No. 6 Florida Gators football (9-1) struggled mightily but eventually came away with a tough 27-20 victory over the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns (5-4) at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday. Florida head coach Will Muschamp met with the media and provided some of his thoughts after the game.

HISTORY / STREAKS / STATS

» Florida is now 5-0 all time against Louisiana-Lafayette though Saturday’s win was its first since the school has adopted that name. Its previous four victories came against Southwest Louisiana.
» The Gators are 13-1 against unranked opponents under Muschamp, 10-0 when rushing for more than 150 yards (UF had 149 on Saturday), 10-3 when scoring first and 12-1 when leading at the half.
» Florida was 3-3 in the red zone and has scored on 30-of-36 trips (83.3 percent) this season, converting just 19 of those possessions (52.8 percent) into touchdowns.
» UF has converted a paltry 52-of-142 of its third-down attempts (36.6 percent) this season after going just 4-for-14 in such situations on Saturday.
» The Gators held the Ragin’ Cajuns to 2-of-12 on third down but allowed their visitors to continue drives with poorly-timed penalties. UF’s defense has held opponents to 38-of-144 on third down conversions (26.4 percent) in 2012.
» Louisiana-Lafayette was just the second team (Tennessee) to score 20 points on Florida this season. The Gators have held three teams to 17 points, two under 15 and three to a touchdown or less.
» Florida is +12 in turnover margin through 10 games after being -12 in 2011.
» The Gators are now 65-22-2 all-time on homecoming in The Swamp.

PLAYER NOTES

» Sophomore cornerback Loucheiz Purifoy blocked a punt for the second-straight game and continues to be a standout performer for Florida on special teams.
» Redshirt junior tight end Jordan Reed bounced back from a tough performance against Georgia to register career-highs in receptions (five) and yards. He also matched a career-long with a 39-yard catch.
» Redshirt senior kicker Caleb Sturgis inched closer to Jeff Chandler’s school record of 67 made field goals. Sturgis connected on two more attempts and now has 17 on the year, putting him four away from tying Chandler. He is also six field goals away from tying the school single-season record of 23, which was set by Bobby Raymond.
» Redshirt junior linebacker Jelani Jenkins not only had the game-winning touchdown on a punt block return, he also led the defense with seven tackles.
» Sophomore quarterback Jacoby Brissett saw his most extensive action of the season and made the most of it, leading the Gators to a game-tying touchdown on a three-yard pass to redshirt sophomore wide receiver Quinton Dunbar.

OPENING STATEMENT

“We certainly make it interesting. It’s a football team that is finding ways to win games. We certainly shot ourselves in the foot enough in the game to put it in that situation. I thought we managed the game very well late in the game as far as field position was concerned and time was concerned in what we wanted to do and then our players going out and executing it. I credit our football team. I know one thing: There’s nobody questioning that character in that room and the resolve and the fight. Sometimes our decision making could be questioned, but I think our guys have continued to believe in what we’re doing, how we’re doing it and the way we’re going to get it done and they have a strong belief in that. That’s a hard thing, I know in a coaching perspective, I’ve been on the other end when you’re, ‘Oh no, here we go again’ mentality instead of embracing the station, the adversity, handling it and finding a way to do it. It ain’t just been one time this year; it’s been a bunch. I really credit our kids’ resolve in this situation.

“Obviously the penalties just killed us in this game, and they were [legitimate] penalties. We’ve talked about it. We’re going to reemphasize it again. We’ve emphasized it every day in every situation we could. We’ve benched guys and we’ve done everything we can do. I’m going to find another way. I don’t know. We’re going to meet as a staff [Sunday] and figure out what we need to do to continue to move forward and improve our team. That’s where it really hurts.”

A few minutes later, Muschamp continued speaking about the team’s resolve.

