Coach Jim McElwain brings Gators offense back from the dead
OHH MYY!!
If you’re a Gators fan, you grew accustomed to hearing legendary radio play-by-play announcer Mick Hubert explode for his famous call plenty of times during the Steve Spurrier era.
While the “Fun n’ Gun” offense was entertaining, it also gave the Gators a unique identity in the run-heavy SEC. And with its help, Florida claimed half of the SEC titles in the 12 years the Head Ball Coach was in Gainesville.
The Orange and Blue faithful hadn’t heard Hubert’s call as much recently. When it comes total offense, consider that Florida’s worst five single-season outputs since 1990 (Spurrier’s 1st season at UF) have all come in the previous five seasons. Let’s take a look:
2013 — 316.7
2011 — 328.7
2012 — 334.4
2010 — 350.8
2014 — 367.6
Now let’s look specifically at Florida’s fewest passing yards per game since 1990, and show the Gators’ coach at the time.
2003 — 146.0 — Ron Zook
2012 — 146.3 — Will Muschamp
2013 — 170.9 — Will Muschamp
2014 — 179.9 — Will Muschamp
When it comes to the passing game, it’s been well-documented that Florida — which had gone eight straight seasons with a 1,000-yard receiver from 1995-2002 — hasn’t had one since Taylor Jacobs posted 1,088 in 2002.
But forget 1,000 receiving yards, let’s just look at 600. From 2010-13, not one Florida wideout even managed to record 600 receiving yards in a season. Demarcus Robinson ended that run of futility with his 810 yards last season.
How bad was that four-year stretch? The only other FBS schools over that span that didn’t have a 600-yard receiver were Eastern Michigan, Kansas and Army. That’s inexplicable for a Florida team that had at least one Gator go for 600 receiving yards in 23 straight seasons dating back to 1990.
Enter Jim McElwain.
This season, Florida ranks among the top 5 in the SEC in completion percentage (first), yards per attempt (fifth), pass TDs (third), QB rating (fourth) and pass plays of 30-plus yards (fifth).
How has McElwain done it so quickly? First, he’s instilled confidence in redshirt freshman quarterback Will Grier by drawing up high-percentage passes. As a team, Florida has completed 67.5 percent of its passes, which leads the SEC.
Grier has routinely looked for his tight ends, who are second only to Arkansas in receiving yards with 331 while leading the league with 4 TD catches. Those 331 yards surpasses their combined yardage total from the last two seasons (319).
But Grier has quickly developed a report with all his pass-catchers and has done a great job of spreading the ball around. Antonio Callaway, Jake McGee, Demarcus Robinson and Brandon Powell caught touchdowns against then-No. 3 Ole Miss last Saturday, marking the first time that four Gators caught a touchdown pass in an SEC game since 2007 at Kentucky.
And the electric plays worthy of an “OHH MYY!” have resurfaced for the Gators also.
The Swamp has seen splash plays first hand over the last two weeks, highlighted by Callaway’s game-winning 63-yard catch and run for a TD against Tennessee. And last week against the Rebels, the Gators added a couple 30-yard gains through the air to bring their season total to 9, trailing only Ole Miss (11), Arkansas (10), Mississippi State (10) and Texas A&M (10).
Both of those aforementioned 30-yard gains against Ole Miss went for TDs (36-yarder to Robinson and a 77-yarder to Brandon Powell). For the season, the Gators have recorded six TD passes of 30-plus yards, already more than the 5 they had in 2014.
And let’s not forget about the offensive line, which is blocking for one of only three SEC schools with double-digit passing TDs (12) and rushing TDs (10), along with Alabama and Ole Miss.
It might not be the “Fun n’ Gun,” but the “Mac Attack” has given Florida its juice back.