No. 1 Alabama is set to travel to Gainseville, FL this Saturday to take on the Florida Gators. It’s no secret that the Swamp is one of the toughest environments in all of college football and the Gators look to use that to their advantage as they try to take down the Tide.
This is without question the toughest opponent that Alabama will have faced in the young season, but are still a 14.5 favorite over the Gators according to tipico.
Florida Preview:
Offensively, the Gators offer a perplexing quarterback situation. Emory Jones has been the starter for the first two games, but backup Anthony Richardson has stolen the spotlight. Jones has been a little inconsistent and that has created the opportunity for Richardson to step in and make plays for the Gator offense. Through two games Richardson has 192 yards and two touchdowns through the air and another 275 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
Alabama will need to be stout against the run this Saturday as Florida has been one of the top rushing attacks in the country to start the season. Through the first two games, as a team, the Gators have run for 763 yards while averaging 8.5 yards per rush.
Defensively, the Gators are still suspect. While they have some talented members along the front seven, the secondary remains a big question mark for Todd Grantham and the Gator defense.
Alabama Preview:
We have seen what Bryce Young can do at home and in a neutral site setting, but now comes a massive test on the road in the Swamp. The Alabama offensive line will need to be solid, and presnap penalties need to remain at a minimum. If the offense doesn’t have any self-inflicted mistakes, they should be able to make some positive plays against a mediocre Gator defense.
Like I said earlier, the Alabama defense will need to make a concentrated effort to stop the rushing attack of the Gators. Limiting big plays from Anthony Richardson will also be critical for the Tide defense. If the Alabama defense performs the way they have through the first couple of games, the Tide should roll in Gainseville.
Overall Thoughts & Score Prediction:
Alabama is coming off what you could call a let-down performance this past weekend against Mercer. After dominating Miami in week one, the Tide came out a little flat against the Bears. Both the players and the coaches have mentioned this week that they were not happy with the product that was put on the field last Saturday. Let’s see if that helps motivate the team to look more polished against the Gators.
Score Prediction: Alabama 38 Florida 20
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