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The Florida Gators broke their six game SEC losing streak on Saturday, pulling out a 24-17 win over the Missouri Tigers. Despite being outgained 370 to 297 yards, Florida won by scoring 14 points off of two Missouri turnovers and made a big 48-yard punt return from Xzavier Henderson to set up an early field goal. Offensive lineman Ethan White talked about the team’s past performances and looking ahead to LSU.
In a post game interview, White shared his thoughts on how he thinks his team has performed over the past six weeks.
The Gators offensive line had a solid season last year, only allowing 16 sacks including the bowl game. Florida also averaged 464 yards of offense, ranking fourth in the SEC. Gators averaged 5.5 yards per carry last season ranking first in the SEC and fourth in the country.
White, a junior, started at left guard in each of the first six games of the 2022 season. He and the rest of the offensive line managed to limit sacks to less than one per game so far and have only allowed three sacks in the first five games.
White Talks Offensive Line and the Runners
Florida had four runs of 30 yards or more in the second half against Missouri, led by carries of 41 yards from Montrell Johnson Jr. and 39 yards from freshman Trevor Etienne. Quarterback Anthony Richardson also had 32 yards on a scramble.
As an offensive lineman, White explained how he and the rest of the line deal with big runs like those.
The running backs are not the only runners on this team. Richardson is known to pick up yards using his feet often, but his offensive line is always ready.
White talked about how they handle a scrambler like Richardson and how they have to adjust.
Up Next
The Florida Gators will play the LSU Tigers on Saturday in the Swamp. Both teams sit at 4-2 on the season so far and both coaches are in their first seasons as head coaches in the SEC.
This could pose as an issue for watching back game film, but White said looking at Kelly’s past performances will be key in preparation for this weekend.
