Perine lands on Dolphins draft radar after leading Gators to Orange Bowl win

The Miami Dolphins might not have to look far and wide for their future running back.

Lamical Perine rushes for 139 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries to lead the Florida Gators to a 36-28 win over the Virginia Cavaliers in the Orange Bowl. He also gained 43 receiving yards and another touchdown.

Perine became the first Florida running back since Jacksonville Jaguars legend Fred Taylor in 1998 to earn bowl MVP honors.

The senior made a statement in his final career collegiate game in front of Dolphins general manager Chris Grier, who was at the game. One of the Dolphins’ last transactions of the regular season was to bring in Perine’s cousin Samaje, who spent the first three years of his NFL career with the Washington Redskins and Cincinnati Bengals.

Perine entered the bowl game with 538 rushing yards and 219 receiving yards with four touchdowns from both the air and the ground. He rushed for a career high 826 yards a year ago but his performance at Hard Rock Stadium proved that stats don’t tell the entire story.

“He’s one of the best backs in the country and came back his senior year,” Florida head coach Dan Mullen said, “and if you just purely look at stats and rushing yards, you might just kind of get a misread on it, but the reality is he’s one of the best backs in the country and he showed it out here tonight, running, catching.”

Perine immediately set the tone of the game with his first carry being a 61-yard touchdown run. The Gators were designated as the away team but the crowd said otherwise.

Perine’s second touchdown came on a 16-yard catch in which he had to shake off a defender on his way to the end zone.

His third touchdown was on a 10-yard run in the second quarter and he would’ve had a fourth one in the fourth quarter had the side of his foot wasn’t out of bounds on the one yard line. That allowed quarterback Kyle Trask to experience the end zone on a one-yard touchdown run.

Given the current state of running backs in the NFL Draft hierarchy, the Dolphins might not have to use one of their higher draft picks to select Perine. It would be ironic if the fifth round pick they acquired from the Arizona Cardinals in the  Kenyan Drake trade ends up being used on Perine.

Miami Dolphins part ways with several coaches on Black Monday

The Miami Dolphins parted with several coaches on Monday.

In what is known as Black Monday in National Football League circles, the Miami Dolphins have parted ways with coaches of their own. According to multiple media reports, the team has parted ways with safeties coach Tony Oden, offensive line coach Dave Deguglielmo, and offensive coordinator Chad O’Shea.

Deguglielmo was promoted to offensive line coach during training camp. He served in the capacity of an analyst role prior to that, having been hired this spring. This was his third stint with the Miami Dolphins. He was the offensive line coach from 2009-2011 and was an offensive assistant in 2017.

The Dolphins offensive line gave up 58 sacks in  2019. That number was tied with the Carolina Panthers for the most in the National Football League. They also allowed 146 quarterback hits. That was the most in the league by far. The next closest team was the Atlanta Falcons with 135.

Oden was hired as the teams safeties coach on February 8, 2019. That was the same day head coach Brian Flores announced his entire coaching staff.

Although the Miami Dolphins were able to get production from the safety position, there was certainly room for improvement. Eric Rowe was by far the best for Miami. He had 54 tackles, a forced fumble, and an interception. Stephen Parker was the starting strong safety. The rookie from Oklahoma had a decent year, recording 15 tackles and two interceptions.

Dolphins

O’Shea led offensive charge in first season with Miami Dolphins

This was O’Shea’s first season with the team. The Dolphins averaged 310 yards per game and recorded 34 total touchdowns on the year. They ranked 18th in the league with 19.7 first downs recorded per contest. Recording 94 offensive penalties, they ranked at the bottom of the league in that category.

It is certainly Black Monday for Miami Dolphins coaches. The organization obviously wants to go in a different direction, and it will be interesting to see who the replacements are. The foundation is there for the Miami Dolphins to succeed. Now, they want to take the next step.

Miami Hurricanes running back Lorenzo Lingard enters transfer portal

Lingard is no longer a member of the Miami Hurricanes.

A former member of the Miami Hurricanes has entered the transfer portal. According to a report from Matt Zenitz of Alabama.com, running back Lorenzo Lingard has entered the portal.

Lingard certainly had promise as a recruit. He was ranked the 25th overall player in the 2018 class, and the second overall running back per the 247Sports Composite Rankings. He was also the sixth ranked overall player from the state of Florida. The running back committed to Miami on February 9, 2017.

