NEXT ONE HAS “Extra Baggage”

[DRU2012]

There was a TIME when it was automatic: As a Coach, you might be a “good sport” and want to give a kid who chose to leave every chance to catch on elsewhere—but it was ALSO “automatic” (ESPECIALLY in the case of a highly recruited QB):
“anywhere BUT another SEC team...”
But with time that has faded as a “condition-of-release”, and now we find ourselves in exactly the kind of situation coaches were trying to avoid:
NEXT Saturday we face A&M, belatedly and unexpectedly ADDED to our schedule as a result of Covid PLUS A CHAIN OF circumstances and resulting changes, and our once-upon-a-time QB-1 Filipe Franks, badly injured early LAST season and replaced by then-unknown, longtime career-back-up Kyle Trask, who in turn by NOW HAS COME TO LEAD OUR SQUAD with confidence, polish and efficiency—and meanwhile FILIPE has come to similarly excel in leading TAMU in talented fashion HIMSELF.
This will be a tough game, with much now on the line for us and our future.
No matter what, this should at least reintroduce consideration of that “condition” to any changes that “release” scholarship athletes to move to other teams, no MATTER the reasons for that move.
We are BACK in the “FFF Discussion” once more—and NOW must immediately face our old QB-1, who came over to rebuilding Arkansas and immediately became their captain, emotional leader—OH!: And THEIR “QB-1”!!!
WE MIGHT have given ourselves an easier road if we had avoided the whole seeming “tougher road” by simply following the “OLD ways” and automatically forbidden him going to another SEC team.
Oh well, “spilt milk” and all that.
And just as our “QB-whisperer Head Coach” mostly kept him calm back then, he knows how to get AFTER HIM AS WELL, I gotta believe.
I’m looking for everyone to “SAY the right things”, but maybe we see Filipe go back to doing his “jangle-nerved over-reacting emotional thing”, too...and if/when we do, we’ll all know what’s REALLY going on out there.
If I see it, I will know and get a laugh, comment on it, OK? It was a pain in the butt back then, and limited his effectiveness as OUR quarterback at times. And he’s not ours anymore: He and IT are “fair game” now.
So: Glad you are well, Filipe. Glad you landed on your feet, Filipe. But THAT’S as far as my “sportsmanship” goes! If we can burn you, use what we know of your limitations and weakness against you, I am all FOR IT! (And that fat Coach of yours irritates me; I don’t buy the hype—his, yours OR your team’s.)

 

[DRU2012]

( @Escambia94, in particular—)
PS to above:
I have since corrected this, but wanted to apologize for having, on first typing and posting above, somehow mis-identified our next opponent, ARKANSAS, as “A&M”...I am sure y’all recognized my true intent and subject of discussion there by the surrounding context, but still wanted to clarify and acknowledge my error.
Thanks for recognizing and patiently adapting and responding accordingly.

 

[Leakfan12]

They got to win against Arkansas. They cannot lose to their ex-QB. Also, any word on Pitts?

 

[DRU2012]

They got to win against Arkansas. They cannot lose to their ex-
QB. Also, any word on Pitts?

According to Mullens himself on “SEC This Morning”, Pitts is “questionable” for the Arkansas game.
And you are right:
We must ABSOLUTELY “got to win against Arkansas”, “GOT to beat our ex-QB...”! This goes BEYOND the outcome’s clear place as a “crucial turning point” in our schedule: Probably the toughest game left in our (revised) regular season as we enter its second “half”, where we MUST WIN OUT to convert the “promise” we have (fought, kicked and SCRATCHED—)created for ourselves this season, into “realization” after all.
NOTHING has been “easy”, NONE of it has been HANDED to us along the way here, by ANY means—and that trend BEGAN BEFORE the season even started when the SEC postponed its start, eliminated the out-of-conference games and (in our case) replaced two EASY ones with games against (an expected-to-be fairly strong) Missouri and (what turns out to be a much-improved, rejuvenated and surprising) Arkansas squad—featuring our OLD-QB, Franks.
I am therefore ASSUMIMG, as I figure (for the sake of emotional safety) Mullens has the Gators assuming, that Pitts won’t be playing in this one.
We BETTER be capable of beating them ANYWAY: I STILL believe that, properly prepared and relaxed, this Gator OFFENSE matches up well REGARDLESS, and can still whip them, straight up. If our DEFENSE continues its improvement, we win going away.
And don’t overlook the opportunities Mullens and Grantham will have to “mess with Filipe’s head”: The SEC commentators have stayed away from this, have mainly talked glowingly of his “continued growth” and “the elimination of his weaknesses shown at Florida”—but Mullens can (and I think WILL KNOW HOW TO) subtly bump him off his “poise and seemingly relaxed confidence so far”...PRESSURE, that’ll be the key—and a Grantham “specialty”...He has brought it successfully when it counted in the past.
More Trask efficiency and an aggressive defense back in control out there and I think we’ll be fine—not just THIS week but for the rest of the SEASON.
There can BE no post-Party let down!
Championship teams THRIVE on success, absorb it and move ON with confidence. Here’s our first real “test” as a “rising program returning to elite status”: If that is who and what we really are, we will come out and NOT fall on our faces—we WON’T immediately fall behind like last week (though I expect the Razorbacks to press for exactly that: look for them to TRY and bomb us early, ask Franks to hit the homerun soon as they get the ball.
WE need to shut ‘em down, then dominate out there ourselves.
We have the tools, even MINUS PITTS for this one...I’d of COURSE rather HAVE him out there, obviously—but if it threatens to result in us losing him for the season, FORGET IT: Sit him down until he is truly FIT.
We NEED him, but HEALTHY and PLAYING FEARLESSLY.