Florida Gators Game Preview: 'We're Going For All the Marbles'
After rounding out the regular season with a heartbreaking loss at the hands of LSU last weekend, the Florida Gators are slated to make their anticipated return to the SEC Championship Game on Saturday.
Following the 37-34 loss to the Tigers, the Gators' chances to contend for a playoff spot in their matchup against Alabama seemed to come to an end. However, with Florida dropping just one spot in the College Football Playoff rankings—to number seven—their hopes of making an improbable late push for the top four are alive in the event of a monumental victory in Atlanta.
Squaring off against SEC royalty in Nick Saban and the well-oiled machine that is the Crimson Tide, Florida faces a tall task in the biggest game of the season and of player's careers.
“When you start off every year, your goal is to win the East, have an opportunity to come play in this game. I mean, there's no bigger championship game than the SEC Championship Game,” head coach Dan Mullen said when speaking to media earlier in the week. “I know for a lot of our guys; it will be their first opportunity to play in the game. They're excited to go see the atmosphere, have the opportunity to win the conference championship Saturday.”
Despite the anticipation that may come from this experience, the battle is one of David and Goliath proportions. Alabama—being equipped with a multitude of skill positions players all over the field—contains little to no visible weaknesses in the entirety of their unit, presenting a serious matchup issue for a stammering UF squad.
Specifically, on the offensive side of the football, the Tide sport a balanced scheme of run and pass that has led them to be ranked amongst the most dynamic offenses of college football for the 2020 season at fifth in total offense.
With several weapons for quarterback Mac Jones to utilize at will—including Devonta Smith and John Metchie III—and one of the best running backs in the nation in Najee Harris, Alabama has looked near unstoppable all season long, resulting in an average near 50 points per game.
With each having their respective roles in the Alabama offense, the significant threat for big plays for all three presents a concerning issue for opposing defenses to account for.
Totaling a combined 3,391 of the Tide’s 5,378 yards and 44 touchdowns on the season, the terrific trio—that has taken form in the absence of Jaylen Waddle—directly accounts for 63% of the team's yardage gained and nearly three-fourths of the scoring production at 72%.
As a result, it will be crucial for a shaky Gators defense to limit the star power of Alabama anyway they can.
Defensively, despite some early-season struggles, Alabama has found their groove as of late, allowing under 20 points in their last six outings.
With Christian Harris and Dylan Moses anchoring down the middle of the defense from the linebacker position along with the safety unit that consists of Jordan Battle and Patrick Surtain II, the experience and talent in the core of the Tide unit are indisputable.
However, the defense's front line has been shaky in the pass-rushing game, leaving room for improvement as they progress forward and an area Florida can take advantage of.
Given a significant opportunity to knock the Crimson Tide off their high horse as superiors in the Southeastern Conference—or at least alter the perception of the Gators program by keeping it close—Florida’s offense will be called upon to replicate early-season success by matching Bama score for score all game long.
Relying upon one of the possible four Heisman candidates to step onto the field tonight in Kyle Trask, the Gators will look to spread the ball around the yard with high efficiency early on to open up the Bama secondary in an attempt to find and exploit the holes that Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss did against the Tide’s defense, hanging 647 yards and 48 points in their October matchup.
With Alabama’s defense allowing an average of 17 points and 340 yards per game, the sputtering Gators' offense of late will look to get back on track against a continuously improving unit.
At the end of the day, Florida’s season will be defined by their performance on the biggest stage against Alabama.
While the firepower of the Tide outmatches that of the Gators, creativity, and execution is one thing UF will look to key in on at eight o’clock this evening.
“We have to play consistent football. They obviously have some talented players; we have some talented players. It’s really going to come down the situations, managing the situations and making contested catches,” says Gators quarterback coach and offensive coordinator Brian Johnson.
“I feel like we put together a good plan. We’ve got to go out there and execute at a high level and protect the quarterback and make plays when they’re there to be made. Obviously, we’re playing against a really, really talented team, and our guys are looking forward to that challenge.”
A win for the Gators in Atlanta changes their trajectory both this season and for the program's future. However, with the talent gap between the two squads being as large as it is, Florida’s chances at a landscape-altering upset are slim against the powerhouse from Tuscaloosa.
As Florida's Stewart Reese said earlier in the week: "We're going for all the marbles, it's the SEC Championship."
