It's only 66 days until the Gators take on Charleston Southern and it is so close, yet so far away. Charleston Southern was 7-5 last year losing 52-7 to Miami (FL) and a respectable 38-27 against Miami (Ohio). The Bucs won the last four games of the year and showed improvement throughout.

On Offense: There is a QB battle between transfer Andrew Trudnowski and Junior A.J. Toscano. Trudnowski played better in the spring game throwing for 163 yards and 2 touchdowns. However Toscano was commended by the coach for his outstanding play throughout spring practice, so look for a tight race when fall practice starts. Neither will be able to do too much against the Gator secondary in the swamp.

The offensive line is anchored by senior J.W. Myers who will be a third year starter. Juniors Jordan Lancaster and Zach Mitchell also have significant experience, but this line will be young with six freshman or sophomores plus multiple incoming freshman on the roster. A number of guys with little experience will be in mix, which won’t help against the likes of Carlos Dunlap and Jermaine Cunningham.

The running back position is led by former local standout Antwan Ivey of Newberry. Ivey was the leading rusher for the Bucs with 380 net rushing yards. He is tiny at 5’3 but he is an explosive player who was the former player of the year in 2A high school football in Florida. He will be joined by junior Demarcus Moon who was named the most improved running back in the spring. Another local standout, RB John Little, will also be a freshman for the Bucs in the fall. The Eastside product is also a track star and will bring some explosive speed to the running back spot.

At wide receiver the top two guys from last season are back. Junior Gerald Stevenson is a player, he led the team last season with 45 grabs for 551 yards and 9 TD’s. He will definitely be the go to guy for whoever is playing QB. Senior Tim Jones will also be a factor after hauling in 29 catches last season. Sophomore Alex Neal should also be in the mix after catching 5 passes for 48 yards in the spring game.

Offensive Star: RB Antwan Ivey impressed as a freshman and should continue to do so. Despite a subpar offensive line Ivey is a major conference level talent, but he is just undersized. Ivey should tear up conference foes this year.

On Defense: The defensive line is going to be young and inexperienced after losing the two top sack and tackles for loss leaders. Senior DE Dorein Perkins will lead the way after producing 5.5 sacks and 7 tackles for loss. DE Kamulu Umu looks primed for a breakout year after making 6 tackles and 2.5 sacks in the spring game. Seniors Ryan Ard and Carl Kramer have some experience, but aren’t exactly playmakers. Don’t expect this line to do too much against the Pounceys and company.

At the LB spot the Bucs will be pretty weak after losing leading tacklers Josh Mitchell and Andrew McKain. Sophomore Cornelius Sterling was outstanding in the spring and could be the biggest playmaker at linebacker. Juniors Fred Godfrey and C.J. Lee add experience.

The secondary is probably the strongest spot on defense for the Bucs. Sophomore Jacques Bazile had 47 tackles, an interception and 7 passes defended. Sophomore Chris Kuzdale had 42 tackles and 5 passes defended in his freshman campaign and is a solid player. Senior Matt Bach is an experienced player and he had an interception in spring game.

Defensive star: I don’t know that any of these guys are stars but sophomore CB Jacques Bazile was their best corner as a true freshman last year. He could potentially become an all-conference type player.

Predictions: The Bucs have as much chance of beating the Gators as GHS does, but it will be a neat homecoming for local guys Antwan Ivey and John Little. The Bucs will be competitive in the Big South conference and the FCS, but will need to settle in a QB in order to be successful.

Ben Pettito is a Columnist for GatorTailgating.com