GatorCountry brings you a new podcast as we recap the Florida Gators win over Colorado State on Saturday in the Swamp.

Andrew Spivey and Nick de la Torre break down how the offense looked on Saturday and what improved for them on that side of the ball.

Andrew and Nick also break down the special teams play and how that could end up being the X factor for the Gators this season.

TRANSCRIPT:

Andrew:                 What’s up, Gator Country? Your man, Andrew Spivey, here with Nicholas de la Torre. Nicholas, 48-10, the Gators pull out and beat Colorado State. Score’s a little deceiving of how close the game was for the most part. I say that, but Colorado State threatened at times, but never really threatened, I guess is the best way to say it. It’s kind of cliché to say they threatened but didn’t threaten. Had a good chunk of yards in the game, but never really put it all together for the most part in the game. Ended up with 310 total yards, Florida 341, which is a little deceiving as well, as Florida had three drives, well, two drives that ended up in special teams’ touchdown and one that started inside the 10, because of a special teams’ play for the Gators. Little deceiving, but overall 48-10, Gators do what they were supposed to do, get a win.

Nick:                         Yeah. You do what you’re supposed to do. Get back on track after the loss to Kentucky. We had mentioned don’t overlook a Colorado State team because you have Tennessee coming up, that’s how you trip up and lose a game. I don’t think, based on how it goes, obviously you loved the special teams, but I don’t think fans watching that game are waking up today and thinking, feels like we won by 38 points.

Andrew:                 I said this to you last night a little bit. I said, the way the game went it was a tough game. If you go back, and you look at that game, you just watch the game and you don’t know the final score, you’re thinking it’s a two or three score game. I guess, what separates this game was the special teams’ points. 17 special teams points created by the special teams.

I posted this in my thoughts on the game on Gator Country, but we talked about in the years past the defense being the X factor for this team. This year, it’s the special teams. The special teams are able to create points, or able to help create points, setting them up in good field position, because of that precision and because of that focus on special teams. Freddie Swain, punt returner for a touchdown. Amari Burney with a blocked punt that allowed Tyrie Cleveland to recover in the endzone. You had the fumbled snap that James Houston caused that was recovered and set them up for a field goal. You had several points in the game that were create by special teams.

Listen, for a team who struggles to put drives together, starting inside your 20 or inside your 30 gives a team chances to score points that are easy points. They’re given. It’s kind of like an error in post-season baseball, or in baseball in general. It gives you extra opportunities, and that’s what it is, an extra opportunity for this team. For a team who struggles to put drives together, it’s a welcomed position for the team.

Nick:                         It’s certainly welcome. It’s something that was missing so much for the past …

Andrew:                 Since Urban left.

Nick:                         Yeah, really since Urban left, since the last time Dan Mullen was here. Again, it’s those hidden yards that you talk about all the time. The kick returns, you had, I think, 157 yards, or no. I’m reading that wrong. Sorry. All-purpose yards. Freddie Swain had 125 yards, or 107 yards on punt returns. Amari Burney had 28. It’s those hidden yards there. Then, obviously, like you said, you get the blocked punts. The defense helped out too. The defense recovered three fumbles. A lot of short fields to work with.