Know Thy Enemy: Andrew Abadie of the Gainesville Sun previews Mizzou's game against No. 8 Florida

For a deeper look into the Gators’ roster and first four weeks of the season, the Columbia Missourian spoke with Andrew Abadie of the Gainesville Sun. Below are his thoughts on Mizzou and Florida’s matchup.

This interview has been modified for brevity and clarity.

Q: What are your first impressions of Florida’s first four games?

A: I think the first impression was that this offense was going to be able to score. That was the feeling in the preseason; the height of the questions was on the defense, and I think at least against Ole Miss, it finally seems like the defense has put together a complete game. So that I mean, and I think with Jadan Baugh at running back and him taking his next step, it's kind of evident now this offense is going to be special this season.

Q: Is Baugh that good and is it possible to stop him?

A: The one thing that they had him work on in the offseason was his breakaway speed. That was the one thing he was missing from his game, and then I think he only had a 120-plus-yard touchdown last year. Then this year he's got 250-plus ones already, and just big run after big run for him now. And then the other half of it is, I think (new offensive coordinator) Buster Faulkner is using him and his offense way better than Billy Napier ever did in the last two years. That's pretty evident through the first couple weeks.

Last year, I always felt like play calling is what kind of held him back. I mean, you go look through his carry load through the first four or five weeks, and it's like, well, why are they not using this guy?

The tough part with him is they can use him in the wildcat. He can run the ball 30 times a game, which is what he did the other night, and he's going to get stronger. And then, oh, by the way, he's a great pass catcher, too. They really haven't used him that much in the passing game, and he's just as much of a freak in that area. He played wide receiver a good bit in high school, so he can really do it all, and he's finally added that speed, and it's made him the perfect, ideal running back at this point.

Q: How has the offense changed under Faulkner?

A: Well, they're scoring points. I think I saw somewhere last year they had 29 touchdowns the entire season, and this year they already have 28.

He was already known as a guy who can play to the strengths of his team and is really clever with how to use the passing game and set up explosive plays, and I think that was in 2019, or maybe even 2020, and he's still doing it. He's just doing it on a higher level now. Buster Faulkner is a smart mind. He's a bright offensive mind because of that. Everybody's got a scheme they want to run and he does too, but in my career I haven't seen an OC that is willing to change their way to fit his personnel and go from there. I think that's what has separated them so far.

Q: How has Philo elevated the offense since coming with Faulkner?

A: I think what has made him so good is that he's not really made a bad decision. He is so comfortable with what to do with the ball. The kid's tough. He's not scared to stay in the pocket and take a hit if he knows it's the right play. He'll put his head down and run. He's just been really, really smart, and he hasn't been trying to force the big play, which again goes back to him being comfortable in the offense and understanding it. He knows he's surrounded by superstars left and right. He has not gone out of his way to try and be that.

That's made him good. I mean, he's got two picks on the year, and neither of them are his fault. It was in and out of the receiver's hands, and it bobbled in somebody else's hands. He's got a high completion rate. It's just (that) he's not making bad decisions. That's what it really boils down to. I would think that's easy to do when you've got a guy like Jadan Baugh and the other stable running backs that they have.

Q: What makes Woods and Oyebadejo special pass rushers?

A: In the preseason, Jayden Woods was the big star on the defense. You start out physically. I mean, he's a freak of nature with some of the lifts he's been able to do in the offseason. He was the high-priority guy that (John) Sumrall needed to keep and compensated well accordingly, right? He had kind of a slow start the first couple games because teams were double-teaming him. I think he's now figured out how to deal with that. The dude's a disrupter. He's so fast and so strong. He can even play in coverage, which he's done a good bit of.

You look at the Ole Miss game. You had the strip sack, which was the turning point. You go back to the Auburn game; really, the pass rush wasn't even that good against Campbell or Florida Atlantic, and it came alive against Auburn. They had seven sacks, and a lot of that starts with him. I mean, if you're planning a play, is an offense going to have to go in the opposite direction, or are they going to have to double-team this guy? He's just that much of a force.

As for Emmanuel, he was a guy that got in the portal from Jacksonville State. His story is just crazy. I mean, he wasn't even playing football, not even three or four years ago. He was playing soccer, and I think (his) athletic background has equally made him just as much of a problem. He's not a traditional defensive lineman who they're just big and and they're bullies. I mean, these guys can move, and that seems to be the remedy right now with those two. Those are the guys who've made noise so far.

The defensive line heading into the season was thought to be one of the most talented rooms on the team, and actually, up until the last couple weeks, people were a little disappointed in it. So you feel like that room is only going to get better as the season progresses.

Q: What is the biggest weakness on Florida’s defense?

A: The passing defense. That was the big question mark heading into the year. The secondary had a lot of question marks too. Personnel-wise, not ideal as I think Jon Sumrall or (defensive coordinator) Brad White would like it to be, but they've delivered in the moments they've needed to so far. Especially against Trinidad, there's a lot of inexperience back there. There are really talented players. DJ Coleman and Bryce Thornton. The two safeties are pretty good, but the corners and just kind of the depth and their DB room was going to be a big question mark.

Go look at the Auburn game. They had a tough time, but I think some of it's also been them trying to fully understand Brad White's defense, which is why I think it came together a little bit better in the Ole Miss game as opposed to Auburn. I'm very curious to see how that secondary does against Missouri's passing game because I know Austin Simmons is pretty darn good. They got those two wide receivers that I think are going to give them problems this week.

Prediction?

Florida 42, Mizzou 31