These monsters love to Mash.

By Franz Beard

Kyle Trask and Richard Gouraige connect again after the big win against Utah. Photo Credit - Chris Spears

The mere mention of what happened in the second half of Florida’s decisive 41-24 win over Texas A&M brings a grin to the face of left tackle Richard Gouraige. Not just any grin, mind you, but one that brings back the kind of memory every offensive lineman at any level of football dreams about. That moment when you line up and you see the fear in the eyes of the guy across from you. He knows he’s about to get mashed and there isn’t one damn thing he can do about it.

“That’s what you’re in the SEC for, man,” Gouraige said. “You just run the ball down people’s throat a little bit. There’s nothing better than knowing that your guy on the left or right are doing their jobs as full speed as they can and execute their blocks.”

In the second half against the Aggies, the Gators threw sparingly but effectively. Not only were the Gators grinding it out on the ground, but with the exception of one coverage sack when Anthony Richardson had forever to throw but nobody open, they were on their pass blocking game.

The Gators wound up with 291 rushing yards against Texas A&M, averaging 5.8 yards per carry on 50 attempts. Montrell Johnson Jr. racked up 100 yards and a TD on 22 carries. Trevor Etienne had 80 on 17 carries, one of which was a spectacular blend of power and balance as he broke tackles and put his hand on the ground twice to regain his footing. The carry was good for 10 yards but it was that kind of run that broke the Aggies’ will to resist.

And then there was quarterback Anthony Richardson. He had touchdown runs of 10 and 60 yards among his 78 yards for the game. On the 60-yarder, he picked up a terrific block 15 yards downfield from tight end Jonathan Odom. It seemed Richardson was gliding the last 45 yards. He didn’t look like he was running that fast, but the Aggies’ very fast secondary couldn’t catch up with him.

When he threw the ball, Richardson was 17-28 for 201 yards and two TDs, one a fade that finished on a one-handed grab by Ja’Quavion Fraziars. This was an NFL throw as was the 90 mph fast ball he threw to Caleb Douglas for a 12-yard TD in the fourth quarter. Richardson didn’t throw an interception nor did he fumble the ball, the third straight game he has been turnover free.

The Gators had 78 offensive snaps and they controlled the football for 37:07. The Gators’ ability to control the clock had everything to do with the defense shutting out the Aggies in the second half. This was only the second time all season that the Gators had two consecutive shutout quarters on defense and that had everything to do with the O-line dominating the Aggies up front. By controlling the ball for 19:37 of the second half, the offense kept the defense fresh and that inspired five second half three-and-outs.

“Our ability to sustain drives and their [defense] ability to get the other team off the field. I think we’re starting to play some complementary ball,” Napier said.

Complementary football. That’s when offense, defense and special teams all help each other. Offense puts points on the board, controls the ball and doesn’t turn it over. Defense doesn’t give up chunk plays, gets three-and-outs and forces change of possession. Special teams puts points on the board and contributes to field position.

Florida’s overall numbers on offense are a bit deceptive. The Gators average 31.2 points and 430.4 yards per game, decent but very middle of the pack in the SEC. The important number is yards per play. The Gators are 13th nationally, averaging 6.83. Of all the UF teams in the past decade, only the 2020 Gators (7.28) averaged more yards per play.

What the numbers tell us is that Napier’s offensive scheme that was so good in the Fun Belt is easily adapted to the Southeastern Conference. He has the triggerman in Anthony Richardson, the 1-2 punch at running back in Johnson and Etienne, an emerging group of receivers led by Justin Shorter, Ricky Pearsall and Xzavier Henderson, and then the beasts up front – a seven-man rotation of Gouraige, Michael Tarquin and Austin Barber at the tackles; O’Cyrus Torrence, Ethan White and Richie Leonard IV at the guards; and center Kingsley Eguakun.

Focus on the offensive line. Gouraige was a good but not great left tackle. Eguakun was a center who had trouble with big nose tackles and White had a hard time staying healthy. Tarquin got one start. Barber took a redshirt after a signing day flip. Leonard backed up at guard and center.

Then there is Torrence, who came to Florida from Louisiana where he made All-Fun Belt three straight years. His analytics make him the top pass blocking guard in the nation. He is a mauler who destroys opponents in the run game and so good as a pass protector that he has yet to surrender a sack this year.

