GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Florida coach Jim McElwain insists he’s simply playing to the strengths of his team. It’s the polite way of saying his defense is significantly better than his offense.
Nonetheless, it’s working for the No. 10 Gators.
Florida’s defense is ranked second in the country and coming off a fourth game in which it held an opponent under 200 total yards . With the exception of one half — the second half at Tennessee in September — the Gators have been downright dominant on that side of the ball.
It essentially means Florida (6-1, 4-1 SEC) can win without having to do too much offensively. It’s probably not ideal for a fan base that was spoiled by Steve Spurrier and Tim Tebow. But the Gators are seemingly best suited to protect the ball, be patient, play a field-position game and take calculated risks at opportune times.
The plan could be tested Saturday at Arkansas (5-3, 1-3), which is coming off a bye week that followed a 53-point loss at Auburn.
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