Latest / A Peek Inside Gators Football: A Show About the Florida Gators / Gators Football Has a HIDDEN ADVANTAGE That NOBODY Realized

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Gators Football Has a HIDDEN ADVANTAGE That NOBODY Realized · A Peek Inside Gators Football: A Show About the Florida Gators

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Welcome back to a peek inside Gator football alley. Peek here.
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: This video is brought to you by PrizePix, where new
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  Speaker 1: users can download the app, play a $ 5 lineup using
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  Speaker 1: our code. It's HMA. If you win, you'll get $ 150
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: in lineups instantly. So when we talk about the Florida
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: Gators through the first seven games of the season, there
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: are a handful of names that seem to dominate every conversation.
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: Jaden Baugh, Aaron Filo, Tramell Jones, VB3, and, you know,
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  Speaker 1: all of those for good reasons. These are some of
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  Speaker 1: the players who have made headlines and generated big plays
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  Speaker 1: and become major parts of the conversation surrounding this football team.
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  Speaker 1: But here's something I've been thinking about during the bye week.
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  Speaker 1: Sometimes the players who make the biggest difference aren't necessarily
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  Speaker 1: the ones everybody's talking about. They're the guys that make
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  Speaker 1: a critical block, who convert a third down, who make
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  Speaker 1: a tackle in space, who execute their assignments when everybody
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  Speaker 1: else is trying to make the highlight reel. And after
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: watching Florida's comeback win over Texas, I started to think
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  Speaker 1: just how many players had made important contributions this season
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  Speaker 1: without getting nearly enough recognition. Here's the reality. Florida isn't
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  Speaker 1: five and two simply because of its biggest stars. The
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  Speaker 1: Gators have gotten some valuable contributions from players who probably
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  Speaker 1: aren't getting the attention that they deserve. And today I
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  Speaker 1: want to recognize a few of them. Now this list
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  Speaker 1: isn't necessarily a list of Florida's best players. It's not
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  Speaker 1: just about statistics. It's about guys who have exceeded expectations,
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  Speaker 1: made important plays, or contributed in ways that maybe don't
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  Speaker 1: always show up in the box score. So let's get
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  Speaker 1: into it. I'm going to start with London Montgomery, and
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  Speaker 1: here's why. When you have a running back like Jaden Baugh,
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  Speaker 1: everybody else in that room is naturally going to get overshadowed.
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  Speaker 1: Baugh was one of the most productive running backs in
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  Speaker 1: college football during Florida's first four games. Duke Clark has
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  Speaker 1: also had some impressive performances, particularly against Ole Miss. But
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  Speaker 1: I think Montgomery deserves some recognition for the versatility he
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  Speaker 1: brings to this offense. He's a player who can contribute
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  Speaker 1: in different situations. Against Texas, we got a glimpse of that.
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  Speaker 1: Montgomery carried the football four times for 20 yards. He
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  Speaker 1: also caught a pass for eight yards and contributed in
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  Speaker 1: the return game. Now, those are obviously not eye-popping statistics.
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  Speaker 1: But think about what Florida was trying to do offensively
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  Speaker 1: against Texas. The Gators weren't trying to throw the ball
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  Speaker 1: all over the field. They were trying to maintain possession.
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  Speaker 1: pick up first downs, and keep the chains moving. And
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  Speaker 1: Montgomery contributed to that effort. I also think he's an
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  Speaker 1: interesting player to watch coming out of the bye week.
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  Speaker 1: Florida needs dependable options behind Bob. And when you have
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  Speaker 1: a player who can run, who can catch the football,
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  Speaker 1: and who is a serious contributor on special teams, there's
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  Speaker 1: huge value in that. He has had a kickoff return
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  Speaker 1: for a touchdown. He's had a kickoff return for a
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  Speaker 1: touchdown called back. He's had other really interesting, good, strong returns.
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  Speaker 1: He may not be the first name everybody talks about
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  Speaker 1: when discussing Florida's offense or even special teams, but he
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  Speaker 1: has an opportunity to become increasingly more important over these
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  Speaker 1: final five games. The next one is my guy who,
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  Speaker 1: you know, we probably don't talk enough about until we
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  Speaker 1: need him, and that's Patrick Durkin. I think that's probably
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  Speaker 1: actually a compliment, though. When nobody's talking about your kicker,
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  Speaker 1: it usually means he's doing his job. Through seven games,
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  Speaker 1: Durkin has converted 11 of 12 field goal attempts. That's
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  Speaker 1: better than 91%. He's also been perfect on extra points.