Read the rest of what Muschamp and the players had to say…after the break!
Continue Reading » 11/9: Florida vs. Louisiana-Lafayette post-game

Tags: Caleb Sturgis, Ian Silberman, Jacoby Brissett, Jeff Driskel, Jelani Jenkins, Jessamen Dunker, Jordan Reed, Leon Orr, Loucheiz Purifoy, Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns, Neiron Ball, Quinton Dunbar, Valdez Showers, Will Muschamp, Xavier Nixon

One would think the news would be more positive for the No. 17/18 Florida Gators coming off a big win on the road against the Texas A&M Aggies, but head coach Will Muschamp actually spent most of his weekly Monday afternoon press conference delivering plenty of bad news as it pertains to his team’s health.

“We’ve kind of got a saying around here: ‘Man down, man up,’” he said.

Muschamp announced Monday that redshirt junior Will linebacker Jelani Jenkins (broken thumb) and junior cornerback Cody Riggs (fractured foot) will both miss at least a month after being injured against Texas A&M.

Jenkins, who had surgery on Monday, will definitely be out at least for this week’s road game against the Tennessee Volunteers but may be able to return sooner than his timetable dictates if doctors approve a protective device for his hand.

Riggs, however, could be out as long as six weeks depending how his foot heals as doctors said he does not need surgery on the fracture.

Freshman LB Antonio Morrison will take over for Jenkins as the starter at Will, but the Gators will also see plenty of redshirt sophomore Michael Taylor in a reserve role at both inside positions. Junior Darrin Kitchens will also have a bigger role in the defense.

Defensive backs sophomore Jabari Gorman and redshirt freshman Valdez Showers both filled in for Riggs on Saturday and will continue doing so in the near future. Junior Matt Elam will likely transition back to playing much more safety while junior Jaylen Watkins, who moved into the starting cornerback role last week, will take over at nickel.

The bad news continued as Muschamp added that junior Buck linebacker Ronald Powell, who tore his anterior cruciate ligament in April during the team’s spring game and hoped to return sometime in October, re-injured his knee while rehabbing and will likely miss the remainder of the season.

“He is being reevaluated next week. He has got some swelling on the knee. We took the MRI – probably a little too much swelling to tell really where he is right now,” Muschamp said. “We’re going to reevaluate him next week. Very disappointing for him. Really a setback as far as where he is and where we thought he would be at this point as excelled as his rehab has gone.

“Talking to him [Monday] morning and his parents throughout the weekend, more than likely Ronald will redshirt this year. It’s just disappointing for him, a guy that mentally has been a rock, just been amazing in how he’s handled the process. And again, he’s handled it very well. The diagnosis is not totally final yet; we want to look at it again next week. Certainly it has put a speed bump in the recovery process. Very disappointed for him and us.”

Not all was negative on the injury front.

Senior running back Mike Gillislee, who has four of his team’s five touchdowns this season and appeared to hurt his groin while scoring in the fourth quarter on Saturday, only “strained” the muscle and will be able to practice all week.

“He’s going to be fine. He’ll be fine for this weekend,” Muschamp said. “He’s going to practice [Monday]. We just had a staff meeting and they said he is going to practice, so I think he should be fine. We probably won’t rep him 40 times [in practice]. We’ll make sure he’s ready to go for Saturday [and] we feel like he’s fully available.”

Senior safety Josh Evans (shoulder) and redshirt sophomore right tackle Chaz Green (cramps) are both good to go as well.

Florida will also get sophomore defensive back De’Ante Saunders (hamstring, suspension) and freshman tight end Kent Taylor (concussion) back for the Tennessee game though redshirt junior tackle Matt Patchan (strained pectoral) will probably be out until the bye week (at least two more weeks).

Tags: Antonio Morrison, Chaz Green, Cody Riggs, Darrin Kitchens, De'Ante Saunders, Jabari Gorman, Jaylen Watkins, Jelani Jenkins, Josh Evans, Kent Taylor, Matt Elam, Matt Patchan, Michael Taylor, Mike Gillislee, Ronald Powell, Tennessee Volunteers, Texas A&M Aggies, Valdez Showers

With the 2011-12 athletic season now in the books and the 2012-13 season about to begin, the focus has shifted to the return of Florida Gators football. For the second-straight year, OGGOA will take a look at every player of substance on the roster, counting down by jersey number, in this series: The Countdown.

