SEC Power Rankings: Egg Bowl, Iron Bowl to decide SEC West champ
Nov 21, 2015; Gainesville, FL, USA; Florida Gators wide receiver Antonio Callaway (81) catches the ball over Florida Atlantic Owls defensive back Raekwon Williams (23) as he scores a touchdown during the second half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
The Florida Gators moved to 10-1 Saturday with a victory over Florida Atlantic but the Gators needed overtime to escape with the 20-14 win which, was rather embarrassing. Still, because they are just one of two teams in the conference with 10, and because no one else in the league has won consistently enough in recent weeks to surpass them, the SEC East champs remain No. 2 in our SEC Power Rankings.
Florida has now beaten three straight losing teams – Vanderbilt, South Carolina and FAU, by a total of 18 points. However, that doesn’t mean the Gators are playing badly – at least on both sides of the football.
The Gators have allowed just 35 points over that span – a mere 11.7 points over the last three contests. Add in the 27-3 victory over Georgia four weeks ago, and that average drops to 9.5 points per contest during the team’s recent four-game winning streak. Florida was outgained 299-253 in total yardage, and the Gators won the turnover battle 3-2 thanks to two fumble recoveries and Jalen Tabor’s fourth interception of the season.
Florida recorded five sacks, but the Gators allowed just as many, which is indicative of the team’s offensive struggles. Quarterback Treon Harris completed eight of 17 pass attempts for 122 yards, two touchdowns and an interception and was under a great deal of pressure because of a shaky offensive line that failed to protect him consistently.
The Florida offensive line did help running back Kelvin Taylor gain 105 rushing yards and a touchdown on 26 carries, but the unit will need to play remarkably better against Florida State next week and (probably) Alabama in the SEC Championship Game for the Gators to stay in the national championship picture.
Next Game: Saturday November 28 vs. Florida State
Next: Alabama