Official Game Day Thread: Florida @ Kentucky - 9/24: WIN 48 - 10

[travisduncan]

Looks like Patchman and Green both got beat on that sack on Driskel

 

[DRU2012]

Now we have to go back out and get Driskel some confidence back--but they may just go to the running game again...why they were throwing there is another question, but I guess they wanted to get Driskel some practice. Yeah, NOW you run it.
Well, Driskel HAS to go through all of this. Meanwhile, I don't like that slight hitch in Rainey's gait--did he hurt his knee on that twisted tackle earlier. Now the commentators are talking about it--and there's another turn-over on the pass--should have been a completion, not really Driskel's fault. The woman's asking Coach about Brantley--I think he'll be fine.
I'm worried about Rainey--BIGTIME. He cut off that last long run around the end, eased gimpy out of bounds, THEN made that injured-guy block on the next play. Unless it's just a bruise or something minor, he's going to be less-than-100% next week, and THAT would be a major set-back for us, obviously. I'm going to flip around on the internet-radio stations to see if there's any word coming from the locker room after the half.

 

[ShortBus]

SH*T! GAVE 'em a TD. Did ya see the offensive pass interference?!! Should have been 15 the other way--they had him defended and covered, but the official just ignored it. A shame.

yeah and that one ref was staring right at it.. still didn't throw the hankey... yet had that been florida doing that there'd be no doubt they'd throw it.

 

[InkedAdrenaline]

Mark my words Driskel WILL be great, he just needs some snaps and play time to get him comfortable

 

[travisduncan]

1st half stats:

Gators 276 offensive yards in the first half...99 passing...177 on the ground, but 2-for-6 on 3rd down. Only two wideouts have a catch: Frankie Hammond 2 rec for 30 yards. Omarius Hines 1 rec 11 yards.

Brantley 6-for-11, 99 yards, 1 Touchdown.

Demps 8 carries 69 yards 1 TD 1 rec 2 yards
Rainey 10 carries 84 yards
Burton 5 carries 29 yards 1 TD

Matt Elam INT
Ronald Powell Sack
Jon Bostic Sack, Forced Fumble
Jaye Howard fumble recovering, TD

Penalties 3 for 30 yards

Kentucky 145 yards, 116 in the air, 29 on the ground, 3 turnovers.

 

[GainesvillebornNraised]

who cares we're kickin ass and get to see driskel for the second half

and we look like the best in the SEC east next week we really get to see how good we are

 

[DRU2012]

Man, I don't LIKE this way we've been fading the last 2 minutes of the half these last couple of weeks--exactly the WRONG time to give a near-beaten team (this one WAS beaten) any hope...Do we now have to hold off a wild passing attack without our starting offense "in reserve"? Not that I believe that this "D" of ours will let them get much closer--they only got that ONE TD because of a fumble deep AND a push-off. I guess now we find out if our "other backs" can move the ball and the clock. Won't be pretty, and not having Rainey to scoot around and through and between their defenders will be a warning to us, I fear.

 

[travisduncan]

funny tweet from http://twitter.com/#!/NotJohnBrantley/status/117763399781318657

"I'll be back for the second half, guys. I just had a PB&J sandwich in the locker room that I wanted to polish off. It was delicious!"via @NotJohnBrantley

 

[DRU2012]

Can't get any word on Rainey...THAT is on my mind right now. Also, this defense will be tested this qrtr.

 

[DRU2012]

Well, Rainey's back for the kick. Whoa, back on the 1. Here we go again, even worse than the FIRST half.

 

[DRU2012]

If I can see he's hurt, THEY can see he's hurt. The announcers are right on this one: Rainey needs to sit. There goes Demps! TD!!! Like I was saying...(these guys can make ANYONE look like a prophet!). My comcern with Rainey is that when you're being a "tough guy", "for the team", maybe they don't get an X-ray or take a close enough look at it, or at least get it iced pronto and start treatment in a prompt manner for maximum speed and effectiveness of healing. Just saying: right about now I'd like to be hearing what they think the diagnosis AND prognosis is. We got this one.

 

[DRU2012]

Think the "D" got the "turnover"-thing knocked? Everyone but Roberson, anyway (and at this rate, they'll mainly be teasin' him about it--everyone but Coach Boom). Rainey's STILL in there. There goes Halapaio (sp?)off. We don't have much depth on the lines, so we need for him to be OK. We are getting banged up here tonight. Hope it's all fairly minor. (Nice medium sideline pass, JB-to-Hammond) I just want us to come out of this fairly healthy tonight now. (TERRIBLE throw by JB...more redzone mediocrity tonight,,FG by Sturgess) Let's just get to the 4th and RUN THIS THING OUT: Burton, Joyer, Gillislee, "Wildcat" and "Big Regular" formations and/or QB-to-TE passes.