He never really became a star out of Miami’s backfield. He carried the ball 17 times for 136 yards and two touchdowns in 2018. A 64-yard dash was his longest of the season. He did have a great game for the Hurricanes on against Savannah State. In that game, he carried the ball four times for 82 yards and two touchdowns. Appearing in only three games on the season, his final contribution would be against Florida International. Rushing the ball 10 times for 50 yards, a 17-yard rush would be his longest of the game.

Running back depth strong for Miami Hurricanes

Currently, the Miami Hurricanes have four running backs on their roster. They have also managed to get  some impact commitments 2020. Don Cheney Jr. headlines the 2020 class as a four-star recruit. He is the fifth overall running back and the sixth overall running back in the state of Florida per the 247Sports Composite rankings. Jaylan Knighton also figures to be a big part of the class. He is ranked the 10th overall running back in his class, and the 19th overall player in the state of Florida per the 247Sports Composite Rankings.

Although the position is relatively young, the Hurricanes do have talent at their disposal. The departure of Lorenzo Lingard should not hurt them much, if at all. It will be interesting to see which of the other players steps up. I think Cheney and Knighton will play big roles in the backfield in the coming years.

Xavien Howard reported to Miami Dolphins training camp but his contract demands remain unresolved.

Dolphins CB Xavien Howard arrested for domestic battery

Per ESPN’s Cameron Wolfe, the Miami Dolphins’ star cornerback, Xavien Howard, was arrested on Sunday by the Davie police department on charges for domestic battery in an incident with his fiancée.

According to the police report, Howard and his fiancée got into a verbal argument about the recent purchase of a purse that wasn’t disclosed in the report. The incident became physical when Howard grabbed his fiancée’s arm and pushed her back against a mirrored glass wall in the hallway of their bedroom. Howard then released her, causing her to fall onto her right arm, landing on Howard’s crutches.

Howard’s fiancée suffered physical scratches as well as redness on her right wrist and forearm. Howard also complained of knee pain according to the report. He was then taken to the BSO jail by Davie police, where Howard currently is now. This is Howard’s first offense as his record has been clean up to this point.

Monday morning, the Miami Dolphins released a statement regarding Howard’s arrest.

“We are aware of the situation and currently gathering information. We will have no further comment at this time.”

Howard’s camp has been silent regarding the incident, though Andy Slater of Fox Sports did reveal video of Howard – on crutches – appearing in court and refusing the counsel of a public defender.

Miami’s star player missed most of 2019 due to a knee injury that required surgery to repair. He’s now under a 5-year, $75 million dollar contract the Dolphins rewarded him with for his on-field performance.

Unquestionably, Xavien Howard is the best player on this Dolphins roster. He’s viewed as one of the cornerstone pieces of this long term rebuild. But incidents of domestic violence are inexcusable. Former Dolphins running back Mark Walton was unceremoniously waived after being arrested for aggravated battery of a pregnant woman back in mid-November.

Even if the Dolphins deem it fit to keep Howard after this incident, he will be subject to league discipline.

Luis Sung has covered the Miami Dolphins for numerous outlets such as Dolphins Wire for six years. Follow him on Twitter: @LuisDSung

Dolphins Chris Grier

Pressure Point: Up to Chris Grier to build on Brian Flores’ good work

Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores just made the job of general manager Chris Grier a whole lot tougher.

So be it.

How can you care at all about the Dolphins and not find delight in the stunning 27-24 upset they pulled off Sunday in Flores’ finale as a rookie head coach in his first visit to New England, where he worked for 15 years in the Belichick regime?

Especially when it mucks up Patriots playoff plans, denying them a first-round bye.

Also considering Miami hadn’t won at Foxborough since September 2008.

I know. I know. By winning five of their last nine to finish 5-11, the Dolphins strayed far from the tanking playbook — which Flores always claimed he wasn’t in on anyway. And there is no choice but to believe him now.

Win didn’t hurt draft standing

Sunday didn’t alter their standing in the draft order anyway.

Trying to win by losing has always been a cockamamie concept. Of greater importance, the win at New England was the latest in a growing stack of evidence that the Dolphins finally have a coach they can win with.

It was remarkable, really, coming to New England as 17-point underdogs and considering the 43-0 debacle in Miami in Week 2.

