Lack of Communication Dooms Gators vs. Canes

Florida Gators players and coaches alike used the buzzword "communication" as a reason for the multiple breakdowns against the Miami Hurricanes.

Florida Gators running back Montrell Johnson Jr. celebrates his touchdown against the Miami Hurricanes. / Kyle Lander, Gators Illustrated

Teams are never going to be at their best if they can’t communicate effectively, and the Florida Gators experienced the downside of poor communication in an “embarrassing” loss to Miami on Saturday.  

Gators head coach Billy Napier and multiple players stated that there were key communication issues against the Hurricanes that ultimately led to a poor-overall display and a lack of execution in their season opener. One of those players was starting running back Montrell Johnson Jr.

“I think the whole thing was just communication issues and execution issues,” Johnson Jr. responded when asked about the difficulty in sustaining drives. 

He isn’t wrong either. On offense, the Gators could not get anything going. The offensive personnel looked to always be on different pages, and their third down efficiency reiterates just how disconnected it looked. Florida was 1-for-9 on third downs compared to Miami going 5-for-10.

And center Jake Slaughter shared the same thoughts as Johnson Jr. when asked about what Miami did on third downs to cause issues for the offensive line. 

“I think they did a very good job disguising issues,” Slaughter said. “I think we need to communicate better, I think we need to execute, at the end of the day, you’ve got to block them.”

However, as much difficulty the offense had in scoring, the defense struggled equally in getting stops, with Napier citing miscommunication in certain defensive schemes as a partial reason.

“We had some man-to-man miscommunications, we had some underneath zone coverage communication,” Napier stated. “We had a few missed communications in the back end in man coverage. Two led to touchdowns.”

There was a play in particular that summed up the miscommunication between players that Napier talked about. Nearing the end of the first half, Miami quarterback Cam Ward placed a pass in between two Gator defenders for a touchdown.

At first glance, it looked like an amazing pass (which it was). However, when you watch the play again, both the safety and corner thought the other had the receiver when neither actually did. 

Cam Ward & Xavier Restrepo are going to FEAST this season🍿

pic.twitter.com/gK5BeygjYL

— PFF College (@PFF_College) August 31, 2024

This can’t happen when you’re playing top teams like Miami.

Although it is not just the defensive backs that need to be better; the defensive line and linebackers need to take accountability as well. There was zero pressure from the line and linebackers on too many occasions.

One potential answer for this could be players not being in their correct spots on the play or not lined up in a timely manner, which stems from the communication from the middle linebacker or field general of the defense. 

For the Gators, that position belongs to Shemar James and he noted after the game that he could’ve been better at communicating to his teammates around him. 

“There were times where I feel that I could have communicated better to the back end, to the D-line,” James said. 

He also believes it can be fixed. It’s important that it is done sooner rather than later because clear communication is everything for a defense and will be pivotal for the Gators moving forward.