19 – Caleb Sturgis (St. Augustine, FL)
Redshirt senior kicker
5’11” 184 lbs.

Quick Bio: An Under Armour High School All-American entering his fifth and final year at Florida, Sturgis was a kickoff specialist as a freshman but became the team’s primary place kicker in 2009, when he hit 73.3 percent of his field goals (long: 56) and 44-of-47 extra points. He suffered through back pain early in the 2010 season and was forced to undergo surgery after just four games, being awarded a medical redshirt by the NCAA.

Career Stats (45 games): 46/60 (76.7 percent) on field goals with a long of 56 yards, 96/101 (95.0 percent) on extra points – 234 career points; 274 kickoffs for 17,726 yards (average: 64.7 yards), 36 touchbacks

2011 Season: One of three kickers in the nation to convert on three or more field goals of at least 50 yards, Sturgis was a finalist for the Lou Groza Award and arguably the most consistent player on the Gators. He was 22/26 on field goals and perfect with 31 extra points over the course of the season.

2012 Outlook: Sturgis returns as the starter for the fourth-straight season and is already second on Florida’s all-time list for made field goals (22 away from passing Jeff Chandler with 67). He has already kicked three of the four longest field goals in school history and is the only player on the roster to receive unanimous preseason recognition nationally.

18 – Kent Taylor (Land O’Lakes, FL)
Freshman tight end
6’5” 223 lbs.

Quick Bio/2012 Outlook:A four-star prospect, Taylor was widely considered the top tight end in the country last year and committed to the Gators despite having offers from every major school. He has impressed coaches this offseason with his hands and should play as a freshman mostly as a pass catcher because he still needs to add some size to be an effective blocker. “Kent catches the ball extremely well. He’s very athletic. I mean, very athletic. That’s another guy that you have to decide what he can do at this point,” head coach Will Muschamp said recently. “Obviously he’s a guy that needs to gain some girth and some strength as far as the blocking is concerned. Let’s don’t ask him to do something he can’t do. I know one thing – he can go get the football down the field. He can catch the ball. He can do some of those things. So let’s identify what he can do and what he can handle in those situations.”

Check out 10 more players in this edition of The Countdown…after the break!
Continue Reading » The Countdown: Florida Gators roster (19-10)

Tags: Antonio Morrison, Austin Hardin, Brad Phillips, Brent Pease, Caleb Sturgis, Dan Quinn, Darrin Kitchens, Jacoby Brissett, Jaylen Watkins, Jeff Driskel, Jordan Reed, Kent Taylor, Latroy Pittman, Loucheiz Purifoy, Neiron Ball, Skyler Mornhinweg, Tyler Murphy, Valdez Showers, Will Muschamp

Florida Gators defensive coordinator Dan Quinn met with the media on Wednesday to discuss the team’s upcoming season opener against the Bowling Green Falcons on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. He discussed what he wants to see from his unit on Sept. 1 and how he feels about some individual players on the team.

SHOW IT ON THE FIELD

Though he is impressed with how his unit has practiced this fall, Quinn said he is anxious to see them on the field Saturday and then soon after the game on tape so he can evaluate how well the concepts that have been taught are being executed.

“By the way you get to the ball, by the way you affect the quarterback, by the way you take the ball away – those are the things we’re looking for from our defense and what we put on tape,” he said.

Quinn and head coach Will Muschamp will be implementing a more attacking style this year, one that they hope will lead to additional turnovers and chances for the offense.

That plan starts Saturday against Bowling Green quarterback Matt Schilz, who completed nearly 60 percent of his passes for 3,024 yards and 28 touchdowns a year ago while only tossing 13 interceptions.

