Florida misses Riley Cooper's blocking ability

GAINESVILLE — Replacing wide receiver Riley Cooper was going to be one of Florida's biggest tasks this season.

The Gators will certainly feel the loss of Cooper's 51 catches for 961 yards and nine touchdowns. But they might end up missing his blocking skills even more.

Florida's perimeter blocking in the season opener was terrible — it was coach Urban Meyer's biggest disappointment, behind the Gators' three turnovers — and was one of the reasons the Gators' offense struggled to just 212 yards against Miami (Ohio). Downfield blocking by receivers is just as important as the offensive line opening a hole in Meyer's offense, and big plays don't happen without it.

"If we block the edge, block the perimeter, some of these questions [about the offense] — we're moving on to something else right now," Meyer said. "The [second] play is an example — the little bubble screen we threw out there to I think it was Dempsie [Jeff Demps] — and we missed a block, and it went 2 yards.
"Those are the ones, if you block the edge with Jeff with the ball in his hands, you never know."

Cooper was the best at it that Meyer said he has ever seen. The 6-foot-3, 215-pounder would mercilessly pound on a defensive back, sometimes driving him 20 yards beyond the play or out of bounds.

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