Gator Game Day (11/22/14): Gators Warmly Welcome E. Kentucky

[DRU2012]

Almost called this one "The Long Goodbye"...Will Muschamp's penultimate game as Gator Head Coach should be a somewhat bittersweet affair. He and his team can just relax and "let it fly" (too bad he never grasped the relationship between attitude/energy/"vibe"--his and how that extends to and thru' the team, and the kinds of results you get on the field), and I suspect we'll see it on the scoreboard. At the same time, the "fun" will be tempered by that same reality: Probably a sense of sadness and regret for everyone on the sidelines, "too little/too late" a truth that grows as we pull away.
I'm putting this up so early because, personally, I won't be all that wrapped up in this one, nor can I envision anything developing that is likely to change that once it gets going. Even a close one, which can only happen if we totally revert to "Bad Gator!"-form (in other words, continue play in the same vein as we managed in the final few minutes last week), would only serve to underline why it's come to this--and a "big win" will mean almost nothing except to the players themselves. I'd welcome and enjoy the latter, but all it shows us is "what might have been" (had the Coach(s) not had their heads up their collective butts) and "what could be" (with a new Coach and staff). In other words, nothing new.
In contrast, I know I WILL care about next week's game, no matter WHAT I try to tell myself in self-protective emotional preparation. Never mind: If anything, that reminds me why I need to watch this one and enjoy every SECOND of what we manage to do well...The season's almost over, and these may be the last of the on-field "good times" for some months. God knows we've had precious few of them last couple of years.

 

[Escambia94]

Florida better win this one 66-3. Last chance for the coaches on the staff to audition for their next jobs. I am growing more bitter by the minute over how much Florida has under-performed since 2008 when we started losing coaches. I blame Obama.

 

[Leakfan12]

I blame Obama.

Are you a teabagger? I blame the OSU coach, what's his name. Some douche.

 

[DRU2012]

That's what I like to see: Healthy, angry humor. It's where I live.

(The one GOOD thing about "underperforming", btw, is that once we do change coaches, theoretically we SHOULD be able to "bounce back" quite a ways: Remember, without a hurricane and a penchant for completely voluntary late-game collapse, this same team is 8-and-2 right now. It's still a young team; our QB-to-be is only a true freshman, at the very least we should get our injured sure-handed senior TE back on a med red-shirt to help smooth out the passing game, and the two best players on defense are sophomores so pretty good chance of retaining them...No news to anyone here that recruiting will make the big difference medium and long-term--and the present Coach and staff were DYING there lately, so all in all ANY change is likely to be an upgrade.)

 

[miltongator]

The fault lies with whichever boneheaded coach decided that JD was our best QB. Perhaps in practice he was, but definitely NOT in a game. The great thing about today is that it's the beginning of the end. I can love my Gators
again!!

 

[Escambia94]

Are you a teabagger? I blame the OSU coach, what's his name. Some douche.

Actually, I do not align under any political party. I register Republican, only so I can get an extra vote, and because older military members lean towards old school Republicans.

I should have used "I blame Bush". I believe that is universally accepted as a non-political joke.

 

[Escambia94]

The fault lies with whichever boneheaded coach decided that JD was our best QB. Perhaps in practice he was, but definitely NOT in a game. The great thing about today is that it's the beginning of the end. I can love my Gators
again!!

Kurt Roper has stated time and time again that he called the plays and managed the personnel. The buck stops there. Or, we can play the slippery slope game: Roper's boss is Muschamp, but Muschamp's boss is Foley, but Foley's boss is Machen. Machen is a state employee, so we should have fired the governor of the state of Florida over the boneheaded decision to play Driskel.

