Florida Gators Position Focus: Running Backs

The running game never really got established against Miami. Why? What should Gator fans expect from their backfield moving forward?

Thirty-five yards. 

Against Miami, that is all Florida's trio of running backs -- hyped up to be one of the deepest groups in the SEC -- had to show for their performance. Obviously, there's a lot of context to that. There is more than one reason pointing to why Lamical Perine, Malik Davis and Dameon Pierce had such underwhelming statistics. Lets break down each guy.

Perine

Perine proved to me that he does not have to be running extremely well to positively impact the game. Obviously he had the receiving touchdown, and he totaled six catches for 25 yards. While 25 yards does not seem flashy, 4.2 yards-per-catch is just fine. That is plenty to keep the UF offense on the field. 

Perhaps more importantly, Perine was excellent all night in pass blocking support and was an effective decoy that allowed other guys opportunities. Look at both of these plays on the game winning drive. 

 On the 65-yard throw to Josh Hammond, arguably the play of the game, watch the linebacker towards the bottom of the screen, No. 56 Michael Pinckney. Pinckney comes in on an all-out blitz and totally bites on the fake carried out by Perine, buying time and space for Hammond to get open and Franks to step into his throw. 

On the touchdown run from Franks three plays later, Perine picks up Jonathan Garvin for the split-second needed to get Franks up the field. He eliminated any chance of Garvin getting Franks from behind and stopping the touchdown. 

While the rest of the season in all likelihood should feature better statistical days for the senior RB, his experience showed against UM. His ability to still help the offense without big numbers was something a young back wouldn't show. 

Davis

It was obviously a rough outing for Davis in the limited action that he saw. He rushed for -9 yards on three carries. He also mishandled the pitch from Franks that could have been a potential big gain. The redshirt sophomore from Tampa needs time to get right.

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 An inferior opponent like UT Martin should allow Davis to get a ton of carries and get back into game shape. His struggles against the 'Canes had less to do with his ability and more to do with the fact that Miami's front-seven is too good for someone who hasn't played in almost a year. 

Pierce

Pierce had an underwhelming day as well against Miami. It is pretty hard to take positives from a 0.7 yards-per-carry performance. He had three carries for two yards, meaning the non-Perine running backs combined for an abysmal -7 yards. 

Much like Davis, Pierce should see tons of action against UT Martin to get right. I could be proven wrong as the season plays out, but the Miami game proved that Pierce is not ready to fill the Jordan Scarlett role that many thought he would. Yes, he is a similar runner to Scarlett with his powerful running and ability to bounce off of tacklers and keep moving. However, he is too one-dimensional as of now to be nearly as effective. If Pierce improves in the passing game and improves in his pass blocking, a higher volume of carries and ultimately a higher volume of yards could be in his future.  

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Look for Perine to play early on in this game against the Skyhawks and then take a seat to the other two to finish out the game. It is essential for the confidence of Davis and Pierce to break off a few big runs and feel the rush of the home UF crowd. 

That said, these two absolutely have to get a rhythm if the Gators expect to take a step this season. The ability to interchange Scarlett and Perine in 2018 was a top strength of this team. It is unlikely that Franks will take another big step if the running game sees a decline in production.