Florida faces another Southeastern Conference opponent on Saturday when the Gators travel to Austin to face top-10-ranked Texas at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.
Both programs enter the matchup looking to rebound following disappointing losses. The Longhorns fell to Oklahoma last week, while Florida suffered its second loss of the season to South Carolina on homecoming day.
Saturday's matchup potentially presents a strength-versus-strength battle. Texas' defense has been among the nation's best, ranking No. 23 nationally while allowing only 264.6 yards per game; Florida's offense averages 473.8 yards and 39.6 points per game, landing at No. 14 and No. 8, respectively.
On offense for the 'Horns, Arch Manning has completed 63% of his passes
for 1,122 yards and 10 touchdowns. However, his five interceptions are tied for fourth most in the conference — two of those turnovers came against Oklahoma. The Gators' secondary is dead last in the SEC and among the worst in the nation, making takeaways especially important for a struggling Florida defense.
Manning's struggles with ball security have been compounded by inconsistent pass protection. The Longhorns O-line is the top-ranked pass-blocking unit in the country according to Pro Football Focus with a grade of 85.6 but has given up 12 sacks; that dozen sacks allowed puts Texas at No. 106 nationally.
He was sacked six times against Oklahoma — this may be a weakness that Brad White's unit can take advantage of. The Gators rank in the top half of FBS on sack percentage at 7.4%.
Given the star-studded talent on the Longhorns' roster, they are averaging less than 400 yards of offense per game. Texas is ranked No. 79 in ypg and No. 59 in scoring. If Texas continues to be inconsistent on offense, Florida has an opportunity to control the ball and put itself in position to stay within striking distance.
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Key stats for Florida's Week 7 SEC battle against Texas in Austin
