Florida Football 2011: 5 Reasons the Gators Will Run the Table

Outscoring opponents 80-3. The 17th-ranked rushing offense in the nation.  The No. 1 scoring defense.  Zero sacks allowed. First shutout since 2006.  Ladies and gentlemen, the Gators are rolling on all cylinders. 

Not only have they won the games they are supposed to win, they have done it in impressive fashion. Victories over Florida Atlantic and UAB have been perfect tune-ups for Will Muschamp’s crew to take on conference play.

South Carolina’s defense is vulnerable, but their offense is clicking. Georgia is 0-2. Tennessee’s Tyler Bray has thrown for multiple touchdowns in eight consecutive games. Do the Gators have what it take to return to the SEC Championship this season? I think so, and I’ll tell you why. 

The New Regime

The former Texas head coach-in-waiting received a blessing from 1,000 miles away and nine months later; Will Muschamp is 2-0.  He brings 16 years of coaching experience to the table with 12 of them coming in the SEC.

The defensive guru has coached in two National Championships, a Fiesta Bowl, two SEC Championship Games and a Big 12 Title Game. In his five seasons as an SEC defensive coordinator, his defenses ranked among the nation’s top 10 in total defense every single year.

Now jump to the other side of the ball and welcome Offensive Coordinator/QB Coach Charlie Weis.  This guy has done it all in his 32 years as a coach. He has four Super Bowl rings (appeared in five), six AFC Championships, two BCS bowls while at Notre Dame and is largely responsible for the development of two-time Super Bowl MVP Tom Brady.

Current NFL quarterbacks such as Brady, Jimmy Clausen and Brady Quinn are all products of the Weis system. Who’s next? John Brantley.

Combine these two coaches at one school and you will have a great shot to win every game. 

John Brantley

Through the first two games, quarterback John Brantley has completed 67.3 percent of his passes and is looking more like a leader on the field in 2011.

2010 was an up and down season for Brantley and the Gators culminating in a victory over Penn State in the Outback Bowl. He had more interceptions than touchdowns and was a victim of the rough and tough SEC conference.

This year is a different story. New coach, new offensive coordinator, powerful offensive line and so many weapons at his disposal. Through 120 minutes of football this season, Brantley has not been sacked once, and that does nothing but build confidence.

He’s standing in the pocket, making good decisions and converting third downs. Through the first two games, the Florida offense has converted 11 of 22 third downs, and 11 of 12 red zone trips have resulted in points.

Brantley is poised for a 3,000-yard season and will lead the Gators back to the SEC Championship. 

Chris Rainey

Explosive. Elusive. Exciting and fun to watch. Chris Rainey is the motor behind Florida’s offense. Through the first two weeks of 2011, Rainey is the only player in the nation to lead his team in both rushing (27 carries, 198 yards) and receiving (9 catches, 110 yards).

In the first game of the season, he became the first player in school history to score touchdowns rushing, receiving and on a return. Heard enough?

He totaled 162 yards of offense against UAB with 119 of them coming on the ground. He was given a career-high 16 rush attempts and he hit the holes averaging 7.4 yards per carry. Muschamp and Weis are showing the nation that Rainey is their muscle, and he’s done nothing but succeed. 

Jeff Demps

The other half. The crackle to Rainey’s snap. He surpassed the 2,000-yard mark on the ground in Florida’s opening day win over Florida Atlantic and has 19 career rushing touchdowns on top of that.

Since 2007, Demps and Rainey have each averaged 7.1 yards per carry on over 200 carries. Consistency is perhaps the best thing a running back can offer, and Demps offers nothing less. 

During the offseason, he won an indoor track National Championship in the 60-meter dash, running it in a blazing 6.57 seconds. He also has two more individual championships: one in 100-meter dash in which he completed it in 9.96 seconds and the other as a member of Florida’s 4x100 relay team. 

Combine lightning speed with consistency, power and leadership, and you have Mr. Jeff Demps. 

The Rest of the Crew

What’s left? The Pop. Running Backs Trey Burton, Mike Gillislee and highly touted Mack Brown complement Rainey and Demps while Deonte Christopher and Quinton Dunbar offer excellent targets for Brantley on the outside.

Burton has seen time at quarterback, fullback, wide receiver, tight end, H-back and on kickoff coverage in his career at Florida. Last season he scored six touchdowns against Kentucky, a Florida and SEC freshman record.

Gillislee has nine career touchdowns, Mack Brown is seeing more touches and even freshman RB Hunter Joyer scored a TD on his first career rush. Eight players have rushed the ball and 10 different players have caught a pass so far this season. Defenses will have their hands full with this repertoire of weapons.

With all this firepower, the defense has hidden in the shadows. They have yet to yield a touchdown and have only allowed 101 yards on the ground. They have held their first two opponents to a measly 3-for-23 on third-down conversions and a combined three points allowed in two games.

All these elements will fuse together this weekend and give Head Coach Will Muschamp his first taste of victory in SEC play against Tennessee.