What Torrence has brought to the UF offensive line is attitude. He comes to work intent on beating people up and keeping his quarterback’s jersey clean. It rubs off on his mates who have surprised the rest of the SEC with their efficiency whether it’s in the run game or pass protection. They line up and without fanfare get the job done.

Isn’t that the calling card of offensive linemen? Nobody really notices any one of them when things are going well and the ball is moving. Let one of them screw up, however, and it seems everybody knows his name. With the exception of Torrence, whose name is very well known because draft gurus such as Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay have him rated so highly, these guys anonymously get the job done.

When you combine an offensive line that operates at max efficiency exceptional skill people, you’ve got something good going for you. The Gators have running backs who, once they break out of the pack and get to the second level, instinctively run to open space. The quarterback, so erratic at the start of the season, has begun to understand that it’s best to tuck and run for positive yards when there is no one open or when it would take a perfect pass in a too tight window for a completion.

Back in the 1950s, there was a TV commercial made popular by the phrase “it’s what’s up front that counts.” Does that describe Florida’s emerging offense? Judging by Pro Football Focus analytics the Gators are the best offensive line in the Southeastern Conference.

That comes as a surprise to the so-called experts who rated the Florida O-line no better than middle of the pack in all the preseason publications. They never envisioned a group that consistently lines up and knocks people off the line of scrimmage. The numbers bear it out.

The Gators are third in the SEC (20th nationally) in rushing at 209.22 yards per game. More important, the Gators average 5.92 yards per carry. That’s the best average per carry in the SEC and second nationally only to UCLA. You have to go all the way back to Florida’s 2008 national championship team to find a UF team that averaged more yards per carry. That 2008 team featured Percy Harvin (9.4 yards per carry) and Chris Rainey (7.8) and Jeff Demps (7.85).

The Gators have had 55 rushing plays this season that have gained 10 or more yards. Eighteen of those runs have gone for more than 20 which ranks 16th nationally and eight carries have gone for at least 30, which is tied for fourth. Johnson and Etienne both have 17 carries that have gained at least 10 yards while Richardson has 13. Johnson has seven carries of at least 20 yards while Richardson has four runs that have gone for 40 or more.

The Gators don’t throw it that often, just 249 attempts all season, third fewest in the SEC but Florida’s average gain per pass attempt is 8.0 yards, a very respectable sixth in the SEC. That number has been growing because Richardson hasn’t been turning the ball over. He gets plenty of protection – the Gators have allowed only nine sacks for -58 yards all season. That is third in the SEC and tied for 12th nationally. Compare that to LSU (32 sacks allowed) and Kentucky (35).

“Ant (Richardson) can do whatever he needs to do and just piggyback on everybody else,” Gouraige said. “But it basically just starts up front … As long as we dominate and set in the line of scrimmage we can be successful as a team.”

Dominating is what the UF offensive linemen were determined to be all the way back to January. Spring practice was a grind but then they went through the dog days of summer, showing up every day to work out in the heat. It was more than just the workouts, however. It had everything to do with the bonding. No unit has to be more precise than the O-line where if one guy has a bad day it can throw off the entire offensive game plan.

Gouraige says all that hard work, all that bonding to become a band of brothers, is starting to manifest itself on the field.

“It’s really started since January,” Gouraige said. “That, we dedicated ourselves since the offseason and saying we wanted to be the best unit in the country. And, day-in and day-out, watching film, critiquing ourselves, holding guys accountable, trusting that everybody will do their job is great. You know what I mean?”

On a weekly basis Napier has been bringing in guest speakers to motivate the Gators. One such speaker was Eric Thomas, who spoke to the team during the summer. His story of rising from homelessness to success as a speaker, motivational coach and minister is awe-inspiring. Something Thomas said resonated with Gouraige and all of Florida’s offensive linemen.

“He was saying, ‘Don’t take this game for granted at all. Play like it’s your last play,’” Gouraige recalls. “Coach’s (Napier’s) model is play for the guy who’s left of right of you so I always take that to heart, that this might be my last snap. If this is my last snap, I want to please the guy that’s left and right of me knowing that Richard did his job as best as he can. So he’s going to do his job well.”