Sure, now Flores must show he can win more meaningful games when given the tools to work with. But he achieved far more with less than Adam Gase did in taking the 2016 Dolphins to the playoffs in his first season.

But he has a locker room full of believers, and likely much of the fan base.

Now that this most confusing of Dolphins seasons is over, speculation can shift from what they may or may not be trying to achieve on the field to what they must accomplish in the NFL draft.

Now it’s all about what Grier will do with those three first-round and assorted extra draft picks (14 total in 2020).

Finding the quarterback of the future remains the general manager’s mandate despite the team’s competitive gains behind the inspired play of veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Dolphins give Patriots a taste of their own medicine

Tua tough call as first-round pick

The Dolphins have the No. 5 pick next April and may have a chance to select Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa (provided he enters the draft), who must come back from a significant hip injury.

Maybe Tua will fare better than Bo Jackson, whose mercurial career was halted by a hip injury. Considering the injuries to both ankles that have also sidelined Tagovailoa, his durability is an issue.

Grier will spend more time poring over Tua’s medical reports than his game film. It will take conviction to make that choice or another available quarterback.

Regardless of whichever quarterback Grier chooses, bringing back Fitzpatrick would buy time in the development process.

Fitz reached folk hero status with what he accomplished leading an offense devoid of any reliable running game. That was cemented Sunday by outplaying Tom Brady and orchestrating the winning touchdown drive capped by the payoff pass to Mike Gesicki.

That doesn’t change that Grier must come away from the draft with a quarterback, but it’s just the top of a laundry list of needs.

Numerous needs on offense, defense

On offense, the challenge is to upgrade the line and add a featured running back, through draft picks and signings.

The receiving corps is respectable, with DeVante Parker having a breakout year and Gesicki making major strides in his second season. But pass protection and blocking for the running game needs to improve.

On defense, pass rushers are top priority, on the line and at linebacker. An ever-changing cast in the defensive backfield held its own against Tom Brady on Sunday, highlighted by former Patriot Eric Rowe’s pick-six. But Grier will be looking for another cornerback and likely a safety, especially if Reshad Jones isn’t brought back.

Grier is on the clock and on the spot for 2020.

As for 2019, which began with getting outscored 163-26 in the first four games, Sunday’s stunner made it almost sad to see time expire.

One thing for sure, the time for hoping for losses is thankfully over.

Craig Davis has covered South Florida sports and teams, including the Dolphins, for four decades. Follow him on Twitter @CraigDavisRuns

Miami Dolphins give New England a taste of their own medicine

The Miami Dolphins came away with a huge win on Sunday.

Paths cross often in the National Football League. The Miami Dolphins beat the New England Patriots 27-24 on Sunday. A bunch of former Patriots coaches had their fingerprints all over the victory.

Let’s start with the head coach. Brian Flores began his career with the Patriots in 2004 as a scouting assistant. He then worked his way up the ranks over the course of the next decade. He was named the linebackers coach in 2016 and served that role until last year. Now, he gets to preside over an entire team.

On Sunday, the Miami Dolphins showed the type of toughness that has been a trademark of New England over the years. There is no doubt that Flores has put his stamp on this team, and it showed. Much like New England has done over the years, the Dolphins fought hard. They never gave up, and they played until the final whistle. You always hear about the New England Patriots mantra “Do your job.” The Dolphins did that on Sunday.

New England connections key in Miami Dolphins victory

Offensive coordinator Chad O’ Shea did a great job in terms of game planning He let Ryan Fitzpatrick do whatever he wanted while getting the receivers involved. Furthermore, he did a great job of keeping the New England corners on their toes.  Fitzpatrick passed for 320 yards and a touchdown. The leading receiver for Miami was Devante Parker. He had another tremendous day, catching eight passes for 137 yards. A 28-yard snag was his longest of the afternoon.

Dave DeGuglielmo was the other coach of note on Sunday. A Lexington, Massachusetts native,he was the Patriots offensive line coach from 2014-2015.  His offensive line did a great job of protecting Ryan Fitzpatrick. The Patriots often sent three pass-rushers towards Fitzpatrick. This was in an effort to get more cornerbacks on the field and prevent big plays in the passing game. The offensive line held up nicely for the Dolphins, shutting the three-man rush down. Fitzpatrick was only sacked twice for 13 yards.

