Fun Fact:  Gatorade was invented at the University of Florida, therefore, it is officially banned from this website. If I catch you drinking it on my property, I will call your mother.

 

 

 

 

 

 

(my favorite is the purple one)

 

 

Well, here we are again – Another year and another big team on the schedule.  This year it happens to be three time national  champion, the Florida Gators.  No big deal.  Here are some of the key matchups for the game.

 

Weak spots:

Quarterbacks:  It will be a buy one get one free day at the QB position today, with either Jeff Driskel or Jacoby Brissett taking the first snap.  More of a pocket passer, Brissset has a big arm, was the starter against #1 LSU and #24 Auburn last year, and threw for 9 of 16 for 233 yards in this years spring game.  Driskel is the more mobile QB, but also has a strong arm.  According to Florida’s head coach Muschamp, the two will split the first half and a decision will be made during half time.  Both have a lot of talent, but hopefully, none of that talent will show later today.

Offensive line: One of the glaring weaknesses from last year’s Florida team was the offensive line. They allowed an abysmal 7.38 tackles for loss per game. That had the Gators ranked offensive line around 112th out of 120 teams (granted, they do face some of the top defensive lines week in and week out).  They spent a lot of time in the off season lifting weights, watching film, and stocking up on Krispy Cremes to get ready for today’s opener.  Chris Jones gives us our best shot at winning this game when he steps up against these guys. With this line and relatively young quarterbacks, I think this could make this game pretty interesting.

Strengths:

Defense:

What is big, extremely fast, and could stop a semi in it’s tracks?  That would be the group of five star recruits on the defensive line.  SEC defenses are known for their toughness and it all starts up front.  Though Florida’s line has suffered some injuries to key players, they do have the luxury of depth this year.  They also have a ton of depth and talent at the cornerback position. Last year, opposing offenses gave up 2.15 sacks a game and could only average 299.5 yards against these guys.

Special teams:

Their kicker is pretty good, not quite Schmiedebusch good, but a very respectable 40.90 yards per kick.  Their kick returner, Andre Debose, averages just one more yard than BooBoo Gates.  Pretty good matchup here, but I’ll give the Falcons the nod in this department.

My Predictions:

Scoring opportunities will be minimal in this one, so we’ll need to find a way to get into the end zone.  I can see us scoring around 20 points if our offensive line holds versus a talented SEC defensive front.  On defense we will be strong enough to get a few stops leaving some opportunities for our special teams to shine. Overall, I love the way our guys have been talking this summer and confidence is sky high this year.  I’ll take a chance, put on the orange colored glasses, and give this one to the Falcons.  I bought this website, I do what I want.