Florida football: 5 takeaways from Orange and Blue game

3. Offensive line play was inconsistent

Similar to their performance during spring practices, the offensive line was inconsistent throughout the Orange and Blue game. Ultimately, the game only funneled into the narrative that the offensive line still has a long way to go.

Early in the game, the results were generally positive. The line gave Franks and Trask enough time to progress through their reads and deliver accurate passes which led to the explosion of scoring in the first half. However, during a sideline interview in the first half, Mullen shared that the defense had been handicapped in order to give the offense the advantage.

In the second half when the defense showed more exotic and complicated blitz packages, though, the line faltered. The offensive line gave up more than a half-dozen sacks and never moved the defensive line enough to open any significant running lanes.

Mullen mentioned during another interview that the offensive line was sporting three early enrollees who are the age of high school seniors. He shared that “lots of young guys have taken some good steps” this spring, but they obviously still needed time to gel and get their bodies prepared for the season.

The offensive line coach John Hevesy worked a miracle last year and will need to pull another rabbit out of his hat to get things right for the upcoming season. The line’s development in the summer and fall will be key to the success of the 2019 Gators.