Florida football has had a roller coaster vibe en route to its 5-2 overall mark and 3-1 SEC record, and it has been hard to keep up with.
The Gators opened with an embarrassing road loss at Utah before bouncing back with an impressive wins over Tennessee, then stumbling at Kentucky and again rebounding with a come-from-behind 41-39 triumph at South Carolina.
Florida now faces rival Georgia in a 3:30 p.m. game on Saturday in Jacksonville with a share of the SEC East Division lead on the line.
Edgar Thompson covers the Gators for the Orlando Sentinel and took time to answer key questions about Florida that should provide DawgNation followers key insight into the contest.
Question One: Where has Florida made the biggest improvement from the start of the season?
ET: The passing game behind quarterback Graham Mertz.
No one expected much from Mertz following an up-and-down career at Wisconsin. The Gators would be lost without him and have a shot against Georgia because of him.
Mertz leads the SEC with a 76.2-percent completion rate and has 12-to-2 touchdown to interception rate. The past two games, he’s been on fire, throwing 6 TDs and no picks for 667 yards, leading Kirby Smart to suggest, “He’s maybe the No. 1 quarterback in the country for two games.”
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Mertz has involved young pass-catchers Eugene Wilson III and Arlis Boardingham (26 catches, 301 yards, 4 scores past two games) and teamed up with veteran Ricky Pearsall to become one of the SEC’s most dangerous targets. Former walk-on Kaheil Jackson continues to factor, too.
Despite the recent success throwing the football, keep in mind South Carolina’s pass defense is the nation’s worst and Vanderbilt’s is not far behind.
To keep the passing game going against Georgia, the Gators must keep the pocket cleaner and Mertz must protect himself. He’s taken 19 sacks and plenty of big hits, showing a reserve of toughness that could ultimately run out.
2. What is the Gators’ biggest team strength? What is the Gators’ biggest team weakness?
ET: Along with Mertz, placekicker Trey Smack has been a revelation and reliable. The sophomore was one of the highest-rated kickers in 2022, but suffered a leg injury and was beaten out by former walk-on Adam Mihalek. When Mihalek struggled, Smack stepped in, hit 11 straight field goals, including two 54-yarders, until a missed assignment led to a blocked kick at South Carolina. The Gators will need touchdowns to win, but Smack virtually guarantees them 3 points if Florida can reach the 35.
Expected to be strengths, the run game and cornerback play have not met expectations.
The Gators average just 4.09 yards per carry, compared with 5.51 in 2022. Since he ran for a career-high 172 yards, sophomore star Trevor Etienne has not cracked 50 yards. During road losses at Utah and Kentucky, Montrell Johnson Jr. managed just 48 yards on 13 carries.
The culprit has been shaky offensive line play. Getting back center Kingsley Eguakun after a bye week should help. A right ankle injury has limited him to two appearances after 26 starts the past two seasons. He’s the healthiest he’s been in 2023.
Meanwhile, star cornerback Jason Marshall Jr. has allowed 3 touchdowns and committed interference in the end zone at Kentucky. Georgia transfer Jalen Kimber had been a bright spot, but committed a third-down PI at South Carolina to keep alive their Gamecocks opening touchdown drive. He also allowed catches of 45 and 46 yards.
3. What does Florida have to do to pull the upset over Georgia
ET: Winning the turnover battle is key, but also might not be enough. In 2022, the Gators had a 3-0 edge and lost 42-20.
The Gators also will need some big plays, either on offense, defense or special teams. Billy Napier cannot expect to repeatedly sustain drives against the SEC’s top defense, especially given Florida’s propensity for ill-time penalties. At Utah, three red-zone penalties on the first two drives resulted in just three points during a 24-11 loss.
Slow starts also doomed UF at Kentucky, where the Gators started with a three-and-out, had an interception on the second drive and punted on their next possessions to fall behind 23-0. Against Georgia in 2022, the Gators punted on their first five possessions, the first four three-and-outs, and trailed Georgia 21-0 less than 18 minutes into the game.
Finally, the Gators must stop the Bulldogs’ run game, likely an even bigger focus without star TE Brock Bowers. During last year’s game, Georgia tailback Daijun Edwards had a season-high 106 yards on just 12 carries and scored twice.