Gators Online Gameday predictions: Florida Gators vs. Charlotte 49ers

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — A week removed from an exhilarating and convincing win over the Tennessee Volunteers, the Florida Gators will look to extend their winning streak to three as they host the Charlotte 49ers.

Gators Online staff writers Zach Abolverdi, Nick de la Torre, Corey Bender, and Keith Niebuhr, will pick every game this season and we will keep track of our staff picks and predictions as the year goes on.

Last week, Corey was the lone writer to go with the Vols, dropping to 2-1 on the season in a tie for third (or last) with Nick. Zach and Keith are perfect on the season, heading into a week with little suspense when it comes to this column.

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Zach Abolverdi

This year’s Gators have shown they can handle adversity, bouncing back from their season-opening loss with back-to-back wins at home, including their statement victory over Tennessee. Now we see how Florida will handle some success. UF is now ranked in the AP Top 25 and has momentum on its side.

For what it’s worth, the Gators had some “unacceptable” practices this week as a couple team leaders addressed the players after Wednesday night’s session. We’ll see if that lights a fire under them for Saturday night, but regardless, this game should be a cakewalk for Florida. Look for UF’s offense to dominate behind TNT, a stout showing from the defense and maybe even a clean game on special teams.

Prediction: Florida, 45-10

Corey Bender

Unless the Gators sleepwalk through the first half and get in their own way, I don’t see this contest being competitive for long. The duo of Trevor Etienne and Montrell Johnson should be able to take much of the load off Graham Mertz’ shoulders, but I’m also expecting a big outing from Ricky Pearsall. It wouldn’t surprise me to see him with 100-plus yards at halftime. He will be relied on early and often.

On defense, Austin Armstrong will likely be aggressive early on. There will be some positive plays for the 49ers, but the Gators should be able to produce plenty of three-and-outs to keep momentum on their side. All in all, this should be a well-rounded performance from the Gators. They should have no problem winning in the time of possession column and will likely rely on the running game before Mertz starts to air it loose for chunk plays.

Prediction: Florida, 48-13

Keith Niebuhr

Charlotte isn’t terrible and Florida is coming off an emotional victory. How will the Gators handle that success? We don’t know. But they better handle it well.

The fact is they still need to play with an edge because this is not an 11-win roster. It wouldn’t be a shock if this game is close for a half. But Florida’s overall talent and the fact it’ll be played before another sellout are significant.

Prediction: Florida, 37-20

Nick de la Torre

There shouldn’t be any drama this week in The Swamp. The Gators will once again play in front of a sold-out crowd as they welcome back former Associate Athletic Director, Mike Hill, who is now the Athletic Director at Charlotte. The game is certainly a nice gesture to Hill for more than 20 years of service to the University of Florida and the UAA. The check will be a thank you, there will be no thanks for the 49ers on the field.

The 49ers are overmatched in every phase of the game this weekend, maybe even special teams, which would be new for this Gators team. Florida should be able to work on itself this week. Yes, you can run the ball and get out of the game with a win, but I’d like to see the Gators work on their downfield passing attack some. This shouldn’t be a game by the end of the second quarter. Get out of it healthy and get ready for a test in Lexington.

Prediction: Florida, 49-10

Tracking the picks

Game	Abolverdi	Bender	Niebuhr	de la Torre
Season Record:	3-0	2-1	3-0	2-1
Utah	Utah ✅	Utah ✅	Utah ✅	Florida ❌
McNeese	Florida ✅	Florida ✅	Florida ✅	Florida ✅
Tennessee	Florida ✅	Tennessee ❌	Florida ✅	Florida ✅
Charlotte	Florida	Florida	Florida	Florida
Kentucky				
Vanderbilt				
South Carolina				
Georgia				
Arkansas				
LSU				
Missouri				
Florida State