South Florida (1-1, 0-0 AAC) returns to Gainesville Saturday night to face No. 18 Florida (1-1, 0-0 SEC) for the first time since the 2010 season when the Gators defeated the Bulls in The Swamp, 38-14.
The combination of USF being 0-2 against UF and the Gators piling up a devilish 666-yards of offense in a victory at Raymond James Stadium last season set the stage for this in-state gridiron battle.
It is an undeniably tall task for any visitor to go into Ben Hill Griffin Stadium and leave with a dub. Florida boasts a 351-112-13 (.751) all-time record at The Swamp, holding the third-highest home winning percentage in the nation since 1990 with a 170-33 (.837) record.
With that in mind, BullsInsider.com went behind enemy lines and asked Jason Higdon, publisher of 1stAndTenFlorida.com, about the matchup from the Gators perspective.
Billy Napier is the fourth coach at Florida since Urban Meyer left for good in 2010, how does his approach differ from what they were doing with Dan Mullen or other coaches in recent history? In other words, what is his plan for the program there and what schematic changes have they made?
Unlike his predecessors, Billy Napier has been given the reigns to run the University of Florida Football program 100%. I think Coach Napier has a much more methodical and step by step approach to reach the end result. He has a huge work force covering every aspect a head coach could possibly imagine. Schematic changes are minimal and will not seem drastic while the personnel is the same.
The schedule out of the box has been probably the most difficult in college football through two games. What is the vibe like around the Florida program after splitting those games and what are the expectations like for year one under Napier?
So close yet so far away. I think the fan base is looking for progress from week to week. They want to see the light at the end of the tunnel. 99% of the fans believe the Gators have the right guy and are moving in the right direction.
Offensively who are the key guys to watch on that side of the ball and what are the strengths and weaknesses of this offense through two tough games? Who are some key playmakers to watch for on Saturday?
Key guys to watch include QB Anthony Richardson, RB Trevor Etienne, and RB Montrell Johnson. All eyes on Richardson this weekend as he is coming off his worst game as a Florida Gator last weekend vs. Kentucky. I also believe you will see Florida with some designed plays for WR Ricky Pearsall early and often. The strength is the ground game and weakness is the passing game.
Defensively the same idea, what do they do well, how have teams had success attacking the Gators and who are some key playmakers on that side of the ball?
The defense has played relatively well through the first two games. At times it has appeared they wear down somewhat in the second half. I think the strength of the defense is the youth movement with players such as Devin Moore, Justus Boone, Tyreak Sapp, and Scooby Williams.
How do you see this game playing out and a prediction would be great?
I think the team had a big letdown vs. Kentucky after coming off an emotional game one win vs. Utah. I am looking for the team to bounce back in a big way on Saturday night in The Swamp to the tune of a 50-spot.
Prediction?
Florida 52
South Florida 21
