Florida closes out a 3-game homestand on Saturday night in The Swamp with a visit from the Charlotte 49ers (7 p.m. ET, SEC Network+). Fresh off a convincing rivalry win over then-No. 11 Tennessee, the Gators can close the homestand with a 3-game winning streak by simply taking care of business as heavy favorites.

But the Gators aren’t without questions ahead of a 3rd consecutive night game in The Swamp.

Florida is dealing with 2 offensive line starters, Damieon George and Micah Mazzccua, who are suspended for the 1st half for their role in a late-game fracas with Tennessee following Josh Heupel’s bizarre timeout while down 2 scores with just seconds to play. UF veteran tight end Danten Zanders was also suspended for a half.

The Gators also will play without freshman sensation Tre Wilson, who will miss at least 1 game with a clavicle injury suffered early in the win over Tennessee. Quarterback Graham Mertz is also banged up after lacerating fingers on both hands in Florida’s victory on Saturday night.

The suspensions and injuries, coupled with the challenge of being mentally prepared to play a 1-2 Charlotte team from the Group of 5 a week after an emotional rivalry game, have Billy Napier preaching focus as Florida prepares this week.

“I think it’s important that we keep that (focus), right? We have discipline. Discipline ultimately is making yourself do things that you don’t want to do. Our consistency is going to be key, OK? There are a whole new set of issues that come with success. Last year’s team couldn’t handle momentum. We failed to capitalize several times throughout the season. I think this group has the right approach, and I’m excited about the work that we’re going to do this week,” Napier said on Monday.

For Florida to handle success and continue to build momentum ahead of a huge tilt at Kentucky on Sept. 30, the 25th-ranked Gators need to deliver a strong performance on Saturday night.

Here are 5 things we’d like to see from Florida against Charlotte:

1. Another disciplined performance against a mobile QB

Charlotte’s starting quarterback will be familiar to Florida fans.

Jalon Jones, a former blue chip Florida quarterback recruit who was briefly a Gator before being dismissed for disciplinary reasons, is finishing his college career at Charlotte. The senior transferred to Charlotte after a successful run at Bethune-Cookman, where he dazzled the FCS with his arm (2,275 yards, 14 touchdowns) and his legs (574 yards, 5 TDs). He also started 5 games for Coach Prime at Jackson State before moving onto Bethune-Cookman.

Jones is electric with the football in his hands — a threat to run and break contain on every snap. After being benched in the 49ers’ loss at Maryland, he came off the bench to lead a furious Charlotte comeback last week against Georgia State. Jones galloped 58 yards for a touchdown on an option, helping Charlotte cut a 24-point deficit to 9 before Georgia State salted away the win late.

Florida’s defense has been excellent through 3 games. The Gators have been especially strong against mobile quarterbacks. While Utah’s Nate Johnson did break 1 long run for a score, Florida otherwise limited his effectiveness, holding him to 45 yards. Joe Milton was likewise stymied as a runner, gaining just 6 yards after entering the game tied for the SEC lead in rushing touchdowns.

Florida has to maintain integrity in the contain game against Jones, who will often look to run if his 1st read is not available, and who can hurt you in the open field thanks to his 4.55 speed in the 40-yard dash.

2. Trevor Etienne with 15 touches

This number should be 20 in SEC games, but 15 against Charlotte should be enough.

Etienne is the 1st Florida running back in well over a decade to make you hold your breath every time he touches the ball or turns the corner, and his 62-yard touchdown run against Tennessee changed the course of the game on Saturday night.

“Trevor is a great player. He has the ability to make those big plays like that, hit the home run,” offensive lineman Richie Leonard said on Monday.

That home run ability is why Etienne needs to be the sun around which the Florida offense orbits, and he should get his touches early and often Saturday night.

3. A pulse in the downfield passing game

Given Mertz’s hand injuries, there are questions as to whether Florida will truly be able to open things up down the field on Saturday night. Florida needs to try anyway, especially since Charlotte ranks 112th in passing defense and Florida should have receivers able to gain separation against the 49ers.

The Gators have just 6 passes that have gained 20 yards or more this season, a number that ranks last in the SEC. 

For this Florida team to compete in bigger games down the road against the likes of LSU, Georgia, Missouri and Florida State, the Gators need to be able to open it up a bit and make safeties respect something other than the run game. Saturday is Florida’s last chance to work on that before the Gators hit the meat of league play. Injured or not, Mertz has to try to hit guys down the field.

4. More dynamic play in the secondary

Florida grabbed an interception on Saturday night, which set up a touchdown, and it limited Tennessee’s big-play offense to just 3 passes of 20 yards or more all evening.

At the center of everything was SEC Freshman of the Week Jordan Castell, who finished with 10 tackles and a big pass breakup down the field in Florida’s 29-16 victory over the Volunteers. Castell, a 3-star recruit, has outshined his ranking due to great coaching and technique, the latest testament to Florida defensive backs coach Corey Raymond’s ability to identify big-time talent. Along with Michigan transfer RJ Moten, veteran defender Jaydon Hill, Georgia transfer Jalen Kimber and All-SEC candidate Jason Marshall, the Gators look vastly improved on the back end.

A few more big plays against Charlotte — and another night limiting big plays — would build confidence ahead of the Kentucky game, where Florida will play the best quarterback it has faced all season in Devin Leary.

5. Consistency in the kicking game

A season ago, Adam Mihalek was steady at the kicking position, connecting on 14 of 21 kicks with a long of 52 yards. He maintained his hold on the starting position, holding off Trey Smack, the 2nd-ranked kicker in the country out of high school, throughout fall camp. But Mihalek appeared to lose the job after botching an extra point and missing a 2nd field goal in 3 tries this season against Tennessee.

Napier said on Monday that while Mihalek “didn’t have it” on Saturday night, the job would be wide open again in practice this week. That sentiment may be related to the fact that Smack misses too often in practice, a problem that has plagued him since his arrival in Gainesville.

But Florida needs consistency, and if Smack — who tends to get more elevation on his kicks than Mihalek — can provide that, the Gators should move in that direction. Either way, Florida needs to find stability in the kicking game before entering the heart of SEC play, and Charlotte is the last opportunity.