Florida Football: 10 Things We Learned from the Start of Muschamp/Weis Era

The Florida Gators looked impressive in their season opener against Florida Atlantic, beating them 41-3.

Head coach Will Muschamp and new offensive coordinator Charlie Weis gave Gators fans a glimpse of what's ahead for the program.

The offense looked smooth, for the most part, and the defense was very quick and relentless.

Although it was only one game, there seems a lot to be excited about as Gator fans and we can thank Muschamp and Weis for that.

Here are the 10 things we learned from the season opener about what Muschamp and Weis will do for the Florida football program.

1. A New Beginning

Although it might have been a subtle thing, the new coaching staff brings a brand new start for the Florida Gators.

Watching the game last night, I seem to have forgotten all about our troubles last season and the drama with Urban Meyer.

It was refreshing, to say the least.

I realize that the Gators will still have their growing pains, especially with a brand new system on both offense and defense, but a new season and coaching staff can invigorate the players and its fan base.

Let's hope this refreshing feeling lasts longer than last season.

2. John Brantley Looked More Comfortable

For much of the game, John Brantley looked like a new quarterback.

He stood in the pocket and made some nice throws. And even when he missed his receivers, he didn't miss them by much.

I was much more pleased with the 2011 Brantley than with the 2010 Brantley. There were times when the old Brantley reared its ugly head such as when he threw an interception into triple coverage inside the end zone. But overall, he looked comfortable and like the leader of this offense.

Weis will be able to coach him just about as well as anyone in the country. So Brantley should reap the benefits of that sooner rather than later.

It is a long season and Brantley still has some growing to do, but Saturday was definitely a step in the right direction.

3. Special Teams Will Continue To Be a Strength

Urban Meyer preached special teams and the Florida Gators excelled at it. And it seems as if that will continue with Will Muschamp.

The Gators blocked a punt and returned it for a touchdown, while also taking the opening kickoff for a score, although it was called back by a penalty.

But it was clear that Muschamp will stress special teams, much like Meyer. The Gators certainly have the athletes to pull off blocked punts and excel at kick returns, as we saw on Saturday.

If the Gators can continue to do well in special teams, that could separate them from the rest of the teams in their division. 

4. The Former Quarterbacks Will Be Involved

With John Brantley being named the starting quarterback, Gators fans were anxious to see how Jordan Reed and Trey Burton will perform at their new positions.

Thankfully, both excelled on Saturday.

Trey Burton only touched the football a couple times, but when the ball was in his hands he still showed great athleticism on the run. He even displayed some reliable hands when he caught a couple of passes from John Brantley.

Jordan Reed also made some great receptions last night as he displayed his athleticism. It is clear that Charlie Weis will continue to utilize him this season. Brantley looked Reed's way a lot on Saturday and he established himself as a reliable target for Brantley.

Let's hope this trend will continue throughout the season.

5. Jeff Demps and Chris Rainey Are for Real

The Florida Gator running backs really showed off their speed last night, weaving in and out of traffic while outrunning every defender.

Both Jeff Demps and Chris Rainey reached the end zone last night and they combined for all five touchdowns that the Gators scored against FAU.

Chris Rainey seems to have finally returned to the kind of running back fans expected him to be coming out of high school. He was seamlessly juking defenders and showed some great vision running between  tackles.

I believe Rainey and Demps will be the most important pieces of the Gators' offense this season and will provide a lot of firepower throughout the year.

6. The Gators Will Expose the Flats

Several times on Saturday the Gators chose to throw it in the flats, rather than down the field.

While it could have been what the defense was giving them, I believe Charlie Weis will continue to expose the flats throughout the season.

When we did that, Jeff Demps and Chris Rainey were able to catch the ball in the open field and use their speed and elusiveness to run around the defenders.

I think it will be a very effective option for the Gators this season. Something that Charlie Weis will certainly concentrate on.

7. No Definite Wide Receiver Star

One of the biggest questions for the Florida Gators heading into this season was whether someone would step up as the primary wide receiver for Florida.

Ever since Percy Harvin left for the NFL, the Gators haven't had that dynamic playmaker.

In the summer, news that Quinton Dunbar had emerged as the Gators' No. 1 receiver got fans excited.

And while there is a lot of football left to be played this season, Saturday's game did not provide any answers on who can be the Gators' next reliable receiver.

Let's hope that this question will be answered soon. They have the athletes, but if the Gators are forced to rely on Deonte Thompson again, then Florida could be in trouble.

8. The Front 7 Will Be Huge This Season

It was clear in Saturday night's game that the front seven of the Florida Gators will be the strength of their defense this season.

They owned FAU's offensive line all game and got a great push in the backfield.

Muschamp's presence and the switch to a 3-4 defense seems to be paying off. They run a lot more stunts and seem to blitz a lot more often than last season.

And having a good defensive line is key in the SEC. The past BCS Champions have all had dominant defensive lines, so this will be a key for the Gators' success in 2011.

9. Dominique Easley Is the Next Big Star

One of the stars from Saturday's game was defensive tackle Dominique Easley. Every play it seemed as if Easley was in the backfield giving the quarterback nightmares.

Easley's biggest strength is his first step off the line of scrimmage. He probably has the quickest first step and move off of the line than any other player on the Gators' roster.

Only a sophomore, Easley has a lot of growing left to do, but he could certainly grow into one of the youngest stars in the country.

Let's hope Easley can keep this kind of performance going throughout the conference schedule. He will be a key asset for the Gators in 2011.

10. The Gators Still Have Penalty Issues

One problem that seems to have plagued the Florida Gators over the last several years has been penalties. The Gators have been penalized way too much and it has cost them.

Unfortunately, the Gators still seem to deal with this issue, even with Will Muschamp as head coach.

It was the first game of the season, so the players could still be rusty, but nine penalties is inexcusable for an SEC football team.

If the Gators continue to get around nine penalties per game, that could come back to haunt them once they get in conference play.

Hopefully it was just the result of it being the first game of the season. It will definitely be something worth keeping an eye over the next few games.