As we undoubtedly all know by now, the Florida Gators kick off their 2024 season against the Miami Hurricanes tomorrow in the Swamp. Of course we all know that. Full transparency, I simply wrote that sentence for SEO purposes.
Anyway, another thing we all know, it’s a big game for both schools. The loser is in peril of potentially having a disastrous season– especially if it’s Florida– and the temperature of the losing coach’s seat gets turned up a few degrees. With that said, what do the Florida Gators have to do to win it?
Harass Cam Ward
Applying consistent pressure on quarterback Cam Ward will be crucial, and the bulk of that task falls on the defensive line. More specifically, guys like Joey Slackman, Cam Jackson, Kelby Collins, and TJ Searcy. This is their moment.
Florida can make game one of the radio communications era a difficult one for Ward, who’s a dynamic athlete but brings the ultimate double edged sword to the most raucous battleground he’ll participate in all year. In a sense, while he’s a different kind of athlete from former Gator QB Feleipe Franks, he’s very comparable in terms of production. There’s no doubt that the Washington State transfer can make big plays, as evidenced by the 3,725 yards and 25 touchdowns he threw for a year ago. And sometimes, those “plays” are good for the other team, like the seven interceptions he threw in 2023– including one to Oregon-turned-Florida DB Trikweze Bridges.
Miami’s offensive line– featuring former Florida recruiting miss Samson Okunlola— isn’t bad, so this won’t be easy. But Florida feels good about the way it’s retooled its defense. Let’s see who wins this battle in the trenches.
Protect Graham Mertz
For as big a key as it is to win the defensive side of the trenches, it’s doubly important to win the line of scrimmage when the Florida Gators have the ball.
Reuben Bain is undoubtedly the guy to watch for here, because he’s the kind of athlete who can be disruptive whether he lines up at 0-tech or at the edge. He’s that naturally gifted. He’s not alone, though: West Virginia transfer Akheem Mesidor has been battling injuries this offseason, but is expected to be full go tomorrow and could be problematic in his own right if Florida chooses to double-team Bain.
The question is Florida’s offensive line. This unit has some strong pieces– Jake Slaughter at center and Austin Barber at left tackle are certainly a pair of above-average SEC big men– but the right side of the line is very, very worrisome. Moving Damieon George to his more natural position at guard could help a little, but there’s still a lot of uncertainty on that right side– and they don’t have time to learn on the job. Miami’s pass rush could drop Billy Napier’s club to 0-1 and flip the entire Florida Gators season on its head before it even truly begins if they don’t bring their A game for game one.
Dear Florida Gators special teams, please don’t blow this
The one and only advantage on-paper Miami has is indeed a troublesome one: the Canes’ defensive line could absolutely wreck Florida’s offensive game plan. But Florida has the Jimmy’s-And-Joe’s advantage everywhere else, including on the other side of the trenches– even with Mr. Pancake Honcho anchoring the Canes’ offensive line.
In other words, this is a game that– strictly based on pure overall talent– Florida should win. And the 247Sports talent composite rankings backs that up, rating Florida as the 12th most talented team, and Miami as the 14th most talented team in the country. The difference is slight, but clear.
But apocalyptic specials letdowns have directly cost the Florida Gators these types of games before, including last year against Arkansas in the Swamp and two years ago against Vanderbilt. Napier did import a second special teams coach in Joe Houston, and that’s all well and good, but I’ve seen too many things go wrong on special teams to believe the issues will get fixed before I see them get fixed. So pardon me if I’m skeptical here.
Prediction: Florida Gators survive
This game feels like the perfect recipe to see the best and the worst of Cam Ward. The Swamp’s noise levels could pressure him into making some of his patented bad decisions, but it’s also a given that he’s going to make big plays for the Canes’ offense. Ultimately, though, the Swamp will lead him to make the kind of mistake he can’t come back from, a late pick that dooms the Canes in a close battle. Florida seals it late on a Devin Moore pick.