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  Speaker 1: And I think that level of consistency deserves a lot
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  Speaker 1: more credit than it gets. Remember, Florida hasn't exactly been
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  Speaker 1: playing mistake-free football this season. There have been offensive struggles.
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  Speaker 1: There have been defensive breakdowns. There have been games where
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  Speaker 1: Gators have made things so much more difficult than they
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  Speaker 1: needed to be. But Durkin has generally been somebody the
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  Speaker 1: coaching staff can count on. Against Texas, he made both
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  Speaker 1: of his field goal attempts. One was from 45 yards.
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  Speaker 1: The other was a 28-yarder that gave Florida its first
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  Speaker 1: lead of the game in the fourth quarter. Those are
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  Speaker 1: important numbers. And when you're trying to win close games
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  Speaker 1: in the SEC, having a dependable kicker is a pretty
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  Speaker 1: big deal. We spend so much time talking about quarterbacks
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  Speaker 1: and receivers and defensive playmakers, but a reliable kicking game
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  Speaker 1: can be the difference between winning and losing. And so far,
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  Speaker 1: Durkin has given Florida a real advantage in that department.
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  Speaker 1: Next up, I'm going to go with Brendan Bett. I
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  Speaker 1: think he's a good example of why you can't evaluate
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  Speaker 1: defensive linemen simply by looking at their sack totals. Now,
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  Speaker 1: I'm not going to pretend Florida's defensive front have been
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  Speaker 1: dominant the whole season. It hasn't been. The Missouri game
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  Speaker 1: was particularly ugly. And there have been stretches where the
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  Speaker 1: Gators have struggled to get off blocks, maintain gap integrity,
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  Speaker 1: or stop the run. But Bett is one of those
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  Speaker 1: players who have contributed to the rotation and helped provide
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  Speaker 1: some physicality up front. Against Texas, he recorded four tackles,
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  Speaker 1: one and a half tackles for a loss, and a sack.
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  Speaker 1: And I thought his improvement was an important part of
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  Speaker 1: Florida's improved defensive performance. Remember, the Gators sacked Arch Manning
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  Speaker 1: five times. They held Texas to 99 rushing yards, and
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  Speaker 1: they limited the Longhorns to just 13 first downs. That
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  Speaker 1: kind of defensive performance doesn't happen just because of one player.
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  Speaker 1: It requires contributions across the defensive front, and that's where
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  Speaker 1: I think Bette deserves some recognition. Everybody wants to talk
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  Speaker 1: about Jaden Woods or LJ McCray or Miles Graham, and
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  Speaker 1: understandably so. But Florida needs more than one disruptive defensive lineman.
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  Speaker 1: It needs guys who can win individual matchups, play their assignments,
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  Speaker 1: and help keep the linebackers clean. And when Bette is
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  Speaker 1: playing the way he did against Texas, he gives Florida
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  Speaker 1: another player who can contribute to that front. Now this
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  Speaker 1: is a guy I've really enjoyed watching. It's Bailey Stockton.
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  Speaker 1: And I know we've talked about him some. But I
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  Speaker 1: really think he's one of those receivers whose value isn't
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  Speaker 1: necessarily reflected by his total receiving yardage. Against South Carolina,
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  Speaker 1: he had eight receptions for 127 yards and a touchdown.
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  Speaker 1: That was an outstanding performance in a game where Florida's
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  Speaker 1: offense was having all kinds of problems. And against Texas,
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  Speaker 1: he caught four passes for 31 yards. Again, that's not
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  Speaker 1: a huge number, but here's what stood out to me.
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  Speaker 1: On Florida's opening possession of the second half, the Gators
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  Speaker 1: faced third and six from their own 35. That was
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  Speaker 1: a critical moment. Florida had just scored before halftime to
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  Speaker 1: cut the deficit to 17-10. Now it had the football
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  Speaker 1: to begin the third quarter, and a three and out
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  Speaker 1: would have given Texas the opportunity to regain control. Instead,
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  Speaker 1: Tramell Jones found Stockton for 14 yards and a first down.
