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Blatant Homerism: Georgia (Article Response/Rant)

TGN has a Facebook page where I link to articles that apply to the Gator Nation.  Most recently after the Florida-Georgia game, I posted the link above in the title section with the comment “This one is blunt and to the point.  Not for young children’s reading, either.”

There were a few expetives in the article just for your warning.  Of course, there were expletives in some of the responses.  Gators will be Gators.  None the less, I found the article, the response and the mood not only entertaining, but enlightening.

So read the article and then review the following comments:

MH: Geez, are things really that bad at UF?  he seems awfully negative.  Admittedly i have not seen many UF games this year.  I was wiating for the “it’s Urban’s fault” quote.

RRD: Sheer brilliance.  And dead on balls accurate.   (TGN here: the last sentence made me wince a bit)

AA: Can’t argue with anything there.

EA: Frowning Face Emoticon

TGN:  Muschamp is a coach…he had shown no ability at all to run and lead a program.  That is the crux of the issue.  (TGN Here again:  I may have more to say about this comment later).

RRD: He MUST go.  And now, before he does any more damage.

MP: Yah, it’s getting more and more difficult to go to the SD Gator Club viewing parties to watch the game.  This week’s is at 9am and it’s against Vandy, so I don’t expect a big turnout.

SS: how encouraging.  I don’t think you should be able to cry like a spoiled (expletive deleted) without offering any solutions.  just a pet peeve of mine.  so my 2 cents is for him to stf up.  no one would be ranting about our script logo if we were winning. but muschamp will go.  personally i’d like to LAF to weigh in.

LAF: (TGN Note – some very good points about to be made)  While some salient points are made, there are some errors as well.  the supposed strength of this year’s Gator team – the offensive line – but they never even had that chance in losing starting tackle Chaz Green before the season started. Transfers Garcia & Moore seemed to be only onkay in playing in big boy’s conference, the SEC.  Moore especially – he of the drive–killing offensive procedure calls.  Lose another LT in Humphries, Halapio playing through injury to his pec and this last week throwing in junior college transfer Brown to start his first ever game with a true freshman at running back (albeit, Mr. Taylor will be a good back with the glimpses of playmaking ability one cannot teach, but only admire).  Another game, another patchwork offensive line.  Continuity along both the offensive and defensive line makes anyone look okay.  One cannot replace first the ability of Dominick Easley and second the intangibles he brought with his effort, leadership and presence.  No QB likes to see his pocket invaded up the middle.  Easley did that, his replacements cannot.  In postings I hae made throughout the year, I have ripped our play calling as OFFENSIVE.  One likes to place the blame wholly on Pease, yet one wonders if his hands are being tied in multiple ways: #1) a back-up QB with no real gametime experience since coming to Florida having to learn how to read SEC defenses on the fly, #2) a head coach trying to play “Saban” ball without the same pieces or “head coach” mindset, #) WRs still learning how to get open, 4) TE – I forgot – how often do we ever throw to them (no Burton is not a TE and I think they are still trying to figure out how to use him effectively.  I am all for promoting from within, but DJ Durkin is not a qualified SEC defensive coordinator.  I think even Morrison regressed this year, but not sure if that’s due to losing Easley in front of him or watching all those unsportsmanlike conduct penalties being called EVERY game on the Gator dfense or his off-the-field lack of maturity issues in his  head.  As far as coordinators without head coaching experience doing okay, I guess one should not look at what Charlie Strong has done for Louisville or Jimbo Fisher has done at Florida State (oops, I guess you were wrong there as well).  All this being said,  I think Muschamp may have the opportunity to have one more year provided he makes changes on both sides of the ball with some of his staff unless he stumbles and loses 3 of the remaining 4 games – yes I am giving us a W versus Georgia Southern, they of the single wing.  I probably missed countering or agreeing with certain points made, but we are only human.

RRD: It’s all too depressing to even think about.  Not that long ago we were the national champions.  WTF?

FK: A BS comment on the inuries not affecting the O-Line.  Chaz Green was supposed to be the mainstay at LT, and he was gone before the season started to the labrum inury.  While they have not performed well, that, and other minor injuries have forced the coaches to constantly have to rearrange who is playing on what on the O-line.

FK: So this guy complains for no end, and then he offers no solution.  His entire thesis is that Will should be fired, and then he gets to that point, states that there aren’t any vialbe alternatives, and says he shouldn’t be.  The author can’t have it both ways.  What IS his solution to a mess that’s been going on before Will got here (wasn’tthe 2010 season fun?).

TGN: speaking of the O-Line the Gators just lost Tyler Moore for the season to a….scooter accident.  The Gator Football program needs to take a comprehensive look at the injury situation.  Most of the injuries occurred either in practice or off the field.  This has a been a recurring theme, of course not to this extreme, for several years now and we have one of the top Sports Medicine programs in the nation.  I’d expect Muschamp to stay, but the program needs some serious evaluation.

WHEW!!

I don’t know Spencer Hall from EDSBS, but if he wanted to generate interest he surely did so.  To his credit, it was clear he wasn’t putting things out there that the entire Gator Nation was frustrated with watching on game day.  Whether accurate or not, I’m not entirely sure that was ever his intent.  He did capitalize on a growing mood across the Gator Nation.  While I don’t think Will Muschamp will get fired this year…or probably even next year, the Gator Nation needs some venting because we do expect more from our Gator Football team.

