Orange and Blue Hue » Percy Harvin…Mixed Blessing?

When he’s healthy, #1 is peerless in college football.

Granted, Harvin forms one of the cornerstones of a potentially explosive offense. He can change a game even when he never touches the ball.

But I’m doubtful that he should start against the Tigers after missing two practices with an ankle injury (By the way, unrelated to the latent heel injuries that he has suffered throughout high school.) And it’s not the first time he’s garned the start after missing a practice earlier in the week.

That doesn’t mean he should be on the practice field in spite of all his injuries. Far from it.

But one can only wonder if having such a sporadic schedule is good for Harvin, and by extension, Florida as a whole.

I don’t think it was an accident that he had three fumbles against Ole Miss. He had a great game, but it was the first time he had gotten significant touches since last season. That, plus the possibility of limited contact earlier in the week, and, in hindsight, his troubles with carrying the ball should have been a latent concern.

For the Bayou Bengals, I would favor an approach similar to Tennessee, where he had a limited number of touches after the surgery.

Opposing defenses will still have to plan around and respect him, which opens up a world of potential for spreading the ball.

And if Harvin were to get fewer touches, somebody else *has* to step up in his place, which could help the offense execute like it was supposed to all along.

Again, this is not ranting on Harvin in spite of everything he has done for Florida in two and a half seasons.

But if Florida executes the offense like it did to the Rebels, one can only wonder if it is best for the team…

3 Comments so far

Erm, yeah…

He is the man and thank god mullin ran the double trouble backs to the outside this week and not up the gut so much.

They again ran the small speedy backs almost exclusively up the middle.

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