Don't wanna go overboard here--much as I am tempted. Keep it in perspective, I tell myself. As often the mantra in the military, "Maintain an even strain." We got some real work ahead of us: One game at a time. And whatever other assorted aphorisms y'all care to offer.
But that was everything we could have hoped for, especially after LAST week's weirdness.
In fact there's so much upside, I'm more nervous about any kind of complacency than anything else. We deserve to crow a little bit, to be excited and hopeful about this team and this season.
I'm just gonna note the soul shadow of darkness that fell on our path, of so much concern after last season's debacle: injuries. Not the numbers, so far, but the quality of the few notable ones. First of course there's our thought-we'd-all-lucked-out "new" TE McGee, who had the whole mass of both lines roll up on his leg in the first half. Result: fibula and tibula snapped, out for season at the least. DAMN shame, for us and especially, so unfairly, for him. Now, Clay Burton came in and responded, big time, really rose up and played his best game as a Gator by far. He's been working closely with McGee, learning and getting better by his OWN account, and we do have a couple more decent players in the depth chart to support us at TE--but McGee was a proven, 1st class 1st STRING starter who'd seized the role, an important one in Roper's offense and one for whom there were big plans. Don't know what it means up the road for this fine young man, his future for himself and/or with the team, but obviously we adapt--and hope Burton really is able to step in and carry on with a minimum of change required to our OC's general scheme this season. And he HAS to stay healthy.
The other "big one", key piece that went down, was Humphries. He'll be out for UK, but word so far is he's gonna be back relatively soon thereafter; "out about two weeks" is how the official injury report has it. Whether that means he's gonna be back practicing next week for the game in Tuscaloosa, or simply that they're hoping he'll be available, healthy enough to start practicing for the game after that, is unclear. Probably means they just don't know for sure, have to see. We absolutely will need him that Saturday, lets face it: Everyone saw what our RBs, and JD himself, can do with big holes for the running game and decent protection for the QB--and DJ is a PILLAR, on an O-line that hasn't much depth or experience behind the starters.
RB Jones, who looked so confident and strong on Saturday, and may be the most complete and flexible RB among a clutch of really good ones we've got at that position, sat out the 4th "icing his quad"--a tear was feared...but apparently he's "expected back practicing this week". No further details, which doesn't tell us a whole lot about the "injury" itself, let alone whether he'll be at full-speed or even anything more than ""there if we need him", but at least sounds as if he'll be back at full tilt by the week of practice leading up to the Tide.
Yeah, guess I could be accused of "looking past" UK to some extent--and we're in fact still too close to last season's horror, and THEY are enough improved, to wanna avoid going there: I'm counting on a hungry team, with a real chip on its collective shoulder, under the influence and watchful eyes of an aware and determined coaching staff, to avoid that pitfall and be ready for the game, team, and situation at hand. Can't blame us, the fans, for at least taking a {PEAK at what's coming up ahead.
As for the game just played. I'll leave it to all of you to celebrate all the good things we saw, and analyze what it all means regarding what's possible. In fact, I welcome it: I invite your reflections on this first step, the unveiling (we HOPE) of "Gators '14".
But that was everything we could have hoped for, especially after LAST week's weirdness.
In fact there's so much upside, I'm more nervous about any kind of complacency than anything else. We deserve to crow a little bit, to be excited and hopeful about this team and this season.
I'm just gonna note the soul shadow of darkness that fell on our path, of so much concern after last season's debacle: injuries. Not the numbers, so far, but the quality of the few notable ones. First of course there's our thought-we'd-all-lucked-out "new" TE McGee, who had the whole mass of both lines roll up on his leg in the first half. Result: fibula and tibula snapped, out for season at the least. DAMN shame, for us and especially, so unfairly, for him. Now, Clay Burton came in and responded, big time, really rose up and played his best game as a Gator by far. He's been working closely with McGee, learning and getting better by his OWN account, and we do have a couple more decent players in the depth chart to support us at TE--but McGee was a proven, 1st class 1st STRING starter who'd seized the role, an important one in Roper's offense and one for whom there were big plans. Don't know what it means up the road for this fine young man, his future for himself and/or with the team, but obviously we adapt--and hope Burton really is able to step in and carry on with a minimum of change required to our OC's general scheme this season. And he HAS to stay healthy.
The other "big one", key piece that went down, was Humphries. He'll be out for UK, but word so far is he's gonna be back relatively soon thereafter; "out about two weeks" is how the official injury report has it. Whether that means he's gonna be back practicing next week for the game in Tuscaloosa, or simply that they're hoping he'll be available, healthy enough to start practicing for the game after that, is unclear. Probably means they just don't know for sure, have to see. We absolutely will need him that Saturday, lets face it: Everyone saw what our RBs, and JD himself, can do with big holes for the running game and decent protection for the QB--and DJ is a PILLAR, on an O-line that hasn't much depth or experience behind the starters.
RB Jones, who looked so confident and strong on Saturday, and may be the most complete and flexible RB among a clutch of really good ones we've got at that position, sat out the 4th "icing his quad"--a tear was feared...but apparently he's "expected back practicing this week". No further details, which doesn't tell us a whole lot about the "injury" itself, let alone whether he'll be at full-speed or even anything more than ""there if we need him", but at least sounds as if he'll be back at full tilt by the week of practice leading up to the Tide.
Yeah, guess I could be accused of "looking past" UK to some extent--and we're in fact still too close to last season's horror, and THEY are enough improved, to wanna avoid going there: I'm counting on a hungry team, with a real chip on its collective shoulder, under the influence and watchful eyes of an aware and determined coaching staff, to avoid that pitfall and be ready for the game, team, and situation at hand. Can't blame us, the fans, for at least taking a {PEAK at what's coming up ahead.
As for the game just played. I'll leave it to all of you to celebrate all the good things we saw, and analyze what it all means regarding what's possible. In fact, I welcome it: I invite your reflections on this first step, the unveiling (we HOPE) of "Gators '14".
