4 x 4 Preview: Florida
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By Matt Smith
SouthernPigskin.com
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If Florida wants to be a serious player in the SEC East, Jeff Driskel will need to perform much better this fall.
4 Household Names
1. QB Jeff Driskel (Jr.) – After beating out the now-departed Jacoby Brissett for the starting job, Driskel led the Gators to 11 wins and a share of the SEC East title, despite throwing just 12 touchdown passes. While he’s not a prototypical passer, he was also hurt by a lack of elite receivers. Help is on the way, but Driskel will have to do his part as well to make the Florida offense more balanced. An appendectomy has shortened his fall camp, but expect a much improved Driskel in 2013.
2. TE Trey Burton (Sr.) – Since he was first unleashed in a September 2010 game against Kentucky, Burton has floated between fullback, H-back, tight end and wide receiver. It may seem hard to believe, but Burton still has one more year of eligibility. He had just 362 total yards last season, but did have three touchdowns and averaged close to seven yards per carry. His role remains somewhat undetermined, but he’s still a valuable short-yardage player at 6’3” and 230 pounds.
3. DT Dominique Easley (Sr.) – With the lost of first-round NFL Draft pick Sharrif Floyd, Easley shifts to his more natural position this season after spending time at end. He’ll serve as the three-technique tackle in the Gators’ four-man front. Last year, Easley was just a year removed from a torn ACL. In most cases, the second season back from ACL injuries is when players return to their original form. Easley won’t lead the team in sacks again, but he should be even more impactful than in 2012.
4. CB Marcus Roberson (Jr.) – Roberson was thrown into the fire as a true freshman in 2011. Coming from the storied St. Thomas Aquinas program in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., the step up in competition was less than what most other freshmen in the SEC experience. His physical play works well with the aggressive style of defense that head coach Will Muschamp likes to teach. A third-team All-SEC performer in 2012, he could be the league’s best cornerback this season.
4 Relative Unknowns Who Will Become Household Names
1. RB Matt Jones (So.) – Mike Gillislee backed up his words last season after publicly stating his lofty expectations, finishing with over 1,100 yards and 10 touchdowns. Jones now steps into the starting role, although, like Driskel, he has been limited in fall camp due to an illness. His 50-carry freshman season gave him a good taste of SEC defenses, and Jones is fully capable of putting up numbers this season comparable to those of Gillislee a year ago.
2. WR/CB Loucheiz Purifoy (Jr.) – Last year, it was Georgia’s Malcolm Mitchell that was practicing on both sides of the ball. This year, it’s Purifoy, an ultra-athletic player who can contribute in a variety of ways. He’s a proven cornerback, but the lack of experience at wide receiver has piqued the interest of the coaching staff in what he can do offensively. The decision on where to play Purifoy will come down to fit vs. need.
3. OT D.J. Humphries (So.) – A top recruit in the 2012 class, Humphries was way too undersized as a freshman to be more than a fill-in on the offensive line. He’ll look much different when the season kicks off later this month and will be Driskel’s blindside protector this season. Humphries succeeds more with his athleticism than brute strength. How he’ll fare in an offense that doesn’t hide the fact that it wants to run more than pass is a question mark.
4. DE Dante Fowler (So.) – The beneficiary of Ronald Powell’s season-ending injury last spring, Fowler had a fantastic freshman season at the team’s Buck position, finishing with 30 tackles and 2.5 sacks. Powell is now healthy, but he moves to strongside linebacker after getting Wally Pipp-ed by Fowler at Buck. He’s athletic enough to drop into coverage, but will do most of his damage as a pass rusher.
RELATED: Florida Looks to Reshape its Front Seven
4 Must-See Games
1. Sept. 7 at Miami (FL) – This marks the Gators’ first appearance in Sun Life Stadium since claiming the 2008 national championship with a win over Oklahoma. The Hurricanes sport a potent offense that will perhaps test the Florida defense as much as any SEC opponent will. One more thing – it’s a Noon kickoff. In south Florida. In early September. Simply watching Muschamp and shirt-and-tie-clad ‘Canes coach Al Golden on television may be enough to dehydrate you.
2. Oct. 12 at LSU – These teams have split their past 12 meetings, with each team winning three times at home and three times on the road. The game comes at a good time for the Gators, as they’ll face Kentucky and Arkansas in the two weeks prior, while LSU travels to Georgia and Mississippi State. Florida held LSU without a touchdown last season, but completed just eight passes in a 14-6 win. With the teams having to replace 14 defensive starters combined, expect a bit more offense this year in Baton Rouge.
3. Nov. 2 vs. Georgia (Jacksonville) – Florida’s lone regular-season blemish last season was a sloppy affair on a wet track at Everbank Field. The Gators turned it over six times in a 17-9 loss, costing them the SEC East title. Muschamp guaranteed during the offseason that he would beat his alma mater for the first time as a head coach this November. Each team will have two weeks to prepare for the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party.
4. Nov. 16 at South Carolina – The Gamecocks were embarrassed a year ago in a 44-11 blowout in Gainesville and will have revenge on their mind this November, as the series return to its usual mid-November date after an October game last season. Even a 7-6 Florida team held South Carolina to just 14 points in 2011, so Muschamp has had the upper hand against Steve Spurrier’s offense. If one or both teams can beat Georgia, this game should decide who plays in the SEC Championship Game.
RELATED: Florida RB Matt Jones is Poised for a Breakout Season
4 Bold Predictions
1. Purifoy will play more offensive than defensive snaps. The need is simply too great on offense to not utilize Purifoy. True freshman Vernon Hargreaves and senior Jaylen Watkins can both handle the No. 2 cornerback role, but there is no such trust in the wide receivers. He’s quick enough to play the slot but has the deep speed to play outside and should remind offensive coordinator Brent Pease of Titus Young (at least on the field), who he coached while in charge of wide receivers at Boise State.
2. Driskel will throw 20 touchdown passes. It’s a steep climb after throwing just 12 a year ago, but Florida won’t be able to win games in quite as ugly a fashion as they did a year ago. He won’t ever be mistaken for AJ McCarron or Aaron Murray, but Driskel is better than most give him credit for being. He’ll have better protection this season with a retooled offensive line and the wide receiver play can only improve.
3. Florida will win the SEC East. There will be a two-game hiccup at midseason, but after a shocking loss at Missouri, Florida will rally and win its next four games, including Georgia and South Carolina, to claim a three-way tiebreaker over the Bulldogs and Gamecocks for the division title. They won’t contend for the national title, but ending a four-year SEC Championship Game drought will make for a successful season in Gainesville.
4. Florida will play Wisconsin in the Capital One Bowl. After falling to Florida State followed by Alabama in the SEC Championship Game, Florida will head to Orlando for the first time since 2008, when the heavily-favored Gators were stunned by Michigan. There they’ll meet a surprising Wisconsin team, who will win nine games in Gary Andersen’s first season as head coach. Expect a much better effort from the Gators at the Citrus Bowl than the one they gave in New Orleans in last year’s Sugar Bowl loss to Louisville.
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