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Chris Fowler names most intriguing matchup of Florida-Miami game
By Andrew Olson
Published:
As the special Week 0 game, Saturday night’s Florida vs. Miami clash in Orlando is getting the ESPN primetime treatment with Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit calling the rivalry showdown.
Fowler doesn’t expect to be calling a “sexy” game. He recently visited with Florida Gators in-house writer Scott Carter who asked the ESPN broadcaster what element of the Gators vs. Hurricanes matchup intrigues Fowler the most.
“I think both defensive fronts think they are better than the opposing offensive line, so which O-line can get overwhelmed the least might be the decisive factor. It’s not sexy to sell that – the battle in the trenches,” Fowler told Carter.
“Miami’s got a brand-new quarterback who’s got no experience,” Fowler continued. “Florida’s got an edge there. I’m eager to see how [redshirt junior QB Feleipe] Franks builds on the end of last season. But I really think the offensive line – giving each guy time – if they’ve got to stay out of the pocket and pat the ball, it’s going to be ugly for either one of them, I think, because the fronts are so good and the pass rushes are pretty exotic.
“I think it’s basic, but if Florida’s offensive line can hold up, they can give Franks time to take those deep shots to have success. It’s boring, but whoever can run the ball. That’s what I’m going to look for. I think it’s hard to gauge an offensive line that’s got a lot of new faces and is just coming together and trying to jell, will play when the bright lights come on. We’ll keep a close eye on that.”
For Florida, replacing four starters on the offensive line has been one of the bigger question marks surrounding the team this offseason. The Gators will be counting on experienced backups to take the next step as starters, but could have to turn to freshmen in the case of any unexpected absences. The Hurricanes, meanwhile, are slated to start freshmen at both tackle spots: true freshman Zion Nelson at left tackle and redshirt freshman John Campbell at right tackle. It’s hard to argue with Fowler’s point that the battle of the trenches will probably the game’s deciding factor.
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.
