Florida offense looks like it did during Steve Spurrier, Urban Meyer glory days

Florida football is having fun with their 21st century version of Fun n’ Gun.

This Florida football team has an offense to make Urban Meyer and Steve Spurrier jealous.

The Florida Gators improve to 2-0 by putting up more points on the South Carolina Gamecocks in their home opener. Though the South Carolina and the Ole Miss Rebels are two bottom-half teams in the SEC, we have to marvel at what the passing game looks like under head coach Dan Mullen with quarterback Kyle Trask slinging it and Kyle Pitts being the best tight end in college.

It took over a decade, but Florida finally has an offense worth watching.

Florida became nationally relevant for the first time as a college program under Spurrier in the 1990s. The former Heisman Trophy winner became the first member of that fraternity to coach another recipient of college football’s most distinguished award. The Gators won the 1996 National Championship with Danny Wuerrfel as their star quarterback in the Fun n’ Gun.

A decade or so later, Meyer left the Utah Utes to take over in Gainesville. With more of a read-option approach, he galvanized the Florida program to unprecedented heights. The Gators won two national titles in in three years in 2006 and 2008 with dual-threat playmaker Tim Tebow taking home the Heisman as a sophomore in 2007. Trask might be the fourth Gator to win it.

Against South Carolina, Trask completed 21-of-29 passes for 268 yards, four touchdowns and one interception. Four of those 21 completions went to Pitts for 57 yards and two touchdowns. Not only will Pitts win the Mackey, he might be in serious contention to win the Biletnikoff. Florida’s leading receiver Saturday was Kadarius Toney with six catches for 87 yards and a touchdown.

While Florida needs to improve on defense, the Gators put up 89 combined points in the last two weeks of SEC competition. Though it may change against the likes of the Georgia Bulldogs, the LSU Tigers, the Tennessee Volunteers or the Texas A&M Aggies, we don’t have to worry about the Florida offense any more. Mullen has made it hum like it did under Spurrier and Meyer previously.

The offense is the biggest reason why the Gators are the No. 3 team in college football this week. It gives them potentially a leg up on the Dawgs once they play their massive rivalry game down in Jacksonville in a few weeks. Whoever wins that game in Duval County typically ends up winning the SEC East, getting to Atlanta and playing for a trip to the College Football Playoff.

Florida has room to improve, but the passing game is massively improved of what it was recently.

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