The Gator Nation is frustrated and justfiably so.  This is not even remotely what we are accustomed to seeing on Saturdays.  We have definintely been spoiled in the last twenty years.  Muschamp will have to make some major adjustments in the off season, but this too has to be tempered.  These Gator players have had a cornucopia of coaches in recent years.  There is also a good argument for stability.  Some of these players need some stability right now.

My thanks to everyone who participated in the conversation.  It’s on the TGN Facebook page if you want to check it out live and in person.  I will leave you with this parting thought—even with the rant above, there is always a flip side:

 On Will Muschamp, Florida Football, and Everything

Go Gators!

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The Game and the Gamecocks

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English: Steve Spurrier at fan day while coach...

English: Steve Spurrier at fan day while coaching the Florida Gators, 1999 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Football is an odd sport, Gator Nation.

We celebrate multiple men on a field running into each other at high velocities and enjoy bone crushing events like they were the only thing happening on a Saturday.  We get excited and high five when someone becomes so fluid and elusive that others buckle at the knees to keep up and watch as an individual trots into a big patch of green.  The game of college football brings its ups, its downs and in all kinds of weather, Gator Nation.  There’s nothing like it.  Let’s talk some football…

Steve Spurrier is easily the greatest active college football coach in the SEC.  Oh…you think Saban and Miles are better.  Really?  Want to go toe to toe with me on this one?  Sidebar: Yes, I’m a big of the Head Ball Coach.  End Sidebar.  Many of you in my generation and before understand that the 8-5 record that Urban Meyer left us with and the 7-6 that Muschamp began his tenure with before Spurrier was THE STANDARD.  I remember sitting in the stands in 1988 watching us unable to move the ball against Memphis State.  Not Mississippi State.  Not Florida State (that game was uglier…52-17).  I’m speaking of team in southwest Tennessee that beat us 17-11.  We finished 7-5 and guess who we lost to the very next week?  Yes, Vandy.  Another sidebar: Before you note the 9-1-1 seasons, understand those have been wiped from existence due to NCAA sancation and SEC buffoonery.  End second sidebar.  Before Spurrier there wasn’t the Florida Football we have known the past two decades.  Before Spurrier the Gamecocks were who other teams scheduled for their Homecoming.  Both Alabama and LSU were winning football games and National titles before Saban and Miles ever set foot on the campus and both enjoy a recruiting advantage in their home states full of football prospects.  Spurrier built programs and won at places that weren’t winning before and is easily the better coach on the sidelines.  He may not have the horses he had at Florida in the earlier years, but there is no denying he is always the better the coach.  Oh yeah, I’m not a big fan of either ‘Bama, LSU or the Gamecocks for that matter, so there is some legitimate bias in this assessment.

SoCar is bringing in the better team.  They score more points.  Their defense is not that great, but neither is our offense.  They have a good QB who is not out for the year with an injury, so that right there is a plus.  They boast one of the greatest defensive players in the country in Jadeveon Clowney, who also is not out for the year with an injury.  It’s actually interesting how good a team can be when they have most of their players suited up for each game.  This game is at SoCar so that puts at least a few points in their favor for the game.  It’s a night game and they have to win to keep pace in the SEC East which means they will bring a raucous crowd to the game.  They have the SEC’s leading rusher in Mike Davis, a former Gator commit that we blew it with by trying to recruit another RB the same year after we had already signed him and Matt Jones.  Best head coach, better team, better record, at the opposition’s home field…it doesn’t look good does it?

Whatever.  No one ever said I wrote these posts for my health or for my sanity.  Sure we have now have 10 starters out for the season after Antonio Morrison tore cartilage in his knee presumably not barking at a neighbors dog.  We may have even lost our backup QB and will be, most likely, starting our third string QB, Skyler Mornhinwig, who has a famous father and no NCAA snaps at QB in his repertoire.  The fact each of us who have been following Gator football this year know this is a blowout before it starts.  Yet I’m not going there.  Game time isn’t here and we still have a chance.  Kelvin Taylor might break tackles enroute to a 200 yard game.  Our third string QB may prove to be the best QB we have in the rotation.  Has a knack for getting rid of the ball quickly and out to the receivers for big gains.  Our secondary could conceivably intercept Conner Shaw four times and return a couple for Gator TDs.  The fact is the ball still needs to be put in play and we have a chance…albeit slim…to win this game.  Because of that, I’m still going with the Gators.  I’ve never predicted a Gator loss and I’m not about to start now.  Besides, this is a SoCar team that lost to Tennessee that we manhandled while losing our starting QB at the same time.  Florida 31  South Carolina 29.  Game time is 7pm EST and 4pm PST on ESPN2 which mean Verne and Gary are covering another set of SEC schools, thankfully.  You probably haven’t been going to your local Gator Club recently, but this week is a good time to go because a Victory over South Carolina and possible continuance of a yearly winning record are best served with Gators.  ‘Nuff said?  Not quite.

