UK Game: "Coach has 'em ready to play, Gators win going away"

[DRU2012]

Ok - a little corny, but I remember from Psych 101 that humans tend to remember and believe statements that rhyme. And I don't say the above in any "trash-talking" way, either: I truly believe that is how the game ought to play out...The Wildcats are improved--but so are we. Their best chance to break the ongoing streak was LAST season, imo (I said EXACTLY that last season, too--That THAT game at their place was their best chance in a while to beat us)--their place, new (and clear upgrade at) head Coach, OUR team in disarray, and so on. Even after just one game against Charleston Southern, a much less talented squad, it looks very much like our team is headed in a whole different direction now.
Look, as Mullens himself noted in the presser, sooner or later, the streak will end--if only because the stars align and a bunch of things take it that way. But we have more (if inexperienced) talent that is "buying into" a good Coach's (more and more looking like the exact right FIT for us) message and program... It is possible UK might say the same thing about THEIR head Coach, but all other things being roughly equal, THIS Gator squad getting this Wildcat team at home now just looks to yield an "interesting", close game early, with us (barring ill-preparation and a LOT of sloppy play on our part early--something we saw a lot of, espec on offense, under the last few head coaches and OCs here at UF) facing strong play from a UK that manages to move the ball, keep things close...But we keep at it, begin to wear them down--It should all yield positive results in the 2nd quarter, I'm thinking/feeling, and certainly by and in the 2nd half.
Neither the team nor us fans deserve swaggering OVERconfidence going into this one--we don't have the RECENT history, nor does this collection of players have the performance experience as a unit to feel/act that way ahead of ANY SEC game, against any SEC team, right now. But the one thing I AM starting to be "confident" about is that Mullens "gets it"...He will do everything he can to have his charges in the "right" frame of mind and attitude. That is, "respectful positivity": Hit 'em hard, get up and do it again. Calmly keep at it til we're pulling away and the freshmen and backups are starting to see the field. Hmmmm, what am I saying, outcome-wise? Well, y'all know I don't usually project final scores, but given where this column has headed, guess it is only fair I give it a shot here: I'm thinking around 24-10, Gators, this time: And it'll be one of those ones where though "close early", overall one of those scores where fair to say, afterwards when noting the final score, one can say, "...but not really as close as the score would indicate".
So unless our D (and maybe special teams, too) gets in on the act, scores a couple of times, adds a coupla TDs to that Gator number, it will be a tense game for us right into the 2nd half, maybe even the 4th quarter.
Hoping otherwise, HOPING we fully "take control" in the 3rd and do that "pulling away" then (better for my blood pressure! Lol), but either way we'll take the win--and despite whatever much-inflated early-expectations already developing among Gator Nation, we should be happy and content with such a win.

 

[DRU2012]

(As a follow up caution/caveat: I just reviewed a UK Football site that included the analysis and game predictions from 7 diff sports columnists in Lexington—and it WAS a bit of an “eye-opener”: They all note the details I wasn’t so knowledgeable about regarding just HOW good their skill players on offense are considered nationally, and with Stoops’ guidance that continues to make them dangerous...Not so surprisingly, ALL 7 pick the game much closer, but noting history and a kind of sinking, “this is our last chance to beat them for a bunch MORE seasons”-mentality, only ONE of the seven actually picks the Wildcats to finally BEAT us here (I think HE has it “24-20 Wildcats”).
I subsequently did some further research regarding this UK squad, and now have a better idea of how and why the UK media and fans have the strange combo of pride and pessimism that they do. Now, I do NOT agree that their offense skill position players “match up as better than Florida’s, at top of the SEC except at QB”... I mean, it looks like their RB Snell will play Sundays, and now they have a complement to him that gives them a good tandem, and they seem to have developed an experienced O-line that can open the way, if/when healthy—but they are down their best tackle coming into this one, and when we turn to QB, well, if theirs and ours both play like they did this PAST Sat., then this could well be more like the beat down we put on them when they came into our place 2 years ago (like, 40-something to 20-something). I may not agree with their overall feeling that they “match up with the Gators talent-wise now across the board”, but I don’t believe they are delusional in thinking that at this point they have a solid, experienced squad (especially on offense), a fine Head Coach and staff, and, this still being a “transitional year” for a Mullens-led Gator team that will soon be rejoining the SEC elite (even THEY all seem to assume this, in various ways and to varying degrees), though it may be “very near and likely the Wildcats' LAST chance for a long while”, that they DO have a chance to beat us.
I STILL think we’d have to practically give the game AWAY in the Swamp, have as many 2nd half breakdowns as they did last year at their place, to lose—but given the regularity of the offensive (in every way!) performances we’ve witnessed last few years (as recently as late last season), cannot dismiss the fear that it could still end up more of a nail-biter late than I was expecting—but all in all, with Mullens in charge here now I think the little rhyme in the headline still applies...)