Well, well, well…
In the last installment of SWAMP ALERT, terms like flawlessness and complacency were associated with the Gators recent performance against the Tennessee Volunteers.
How a week can change one’s outlook.
The Gators sputtered to victory (30-24) on Saturday afternoon in Oxford, Mississippi against a much less-talented yet more energetic Rebel squad.
Yes, the Gators still managed to put of over 500 yards of total offense for the fourth straight game this season, but 427 of the team’s 507-yard total was rushed and thrown for by the team’s Saturday savior, Tim Tebow.
Outside of Percy Harvin’s YAC contribution and the occasional Kestahn Moore first down scamper, the other components of the Gator offense failed to provide Tebow with any support.
Needless to say, the imminent return of wide receiver Andre Caldwell is becoming more and more imperative to the ultimate success of the spread offense. Cornelius Ingram, Louis Murphy, and David Nelson simply haven’t stepped their games up in order to fill the vacancy that was left by Caldwell’s MCL sprain.
Even the superior special teams play of weeks past was nowhere to be found in Oxford on Saturday afternoon.
The Gator kickoff coverage team allowed 159 return yards on only six kickoffs; a 26.5-yard return average. Even though the Rebels failed to begin a drive in Florida territory, their average starting field position after an ensuing kickoff was beyond their own 35-yard line.
Kicker Joey Ijjas, hampered by a quadriceps injury, managed to place the ball at or around the goal line on every kickoff, but the coverage team simply failed to contain Marshay Green’s initial progress.
A missed PAT and a 42-yard firld goal attempt that barely reached the goalpost were other examples of special teams' miscues.
Freshman punter Chas Henry and kick return specialist Brandon James were the lone special teams bright spots. Henry averaged 39.5 yards on four punts, including two punts of 50 yards; James muffed a punt that caused the Florida offense to begin a drive on their own two-yard line, but he did open the game with a 55-yard kickoff return.
Once again, the bulk of concern rests with the Gator defense. Allowing relatively unknown quarterback Seth Adams to throw for 302 yards and two touchdowns was just the beginning of the defensive woes on Saturday.
The defensive secondary struggled to cover the Ole Miss receivers and the unit’s susceptibility was realized when Rebel wideout Mike Wallace ran past freshman cornerback Joe Haden to haul in a 77-yard touchdown pass.
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