Eric Rowe also managed to get the last laugh on New England. He recorded a pick-six that set the tone for the defense early. He is certainly making his three-year $18 million extension seem like the right move. Truthfully, it was the right move before this game. Sunday just proved that. He had a really great day for the secondary, and was a steadfast presence.

As the Miami Dolphins look to build their team, this was a signature win. It’s not easy to be New England in Foxboro. Florez and his staff did that emphatically. Good times may be ahead for the Miami Dolphins. Sunday certainly  proved that.

Orange Bowl is Bryce Perkins final NFL showcase

One of the most intriguing aspects of the bowl games is that for some players, it’s their collegiate curtain call.

It’s the last time you will get to see these seniors or pro prospects in action on this stage before eventually see them on the stage of the NFL Draft.

The Orange Bowl has been that way in recent years. Even if it wasn’t the last game we saw them, Miami’s big bowl game has seen its fair share of NFL prospects display their talents over the course of this waning decade. Among the 32 starting quarterbacks in the NFL today, four have played in the Orange Bowl (Kyler Murray, DeShaun Watson, Baker Mayfield and Dak Prescott). Three more quarterbacks have parlayed playing in the Orange Bowl to brief NFL careers (Braxton Miller, EJ Manuel and Geno Smith).

So could this year’s Orange Bowl be the NFL launching pad for Virginia senior quarterback Bryce Perkins?

Perkins arrived to UVA as a transfer from Arizona Western Community College. In his two years with the Cavaliers, Perkins completed 64 percent of his passes and amassed 5,895 passing yards and 43 touchdowns with 20 interceptions. He’s also rushed for 1,668 yards and 20 touchdowns.

He’s your prototypical mobile quarterback in an age that is finally warming up to it. UVA offensive coordinator Robert Anae said in his press conference on Saturday that, “This is now a quarterback sport.” And Perkins see’s himself as an NFL quarterback.  

“Yeah, definitely. And I’m getting better,” Perkins said. “I feel like I get better every year as far as whatever it is, something little. So I feel like my ceiling is high. I haven’t reached my potential yet. And how the NFL is shifting, there’s room and there’s a place for my style of play. And I think it can be very effective, and Lamar Jackson, amongst others, he’s just a more recent, has been very influential on the type of player, the type of system that teams run.”

The Chandler, Ariz., native comes from a football family. His father, Bruce, played fullback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1990 and Indianapolis Colts in 1991. His uncle, Don Perkins, played eight seasons as a running back with the Dallas Cowboys during the 1960’s and his brother, Paul, is currently a running back with the Detroit Lions.

“I think about it, but I also know that the things I do now, it’s going to influence that more,” Perkins said. “In thinking about the NFL, I’m focused on now in order to get to.”

Perkins’ two years at UVA has been two of the most successful seasons a quarterback has seen in recent school history. He led the Cavaliers to an 8-5 season last year including a win over South Carolina in the Belk Bowl and this year, he takes them to the Orange Bowl needing a win over the Florida Gators to reach 10 on the year for only the second time in school history.

“Nobody has ever done it before,” Perkins said. “Well, one other team has done it before. So for us to get it right aligns with all our goals. It sets us up to be one of the best teams in UVA history, just being mentioned with the other great 10-win team. It’s a testament to our hard work throughout the summer, our hard work and transition from last year to this year, and the culture and the players who built and kind of set the platform when they first got here. A lot of these guys were on the two-win team and kind of see the transition from the program and how it came from not a bowl game to three bowl games in a row.”

Miami native Mandy Alonso returns home to lead Virginia in Orange Bowl

It’s always special whenever a college football player can finish the season playing in a bowl game near or at his hometown. Such is the case for Virginia defensive end Mandy Alonso, who returns to Miami to take on the Florida Gators in the Orange Bowl. 

“I feel like I’m back at home,” said Alonso, who also mentioned that he got to see his family upon arriving from Virginia. “It’s amazing because I grew up watching the Orange Bowl every year. For it to be such a big bowl game and like my friends and family being able to come out because I got a bunch of tickets, it’s just really special.”

Alonso played defensive tackle, offensive line and long snapper at Gulliver Prep for head coach Earl Sims, who also played at Virginia from 1998-2001 as a linebacker. He was named first-team All-Dade County in 2016 after collecting 52 tackles, nine sacks and eight fumbles as a senior. 

