Nov 14, 2015; Columbia, SC, USA; Florida Gators running back Kelvin Taylor (21) rushes for a 53 yard gain against the South Carolina Gamecocks in the second half at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports
matchups with rival Florida State and possibly Alabama in the SEC title game approaching, Florida coach Jim McElwain doesn’t want his team to overlook its game Saturday against FAU.
It would be easy for the Gators (9-1, 7-1 SEC) not to take the Owls seriously. Florida Atlantic (2-8, 2-5 Conference USA) is coming off a 24-17 to Middle Tennessee State.
“There’s 53 people intertwined in this game from both sides that went to the same schools,” McElwain said. “There’s a ton to prove for guys and they know how hard these guys will play and they’ve got some weapons. I think the thing that strikes you when you watch the film is the overall team speed that this team has.”
The Gators wrapped up SEC play with a 24-14 win at South Carolina. Florida swept all five of its division games and posted its best win total in league play since going 8-0 in 2009.
“I’ll have to tell you about that locker room, we’ve got a bunch of winners, we’ve got guys who have figured it out,” McElwain said. “You can beat them up, you can beat us up, you can do all that. We’re in a position now that it’s about keep working on ourselves and getting a little better.”
McElwain said FAU’s defensive front should pose a good test for Florida’s young, inexperienced offensive line. FAU ranks third in Conference USA in sacks with 23.
“You look at them defensively, up front, their inside guys have great speed,” McElwain said. “Their sacks and creating negatives plays is done up front, which as you know, we’re still a work in progress on our front. That’s a matchup they probably feel pretty darn good about. They’re young on the back end, but they can really run. You see how hard they compete in games. I’ve got a lot of respect for them.”
NOTES, QUOTES
PLAYERS TO WATCH
–QB Treon Harris turned in another uneven performance against South Carolina, but again, did enough to win the game. Harris completed 19 of 33 passes for 256 yards with one TD and two interceptions. “He moved up in the pocket much better in this game rather than just trying to bail out one way or the other,” McElwain said. “I think his pocket awareness, shuffling and finding throwing angles was a little better.” For the season, Harris improved to 4-1 as a starter with 1,109 yards passing, 6 TDs and 3 interceptions.
–RB Kelvin Taylor rushed for his fourth career 100-yard game, finishing with 105 yards on 20 carries against South Carolina. Taylor’s biggest run came when he scampered 53 yards on a draw play on 3rd-and-8 midway through the fourth quarter with Florida up 17-14. Taylor capped the drive with a 3-yard TD run, his 12th of the season, to put Florida up 24-14. For the season, Taylor had rushed for 736 yards and 12 TDs on 191 carries. McElwain said that Taylor has done a great job this season self-evaluating and finding ways to improve his running style each week. “Sometimes, he’s even too hard on himself,” McElwain said.
–RB Jordan Cronkrite scored a pair of TDs against South Carolina, one rushing and one receiving. Cronkrite’s 3-yard TD run gave the Gators an early 7-0 lead and his 41-yard TD catch from QB Treon Harris extended UF’s lead to 14-0. For the season, Cronkrite, a freshman from Miami, has rushed for 128 yards and 3 TDs and added 53 yards receiving and one receiving TD.
–CB Jalen Tabor recorded his third interception of the season against South Carolina. Tabor added a pass breakup against the Gamecocks. For the season, the sophomore from Washington, D.C., has emerged as a reliable cover corner for the Gators with 20 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 3 interceptions and a team-high 9 pass breakups.
