Chompin' at the Bit - Vol. 2

Week 1 Preview - UMass vs. UF

By: Blair McLendon

Finally, the moment we have been waiting for the past 8 months is here... Football is back!!! This weekend our beloved Gators take on the University of Massachusetts Minutemen. This will be a 7:30p kickoff in The Swamp and will be the first match-up between the two programs. Florida comes into the season with a nation-high 26 game win streak in season openers. Look for that to be 27 after Saturday.

Offense 

Coach Mac has picked our starter to be QB Luke Del Rio as expected. I believe the offense will get into a groove early on in the game with Del Rio leading some solid drives down the field with a much improved passing game to go along with an explosive running game. It looks like my sleeper, Jordan Scarlett, will get the nod at starting RB. I am excited to see what kind of game he has; I've been hyping him up, so I hope he makes me look good.

Keep in mind that once we cross the 50 yard line we have the possibility of getting 3 with K Eddy Pineiro. Nice weapon to have, right? Word out of fall camp has been that our young offensive line has made major strides, so I am hoping that translates to the majority of our drives ending with TDs instead. WR Antonio Callaway is back in the fold fresh off of his suspension, so that will be a nice addition to a healthy WR Brandon Powell and explosive newcomer WR Dre Massey. Notable freshmen WRs Tyrie Cleveland and Rick Wells will be suspended for this game due to their offseason misconduct.

I am expecting to see a bunch of points this weekend and will be very disappointed if we see anything less.

Credit: floridagators.com

Defense 

The front seven should cause tons of chaos this game. I'm sure everyone involved in the rotation is licking their chops to get after the QB this weekend. We should see plenty of players rotate and get playing time throughout the game. You can expect LB Jarrad Davis to have a big game, as he will be all over the field making plays. It will be nice to see he and LB Alex Anzalone operating as a duo again, now that Anzalone is healthy again. I guarantee you that no offense we face is looking forward to seeing those two this year.

With the absence of All-American CB Jalen Tabor (suspended along with TE C'yontai Lewis for fighting), this will be an opportunity for our young corners to gain some game time experience, which will pay dividends down the road for us to help with depth. I am expecting the defense to cause at least 3 turnovers for the game.

Final Prediction: Florida 55, UMass 7 (1-0) 

Tidbits: 

- Our new Ambassador and Consultant for the UAA, the GOAT, Steve Spurrier will serve as the honorary Mr. Two Bits for the game this weekend. This will also be the introduction of the newly
dubbed "Steve Spurrier - Florida Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium".

- Recruiting for the 2017 class has really taken off heading into the fall with key verbal commitments from 4 star - RB Adarius Lemons (No. 1 RB in the state), 4 star - DT Fred Hansard, and 4 star - CB Marco Wilson (brother of UF Jr. CB Quincy Wilson) just to name a few. All three will be key recruits to a stellar class that Mac and staff are putting together. The class is currently ranked No. 12 on ESPN and 247Sports.


Enjoy the long weekend and Go Gators!