Desperation is a stinky cologne, but it's one that Florida head coach Will Muschamp and offensive coordinator Brent Pease were forced to wear this spring.
With five healthy scholarship wide receivers (including all-everything player Trey Burton) available, none of whom are established downfield threats, the Gator coaching staff moved starting cornerback Loucheiz Purifoy to the offensel in an attempt to kick-start the stagnant Gator passing attack.
That passing attack finished last
If the Florida Gators want to have a season as successful as their 2012 campaign, they will have to improve in a variety of areas.
Jeff Driskel's performance at quarterback, a lack of depth at wide receiver, a brutal SEC schedule and key losses on defense are all being looked at as possible trouble spots. The Gators will have to overcome these obstacles in order to remain competitive.
However, there is another obvious problem that has been getting worse and needs to finally be addressed.
I am, of course, talking about Florida's tendency to be penalized. A lot.
You can certainly pin some of the blame on Will Muschamp and his staff for the Gators' offensive woes throughout the season and poor performance in the Sugar Bowl. However, they have repeatedly been forced to deal with an avalanche of costly penalties on both sides of the ball.
That needs to stop.
Since the 2009 season, the Gators' average of penalty yards per game has risen every calendar year. Last season's average of 68.8 yards marked a 9.3-yard jump from that of 2011.
Such behavior has turned Florida into the most penalized team in the SEC in recent years.
You don't want to get on Florida head coach Will Muschamp's bad side.
The man with the ultra-terrifying stare first became an Internet celebrity when microphones caught him cursing while he was the defensive
The Florida Gators have suffered two decommitments in five days, the latest coming from 4-star wide receiver Ryeshene Bronson.
In his second year as head coach of the Florida Gators, Will Muschamp was already on the hot seat in the eyes of Gators fans. The main reason was a 7-6 campaign in 2011 that was full of struggles.
Although many of those struggles carried over into 2012, Muschamp was able to work his magic and lead the Gators to the Sugar Bowl.
Now that expectations are through the roof in Gainesville, Muschamp is entering this season with more pressure on him than ever before. With a returning quarterback and a loaded recruiting class, he and his staff are expected to compete for the SEC title.
If he wants to do that, however, there are still issues he needs to resolve.
Here are the five biggest challenges on Will Muschamp's agenda.
Decommitments happen on a regular basis in the world of college football recruiting, but for Florida, the loss of 4-star outside linebacker Christian Miller is not something to gloss over.
The Florida Gators are once again facing one of the toughest schedules in the country. As if their conference opponents were not enough, they will also face both of their fiercest in-state rivals.
Talk about traversing a tough road to the SEC title game.
Still, there are some opponents that Gator fans do not need to necessarily fret over. They include an FCS team and traditional adversaries in the midst of a temporary decline.
So which games and teams could give the Gators problems?
We shall answer that question now as we rank each game on the Gators' schedule according to level of difficulty.
Begin Slideshow
The Florida Gators coaching staff continues to try to sharpen those Photoshop skills.
In other words, Gators wide receiver coach Joker Phillips is at it again. He still wants recruits to come play for the Joker, but he has decided to make his latest design in the form of a rock band.
If you have been following along, this is nothing new for these guys. A couple of months ago, Phillips wanted recruits to come play for the Joker—literally. He then decided to take an Air Force theme with his next tweet to kind of tone things down.
Offensive coordinator Brent Pease also decided to get in on the action with a cheesy Harry Potter picture to try to motivate his quarterbacks. No word on if this is working or not, but after finishing 118th in passing yards, anything is worth a shot to get things off the ground.
As for a rock band of wide receivers, it would seem to be too much.
A band usually consists of a lead vocalist, guitar player, somebody in the back playing the drums and then anything else you want to throw in there. You could add a bass player, someone on the keyboard and so on and so on. That is asking for a lot.
With the lack of offensive weapons the Gators had last season, this team would just take one or two good wide receivers at this point. An entire rock band isn't necessary. Just give Florida a couple of playmakers capable of spreading the field, making life easier on the quarterback and call it a day.
Once the offense improves, then this program can start getting picky and asking for a plethora of star receivers. Heck, you could even call it a rock band.
At this point, Phillips should be looking for an OutKast at the receiver position. Just two great guys capable of putting in work. It would likely go over a little better with this generation of players than a rock band would anyway.
Spending a little more time working on these things may eventually pay off for Florida. Guys such as 5-star Ermon Lane and 4-star Artavis Scott are some of the Gators top targets, according to 247Sports.
You can't help but wonder what those guys are thinking.
The Florida Gators coaching staff continues to try and sharpen those Photoshop skills.
In other words, Gators wide receiver coach Joker Phillips is at it again. He still wants recruits to come play for the Joker, but he has decided to make his latest design in the form of a rock band.
If you have been following along, this is nothing new for these guys. A couple of months ago Phillips wanted recruits to come play for the Joker, literally. He then decided to take an Air Force theme with his next tweet to kind of tone things down.
Offensive coordinator Brent Pease also decided to get in on the action with a cheesy Harry Potter picture to try and motivate his quarterbacks. No word on if this is working or not, but after finishing 118th in passing yards, anything is worth a shot to get things off the ground.
As for a rock band of wide receivers, it would seem to be too much.
A band usually consists of a lead vocalist, guitar player, somebody in the back playing the drums and then anything else you want to throw in there. You could add a bass player, someone on the keyboard and so on and so on. That is asking for a lot.
With the lack of offensive weapons the Gators had last season, this team would just take one or two good wide receivers at this point. An entire rock band isn't necessary. Just give Florida a couple of playmakers capable of spreading the field, making life easier on the quarterback and call it a day.
Once the offense improves, then this program can start getting picky and asking for a plethora of star receivers. Heck, you could even call it a rock band.
At this point Phillips should be looking for an OutKast at the receiver position. Just two great guys capable of putting in work. It would likely go over a little better to this generation of players than a rock band would anyway.
Spending a little more time working on these things may eventually pay off for Florida. Guys such as 5-star Ermon Lane and 4-star Artavis Scott are some of the Gators top targets, according to 247Sports.
You can't help but wonder what those guys are thinking.
Follow @Randy_Chambers
Read more Florida Gators Football news on BleacherReport.com
There's nothing like a little smack talk at a booster club meeting to add a little fun to the doldrums of the offseason.