Jake Roth – USA TODAY Sports
Florida Gators quarterback Jeff Driskel started his college football career on a good note. Considering the only real guidance he had was previous Florida quarterback John Brantley, who was quite the disappointment in his time with the Gators, that is certainly an achievement to be proud of.
Driskel began his sophomore year with a positive attitude that presented itself in several of his performances. In the game against the South Carolina Gamecocks, Driskel stunned everyone with his composure and competency, leading his team to a 44-11 victory. When playing against the Vanderbilt Commodores, Driskel blew everyone away with an explosive 70-yard touchdown run, rushing for a total of 177 yards; thus, shattering Tim Tebow‘s record of 166 yards rushing in 2007 against the Ole Miss Rebels.
Although Driskel led the Gators to a thrilling 11-2 record in 2012, he had his fair share of faults along the way. In high-pressure situations, like the dreadful rivalry game against the Georgia Bulldogs or the unpleasant Sugar Bowl game against the Louisville Cardinals, Driskel couldn’t take the heat. He eventually caved under the strain, throwing a total of two interceptions per game. In addition to crumbling under stress, Driskel spent entirely too much time holding onto the ball, resulting in his being sacked a whopping 36 times last season. Granted, not all of those were his fault. The offensive line can take credit for several of those sacks.
Driskel needs to learn to when to throw the ball away and when to run if none of his receivers are open. Simply standing still and holding onto the ball is not going to accomplish anything except frustration and possible injury. Even though Driskel had some stellar moments last season, he indisputably has some improvements to make before the 2013 season begins.
