The Florida Gators' offensive struggles have been difficult to pin on one specific issue. For offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner, however, the biggest problem is how quickly one mistake can turn into several.

Following the Gators' 27-8 loss to Georgia, Faulkner discussed the areas Florida needs to improve before facing Oklahoma on Saturday. His message was straightforward: the offense has to do a better job of taking care of the football, avoiding penalties, and executing the fundamentals.

"The focus has been the same thing; it's really been the past few weeks: it's doing simple, better," Faulkner said. "Stop hurting ourselves, understand what that does to the team, what that does to a drive."

Faulkner said the problems extend beyond one position group, making it important for all 11 players to take responsibility.

"It's definitely not on one position," Faulkner said. "It's across the board that we've had just breakdowns, okay, whether it's a missed assignment, whether it's a procedural penalty."

The Gators have to find a way to prevent those mistakes from compounding. Faulkner pointed to situations in which an early setback is followed by an even bigger mistake, leaving Florida unable to maintain offensive rhythm.

"We have something bad happen within a series, and then the next couple plays something worse happens, so we've got to eliminate those things for us to have a chance to be able to sustain drives," Faulkner said.

Florida Needs to Get Its Running Game Going

One of the biggest areas Florida needs to address is its rushing attack. Faulkner said negative plays have made it difficult for the Gators to establish any consistency on the ground.

He also emphasized that improving the running game requires contributions from the entire offense, including the offensive line, running backs and tight ends.

"Difficult to operate when you are in negative plays, probably more so than even, you know, one-yard gains, because you're at least in some sort of rhythm," Faulkner said. "We've got to eliminate the negatives. That's on all of us."

Faulkner also addressed Jadan Baugh's tendency to look for opportunities outside rather than consistently taking what is available. He stopped short of criticizing the running back, instead pointing to the pressure players sometimes put on themselves to make a big play.

"I think sometimes when you're a player of his caliber, you put a lot on your shoulders to make a big play a lot," Faulkner said.

Getting Baugh and the rest of the running game going will be important for Florida against an Oklahoma defense Faulkner described as extremely well-coached.

Buster Faulkner Addresses Florida's Quarterback Situation

Florida's quarterback situation remains another storyline after the coaching staff turned to Tramell Jones Jr. against Georgia following Aaron Philo's struggles.

Faulkner said the decision to pull Philo was intended to provide the offense with a spark rather than signal that the quarterback had permanently lost his opportunity.

"He handled it great, like I said, he's a pro, tough kid," Faulkner said. "Nobody likes getting pulled."

Faulkner praised Jones for the poise and preparation he has shown while continuing to develop. He also pointed out that Jones has played fewer than 200 career snaps, emphasizing that the young quarterback still has room to grow.

The coaching staff plans to continue evaluating the position, with both quarterbacks continuing to receive practice reps.

"We've got two good quarterbacks; we like where they're at, we like the development," Faulkner said. "I believe in development, and I believe it takes time."

Florida will need a more consistent offensive performance when Oklahoma visits Gainesville on Saturday.