“I’m very impressed with their quarterback, not just from his accuracy but the way he can create. He gets outside the pocket and can convert. He’s got good legs. He can run on third down to convert,” Quinn said. “It’s always good knowing the opponent you’re playing against. We’ve had time to watch him on tape and know this guy is a strong caliber quarterback. And we’re certainly up for the challenge.”

NOTES AND QUOTES

» On redshirt senior defensive tackle Omar Hunter: “One of the things that Omar brings right off the bat is the guy’s a real worker. He’s relentless. He stays after it. The thing that improved as much in the offseason was his overall strength. You see more leg strength from him. You see a stronger man when he sheds blocks. To me, the work ethic for Omar has always been there. He’s a hard worker every day in and out. Now you’re kind of seeing a more strong and powerful man inside. That’s showing up in practice the way he can take on blocks and get off blocks.”

» On how he would prepare to face two quarterbacks: “It really depends on the club and who those two quarterbacks are. If they’re close in terms of the game plan you really wouldn’t have much change.”

» On who decided to move freshman Jafar Mann over to guard: “It was both [sides]. We all looked at it. When we evaluated him, we knew he was a guy that could play nose tackle but also could play offensive guard. He played both in high school. When we started him off at defensive tackle we did that for a couple of weeks and then we wanted to put him on offensive line for a few weeks and kind of get the evaluation there. [...] After this week or next we’ll make a final determination.”

» Quinn said junior Trey Burton would be a “terrific safety,” but his top pick of a player to move over to defense if he had the option would be redshirt junior right guard Jon Halapio, who he said “would be a heck of a nose tackle.”

» On if redshirt freshman Valdez Showers could possibly wind up on offense: “I kind of fought for him to stay at safety. Last year on some of the scouted practices he also played running back and did a good job there. [...] He’s really settled in at safety, and we are counting on him to do that. He’s going to be a guy who is going to be a really big factor with Coach [D.J.] Durkin on [special] teams as well. He’s done a good job of that so far in training camp.”

» Quinn said that the defense wearing down late in games last year was not the fault of the offense (its inefficiency keeping the defense on the field for long period of time) but rather not having the necessary depth to put together a rotation that would keep players fresh throughout the game.

Tags: D.J. Durkin, Dan Quinn, Jafar Mann, Jon Halapio, Omar Hunter, Trey Burton, Valdez Showers, Will Muschamp

Head coach Will Muschamp met with the media on Friday following the first day of fall practice for the Florida Gators. Muschamp spoke about a number of hot topics concerning the coaching staff and personnell heading into the season.

HILL’S RESIGNATION WAS “VERY SURPRISING”

Though Muschamp did not want to go into too much detail about the departure of wide receivers coach/recruiting coordinator Aubrey Hill, he did say that he informed the team of his resignation on Thursday night and was ultimately surprised by the decision.

“Obviously disappointed in the situation,” Muschamp said. “I really don’t have anything more to say. It’s a personal situation with Aubrey. It has nothing to do with the University of Florida, and we wish him well and he’ll always be a Gator.”

He also complimented Hill and said that he does not hold his decision against him.

“Aubrey’s a good man, a good football coach, a good guy and a great Gator. He felt like this was something he needed to do and that’s what we did,” Muschamp said.

FILLING IN FOR HILL ON THE FIELD, IN THE OFFICE

Hill’s departure leaves what many would believe are two glaring holes in the Florida coaching staff considering the fact that he held two positions. Muschamp was quick to point out, however, that “recruiting coordinator” is not one that needs to be filled because, at the end of the day, it all falls on his own shoulders.

“You’re looking at him. Every day,” Muschamp quipped when asked who would replace Hill as recruiting coordinator. “That title don’t mean a whole lot to me. I’m the recruiting coordinator. I handle all the recruiting; I’ve recruited every player we have.”

He did, however, expand on who would be coaching the receivers and said that duty would indeed fall on the shoulders of graduate assistant and former Boise State quarterback Bush Hamdan.

“He’s a guy that is a really good young football coach,” Muschamp said. “He’s a very mature guy, an outstanding football coach. As we move forward, I will make a decision in December about that position.”