 

[DRU2012]

What do I know? Rainey's STILL fielding punts--and I KNOW they've been grooming at least a couple of other guys for that role. Have to figure he just isn't that badly hurt, just "dinged"--but you can see he doesn't have that quick burst, isn't his normal light-footed self somehow. I'll leave it alone for now--but I'll be waiting for some further word post-game...and I DON'T want to hear about how "Chris' injury was more serious than was thought", or how he's "questionable for the next couple of weeks", etc. etc.
Oh, and let's grant one worrisome but nonetheless valid truth at this point: young Driskel is NOT yet ready to take over this offense. That's exactly why Coach is wise to get him work now while the games are still "on the line". let him make his mistakes and go thru' some of his "growing pains" BEFORE we need him, just in case the time comes that we DO, BUT, like it or not, sometimes still UNEVEN or not, John Brantley is currently our best chance to win at QB, no doubt about it. While he sometimes makes poor throws and hair-brained decisions, he also has managed the game well generally, AND made some real nice throws tonight as well, when we needed him to. Driskel's upside is near limitless, and with the time and patience that (so far) they have to bring him along he will have every chance to reach it (the OFFICIAL stripped Gillislee! Ever seen THAT before? He can't let that happen, tho'...).

 

[DRU2012]

The only chances this KY team have had tonight, besides that early FG, have been fluky mistakes and bad missed calls. It has been a drag from a scoring-defense P.O.V., but maybe it has been OK from the "Defense needs some work" one. More teaching opportunities for Coach Boom and Co., I guess. I'll be tuned in to the post game pressers, for sure: see what they have to say about it all...probably have to wait until later in the week to get the details on the health-concerns--
OH! Dunbar should have HAD that one, his 1st BIG ONE and he drops it! So Gillisslee runs it in from 60 yds out!
I'm telling you: if we can stay healthy, we WILL win 10 this year, possibly go to Atlanta representing the SEC-East (though if we have 2 SEC losses, that could prevent it)...if 'Bama were later in the year we MIGHT have done better than that--again, provided we get through October relatively healthy, we'll get tougher and tougher to beat: as it is, I don't think anyone but the Tide and the LSU Tigers will be able to beat us--only superstition and discretion keeps me from listing the tough teams ahead I think we'll beat, and why. Our defense is already close to the top of our conference, and it's GOING to be better, a LOT better, as time goes on--this year and next and beyond...without a gift from the freshman QB and another from the officials after THAT, they wouldn't have allowed a TD in their first road test , and against an SEC program that DOES have a passing game. Yeah, we are about as far along as we could have possibly hoped for, maybe farther than we dared expect.
It's over. Go Gators! Nice win.

 

[DRU2012]

Mark my words Driskel WILL be great, he just needs some snaps and play time to get him comfortable

No doubt about it--as I noted earlier, he has near limitless upside: he can make all the throws, he's smart and an all-around athlete, and once he catches up to the speed at this level and starts recognizing what he's seeing around and in front of him once the ball is snapped, once it "all slows down", as good young quarterbacks always describe it later, he's gonna be something special. Gotta feeling he'll be pressed by Brisset next year, though--and that'll be good for both of them, not to mention the team, the program, and all of US.
(Ideally, of course, Driskel seizes the job of starting QB next spring, Brisset is redshirted THEN if he isn't THIS year, and patiently awaits his turn as the back-up-in-waiting "just one hit away from starting", and eventually, inevitably is handed the "keys to the Machine" either the next year or the year after, depending on whether Driskel even STAYS his senior year... We're getting WAY ahead here, but if Jeff does as well as I suspect he will, and we win a National Championship with him his junior year, and all the awards and accolades that go along with it, of COURSE there'll be talk of his going high in the NFL draft--either way, barring injury or him winning the job OVER Driskel before then, in this scenario, Brisset gets to take over...and we presumably get successive top notch quarterbacks running our offense the next 4 or 5 years--not including whomever the guys are we get after this that want to play for Weis and assorted ex-pro coaches in a system designed to READY them for that next level!)

 

[CaliZona_Gator]

Okay, so I think it was clear that JB had a good game, but the numbers will tell you otherwise. We saw down the field passes again this week. Beautiful toss to G. Christian for a TD and a spot on throw to F. Hammond on the sidelines.

Now, I really don't think you can argue about JB's lack of numbers. We put up 406 yards rushing and ran hell of a lot of the wildcat starting in the 2nd quarter. We were up early and were playing a possession game for the lst 3 quarters.

And if I don't see more from Driskell I may be calling for Murphy to be the backup.