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  Speaker 1: Florida went on to put together a 15-play touchdown drive
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  Speaker 1: that took more than eight minutes off the clock. That
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  Speaker 1: catch helped keep one of the most important possessions of
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  Speaker 1: the entire season alive. And I think that's what makes
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  Speaker 1: Stockton so valuable. He's showing he can be dependable when
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  Speaker 1: the offense needs somebody to make a play. Now, does
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  Speaker 1: he have the explosive playability of VB3? No. But every
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  Speaker 1: offense needs receivers who can move the chains. And he's
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  Speaker 1: tough as nails. And that's another thing that I think
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  Speaker 1: he brings to the table. He blocks his butt off.
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  Speaker 1: He has gotten... Like, I thought his leg was falling
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  Speaker 1: off one game. He got broken in half and we
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  Speaker 1: thought he might need a stretcher for his back another game.
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  Speaker 1: But he just keeps coming back. He is one of
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  Speaker 1: those dependable guys. If you have a team... of Bailey Stockton's,
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  Speaker 1: you have a tough, smart football team. So I really
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  Speaker 1: think he is just such a reliable guy that doesn't
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  Speaker 1: get enough love. I'm gonna take a moment to take
• 7:17
  Speaker 1: a break from this video to give some love over
• 7:21
  Speaker 1: to my husband, Eric Wilber's company. Summit Wealth Advisors is
• 7:26
  Speaker 1: one of our partners, and I know you guys think
• 7:28
  Speaker 1: about Eric as a former national champion, but he brings
• 7:31
  Speaker 1: that kind of intensity from the football field to the workplace.
• 7:35
  Speaker 1: And if you've ever worked with Eric before, you know
• 7:37
  Speaker 1: exactly what I'm talking about. He is a financial advisor.
• 7:40
  Speaker 1: He can help you get ready for retirement. He can
• 7:43
  Speaker 1: help you get through retirement. He can help you, if
• 7:46
  Speaker 1: you're just starting out, set things up so that you
• 7:48
  Speaker 1: don't have to worry about retirement down the road. Summitwealthadvisors.com
• 7:52
  Speaker 1: is his website. We'll have a link in this video
• 7:55
  Speaker 1: as well. He has a special offer going on right
• 7:57
  Speaker 1: now just for everybody that watches the podcast. Set up
• 8:00
  Speaker 1: a 20-minute... Is this right for me? Zoom call. Worst
• 8:04
  Speaker 1: case scenario, get to chat a little football with a
• 8:06
  Speaker 1: former national champion. Best case scenario, he can help you
• 8:09
  Speaker 1: set up a plan that can make your life easier
• 8:12
  Speaker 1: moving forward. So make sure you check him out. Summit
• 8:14
  Speaker 1: Wealth Advisors. Again, it's Eric Wilber. He is a former Gator.
• 8:18
  Speaker 1: Gators work with Gators. So go ahead and go support
• 8:21
  Speaker 1: him over there. All right, let's get back into it.
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  Speaker 1: Let's see who else we have on this list. You know,
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  Speaker 1: only makes sense to go from our Add about our
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  Speaker 1: former punter to talk about this year's punter, Alec Clark.
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  Speaker 1: And I'm putting him high on this not given enough
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  Speaker 1: love list. I think he's earned it. When you talk
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  Speaker 1: about complementary football, field position is a huge part of
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  Speaker 1: that conversation. Through seven games, Florida's punting unit is averaging
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  Speaker 1: more than 47 yards per punt. Against Texas, Clark punted
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  Speaker 1: six times for 311 yards. That's an average of almost
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  Speaker 1: 52 yards per punt. Three of those punts traveled at
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  Speaker 1: least 50 yards. Now, I'm not going to ignore the
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  Speaker 1: fact that Florida gave up a 63-yard punt return for
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  Speaker 1: a touchdown in that game. That's a major breakdown, and
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  Speaker 1: that punt coverage unit absolutely has to get better there.
