Florida spring game observations: More of the same from Gators offense
By Andrew Olson
Published:
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – In a familiar theme for the Orange and Blue Debut, all eyes were on the offense and the quarterbacks competing for the starting job. Once again, it wasn’t always a fair fight.
Feleipe Franks, who has distanced himself from fellow redshirt freshman Kyle Trask in practice, led the first-team Orange offense. They were matched against the second-team Blue defense, and the lack of balance showed. Receivers and offensive linemen, however, frequently played for both teams due to lack of depth.
Franks had an early highlight with a 46-yard pass to Josh Hammond. It set up the Orange team at the 18-yard line. Junior RB Jordan Scarlett did the rest of the work, gaining 10 yards to set up a goal-to-go situation at the 8-yard line, then handling the next three carries to punch it in for the first touchdown of the evening.
For anyone hoping to see how Florida might improve upon its red-zone touchdown rank of No. 115 from 2016, they’ll have to wait awhile. Jim McElwain and company were particularly vanilla knowing Michigan coaches would be watching closely. When Franks led the team into the red zone the second time, it was a healthy diet of carries for RB Lamical Perine, and only two passes. On 3rd-and-goal, Franks missed WR Brandon Powell high, as was common Friday night, forcing the Orange offense to settle for a field goal.
In the Orange’s third red-zone trip, Franks hit a wide-open WR Antonio Callaway from 16 yards out. Having the second-team defense cover first-team receivers (in what’s already a thin secondary) doesn’t say much about the UF offense, but at least Franks can hit the wide open throws. There probably won’t be many in SEC play.
To little surprise, Trask looked the part of backup leading the second-team offense against the first-team defense. The second-team offensive line did not provide much help, as DE Jabari Zuniga was frequently in the backfield causing problems, such as a sack (the quarterbacks were not actually hit) and a forced fumble. He didn’t get much help from his running backs, either.
Franks was noticeably absent in the second-half action. Finishing 8-of-14 for 119 yards and a touchdown in the four running-clock 12-minute quarters. The Gators’ planned overtime scenarios were scrapped due to the late finish.
Scarlett obviously had the advantage of running behind the first-team offensive line against the second-team defense, but even with that advantage, it was clear that he remains the top ball-carrier at UF. In the first half, he led all rushers with eight carries for 38 yards, including a long of 10 yards.
Trask could have had his big highlight of the night on the opening drive of the second half, but Tyrie Cleveland dropped a near perfect throw. This is expected to be Cleveland’s breakout year, but Friday night he ceded the highlights to the other three active scholarship wideouts (Powell, Hammond and Callaway).
Thompson gave Trask his biggest passing play of the night, a 21-yard screen, later in the same drive. The drive ended with Trask throwing into double coverage, and LB Vosean Joseph getting the interception off a tip by CB Duke Dawson.
Trask stayed in to work with the first-team offense, and hit his first two passes to Powell and Callaway for 35 yards. Perine ended the drive with a 2-yard touchdown run.
Kadarius Toney got in some second-half at quarterback. While he’s primarily been talked about as a Wildcat quarterback this spring, he ran most of the regular offense with the second- and third-string offenses, including an impressive 9-yard touchdown pass scrambling outside the pocket. He ripped off a 33-yard run to end the quarter.
Afterward, McElwain joked with the SEC Network that there might be a package or two designed to take advantage of Toney’s skills.
Among the running backs, Thompson had the long run of the night for 27 yards. Scarlett’s longest run only want for 10 yards. While Scarlett is the most reliable runner, Thompson could see a fair share of carries for his pass-catching and breakaway abilities. The Gators were last in the conference in 2016 with only 45 runs of 10-plus yards.
The first-team defense, which replaces eight starters, was effective against the second-team offense, but they’ll likely face better offenses most of the season. It would have been more entertaining to see Dawson and fellow CB Chauncey Gardner Jr. have to take on the first-team receivers. Dawson was on coverage for Cleveland’s drop with the second-team offense.
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.
