Four Eastern Michigan players every Florida fan should know

Take two.

Let’s try this again, Florida fans. The Gators hope this weekend finally kicks of their 2014 season as the Eastern Michigan Eagles travel to The Swamp. EMU was victorious in their first game of the season, defeating Morgan State 31-28. They featured a very up-tempo offense and several players on both sides of the football that the Gators will need to keep an eye on.

QB #13 Reginald Bell

Eastern Michigan’s starting quarterback – redshirt freshman Reginald Bell – could present some problems for Florida’s defense. Bell, who stands at 6-foot-3, 180-pounds, is one of the team’s best athletes. In high school, he was a standout hurdler and has brought that same dynamic athleticism to the football field. His ability to both run and pass helped win the starting job in the offseason.

Last week, Bell saw most of the action until he left the game with a leg injury. The backup quarterback, Brogan Roback, stepped in and was impressive, but Bell was still listed as the No. 1 quarterback on the depth chart on Monday. Florida may see two QBs this weekend, however, Bell is the more versatile of the two.

“Reggie is incredibly fast, quick and elusive,” head coach Chris Creighton said before the season. “He throws a really nice ball, but he has that extra dimension of being able to do something with the ball in the run game.”

RELATED: Behind Enemy Lines: Q&A with Michael Niziolek, Eastern Michigan beat writer

RB #30 Bronson Hill

EMU boasts strong depth at the running back position, but starter Bronson Hill is the best of the bunch. His season got off to a good start against Morgan State. The senior ran for 114 yards on 19 carries. He eclipsed 1,000 yards rushing in 2013 for the first time in his career, while also becoming the first EMU running back to do so since 2003. If he reaches 900 yards rushing this season, it’ll be his third consecutive season of passing that mark. EMU relies heavily on the run. They ran it 56 times last week compared to just 30 pass plays. For a team that runs a high amount of plays, you can expect the senior back to get the bulk of the touches on Saturday.

LT #77 Lincoln Hansen

As a redshirt senior, Lincoln Hansen is the most experienced of the offensive linemen and the anchor at left tackle. In three years of play, Hansen has started 28 games for the Eagles and was named to the Lombardi Award preseason watch list. At 6-foot-6, 300-pounds Hansen will provide a challenge for any of the Gators’ defensive linemen, but you’ll probably see Hansen lined up against Dante Fowler Jr. for most of the game, which will be an intriguing matchup to watch. Hansen is joined by two other linemen – right tackle Andrew Wylie and center Jake Hurcombe – as the three returners who started at least 11 games for the Eagles last season.

DL #52 Pat O’Connor

Pat O’Connor is another upperclassman that Florida must prepare for. Since arriving on EMU’s campus as a freshman in 2012, O’Connor has played a vital role in the Eagles defense. Last year, he recorded 44 tackles, including five sacks and four QB hurries.

If his week one stats are any indication, he’s poised to exceed those numbers this season as the junior finished with 10 tackles and 1.5 sacks against Morgan State. In order to have any chance of winning Saturday, the Eagles must get pressure on Driskel and force mistakes. O’Connor is the guy that can do that for the Eagles.

Drew Laing

Drew Laing will be providing analysis and insight on Florida, Georgia, Missouri and South Carolina.