Gators linebacker on Jalen Hurd: 'I don't think he can hang with us'
Tennessee running back Jalen Hurd has certainly exceeded expectations in his first few weeks as a collegiate athlete. Not only did Hurd achieve his first 100-yard game on the ground, but the 6-foot-3, 223-pound true freshman has now become Tennessee’s featured back, carrying the ball at least 20 times in two of the Vols’ four games.
The Gators coaching staff has been raving about Hurd all week, but the praise stops there for Florida. Sophomore linebacker Jarrad Davis thought Hurd had a good game against Georgia last week, but sees things going much differently in Neyland Stadium when Hurd has to line up against the Gators this Saturday.
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“I feel like we have more to offer him,” Davis said according to GatorBait.net. “We’re going to come down, we’re going to talk to him a little bit with the pads. We’re not going to talk with our mouths, we’re going to hit him and get back and get lined up.”
Hurd ran for 119 yards against Georgia last week on 24 carries. The Bulldogs are currently the fourth best rush defense in the SEC, allowing only 107 rushing yards per game. The true freshman has increased his production with every passing game, but Davis doesn’t expect Hurd to be able to handle the Gators’ rush defense, which ranks sixth in the SEC, two spots behind Georgia.
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“I don’t think he can hang with us,” Davis continued. “He’s a good athlete, but we’ve got a whole defense coming for him. He’s physical, he’s fast, but he doesn’t have top end speed. We have to come downhill, we have to him him early. We have to let him know what it is and we have to welcome him to the SEC.”
Davis and the rest of the Gators defense will line up against Hurd this Saturday at 12 p.m.