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Official Game Thread, Week 7: #14 Florida Gators 37, Vanderbilt Commodores 27, October 13, 2018

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gatorpack

Gator Fan
Almost ready to SAY what I was thinking since we got back IN this one at the end of the erd quarter (and DIDN'T, thank goodness--ALMOST did, and that's when Pierce lost the ball last time. Do you try the 3? Or run it out? GOOD. THAT SHOULD DO IT.
You can relax now:cool:
 

Escambia94

Aerospace Cubicle Engineer (ACE)
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This is what Vanderbilt deserves for cheating and race baiting. Nice hug between the coaches.
 

DRU2012

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So don't TELL me how there's "no such thing as jinxing": I argue it MYSELF all the time--and I STILL WON'T "tempt fate".
Gonna wait a coupla more plays after all.
...waiting...waiting...INTERCEPTED!
THAT will do it. Could not have played worse in first half--and we still take this one. So: NOW, finally, the idiots who do the broadcast are finally getting it right: "GUTSY PERFORMANCE"..."LEARNING MORE HERE THAN A BIG BEAT DOWN WOULDA DONE FOR THEM"... and so on.
Yep. NOW I will ENJOY the rest of this season--no matter WHAT halpens in Jacksonville in a coupla weeks, We should be able to give UGA a game...Hey, the Commodores just gave US one. I doubt we'll have a half like the first one here today: These guys will have to watch the film come Monday, after all! But it won't hurt NEAR as much as it mighta--and there ARE all KINDS of "lessons" there: plenty to learn from, AND at the same time, finally, reasons to feel BETTER about ourselves, too...I don't know how the media fools will spin this (heck, when it comes to Gator analysis, at this point I already hardly pay attention to ANYTHING anyone but Tebow says ANYWAY), but to me, the obvious "main points" are 2:
(1) They survived their own mounting mistakes, survived to win a game they did everything POSSIBLE to lose--and did THAT as they ALSO learned about "listening to the hype" and "coming in flat"...both "innoculated", AND "proven", on a BAD day--instead of being embarrassed (as they seemed at one point to be headed), and
(2) These Gators, under Coach Mullens, are a whole different species of reptile--who CAN comeback, even on their seeming "WORST day".
As the Head Coach has said each of the last few weeks coming off the field, "This team has found new and different ways to win each week!"
The experts are welcome to rip us, drop us more than they have done to all their favorites who've squeaked by at LEAST once or twice here so far earlier this season--I'll TAKE the win, AND the lessons, and the potential 12-2 season within our grasp now...AND the next recruiting haul-to-come!
 

DRU2012

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You can relax now:cool:
Thanx. I AM. JUST in time. Getting dressed with UT/Baylor on (a ride coming for me down to Zilker and my small part in "The Rock'n'Roll Life") in a kind of "pummeled-but-happy", exhausted but relaxed state. I will be "Mr. LOOSE", easy to work with and FOR, tonight. "Your call--ok by ME!" (LOL)
 

DRU2012

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This is what Vanderbilt deserves for cheating and race baiting. Nice hug between the coaches.
Is that what was happening down there? I was already glad to see that exchange (these two are known to be friends)--maybe it was naive, but I just thought it was a matter of frustration (on OUR part--at our own frustration and ineptitude all around), plus poor (in every way) and uneven officiating, all in that first half (and then that once-upon-a-time-"Good hit!"/now "sure-targeting" call) that precipitated all that...Apparently some jawing from THEIR assistant coaches--but if you know more details, I'm fascinated. As for the emotion itself, personally I was glad to see it from our players AND coaches at that point--no hanging of their heads. But all considered (especially with the stuff YOU mention, E-- ), no wonder neither wanted to talk about it!
 

awebbf5

VIP Member
Sorry I missed the thread guys had to watch via DVR had to bag food at church for our food outreach.
Big win so proud of our guys. Loved seeing Mullen getting fired up and mad. This team is 2 wins away from what I said would be a great success for this year, and they might actually surpass that!
 

DRU2012

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Whew! Guys: Talk about dodging a bullet: We just did the game equivalent of "dropping our flak jackets and using the added speed and mobility to get outta the way, make 'em MISS!"
Close. But we live to fight another day.
How long has it BEEN since we came back from down 18 points down? To myself, when we fell back to that a SECOND time, I SWORE I would look at this team DIFFERENTLY if we DID come back. No WAY I was gonna SAY that out loud until it was a DONE DEAL, though. No Coach since SPURRIER would have likely presided over such a turn around, from a practical, let alone an emotional P.O.V...
Gotta look at the REST of the season as somewhat of a "GIFT" from here, now...
Meanwhile, UGA having its OWN "BAD DAY" so far against LSU. Who knows how it'll all get by the next time we "talk" here?
Gonna take off in a few:
Thanks one and all for keeping this bearable thru the worst of it--and it was bad as I've SEEN it for awhile there in the early-going all the way til mid-game.
Thing that's DIFFERENT, ALL different obviously, is that we somehow pulled it together and PULLED IT OUT. Can't remember last time we SAW that, let alone dared believe it COULD. One more BIG CHANGE in our team and program.
LATER, Gators!
 

