Gators ride explosive plays to decisive win over Colorado State

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Some Gators fans took to Twitter after the game Saturday against Colorado State to complain about the Gators offense.

This is unfair to Florida and unfair to Franks.

I picked Florida to win by eight points because I didn’t believe that the Gators offense would be able to put up a ton of points or stop the Colorado State offense completely. The Gators proved me wrong on both counts.

The tone was set on the first Colorado State drive, as linebacker Kylan Johnson – who was inserted into the starting lineup for this game – read a screen out to the Colorado State running back in the flat and broke up the pass right as it got to the back. That was followed immediately by cornerback C.J. Henderson setting the edge on a screen to the Colorado State running back and forcing him back inside to a swarming defense

In the second quarter, Vosean Joseph – who has really struggled in coverage – played perfect pass defense on a square-in route by tight end Cameron Butler, who torched Arkansas for 107 yards receiving when isolated against their linebackers last week. Joseph then made a great play later in the quarter on an end around intended to open up if Florida’s defenders overpursued the initial action. Joseph stayed home and tackled Colorado State receiver Preston Williams for a two yard loss.

Coming into the game, Colorado State was averaging 27 points per game, 6.0 yards per play and 8.1 yards per pass attempt against FBS opponents. Florida came in fresh off allowing 8.0 yards per play on defense.

The defense that couldn’t get any pressure on Kentucky had 5 sacks, 9 tackles for loss and 6 QB hurries. Yet, the Gators only gave up 10 points and surrendered 3.7 yards per play. For reference, Alabama led the nation in that statistic last year allowing 3.9 yards per play.

This is not to suggest at all that Florida’s defense is anywhere in the same league as Alabama’s. But what it does suggest is that last week’s performance against Kentucky was about as bad as it is going to get for Florida. The defense is still going to struggle at times, particularly with all of the personnel missing on the back end.

But the unit – particularly the linebackers – showed significant improvement Saturday. Gone were the gap discipline problems, tackling problems and poor angles that led to big plays for Kentucky.

Without those fundamental issues, the explosive plays for Colorado State dried up. After posting six plays over 20 yards against Arkansas, the Rams only had four against Florida. Additionally, without those six plays, Colorado State averaged 2.4 yards per play on its remaining 79 plays.

Do I believe in this defense against a top-tier SEC opponent? No, I don’t. But that doesn’t mean I can’t praise them for improving against an opponent that many thought would be able to move the ball at will. That certainly wasn’t the case.

But the area that most Florida fans are going to complain about is the offense. Watching live, I was certainly underwhelmed.

This was mostly because in the first quarter after Colorado State’s kicker dropped a punt and was tackled and the Rams fumbled the ball deep in its own territory, Florida was unable to move the ball and was forced to settle for field goals.

In that first quarter, QB Feleipe Franks was 0 for 6 and struggled with getting the ball out on time. But we also have to acknowledge that his first incompletion to Jordan Scarlett in the flat wasn’t great but was certainly catchable. He also threw a perfect back shoulder throw to tight end C’yontai Lewis in the endzone that went right through his hands. And he was just a hair late getting the ball to Kadarius Toney over the middle.

Had either of the balls to Lewis or Toney been caught, the first quarter would have felt a lot different.

In the second quarter – and really through the rest of the game – Franks was excellent. After missing on his first six throws, he was 8-9 for 119 yards and 2 TD. That adds up to a QB rating of 150.6 and a YAR of 0.52. That’s above average QB play and a mark he only exceeded twice in 2017.

You can’t have it both ways with Franks. Last week, I expressed concern that Mullen went away from the running game and put the game on Franks’ shoulders giving him 38 throws. This week was much more manageable (15 throws) and he was much more effective.

Franks now has 9 TD passes and 2 INTs after having 9 TDs and 8 INTs all of last season. Even if you discount the 5 TDs versus Charleston Southern, he’s vastly improved. He isn’t a perfect QB by any means. Any expectations that he would be were 1) unfair and 2) not based in reality.

Instead, he is a QB who isn’t turning the ball over and will struggle if Florida can’t run the ball. So – pretty much – he’s exactly the game manager Florida fans would have killed for back when Muschamp’s defenses were around.

Last year’s Florida offense averaged 4.9 yards per play and last week against Kentucky, Florida only averaged 5.4 yards per play. However, against Colorado State the Gators averaged 7.8 yards per play. Again for reference, that would have ranked second behind Oklahoma (8.1) in 2017.

Colorado State came into the game allowing 7.7 yards per play against FBS competition, so Florida put up offensive efficiency numbers similar to Hawaii, Colorado and Arkansas. Yes, the Gators only put up 341 yards against Colorado State, but that is a function of the Gators only running 44 plays instead of a reflection of their effectiveness or efficiency.

After the incompletion to Toney and settling for a field goal to go up 6-0, the Gators had six more meaningful offensive possessions. The offense scored four TDs and averaged 10.1 yards per play during those drives.

Florida had four explosive plays. That increases to six if you include the blocked punt returned for a TD and the punt return for a TD by Freddie Swain. Five of those explosive plays resulted directly in TDs and the sixth put the Gators in position for Scarlett’s long run.

I understand that this is just Colorado State. But this is the same Colorado State team that had fellow writers warning me that my preview didn’t give Colorado State QB K.J. Carta-Samuels enough credit in my Colorado State preview and that a long day was likely for the Gators’ defense.

Carta-Samuels was harassed all game, put up a QB rating of 128.9 and a YAR of -2.05.

And maybe that’s the takeaway from this game. Florida – and Franks in particular – certainly weren’t perfect in this game. But the Gators came into the game wounded from the butt-kicking from Kentucky and performed better than I (picked them to win by 8) or anyone else (Vegas had them as 21.5 point favorites).

Feleipe Franks played better than K.J. Carta-Samuels. Florida’s defense played better than any Colorado State opponent thus far. The Gators special teams were fantastic. And Florida scored 48 points and won the game by 38 points.

I understand that Florida fans see deficiencies. I see them too. But from 2015-2017, Florida won games by 30+ points twice. Mullen has already done it twice this year.

And while Florida’s rival out west has an adult film star taking up a collection to buy out its coach’s contract after only three games on the job, Mullen’s squad showed growth in just a week.

And that, Gator fans, is pretty neat.

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