I posted a great article on why the situation for us will get worse before it gets better on the TGN Facebook page.  The problems started under Meyer and were exacerbated under Muschamp.  We’ve had all these great recruiting classes that did have skill players develop, did not provide us depth at QB and absolutely obliterated the offensive line.  We didn’t realize that a 12-1 Gator squad in Tebow’s last year was operating very thinly and it was only because of who we had at QB and the recruiting class that came in with him were we able to get through the season.  As much as Urban Meyer has fell out of favor with me for how he left the program, I have to admit he is a better coach than Muschamp and better at recognizing opportunity and assistant coaches.  He said the program was broken when he left.  He should know, he broke it.  The fact that Ohio State opened up with plenty of quality players and no SEC schedule was only a bonus.  Muschamp for his part made the situation worse with poor coaching selections and his overall bull headed approach to fitting round pegs in square holes.  Right now Jacoby Brissett should be our pro-style QB, but that was never going to happen because we needed Jeff Driskel to scramble around due to a very weak offensive line with no depth.  No receivers to throw to also means that Driskel is scrambling A LOT.  We are taking athletes and shoving them into positions that they are not used to playing while Muschamp builds his stable and to his credit he has recruited a significant number of offensive lineman last year and this year.  The injuries this year just brought the house down and now we sit at 4-5 and looking at our first losing season since 0-10-1 in 1979.

Our AD, Jeremy Foley, came out in support of Muschamp this week.  Frankly, Gator Aaron had the best response on Facebook this week with “Actually, I think the only valid reason not to fire him is the lack of anybody on the current coaching staff who can step up in his place.  Brent Pease?  COME ONE!”  No truer statement can be said.  Muschamp is here for the remainder of this season and will be the coach next year.  He went 11-2 last year and one bad season….and this is a really bad one for Gator fans…will not be enough to get him fired.  It is quite likely we may have a second bad season next year, but should have a winning record.  Muschamp has to find some quality assistant coaches who can develop player talent.  He then has to identify what is happening in his program that is resulting in so many injuries.  This season is abnormal in terms of injuries, but it has been a continual problem since he came on campus.  He has to decide that some games are more important than others.  He has one Victory over FSU on his resume that he can claim as a rivaly Victory.  We haven’t beaten Georgia and are more than likely going to go 1-2 versus FSU this year.  His statement when he first took the job that he didn’t believe in rivalry games speaks volumes as to why I don’t think he’s the best X’s and O’s coach we could have, but he is who we have for the time being.  So, I’m going to work with it.  With this year’s recruiting class getting shakier by the week (see De’shawn Hand choosing Alabama over us this week—it gets worse if we lose Dalvin Cook at WR), Muschamp will have to do his best to reassess and get everything back on track.  In all kinds of weather we all stick together, Gator Nation.  This storm is going to last a bit longer.  Hang in there.  It might just all work out for us in the end.

The bright spot in all of this is that Gator basketball is starting and I will say up front that November and December will be a trying time.  We just lost to a ranked Wisconsin team with seven scholarship players and a walk-on playing 21 minutes, nearly winning the game in the final minute at Wisconsin.  We get Damontre Harris and Dorian Finney-Smith back from their team suspensions this week to get a bit more size on the floor.  Eventually, Will Yuegete, Michael Frazier and Eli Carter will recover from their surgeries and illnesses.  We will get Scottie Wilbekin back in a few weeks to allow us to have more than just a freshman at point guard.  Chris Walker is also set to join the team in December which will allow us to see the highly touted big man in action.  Come mid-January, I suspect you are going to see a very good Gator basketball team and probably the only one who can compete with Kentucky in the SEC.  This is a Gator basketball team that is lying in wait.  Have some patience, but most importantly tune in and watch the games because they are going to be good.  Lastly, the 5th ranked Lady Gator Volleyball team plays the 7th ranked Misouri Tigers this weekend.  This the first time Mary Wise has had a Top Ten game in the SEC since her first season in 1991.  I have great expectations for this Volleyball team.  I’m looking for a Final Four appearance this year.

Ok.  ‘Nuff said.

Go Gators!

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Vandy Has Been

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Florida at Vandy

Florida at Vandy (Photo credit: da_mere)

Bylines are deceptive, Gator Nation.

The Vandy football team is also deceptive. This is a team that, for 22 years in a row, we have been able to defeat them. Most times we have done so by a large amount of points. This year is much more different and the game couldn’t be more important to the Gator football team. A winning record, a possible bowl game and just a little satisfaction for the Gator Nation are at stake. Let’s talk some football…

It is not your mother’s or grandmother’s Vanderbilt football team. Vandy comes to The Swamp with a 4-4 record and a win over Georgia (who we just lost to) and presents the ability to put a lot of points. They’ve scored at least 24 points in every game which contrasts to our ability to even reach the 20 point mark. The are fairly balanced running and passing the ball, but their starting QB, Austyn Carta-Samuels, is nursing a knee injury from their game against Georgia. There is a big drop if they go to their backup, but I’d expect Carta-Samuels to play. Their big weakness is their defense. They have given up 35 or more points four times this year and haven’t exactly played the same caliber of teams that we have. Keep in mind they’ve also had two weeks to prepare for this game. The head coach is James Franklin who is, like Muschamp, is in his third year and has completely turned around a program that for the majority of its existence was the SEC doormat in football. Not your father’s Vanderbilt football team either. James Franklin is a highly regarded coach who is rumored to be a candidate for the USC football job. Whether that is true, I’m not getting into here, but to have your name in the conversation while you are coaching Vandy says something about your ability to run a program. Vandy has been…a team we routinely beat by an average of 20 points. Vandy has been…a great team to play on Homecoming. Vandy has been…the week we could take off and not play as hard. Vandy has been…isn’t anymore. Too much is resting on this game for the Gators to consider what “has been”.

