Florida football: Scout’s notebook — Miami vs. Florida (8)
By Cole Topham
While sound athletically, Florida football’s prospects err in decision-making during 2019 debut.
Welcome to my new weekly segment on Florida football on Hail Florida Hail! Every week, I break down the tape of various Florida Gators draft prospects from their previous game.
I’m primarily interested to witness how each player progresses or regresses throughout the season. Have they capitalized on their strengths shown in previous seasons?
Are they improving in areas of weaknesses? How does their current style of play translate to the NFL?
Go ahead, dive in. Here are my initial thoughts from last Saturday’s game in Orlando.
Scout’s Notebook | Florida vs. Miami 2019
Quarterback
looked collected early in the game, moving the chains with his arm and even vaulting headfirst over linebackers for extra yardage during a first-quarter scramble. When Franks is at his best, he looks like a capable gunslinger. The senior’s best play of the night was a beautiful 65-yard beamer to a wide-open
streaking across the middle early in the fourth quarter, a play that ultimately shifted the momentum in Florida’s favor. However, these instances of brilliance are marred by Franks’ dicey play: numerous off-target check-downs, handoff miscommunications that should be routine for a player heading into his fourth year with the Gators, and an errant interception intended for a wide-open Fred Swain attacking the open space in the fourth quarter. And, of course, there is the baffling decision-making with just over four minutes left in the game which led Franks to fire into triple-coverage as the pocket collapsed around him. It’s painfully clear after just one game that Franks still has a lot to prove, consistency-wise.
Cole Topham is an 18-year old sportswriter residing in Phoenix, AZ. He is the lead editor and founder of snacktimefantasy.com and contributor to Hail Florida Hail. Follow him on Twitter at @HamAnalysis.