The Gators may be a team facing a lot of uncertainty heading into the 2021 season, but this Florida Atlantic team shouldn’t be able to keep this one competitive for long. Defensively, it could certainly give quarterback Emory Jones a couple of headaches in his first career start, but even with a former Power Five starter at quarterback, this team isn’t ready to take that step offensively.
Florida’s defense was bad in 2020, but it gets to start things off with what should be a relatively straightforward matchup. If the Owls find offensive success, that is a cause for concern for the Gators, who will need to be much better on the defensive side of the ball if they want to even think about returning to Atlanta this year.
Similarly, this game could serve as a canary in a coal mine of sorts for the offensive line. That unit struggled considerably last year and now has two new starters. Joyner is a good pass rusher, but with two true freshmen starting in the front seven, Florida shouldn’t struggle very much to create holes in the run game and give Jones time to make plays. If it does, it’s a very concerning sign for this team’s prospects in SEC play.
Regardless, Florida should be able to pull away in its season opener against the Taggart-coached Owls, at least by the second half.
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