Florida Football’s offensive line was a huge liability three games into the season. The offensive line felt more like a revolving door than something with structure, so even though the Gators were not surrendering many sacks, they were always under pressure.
The line has been much more reliable over the last two games, which has helped the attack. However, the competition picks back up this week, and Florida’s performance against Tennessee will depend on how well their offensive line holds up.
Florida is presently tied for 16th place in the nation for the fewest sacks allowed, with only five allowed. Tennessee’s defensive total of just nine sacks ranks 89th in the nation.
Although this appears to be good news for Florida, sacks by themselves don’t provide the complete picture.
Tennessee is averaging much more quarterback hurries per game than Florida, despite the fact that Florida is 28th in the nation in total sacks. A play can be ruined without Florida being fired, as we witnessed against Miami and Texas A&M.
After initially appearing to have little idea of who they truly wanted to play, the Gators appear to have landed on their core group of Austin Barber, Knijeah Harris, Jake Slaughter, Damieon George, and Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson. As a cohesive team, Tennessee will undoubtedly be their most difficult test.
When Graham Mertz and DJ Lagway have time in the pocket, they can at least complete completions to keep the ball moving downfield, as we seen against Mississippi State and UCF.
Additionally, Florida’s offense has a route to success if this team performs well against Tennessee. It might be a long night for Florida in Knoxville if what we have witnessed in the last two games is a mirage that benefited from facing two of the poorest defensive lines in the nation.