Pat Dooley of the Gainesville Sun tells it like it is, unfiltered through an orange and blue prism. Here's what he told us this week about the team he knows better than anybody outside the coaching staff.
Pat, will we see the three-headed QB against FSU?
PD: "They'd better use it again. They didn't use it much against South Carolina and it killed them. Their biggest problem is that Brantley can't run some of the things they need to run, Trey Burton doesn't throw the ball well, and Jordan Reed doesn't command the huddle very well, so they need to play all three. They'll rotate them in depending on what play they have called."
So when we see Burton at QB we can be certain he'll be running?
PD: "He's got a bit of a funky shot put motion, so I don't think they're as comfortable with him throwing the ball. And I think that's where some of the frustration has been with this team. When Trey is in, the defense knows they're going to run it. He's passed very little. He passed against Alabama and that was a disaster. He threw it against Kentucky late in the game. And I think he threw one pass against Georgia.
"It's the opposite with Brantley. He's no threat to run. They've had a hard time blocking defensive lines when they roll him out because opponents know he's not going to run."
Besides Burton, the Gators haven't had much of a running game this year.
PD: "They don't have any tailbacks and they thought they had a ton before the season. But they all got hurt and that was part of the problem. Jeff Demps being out has really hurt them. And once they got Rainey back, at least they have one guy. But they've got to be able to run it. They've had a tendency when it's not working early to go away from it. And they haven't really been creative with the running game. It's kind of hard to explain what they're doing with their offense. The criticism of Gator fans is that they don't know what the plan is. Like they'll run a couple of reverses for big yardage, or a draw play that works, and then they don't go back to it."
How healthy will Jeff Demps be for the game?
PD: "No idea. You just can't believe what they tell you. But what I've heard is it's (his lingering foot injury) not going to get any better until next year."
After six wins in a row, is this still a big rivalry game to Gator players?
PD: "Yeah, it's still relevant. Many of these guys have played against each other. Guys like Pouncey and Ahmad Black almost went to Florida State. And nobody wants to be on the team that breaks the winning streak they have going against FSU, especially the seniors. But is this the most important FSU-Florida game? Certainly not. Though I think it's more important for FSU than it is for Florida. For the Gators, FSU is a threat to what right now? Florida going to the Gator or Chick-fil-a Bowl? That doesn't exactly amp up the rivalry."
Comments? Questions? Kudos?