Buster Faulkner's offense is anything but predictable
It was an odd time to call a trick play Saturday night. Second quarter, third-and-8 at the Florida 39, the Gators needing to keep the chains moving to not only to keep Auburn’s offense on the sidelines but to quiet the Jordan-Hare crowd that had significantly raised the decibel level following the Tigers’ touchdown that trimmed the UF lead to 14-10.
Conventional wisdom says wide receivers run intermediate routes that open things up underneath for a slot or tight end, something effective but safe. Instead, Florida offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner went completely against the grain with a double pass – Aaron Philo with a horizontal pass behind the line of scrimmage to Kahliel Jackson, Kahliel loading up and throwing deep to tight end Amir Jackson, wide open and running behind everybody. Amir had to lay out to bring the ball in at the Auburn 13. Had Kahliel put a little more air under the throw, Amir would have run under it, made the catch and walked into the end zone.
This pass would have gone down as one of those “wasted plays” as Faulkner describes what happens when you resort to trickery, but the Gators wound up with points – a 25-yard field goal from Patrick Durkin – that extended the Florida lead to 17-10. Over on the Auburn sideline, there was rejoicing because the defense had regained its composure to keep the Gators out of the end zone after giving up a 48-yard pass on a trick play.
The Auburn crowd, stunned by the trick play, let out a collective sigh of relief that the Gators had been forced to settle for a field goal rather than grind it in for a touchdown. From a purely psychological standpoint, this was a victory because while the difference between a 17-10 deficit and a 21-10 deficit may only be four points it kept Auburn within a single possession of tying the game.
The play helped put points on the scoreboard, but it also sent a message to every defensive coordinator the Gators will face this season that Buster Faulkner not only has plenty of bullets in his clip, but he’s willing to fire away when you least expect it. So, call the double pass exactly what it was – a purpose play. From here on out, every time Kahliel Jackson is in the game opposing safeties have to be on their heels, knowing Jackson can throw to a receiver who is trying to sneak behind the secondary.
“I’m not known for calling many trick plays, but that one was sound,” Faulkner said Tuesday when speaking to the media. It’s hard for me to call them because sometimes I feel like they’re wasted plays but I also know what they can bring and if they’re at the right time – and that one happened to be at the right time, got the right look, got everything that they wanted and my kids executed at a high level.”
There is no shortage of talented skill people at Faulkner’s disposal but he chose a Jackson-to-Jackson pass play rather than something to Vernell Brown III or Dallas Wilson. Although he played quarterback at Hawthorne High School, Kahliel Jackson had never attempted a pass in a collegiate game. Amir Jackson had four career catches before the diving grab at the Auburn 13. The longest catch of his career went 14 yards against Florida Atlantic in game one.
Once again, method to Faulkner’s madness. Ignore the obvious and go with the least expected, a play call nobody in his right mind would expect executed to near perfection by two guys who had never been part of something so devious.
Through three games, the Gators are No. 2 in the nation in scoring (54 points per game) and third in total offense (544.3 yards per game). They are doing it with an almost 60-40 run-to-pass ratio. The Gators have run the ball 124 times for 738 yards (5.95 per carry) and 12 touchdowns. The Gators have thrown 80 passes, good for 895 yards (11.0 per attempt) and seven touchdowns. Three players have thrown passes, 14 have caught at least one and there have been 11 different ball carriers.
On first down, the Gators have run the ball 69 times for 245 yards (3.55 per carry) and three touchdowns. Thirty-two second down runs have produced 243 yards (7.59 per carry) for six TDs. Third down 17-168 (9.88) and a TD. Fourth down 6-82 (13.67) and one TD. The Gators have run the ball 66 times in the first half for 289 yards (4.38 per carry) and seven touchdowns. In the second half, they are 58-449 (7.74 per carry) and five touchdowns.
The Gators are 26-30 passing the ball on first down, good for 376 yards and four touchdowns. Second down the Gators are 23-33 for 321 yards and one TD. On third down 10-17 for 189 yards and two touchdowns. All three interceptions the Gators have thrown have come on third down. The Gators are 1-1 on fourth down for nine yards. The Gators are 32-46 for 560 yards and four touchdowns in the first half, 28-35 for 335 yards and three touchdowns in the second half.
A year ago, the Gators averaged 21.6 points and 343.1 yards per game, both down at the bottom of the SEC and outside the top 100 in the country. Early in the third quarter against Auburn, the Gators had already surpassed those numbers on their way to 495 yards and 44 points.
The season is 25 percent complete with eight SEC opponents and Florida State still to be played. Two of the three games so far have been against weaker, non-conference opponents so there is competitive inflation that has to be taken into account, but the consistency and lack of predictability in the play calls are far more revealing than the sheer volume of yardage. Faulkner trusts his troops, which is evident in the way he involves so many players and the willingness to do things like run a trick play with a pair of novices in an SEC road game.
It helps to have a lot of talent on hand. Aaron Philo seems to be the perfect triggerman for the Faulkner offense. Jadan Baugh is the best running back in the country. The dynamic receiving duo of Vernell Brown III and Dallas Wilson will be bolstered by the return of Eric Singleton Jr. from injury, perhaps as early as Saturday when the Gators entertain Ole Miss (3:30 p.m., ABC) in The Swamp. The stars are going to get the football but it is difficult to focus on taking them out when the offensive coordinator spreads the ball around.
“We’ve got a lot of good players,” Faulkner said. “We’ve got to distribute the football and he’s [Philo] done a great job of doing that. I still believe you’ve got to be able to run the football to win in really all the levels of the game and especially when you go on the road so that’s part of who we are and hopefully our identity is starting to be established.”
This is easily the best offense the Gators have had since the COVID year of 2020 when Dan Mullen was calling the plays for a team that averaged 39.8 points and 509.8 yards game. That was against a 10-game SEC schedule in a regular season played under very difficult circumstances, which makes those stats even more impressive. Can Faulkner and the 2026 Gators equal or surpass the 2020 team? That remains to be seen since there isn’t a single cupcake game on the schedule to artificially inflate the stats. Still on the schedule are games against the likes of Georgia, Oklahoma and Texas who boast fast, athletic defenses so the offensive numbers might not be as gaudy as they are now, but Faulkner’s history and tendencies say the Gators will be just fine.
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