Ray Davis will try to test Florida's run defense Saturday. (Vicky Graff Photo)
I took a look at pregame notes on No. 22 Florida going into Saturday’s game at Kentucky and the numbers are impressive. See what you think:
— QB Graham Mertz has completed 70% of his passes or better in each of his first four starts as a Gator – the first UF quarterback with four-straight games above 70% since Kyle Trask in 2020 (Arkansas, at Vanderbilt, Kentucky, at Tennessee).
— Mertz has completed 77.8% of his passes (84-for-108), which leads the SEC and ranks fourth nationally behind Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy, Oregon’s Bo Nix and Oklahoma’s Dillon Gabriel.
— In year one under DC Austin Armstrong, Florida ranks first in the SEC, fourth in the P5 and fifth in the FBS in total defense with 244.8 yards allowed per game. Through four games last year, UF had allowed 424.0 yards per game.
— The Gators have limited teams to 13.5 points per game (t-18th in FBS), a 15.4-point improvement from last season (28.9).
— Florida ranks 15th in the FBS, eighth in the P5 and first in the SEC in passing defense (162.8 passing yards per game).
— Conversely, Kentucky ranks 25th in the FBS in scoring offense with 38.0 points per game while averaging nearly 400 yards per contest (396.5).
— QB Graham Mertz leads the SEC with a 77.8% completion percentage entering Week 5, ranking fourth in the FBS. Mertz has opened his Florida career showing incredible efficiency, delivering four-straight games completing more than 70% of his passes (70.5%, 82.4%, 79.2%, 87.0%). Mertz’s 87.0% completion percentage in Week 4 is the ninth-best of any FBS quarterback this season. Among FBS players with 100-plus pass attempts, Mertz ranks third nationally in completion percentage.
— RB Trevor Etienne ranks third in the SEC with 6.7 yards per carry and is one of 10 running backs in the country with over 300 yards rushing, 6.5 yards per carry and multiple rushing scores (min. 40 attempts).
— Florida has seven sacks while allowing just four across the team’s last three games.
— Through the first four games of the 2023 season, the Gators have only allowed 54 points (13.5 per game) compared to 2022, when Florida allowed 118 total points – a 64 point improvement. Additionally, Florida is limiting opponents to 244.8 total yards per game this season, a 179-yard improvement from last year’s 424.0 yards per game through the first four games. The Gators rank fifth in the FBS and first in the SEC in total defense with 244.8 YPG.
— Florida has only allowed 45 total first downs, which ranks first in the FBS, compared to 99 given up in the first four games last year.
— In the last 14 quarters, Florida has limited opposing offense to a total of 747 yards (53.3 yards per quarter).
— The Gators also lead the SEC in 4th Down Conversion Pct. (.200), ranking 8th in the FBS.
One Response
Should be a good one. Go Cats!!!