Please Read: Welcome to the new-look Inside the Gators
- Parental Perspective: Florida Football Parental RoundTable
- Parental Perspective: Four-star’s father talks about the process and the UF staff
- September Superlatives
- OTM: Five-Game Stretch Should Determine Napier’s Future
Here are five Florida Gators who are in the spotlight, and on the spot, to perform this week against Mississippi State.
Jadan Baugh
Florida struggled to get the ground game going last week against Texas A&M with only 74 total rushing yards. I don’t think that will be the case this week against the Bulldogs. Coming into this game, Mississippi State has the second-worst run defense in the SEC based on yards per game. If Florida wants to find success against a solid Bulldogs squad, Baugh is going to be the focal point. The Texas game was won on the back of pushing the ball down the Longhorns’ throat with Baugh, and it will need to happen again this week.
Vernell Brown III
Now, on the other hand, Mississippi State does have a very good pass defense according to yards per game, and is a top 30 passing defense in the country. I assume a lot of attention from the Bulldogs’ defense will be focused on stopping Dallas Wilson. After going off in his first game with Florida, Texas has had him circled in their game plan. This is why I think Brown III is going to have a big day for the Gators. The flashiness of the first week from Wilson seems to have made people forget that VB3 has been doing this stuff consistently all season. The true freshman leads the team in yards and catches. Expect him to have a big one on Saturday.
Brenden Bett
Maybe one of the biggest surprises of the season so far has been the emergence of Brenden Bett on the defensive line. The redshirt sophomore is a transfer from Baylor who has made his presence felt ever since he arrived on campus. Bett is second on the team in tackles, only behind Myles Graham, and has also added a TFL. The lineman will be one of the main people tasked with trying to stop Fluff Bothwell, the Bulldog running back is averaging 5.5 yards per carry.
Bryce Thronton
Even though Florida fans have been talking about how good they have been all year, the secondary has been struggling recently. Even if you go look at Texas, which is a game that Florida won by one possession, it wasn’t so much stellar play from the secondary as it was Arch Manning overthrowing so many open guys. Go and look at Florida last week vs the Aggies or even week two vs USF, and you will notice a large number of QB overthrows that have bailed the Gators out. Thornton needs to be on his A game against the Bulldogs because Blake Shapen likes to throw the deep ball.
Billy Napier
Who else would wrap up the Five on the Spot other than Billy Napier? The head coach that the Gator Nation put so much faith into this season is 1-4 in his last games, with a 2-4 record through the first half of the season. I have never seen the University of Florida have this much patience for a coach with such little success. Official prediction, even though I have mentioned it a few times, if Florida loses as -8.5 favorites, it will be the final nail in the coffin for Billy Napier.
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