Saturday Blitz
Fansided

Florida Football: 5 reasons why Gators will get over hump in 2017

By Jerran Anderson

FAYETTEVILLE, AR - NOVEMBER 5: Deatrich Wise Jr. #48 of the Arkansas Razorback tackles Luke Del Rio #14 of the Florida Gators at Razorback Stadium on November 5, 2016 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The Razorbacks defeated the Gators 31-10. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
FAYETTEVILLE, AR - NOVEMBER 5: Deatrich Wise Jr. #48 of the Arkansas Razorback tackles Luke Del Rio #14 of the Florida Gators at Razorback Stadium on November 5, 2016 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The Razorbacks defeated the Gators 31-10. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 6
Next
Florida Football
TAMPA, FL – JANUARY 2: Defensive back Chauncey Gardner #23 of the Florida Gators runs 58-yards for a touchdown after hauling in a pass by quarterback C.J. Beathard #16 of the Iowa Hawkeyes for the interception during the fourth quarter of the Outback Bowl NCAA college football game on January 2, 2017 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Brian Blanco/Getty Images) /

Florida Football has had its ups and downs in recent years. Here’s five reasons why the Gators will get over the hump in 2017.

Offense sells tickets, defense wins games. That’s one way to look at the Southeastern Conference, especially the Florida Gators. The team went 9-4 in Jim McElwain’s second season as head coach, despite having the 107th-ranked scoring offense (23.9 points per game) in the nation.

Florida went 6-2 in SEC play, winning the East division and making it all the way to the conference championship game. They fell to the Alabama Crimson Tide 54-16. Then-starting quarterback Austin Appleby threw three interceptions in the game, including a pick-six in the first half.

On the bright side, the Florida Gators defense was stellar in 2016. The scoring defense ranked sixth in the FBS, allowing just 16.8 points per game. The downside: only five starters from last year’s defensive unit are on the roster for 2017.

The Gators offense returns nine starters. With experience under their belt, they hope to turn a corner in 2017. The team will need to put some off-the-field issues behind them, including the recent arrest of wide receiver Antonio Callaway.

On a positive note, the Florida Gators recently earned the commitment of Notre Dame graduate transfer quarterback Malik Zaire. Zaire will be eligible to play immediately. With the starting quarterback likely going to Zaire, there’s optimism the Gators will get over the hump in 2017.

Home/Florida Gators