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Taking a position-by-position look at Florida vs. Michigan, here’s what to watch for in the Jan. 1 Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl between the Gators and the Wolverines.
QUARTERBACK — Michigan: Fifth-year senior Jake Rudock saved his best football for the final month, completing better than 67 percent of his passes in November for 11 touchdowns and just two interceptions. He did so while averaging 324 passing yards per game over that span.
For the season, Rudock completed a conference-best 64 percent of his attempts (229 of 358) for 2,739 yards and 17 touchdowns with nine interceptions to earn honorable mention All-Big Ten honors.
Florida’s Treon Harris struggled mightily since replacing the suspended Will Grier and probably remains the Gators starter only because first-year coach Jim McElwain has no other option. Harris has shown all the accuracy of a Scud Missile as of late, completing just 49 percent of his passes for four touchdowns and five interceptions over the past five games. To be fair, he’s been let down by a suspect offensive line that has surrendered 21 sacks over the same span, but Harris’ inability to consistently find targets downfield has prevented Florida from sustaining drives.
WIDE RECEIVERS, TIGHT END — Michigan: Freshman standout Antonio Callaway gives Florida a deep threat, and Jake McGee is a dependable red-zone target, but the Wolverines simply have more big-time playmakers downfield than the Gators with the likes of talented receivers Jehu Chesson and Amara Darboh and tight end Jake Butt.
Chesson earned team MVP honors after accounting for 11 touchdowns (eight receiving, 2 rushing, 1 return) and setting new career-highs in receptions (45), receiving yards (646) and receiving touchdowns, all of which came during Big Ten play. Darboh was an honorable mention All-Big Ten choice after registering a team-best 56 receptions for 703 yards and five touchdowns this fall. Butt was a first-team all-conference pick and a semifinalist for the Mackey Award that goes to the nation’s top tight end after hauling in 48 passes for 620 yards and three touchdowns.
OFFENSIVE LINE — Michigan: The Wolverines boast a big and experienced offensive line that lists four starters with at least 20 consecutive starts and the fifth with 12. Coach Jim Harbaugh’s hasn’t been great at running the football, but they have allowed just 18 sacks all season. Florida’s offensive line yielded 21 sacks in the past five games alone, and an SEC-worst 43 this season.
DEFENSIVE LINE – Florida: Senior defensive end Jonathan Bullard anchors a Gators defense that ranks second in the SEC with 40 sacks and 17th nationally in rush defense at just better than 120 yards per game. Florida is deep and talented up front with guys who can run and has held five opponents under 75 yards rushing this season.
Michigan had 30.0 sacks this season but allowed just 2 more yards rushing per game than the Gators.
LINEBACKERS – Florida: Senior middle linebacker Antonio Morrison was a second-team All-SEC pick after registering team-highs in tackles (97) and tackles for loss (12) and adding 2.5 sacks. But the argument could be made that Jarrad Davis was the Gators’ best playmaker from his weakside spot by the season’s end. The junior finished with team-highs in both sacks (3) and quarterback hurries (12), while adding 94 tackles, including 11 for losses, and four pass breakups.
Senior Joe Bolden led the Wolverines with 76 tackles.
SECONDARY – Florida: Lockdown junior cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III will be playing his final game for the Gators before entering the 2016 NFL Draft, where he is expected to be a high first-round pick. He and fellow corner Jalen Tabor make up what might be the country’s best cornerback tandem and are two big reasons the Gators rank 10th nationally in pass defense.
Michigan’s DBs are less heralded, but the Wolverines led the Big Ten is passing defense, allowing just 159 yards per game. They faced just 356 attempts, however, the second-fewest in the league.
John Hollis is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers Georgia and Florida.
