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The Jim McElwain era at Florida got off to a roaring start with last week’s 61-13 thumping of New Mexico.
But what grabbed everybody’s attention wasn’t that the Gators ran up the high point total and the staggering 606 yards of total offense before a delirious crowd at The Swamp on Saturday night.
It was how they did so.
McElwain played 63 different players in his first game along the Gators sidelines, including 12 redshirt freshmen and nine true freshmen. His coaching mantra of spreading the ball around was never more apparent as nine players ran the ball and 14 different Gators caught at least one pass.
And they managed all that while committing just one penalty, that only coming in the game’s waning minutes.
As first games go, that one was a thing of beauty.
McElwain isn’t so naïve as to think he’ll get a repeat performance this week when a tough East Carolina team visits Gainesville for a rematch of the Birmingham Bowl that Florida won, 28-20, in January of this year.
The game should give the new Gators coach a better gauge of the cards he’s been dealt.
Here’s a look at five players who could make a difference on Saturday night:
1. East Carolina QB Blake Kemp: The redshirt junior made the most of his first career start, completing 29 of 37 passes for 230 yards during last week’s 28-20 win over Towson. Kemp spread the ball around to nine different receivers, with 10 of his 29 completions going for 10 yards or more.
2. East Carolina RB Chris Hairston: Ran 18 times for a career-high 154 yards and four touchdowns last week, becoming the first Pirates player to score four touchdowns in a game in eight years.
3. Florida QBs Treon Harris/Will Grier: The Gators young quarterback tandem was outstanding in last week’s easy 61-13 win over New Mexico State, as the two went a combined 29 for 36 for 379 yards and four touchdowns without an interception. Both signal callers will again play this week after sparking the Gators to 606 yards of total offense. It’s possible that Grier could get the opening series this week after Harris was accorded that honor last week, but McElwain said the plan to play them will be similar to last week when each quarterback guided six series.
4. Florida TEs DeAndre Goolsby, C’yontai Lewis and Jake McGee: The trio combined for seven receptions for 100 yards and two touchdowns. Lewis accounted for both scores to become the school’s first tight end in almost three years to have two touchdowns in the same game. The Gators tight ends figure to have their numbers called early and often this week as well in a coach Jim McElwain offense that likes to spread the ball around. Consider that Florida’s tight ends combined for just 16 catches and two TDs for all of 2014.
5. Florida RB Kelvin Taylor: The junior was largely overshadowed last week in the wake of the strong play of both Harris and Grier, but Taylor played remarkably well. He totaled a team-high 54 yards and a touchdown on eight carries in limited action, impressing his coaches by consistently squaring his shoulder pads and attacking the holes rather than dancing around. The son of former Gators great Fred Taylor also showcased his soft hands and versatility with a career-long 43-yard reception. He figures to play prominently in McElwain’s offensive plans again this week.
John Hollis is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers Georgia and Florida.
