OGT 2024 Week 3: Florida Gators vs Texas A&M Aggies

[Escambia94]

Florida Gators (1-1, 0-0 SEC) vs Texas A&M Aggies (1-1, 0-0 SEC). Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Steve Spurrier-Florida Field. September 14, 2024 at 3:30 PM ET.

Billy Napier has a career record of 52-27 (27-5 Sun Belt) in his 7th season, but his record at Florida is 12-15 (6-10 SEC) in his 3rd season. Mike Elko has an overall record of 17-10 (9-7 ACC) in his 3rd season, 1st at Texas A&M.

The all-time series is tied, 3-3. I was at the last meeting, which was a 41-24 victory for the Boys of Old Florida in College Station on November 5, 2022.

The Aggies are favored by 3.5 and the over/under is 49.5.

 

[DRU2012]

At this point, this one is more than EVER a "must win". No matter who starts, I gotta believe BOTH guys play and between them LIGHT IT UP!
We outSCORE them to win this.
No more "play it safe", bland-Billy offense.
That isn't the kind of team YOU YOURSELF have begun to assemble here, Coach!

 

[Escambia94]

I agree @DRU2012 . If Napier cannot beat an unranked SEC team with a first-year SEC coach (third year overall), I do not see how he survives much longer. I hate to admit it but Napier is a proverbial dead man walking. Every game except UGA is a must-win. He also cannot allow any more records to fall, which includes the now 450-game scoring streak that goes back to 1988.

 

[DRU2012]

I agree @DRU2012 . If Napier cannot beat an unranked SEC team with a first-year SEC coach (third year overall), I do not see how he survives much longer. I hate to admit it but Napier is a proverbial dead man walking. Every game except UGA is a must-win. He also cannot allow any more records to fall, which includes the now 450-game scoring streak that goes back to 1988.

The closer this one gets (it is Friday afternoon when I am posting this), the less confident I am in the eventual outcome.
Frankly, I am SICK of it. So TIRED of feeling like we are an underdog in our own house!
Finding out Tre Wilson may be out with an injury didn't help--but the main issue remains the dual one of "coaching and culture".
UNACCEPTABLE.
I don't know who nor HOW we get to truly turn this thing around once and for all. But if it is to happen in any kind of "timely fashion" it will likely have to pretty well be with who and what we have on hand now and/or somehow "coming soon".
In other words , "It's gonna take something pretty damn radical, Coach!"
So:
Either Billy himself pulls something magical out of himself and his team, and this turns out to be the dramatic turning point on our way back to relevance, or it may well soon be looked back upon as the inescapeable "point of no return".

 

[DRU2012]

We are not getting it done on the crucial "...and long" plays.
And that's against the 2nd string QB.
We are going to HAVE to out score them.
So: EVERYTHING riding on offense.
Our D keeps choking when it counts here.
I may have to cut out early if this doesn't change. I cannot STAND the way this is going.
Again.
TD on screen...but "HOLDING".
WILL it make the difference?

 

[DRU2012]

Well, only 3.
But our D couldn't stop their QB-2.

 

[DRU2012]

Looks like same old same old.
(Tre Wilson officially "out"--damnit).
QB handing off to Montrell.
And they misfire with it.
We are looking choppy on BOTH sides of the ball.
Mertz misses on the open throw.
Things better change soon...
Punting now.
This is IT:
STOP them here and put in DJ, or you can kiss this season--and Billy Napier--goodbye!

 

[DRU2012]

If they drive again now, if the Gator D doesn't find some way of rattling the young backup QB, then that'll be it.

 

[DRU2012]

Our defense SUCKS.
YOU HAD THEM STUCK DEEP--AND COULD NOT STOP THE STRAIGHT AHEAD RUN.

 

[DRU2012]

The more I watch, the less I see.
I'm sorry friends:
This is just too frustratingly painful.
This is just a weak Gator team overall.
We had EVERY ADVANTAGE HERE, and couldn't take control.

 

[DRU2012]

I must shut up now.
We're gonna lose.

 

[DRU2012]

Their "young QB" is doing all the things OURS isn't getting his chance to do.
Fuck this Coach. Fuck this AD.
To HELL with this whole damn regime.
They have brought us little more than a dozen YEARS of disappointment and misery.

 

[DRU2012]

I will be back--the next time I see fielded a Gator team that instills pride and confidence in us ALL.

 

[DRU2012]

As I bow out, I note how that will leave NO "members" here late in the 1st quarter on Gameday.
So. WHAT'S THE POINT?
Of ANY of it?

 

[Escambia94]

Maybe the weather will force this game to be canceled and Napier will be fired on Monday morning.

 

[Escambia94]

At least we can laugh at the FSU Noles for going from ranked to 0-3.

 

[DRU2012]

Small consolation--but yes, definitely SOME!

 

[DRU2012]

Maybe the weather will force this game to be canceled and Napier will be fired on Monday morning.

I know this was mostly "dark humor", but then again, maybe it isn't such a crazy idea...
IF there were already some "back channel discussions" in the works, you get his replacement in here FAST, force everyone to more or less "adjust on-the-run" IN SPITE OF THEMSELVES, and above all at least force players to keep playing and experiencing first hand whomever, whatever comes next--and if it WORKS, well, so be it!
Of course, that's all fantasy:
Though I no longer have the game tuned in, I am getting messages from various friends (including several actually INTHE SWAMP), so I know that they have basically gone to the "QB-rotation" that was probably planned for tge START of the game. The fact that it has yet to yield much in the way if positive results just doesn't seem to register with this Coach.
No--I am DONE with him.
The guy really IS "in over his head".
It happens. It has happened to US FOUR TIMES IN A ROW!
It has to stop. Right here, right now.
WE CAN'T WAIT TIL NEXT YEAR!

 

[DRU2012]

Again--I apologize.
I am down to just repeating the same sad protestations...
I offer only this by way of explanation:
This will be a painful rest-of-season in ANY event, but let us begin the "painful operations" NOW, with at least the HOPE of a "new start" NEXT YEAR, as opposed to putting all that OFF until AFTER the season, with a LONGER period of confused floundering, and ultimately FEWER choices when we get there.
I mean, is there any DOUBT about where this team and program is AT, or where it is headed?
Will that get better, or easier to fix with time?
When it comes to time, trust, and benefit of tge doubt, we gave these fools all we could and MORE.
Am I angry about it? You're damn RIGHT I am!!!

 

[Escambia94]

Send Billy Napier back to Gainesville, Georgia!