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Jacob Eason too young to drink, gets dominated at Cocktail Party
By John Crist
Published:
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — While Jacob Eason was the crown jewel of Georgia’s recruiting class for 2016, he can’t be expected to win games all by himself.
The freshman quarterback was harassed from start to finish at The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party, as Florida buried the Bulldogs 24-10 Saturday afternoon. The Gators set up camp in the enemy backfield with 2 sacks and 16 QB hurries.
UF moved to 6-1 and remains atop the East. That being said, the Gators still have a lot of work to do — particularly on the offensive side of the ball — in order to make it to the SEC Championship Game for a second consecutive year. Tough road trips to Arkansas and LSU loom for coach Jim McElwain and Co.
As for UGA, first-year coach Kirby Smart fell to 4-4 and is now jockeying for an anonymous bowl game at best.
Eason might not have played well, but his offensive line got shredded by Florida’s front seven from the opening snap to the final gun. His ground game was also non-existent. His receivers continued to drop catchable passes, too.
When it was all said and done, the five-star phenom completed just 15-of-33 passes for 143 yards with 1 touchdown and 0 interceptions. Rarely was Eason given the opportunity — “rarely” was closer to “never,” actually — to set his feet comfortably in the pocket and deliver the ball on time. He was running for his life.
Even if a first-year QB is overflowing with physical gifts like Eason, he needs help in order to succeed in this conference.
Jalen Hurts, for example, has gone straight from high school to taking No. 1 Alabama’s offense to the next level. He’s been sensational, no doubt, but his supporting cast has augmented the enviable skills he possesses.
Damien Harris and Joshua Jacobs are two of the more productive runners in the league. Receivers Calvin Ridley and ArDarius Stewart — don’t forget tight end O.J. Howard — routinely win one-on-one matchups. Perhaps most important, Hurts can count on the big uglies up front to keep his jersey relatively clean.
At the very least, Eason was supposed to lean on one of the premier rushing attacks in the SEC with Nick Chubb and Sony Michel.
However, since that 222-yard effort in Week 1 at the Georgia Dome, Chubb has crossed the century mark just once in his past seven outings. Both he and Michel are averaging fewer yards per carry than ever before for the Dawgs.
With Eason forced to fire much more often than originally anticipated, his receiving corps — many of them smaller guys who disappear in the red zone — hasn’t picked up the slack. Butterfingers have been an issue all year long. Riley Ridley flubbed what would have been a 40-yarder downfield when Eason improvised and underthrew him slightly on the scramble drill.
As for the Gators, it was hardly an impressive performance offensively. Their D did most of the heavy lifting again.
Quarterback Luke Del Rio was mediocre with a 15-of-25 performance for 131 yards with 1 TD and 1 INT. The pick came on his first attempt of the game, throwing wildly across his body right into the hands of safety Dominick Sanders.
UF maintained possession for 37:27 and ran the rock 48 times, although it averaged a paltry 2.1 yards per carry. Tailback Jordan Scarlett was mildly effective on the ground — neither Mark Thompson nor Jordan Cronkrite made the trip to Jacksonville — with 93 yards and a score on a season-high 26 attempts.
McElwain’s play-calling became increasingly conservative, as his defense clearly had Eason in its jaws and wasn’t letting go.
Nevertheless, even one step closer to Atlanta, the Gators must become more productive on offense in order to close out the division. Based on strength of schedule the rest of the way, Tennessee could be in the driver’s seat.
The Volunteers finish with South Carolina, Kentucky, Missouri and Vanderbilt in conference play — that should be win, win, win and win. If that indeed happens, the Vols would finish 6-2 in the league. And having defeated Florida in Week 4, they own the head-to-head tiebreaker.
More than likely, the Gators have to run the table in the SEC. Doing so results in a 7-1 conference mark and a ticket to the Georgia Dome.
However, if one question was answered for the Gainesville faithful, it’s that this defense in orange and blue is legit. Dominating performances earlier in 2016 over the likes of UMass and North Texas proved nothing.
Even the league opponents they had beaten up on prior to the Cocktail Party — Kentucky, Vanderbilt and Missouri — were pretenders, not contenders. Georgia might not be a great offense yet, but it does have stars throughout its roster. Still, UF held the Bulldogs to just 164 total yards and only 3.2 yards per play.
One of these days, Eason will be an elite passer in the SEC. That day was not today, though. Not even close.
Chubb and Michel were afterthoughts. Eason’s best receiver, Isaiah McKenzie, failed to record a catch. Tight end Isaac Nauta, a bright-future frosh himself, reeled in 2 passes for 8 yards. The blocking was simply brutal.
Once a year, EverBank Field plays host to one of the premier pregame party scenes in America — and it’s not for the Jaguars, that’s for sure. With the dust now settled, most Florida fans will continue into the wee hours all over the River City. Most Georgia fans, on the other hand, are already battling northbound traffic on I-95.
Eason is still too young to enjoy an adult beverage. But after what he was just forced to endure, I’d probably look the other way.
John Crist is the senior writer for Saturday Down South, a member of the FWAA and a voter for the Heisman Trophy. Send him an e-mail, like him on Facebook or follow him on Twitter.
John Crist is an award-winning contributor to Saturday Down South.