Muschamp appeared solid in this decision, noting that he has “all the confidence in the world [Hamdan] will do an outstanding job for Florida.” He also said that offensive coordinator Brent Pease would be helping him out just like he would any other coach.

“When you’re the coordinator, you wear a lot of hats. So it’s not like all of a sudden it’s a new responsibility being thrown on top of you. He was very comfortable with what we were doing anyways,” he said of Pease.

“I feel very comfortable about that situation. I’m not at all worried. I never blinked. We were going to be fine; I knew what we were going to have to do.”

NOTES AND QUOTES
Click to expand and read the remainder of this post.

Tags: Aubrey Hill, Brent Pease, Bush Hamdan, Jabari Gorman, Valdez Showers, Will Muschamp

Athletes care about their uniform numbers and now that Florida Gators football team is days away from returning to the practice field in preparation for the 2012 season, it was time for the team’s newest members to choose theirs. Below is the full list of additions and changes, according to the University of Florida‘s latest roster:

TRANSFERS
» No. 4 – Damien Jacobs (Scooba, MS), JUCO transfer defensive tackle
» No. 76 – Max Garcia (Norcross, GA), redshirt* junior transfer offensive lineman

FRESHMEN
» No. 6 – Dante Fowler, Jr. (St. Petersburg, FL), five-star Buck linebacker
» No. 12 – Antonio Morrison (Bolingbrook, IL), four-star linebacker
» No. 13 – Latroy Pittman (Citra, FL), four-star wide receiver
» No. 16 – Austin Hardin (Atlanta, GA), three-star kicker
» No. 17 – Skyler Mornhinweg (Philadelphia, PA), three-star quarterback
» No. 18 – Kent Taylor (Land O’Lakes, FL), four-star tight end
» No. 20 – Marcus Maye (Melbourne, FL), four-star safety
» No. 24 – Brian Poole (Bradenton, FL), four-star defensive back
» No. 24 – Matt Jones (Seffner, FL), four-star running back
» No. 27 – Willie Bailey (Hallandale, FL), three-star defensive back
» No. 28 – Jeremi Powell (Largo, FL), four-star linebacker
» No. 29 – Rhaheim Ledbetter (Shelby, NC), three-star safety
» No. 70 – D.J. Humphries (Charlotte, NC), five-star offensive tackle
» No. 74 – Jessamen Dunker (Boynton Beach, FL), four-star offensive lineman
» No. 84 – Colin Thompson (Warminster, PA), four-star tight end
» No. 86 – Raphael Andrades (Tallahassee, FL), three-star wide receiver
» No. 90 – Jonathan Bullard (Shelby, NC), five-star defensive end
» No. 94 – Bryan Cox, Jr. (Fort Lauderdale, FL), three-star defensive lineman
» No. 95 – Alex McCalister (Clemmons, NC), three-star linebacker
» No. 96 – Jafar Mann (Stone Mountain, GA), three-star defensive lineman
» No. 98 – Quinteze Williams (Tyrone, GA), three-star defensive lineman

NUMBER CHANGES
» No. 1 – Jon Bostic, senior linebacker (formerly No. 52)
» No. 1 – Quinton Dunbar, redshirt sophomore wide receiver (formerly No. 84)
» No. 6 – Jeff Driskel, sophomore quarterback (formerly No. 16)
» No. 9 – Josh Evans, senior safety (formerly No. 24)
» No. 10 – Valdez Showers, redshirt freshman defensive back (formerly No. 20)
» No. 12 – Jacoby Brissett, sophomore quarterback (formerly No. 17)
» No. 20 – Omarius Hines, redshirt senior tight end (formerly No. 82)
» No. 32 – Chris Johnson, sophomore running back (formerly No. 33)
» No. 88 – Clay Burton, sophomore tight end (formerly No. 86)

» Sophomore Tevin Westbrook remains listed as No. 97 on the latest roster despite moving from defensive end to tight end.