Pleasant surprise last week against Georgia…except we still lost. Our defense has been the one competitive group on the team this year, but we can’t afford an entire quarter off and get in such a hole. Vandy has the potential to put points on us fast like Georgia. Our defense has to step up immediately and make a statement today. Muschamp is going to have to do his best sales job and fire up a squad that is playing for the entire Gator Nation today on Homecoming. I have to admit that bowl fantasies are not part of my thinking these days. I really just want to see us playing well rounded football the remainder of the season. I’m tired of thinking about injuries and who our next playmaker will be. It has been ugly football, but a win is a win. We beat Vandy and then we look at the next game…and then the next game after that. Kelvin Taylor had a flash of brilliance last week. Even Tyler Murphy seemed to be used better than most games. Frankly, all our good fortunes last week started with the defense. I don’t see us winning without our defense setting the tone early and putting the offense in position to get points. We have to get early and often pressure on the QB, force turnovers, not turn the ball over ourselves and run the ball well…and we probably need a defensive or special teams score. Florida 23 Vanderbilt 14. I have high expectations for both Kelvin Taylor and Trey Burton. Will see how they live it to that today. Gametime is High Noon EST, 9am PST…it’s breakfast for the West Coast Gators and hopefully a good turnout at the Gator Clubs. Which is where you should be because a Victory for Homecoming is best served by Gators. ‘Nuff said.

Go Gators!

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A Must Win at the Cocktail Party

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Logo used on Gator helmets during the mid-1960s

Logo used on Gator helmets during the mid-1960s (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

My simplest post yet, Gator Nation!

It boils down to this, we absolutely must win this game.  Our season is on the brink and a winning record and a possible bowl game are also at hand.  The fact that each team can possibly win the East Division is laughable.  The bottom line, though, is that we can’t have three straight losses to Georgia.  For a Gator fan this is an absolute must-win each year.  Yet, here we are on the brink.  Let’s talk some football…

Georgia is as banged up as we are, but get back uber running back, Todd Gurley, this weekend.  Likewise, their QB, Aaron Murray, is looking for a third straight victory over the Gators—which should be unheard of in this day and age.  They have a prolific offense and big receivers putting and are averaging 554 yards with Gurley in the offense.  That’s pretty much triple what we’ve put up in our last two games.  The Georgia defense is atrocious, but we’ve had the habit of becoming very one dimensional and making other teams appear to have dominant defenses.  The Bulldog’s defense is susceptible to runs outside the box.  This would appear to be a major reason why we will be starting Kelvin Taylor against them since he averages 7 yards a carry when rushing outside the box.  I’m hoping that the Gator Coaches are aware of this and not just randomly choosing a running back at this point because our offensive line isn’t going to open many holes up the middle.

Expect Taylor running early and often.  Otherwise, we will never be able to open up the passing game and the Georgia defense will tee off on Tyler Murphy like LSU and Missouri did.  The major key in all of this is turnovers.  We have to force at least 4 Georgia turnovers and not turn the ball over ourselves in order to rack up some offense.  It’s about that simple this week.  Force turnovers, control the ball, effectively run the ball and then win.  Both teams had Bye weeks and both are coming off two consecutive losses.  For the first time in awhile, this game is not getting any attention because both teams are unranked and unlikely to challenge for the East.  Coach Muschamp has to win this game to salvage the season AND generate some motivation heading into the final games.  Three straight losses to UGA is unacceptable and if Muschamp didn’t prepare this team for this particular game then my expectations for the future will pretty much be set.  Oh yeah, I want a Kickoff returned for a Gator TD just because.  Florida 24  Georgia 21.  Game time is 3:30EST, 12:30PST on CBS with, yes I’m afraid, Gary and Verne.  Maybe we should just turn down the TV volume and pump in Mic Hubert.  This is a good time to join your local Gator Club where Victory at the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party is best served with Gators!  ‘Nuff said.

Go Gators!

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The “Kila” Watt Gator Rant

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Eye of the Gator

Eye of the Gator (Photo credit: stockroomcontrol)

My friend, fellow Naval Officer and NROTC classmate at UF, Wayne “Kila” Watts, went on an epic rant last weekend on Facebook. While it follows none of the rules I usually employ in my posts, it was worth re-printing and adding some of my own thoughts. It probably is more representative of the feelings of the Gator Nation right now than anything I can come up with and is definitely entertaining. Note: I did edit to ensure it was family friendly. So without any adieu at all….let “Kila” talk some football…

Kila’s college football update….if you’re interested.

Well, well, well…….

