Florida vs Arkansas: Pregame Analysis
- Loren Meadows
- Nov 2, 2023
- 5 min read
Gators (5-3, 3-2)
Razorbacks (2-6, 0-5)
Arkansas coach Sam Pittman's teams have always played physical despite lesser talent at certain positions.
By Loren Meadows, GatorBaitMedia.com, Football Analyst
Saturday at high noon, Florida welcomes the Arkansas Razorbacks to the Swamp for what is a special afternoon for the Florida program. To honor the military and first responders, the Gators will wear black jerseys for the first time in school history.
Arkansas comes into the contest on a six-game losing streak with five of the six losses coming by less than 10 points. Picked by many to finish in the top half of the SEC West, Arkansas has found itself without key players on both offense and defense throughout the season. Florida is coming off a tough loss at the hands of the Georgia Bulldogs which exposed the deficiencies that exist in the Gator program.
While Florida escaped the game in decent health, except for the loss of Shemar James, it will be interesting to see the affect the emotional atmosphere of this game in The Swamp will have. The Gators looks to win their sixth game of the season and become bowl eligible. Both teams will be looking to right the ship after not so impressive performances in their last outings.
Will Florida remain the team it has been at home all season or will Arkansas find a way to end their woes at the expense of the Gators?
Arkansas Offense
Key Players: #1 QB KJ Jefferson (6-3, 247, R-Sr.), #7 RB Rashod Dubinion (5-10, 216, So.), #0 RB AJ Green (5-11, 205, Jr.), #2 WR Andrew Armstrong (6-4, 201, R-Sr.), #4 WR Isaac TeSlaa (6-4, 216, Sr.) #8 TE Ty Washington (6-4, 247, R-Fr.) #5 RB Rocket Sanders (6-2, 242, Jr.)
At this point, everything flows through the arms and legs of quarterback KJ Jefferson. While not the most impressive passer from inside the pocket, Jefferson’s ability to extend plays is his most valuable asset. A willing runner who possesses great speed for his size, Jefferson easily adds two to three yards to every run with his ability to finish run plays with athleticism and physicality. During the off week, the Razorback offense committed themselves to a focus on fundamentals as newly named offensive coordinator Kenny Guiton looked to simplify the offense. This simplification will most likely lead to a return to some of the run-pass options that the Razorbacks found success with a year ago as Guiton looks to slow the game down for Jefferson.
The offense could get a boost this week from the return of Rocket Sanders to the backfield. Sanders has been hampered with a knee injury since the opener and is listed as questionable for the game Saturday. His return would put more pressure on a struggling Florida defense as Sanders is a big back who complements the play making ability of Jefferson well. Without Sanders, the running game has suffered as Rashod Dubinion and AJ Green have failed to replace the output of Sanders.
In the passing game, the Jefferson has two transfers who have played well for the Razorbacks this season. Andrew Armstrong was the first 1,000-yard receiver at Texas A&M-Commerce since 2014 and currently leads the Razorbacks in catches, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. Isaac TeSlaa was the Great Midwestern Athletic Offensive Player of the Year at Hillsdale College in Michigan. TeSlaa was a standout in the weight room this Spring and possesses elite athleticism for his size. At 6-4, both receivers will challenge the Gators as the secondary has struggled against taller receivers all season.
Where the offense is the most vulnerable is in their ability to protect the quarterback. Arkansas ranks 123rd nationally allowing six sacks per game. Unfortunately the Gators have the lowest rated pass rush in the SEC. The Gators will need to generate pressure and finish against Jefferson. His ability to extend plays will be the difference as many of the Razorback’s chunk plays come on the heels of his ability to escape the pocket. While Arkansas sits at the bottom of the conference offensively, the Gators have been subpar on defense against their last five opponents. Their ability (or inability) to tackle in space and get stops will be the most important piece in determining the outcome of the game.
Arkansas Defense
Key Players: #40 DE Landon Jackson (6-7, 281, Jr.), #27 LB Chris Paul Jr. (6-1, 233, R-So.), #28 LB Jaheim Thomas (6-4, 240, R-Jr.), #2 CB Dwight McGlothern (6-2, 188, Sr.), #7 DL Trajan Jeffcoat (6-4, 281, R-Sr.)
Defensively, the Razorbacks have been solid throughout this season. Despite six straight losses the Razorbacks are ranked in the top half of the SEC in total defense, pass defense, sacks, and takeaways. Defensive end Landon Jackson has been a stalwart on the edge and is currently fifth in the SEC ins sacks with 5.5 to go along with 10.5 tackles for loss. Jackson is a long physical player that will look to take advantage of the Florida offensive tackles that have struggled recently. Missouri transfer Trajan Jeffcoat has changed sides of the conference and brings experience and depth to the Arkansas front. With over 47 starts to his credit at Missouri, Jeffcoat will look to avenge the loss he suffered as a member of the Tiger squad that fell in Gainesville last season. Linebackers Jaheim Thomas and Chris Paul Jr. lead the team in tackles with over 120 combined. Paul Jr. continues to improve and registered 12 tackles in Arkansas’ last outing against Mississippi State.
The Razorbacks could benefit from the return of top cornerback Dwight McGlothern. An All-SEC performer a year ago, McGlothern is still working his way back into the lineup and may emerge from the bye-week ready to go. If McGlothern is healthy it gives an athletic Razorback secondary an NFL-caliber player to challenge a Florida passing attack that is playing with a lot of confidence. Through different injuries the Razorbacks have been solid against the pass giving up a little over 200 yards a game and leaning on a consistent pass rush.
The Razorbacks can be a very disruptive on Saturday as the Gator have struggled to protect Graham Metz particularly from the edge. It will be imperative for Florida to run the ball effectively early to slow down Jackson and Jeffcoat. Look for Florida to establish Montrell Johnson Jr. and Trevor Etienne early to allow the play action passing game to flourish. Florida was able to move the ball at times against the Georgia front but did not always finish those drives. The Arkansas defense has very little quit in them despite the losses and will look to punch Florida early and take the crowd out of the game.
The Skinny
Don’t look at their record, as the Razorbacks could easily be 6-2 if not for a couple bad breaks. Defensively Arkansas is equal to Tennessee and Kentucky and its edge rushers may be slightly better. While limited offensively, Jefferson is the most athletic quarterback the Gators will possibly face all year and is a seriously tough to bring down. All signs point to a very tough physical game. Arkansas coach Sam Pittman is cut from the Georgia cloth and his Arkansas teams have always played physical despite lesser talent at certain positions. The bye-week allowed the Razorbacks to hit the reset button and reassess the direction they have been going. The Gators are coming of an emotional loss where they were man-handled in every phase of the game by a bitter rival no less. A home game where is just what the doctor ordered. Instead of a noon game in Fayetteville, it just happens this game will be played in The Swamp, where hopefully only the Gators will get out alive.
Mertz throws for two, Johnson and Etienne each find the end zone for a score.
Prediction: Florida Gators 31 Arkansas Razorbacks 21
EXCELLENT
Excellent analysis