Predict the Score: Florida at (14) Utah, Thursday August 31 at 8pm Eastern on ESPN

AR had to run like a madman to lead tgat last drive because that’s the best he could do. Passing down the field wasn’t going to happen.

 

Passing counts too and when you don’t have every option on the table, it’s easier to defend, especially for top defenses. Georgia will crush a one demendional offense . They would take away AR running and then what do you have? I love a great running qb and don’t forget that Tebow lead the nation in passing due to his running ability.

 

Really think the offense is going to struggle against an improved Utah front 7. Will force UF to pass the ball - and I think they will struggle to do that consistently throughout the game.

I think Cam Rising won't play, and Utah will struggle to pass as well. The key to the game then will be how improved is UF's run defense. If the run defense is a lot better, than I think UF can win a close game.

I'll go with optimism in game 1.

Florida 23-20

 

So I "forgot" even though I said he was "effective overall"? Interesting take.

 

I've never been a sunshine pumper so I'll try to be logical. Early in the season offenses tend to be ahead of defenses so I don't expect a low score. Florida is thin and/or young or injured at several spots on defense so we will have a hard time holding down Utah's offense. We should be able to run the ball with our speed and depth and the Mertz/Pearsall combo should be effective.
I expect a high scoring game which will be decided by mistakes and turnovers. Utah has the home field advantage and Florida has a talent/size advantage.
Head: Utah by 10 Heart: Gators by 3

 

34-24 Gators.

 

No Rising will change everything.

Florida: 17
Utah: 14

If Rising does play I think Utes win at home

 

All makes sense to me except for Utahs improved front seven. They were good last year and I expect it to be more of the same.

 

Sorry about that, I meant no harm. Effective just sounded like "game manager game" I think he was the reason we won. JMHO.

 

38-28 Gators. Utah's D is overrated, 90th last year in yards per play given up.

 

We did as well against their defense last year as we did against most, nothing special. We played inspired on both sides of the ball last year just as we did against Bama the year before. When you can play that hard and compete with good teams and then lose to bad teams, it’s just lack of effort.

 

23-17 Gators.

Run it down Utah's throat.

 

their front 7 was a weakness for them early last year due to youth. It got better over time. Expect it to be even better this year.

 

It can be lack of effort sure, or over confidence. But, sometimes the bad team just has a good day and you don't or the ball just bounces towards them every time. It can even be terrible refs, the swindle comes to mind, UF was clearly the better team that day.

 

Yep, and I just heard the talking clowns on CBS, Inside College Football, say that even without Cam Rising that Utah has the defense to beat the Gators... They just pulled that lie right out of the back-end and ran with it.

 

I’m going against what I posted in another thread, BUT …I see UF pulling this off.

UF 37 - Utah 17

 

Gators 24
Utes 17
Everyone agrees that Mertz can’t run like AR…even their coaches are probably not worried at all about QB run yards. Mertz will pick up several key first downs by scrambling!

 

The fact is, we just don't know what we have yet - and won't for at least another six weeks or so. It appears to me though that we have done a pretty good job at acquiring some actual SEC level talent, especially at WR. IMO, substantial improvement at the skill positions is a reasonable "expectation" at this point. Even TE is reported to be noticeably faster, and he wasn't exactly slow last year. I know it's the first game, with all that entails. But with the dynamic young offensive talent we've brought in, I would be somewhat disappointed with only 18 points - no matter what. I understand that some UF fans are still having flashbacks of Vandy and that abomination of a bowl game. But that team was sorely lacking in virtually every area. That unhappy fact doesn't automatically dictate that this one will be bad too. Scoring that few points against a team that lost to one of the worst UF teams in recent history would not auger well for the season or the pace/progression of the rebuild.

 

People who know more about that subject than I do disagree...starting with BN. I trust the staff to take appropriate measures to manage the issue. Gators win 28-13.