Gameday Numero Uno—2021

[DRU2012]

It’s Friday night as I write this—less than 24 hours til kickoff before a (presumably) full house in The Swamp, our first in some time.
I know not what to expect—either in terms of the season or, aside from a win, overall performance from this Gator squad. I expect we’ll be sloppy early—but I’m hoping an improved defense will keep us relatively safe until Emory and the offense can get their feet under themselves, shake off the rust and begin to assert themselves, eventually pull away.
Here’s hoping the above turns out to be a basic outline/summary of the game line once it’s over. Otherwise we’ll likely have painful rehashing and some hard questions to answer.
Anything short of “seemed to get things somewhat sorted by the 2nd quarter” and “looking for similar growth from game-to-game from here”, all building toward “our first REAL test in late-September”, will probably indicate a truly rocky start.
No matter what, the bs and supposition finally stops and we begin to work with facts, actual results—the evidence right in front of us.
So much is at stake now, finally. Where we are, where we’re going, and how fast we in fact are getting there are all on the line this season.
I wish us well, of course. All in all, Mullen, his staff and players have for the most part “done it the right way”. far as I can tell. This is a tight team that well seems to “hang together”. Patience and loyalty appears to count for something on this team and program now.
So “Fight on, GATORS!”
Let’s ALL enjoy the RIDE!!!

 

[DRU2012]

It’s Friday night as I write this—less than 24 hours til kickoff before a (presumably) full house in The Swamp, our first in some time.
I know not what to expect—either in terms of the season or, aside from a win, overall performance from this Gator squad. I expect we’ll be sloppy early—but I’m hoping an improved defense will keep us relatively safe until Emory and the offense can get their feet under themselves, shake off the rust and begin to assert themselves, eventually pull away.
Here’s hoping the above turns out to be a basic outline/summary of the game line once it’s over. Otherwise we’ll likely have painful rehashing and some hard questions to answer.
Anything short of “seemed to get things somewhat sorted by the 2nd quarter” and “looking for similar growth from game-to-game from here”, all building toward “our first REAL test in late-September”, will probably indicate a truly rocky start.
No matter what, the bs and supposition finally stops and we begin to work with facts, actual results—the evidence right in front of us.
So much is at stake now, finally. Where we are, where we’re going, and how fast we in fact are getting there are all on the line this season.
I wish us well, of course. All in all, Mullen, his staff and players have for the most part “done it the right way”. far as I can tell. This is a tight team that well seems to “hang together”. Patience and loyalty appears to count for something on this team and program now.
So “Fight on, GATORS!”
Let’s ALL enjoy the RIDE!!!

Well, it is early in the 2nd quarter, we just stopped them on 4th down after Emory Jones RUINED a Richardson-led drive by short-arming a TERRIBLE throw into the end C one for a pick. Richardson was only out of there because his helmet was ripped off on the last play.
Jones is leading another quick run-dominated drive do on en the field...
NO!!! Jones short-arms ANOTHER one inside the ten: Damn near three another drive away. Now a crap running play on 4th and goal—I honestly don’t think Emory realized it was 4th down!!!
He keeps this up, A.R. Is gonna find himself with more chances at QB1. I mean, we are still in charge here, and the running game HAS mostly looked strong —and so far at least the Defense has looked somewhat improved, even if it IS “against FAU”...Gotta face it though:
Two competent drives, then two bumbling stinkers so far.
NOT a good start overall.
Now a face mask call on a 3rd down sack gives FAU a fresh set of downs after they had them stopped.
Mistake after mistake.
Verdict thus far: We may well win this, eventually pull away—but overall I have a sinking feeling about what I see in this team here today.
We should be slaughtering this team, should already put it away. I see us getting chopped way down by a REAL powerhouse in Alabama in a coupla weeks.
Sorry—but I’m seeing ALL the “bad signs” of an ill-prepared Gator squad. We are about to go to the half with this thing still in doubt—which frankly is ridiculous, considering the competition. I mean, “sloppy” is one thing in the first game of the year...and had we SCORED on those two previously blown drives, gone to the half up 28-0 and eventually posted some fairly lopsided score, hopefully at least a near-shut out.
But those two red zone error-filled failures, the actual NATURE of those breakdowns raises the kinds of questions you DON’T wanna see in Game 1. On the one hand, there’s learning to be done, growth to be accomplished—but these were more the kinds of things that SHOULD have been accomplished in the spring and summer!
I might be over-reacting, but this is an important second half coming up for Emory Jones...
I don’t care HOW MUCH Mullens tries to shrug it off, limit its seeming seriousness:
We needed to see BETTER from Jones at this point; we need to see him competently leading this offense. This kind of thing keeps happening and they have GOT to make the move, give Richardson the shot. So far tonight, the back up has looked the calmer, better adjusted athlete and team leader out there. And Mullens is pretty well sticking by Emory, clearly so far will “sink or swim” with Jones as his QB-1.
There will come a point where, should the results not dramatically improve, where either that will have to change, or the season will get away from all of us and we may well find ourselves floundering in the darkness of a sinking coach and program and a long broken road back. I really HATE that THAT is once again even a necessary-to-be-acknowledged possibility in our future now.
Damn.
Damn damn damn.
(BUT: All it would take is a big turn around in the 2nd half, a steadier performance NEXT week, then a stirring, close game against the Tide, and the wolves can be driven from the door...But you can hear them howling out there, even scratching at the door right now.
Let’s see what this second half brings, to start with.