* Garcia is ineligible for the 2012-13 season due to NCAA transfer rules; he can practice with Florida and will be allowed to play beginning in 2013-14.

Tags: Alex McCalister, Antonio Morrison, Austin Hardin, Brian Poole, Bryan Cox, Chris Johnson, Clay Burton, Colin Thompson, D.J. Humphries, Damien Jacobs, Dante Fowler, Jacoby Brissett, Jafar Mann, Jeff Driskel, Jeremi Powell, Jessamen Dunker, Jon Bostic, Jonathan Bullard, Josh Evans, Kent Taylor, Latroy Pittman, Marcus Maye, Matt Jones, Max Garcia, Omarius Hines, Quinteze Williams, Quinton Dunbar, Raphael Andrades, Rhaheim Ledbetter, Skyler Mornhinweg, Tevin Westbrook, Valdez Showers, Willie Bailey

Florida Gators fans in Palm Beach County were visited by a head football coach for the first time since 2008 and came away both enthusiastic and impressed on Thursday when Will Muschamp dropped by the Expo Center at the South Florida Fairgrounds to discuss his first season at the helm and his expectations for 2012.

After a 20-minute opening statement, Muschamp took questions for another half hour and stuck around to sign autographs for all of he nearly 200 fans in attendance. Below is a recap of some of the more newsworthy and interesting topics that Muschamp covered (and were not included in stories here and here):

» The competition between sophomore quarterbacks Jacoby Brissett and Jeff Driskel has not slowed down at all. “I have the utmost confidence in both guys. They’re working extremely hard here in the offseason. It’s going to be critical – it’s got to become their football team. And their competition will make each other better which will make our offense better and is going to make our football team better,” he said. “Jacoby and Jeff are both guys we can win a championship with. I do know that. [...] We can win with both. I’d like to name a starter. If we have to play both, we will play both. We’re going to do what it takes to win games at the end of the day. If one guy will distance himself then certainly we will name him the starter.”

» Muschamp said Florida had a legitimate opportunity to match-up against and win every game but two in 2011. “There’s a fine line between winning and losing,” he said. “Last year we played two football teams that were better than us in Alabama and LSU. The rest of the games we had our opportunities. Whether it was maturity or coaching or whatever you want to say it was, at the end of the day we didn’t get the job done. 7-6 is not acceptable at Florida; neither is 15-11 – that’s what we’ve been the last two years.”

» Junior safety Matt Elam’s groin continues to be an issue for the Gators but Muscahmp is confident it will be all healed by the time summer rolls around. “He twinged it in the latter part of spring. We really needed to look at the young safeties Valdez Showers and Jabari Gorman – get those guys a lot of reps. Matt’s a good football player. I know what he can do,” he said. “I pulled him the last three practices before the spring game. I just felt like it was another opportunity for someone else to get the reps. I saw him in the weight room [Wednesday]. He looks great and is working hard. He’s a guy that is very instinctive, has great ball skills, toughness. He can cover; he can play in man and zone. He does a lot of things for our football team.”

» His pair of freshman offensive linemen are impressing him: “Jessamen Dunker from here in Boynton Beach and D.J. Humprhies from Charlotte, North Carolina are two really good players. I’d recruit them again. Glad they’re on our football team.”

» Muschamp said he learned plenty of lessons after his first season as a head coach but in the end you cannot change what happened, you can only move forward. “There’s a lot to be learned through last season. You can’t go back and re-do and press the reset button and start over. That’s not what you do. You learn from it, you move forward, and I think our guys have learned from it,” he said.

Continue Reading » Muschamp gathers Gators in West Palm Beach

Tags: Antonio Morrison, Chaz Green, D.J. Humphries, Dominique Easley, Gator Gathering, Jabari Gorman, Jacoby Brissett, James Wilson, Jeff Driskel, Jeremy Brown, Jessamen Dunker, Jon Bostic, Jordan Reed, Matt Elam, Matt Jones, Matt Patchan, Neiron Ball, Ronald Powell, Sharrif Floyd, Valdez Showers, Will Muschamp, Xavier Nixon

Florida Gators redshirt sophomore wide receiver Quinton Dunbar and sophomore quarterbacks Jacoby Brissett and Jeff Driskel all spoke to the media on Thursday following the team’s second day of spring practice. The three players discussed their first impressions of offensive coordinator Brent Pease and, expectations for the 2012 season and how the quarterback battle is going early on.

