Florida Gator Football: Expectations for John Brantley's First Game
With the season opener for the Gators less than a week away, what are we expecting from the John Brantley era in his first game as full time Gator quarterback?
With the adoration and coronation of the "Chosen One" now behind us, Brantley takes the ball in arguably one of the more difficult and anticipated situations in college football: Following a Legend!
History is filled with those who have come after such shining starts. Some successful, and some not.
Will Brantley live up to to the lofty expectations of the Gator Faithful? Will he guide this team to it's expected destination of the SEC championship game and possibly a national championship?
One thing seems to be certain: Brantley is extremely talented and has enough talent around him.
What can we expect from him on week one in Gainesville versus the Mighty Red Hawks of Miami, Ohio?
Manage The Game, The John Brantley Way
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Don't expect John Brantley to go around pumping his fists in the air or yelling in teammate's ears.
In fact, don't expect him to take off running on 3rd and seven.
Brantley has so much talent around him, he doesn't need to be a runner. With Demps, Rainey, and a core of young, talented wide receivers, we should expect him to allow his playmakers to fire up the swamp early and often.
Watch for Brantley to pick apart the Red Hawk defense with his arm.
Showcase Pure Passing Ability
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What some forget is that Brantley actually broke some of Tebow's high school passing records in the state of Florida.
Of course, this is big time college football now, and that was then.
Expect Brantley to throw at will, and utilize and engage plenty of playmakers in the process.
Deonte Thompson should have a big game receiving, and look for Brantley to hit Rainey in open space to allow him to make plays with his feet.
The level of competition shouldn't phase Brantley in the least, so expect him to have a nice, efficient passing day.
A Cool Demeaner
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Having seen action in the past two seasons, don't expect Brantley to be rattled.
Especially in this game. He has a calmness to the emotional side of the game. This will help Brantley not only on this opening day, but also when he travels to the likes of Alabama and Tennessee in front of 100,000 fans.
Expect Brantley to rely on his skills, rather than emotion or the will to make plays as Tebow did. Of course, Tebow was skilled as well, but we are talking about two different athletes.
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An Early Exit?
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Not saying it will happen, but it could.
Expect Brantley to be done by halftime if this game gets out of hand, third quarter at the latest.
Talented back up Trey Burton should see some work, should the score get ugly, and it will.
Urban Meyer is not going to risk injury to Brantley when the game is out of reach. Especially with a visit to Rocky Top in a few weeks.
Expect a lot of players to see action on both sides of the ball, in what should be a relatively easy contest for the Gators on week one.
Prediction: Gators-51, Red Hawks-10
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