Alonso came to Virginia as a three-star recruit despite the Cavaliers coming off of a 2-10 season in 2016. Since his arrival, UVA has played in a bowl game in each of his three years.

Hard Rock Stadium is a special place for Alonso. He got his first career sack during his freshman year against the Miami Hurricanes in 2017 and got another one this year. His Cavaliers lost both matchups but there’s hope that his luck changes against Florida. Virginia is a win away from finishing the season with 10 wins for the first time since 1989.

It would mean the world for everybody because like just coming from 2-10 a few years ago, this is a huge jump,” Alonso said. “To be on such a big-time bowl game that this stage is like set perfectly for us to rebuild this program.”

The Cavaliers haven’t played a game in over 20 days. Their previous game resulted in a 62-17 drubbing by No. 3 Clemson in the ACC Championship Game. Such a layoff could result in over preparation which is a concern with both teams leading up to bowl games. 

“You could get like — more like you’ll be tired of watching it, like you’ve got to take like a break,” Alonso said. “But I guess we’ve had so much time that we’ve got to like space it out and like we haven’t been like, oh, my God, I don’t want to watch film. We’ve been locked in. Coach talks about flipping the switch from bowl game and then like game time.”

Virginia head coach Bronco Mendenhall is preached “unbroken growth” all season long. The question after Monday’s game is whether that holds true after the result.

“Like in the big picture, in the game, if we lose, it’ll be sad, but we got to the Orange Bowl,” Alonso said. “It’s still a big accomplishment, but we don’t want to settle for just that accomplishment, just being here. We want to go win it.”

Hurricanes Find Rock Bottom After Independence Bowl

The Miami Hurricanes established a new rock bottom after an embarrassment in the Independence Bowl.

Nine punts.

Nine completions from their starting quarterback.

These are some of the numbers that defy logic from the Hurricanes performance in the Independence Bowl Thursday.

Somehow, Miami was a favorite going into the game.

That optimism was quickly thwarted by an offense that simply did not want to be there.

Coached by a man who wasn’t expected to be much longer.

There was not a significant change in plans.

The departure of Enos was a welcome inevitability, but it is a drop of water in an ocean of bad decisions.

A Game to Forget

Miami had their share of forgettable (unforgettable?) games this year.

Georgia Tech.

FIU.

Duke.

Louisiana Tech.

All with a common theme.

On paper the Hurricanes could be perceived as playing down to the competition.

In the real world, between the lines, they were simply outclassed.

Louisiana Tech did not play a great game either, thanks in part to an inspired Miami defense.

Shaq Quarterman left it all on the field over four seasons and did not take this one off either.

 

Meanwhile for some of his teammates, it was pretty obvious that the offense checked out after the news about Enos leaked.

That leak in itself is also a problem, the timing of which reeks of internal discord.

Which in turn seeped into the product on the field in Shriveport.

Miami managed 227 yards of total offense while being kept off the scoreboard.

Those results against a Louisiana Tech defense that surrendered over three touchdowns per game this season.

Pick a quarterback, any quarterback, and the results were the same.

 

Cue the Benny Hill music.

The three-headed monster of Martell, Jarren Williams, and N’Kosi Perry completed less than half their passes (15/34).

Both Williams and Perry gave the ball away, while Martell played just one series and completed his only attempt.

The indecision regarding who should be under center this entire year was a glaring indictment on the coaching staff.

Running on Fumes

A quarterback’s best friend is a solid running game.

Miami’s QB group has no friends, not even an acquaintance in the backfield.

Without DeeJay Dallas there was no rushing attack for the Hurricanes.

Cam Harris (12 carries, 31 yards, 2.6YPC) could not get anything going, Miami loses the battle up front too much which throws the whole thing into shambles.

Harris filled in admirably at times for Dallas, he was simply a part of an offense lacking identity or cohesion in any phase.

On the day the Hurricanes would manage just 74 meaningless yards on the ground.

The Hurricanes lack of any running game throughout the season (122nd nationally) exposed the deficiencies at quarterback.

To be fair, no signal caller was granted reprieve from pressure by their offensive line.

Louisiana Tech had four more sacks against a front five who allowed 51 on the season, 127th in the nation.

Down and distance killed a dysfunctional offense with a methodical cadence, the script never changed.

The 2019 Walk-Ons Independence Bowl was simply a culminating effort, an unnecessary curtain call for an apathetic tragedy of a season.

