Florida's Roberts vs. Georgia's Bobo Headlines Coaching Battle

Ron Roberts' defense shutting down Mike Bobo's offense will be key in Florida's upset attempt over Georgia.

Florida Gators executive head coach Ron Roberts will be crucial for the team's upset chances. | Matt Pendleton / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The battle between the Florida Gators and Georgia Bulldogs boils down to the philosophies of two coordinators. UF defensive coordinator Ron Roberts and Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo will attempt to neutralize each other in a game with postseason ramifications for both teams.

Adjustments

One thing that becomes readily apparent about Roberts is his ability to make an adjustment that puts his team in the best position to make a play. Whether they cash in or not tends to vary. However, Florida will see a play pattern and make the right call. For example, in the Mississippi State game, the Bulldogs used hitch routes that sat just beyond the defense, flaring an H-back to the other side, leaving the quarterback in an empty set.

On the last drive, MSU started working its way down the field with little problem. However, Roberts notices the reliance on the nearside throws. As a result, he drops 350-pound defensive tackle Michai Boireau into coverage, who picked Blake Shapen off and ended the game.

Georgia will occasionally spam the same route combination as well. Roberts will make a quicker change, forcing Gunner Stockton to hold the ball longer and interrupting his progression scan.

Risk Taker

Although the UGA fan base finds fault with how Bobo operates, one cannot say he is boring. The coordinator will call a halfback pass inside the opponent's ten-yard line. While not the most intelligent choice at that point in the game, the aggressiveness and willingness to think outside the box make Georgia's offense a dangerous one.

Despite a lack of true gamebreakers, Bobo runs an efficient offense that doesn't give the ball away and consistently moves the chains. Also, Stockton loves to keep the ball on the RPO and get upfield. While not a speedster, he carves out yardage with a bit of wiggle and downhill running.

The Battle

The Gators' defense is faster than Georgia's offense. Upfront, Florida maintains a strength advantage with three power-based defensive linebackers. Under those circumstances, it puts the onus on the edge rushers to harass Stockton.

More importantly, the generated pressure needs to be successful. Getting him to the ground is the most critical aspect. The Gators allow opponents to convert 38.6 percent of their third downs, ranking them 11th in the SEC, according to SportSource. If Roberts' group can drop that number to 30 percent, you may see a little desperation from Bobo.

Georgia will eschew the screen game that features their quick wideouts and choose to go vertical. At this point, Roberts still needs to dial up the pressure. Stockton, under no circumstance, should enjoy a clean pocket.

Overview

Bobo and Roberts are familiar with each other. Last year, the Gators put up a fight, but Georgia had too much talent. In contrast, the playing field looks level. In that case, we could see a close game with the coordinator battle closing the show in the last ten minutes.