The Florida Gators will finally kick off their 2014 season this Saturday when the Eastern Michigan Eagles visit the Swamp. The Gators and Idaho Vandals dealt with a torrential downpour, booming thunder, and electrifying lightning not far from the stadium. After a two hour and forty-eight minute delay, they got the opening kick-off in, one that Valdez Showers returned to the Idaho 14. Before an offensive play could be run, the players were pulled back off the field and the game was canceled. It has since been determined a “no contest” and will not be made up.
The Gators will now have an 11-game regular season and will need to make every game count. They should also be ramped up, with anticipation to kick off this season through the roof, and ready to play inspired football this Saturday night.
Eastern Michigan won their opener 31-28 against Morgan State.
Eastern Michigan vs Florida: Positional Breakdown
Quarterbacks
Quarterback Jeff Driskel had to wait an extra week to return from his 2013 season-ending leg injury. The junior has tons of pressure to perform in new offensive coordinator Kurt Roper’s offense. He, along with backup Treon Harris, gives Florida the big advantage both athletically and in the experience department. Driskel led the Gators to an 11-2 season just two years ago. Harris, a highly-touted freshman, beat out fellow first-year signal caller Will Grier for the backup spot. Harris will give the Gators a seamless transition if Driskel happens to go down. Eastern Michigan is breaking in a new starter, Brogan Roback. He is the highest-rated recruit the Eagles have landed in decades. He was able to get reps last year, as the Eagles came apart at the seams on their way to a 2-10 season. That experience will be valuable for him in MAC play, but may not do much for him in the Swamp, where he will be outmatched. It should be fun to see if he can make plays though. The Gators have the advantage, but not by as much as they have had in previous meetings.
Advantage: Gators
Running Backs
The Gators have a trio of experienced running backs returning and they are all licking their chops at the opportunity to run against this Eastern Michigan defense. Kelvin Taylor burst onto the scene as a freshman and figures to get a large portion of the carries in this game. Both Matt Jones and Mack Brown will see plenty of action as well, especially as the season goes on, to keep each guy as fresh as possible. On the other hand, the Eagles running game will have to be very creative and fight for every single yard against a very talented Gator front seven. Eastern Michigan ran for 158 yards per game last year, and return some talent on the offensive line, but they never saw the kind of competition they will see on Saturday. It will be tough for them to get anything going in the run game. Florida has a heavy advantage in speed, experience, and overall skill.
Advantage: Gators
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
The Gators are most vulnerable at wide receiver and tight end as we noted last week. They were not able to get any experience last week and will be leaning heavily on Ahmad Fullwood and Demarcus Robinson to step up and become playmakers alongside Andre Debose and Quinton Dunbar. Clay Burton and Jake McGee will be battling for reps at tight end. Keep an eye on that competition in this one. Eastern Michigan will look for Jay Jones and Dustin Creel to help mentor young wideouts Kenny Jones and Lemar Harris. Tyreese Russell returns at tight end and gives them a solid target for moving the chains.
Advantage: Gators
Offensive Line
Eastern Michigan returns experience on their offensive line with senior Lincoln Hansen at right tackle and sophomores Andrew Wylie and Jake Hurcombe on the left side, who took their lumps and played well as freshmen. Although they have some talent and continuity and rushed for 158 yards per game last year, they still give up the talent advantage to the Gators. The Gators also return some experience, with a rotation of six or seven guys who saw significant playing time last year. Max Garcia will lead a line of primarily juniors and seniors. The offensive line could go from a weakness to one of the Gators biggest strengths this season. Eastern Michigan was close to edging out the Gators, but raw talent wins again.
Advantage: Gators
Front Seven (Defensive Line & Linebackers)
The other major position that Eastern Michigan returns experience at is in their front seven. They return their defensive tackles and middle linebacker, which will let them play pretty well against the run up the middle. Moving side to side, which an athletic Gators team can do, can give them problems. Although they are a talented unit, they will still be exposed. The front seven may also be the Gators biggest strength. Dante Fowler will lead a defensive line that will pressure Brogan Roback all day. Antonio Morrison, Michael Taylor, and Neiron Ball can cover receivers or stonewall their run game. The front seven will make it a long afternoon for the Eagle offense. The Gators have a huge advantage in this department.
Advantage: Gators
Secondary
The Eagles return only one starter in their secondary and will be leaning on some seniors who have waited their turn to give them production at the position. The athleticism they have seen in their limited time will be nothing like they will see in the Swamp. Driskel should have opportunities to hit receivers deep. The Gators have the huge advantage with a young and very talented secondary led by sophomore Vernon Hargreaves III. Florida will also look to break in talented freshmen Jalen Tabor and Duke Dawson at corner and safety, respectively. The secondary should be a very talented unit for Florida that causes a lot of turnovers, giving them a big advantage at this position as well.
Advantage: Gators
Kicking & Return Game
The Gators will look to get better production out of second-year kicker Austin Hardin and sophomore punter Johnny Townsend. Both had shaky freshmen campaigns and will look to establish themselves as solid reliable kickers. Meanwhile, the Eagles are breaking in two brand new kickers and return men. It shouldn’t be a huge deal for them overall, but the kicking game may hurt them in tight games down the road. This game should give them valuable experience for down the road. The Gators don’t have the strongest kicking game, but the return of Austin Hardin at kicker and Townsend at punter gives them the advantage. Any athlete they choose to put back in the return game would be more explosive than what Eastern Michigan can produce.
Advantage: Gators
Key Matchup
The Gators offensive line against the Eastern Michigan front seven. Florida will want to escape this one healthy, but also get a look at their second unit offensive line. They have a ton of experience in their first unit, but will want to establish that second team heading into SEC play. It will be imperative to see how both the starting and backup offensive lines play in this one against a marginal Eastern Michigan defensive front seven.
Overall Advantage
The Gators will no question have the heavy advantage in this one at every position. They will be a team looking to find their footing early and get comfortable in a new offensive scheme. They may lean on a very capable defense early, but should score plenty and often as the game goes on. They will pull away in the second and third quarters before giving way to the backups for the remainder of the game as they get ready for SEC play next week. They weren’t able to get their opener in last week and should be jacked and ready for this one. The Gators will win big.
Advantage: Gators
Thank you for reading. Please take a moment to follow me on Twitter – @CTaylorLWOS. Support LWOS by following the site on Twitter – @LastWordOnSport – and by “liking” our Facebook page.
For more on sports injuries, check out our friends at Sports Injury Alert.
Have you tuned into Last Word On Sports Radio? LWOS is pleased to bring you 24/7sports radio to your PC, laptop, tablet or smartphone. What are you waiting for? GO!
Main Photo:
