From OnlineAthens.com
July 11th, 2016 04:08 PM
HOOVER, Ala. | Florida football players could get their first shot on Oct. 29 at Georgia freshman quarterback Jacob Eason.
Or their first crack at Greyson Lambert, the Virginia graduate transfer who was benched for the Gators game in place of seldom-used Faton Bauta.
That move blew up on the Bulldogs. Bauta threw four interceptions in Jacksonville in a 27-3 loss and eventually transferred to Colorado State.
“I don’t know why they did that,” Florida safety Marcus Maye said. “We had a gameplan and we stuck to our gameplan.”
The win helped Florida reach the SEC championship game, but the Gators enter this season on a three-game losing streak.
“Very disappointed how we finished,” second-year coach Jim McElwain said Monday at SEC Media Days at the Wynfrey Hotel. “Not something we’re proud of and not something I take very lightly.”
Florida finished 10-4, but in the last three games Florida State beat the Gators 27-2, Alabama beat them 29-15 in the SEC championship game and Michigan rolled 41-7 in the Citrus Bowl.
“Those last couple of games we lost at the end of the year, I wouldn’t say we lost our edge, it was just us trying to find different ways to win the ballgame,” safety Marcus Maye said.
Redshirt sophomore Luke Del Rio is probably the favorite to win the Florida quarterback job. Among other contenders is Purdue transfer Austin Appleby, but the Gators offensive line which surrendered an SEC-high 46 sacks, needs improvement.
“We really have good arm talent,” McElwain said. “I’m excited about being able to stretch the field vertically. It should be a lot of fun.”
Florida reached the SEC title game in a year when it finished 111th in the nation in total offense at 334.0 yards per game.
“Since I have been here, we just haven’t had the offense,” senior linebacker Jarrard Davis said. “It’s still a challenge right now. It’s hard to win games when your defense is working on all cylinders but your offense is kind of weak.”
McElwain last year became the first coach in Florida history to win 10 games in his first season as the Gators went 7-1 in the league, winning the Eastern Division for the first time since 2008.
“Things are good at the University of Florida,” McElwain said.
Florida still has a roster question with wide receiver Antonio Callaway and athlete Treon Harris now back on campus and working out with the team. They have been suspended for undisclosed reasons since January.
“Nothing has been resolved yet,” McElwain said. “There really isn’t a timetable on it.”
Georgia’s quarterback situation isn’t resolved yet either, but Davis is rooting for one player in particular--redshirt junior Brice Ramsey.
“B-Ram, man, that’s my guy,” said Davis, a teammate of Ramsey at Camden County High. “Brice Ramsey, I love him, man. We talk every now and then. I’ll text him and see how he’s doing and I’ll tweet at him. If I had my choice, I would want to see Brice.”
Georgia fans would probably be more than fine with Ramsey, Eason or Lambert as long as it meant a victory over the Gators this time.
...READ MORE HERE...
July 11th, 2016 04:08 PM
HOOVER, Ala. | Florida football players could get their first shot on Oct. 29 at Georgia freshman quarterback Jacob Eason.
Or their first crack at Greyson Lambert, the Virginia graduate transfer who was benched for the Gators game in place of seldom-used Faton Bauta.
That move blew up on the Bulldogs. Bauta threw four interceptions in Jacksonville in a 27-3 loss and eventually transferred to Colorado State.
“I don’t know why they did that,” Florida safety Marcus Maye said. “We had a gameplan and we stuck to our gameplan.”
The win helped Florida reach the SEC championship game, but the Gators enter this season on a three-game losing streak.
“Very disappointed how we finished,” second-year coach Jim McElwain said Monday at SEC Media Days at the Wynfrey Hotel. “Not something we’re proud of and not something I take very lightly.”
Florida finished 10-4, but in the last three games Florida State beat the Gators 27-2, Alabama beat them 29-15 in the SEC championship game and Michigan rolled 41-7 in the Citrus Bowl.
“Those last couple of games we lost at the end of the year, I wouldn’t say we lost our edge, it was just us trying to find different ways to win the ballgame,” safety Marcus Maye said.
Redshirt sophomore Luke Del Rio is probably the favorite to win the Florida quarterback job. Among other contenders is Purdue transfer Austin Appleby, but the Gators offensive line which surrendered an SEC-high 46 sacks, needs improvement.
“We really have good arm talent,” McElwain said. “I’m excited about being able to stretch the field vertically. It should be a lot of fun.”
Florida reached the SEC title game in a year when it finished 111th in the nation in total offense at 334.0 yards per game.
“Since I have been here, we just haven’t had the offense,” senior linebacker Jarrard Davis said. “It’s still a challenge right now. It’s hard to win games when your defense is working on all cylinders but your offense is kind of weak.”
McElwain last year became the first coach in Florida history to win 10 games in his first season as the Gators went 7-1 in the league, winning the Eastern Division for the first time since 2008.
“Things are good at the University of Florida,” McElwain said.
Florida still has a roster question with wide receiver Antonio Callaway and athlete Treon Harris now back on campus and working out with the team. They have been suspended for undisclosed reasons since January.
“Nothing has been resolved yet,” McElwain said. “There really isn’t a timetable on it.”
Georgia’s quarterback situation isn’t resolved yet either, but Davis is rooting for one player in particular--redshirt junior Brice Ramsey.
“B-Ram, man, that’s my guy,” said Davis, a teammate of Ramsey at Camden County High. “Brice Ramsey, I love him, man. We talk every now and then. I’ll text him and see how he’s doing and I’ll tweet at him. If I had my choice, I would want to see Brice.”
Georgia fans would probably be more than fine with Ramsey, Eason or Lambert as long as it meant a victory over the Gators this time.
...READ MORE HERE...
