Appalachian State @ Florida preview
Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
Just when it appears Florida and its offense has figured things out, it slides back into a funk.
It happened again last week in a lopsided loss to South Carolina, prompting questions about the status of the Gators’ offensive coordinator and starting quarterback John Brantley. Coach Urban Meyer is sticking with both. The Gators (6-4, 4-4) once again will try to jumpstart their slumbering offense when they host Appalachian State (9-1, 7-1) on Saturday in Gainesville.
The Gators have teased and tormented fans with their play on offense. Everything clicked in a 48-14 win over Kentucky. They made big plays in a huge overtime win against Georgia and then scored a season-high 55 points at Vanderbilt. But then last week, with the SEC East title on the line, the offense laid an egg and scored only seven points in a 36-14 home loss to the Gamecocks. Entering the fourth quarter, the Gators had only 63 yards of offense.
The struggles have Meyer searching for answers. After last week’s loss, Meyer said “we’re just not very good.” The coach refuses to lay blame with Brantley or offensive coordinator Jeff Adazio. Meyer attributes the stagnant offense to a combination of factors, including line play, receivers and overall lack of energy. But looking for that spark, he has tinkered with his quarterback rotation. Trey Burton and, increasingly, Jordan Reed will see time under center. While Brantley is the only true quarterback, Reed and Burton are running threats. In last week’s loss, Chris Rainey was the Gators' leading rusher with just 36 yards.
Florida’s defense, too, was exposed last week. South Carolina rushed for 239 yards. Appalachian State loves to run the ball, led by quarterback DeAndre Presley, who has 795 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground. The Mountaineers average 219 rushing yards a game, but whether the 5-11, 170-pound junior can successfully run against Florida remains to be seen. Presley also has accumulated more than 2,000 yards passing with 17 touchdowns. Top receiver Brian Quick has 36 catches for 685 yards (19.0 average). The Mountaineers have scored at least 34 games in nine of 10 games. They scored two touchdowns in a 21-14 loss to Georgia Southern two weeks ago.
The Gators will try to snap a three-game home losing streak, their longest since 1989. In a season of streaks, they’ll try to avoid starting another. The Gators won their first four, lost three and won two games before losing last week. Florida, which closes at Florida State, could be looking at a trip to the Chic-fil-A Bowl or the Gator Bowl, among others.