Florida Gators X-Factor vs. Texas A&M: The Run Game
Establish dominance.
The key to success for any team in college football, and especially the Florida Gators this weekend in College Station.
Traveling to Texas to take on the Jimbo Fisher lead 21st ranked team in the nation, the Gators are in dire need of finding a way to establish dominance and fix the major issue that has held Florida back from its full potential to this point in the season.
That issue? The run game, on both sides of the football.
The best way to establish that dominance is by controlling the trenches with an effective run game, and a stout run stop defensively.
Florida’s offense has consisted of an uber-effective passing attack led by senior quarterback Kyle Trask throughout two weeks. Accumulating 714 yards through two contests, the passing game has accounted for 72% of the Gators' offensive production. As a result, there has been a lack of need to look to the rushing game.
However, the case may be different down the line this season, as a talented offense could find themselves in a position to put away games with a consistent rushing attack. No better way to establish confidence in that area than against the 22nd ranked rushing defense in the nation.
So far, the Florida rushing attack has been looked at as a negative. However, it hasn’t been inefficient per se but instead underutilized.
Returning four starters from last year's offensive line unit, the chemistry amongst the front five is there, and with that, Florida has increased production from 4.3 yards per carry in 2019 to 5.2 in 2020.
Utilizing a trio of backs in Dameon Pierce, Malik Davis, and Nay'Quan Wright, Florida has accounted for 276 yards on the season, calculating out to 138 yards per game.
Despite the small sample size of only 53 carries on the year, the Gators have had success when the backfield totes the rock, especially Pierce. Averaging 5.8 yards on 18 carries, Pierce getting an increased role to add another dimension to an otherwise unstoppable offense is necessary.
To ensure Florida can create opportunities in the play-action pass game—against better defensive opponents—and rely on the run game to wind the clock with leads late in ball games, the Gators should look to make their ground attack a focal point this upcoming Saturday.
Defensively, the Gators are also concerned with the run game. Specifically, stopping it.
As one of the most lackluster units in limiting an opponent's rush attack thus far in 2020—missing nearly 40% of tackles against the run—Florida is required to step it up against a sneaky yet dynamic A&M backfield of Isaiah Spiller and Ainias Smith.
Counting on the front seven—that includes the likes of Brenton Cox, Zachary Carter, Tedarrell Slaton, Ventrell Miller, and many more—to challenge an A&M offensive line that returned 52 combined starts, Florida faces a tall task.
However, the necessity to contain the Aggies rushing attack looms large, as it is important to make A&M quarterback Kellen Mond beat them with his arm. As he presents opportunities for Florida to create turnovers.
No matter which way you look at it, the Gators' run game could make or break what has the potential to be a statement game for the fourth-ranked team in the nation.
The third game of the season starts to separate the contenders from the pack. A large victory in a road matchup against a ranked opponent can elevate Florida to the next level.
As a result, the weaker aspects of the Gators play—the run game—categorizes as the Florida Gators X-Factor versus Texas A&M.