DRU2012

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Sorry I missed the thread guys had to watch via DVR had to bag food at church for our food outreach.
Big win so proud of our guys. Loved seeing Mullen getting fired up and mad. This team is 2 wins away from what I said would be a great success for this year, and they might actually surpass that!
We missed YOU, man!
THAT was a gut-clencher; our Coach keeps saying at the end of these last few, "Well, we keep finding new and different ways to win...Shows we ARE learning, getting better."...and BOY, was that ever true IN SPADES for this one! Best part MAY be that (hopefully) we won't NEED to learn some of those particular "lessons" a second time. For example, "Can we just go out and BURY a 'lesser opponent' from the START next time, boys?!!"
 

DRU2012

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Things a lot smoother this week--Our "win"(now that it's OVER) already in the bag, instead of sweating it out by peaking at my phablet (sitting on a mix board or a handy amp head, "WATCH ESPN" streaming on it) every chance I got...Am leaving it up there for anyone else to check on rest of night (as games get under way out west)...By now all my colleagues and co-workers, aware of MY allegiance (roadies daft sports addicts, and we ARE in Big 12, SEC and GENERAL big time college football territory along "the I-35 corridor")...So it has been interesting the comments I've been getting here from all OVER the place: Maybe a case of "hearing what I WANT to hear", but sure seems like the overall trend is towards folks (at least regular "college fans at large") being more "impressed with you guys coming BACK on an off-day, all the breaks going AGAINST you and opponent FEELING it", than working us for HAVING that "bad day" in the first place.
"SEC Champs vs The Field" ???
I've said it elsewhere and I'll say it again here: "The 'SEC Champion' IS 'The NATIONAL Champion' this year--this ERA!"
Now, with UGA getting beat, well, Who (besides the Tide) WILL go to Atlanta, ultimately? And AFTER that, what? I too am immensely PROUD of our team this eve, and just wanna see us FINISH WELL from here...And you know what? I don't think any non-SEC team above us could weather a typical SEC SCHEDULE with fewer than 2 losses. THIS year's Football Final Four is already shaping up a JOKE: The "experts" can stroke each other all they want, but THIS TIME way things are setting up, no matter WHAT their variously self-serving statistical breakdowns indicate, the more "interesting" and publicly ACCEPTED post-playoff and Bowl season's outcomes line up in an oldstyle "Beauty Contest", the more influential THOSE eventual "rankings" will truly be. As far as recruiting goes, these kids wanna go where you get lots of attention, AND, well, WHERE THEY'RE HAVING FUN!!! And we ALL wanna be a part of a "community", of something BIGGER than WE are, ANY of us, as individuals. I have ALWAYS felt that as a Gator. You think OUR Coach doesn't see, KNOW that already?
And his main priority now is to go out there, get HIS GUYS, AND Build a Winner.
 

DRU2012

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One more "final observation" that goes here--since it was in this game that I finally felt we had to face it:
"Having Phillipe Franks as your starting QB is like having a knuckleballer as the ace-starter on your pitching staff...Teams HAVE won that way on occasion (the Atlanta Braves with Phil Niekro, for eg.), but you live by them on the good days, die by them on the bad--and worst of all, they can be BOTH the same day!"
That was the case today, and though I called for Mullens considering replacing Franks at the end of the 1st half, I was wrong, obviously, as it turned out (and he MADE some tight throws at key moments in those comeback drives in the 2nd half--threw some DARTS there).
If Emory Jones comes along as hoped for in the course of this, his redshirt season, rest of the way and in the Spring/Summer camps, though , there WILL likely come a point next year when Franks will be having one of his "painful-to-watch-him"-days (let alone find your whole SEASON resting on his suddenly-spastic throwing arm), and Mullens WILL decide it is TIME...and our "QB of the Future" will come in--and that'll be that.
From then on, IF he's healthy, he's The Man. And if he IS, well, THAT will be the easy "2019 College Football Story": "Gators Challenge Tide", "Jones vs Tua", and so on...
OK ok ...Getting WAY ahead of myself/ ourselves here obviously. Just sayin'.
I GET that "we got what we GOT", for now: Trask is a very good ("lucky to HAVE him") backup--but for the sake of the team, reps in practice, the "eyetest" on Franks from MULLENS' P.O.V. and Franks' own fragile state-of-mind, Coach sticks with him long as he is healthy. THIS season. But that will change--ASAP: I figure soon as Coach can manage it after this season is over.
(Meanwhile, whatever GRIER's chances were and/or now ARE for a Heisman--and I hated even THINKING about it, watching OUR team struggling, trying to limit our weakness at that position, but though resenting the whole lack of mutual trust that HAD Grier no longer a Gator in the first place, hard to argue with all the seeming positives of his resulting opportunities now "back home"--UNTIL yesterday: NOT just losing and looking bad in doing so, but your COACH, Dana Holgerson just savaging your whole offense and more or less throwing the Heisman-challenging QB, who had helped to GET you THIS far, COMPLETELY UNDER THE BUS! ..."Worst offense I have EVER seen. In all my years of coaching. In my whole LIFE!" Hmmmmmmm...Strange how "honor, responsibility and loyalty", the very subjects raised in Grier's LEAVING UF, now backlashes ONTO him from the guy who he was now counting on to help him realize his highest dreams and goals. Oh well... Sometimes (few though they may seem), there are days like yesterday, where the idea of "Karma" really does appear to have some merit after all...
 

