Brent Pease is feeling the heat but doing his best to ignore it.
Since coming to Florida as the offensive coordinator last year, he has presided over a struggling offense that shows little promise of redirecting itself. The Gators rank 106th in scoring and 112th in total offense in the nation, and Pease knows that might make it tough to keep his job.
“It’s human nature to think about that,” he said. “But, you know, I’ve still got an obligation to this team and the head coach and the players and the administration that I work for.”
UF ranked 78th in scoring and 104th in yardage last year.
Despite the noise surrounding him amidst a disastrous season, Pease is concentrating solely on Saturday’s game at No. 10 South Carolina (7 p.m., ESPN2).
“It’s the same thing we tell the kids: You’ve got to be mentally tough,” said Pease, who was Boise State’s offensive coordinator before joining the Gators’ staff. “You’ve got to shut it out sometimes. And I understand what people are saying and frustrated with. You’ve got to work through it.
“In my situation, I don’t think you can lose confidence in who you are and what you believe and how you’ve got to do your job.”
Pease has managed most of this season without his starting quarterback and running back, and the offensive line has been battered by injuries.
The biggest lost was Jeff Driskel, a dual-threat quarterback who was the focal point of the offense. He broke his leg in the third game of the season and was replaced by seldom-used backup Tyler Murphy.
The Gators might be forced to play their third-string quarterback, Skyler Mornhinweg, this week as Murphy rehabs a sprained shoulder.
Florida also is missing offensive tackles Chaz Green (torn labrum), Tyler Moore (broken elbow) and D.J. Humphries (sprained knee) this week. Green and Moore are out for the year, and Humphries is hoping to return for one of the two final games.
Those aren’t ideal conditions for a man who might be coaching for his job.
“Yeah, it’s tough, but what are you going to do?” Pease said. “You’ve got to play the cards you’re dealt.”
Harrison alleges racist words: In his first public comments since being ejected in the Oct. 5 game against Arkansas, Gators center Jonotthan Harrison said his frustration boiled over in part because a Razorbacks player called him a racial slur.
Harrison, who is black, said he became angry and approached a referee about the issue. He was ejected for making contact with the official during the discussion, though Harrison said it was unintentional.
“I got called every version of the N-word known to man,” he said Tuesday. “I went up to the ref and I’m like, ‘Ref, please, you have to control this player. He’s been calling me every racial slur.’ And I talk with my hands, and I touched the ref in his chest.
“There was no malicious intent. I was honestly just trying to tell the ref to get this player because I was getting attacked. I felt like I was getting harassed, and it was beyond football. Calling me the N-word and everything is not football anymore. It is just going out of your way.”
Harrison, a senior, had never previously been ejected from a game. He has a reputation as one of the most intelligent and levelheaded players on the team.
About the Author
