Three Sparks for the Gators Halfway Through the Season

Now halfway through the season and into the bye week, who has been leading the charge for the Gators on the offensive, defensive and special teams sides of the ball?

After a concerning 45-35 loss to LSU, the Florida Gators find themselves sitting at 4-3 heading into the bye week before their trip to Jacksonville, Fla. to face the No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs on Oct, 29. 

With three losses in three winnable games, there could be plenty of faults and wrongdoings to be found, but rather than focus on the negatives, here are some bright spots or "sparks" that have been lit across the Gators' football team seven contests into the 2022 season. 

Using a balanced approach of eye tests and analytics, a midseason recognition will be awarded to one offensive, defensive and special teams player based on exemplary play and significant statistical trends.

Offensive Spark - Offensive Guard O'Cyrus Torrence

No starting player on the Gators' offense has a higher Pro Football Focus offense grade than O'Cyrus Torrence, coming in at an 89.6 offensive grade. Torrence has not only been elite all around with his play, but no guard in the country has a higher run-blocking grade than his, coming in with a 91.2.

Torrence's two pressures allowed on the season also rank tied for the fourth-lowest among qualifying Power Five guards. Having allowed just two pressures on 161 pass-blocking snaps, Torrence finds himself as the No. 5 guard with a 99.4 efficiency rating as well. 42 games into his college career, he has still yet to allow a sack.

Not only has Torrence played with an elite pedigree this season, but his discipline also has as well. Torrence ranks tied for first among qualifying Power Five guards with zero penalties called against him. 

Combining elite guard play and sound discipline, Torrence has earned the spotlight for his play this season and is officially a spark for the Gators' offense.

Defensive Spark - Linebacker Ventrell Miller 

Linebacker Ventrell Miller has been the heartbeat of the Gators' defense all season and it shows up every Saturday (or the occasional Sunday). Miller leads Florida with 27 defensive stops — tackles constituting a failure for the offense — and paces the team in tackles with 46 tackles on the year.

When it comes to run defense, Miller is about as good as they come this season. So far on the year, Miller has posted an 88.1 run-defense grade, making him tied for fourth among qualifying Power Five linebackers in run-defense grades. His 78.6 total defense grade makes him tied for 10th among Power Five linebackers, another impressive notch on the belt. 

When it comes to quarterback pressures, Miller is fourth on the team with 10 in total, trailing EDGE Brenton Cox Jr. (19), defensive lineman Gervin Dexter Sr. (14) and EDGE Princely Umanmielen (11).

Few players make as many impact plays and a difference on the field as Ventrell Miller, and the Gators' defense sorely needs him anytime it's on the field. 

Special Teams Spark - Safety Donovan McMillon

Special teams plays and players tend to fly under the radar in the running of a game. While not always flashy, special teams can swing a game when you least expect it. One of the important pieces of Florida's special teams unit, known inside the building as the "GameChangers," is safety Donovan McMillon. 

McMillon leads all Gators with four tackles and plays on nearly every facet of the Gators' special teams. He currently owns the fourth-highest SPEC grade on the team with a 72.5, behind only long snapper Marco Ortiz (78.3), safety Miguel Mitchell (75.3) and long snapper Rocco Underwood (75.3). Ortiz has only appeared in one game this season due to injury, however.

Next time you're watching a Gators kickoff or punt, be sure to keep your eyes extra peeled for No. 13, you're bound to see him excel at his craft. He most recently came up with a clutch tackle to limit Jeremy Crawshaw's 62-yard punt against LSU to only a two-yard gain.

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