DRU2012

Super Moderator
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If you are a student of the game, as I am, then follow the thread below by Twitter user GatorCritic. This guy breaks out every major play him Feleipe Franks.
[TWEET]https://twitter.com/GatorCritic/status/1051537107515248640?s=19
[/TWEET]
Found that link (to Josh@GatorCritic) IMMENSELY instructive--but frustrating and depressing too, exactly BECAUSE of its undeniable insight and accuracy. It wore me down, eventually: At a certain point, you realize that he is in fact precisely documenting and finally articulating the facts behind the vague overall feeling you get WATCHING Franks: That he is severely limited, ISN'T really improving to any large degree--and that even as clever and adaptive as our Head Coach IS in developing an offense and tailoring it to his QB, Franks is clearly the bottleneck preventing our REAL progress there. Aside from convincing me fully of what I already deep down felt--that though our D MIGHT be able to keep us IN the next one into the 2nd half, our victory against LSU notwithstanding we are ultimately about to get whipped BADLY in Jacksonville--along with the frustration of seeing the stark PROOF of all of Franks' "limitations" laid out play-by-play there (more on that in a moment), the really worrisome part to me was Josh's cogent concerns regarding all the ways it could hurt our recruiting the very parts on offense we--or more specifically the true "future-QB-to-come" (whomever he may be)--will NEED once Mullens HAS a good one in there with which he CAN fully "open it up"!
I had to stop following along at a certain point, first time through: It got to a point where his prefacing-remarks alone were more than enough not just to make the point without WATCHING the actual replay, but by then I was clearly and distinctly remembering the particular play in sharp detail from when watching the game itself at the time--and remember seeing and noting the very same thoughts and conclusions as Josh THEN. I went back just now and saw the whole sequence through--but that first time I had to STOP at that TERRIBLE underthrow that turned what should have been an easy quick-6 into a near-interception...On our game-thread here at the time I noted it too, and said something in passing to the effect that "this play epitomized everything WRONG with Franks' play in GENERAL".
BOTTOMLINE: It is amazing that we have gotten THIS far on Franks' clumsy, gangly arm'n'legs...and while you can credit THAT to Mullens' astute, flexible and relentlessly creative football IQ, it is just as true that there is ample evidence by now that we've seen the BEST of what the latter can achieve with the former under center, running his offense. Period.
As for the ramifications and consequences that radiate from that truth, though, well, that is grist for the mill of ENDLESS discussion--all part of a general warning as to our road the rest of the way. But the fact that our Head Coach "GETS" all that we can be sure, and has gotten us this far despite it all, is cause for SOME hope--but we "students of the game" who also happen to be died-in-the-wool GATORS too do not wish to delude ourselves either--so we are thankful and glad to see and consider the work of [email protected]...BIG "Thanks!" for bringing it to our collective attentions, E--.
One caveat, though. The one thing Josh seems to consciously discount, even (to some extent, not unfairly) dismiss contemptuously in its extreme (mindlessly, beer-soaked, blindly homerist) form IS the role "toughness, guts and heart" DOES play in the college game. It has to be something that exists to DRIVE talent, scheme, depth, stategy and tactics--but it DOES exist, importantly so: We just saw how it can be the very thing that, if you got enough of the rest somewhere in there as well, allow you to "FLIP THE SWITCH" and COMEBACK somehow. You don't wanna try and LIVE on it, week in/week out--but it is THAT part of "the college game" that moves us, helps to separate it from the pro game, for eg. That would be my only (somewhat mild) caveat here: I know who and what, the "TYPE" (on all sides) he is dismissing there, but "don't throw out the baby with the bath water" in the process, brother! Because understanding and accepting the "psychology" of these young men is part of OUR Head Coach's edge, I think, a "plus" he has and will use in a number of ways to advance our program both in games (and how he prepares a gamePLAN), AND (at least as important) in recruiting (and what prospective recruits will see in terms of their opportunities to SHINE here), now, and in the seasons and YEARS to come...How does that go?--"NOT just the Xs and Os, but the Bobs and JOES!". And THAT is the key to EVERY "great" college football coach's longterm success in building a "great college football PROGRAM". Period.
 
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