Florida Gators wide receiver Tank Hawkins #10 catches a pass and sprints for a first down during the first half as the Florida Gators go to defeat the UCF Knights 24-13 at Ben Hill Griffiin Stadium in Gainesville, Florida. October 5th, 2024. Gator Country Photo by David Bowie.
Five takeaways from Florida’s 24-13 victory over UCF on Saturday night inside The Swamp.
No issues at wide receiver
Already out Eugene Wilson and Aidan Mizell, Florida’s wide receiver unit took another hit as redshirt junior Burke got ‘banged up’ during pregame warmups and was unavailable for the majority of the UCF game, according to head coach Billy Napier. Burke started the game for Florida but only logged six snaps. Down three scholarship receivers, the Gators staff turned to true freshman Tank Hawkins, who hauled in a team and season high seven receptions for 60 yards with a long of 31. The 5’9.5, 176-pound speedster generated 44 yards after the catch vs UCF, proving to be a valuable asset in the short passing game.
Senior receiver Chimere Dike was Florida’s most reliable option at wide receiver throughout spring and fall camp, and you saw that on display Saturday night. Dike totaled five receptions for a team high 88 yards and was involved in multiple explosive passing plays.
Arizona State transfer Elijhah Badger continues to be a steady outside receiver for the Gators, hauling in three receptions for 41 yards and a touchdown against the Knights.
Injuries or not, Florida has playmakers at wide receiver. What was once the biggest question mark entering the offseason could be considered the strength of the team. The Gators are deep and talented at wide receiver.
Defense dominated
The story of the game was Florida’s defense, who held UCF’s no.2 ranked rushing attack to just 108 rushing yards in week six. The Gators totaled a season high five sacks, bringing constant pressure against a UCF offensive line that struggled for four quarters. Florida totaled 13 pressures in true pass sets against the Knights, UF’s most in a single game this season.
Florida’s fast start offensively forced UCF into a style of offense that they don’t run effectively. The Gators played much better on third downs, allowing just four conversions on 12 attempts. This was largely due to Florida’s defense winning on 1st and 2nd down, forcing UCF’s offense into 3rd and long.
The Gators did miss 11 tackles against UCF, but they didn’t let those missed tackles result in chunk plays. Everyone on Florida’s defense was running to the ball and gang tackling. Florida did a much better job of not letting KJ Jefferson break contain and run free like they did in 2023.
Florida’s open date in week five proved valuable. The intensity and focus was at a different level in week six.
Florida’s offense fell flat in the 2nd half
The Gators offense couldn’t put the game away in the second half. Now, Florida only had three possessions in the second half before Bryce Thornton’s game sealing pick with 1:48 remaining. UCF’s slow pace of play never really threatened the outcome of the game in the second half, but you’d still like Florida to put a stamp on the game with some points.
Florida had a nice drive to open the second half where they gained 40 yards and chewed up nearly six minutes of clock with a three-score lead, but a missed field goal by Trey Smack kept the Gators from adding points. Florida gained just two first downs the remainder of the game including one on the final series when the outcome was all but finalized.
So what went wrong in the second half? Well for one, Florida stopped passing the ball. The Gators called a passing play on 54% of their plays in the first half and just 34.7% of the time in the second half. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with these numbers as they stand, most teams run more in the second half with a three-score lead. The issue was the predictability of the passing plays. A large chunk of Florida’s passing plays in the second half were passes at the line of scrimmage or 3rd down screens. There was also an element of poor execution in the 2nd half. Florida converted 3-5 third downs in the first half and just 1-6 in the second half. The Gators’ offense relies heavily on third down success due to their lack of explosive plays, which is part of the problem. Florida had to be a perfect 4-4 on third downs to score a touchdown on their opening drive.
DJ Lagway needs more snaps
DJ Lagway provides a different element to Florida’s offense. The first time Lagway saw the field against UCF, the Gators scored in three plays behind a beautifully placed deep ball to Chimere Dike for 37 yards. Lagway logged just 14 snaps in week six but was able to lead two scoring drives that resulted in 10 points. For comparison, Mertz played 50 snaps and his offense scored 14 points.
Mertz tends to go to his check down early in plays while Lagway has the ability to create more time with his legs and look downfield. Lagway wants to push the ball down the field while Mertz has the tendency to hesitate and hold onto the football. Florida also runs the ball more effectively with Lagway under center as opposing defenses have to respect his ability to pull the ball and take off.
Lagway has completed all 11 of his passing attempts for 126 yards in his last two games.
Florida tightened up the offensive line rotation
Florida tightened up the offensive line rotation in week six, playing just seven offensive linemen against UCF while three played every snap of the game. The only two reserves to make an appearance on Saturday were Bryce Lovett and Kamryn Waites, who logged 17 snaps a piece.
The Gators didn’t allow a sack in week six as Florida’s pass protection seemingly improved.
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