 

[DRU2012]

Okay, so I think it was clear that JB had a good game, but the numbers will tell you otherwise. We saw down the field passes again this week. Beautiful toss to G. Christian for a TD and a spot on throw to F. Hammond on the sidelines.

Now, I really don't think you can argue about JB's lack of numbers. We put up 406 yards rushing and ran hell of a lot of the wildcat starting in the 2nd quarter. We were up early and were playing a possession game for the lst 3 quarters.

And if I don't see more from Driskell I may be calling for Murphy to be the backup.

I don't think you should be that hard on Driskel; he isn't ready, that much is quite clear--but the things that are happening to him when he comes in cold like that is to some extent to be expected--he isn't quite ready for the speed and physicality of EVERYTHING at first and bad things happen. That's EXACTLY why Coach is getting him IN there in just those situations, 'cause THAT'S the only circumstances under which he is likely to be put in for the rest of a game, and possibly beyond: ie.. suddenly, cold and unexpected, if #12 goes down, the idea being that he gets the worst of this behind him NOW. Each time, once he settles down, he begins to run the offense very smoothly, and in these short sequences has shown signs of real promise. Once he DOES get past the "break-in-break-downs", he could be REALLY good. If he DOESN'T get past 'em, then you could be right about Murphy, or even Brisset (although it seems they'd LIKE to redshirt him).
On the other hand, although I can't argue with anything in particular you say about JB, before this game I set certain "last-chance conditions" for reserving judgement any longer on questions about all that's missing in our passing game. With a few lesser-details indeed answered but the big ones still hanging out there, it's time to face a hard reality: I don't see how we can count on that "vertical game", or even on a consistent MEDIUM passing-game. At this point, the quarterback in question hardly throws either, he doesn't reliably throw them well when he DOES, none of the WRs have stepped up or been given a CHANCE to "step up", and when you put it all together, it's no WONDER that no "connections" have developed among the QB and even ONE "favorite receiver", a "go-to guy".
JB did OK--he does "manage the game" well ,and he DID make some nice throws when we needed him to. He gives us our best chance to win now, given our situation and personnel at this point.
I can if necessary go into detailed analysis of the growing evidence we have for Brantley's clear limitations, but for now what's important are their implications: our passing game doesn't scare ANYONE, least of all the tough SEC defenses we'll be facing the next few weeks. We haven't seen John Brantley hit on a long one, a "rainbow" that a WR takes in stride on the way to 6, EVER--in a whole season and now 4 additional games into a new system, not ONCE. I know, there are and have been all kinds of reasons and excuses, but at a certain point you just have to throw out all that "cause-and-effect" stuff and just go with the gut-level reality: we aren't gonna beat 'Bama with what we've shown so far on offense...maybe not LSU (who I think ARE beatable, and NOT a whole lot more talented than us) either. Our defense is probably good enough to keep us close and "in it" (the Alabama game) for a while, but unless we can move the ball, burn some clock and shorten the game AND even score some points, our "D" gets worn down , that big back begins to get rolling and we have to key on him more, and soon they catch us leaning the wrong way--no matter what we guess, it's wrong after awhile and they beat us going away. It doesn't HAVE to go that way, but they are now going to try to take away our running game, probably bringing extra guys up right from the start (or as soon as Rainey or Demps breaks their normal sets once or twice), and without a passing game, we can't burn them when they DO "stack the box".
Once the Tide DOES beat us in that fashion a blueprint for beating us will be studied and applied by the rest of the teams we play--and unless we adapt and find a way to break out of the mold we are right now getting stuck in, the only question will be whether these subsequent teams have the right plan, preparation and personnel to pull it off. Our one hope is that Muscamp, Weis and the whole coaching staff themselves are WAY ahead of ME on all of this (I for one hope, pray and ASSUME that they ARE), and, having seen, understood and anticipated ALL of the implications of these inarguable realities, are even NOW in clear-eyed fashion planning ways to minimize the weaknesses they can't change and MAXIMIZE whatever factors they think can be used unexpectedly to surprise and disrupt a Saban gameplan--one that makes many of these same assumptions, and thus put THEM on their heels, maybe get the early lead, get them guessing and guessing WRONG, and in this way first upset their expectations, and eventually maybe upset THEM.
If we were to manage to do THAT, all bets will be off...no use even discussing it--we just deal with the NEXT obstacle by trusting the coaches and ourselves, and knowing that "so far that's been good enough..." So here comes a game upon which our whole season's ultimate success or failure may turn, and we appear to have little chance of WINNING it. That ISN'T the same as "NO chance", though, and a good showing where we exceed all expectations COULD allow us to rally and come back in subsequent games, even if we DO lose this one. Don't forget that. I believe the Tide will be the toughest team we play this year, by FAR. If we come out of it healthy, say having lost when they wear us down in the 2nd half, it will be up to US not to "lose the same game TWICE", as they say. From what I've seen, we match up better against LSU--the only thing THERE is that unless we discover that "so far dormant"-long-passing-game, we do NOT want to get in a shoot out with them. But (aside from my overview here) we don't need to worry about THAT game yet.

