Grading the Florida Gators vs. Miss. State game

Each week following a Florida Gators game, ONLY GATORS Get Out Alive grades the team position-by-position based on each unit’s performance. With basketball beginning practice last week and so much to discuss following the game, we unfortunately had to skip over our grades for the LSU Tigers game. However, this week, we are back with grades as we take a look at how the Gators fared against the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the seventh game of the 2010-11 season, which took place on homecoming at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL.

OFFENSE: D
Florida scored seven points on Saturday. Seven. Against Mississippi State. At home. On homecoming. After losing back-to-back games. Yet with all of those statements taken into account, how is the unit not graded out as “Failing?” Let us explain.

The Gators possessed the ball on 10 occasions against the Bulldogs, giving it away organically four times on punts and once on a failed fourth-down conversion. On four of the other five possessions, a combination of turnovers, poor execution and inefficiency doomed the team. Redshirt junior quarterback John Brantley was picked off on the Mississippi State 34 during a six-play, 38-yard drive; senior punter Chas Henry missed a 38-yard field goal to end a 15-play, 59-yard drive; junior running back Jeff Demps fumbled while trying to make a play on the MSU 17 to conclude a seven-play, 60-yard drive; and Henry missed a game-tying 42-yard field goal after UF drove the ball 71 yards from their own four on 14 plays.

Florida actually only touched the ball four times in the second half because its defense failed to get Mississippi State off the field. The Bulldogs posted rush-only drives of nine plays, eight plays and nine plays that took 5:20, 4:04 and 5:50 off the clock in that half alone. The Gators offense, which was anemic to start the game, put together three strong drives on four possessions that half but only came away with points once.

The offensive line played terribly in the first half, showing a consistent inability to pick up the blitz. Brantley was sacked three times before halftime but did receive significantly improved protection in the second half that allowed him to captain two of those three long drives (the other was all freshman QB Trey Burton). Florida’s offense also suffered with a significant lack of proven talent throughout the evening as Demps and sophomore RB Mike Gillislee were severely limited and playmaker redshirt freshman WR Andre Debose was injured early on a kickoff return.

The Gators ended up having to rely on the stone hands of redshirt junior WR Deonte Thompson (four drops), Burton, redshirt sophomore WR Frankie Hammond, Jr. and sophomore WR Omarius Hines to make whatever plays they could. With such a severe lack of starters available due to injuries, limited second half opportunities and miscues from the kicking game on otherwise solid drives, it is tough to grade this unit below a “D.”

DEFENSE: D+
For the third straight week the defense got off to a rough start giving up a seven-play, 54-yard field goal drive and 11-play, 64-yard touchdown drive before the first quarter concluded. Spotting Mississippi State 10 points, the unit was stout the rest of the way from a scoring perspective, though the Bulldogs did miss a 39-yard field goal at the start of the fourth quarter.

The problem when it comes to the defense’s performance was its sheer inability to get MSU off of the field when it mattered. Mississippi State ran the ball on 27 of 28 second half plays and gained positive yardage all but once. With Florida’s offense down three to start the fourth quarter, the defense allowed its opponent to complete an eight-play, 28-yard drive and nine-play, 31-yard drive that took a total of 10 minutes off the clock. Subsequently, the Gators received the ball on their own four with two minutes to drive it down the field and attempt a tying field goal or game-winning touchdown. Unacceptable.

MSU’s insistence on running the ball negated the effectiveness of UF’s strongest defensive unit – the secondary – while it simultaneously attacked its weakest – the defensive line. Smart game planning on the part of Bulldogs head coach Dan Mullen.

SPECIAL TEAMS: D+
A future NFL punter, Henry seemed to be able to do anything as far as the kicking game was concerned after nailing two field goals against Alabama. Ever since that sterling performance he has missed all four of his attempts (one negated by penalty) including two against Mississippi State. Henry’s punting (four attempts for 188 yards with a long of 67 and average of 47) continues to be stellar, but as a field goal kicker he just doesn’t make the grade. Coverage-wise Florida got back to its bread and butter by not allowing a single punt return yard. And while the field goal kicking job is junior starter Caleb Sturgis’ and Henry is doing the best he can, performance has to be taken into account.