Gator predictions so far all coming true and they suck even worse than I thought, if that’s possible. Thanks coach Muschamp! You suck! 153 total yards on offense yesterday. The Gator Nation is going to suffer miserably for years now until UF eventually fires him (will happen), hires the right coach, then another few years to actually recruit players we are used to having (where’s our QB and receivers???), and the coach utilizing them in a better offensive scheme, with discipline and good play calling.

Every year, at least 1 or 2 teams gets (expletive deleted) in the BCS, the biggest joke in all of sports. And this year will be no exception, but even worse. I predict at least 4 teams will be undefeated, possibly 5 but the 5th one would be poor Fresno State, who under those circumstances could only hope to get into a BCS bowl game. Pretty sure at this point that Alabama, Oregon and FSU will be undefeated, with OSU and/or either Texas Tech or Baylor (Baylor? LOL!) in the mix. I don’t think those 2 Big 12 teams can remain undefeated, but with a little luck, they might. That leaves OSU as the 4th undefeated…..assuming they can win against Michigan, their only test that remains. And honestly, while I predicted Oregon and OSU in the national championship game, I really hope I’m wrong about OSU and I hope they lose to Michigan. I hate them LOL!

And at this point, even if OSU wins out, I still may be wrong…..here’s why. I predicted OSU, foreseeing how the season would go, because of the human voters which is 1/3 of the BCS rankings. Strength of schedule aside, sympathy would reign supreme for poor OSU who was undefeated last year but ineligible to play in the BCS for NCAA violations and will have been undefeated 2 years in a row, even though Alabama and FSU are better teams and have much tougher schedules. And the SEC has won the last SEVEN national championships (so don’t give them another opportunity!). But the computer rankings might just prevail after seeing what FSU did to Clemson yesterday.

Oregon is the best team in the country. Alabama and FSU are tied for second in my opinion. With OSU, Missouri, Baylor, Texas Tech rounding out a DISTANT 4th-7th. Yeah, Miami is undefeated but overrated and will lose to FSU later.

No matter who wins the SEC championship game (will be Alabama vs Missouri and Alabama will win), the voters, with 3 other undefeated teams will not allow them the chance to play for the national championship. If OSU loses to Michigan, then FSU will play Oregon. If OSU wins against Michigan, could be either OSU or FSU but FSU will deserve it over OSU due to strength of schedule. Will the voters care? LOL!

And no matter what, schools, players and supporting alumni, who played great, went undefeated for the year and EARNED the right to have a chance to win a national championship will not be given that opportunity. Again. Totally (expletive deleted) sucks and isn’t fair at all. The BCS ruins the sport that I love.

Kudos to Jimbo Fisher who has turned the FSU program around and back into a national championship caliber team. They have the ability to give Oregon a run for their money if they just stay focused and keep playing hard. I bet they can’t WAIT to play Florida this year hahahahahaha!

Oh, and did I mention the Gators SUCK this year? LOL!

Cheers, Kila

———–

Ok, first things first, OSU won’t lose to Michigan. Michigan isn’t that good and OSU doesn’t have any competition the rest of the way. Urban Meyer is getting exactly what he wants….winning seasons without much effort. That’s why he left the SEC because he isn’t coaching against, Spurrier, Saban, Miles, etc. Actually, OSU’s toughest game for the rest of the season looks to be Indiana. Go figure.

Muschamp isn’t getting fired this year. He went 11-2 last season and can get away with explaining this season due to all the injuries. It would probably help if he took a deep look at what he could do to prevent all the injuries, but that doesn’t seem likely.

Next season, though, if it continues a trend like this season, forget it. He’s gone.

He’s right. No top tier QB or Receivers. When has that happened for such a long stretch in Florida (recent) history? Note: From the Spurrier era until now.

Yes, BCS is flawed, but somehow works out each year.  This year will be interesting.

Oregon still has UCLA, Stanford, Utah, and Oregon State of which three of them are ranked right now. If Oregon goes undefeated through this gauntlet then they will definitely be battle-tested and ready for the BCS Championship game. Make no mistake, either, the Pac-12 might not be tougher than the SEC, but they are closer than anyone else and probably have two of the better defenses in the nation in Stanford and UCLA.

I’ll address FSU later in the year, but yeah, have to admit they are real good. I’m not totally sold on their defense even with last week’s domination of Clemson.

I’m going to address the Gators offensive woes in this weekend’s post, but in short, we should be far, far better than this.

So….final thoughts? Is this how you feel this season? What were your expectations for the season? What would you do if you were Muschamp? The Gator Nation wants to know.

Special thanks to “Kila” Watts for his rant and allowing me to re-print. Always interested in your feedback. ‘Nuff said???

Go Gators!

The Weather in Missouri

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University of Florida athletics "Gators&q...

University of Florida athletics “Gators” logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It’s all about the weather, Gator Nation!

