The Florida Gators take on the No. 7 Texas Longhorns on Saturday at Noon EST. The Gators will be eager to return to the field after a pair of less-than-stellar performances the last two weeks.
Head coach Jon Sumrall admitted earlier this week that he was taking a more hands-on approach to making sure his players understood what it meant to play Florida Gators football.
They'll also be giving second-year quarterback Tramell Jones Jr. his first start after seeing mop-up duty the last two weeks.
Gators legend Chris Doering appeared on the Paul Finebaum show to preview the Gators at Longhorns, and he was having flashbacks from the last time Florida traveled to Austin.
"For whatever reason, I cannot get the idea or the memory of watching Scott Strickland on the sideline two years ago, last time that Florida went to Austin, and I think they were down 42-0 in the first half and 11:00 a.m. (Central) start," Doering said on the show.
Doering was off by a touchdown. It was 35-0 en route to a 49-17 Texas win. However, the kickoff time isn't the only similarity Doering points out. Florida started a backup quarterback two years ago as well.
"They were without their starting quarterback. Maybe his mobility can help going up against probably the best front seven that they will face the entire season," Doering said of Jones.
Sumrall was unhappy with how the Gators played on the lines of scrimmage in their two losses, and Doering is afraid that won't be fixed quickly enough to beat a powerful Longhorns team.
"The blueprint's out on beating Florida. It's being able to out-physical them on the line of scrimmage, being able to stop the run. Everything starts with the run game for Florida. Then the secondary is incredibly porous. Something that we were afraid of in the offseason is now coming to light.
"Teams are being able to take advantage of it the last couple of weeks, including last week with LaNorris Sellers converted, I think, about five or six 3rd and 10 pluses."
Sellers was an incredibly efficient 23 of 35 passing for 279 yards and four touchdowns in the Gamecocks' 38-19 win. They were 10 for 16 overall on third down.
Texas managed 382 yards against Oklahoma last week, but they only scored 24 points in the 27-24 loss to the Sooners. Tennessee held them to 262 yards and 20 points in the previous game.
Doering thinks this could be the week the Longhorn offense breaks out.
"So, I feel like Texas, if you ever wanted a slump buster, this is it for Texas's offense. I think it's going to get nasty, unfortunately, there in Austin. I think Texas wins by multiple touchdowns," Doering finished.
The Longhorns present a big challenge to the Gators, but that also means it's a big opportunity to get back into the College Football Playoff conversation with an upset.
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