Gators Pass Rush Looking to Reach Expectations After Disappointing First Test

So, is there a problem with the players rushing the quarterback? Napier is leaning more towards the style of offenses he has come up against in the first two games. 

“I do think that how teams play you also contributes to that,” Napier said. “I think South Florida did a nice job of managing third down. They played with tempo on third down, they kept third down manageable throughout the game. And ultimately I think it's a two-game sample size, so don't panic on the edge room just yet."

Like Napier mentioned, USF’s up-tempo offense made it a little bit harder for the defensive front. Part of the offense that the Bulls ran was quick passes from the quarterback. They ran plays to get the ball out of Brown’s hands and to a receiver quickly to mitigate any chance of Florida’s defensive line creating pressure. This part of their game plan worked well.  

As underwhelming as the defensive line was, one major detail should be pointed out from the game. Star defensive tackle Caleb Banks missed his second straight week.

Banks is supposed to be a major piece of the Gators' defense and is being touted as a potential first-round pick in this year’s NFL Draft. Having him in the middle of the trenches should vastly improve this area. 

However, it can’t be that the Gators need him to win games. The players behind Banks need to step up if the program is going to rally like they did a year ago. 

Brendan Bett was having a good game, but eroded all his good work with a poor, immature penalty on the final drive of the game. There are also Jamari Lyons and Michai Boireau, who have been the starters for the first two games. Nonetheless, it can’t be a one-man band at defensive tackle. 

The edges also need to step up. Tyreak Sapp logged his first sack of the season, but it took till the fourth quarter of the game for that to occur. George Gumbs Jr. did not have his best game either. 

It will be a significantly harder matchup in Week 3 when the Gators take on the third-ranked LSU Tigers, but they will need to prove they can hang at this level if they want to achieve what they set out to do at the beginning of the year.