When the Gators woke up this morning, it was 38 degrees where they were playing. It’s supposed to get into the high 50’s by kickoff. I know the weather isn’t what I normally talk about when it comes to Gator games, but understand the farthest north we generally play in the SEC schedule is Lexington, KY. It usually is pretty warm there too. Missouri’s chances of winning increase exponentially if the temperatures creep toward the 40’s at kickoff. I had this conversation with a fellow Gator on this just this week.  Let’s talk some football…

Weather aside, Missouri is a good team and lead the SEC East. They manhandled Georgia last week which was supposed to be their first test as team with a slew of soft games at the beginning. They have tons of offense and showed they could play physical defense at times last week. Of course, it must be noted they will be without starting QB, James Franklin, who is out for the next 3-5 weeks with a shoulder injury. Their backup is Maty Mauk who was a highly touted dual threat QB out of Ohio before redshirting last season. He is the heir apparent to this system and is probably very comfortable with this offense coming into the game. Even though it is his first game, I’d expect he will not perform poorly. He has three really big receivers to throw to…and I mean big…they are all 6’5 and 6’6. They dwarf our secondary which will have its hands full on the outside….meaning our pass rush has to show up this week after being dormant last week. Georgia was broken last week and their defense is not our defense. Still, the Tigers are good and are pretty much going to be the favorite unless something changes. Mizzou averages 40 points and 500 yards a game. This is not a good situation going in for the Gators, but it is also the way the SEC is setup and you step up when you have to do so. Something gives today, either our defense or their offense. I’m banking on our defense shutting down their offense.

That said, we are out Matt Jones for the season and Damian Jacobs for the game and I’ve heard that Ronald Powell is not at full strength. I get the whole “man out, man up” concept that Muschamp preaches, but that is all based on the fact that you have men to turn to when one goes out. We are rapidly losing players this season and the next few games are pretty critical to our success. I’d expect our defense to be more than they were last week and are probably ready to shut down the Tiger offense, but we have got to have a good running game today to setup our offense. Tyler Murphy as human last week, but let’s face it, our offensive line was useless against LSU. The fact that Murphy didn’t turn the ball over last week was impressive. Expect to see more Kelvin Taylor, but that also means poor pass blocking when he is in the game. Mack Brown has had a week to prepare. It is conceivable that we have a dominant run game today which will help slow down the Missouri pass attack only because our sustained drives will be 8-9 minutes long. We will definitely need a defensive or special teams score to help out today, along with a possible consistent field goal kicker. Who’d have thought our weak spot this year would have been punting and field goal kicking. Regardless, Mizzou’s defense isn’t LSU’s defense and we have A LOT to prove today because I’m sure the Gators have heard all week that they aren’t favored in the game. We play with what we got today. Florida 20 Missouri 17. Game time is 12:21 EST, 9:21PST on ESPN3 or Gameplan. I’m in the middle of Illinois so I don’t know where I’m going to watch it today. I may have a very stressful day with ESPN Gamecast. You should not. Join your local Gator Club where a Victory in our first visit ever at Missouri is best served with Gators! ‘Nuff said.

Go Gators!

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My Conversation with Timmy Gator

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I recently had an email conversation with a Gator fan, we will call him Timmy Gator, that involved some very good discussion. Printed below is our exchange. It has been edited for brevity and some unrelated material as Timmy Gator and I go way back and it isn’t always about football. Warning: This isn’t the normal bias I usually exude in my posts and it discusses a variety of teams in the SEC and beyond. Don’t read if you don’t want an all glowing positive review on the Gators.

Timmy Gator:
Very interested in your post-game thoughts. The defense showed up on both sides of the field. O looked anemic. What the heck happened to GA. I know they were in the hurt locker with injuries so we didn’t see their full offense, which may have helped keep Mizzou off the field…and their D has been soft all year.

I would have liked to see the Mizzou QB against FL this week. Too bad he got injured. Not sure what to make of the game this weekend. I think we win, but not sure we prove anything without their QB in place. Gurley will be back in time for UF so we will play a better team than Mizzou did.

I’m starting to think LSU might knock AL off again.

TGN:
Ok—post game thoughts are this—the game went as I pretty much expected with the exception of LSU’s defense. Their defense has been porous and undisciplined at best and they put together probably the best 4 quarters they have had all seasons in the game against us. Of course, that’s what good teams do and in an unbiased view, they are a good team. Of course, having said that…LSU will not win the BCS National Championships. The numbers don’t work for them. They may get to the game, but won’t win. Our defense did not have the pass rush we needed, but they were still very good. Really, 17 points allowed—-that’s not a bad showing.

Georgia is better than Mizzou who is better than Florida. Missouri got lucky facing Georgia when they were broken. We are, in turn, getting the same situation…..almost exactly since we will be playing at Missouri and they played at UGA. We “may” beat Missouri if we fix a few things and with a week to prepare we can re-establish how we will run the ball without Matt Jones. Kelvin Taylor is a brilliant runner, but a crappy blocker…which is why he is not getting time because he is an abject failure on the pass rush. UGA defense is indeed soft and without a prolific offense, they were primed for an upset against Mizzou. That said, Missouri’s defense will do exactly what LSU’s did and put all their effort in stopping the run and forcing the pass. Our offensive line was very offensive. Credit goes to Tyler Murphy because he did not turn the ball over and probably should have several times when he was running for his life. We did see what Tyler Murphy lacks…..precise passing under pressure. Still, his game management is above question. The rest of the offense is trying really hard for him and are much more relaxed.

‘Bama is at home against LSU. LSU could bring their A-game and still lose. This one goes to ‘Bama. I don’t foresee LSU getting that kind of defensive effort on the road.

