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Florida football: Scout’s notebook — Miami vs. Florida (8)

By Cole Topham

ORLANDO, FL - AUGUST 24: Feleipe Franks #13 of the Florida Gators tries to avoid the tackle of Amari Carter #5 of the Miami Hurricanes in the first half in the Camping World Kickoff at Camping World Stadium on August 24, 2019 in Orlando, Florida.(Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)
ORLANDO, FL - AUGUST 24: Feleipe Franks #13 of the Florida Gators tries to avoid the tackle of Amari Carter #5 of the Miami Hurricanes in the first half in the Camping World Kickoff at Camping World Stadium on August 24, 2019 in Orlando, Florida.(Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images) /
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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

  • There is a reason why C.J. Henderson wears the prestigious no. 1 jersey on his back. Florida showed complete trust in their junior defensive back, continually trusting him in iso situations along the sideline. Miami wasn’t afraid to test him either, eventually throwing at Henderson on one of the most critical plays of the game. It turned out to be their mistake. Henderson rose to the occasion with a diving pass breakup in the end zone on 3rd-and-9, somehow lodging his left arm in the belly of Jeff Thomas as they fell to the turf. With their confidence shaken, Miami proceeded to miss a 27-yard field goal on the next play, which would have extended the Hurricanes’ lead to seven.
  • Unfortunately, the rest of the Gators’ secondary showed a little bit more rust. Senior Jaewon Taylor bounced off the eventual touchdown-scoring Brevin Jordan on Miami’s final drive at the end of the second quarter. Later, on 4th-and-34 in the final minute of the game, Shawn Davis blindly lowered his helmet and made contact with the targeted receiver, resulting in an unnecessary pass interference call that easily could’ve been avoided. Situational awareness must be improved if the Gators want to defend their AP ranking.
  • On offense, junior wide receiver Kadarius Toney was electric. The highlight of the night was Toney’s effort on a simple wide receiver screen in the first quarter, which he managed to turn into a 66-yard touchdown romp complete with five missed tackles. Toney was also a key contributor to Florida’s perfect 4-4 record on fourth down for the night. While Toney’s true role in the offense is still far from defined, scouts will surely take notice of his blazing speed and slippery moves.

    • Quarterback

    Feleipe Franks

    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

    Josh Hammond

    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.

    dark. Next. Gators survive and advance against Miami

    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.

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