 

[miltongator]

I think we should fire Obama

 

[DRU2012]

Personally, if I wanted to even keep playing the blame game, I figure that for decisions affecting on-field play, it started with the Head Coach (yeah, Foley hired and kept him etc etc, but as you say, "slippery slope"), who certainly stayed with JD too long (remember my "Foley is to Muschamp as Muschamp is to Driskel" equation?), and Roper (for whatever reasons) went along "too long" himself (OK, my opinion this last...PLEASE, we don't really have to discuss how much blame HE gets now, do we?).
As for all the rest, well, in the pervasive corporate reality that defines modern American politics the higher you go, I neither admire nor trust any of 'em...You look at who their true "constituents" are, if you can, figure how that affects your own values and personal interests, and vote accordingly--and keep them OUT of the things that REALLY matter, like the bedroom and Gator football!
Beyond that, I have been trying to see this discussion move on. The only thing that is relevant right now in "what just happened" and how we got there is what we can learn from it to avoid repeating the same mistakes.
Hopefully, henceforth the QB "question" will be more along lines of "Will Grier be Treon's back-up?" Any discussion regarding Driskel depends on whether we can and should redshirt Grier next season, save him for future starter-status while he continues to learn, grow, and fill out (which is happening, but in a much slower fashion than it did/is for Harris)--in which case JD will then be the "experienced back-up" next year, with any luck the guy who only comes in to finish up once the game is in hand (unless he goes to the pros? Seems like a long shot, but there are those who are still enamored of his "size, ability and potential", he might dazzle 'em at the Combines, and with family and those close to him whispering in his ear, may not accept "#2 at best, maybe #3"-status).
Not here, not now, but SOON we'll talk about recruiting, the areas in particular that we MUST address, along with the general approach the next Coach and his staff will take. In fact, now that I think of it, "Game Day" may well be a fair time and place to begin that discussion, I suppose...I guess it'd be only natural to find ourselves, instead of just groaning at things like dropped passes, to specifically note obvious missing pieces for attention in the weeks and months ahead. More hopeful and constructive than just bitching about it--and the first thing the new Head Coach will have to turn to as soon as he is hired and brings the core of "his people" in.

 

[miltongator]

Treon not looking good so far today.

 

[DRU2012]

...You know, I was so out-of-touch/uninvolved in the run-up to this game, I thought it started at Noon CENTRAL. Just turned on my TV to find it had already started--and only did that because I wanted to make sure I was able to get it here in Austin on Time Warner. Just in time to see Taylor run it in on the FAKE FG 2nd time down there for our 1st TD today. My Q: How the heck did we have to settle for an apparent FG the FIRST time we got down there? Guess we have to fake it to score in the red zone in the Mus-Roper offense. And apparently this team ALWAYS starts slow, even against Directional State. 10-0 just under 10 minutes in...Of course, THEN had to watch them show us the (in this broadcast crew's version) "4 or 5 plays at the end of last week's game that could have meant things were very different here today for the Florida Gators"...UGH!!! And over those, discussion of "a very good game against LSU that would have been a win if not for a dropped pass in the endzone".
Treon not throwing it well. Needs to settle his feet--he is back-sliding. I suppose the new Coach will "open up" QB competition, or at least say that he is--but unless Grier has come a LONG way by next Spring, Treon's our guy.
Geez, this could be in its own way as unwatchable as most of our other games this season...We've looked pretty atrocious on offense even in our victories, let's face it. Don't know how long I can hang in here, my friends. Just a bad scrimmage, in a lot of ways.

 

[miltongator]

Our needs include: Tight end, 2 receivers, O-Linemen

 

[DRU2012]

Main reason I had ANY interest in this one was to see Treon grow, begin to assert himself solidly at QB. That continues to NOT happen, I'm outta here.
Meanwhile, are they gonna get a real drive on us here? It gets to 10-7, and I give 'em ONE more series for Treon to sharpen up, then that'll be it for me.
Man, they are as bad as US on offense. What is WRONG with even our D today? Can't even tackle properly! Oh, we'll eventually pull away, but this is already turning out to be pretty "good" demonstration of everything that is wrong with this Gator team. We are inconsistent all over the field, and find ways to beat ourselves. Without our two all-everything defenders (who seem to rise up and come through with big plays almost every time they are needed), we would be capable of losing to ANYONE. We still damn near ARE.
51-yarder for them...Like I say, "slow-starting" for sure.