 

A regression of this magnitude unfolding in the final month of the season is cause for much speculation.

Is Manny Diaz the right coach for a rebuild that he was not intended to steward?

What other organizational changes are in store?

You could call a game with the stature and allure of the Independence Bowl meaningless.

Yet that designation would only apply to the illusion of the current Miami Hurricanes football team.

There is no standard any more in Coral Gables.

Blake James has continually accepted mediocrity over his tenure, what will be the cause for change now?

 

Supporters of the Hurricanes program need to reset expectations.

In his first season as CEO, Diaz could not have expected this much turmoil.

Much of which he manifested himself.

From the yachts-  to the very wishful it turns out – 7-5 tackling dummies, Diaz spoke of culture and a return to a bygone age of dominance.

Turnover Chains and touchdown rings were tools of engineered swag deployment lacking substance.

A futile attempt in recreating an era so cherished by those who were a part of it.

“The New Miami” was just a recycled attempt to be the old Miami.

The good Miami.

All this pomp and circumstance created to capture the essence of days gone by.

Yet those days were defined by one element.

Winning.

A glaring failure to adapt, particularly on the offensive side of the ball, put the entire team in disarray.

That must be fixed immediately with an offensive system that puts skill position players in position to succeed.

Nothing less can be accepted.

Lack of preparation defined the 2019 Miami Hurricanes.

Diaz must prepare for career altering decisions in order to survive another year.

There is light at the end of the tunnel, such as another solid recruiting class.

The running back group in particular is loaded with talent – the ground game can rebound with an improved scheme and offensive line.

Hopefully it is not impacted by this year’s performance.

In a mediocre ACC Coastal a quick turnaround is possible.

Until next season however, fans need to be prepared for the inevitable fallout of a lost 2019 campaign.

Stakes are high for quarterbacks in Orange Bowl

No. 9 Florida and No. 24 Virginia have arrived in Miami to prepare for the Orange Bowl. Virginia makes its second trip to Hard Rock Stadium this season while Florida ends the season the same way it began, on a neutral site.

“Seeing all of this, it makes you feel like that we are finally here,” UVA quarterback Bryce Perkins said. “All off-season we’ve been practicing and it feels like fall camp all over again. We’ve been anxious to get here and compete and after our loss in the ACC Championship, we’ve been eager to get back out and play football again.”

Being from Arizona, Perkins said the warm weather of South Florida, “feels like home.” There’s a lot at stake for the Cavaliers, as a win in the senior quarterback’s final game puts their total to 10. 

“Only one other team has reached 10 wins at UVA, so that kind of just frames it right there,” Perkins said. “Looking back to where coach Mendenhall first started to with six, then eight, then this year with nine wins, it speaks to the culture of this team.”

“It is an absolute tangible and realistic step for the advancement of our program,” UVA head coach Bronco Mendenhall said. “It’s a little surreal right now, but acknowledging the journey we’ve been on and how hard our players have worked, this is the next step for our program and we can’t wait to capitalize and do our very best.”

Perkins enters the game with 3,215 passing yards and 18 touchdowns against 11 interceptions on the season. Florida’s quarterback, Kyle Trask, has 2,636 yards and 24 touchdowns against six interceptions. Unlike Perkins, Trask didn’t begin the season as the Gators’ starting quarterback. He took over for the injured Felipe Franks in Sept. 14 against Kentucky and has not looked back.

Florida head coach Dan Mullen seems to have his quarterback situation set for a run in 2020 and whatever happens in the Orange Bowl could set the stage for next season.

“It can build a lot of momentum and a lot of confidence,” Mullen said. “For the team that’s why bowl games are huge. This year’s team gets one more game together, but there are a lot of guys on this year’s team that will also be on next year’s team. You play on December 30th and then you don’t have another game until September. You have a lot of off-season training, conditioning and developmental growth. You have 15 spring practices and 25 training camp practices before you play again. The momentum a bowl game and a bowl win can do for you builds yourself up through this huge developmental stage until you get on the field again.”

The Florida defense has their work cut out for them when trying to contain Perkins. He is not only the Cavaliers leading passer but also their leading rusher with 745 yards and 11 touchdowns.

“He runs he ball a lot, even more than their running backs, so that is a big key we are looking at,” Florida Defensive Back Donovan Stiner said.

Florida has the advantage but anything can happen in bowl season.