(Whew! Didn't know or MEAN to get THAT far into all the concerns I have that were raised by your comments...
But there it ALL is!)

 

[Escambia94]

Is that true, E-? I mean, it would be a good line if you were joking (insert jokes here, re "bringing our OWN Heavy Metal" and doing it with "one arm tied behind our back"--OK, really tasteless, that last one), but in this particular case, the outcome never really in doubt in the first place and well in hand early now--FG settled for and made--I can see knowing you could afford to make plans fairly early in the night...in my cynical pessimism, I MAY be inclined to do something similar NEXT week--for the opposite reason, or at least the opposite kind of anticipated-outcome...

It was a birthday present, and first day without the kids in 16 years. Now, if this game were against Alabama or LSU, maybe I would have re considered.

 

[Escambia94]

Bama looks frigging good, I'm nervous now lol

Bama is scary good, but the offense is predicated on Trent Richardson's improvement. Last year I said that Trent was the key to their offense, and he was. He outran Mark Ingram that day, but he did not need that many yards to beat our sorry team last year. Today, he gashed an Arkansas defense that is probably not as good as ours. I think Trent will still get his 100 yards against us, but we should be able to slow him down. Where we should be concerned is our offense is not as explosive as Arkansas', yet Alabama shut them down.

I'm nervous too, but the Florida-Bama game is winnable for the good guys.

 

[DRU2012]

Well, we'll need BOTH of our fast RBs HEALTHY, for one thing: I want to hear about Rainey's injury and prognosis before giving us ANY shot...then, Bama will do everything they can to take them away--our passing game doesn't scare ANYONE, so if they have to go to 8, even 9 men in the box to stop 'em they'll DO that. JB, though he made a few nice throws on Saturday, still didn't show ME he has "it" (see detailed, albeit LONG analysis above), and I doubt the Tide braintrust come into this game feeling any differently.
IF our RBs can hurt 'em early and force them to "pack the box" (I think they'll TRY to stop us with their basic run defense, at MOST one extra guy "in the box" at the start, and we HAVE to sting them early if they do, force 'em to "sell-out" as the game goes on, maybe even get some points early before they do), then it'll be on our passing game, our medium-to-LONG passing game--for whatever THAT'S worth.
It's time to face it: at best, we just don't know if we HAVE much in that regard: and that is a scary place to be going into this October schedule. Based on the little we have seen, and facing the Alabama "D", well, placing the game's outcome on John Brantley's arm and his ability to hit thus far unused and unproven WRs, no one sure how THEY'LL perform at "crunch time", does NOT instill much confidence in me.
We do have a tough young defense, one that is good and getting better with each game. They can hold their own against ANY offense, right now--but OUR offense has to do IT'S part, move the ball, run some clock: give the "D" some "breathers" throughout the game (and get some points along the way, too--we'll need turnovers, yes, but the defense can't be relied on to do the scoring, too). Otherwise it'll all be for nought: they'll wear our defense down and pull away in the 2nd half.
On the post-game RUF call-in show last night, a knowledgeable caller (a longtime fan and coach named "Horace", whom the host recognized and treated deferentially) made an interesting (and I believe insightful) point about this Gator team:
He noted his attendance at the Fiesta Bowl after the '95 season, where the Gators met Nebraska for that season's National Championship game, and compared THIS Gator-team to the one that got beaten, and beaten badly, by that Corn Husker-squad. As "Horace" sees it, like then, this Gator team is talented, fast, but neither big enough, nor PHYSICAL enough to beat an Alabama team that, like that Nebraska team that won easily then, is just plain TOUGHER than we are right now. We've got the tools, by this view, but NOT the overall size, and more importantly, the "MOXIE" to beat the Tide right now.
Add to THAT a failure to respond to the long-passing challenge that they will almost certainly dare us to try to mount, and the outlook becomes pretty bleak. On the encouraging side of the historic precedent, we went on to win the National Championship the following year. Similarly, this is a new coaching regime who are doing it with Urban Meyer's Spread-Option-influenced smaller/faster recruits. The personality of this team has ALREADY changed since last year, and that will become more pronounced on-field in the players themselves next year and beyond. "Bigger, tougher" is already "in the cards", part of their Master Plan. For now, these coaches are wisely adapting their philosophies to the players that they HAVE, as good coaches do. I GET that. I'm just afraid that this has inevitably put us on-track to be "hit by a train", a big Diesel Locomotive in the form of the Alabama Crimson Tide, next Saturday.