“We’re going out there and executing it, the place is going to rock”: Graham Mertz previews Florida vs. Miami

The season of talking points is almost over, as the Gators have just three days left until their week one matchup against the Miami Hurricanes. After continuing to struggle on defense last season, Florida will need to significantly improve on that side of the ball for the Gators to have a chance in this football game, but what can we expect from Graham Mertz on Saturday?

In last year’s season opener against the Utah Utes, Florida’s offensive line struggled, allowing a total of five sacks and seven tackles for loss. Despite these difficulties, Mertz managed to rush for 333 yards and one touchdown on 31 successful passes.

“He had a couple of really impressive practices before we took a break on Sunday. I thought he was really good on Friday, Saturday and throughout practice. You can tell he came back for a reason. He’s excited for this opportunity,” Billy Napier said of Mertz’s preparation for Miami.

With everything becoming second nature to the Gators’ second-year playmaker in Billy Napier’s system, it’s rare to see veteran defenders like Jason Marshall even get their hands on the ball anymore.

“I can’t catch a pick from him now,” Jason Marshall said.

The chemistry between Mertz and his receivers is light years better than it was at this point last season. With the Gators having their quarterback and several other key offensive players back, the third-year experience should better prepare the offense for Week 1.

“I think especially when you think about the first game of the season, you have a general idea of ​​what the team is going to do,” Mertz said. “Everyone is working in the offseason, preparing different things, tweaking things. For us to have that in our toolbox from last year, knowing how to react to things during games and prepare for them, I think that’s going to be huge. We all know what happened last year and what all went into it. There was a lot of situational football, little decisions, little tweaks, protections, just getting the protection check. I want to go out there and put together a completely offensive, well-executed game.”

Miami not only returns a total of seven defensive linemen, including reigning ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year Rueben Bain, but also senior linebacker Francisco Mauigoa, who led the ACC with 18 tackles for loss last season.

“They have guys up front. Their linebackers are really solid. Everything kind of runs through the linebacker. He’s a great player. Last year he was 51, this year he’ll be 1. I don’t know his name yet,” Mertz said of Mauigoa. “I think the special thing about them is that they’re very talented and they trust their guys. It’s going to be a great defense.”

The Gators have heard the outside noise all offseason, but Merts tunes it out. He’s more concerned with showing his teammates right than the underdogs.

“I think some people are motivated by outside influences and stuff, but I’ve never been that kind of person. I’m motivated by my people, everyone in this building,” Mertz said of the outside conversations. “We’re here to prove each other right. We know what we put on tape last year, our reputation was that we were 5-7. That doesn’t mean anything for this year. It’s up to us to decide how we want to write our story.”

In two years under Billy Napier, the Gators have amassed a record of 9-4 at the Swamp. If the Gators want to continue their winning streak of 33 straight home victories, they will need to improve their performance in the key moments on Saturday.

“Coach has talked a lot about this: If we go out there and execute, it’s going to rock here. If we don’t execute, it’s not going to rock. I think you have to simplify it in your head,” Mertz said about the execution. “I have a job to do. My team is counting on me to do it. That will lead to all the emotion and excitement and the result that we want.”

Against Arkansas and Florida State last season, the Gators lost both home games in the fourth quarter due to poor execution on both sides of the ball.

Heading into this weekend’s clash, the Gators are +120 underdogs with a 57.3% chance of winning, according to ESPN, compared to Miami’s 42.7%.