How Can Kirby Smart and UGA Slow Kyle Trask?

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ATHENS - It is pretty clear that Gator QB Kyle Trask is pretty good. 

But he’s not perfect. He’s got weapons, and he knows how to use them. But there are situations where the impressive senior struggles at times. 

It is hard to figure out the weaknesses of a player who hasn’t yet competed a game without four touchdowns this season. He is the reason the Gators’ offense moves. Trask is the most important player on his team. 

Here is what you need to know about him. 

Trask is really good with short balls. Florida does a great job of getting the ball to his playmakers underneath and with crossing patterns. He’s really good at getting the ball out to his backs. Florida doesn’t try to hit you with the big ball down the field a ton. The majority of what Trask does is around the line of scrimmage - lots of underneath. 

And it works for Florida because Kadarius Toney is nothing but trouble if you don’t tackle him the first time. I think Kyle Pitts’ game speaks for itself. 

Back to Trask, like most QBs, he’s better when the pressure is not all on him. In 3rd and 8-10, he’s only completing 44% of his passes. He did hit one long ball in that area - a 57-yard pass. The only two times Trask has thrown a pick has been on third down - both times in third and long. 

One of those picks, however, really was not on Trask as his arm was hit during a throw against Missouri that turned into a pick six. 

In goal-to-go situations Trask throws a steady amount of TDs. In fact, he’s only completed four total balls on first and goal and 3rd and goal combined. All four were TD throws. Put simply: Florida uses Trask and his arm as a primary weapon near the end zone. 

The Gators don’t mind throwing on first down with Trask, either. They are 40 of 57 on first down with five TDs. With that said, the only time he’s been sacked has come on first and long (four times). 

That gets to perhaps the most important part is getting pressure on Trask. He does a good job of moving up in the pocket. He’s quite good at sticking in the pocket and having functional movement in the pocket. 

Trask is not great side to side, so it is possible to push the pocket, and really stress Trask in a way that’s not good for him and the Gators.