UF'S MUSCHAMP BEGINS WITH A WIN

Will Muschamp Era Begins with a Win

Photo by: Enoch Lai

For the 22^nd straight season, the Florida Gators opened its college football year with a victory.  On Saturday night in The Swamp, Florida defeated Florida Atlantic, 41-3.  Early on, the Gators, with new head coach Will Muschamp and offensive coordinator Charlie Weis on the sidelines, attacked every FAU weakness.

Besides a bad snap in the first quarter – not the signal-caller’s fault, UF quarterback John Brantley looked nothing like the player he was in 2010.  The Gators abused the Owls with swing pass after swing pass.  Whether it was Frankie Hammond, Quinton Dunbar, Solomon Patton, Jordan Reed or Andre Debose, Brantley was thriving in Weis’ pro-style offense.  Brantley, the 22-year-old senior, did have two interceptions, which will be the room for improvement.  But, the story wouldn’t be anything without the domination of Florida’s Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps. 

All five Florida touchdowns were produced by either Rainey or Demps.  They combined to touch the football 32 times for 272 yards.  Did I mention they had five scores? Even with an early season cupcake, like many schools have this time of year, Florida’s defense cannot be overlooked.  The Gators held Florida Atlantic to 30 yards on the ground and three third-down conversions. Expect more from Rainey and Demps as the 22^nd-ranked University of Florida hosts the University of Alabama-Birmingham on Sept. 10.

Other game notes: Sophomore defensive end Sharrif Floyd was ruled ineligible prior to the season opener.  The University of Florida is currently seeking reinstatement from the NCAA.  In a statement released by the school, it read, “This is an issue that is not related to sports agents, University of Florida boosters or his recruitments to Florida.” Floyd was replaced in the starting lineup by senior William Green.