The Good, the Great and the Bad from Florida's Week 2 Victory

Photo: Florida QB Graham Mertz, RB Montrell Johnson Jr.; Credit: Alex Shepherd 

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- For the first time since Nov. 12 of last year against South Carolina, the most recent time the Gators played inside The Swamp prior to Saturday, Florida produced a tally in the win column with a 49-7 thrashing of McNeese State in Week 2.

The performance produced a sense of optimism as Billy Napier's squad reconciled its Week 1 woes in a fashion that translates no matter the opponent, namely from a procedural standpoint.

To recap the contest for what it was, All Gators looks at the good, the great and the bad from Florida's win, an adjusted version of our weekly "good, bad and ugly" series.

Good: Gators LB Scooby Williams

The early returns of Florida's defense under Austin Armstrong have been positive. A struggling unit over the past three seasons, the team produced in an efficient form in its two games to begin 2023, bringing down ball carriers on the first attempt, getting off the field on third down and stopping the run between the tackles at a high rate.

The numbers directly reflect the improvement.

While there are plenty of areas to point toward in an attempt to explain the newfound success — like the retooled interior defensive line, injection of energy provided by Armstrong, or more player-friendly scheme tendencies — the emergence of a second linebacker alongside sophomore Shemar James is essential.

Gators redshirt sophomore Scooby Williams has quickly ascended to assume a prominent role in the second level.

His rapid acclimation to the position, both physically and mentally, since he appeared as a starter against USF in relief of Ventrell Miller in 2022 has allowed Florida to be creative with his usage beyond the traditional off-ball position —where he shows elite speed in pursuit and strong diagnosis and run-fit skills.

He also took on responsibilities as both an edge rusher out of 3-4 sets and sideline-to-sideline QB spy against Nate Glantz, who showed against Tarleton State that he could succeed with his legs. Tapping into his athleticism and ability to rush the passer he displayed at the prep level, Williams proved more effective than his three tackles, one sack and one tackle for loss on the stat sheet can even suggest.

Williams served as an effective complement to James on Saturday. He showcased the multifaceted skillset needed to elevate the Gators' defense from his linebacker spot, giving two sideline-to-sideline caliber backers.

The Yellowhammer State tandem can be the catalyst to UF's season-long resurgence on the defensive side of the ball.

Great: Florida established offensive identity

Napier shared on Saturday night following his team’s dominant victory over McNeese State that establishing identity was a focal point after failing to do so in Week 1.

The unit did just that.

Rushing the ball 51 times for 327 yards, the Gators found immense success on the ground behind the three-headed monster of Montrell Johnson Jr., Trevor Etienne and Treyaun Webb.

After a more limited role in game one, the Gators got Johnson going on the first drive from scrimmage, handing him the ball five times for 44 yards on a nine-play, 62-yard drive. He capped it off with his first rushing touchdown of the season and 11th of his Florida career.

Johnson finished the day off as the Gators' leading rusher, going for 119 yards (7.9 per carry) and two scores on 15 attempts.

Etienne, on the other hand, was the least utilized scholarship Florida back of the game, although he performed on a similarly efficient scale to Johnson. He rushed for 84 yards, an average of 7.6 yards and one score on 11 attempts.

Meanwhile, Webb, a wild card in his first substantial appearance of his career, began to prove his legitimacy as a tertiary option for the Gators backfield to lean on moving forward. He posted 71 yards and two scores on 14 carries throughout the night, flashing his skill set as an effective between-the-tackles, power rusher.

The success on the ground led to a near-70% play-calling split in favor of the run, a dramatization of Florida’s offensive identity. 

However, it served the intended purpose. Establish and maintain production on the ground.

It’s how the unit desires to play football. They want to be physically imposing and control the clock at an effective rate while using quarterback Graham Mertz to accompany the approach by controlling the game and making rhythm throws when the air attack is needed.

In games where the Gators have success offensively this year, Florida will come close to a 60/40 run-pass split in favor of the run.

They had an opportunity to build credence for that approach in Week 2 and took full advantage to instill confidence in the players that make up Florida's trenches and those working next to Mertz as ball carriers. 

Replicating the success is paramount for their Week 3 matchup with the Tennessee Volunteers, who impose a high-octane offense, with Florida needing to play keep away in order to limit the volume of their production.

Bad: Botched Extra Point

There wasn't much wrong to take away.

Florida scored a touchdown on its first seven offensive drives, the defense held the Cowboys to merely 112 yards and six total first downs on the day and the Gators won in the fashion it needed to reset after a poor Week 1 loss to Utah.

However, if you're searching for a negative, you'll always find one. This week, it appeared on special teams. Shocker.

A high snap from long snapper Rocco Underwood over the head of holder, and punter, Jeremy Crawshaw on the first point-after-touchdown attempt of the evening continued the special teams woes present for the Gators throughout Napier's tenure in Gainesville.

On a single-game basis, it's a minimal mistake that Florida made up for. But, on a broader scale, it's exemplary of a long-standing issue for the GameChangers unit.

It was the fourth misstep for the unit through two games this season, joining the missed field goal, shanked punt and equipment penalty for having two players don No. 3 on punt return against Utah. The latest botch resulted in an unsuccessful extra-point attempt on their first try of the year.

If the special teams issues persist, which there is little indication through two weeks that they won't, it could hinder the Gators from realizing their full potential in 2023. 

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