As the Gators piled up massive rushing totals throughout the first half of the season, it became clear they would eventually need to add a vertical passing game to keep defenses off balanced.
South Carolina and Georgia emphasized that point the past two weeks, holding Florida to 89 and 81 rushing yards after the team had averaged 233.3 over the previous six games.
“They’re loading the box,” coach Will Muschamp said. “We’ve gotta win down the field.”
That will not be easy. The Gators have a first-year starter at quarterback, an offensive line that was overmatched against the top competition in the SEC and a deficiency at the receiver position.
No. 8 Florida might not need to attack downfield against a struggling Missouri team on Saturday (12 p.m., ESPN2), but must use the next few weeks to develop it. The Gators (7-1, 6-1 in the SEC) end the month at No. 9 Florida State and still hope to play in the SEC Championship Game and a significant bowl.
The Tigers (4-4, 1-4) lost their first four conference games and have given up 161.8 rushing yards per game in the SEC. If the Gators can hurt them on the ground, there would be little reason to air it out.
While Florida has gotten production in the passing game from tight ends and backs, its wide receivers have been quiet. Quinton Dunbar was the only one who caught a pass in the 17-9 loss to Georgia. He had three catches for 40 yards.
Dunbar leads the receivers with 18 catches this year, followed by Frankie Hammond with 13. No other UF receiver has more than two.
Andre Debose has been a deep target the past two seasons but did not catch a pass this year until the fifth game. That reception, a 5-yarder, is his only one this season.
This is a position where it appears former coach Urban Meyer left the Gators shorthanded. Offensive coordinator Brent Pease acknowledged he does not see a big-time receiver threat on his current roster, “but I feel confident in some of the kids that we have.”
There was talk in spring that true freshman Latroy Pittman had the potential to be a game-changer. That has yet to materialize. He had two catches for 6 yards against Bowling Green in the season opener and nothing since, partly due to inconsistency and partly because he suffered an ankle injury earlier this month.
“He’s still developing every week,” Pease said. “He was dinged up a little bit, so that’s why you didn’t see him as much. He didn’t take many reps in practice.”
Tight end Jordan Reed leads UF in catches (30) and yards (355), and his yardage accounts for 30.9 percent of the total passing offense. The wide receivers, led by Hammond’s 220 yds, have contributed 40.6 percent.
When Pease calls plays intended to get the ball deep, Florida has shorter routes built in to provide safety valves. Against Georgia and South Carolina the past two weeks, quarterback Jeff Driskel often was forced to make a quick choice the moment he dropped back.
“Last game wasn’t our best performance,” center Jonotthan Harrison said. “You guys won’t see that anymore out of the offensive line.”
The line has been problematic at times. Florida has allowed 26 sacks, tied for eighth most in the FBS, though Muschamp and Pease have maintained that not all of those sacks are the line’s fault.
Georgia had five sacks and three quarterback hurries. Driskel felt he did not have enough time to look downfield, and Pease admitted the linemen needed to do better in one-on-one matchups in pass protection.
“When there’s pressure it’s hard, and we’ve played some great defensive lines,” Driskel said. “A lot of times with longer developing routes, you can’t really step up in the pocket. We’ve tried to get the ball out faster because of the pressure they’ve been bringing me.
“We haven’t hit too many deep plays, but we’re going to have to. We’ve been working on it.”
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