GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Gators made a good first impression on their new coach Saturday night.
While the results didn’t always turn out the way Will Muschamp hoped in Florida’s 41-3 victory over Florida Atlantic in the season opener, after reviewing game film, Muschamp had no complaints about the Gators’ preparation and effort.
If they show up ready to play like that all season, you get the impression Muschamp will be in a good mood more often than not as he watches film on Sundays.
“It was a solid performance. I was pleased with our mental focus coming into the game and how the kids approached the game,’’ Muschamp said Monday. “I understand that we’ll play better people throughout the year.
“We’re talking about one football game right now – we have a long season ahead of us. You’ve shown you can; now it’s a week-in, week-out, day-in and day-out deal. You just can’t show up some days because you’re excited and others because you aren’t.”
There wasn’t a lot not to like for the Gators on Saturday. They dominated the undermanned Owls on both sides of scrimmage, racking up 468 yards of total offense while holding FAU to 130. The Owls managed only 30 yards rushing on 30 attempts.
Meanwhile, Florida scored on its first four possessions to take a 24-0 lead midway through the second quarter. With a comfortable lead, Muschamp inserted true freshman quarterback Jeff Driskel into the game to get him some live reps, and Driskel threw an interception on his first career pass.
Starting quarterback John Brantley re-entered and was intercepted twice before the Gators’ offense got rolling again in the fourth quarter, scoring on a pair of late drives – one an 8-play, 78-yard drive directed by Brantley, and another an 11-play, 52-yard drive led by Driskel that resulted in a Caleb Sturgis field goal to cap the scoring.
Muschamp liked the way the offense moved up and down the field consistently other than for the middle portion of the game. As for the defense, the former SEC defensive coordinator saw a few things to clean up before Saturday’s game against UAB.
“Offensively, protection-wise and on the run-game we have a hat on our head with where we’re supposed to be,’’ Muschamp said. “Defensively, I thought we were very disruptive which is what we were supposed to do. We had a couple of miscommunications on the back-end defensively, which was to be expected with the youth we have. We have to finish some things downfield when it comes to the receiver positions.’’
One of Muschamp’s top concerns after the first game was the failure to force a turnover against the Owls. The Gators committed three. However, one of Florida’s touchdowns was scored on a blocked punt by Solomon Patton, and that seemed to help turn the Gators back on in the third quarter.
Muschamp said creating turnovers is “something that we’re trying to emphasize” in practice and meetings this week.
Perhaps as important as anything else Saturday, the Gators looked like a team on the same page and with a common purpose.
That has been a message Muschamp and his staff has tried to deliver to the players from the start. Gators offensive coordinator Charlie Weis discussed that element leading up to Saturday’s game.
“Where some people are worrying about the finer points of the offense, I was more concerned with the foundation of the offense,’’ Weis said. “What you have to do in spring ball and training camp is you have to have an established foundation that now allows you to have a whole arsenal of things you can do on game day.
“They have a very, very good work ethic here. These players work hard, and it’s important to them.’’
Defensive coordinator Dan Quinn also spoke about how the players really responded to the new coaching staff during preseason.
“It was a really good camp. There was toughness, there was finishing,’’ Quinn said of his unit. “I am encouraged about the way the guys are approaching the game and practice. It’s been physical and fast. That’s our style. That’s how we want to play.’’
The fans finally got a glimpse of what they were talking about on Saturday. While UAB on Saturday and the SEC schedule will present new challenges for the Gators, the first one was knocked out without much of a fight.
With his first career victory out of the way for Muschamp, it seems clear now that the transition phase is over and he is ready to move full-speed ahead. He sounds confident the Gators are ready to go there with him.
“They have bought in,’’ Muschamp said Monday. “A lot of that credit goes to Mickey Marotti in the weight room. He’s done so much for us. Mickey is with them 12 months out of the year.
“Certainly, his work ethic and his approach have instilled that [acceptance]. They know how to work, compete, and go on the practice field every day and have a business-like approach.”
