Florida vs. FAU Prediction, Game Preview

The Florida Gators (9-1) have one more tune-up, a visit from the Florida Atlantic Owls (2-8), before things become real serious in Gainesville. Check out the Florida vs. FAU prediction and game preview.

Florida vs. FAU Game Preview

Broadcast

Date: Saturday, November 21
Game Time: 12:00 ET
Venue: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, Florida
Network: SEC Network

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Why You Need To Care

It’s not quite a bye week. Think of it as a well-timed exhibition game for the Gators. Florida completed its league schedule with a win over South Carolina last weekend. But before moving on to the rivalry game with Florida State and the SEC title game on Dec. 5, the Gators will host Florida Atlantic for its softest test since the opener with New Mexico State. The Owls have two more cracks at matching last year’s 3-9 mark, struggling to a disappointing campaign for second-year head coach Charlie Partridge.

Why Florida Atlantic Will Win

This is a classic look-ahead scenario for the Gators. How can you seriously focus on FAU when FSU and likely Bama are on the horizon? Plus, as feeble as the Florida offense has been this fall, ranking 83rd nationally in yards per play, the Owls are liable to hang around. FAU will challenge the youthful Gator O-line with the quickness of linemen Trevon Coley, Trey Hendrickson and Hunter Snyder.

Why Florida Will Win

You can’t win if you don’t score, and Florida Atlantic might need turnovers or something from the return game just to get into Gator territory. Gainesville is home to one of the country’s nastiest defenses, a unit yielding just 14 points per game and 3.2 yards per carry. Few opponents have had the weapons to outsmart DT Jon Bullard, linebackers Antonio Morrison and Jarrad Davis and DBs Vernon Hargreaves and Marcus Maye. FAU is in absolutely no position to buck this year’s trend.

Player Who Matters

This is a good spot for the Gators to tinker with the offense and hopefully amass some confidence. It’s a green unit getting contributions from plenty of underclassmen, like WR Antonio Calloway and RB Jordan Cronkite. But more than anyone else, Florida needs a solid effort from inaccurate QB Treon Harris before the sophomore must face the top-flight defensive backfields of Florida State and, in all likelihood, Alabama.

What’s Going To Happen?

The gameplan for Jim McElwain is simple—build an early lead, preferably with a few offensive fireworks, get the starters to the bench in the third quarter and stay healthy. The Gators won’t need to be great to defeat Florida Atlantic. But they will need to make the most of this opportunity to fire up the offense, because more conversions will be necessary in the coming weeks.