Forget Georgia. Hope Gurley does come back. We can beat them. I don’t care what happens next week against Mizzou. If Muschamp loses this game to UGA it will officially be a Georgia winning streak. He’s done to me if that happens.

The exceptional detail for this week at Missouri—it is probably going to be in the 50’s for the game and possibly raining. The Gators aren’t used to the Midwest and the weather. If the weather is not nice, this game is strongly favored for Mizzou. The colder it is the less the Gators chances are of winning.

Forget OSU. Get a real schedule and play in a real conference if you want respect.

Unfortunately, there is a real possibility that we lose three of the next four. Muschamp and Pease just aren’t the X’s and O’s coaches who can put a complete winner together.

Timmy Gator:
I’d love to see OSU play Oregon (or Bama/LSU) during the regular season. Any of those three would light them up. I think Oregon/Bama are the national championship game. I had forgotten Bama/LSU is in ALA. That changes the upset probability. Frankly, LSU will need more offense than 17 against ALA. No way they hold ALA to under 21.

I still love watching A&M. That always fun. Absolutely no defense on their side of the ball but they can score. I wonder what they are left with after Manziel. Real problems for them.

So here’s the real question, does Mizzou represent in the SEC Championship game??

TGN:
Yes. If Mizzou beats us it is likely they will be in the SECCG. Of course they could go into a death spiral without Franklin, but their untested frosh QB is supposed to be all world. It actually could make them better by seasons end.

I think we should pull out a squeaker against them this week.

Oh yeah…right now the championship is Oregon’s to lose.

————–
So that was my conversation this week with Timmy Gator. I will update “The List” after this weekend. You will absolutely be stunned with some of the teams on it.

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Decision Time in Death Valley

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Leak Runnin the Offense toward the End Zone

Leak Runnin the Offense toward the End Zone (Photo credit: whateyesee13)

A definitive moment, Gator Nation!

We find out this weekend whether our defense is for real, whether our offense is actually becoming something more than just a run-only, ball protection scheme and whether LSU is actually the best team in the SEC. Into Death Valley we go and both teams are a much different version than the last two years. LSU is much different from last year’s team that visited The Swamp. In the last three games, the same can be said of the Gators. The winner of this game is the first one to establish their strength, our defense or LSU’s offense. Let’s talk some football…

Zach Mettenberger, LSU’s QB, was a non-factor last year. Enter Cam Cameron as offensive coordinator and the former transfer from Georgia is lighting up competition this year. He had the tools, but didn’t have the game plan or talent last year. He throws primarily to two good receivers, Odell Beckham and Jarvis Landry, and when I mean primarily….I mean primarily. Between the two receivers they have 77 catches. Among the remaining 11 players who have caught a pass for LSU, their total is 31. So….yes, primarily the ball is going to one of those two players. Put or shut up time for our secondary this week?  You betcha. LSU also has Jeremy Hill who can pound the ball on the ground. This is about as balanced of an offensive attack that we will face this year. The question will be how fast a start does LSU get on offense compared to how our defense starts. We’ve been sluggish at the outset the last three games and LSU usually starts very hot on offense. That does not bode us well if we get into a hole in this game on the road. The flip side is that LSU’s defense is not their best in recent years. They’ve given up 21, 44, and 26 points against their last three SEC opponents. It will be interesting to see how our offense stacks up today. This definitely is our turning point in the season. Either we become the team to beat in the SEC East or not. The ball’s in our hands.

Everyone knows who Tyler Murphy is by now. One wonders if the had been a highly recruited QB if he would have been starting a couple of years ago. As it turns out, it doesn’t matter. He got to the big leagues and is making it count. Now Tennessee, Kentucky and Arkansas are one thing. If he plays like he has been against LSU then we’re probably about to see a meteoric rise in the marketing of Tyler Murphy. There is no doubt that our offense likes playing with Tyler Murphy. Whatever he brings to the huddle, it has been a good thing. Everyone is playing harder on that side of the ball and it is creating a situation that allows are defense to tee off on the opponent. We will definitely need that today. We’re not favored against LSU and the fact is, I don’t care. Everyone keeps pointing to 2011 where we took an absolutely thin team with a freshman QB in his first start and were abysmal. We are not that team anymore. I would definitely like to avoid the idiotic personal foul penalties we’ve received in recent games, but the fact is that our defense needs to set the tone for this game. It’s statement time and if our defense wants to be considered the best then they need to shut down the LSU offense to do so. Our offense just needs to keep doing what is doing and not turn the ball over. The loser’s out of the SEC Championship race. Either we’re for real or not. Time to make it real. Florida 27 LSU 23. Game time is 3:30pm EST, 12:30pm PST on CBS with Verne and Gary (sigh!). Get to your local Gator Club where a Victory over LSU in Death Valley is best served with Gators! ‘Nuff said.

Go Gators!

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Lexington Festivities

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Always good to be around the Gator Nation!

130928 San Diego Friends

I’m a bit late with this post, but I had a great opportunity at the Florida-Kentucky game to spend time with good friends from the San Diego Gator Club where all of this started for me.  Great people, great game and a good time had by all…in the Gator Nation.