EARLY ENROLLEES PICK UNIFORM NUMBERS

» No. 70 – D.J. Humphries (Charlotte, NC), five-star tackle
» No. 74 – Jessamen Dunker (Boynton Beach, FL), four-star guard
» No. 13 – Latroy Pittman (Citra, FL), four-star wide receiver
» No. 27 – Willie Bailey (Hallandale, FL), four-star defensive back
» No. 12 – Antonio Morrison (Bolingbrook, IL), four-star linebacker
» No. 4 – Damien Jacobs (Scooba, MS), JUCO transfer defensive tackle

UNIFORM NUMBER CHANGES

» No. 1 – Jon Bostic, senior linebacker (formerly No. 52)
» No. 1 – Quinton Dunbar, redshirt sophomore wide receiver (formerly No. 84)
» No. 6 – Jeff Driskel, sophomore quarterback (formerly No. 16)
» No. 9 – Josh Evans, senior safety (formerly No. 24)
» No. 10 – Valdez Showers, redshirt freshman defensive back (formerly No. 20)
» No. 12 – Jacoby Brissett, sophomore quarterback (formerly No. 17)
» No. 20 – Omarius Hines, redshirt senior tight end (formerly No. 82)
» No. 32 – Chris Johnson, sophomore running back (formerly No. 33)
» No. 88 – Clay Burton, sophomore tight end (formerly No. 86)

GETTING USED TO PEASE AT FLORIDA

All players basically entering their second season of seeing playing time, Dunbar, Brissett and Driskel each offered their initial thoughts on the offense under Pease and how he may or may not be different from former coordinator Charlie Weis.

Driskel was the most insightful, noting that Pease wants to “work around” the talent on his roster and not force square pegs into round holes. “He knows his personnel. He’s going to do what best suits us,” he said. “He’s very personable. He’s willing to work with us, willing to put in the extra time. He’s just a real cool guy.”

Driskel continued, “Coach Weis is more of an old school guy. He has his way and that’s what we had to do. We had to do exactly what he said and there’s nothing wrong with that. Pease just seems a little more flexible.”

The other two players broke down some of the minor but notable differences in the playbook from a year ago. “It’s basically the same scheme but different terminology and a little different tweaks and stuff like that,” Dunbar said. “Coach Pease is big on shifts and motions. It’s football and offense is offense – just score. We had the same plays last year just in different variations,” added Brissett.

GETTING USED TO PEACE AT FLORIDA

Dunbar was vocal about the team’s lack of communication over the last two seasons, saying he is much more pleased with the way the team has come together this year.

“We’re more of a family now. We talk our differences out. We’re more together. We believe in each other and we have more trust,” he said. “There definitely wasn’t no communication last year. This offseason I feel like we bonded together. We’ve had meetings and different things. If we didn’t like something, we let each other know and we sorted out our differences.”

In addition to players being another year older and another year wiser (both on and off the field), Dunbar things the overall mentality of the team has changed. “We have too many talented guys not to be winning,” he said. I felt like we wasn’t together last year or the year before that and we wasn’t a family. I feel like that’s different this year, and I strongly believe this season will be different.”

QUARTERBACK COMPETITION UNDERWAY
Continue Reading » 3/15: Dunbar, Brissett, Driskel talk O, competition

Tags: Antonio Morrison, Chris Johnson, Clay Burton, D.J. Humphries, Damien Jacobs, Jacoby Brissett, Jeff Driskel, Jessamen Dunker, Jon Bostic, Josh Evans, Latroy Pittman, Omarius Hines, Quinton Dunbar, Valdez Showers, Willie Bailey