 

[DRU2012]

Td pass, a LONG one (finally!) to Dunbar...Would have liked to see him hit in-stride, but at least he (Treon) saw it, went to it, and got the ball where QD could catch and do something with it, take it in. 73-yds. Did you see that shot of Treon going over to the sideline after the play, sitting on the bench beside JD and pointing at his knee as they talked? Might not play past the half, if it's stiffening up. Watch Driskel light up the place when there's no pressure, nothing on the line, the coach who championed him already more or less gone...

 

[DRU2012]

Our needs include: Tight end, 2 receivers, O-Linemen

Yeah, receivers for sure...Of course, we may get our SO-promising-for-the-one-season senior TE from Maryland back again NEXT year--IF he even wants a medical redshirt rather than take his shot at the NFL based on the bit of brilliance he showed with us before the big injury. WITH that injury, though, think he may NEED that senior year more than ever if he wants to get the pro-scouts' attention. I think he'd be a calming influence for Treon, a real "insurance policy" in our passing game--and clearly Treon needs that, at this point, at least in the early going when he first gets in there. It's been a pattern for him--he gets sharper and more "intuitive" as the game goes on. Having a big, always-catches-it guy out there "if all else fails" is a real confidence builder.

 

[DRU2012]

Hell, we haven't looked all that great--and we're up 21-3 at the start of the 2nd qrtr. Scrimmaging against our 2nd teams is tougher than this one.
Here's Foley, talking about Muschamp's, well, whatever they're calling it...
...and Gators snap it over Treon's head, Colonels get it WAY deep, at our 8 yd line.
We suck. Can't stand even EASY success.

 

[DRU2012]

Hargraves stops 'em 1st play. Fowler on 2nd, for loss. I guess with Powell we've got THREE "really good ones" on defense...plus several "very good ones". 4th down...and they try ANOTHER fake (after the 1st one leads to our 1st TD)--and this one is stopped to deny them any points at all here. Still, I understand and agree with why they tried it: This IS a "big game" for them, given NO chance of even keeping it close, and that's what's happening, as I say despiite our not even playing that well. So you take your shots, try to catch us napping and get back into it; but that play was like OUR kind of thing. A dive into the middle? There? Uh, NOT first-and-goal, guys.

 

[DRU2012]

Sorry, only 17-3 for us...but we get a fumble from them deep, and...TD? They need to review this "incomplete" call--he was CLEARLY in--a real nice throw by Treon, too--to Robinson, of course. That's a play, that loft to the back endzone (the "near-fade") that has been missing from our playbook for awhile. Not an easy throw, and fact that Treon's got it down shows he's got touch and accuracy, just needs to settle down, set his feet, throw with confidence.

 

[DRU2012]

Only way they can get anything going is if our OFFENSE gives it to them.

 

[DRU2012]

24-3 and only JUST starting to "get into the game" on both our squads' parts. This COULD end up that "66-3" score you came up with off-cuff, @miltongator, .
There's another long completion, Treon to Robinson--and AGAIN, like the Dunbar TD, he underthrows the open man--I think he may be over-compensating for all those OVERthrows LAST week, maybe? I mean, they're still seemingly accurate throws, where the open man can come back and catch them in-bounds--just not over-top, in-stride.
And Treon half-trots, half-limps off after getting up slowly...I'm watching this with the sound off, so I'm not sure (I'll turn it up), but I think they're bringing in Driskel.
(After the commercials) Yep, it's JD, in earlier than I thought when Treon gets hit on the sore knee on the QB-run (hurt it 2 weeks back, I think, and hasn't had a chance to fully heal).