Florida Football: 5 Things the Gators Learned from Last Year

2011 was a year of learning and growing for the Florida Gators. The coaches knew that there would be an adjustment period, and to an extent, the fans knew. We all looked at the schedule and saw the daunting slate of October games, but nobody expected to go 0-4 through that stretch. Certainly everyone thought that the Furman game would be over by the half, and not see the Gators up only five halfway through the game. 

The Gators were young, but that excuse can only last so long. The team coming back will be experienced and battle tested. The 2012 Gators will be out to prove that last year is unacceptable and that they are capable of better. 

The 2012 Gators will be looking for revenge, and they will take these five lessons from last year and use them to grow and become better for next year. 

The Offense Needs a Power Running Game

The Gators got away with throwing the ball into the flats, screens and running sweeps against lower tier opponents. When it came to the better teams in the SEC and FSU, the running game could never get going. 

The Gators lacked an interior running game because of two things: the offensive line's inability to get a good push and the lack of size at running back. With Jeff Demps and Chris Rainey gone, the bulk of the carries will go to 6'3'' 225-lb freshman running back Matt Jones and 5'10" 200-lb Mike Gillislee. The Gators have two running backs and a fullback in Hunter Joyer who are all capable of running between the tackles now, so this cannot be used as an excuse. 

The offensive line will return most of its starters this season, but have already begun an Olympic style lifting program under new strength coach Jeff Dillman. The object of this new workout is to allow the players to become stronger while also giving them a strong burst and initial quickness out of their stance. 

With a new lifting program and a big bruising back set to enroll in the summer, the Gators have clearly learned that this is an area where they need to be better and are making strides to do just that. 

The Defense Needs to Create More Turnovers

The Gators finished 113 out of 120 schools in turnover margin at -12. The Gators forced just 14 turnovers last season, their lowest total since the Ron Zook Era. Urban Meyer's teams always were close to the top of the nation in takeaways, and it's something both Dan Quinn and Will Muschamp know needs to improve. 

The Gators offense didn't make it easy on the team, as the defense was often asked to play for most of the game (Florida finished 101 out of 120 teams in time of possession) and the offense often turned the ball over early on in a drive, not allowing the defense time to rest (Florida turned the ball over 26 times). 

The defense made a point in practice to work n creating turnovers before the bowl game, and the added work paid off as the Gators recovered two fumbles on the day. 

Creating turnovers will be crucial for a defense that finished in the top 10 nationally last season despite only creating 14 turnovers. If the Gators can get into the 20s or even close to 32 (a number Will Muschamp's Texas Longhorns created in a season), the Gators will have one of the best defense in the country. 

Creating turnovers will also help out an offense that will be transitioning with a new quarterback and trying to find a rhythm under a new offensive coordinator. 

The Team Must Cut Down on Penalties

Plain and simple, the Gators shot themselves in the foot last season when it came to penalties. Florida was penalized 100 times in 2011 (ranked 114 out of 120), an average of 7.7 penalties per game (ranked 112 out of 120). 

The Gators gave teams second chances over and over again with false starts and pass interference penalties, too many for them to overcome in most cases. 

Some of the pass interference calls will happen just because of the tight press coverage that the cornerbacks are asked to play, but the mental errors that occurred all season long need to stop. The Gators started to limit their penalties towards the end of the year, and next year expect the number to continue improving.  

A Clear No. 1 Quarterback Must Be Decided Early

The Gators will be starting a true sophomore quarterback for the first time since Tim Tebow started as a true sophomore. 

The last thing that either quarterback needs is a season-long quarterback controversy. The coaching staff needs to pick a starting quarterback as soon as possible so that player can take the majority of the snaps and begin to take a leadership role on offense and with the team. 

There were only two games last season where both Driskel and Brissett played; both came in losses and neither played particularly well. 

For the sake of the team and the sake of both quarterbacks, the Gators need to establish a starter early and give the team to him. 

Gator Nation Is Impatient

While some people in Gator Nation were calling for coach Muschamp's head after just a season, clearer heads prevailed and Muschamp was given a one-year extension (probably just to show potential recruits that the school backs the coaching staff). 

Will Muschamp grew up in Gainesville and lived in the town during the Spurrier glory years. He saw firsthand the beginning of Gator fans entitlement and watched the fans expectations grow. The expectations in Gainesville turned from hoping to have a winning season, to expecting to win the SEC East and play for an SEC championship. 

If anyone knows that 7-6 is unacceptable, it is Will Muschamp. The head coach knows that another 7-6 season or worse, and it could very well be his last as head coach at Florida. This is why the Gators made such a splash in recruiting. Muschamp knows that his rope will start running short the more losses pile up on his resume. 

The Gators will be an improved team in 2012 in part because their head coach needs them to be. The team will take the attitude of their coaching staff and carry that intensity out onto the field. If the Gators put forth the same effort and outcome as a season ago, Muschamp's seat will become hotter and Gator Nation will grow more impatient and a crowd like this will become regular.