork line, the Wildcats have managed 119.3 rushing yards per game, 10th in the SEC. Even more damning, Kentucky has allowed 12 sacks, including six last week — 117th out of 120 teams in the nation.
“It doesn’t surprise me, but it startles me,” Kentucky coach Joker Phillips said. “We’ve got to get it corrected because these guys we have are all we got, and these guys … have had success — a lot of success.”
If Phillips is looking for a quick turnaround, he may not be happy with what he sees Saturday. Florida’s defensive line has dominated this year.
Defensive tackles Dominique Easley, Omar Hunter and Jaye Howard were often seen in the backfield against Tennessee last week, when running back Tauren Poole was limited to 18 yards on nine carries.
“I always talk to them about dominate the line of scrimmage, making it a one-dimensional game,” coach Will Muschamp said.
“You’ve got to be able to do that in this league. … If you can make an offense one-dimensional, it’ll give you a chance to win a lot of football games.”
Muschamp and defensive coordinator Dan Quinn want to see their linemen continue to progress, however, particularly in pass-rush technique. Through its first two games, Florida managed only two sacks.
Last week, the group was more successful getting to the quarterback, bringing Tyler Bray down three times. Linebackers Jon Bostic and Jelani Jenkins each notched a sack, and Howard and defensive end Ronald Powell combined on one takedown.
Still, the Gators’ success last week came in part because they could tee off on the Vols. Florida built a two-score lead early, forcing Tennessee to throw the ball more.
Quinn wants the group to continue to improve its pass rush, saying its technique isn’t as sound as it can be.
“We’re just getting started,” he said.
For Kentucky’s offensive line, that is no doubt a scary proposition.
Contact Tyler Jett at tjett@alligator.org.
The Gators have allowed just 92 yards on the ground through three games, holding Tennessee to minus-9 yards rushing last Saturday in a 33-23 win. Kentucky is 10th in the SEC in rushing.
