3 Florida Gators who Need to Step Up vs. Samford

There's plenty of blame to go around after the Florida Gators lost to Miami, but these three veterans in particular need to pick it up a notch.

Florida Gators defensive back Jordan Castell needs a bounce-back game against Samford / Matt Pendleton-USA TODAY Sports

While Miami thoroughly embarrassed the University of Florida on Saturday, a sliver of light exists. Now, this does not mean anything like a moral victory, which should never exist. The Hurricanes walked into The Swamp, placed their proverbial feet on the coffee table and left the place in tatters.

Zero respect was earned and the Gators will search for answers. Now, they must turn the page and move along. The Samford Bulldogs stroll into Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. This game remains less about the opponent and more about the specific players that need to step up and play far better than they did on Saturday.

Honesty First

Perhaps no one provided a more honest take than Center Jake Slaughter during the postgame. Slaughter offered up the following opinion, when looking back and forward. This type of awareness needs to permeate the rest of the roster.

"“I think everybody felt a sense of embarrassment that’s something that’s natural," Slaughter said after the game on Saturday. "I anticipate practice to be high intensity. I anticipate our guys, our leaders in particular, our older guys who have played a lot of ball to turn it up 10 notches. I anticipate us getting ready, and guys bringing younger guys along with them, guys that we need to play, I have a feeling this is going to be one of our better weeks of practice in order to get ready to play football.”

T.J. Searcy

For a player that serves as supposedly one of the best pass rushers on the team, Searcy disappeared on Saturday. Regardless of the five tackles accumulated. Searcy failed to put his thumbprint on the game. Instead, he looked like he arrived late, far from the line of scrimmage. 

Granted, Miami quarterback Cam Ward can confound defenses, but Searcy needed to do more, and he did not. The coaching staff entrusted him with the coveted JACK spot, a role that specifically involves making plays all over the field.

Jordan Castell

If he didn't allow too much of a cushion in the middle of the field, Castell failed to defeat blocks in the run game. For example, Miami running back Mark Fletcher heads off tackle. The Hurricanes block down, leaving Castell and a wide receiver in space. 

Instead of trying to defeat the block, Castell just drives his shoulder into the wideout's chest. Making absolutely no concerted effort to either shed the block or make the tackle. Fletcher practically walks into the end zone and the defensive wheels start coming off in Gainesville. That play or lack thereof exemplifies the problems inside the Florida defense. 

Kamryn Waites

Saturday's film shows offensive lineman Waites losing reps to wide-charging rushers that beat him with quickness, leaving him to lunge and reach. The Hurricanes picked up on the fact, pinning their ears back and exposes Waites' no-good, terrible day. While he executes as a run blocker, Waites struggled to win pass reps, placing the quarterback's immediate health in jeopardy. Against Samford and maybe beyond, using a tight end to chip could work. 

Bottom Line

Samford isn't Miami. As a result, you can enjoy the inevitable victory with realism. The Gators will face better competition the following week. However, using Saturday's game as a get healthy event will raise both confidence and morale. The above-listed players along with every player on the roster need that boost, as the impending SEC season will be much tougher than Samford.