With the possible exception of seeing the name “Ed Martin” in headlines, nothing worries Michigan fans more than an opponent with a high-scoring, quick-strike offense. Memories of Tennessee’s 45 points in last season’s Citrus Bowl, Northwestern’s 54 points in a game in 2000 and a few other scoring assaults are painful for Michigan fans.
As the Wolverines (9-3) prepare for Wednesday’s Outback Bowl against the Florida Gators (8-4), the question is not whether their fans fret about a high-scoring opponent.
The question is: Will they face one?
Michigan averaged 26.9 points in the regular season; Florida scored 25.5. Florida averaged 398.7 yards a game, 21 more than Michigan, but the Gators’ offense also committed 23 turnovers compared with 17 for Michigan.
“It struggled because we weren’t on the same page a lot earlier in the year,” said Florida quarterback Rex Grossman, who threw an unseemly 17 interceptions. “We weren’t executing the plan.”
If you strip away the “Florida” name, this team does not seem nearly as impressive. The Gators were blown out three times, twice at home. One of those blowouts came to No. 1 Miami, but the other two were not so excusable. Louisiana State whipped Florida 36-7 at Florida Field. Florida State, which finished 8-4, beat the Gators 31-14.
Florida also beat SEC champion Georgia at home and beat Tennessee by 17 points on the road, but this was not the kind of season that sends hearts aflutter in Gainesville.
“It has been an up-and-down season,” said Grossman, who might be playing in his last college game. “There have been some great moments and some moments that weren’t so great. It was a transitional period with the coaches.”
That transitional period has received most of the attention. First-year Gators coach Ron Zook was an unpopular choice from the moment he was introduced, and the disappointing season has increased the criticism. Zook’s offensive coordinator, Ed Zaunbrecher, has not been able to re-create the offensive juggernaut of former head coach Steve Spurrier.
“They’re doing some new things,” Michigan defensive coordinator Jim Herrmann said. “It’s the same concept of spreading people out . . .
“The thing that defensively you have to concentrate on is they dink, they dink, they dink and then all of a sudden the ball is going down the football field.”
Is that the plan? More short passes?
“No, no, no,” Florida star receiver Taylor Jacobs said. “Coach Zaunbrecher has a wide-open offense. The way the defenses have been playing us has caused us not to go deep as much.”
Jacobs is the only Gators receiver who has been able to break deep plays consistently. Last year he was the team’s third receiver, behind Jabar Gaffney and Reche Caldwell, both of whom left school early for the NFL.
Florida’s lack of deep threats could enable Michigan to play its base defense–instead of adding an extra defensive back–more often than it normally would against a three-receiver formation.
Michigan is much deeper at defensive back than linebacker. Safeties Cato June and Julius Curry are healthy again. At linebacker, Michigan is without injured starters Carl Diggs and Zach Kaufman.