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  Speaker 1: But I think we need to separate the execution of
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  Speaker 1: the punt coverage from the value of having a punter
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  Speaker 1: who can consistently flip field position, especially when you're playing
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  Speaker 1: an opponent with such a good defense and you're not
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  Speaker 1: moving the football consistently, which is going to happen in
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  Speaker 1: the SEC. There are going to be games where your
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  Speaker 1: offense stalls. We've already seen it this year. And when
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  Speaker 1: that happens, being able to change field position can help
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  Speaker 1: your defense tremendously. It's one of those little things that
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  Speaker 1: can be a huge difference over the course of a
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  Speaker 1: football game. And Clark has proven that he has the
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  Speaker 1: ability to do that for the Gators. My next person
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  Speaker 1: on this list is Lakata Dupree. Now, you know, he
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  Speaker 1: got some recognition after that Texas game. two touchdowns, was
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  Speaker 1: a huge role player in that game. But I still
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  Speaker 1: think he's being overlooked when we talk about overall and
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  Speaker 1: of Florida's offensive personnel. I know what you're thinking. How
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  Speaker 1: can a guy that just had two touchdowns be underrated?
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  Speaker 1: But here's why. I think Dakota LaPree gives Florida something
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  Speaker 1: it desperately needs. He's a reliable target in the red
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  Speaker 1: zone and somebody who can help a young quarterback when
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  Speaker 1: the field gets condensed and the windows become smaller. Look
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  Speaker 1: at what happened against Texas. Florida is trailing 17-3 late
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  Speaker 1: in the second quarter. Tramell Jones leads the Gators down
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  Speaker 1: the field and with 18 seconds remaining before halftime, he
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  Speaker 1: finds Dupree for a seven-yard touchdown. That completely changes the
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  Speaker 1: complexion of the game. Then the Gators get the football
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  Speaker 1: to start the second half. They put together that eight-minute
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  Speaker 1: drive and who catches Dupree? The touchdown that ties that game, Dupree, again,
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  Speaker 1: two receptions, 15 yards, two touchdowns. Now, if you're just
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  Speaker 1: looking at receiving yards, you probably wouldn't think much of
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  Speaker 1: that stat line. But those two catches were among the
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  Speaker 1: most important offensive plays of the entire game. And that's
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  Speaker 1: why I wanted to include them. Because not every important
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  Speaker 1: receiving contribution is a 50-yard touchdown. Sometimes it's knowing how
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  Speaker 1: to create separation near the goal line. Sometimes it's understanding
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  Speaker 1: where the quarterback needs you to be. And sometimes it's
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  Speaker 1: simply making a catch when the entire football game is
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  Speaker 1: hanging in the balance. And with Florida facing Georgia, Oklahoma,
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  Speaker 1: and some other difficult opponents down the stretch, I think
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  Speaker 1: Debris could be an even more important part of this offense.
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  Speaker 1: And now we get to who I think is probably
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  Speaker 1: my most underrated player, Ty Jackson. And again, I know
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  Speaker 1: some of you might have a different name at the
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  Speaker 1: top of your list, but here's why I'm going with Jackson.
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  Speaker 1: When I think about what John Summerall is trying to
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  Speaker 1: establish at Florida, I think Ty Jackson represents an important
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  Speaker 1: part of that mentality. Summerall talked about Jackson after the
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  Speaker 1: Texas game. He discussed how Jackson had continued working and competing,
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  Speaker 1: even though he wasn't necessarily getting all the defensive opportunities
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  Speaker 1: he wanted. And he emphasized the importance of rewarding players
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  Speaker 1: who do things the right way. Guys who show up,
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  Speaker 1: guys who practice hard, guys who contribute on special teams,
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  Speaker 1: guys who stay ready when their number is called. Now
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  Speaker 1: let's talk about that Texas game. Because Jackson made one
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  Speaker 1: of the biggest defensive plays of the entire afternoon. Texas
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  Speaker 1: is leading 17-3. The Longhorns have the football near midfield
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  Speaker 1: with less than three minutes remaining in the first half.
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  Speaker 1: It's fourth and one. Sark decides to go for it.
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  Speaker 1: Hollywood Smothers takes the handoff. And Ty Jackson meets him
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  Speaker 1: in the backfield. Loss of a yard. Turnover on downs.
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  Speaker 1: Florida gets the football at the Texas 49-yard line. And
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  Speaker 1: what happens next? Tramell Jones leads the Gators down the field.
