The world of college football is always changing and evolving with new strategies and game plans to help teams have success, but there hasn’t been many that have been as intriguing or debated as the use of the dual quarterback system.
For the Florida Gators football team, this dual quarterback approach to the game is nothing new as they will be using that strategy on Saturday when they play the Texas A&M Aggies.
Head coach Billy Napier announced that both Graham Mertz and DJ Lagway will be playing in the Gators’ Week 3 contest.
Because of that, let’s dive into Florida’s history with the dual quarterback system. Again, it’s not a new concept for the Gators.
The Mid-1980s
The concept of using several quarterbacks goes back to the mid-1980s. The Gators head coach at the time was Galen Hall who was the offensive coordinator for Florida in 1984 before becoming the interim head coach on Sept. 17 of that same year.
Hall was named the interim head coach because the previous coach, Charley Pell, was fired after an NCAA investigation alleged that he and his coaching staff had committed over 100 violations pertaining to the NCAA rules during the previous couple of seasons.
Because of this, the Florida football program had a two-year bowl ban, scholarships were lost and there were restrictions on recruiting.
Anyway, Hall took over as head coach and began experimenting with different signal-callers. Despite it not being the team’s primary tactic, these early trials were key to shaping the team’s offensive approach.
The Spurrier Era
Florida’s offensive strategy during the 1990s completely evolved under head coach Steve Spurrier.
Spurrier occasionally used a dual quarterback system to exploit different weaknesses in the defense.
In 1994, Spurrier used both quarterbacks Terry Dean and Danny Wuerffel. Wuerffel eventually became Florida’s starting quarterback and won the Heisman Trophy in 1996, but Dean’s presence allowed Spurrier to keep the opponents guessing by mixing up the offense. It created a sense of unpredictability with the Gators offensive attack.
Chris Leak and Tim Tebow
Florida’s head coach from 2005-2010 was Urban Meyer who implemented the spread offense.
Meyer didn’t necessarily use the dual quarterback approach as the team’s offensive strategy, but there were instances where multiple quarterbacks played a significant amount of snaps.
During the 2006 season, Chris Leak was Florida’s starting quarterback and Tim Tebow was the backup. Leak was a more proficient passer but didn’t have the skillset to run the ball like Tebow and Meyer knew that. So, Meyer used Tebow several different ways, mainly in goal-line packages and short-yardage situations.
By using Tebow’s strength and power, Meyer was able to create mismatches with the defense while also enabling unpredictable play calls. This strategy played a key role in helping the Gators win a national championship that year.
Feleipe Franks and Emory Jones
Skipping ahead to 2018, the dual quarterback system returned to the Gators offense under head coach Dan Mullen.
Mullen utilized both quarterbacks Feleipe Franks and Emory Jones to create an offensive attack that was effective and efficient.
Franks was the primary starter for Florida because of his arm and ability to throw the deep ball while Jones was a mobile and dynamic alternative.
The strategy that Mullen implemented was to rotate the quarterbacks depending on the situation of the game. Jones was used for designed runs and unpredictability while Franks was used to execute the primary passing game.
Looking back on the strategy
The dual quarterback approach has proved to be an effective strategy given what it’s done in the history of Florida Gators football. Although the dual quarterback system hasn’t been a constant feature of their strategy, its use in crucial seasons shows the Gators’ readiness to innovate and adapt.
As the Gators roll out in the Swamp against Texas A&M on Saturday afternoon, they’ll be implementing the same strategy that has been engraved in the program’s history over the years.
Both Mertz and Lagway will be seeing significant playing time, but it’s up to Napier to find out which quarterback can help his team win when it matters most.
Coming up for the Gators
Florida will play at home in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium against Texas A&M on Saturday, Sept. 14. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on ABC.
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