Three Takeaways From Florida's Victory Over McNeese State
Photo: Eugene Wilson III; Credit: Alex Shepherd
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- A win wasn't unexpected, but how the Florida Gators defeated McNeese State on Saturday night was crucial for the team's outlook moving forward.
After playing like anything but themselves, especially offensively, against Utah, the Gators got back to the basics against the Cowboys. Florida established the run early and continued to do so with a six-touchdown performance on the ground. On the opposite side, they consistently shut down McNeese State's offense.
Not to mention, Florida played a clean game of football overall with no poorly-timed penalties in the red zone, zero sacks given up and just one player wearing No. 3 on special teams at a time.
Additionally, the Gators were able to get starters off the field as the game wore on and allowed a plethora of underclassmen to see the field.
Here are three takeaways from the Gators' home-opening 49-7 win over the Cowboys.
Run game re-established with monumental outing
After an abysmal performance in the run game against Utah, Florida got back to basics in its win over McNeese State. The Gators established the run early and continued to pound and ground over the Cowboys.
On the night, Florida rushed for 327 yards on 51 carries as a team, which included a 119-yard, two-touchdown performance from Montrell Johnson. Those 51 carries accounted for 69% of Florida's play-calling.
Trevor Etienne added 84 yards and a touchdown, and Graham Mertz rushed for his first touchdown as a Gator. Treyaun Webb rushed for 71 yards and his first two collegiate touchdowns in his first game with major playing time.
Additionally, the performance cemented itself into the university's history books. Florida had four different players score rushing touchdowns in the first half since Sept. 5, 2009, a 62-3 win over Charleston Southern. It was also the first time Florida rushed for six touchdowns in one game since Nov. 20, 2010, a 48-10 win over Appalachian State.
The Gators needed to establish the run early, not only to wear down McNeese State but simply to build confidence in what should be the strength of the offense going forward.
Consistent Gators defense carries over
A 13-point loss to Utah overshadowed what was a solid defensive performance by the Gators in Austin Armstrong's first game as Florida's defensive coordinator. Facing FCS McNeese State, who previously gave up over 500 yards to Tarleton State, it was no different.
The Gators simply dominated the Cowboys' offense. Florida held McNeese State to only 112 yards of total offense, their fewest since 2016. Additionally, Florida has shown tremendous improvement in basic defensive fundamentals through two weeks of the 2023 season.
After averaging 10.2 missed tackles per game in 2022, Florida has only missed 4.5 through the first two games of the season. The unit has also gotten off the field on third down on a more consistent basis. Florida forced Utah to go 3-for-13 on third down and forced McNeese State to go 2-for-10 on third down Saturday night.
Florida also recorded its two first sacks of the season against the Cowboys and had five tackles for loss. Although the Gators have yet to record a true takeaway, the future looks bright after two games under Armstrong and the revamped defense.
Florida's rookies and redshirts shine
There's no doubt that with a tune-up game, the goal for the Gators was to build a lead and allow depth pieces to get valuable on-field experience.
Two of Florida's three leading receivers were true freshmen with Eugene Wilson III catching four passes for 36 yards, and Aidan Mizell adding two catches for 25 yards.
Redshirt freshmen Max Brown and Arlis Boardingham also made their debuts in the win. Brown, who also spent time with the Florida baseball team this past spring and summer, completed two passes on three attempts for 24 yards and led the Gators on a touchdown drive. Meanwhile, Boardingham caught his first collegiate pass, which included a trucking of a McNeese State defender.
Defensively, the rookie and redshirt contributions were just as extensive. Six true freshmen recorded tackles. Bryce Thornton was third on the team with four total tackles (three solo) and a tackle-for-loss. Jordan Castell also led all defenders with 27 total snaps in his second career start.
Corner Ja'Keem Jackson added two tremendous pass breakups in one-on-one coverage, and was Florida's highest-graded defender, according to PFF (85.9). Fellow freshmen TJ Searcy, Kelby Collins, Jaden Robinson and Will Norman all recorded tackles.
However, one of the most memorable plays came from redshirt freshman Jamari Lyons, who recorded a safety.
For a team already heavily reliant on contributions from underclassmen, getting as many players as possible experience was crucial in Saturday's tune-up game.
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