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  Speaker 1: He converts fourth and 12 to Dallas Wilson. And then
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  Speaker 1: he finds Lakata Dupree for a touchdown with 18 seconds
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  Speaker 1: remaining before halftime. Florida cuts the deficit to 17-10. Then
• 12:42
  Speaker 1: the Gators come out of halftime and tie the game.
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  Speaker 1: And eventually, they win it. 27-24. Think about how different
• 12:49
  Speaker 1: that game might have been if Jackson doesn't make that stop.
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  Speaker 1: Texas could have continued that drive. Maybe the Longhorns score again.
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  Speaker 1: Maybe Florida goes into halftime down three possessions. Instead, Jackson
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  Speaker 1: makes a play that helps completely change the momentum of
• 13:02
  Speaker 1: the game. And that's why he's got to be number
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  Speaker 1: one for me. Because he wasn't necessarily the biggest name
• 13:07
  Speaker 1: on the field. He wasn't the player everybody was talking
• 13:10
  Speaker 1: about before kickoff. But when Florida needed somebody to step
• 13:13
  Speaker 1: up and make a critical play, he was ready. Now
• 13:17
  Speaker 1: here's the bigger picture. When we talk about Florida's first
• 13:19
  Speaker 1: seven games, there's obviously been a lot of focus on
• 13:22
  Speaker 1: quarterbacks and on Jaden Baugh and on offensive line struggles,
• 13:25
  Speaker 1: on defensive issues, and on Summerall and his coaching staff.
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  Speaker 1: But I think what happened against Texas should remind us
• 13:31
  Speaker 1: that winning football teams need contributions from everybody. Not just
• 13:35
  Speaker 1: the stars, not just the five-star recruits, and not just
• 13:39
  Speaker 1: the players who are putting up the biggest numbers. They
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  Speaker 1: need guys like Ty Jackson making a critical fourth down stop.
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  Speaker 1: Bailey Stockton moves the chains. Lakata Dupree finishing drives in
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  Speaker 1: the red zone. Patrick Durkin making his field goals. Alec
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  Speaker 1: Clark flipping field position. And defensive players stepping up when
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  Speaker 1: their opportunities come. Because if Florida's going to take the
• 13:58
  Speaker 1: next step as a program, This can't just be about
• 14:01
  Speaker 1: having talented players. It has to be about developing depth.
• 14:05
  Speaker 1: It has to be about getting contributions for the entire roster.
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  Speaker 1: And it has to be about creating a culture where
• 14:10
  Speaker 1: players understand that every role matters. Now, does this mean
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  Speaker 1: all of these guys are going to become stars over
• 14:17
  Speaker 1: the second half of the season? Of course not. But
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  Speaker 1: I do think there are some names on this list
• 14:21
  Speaker 1: who could become significantly more important as the season goes on,
• 14:25
  Speaker 1: especially in terms the case of injuries or matchup changes.
• 14:30
  Speaker 1: And there's going to be moments when the Gators need
• 14:33
  Speaker 1: somebody other than their biggest stars to step up. And
• 14:35
  Speaker 1: after we saw against Texas, I think there's reason to
• 14:38
  Speaker 1: believe Florida has some players who are close to being
• 14:43
  Speaker 1: huge contributors. They're capable of doing exactly what I'm talking about.
• 14:48
  Speaker 1: But now I want to hear from you guys. Who
• 14:50
  Speaker 1: are the most underrated players on Florida's roster right now?
• 14:53
  Speaker 1: And maybe more importantly, Is there somebody that I left
• 14:56
  Speaker 1: off that should be on this list? Let me know
• 15:00
  Speaker 1: down in the comments. I want to hear from you.
• 15:02
  Speaker 1: Big thank you to PrizePix. Don't forget, if you haven't
• 15:04
  Speaker 1: done it yet, download the app, play a $ 5 lineup,
• 15:07
  Speaker 1: and use our code. It's HMA. If you win, you'll
• 15:09
  Speaker 1: get $ 150 in lineups instantly. We appreciate PrizePix for all
• 15:13
  Speaker 1: their support. I appreciate you guys for tuning in. And
• 15:15
  Speaker 1: as always, go Gators.