Stadium view of the game

Stadium view of the game

NIght time at Commonwealth Stadium made for a great Gator Victory.  The visitor’s section is in the northeast section of the stadium.  It’s better to be higher up so you can see the play on the field.  As it turned out, I was right behind the Pride of the Sunshine.  That’s was pretty cool too!  Obviously, the fake field goal which tied the game at 7-7 made the game interesting early on, but UK could never move the ball and we seemed to go on these drives of 8-9 minutes and get points.  Not sure if anyone noticed, but we never punted in this game.  That’s saying something.

Post-game Gator team cheer along with the band and the fans

Post-game Gator team cheer along with the band and the fans

One more time..in the corner with the team in Lexington.  A great place to see a game and watch our Gators play.  Best quote I read “Why Dick Vitale tweeted it could happen. And Kirk Herbstreit said it could happen. And suddenly the Bluegrass state was hooked on the feeling the team from the Sunshine State was ripe for the picking. And then the football was placed on the tee and reality visited Commonwealth Stadium. Again.” John Clay, Lexington Herald Leader.

Pretty much sums it up.

Final Score

Final Score

Post Game festivities at Bogarts Lounge at the Lexington Crowne Plaza Campbell House.  A great live ban, Rock Steady, with a phenomenal keyboardist, David Lee Hinkle.  A must see for your next Lexington, KY visit.

Keyboardist David Lee Hinkle

Keyboardist David Lee Hinkle

Go Gators!

A New Razorback Team

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Albert and Alberta in the Swamp (Florida Field...

Albert and Alberta in the Swamp (Florida Field). Image captured by Tampa Gator September 2004. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

We win, they lose, Gator Nation!

That pretty much sums up how I feel. We are not the flashiest of team, but in Muschamp‘s era, it boils down to that statement. Arkansas comes to The Swamp in our first night game at home since 2011. Apparently, that is a big deal, although it is worth noting we just won a game last weekend in Lexington at night so I’m hoping most of our team recognizes that it is nice at night in The Swamp. Also we will be wearing all blue and the fans in a blue-out for the game. I’m not really big on gimmicks. Mainly we should just line up as we always do and knock the other team off the ball. We win, they lose. It’s not a hard concept to follow. Let’s talk some football…

Bret Bielema is the new coach for the Razorbacks coming by way of Wisconsin. It is interesting to note that Bielema was having great success at Wisconsin (a major Big Ten school) and was poised to be there for as long as he wanted. Yet decided to up and takeover a program that had moderate success in the SEC. He has transitioned the team from pass-happy…which is an understatement..during the Bobby Petrino days to run first and mostly always now. They run the ball 70%. I’m wondering if any of you see something familiar with this? The Razorback attack is led by Alex Collins who has 597 yards on the ground in five games against mostly porous defenses, but give this freshman his due. He lines up each game and gets the yardage. This will be the stiffest test the Gator D has had to date in terms of rushing attacks because they also have a sophomore Jonathan Williams who has 471 yard. There is no secret to Arkansas’ success this season. Passing will be a secondary and little used option, though it is worth noting that when they do pass they can be successful. Their QB, Brandon Allen, had 282 yards and 3 TDs against Texas A&M last week. That’d be impressive if everyone wasn’t doing the same against Texas A&M this season. Arky has a “line ’em and knock ’em down” approach they use. Still we win, they lose.

Our Gator D was impressive last week against UK in the face of losing Dominique Easley. His loss will be apparent at times, but you coach what you got and we seem to “got” quite a bit on D. I think it will be very unlikely that we stack the box to stop Arkansas’ rushing attack. It’s all about the guys who line up and penetrate into the opposition’s backfield which we do pretty well. We continue that trend and we force Arkansas into a passing attack that just begs for our secondary to come in and snatch a few. Speaking of our secondary….Vernon Hargreaves III (VH3 from now on) is everything as billed. A true freshman who earned a starting position, VH3 has 3 interceptions in 4 games for the Gators. Fewer and fewer passes are going to go his way this season, so if he makes any interceptions then you need to PAY ATTENTION because they were hard fought for him. I could write this entire post about him, but I won’t. He’s good and Loucheiz Purifoy and Marcus Roberson (both NFL talents) are now looking at him as the standard. I digress. Tyler Murphy is making the most of his playing time. Sometimes it’s good to be the 2-star backup with few expectations. He is careful with the ball, but he is also extremely relaxed in the pocket which seems to have relaxed the entire offense altogether. He doesn’t turn the ball over this game we win, they lose. We are going to hold the ball for 8 minutes a drive score in the 20’s and hold the opposition to as few points as possible. That’s the theme. We win, they lose…I’ve actually used this before…but it seems to be the best measure in the Muschamp grand scheme of things. Works for me. Florida 28 Arkansas 13. Game time is 7pm EST, 4pm PST on ESPN2. In the grand spirit of all things defense, I’m hoping for a VH3 interception and return for a TD because let’s face it, that’s the best kind of quick strike offense we have. Hoping for a Kelvin Taylor appearance as well. I’m joining my local Gator Club, like you should do, where a Gator Victory at night is best served with Gators! ‘Nuff said.

Go Gators!

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