 

[DRU2012]

It’s Friday night as I write this—less than 24 hours til kickoff before a (presumably) full house in The Swamp, our first in some time.
I know not what to expect—either in terms of the season or, aside from a win, overall performance from this Gator squad. I expect we’ll be sloppy early—but I’m hoping an improved defense will keep us relatively safe until Emory and the offense can get their feet under themselves, shake off the rust and begin to assert themselves, eventually pull away.
Here’s hoping the above turns out to be a basic outline/summary of the game line once it’s over. Otherwise we’ll likely have painful rehashing and some hard questions to answer.
Anything short of “seemed to get things somewhat sorted by the 2nd quarter” and “looking for similar growth from game-to-game from here”, all building toward “our first REAL test in late-September”, will probably indicate a truly rocky start.
No matter what, the bs and supposition finally stops and we begin to work with facts, actual results—the evidence right in front of us.
So much is at stake now, finally. Where we are, where we’re going, and how fast we in fact are getting there are all on the line this season.
I wish us well, of course. All in all, Mullen, his staff and players have for the most part “done it the right way”. far as I can tell. This is a tight team that well seems to “hang together”. Patience and loyalty appears to count for something on this team and program now.
So “Fight on, GATORS!”
Let’s ALL enjoy the RIDE!!!

Emory Jones continues to be up and down here in the 3rd quarter. He runs well—the whole running GAME looks strong, much improved—but then he short-arms another throw and damn near throws another drive-killer pick-six!
Looks like we’re gonna finally put it back in the end zone here in our first drive of the 2nd half (provided something stupid doesn’t happen here from “1st and goal at the five”), but all in all we continue to see an uneven passer AND questionable field general/team leader in Emory Jones.
I think they HAVE to bring back Richardson, get him reps and continue to “get him READY, just in CASE”...Defenses like those from Bama and UGA will likely EAT JONES’ LUNCH, mark my words.
Anyway, Pierce runs it in for a TD, finally. He good news, we settled things down with our now “reliably strong running game”...but Emory Jones may NEVER be a reliably consistent thrower—and that just won’t DO. He either gets this turned around pronto, shows that he indeed has the goods, or one way or another, we’ll likely have to move to a “two-headed monster” approach, imho.

 

[DRU2012]

ANOTHER poor read, poor throw from Emory: One more short-armed throw right into the chest of the DB...Defense sets him and offense up again, then Jones throws it away.
This has turned out about as badly as you could possibly imagine without it costing us the game—thanks to the defense, which (considering how far back that unit was coming into the season) is RIDICULOUS, when you think about it. I mean, this has been an atrocious performance by Jones tonight.
his first two drives were fine, but since then (about 1/2 way through the first quarter) he has run it ok, but has just plain SUCKED in every other area.
I know Mullens pretty well HAS to stay with him for now, but I think he will also have to begin preparing Richardson for a possible early-season take-over now, based on what we’ve ALL seen out there tonight.
Jones is looking more and more like the latest in a long line of talented young Gator QBs who had great, highly regarded prep careers but never quite materialized as even college-level players, let alone moving on to “the NEXT level”.
In fact, there is a certain likelihood that Emory Jones’ future will entail an eventual demotion to backup, the transfer portal and on to moderate success at a somewhat lesser program in a self-delusional effort to eventually catch on in the NFL after all.
Meanwhile, looks like all the floundering and messing around is finally gonna bite us, result in an FAU TD...But NO!
Fumble! Gator ball.
Well well well...It is apt I suppose that it is once again here that the DEFENSE bails us out, saves our collective butt—continues to preserve the shutout.
In a game last year’s OFFENSE would have put away with at LEAST half a dozen touchdowns by the 3rd quarter (and even last year’s moribund defense wouldn’t have been able to squander), in THIS season’s opener it is the DEFENSE that has kept things under control, repeatedly saved us.
That’s the good news. But I don’t care HOW Mullens tries to spin this, truth is that the QB competition HAS to be back in session. Richardson has simply looked better, has performed as well or better in every phase of the game here tonight—has been steady where Jones as been uneven at BEST.
I hope they get this somewhat settled next week, or we are gonna get sliced’n’diced by the TIDE Saturday after next.

 

[DRU2012]

In summary:
Defensive backups couldn’t hold the shut out—finally couldn’t withstand the continued pressure put on them by the uneven Jones-led offense.
Anthony Richardson on the other hand consistently shined.
Where Jones struggled, Richardson burst forth. There is no way to overstate it. The Gator offense just looked so much better when A.R. was in there tonight.
And that was BEFORE he bust out for that long solo run TD, after the FAU TD, near game’s end.
All those late hits by the defense in the closing moments were disappointing and unnecessary, by the way. It was the one sour not after what had been a great opening game for that unit up until then.
Would just like to see them shut them down from here.
Grantham seems to sense his guys still have work to do, things to prove—and most of them seem to have responded.
DAMN! Another useless penalty on what otherwise would have been a sack and 4th down...and now they instead score again. This has left another set of “bad tastes”, now on defense too, after all.
“Work to be done”, to say the least. But the big news is over on offense, of course.
How will Mullens handle this “situation”? Well, to start with, it is RICHARDSON going out to take the last set of downs for the UF offense tonight.
Just based on this game, sure looks like Richardson is further ahead and pulling away, right now. I don’t know what will happen; I do trust Mullens, especially when it comes to the quarterback. But Richardson sure looks like the guy with more raw ability “upside”.