Florida Survives Bowling Green Scare, Stagnant Week 1 Continues for SEC East

Florida outlasted a game Bowling Green side in the Swamp, 27-14, the talented Gator defense shutting down the Falcons after a third quarter tie. UF got the win, which is ultimately all that matters. Still, the glaring offensive problems have to give the Florida faithful pause as it extends the critical flaw that hampered the last two Gator seasons.

The problem was Steve Addazio. Then the problem was Charlie Weis. Was the issue today Brent Pease?

To say so would be absurdly prematurely. Running both Jacoby Brissett and Jeff Driskel out on the field simultaneously was odd, but it became apparent as the game progressed that the starting quarterback job is Driskel’s. He passed 16 times to Brissett’s five, but his ineffectiveness probably means the quarterback controversy will continue. Mike Gillislee’s production is a positive — he rushed for nearly 150 yards and scored two touchdowns — but the UF running game has to be otherworldly for the Gators to compete if the passing game doesn’t come together.

UF is hardly alone. The SEC East had a trying opening weekend, save Tennessee (Kentucky and Missouri have yet to play as of this writing). South Carolina played an outstanding defensive game against Vanderbilt and Vandy reciprocated, while Marcus Lattimore returned to pre-injury form. Otherwise, Thursday night’s opener was very ugly.

Georgia deluged Buffalo with , but the vaunted Bulldog defense surrendered big points and a shocking point total to Buffalo. The 23 points the Bulls scored surpassed their 2011 average of just over 22. Those can’t be dismissed as meaningless, garbage time points either: UB went into the locker room with 16 and were within a touchdown of Mark Richt’s team.

The kinks could be attributed to Week 1 jitters and adjustments. Connor Shaw wasn’t a world beater in 2011 for South Carolina, but was light years ahead of Thursday’s performance. The Georgia defense is much more talented than it demonstrated against UB and might have lacked motivation against the over-matched opponent. UF may be in a feeling out process — as mentioned, it was Pease’s first game coordinating the offense and the quarterback picture is still developing.

Still, the early tumult makes for an intriguing initial storyline.