The Gators’ season is standing on one leg, and so, too, are their hopes of winning on Saturday.
Quarterback John Brantley and running back Chris Rainey are the strength of the offense, but without them fully healthy, the Gators have struggled to move the ball and score points, especially in the second half.
In the final 30 minutes of four straight losses since Brantley went down with a sprained ankle against Alabama, Florida has scored 11 points. In those same four games, the offense has rushed for just 88 total yards and has just four drives of six plays or longer in the second half, which have resulted in zero points.
Brantley’s return was supposed to open up running lanes, but his still-hurting ankle prevented him from taking snaps from under center, which is key to establishing the run.
Florida racked up just one first down in the second half of the 24-20 loss to Georgia. The Gators had 194 yards of total offense at the half, with negative-32 yards rushing. They rushed for 13 after the break.
“Offensively, we moved the ball well in the first half,” coach Will Muschamp said.
“But our inability to run the football, it became a one-dimensional game.”
It has been the same one-dimensional story each week of the streak.
Florida has not been able to run the ball; therefore, its offense can’t stay on the field. Its opponents have taken advantage, pounding with the run an average of 26.25 times after halftime.
While the Gators’ offense has been sitting on the sidelines, the defense has been getting gashed and gassed by power backs like Trent Richardson, Spencer Ware, Michael Dyer and Isaiah Crowell.
“It definitely wears down the defense,” linebacker Jon Bostic said. “[A power back is] somebody that can control the clock game in and game out. When you can sit back and rely on that running game, it just helps the offense out so much. Especially, it helps the defense out. It keeps the defense off the field.”
During the losing streak, Florida has held the ball for an average of 10 minutes in the second half. Against LSU, the offense’s time of possession after halftime was just 5:59.
For Florida (4-4, 2-4 Southeastern Conference) to beat Vanderbilt (4-4, 1-4 SEC) in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at 12:21 p.m. on Saturday, that has to change.
The Commodores have running back Zac Stacy, who is first in the SEC among starting running backs in yards per carry (7.3) and is fourth in yards per game (88.4), as well as a mobile quarterback in Jordan Rodgers, who can make plays with his legs in space.
Brantley and Rainey are both probable, and while Muschamp admitted after losing to Georgia that Florida doesn’t have the personnel to control a game on the ground, the Gators’ offense can be effective if both key pieces are healthy.
But if Brantley or Rainey can’t play or are limited, and UF can’t move the ball after halftime, Vanderbilt has the ability to run out the clock.
This fact is not lost on Muschamp.
“I’ve said it before and they get tired of hearing me say it,” he said, “we’ve got to find ways to run the football.”
Contact Matt Watts at mwatts@alligator.org.
The Gators’ hopes on offense rest on the health of senior quarterback John Brantley and running back Chris Rainey. During the four-game losing streak, UF has scored just 11 points and rushed for less than 100 total yards during the second half.
