After being upset by the University of South Florida last weekend, the University of Florida will try to rebound Saturday on the road against No. 3 LSU.
Despite the loss, Florida’s season is far from over. With a schedule filled with ranked opponents, Florida still controls its own destiny but has no margin left for error.
The upcoming slate of games for the Gators is daunting. They face No. 3 LSU, No.5 Miami, No. 7 Texas, and No. 16 Texas A&M before a brief break against unranked Mississippi State. After that comes No. 6 Georgia, No. 17 Ole Miss, No. 15 Tennessee, and No. 10 Florida State.
Florida has the talent to compete with every team on its schedule, but last week’s loss eliminated any wiggle room for poor performances. The Gators committed 11 penalties for 103 yards against USF, extending Bulls drives and stalling their own. Two of those penalties, a holding and an offensive pass interference, took away touchdowns and forced Florida to settle for field goals.
Quarterback DJ Lagway also was uncharacteristic in his struggles, showing signs of rustiness from an injury-riddled offseason. He missed tight end Hayden Hansen for a potential on Florida’s opening drive and again in the third quarter.
The Gators expect help this week with defensive tackle Caleb Banks and wide receiver Dallas Wilson hopeful to return. Banks had 4.5 sacks last season and should bolster a run defense that struggled against USF. Wilson is a legitimate deep-ball threat whose athleticism can stretch defenses and open up the passing game for Lagway and company.
For Florida, the key will be continuing to ride running back Jaden Baugh’s production while getting Lagway to return to form. With several full week’s of practice, Lagway should be better prepared to find some consistency in this crucial stretch of games.
With a loss on their record already, Florida’s margin for error is now zero. The Gators still have every chance to prove themselves as they have one of the nation’s toughest schedules, but doing so will require sharp; clean play as they go to one of the toughest environments in college football. Their response this week will determine their stature in college football playoff talks.
