OGT 2024 Week 6: Florida Gators vs UCF Knights

[Escambia94]

The Florida Gators will host the UCF Knights in The Swamp on Saturday, October 5th at 7:45 ET/ 6:45 CT. This game feels like it could be one of the last, if not the last, home game for William Hall Napier. Billy "Scared Money Does Indeed Make Money...at least $26 million dollars" Napier is 13-16 at Florida, 2-2 this season, 53-28 overall. The UCF Knights are 3-1 wins over New Hampshire, Sam Houston, and TCU and an embarrassing loss to Colorado at home. The Gators are 2-1 all-time against UCF, with the last game being a 17-29 loss in the 2021 Gasparilla Bowl. For some odd reason the Gators are favored by 1 point, but this might as well be a toss-up with the way the spread has been moving.

UCF will be led by former Arkansas QB KJ Jefferson, who has given Florida problems before. Most of the statistics are skewed towards UCF.

	UF	UCF
Passing	QB DJ Lagway - 34/51, 617 YD, 4 TD, 3 INT, 182.4 RAT QB Graham Mertz - 42/56, 487 YD, 4 TD, 2 INT, 164.5 RAT ---- TOT - 77/111, 1114 YD, 8 TD, 5 INT, 168.4 RAT	QB KJ Jefferson - 52/86, 847 YD, 7 TD, 3 INT, 163.1 RAT QB Jacurri Brown - 5/9, 22 YD, 0 TD, 0 INT, 76.1 RAT ---- TOT - 58/96, 869 YD, 7 TD, 3 INT, 154.3 RAT
Rushing	RB Montrell Johnson - 48 CAR, 234 YD, 3 TD RB Jadan Baugh - 10 CAR, 98 YD, 0 TD RB Treyaun Webb - 21 CAR, 93 YD, 1 TD ---- TOT - 123 CAR, 583 YD, 9 TD	RB RJ Harvey - 75 CAR, 525 YD, 8 TD QB KJ Jefferson - 49 CAR, 211 YD, 2 TD RB Penny Boone - 26 CAR, 166 YD, 2 TD ---- TOT - 209 CAR, 1304 YD, 14 TD
Receiving	WR Elijah Badger - 14 REC, 305 YD, 1 TD WR Eugene Wilson - 13 REC, 191 YD, 1 TD (OUT) WR Chimere Dike - 11 REC, 189 YD, 1 TD TE Hayden Hansen - 4 REC, 92 YD, 1 TD ---- TOT - 77 REC, 1114 YD, 8 TD	WR Kobe Hudson - 15 REC, 349 YD, 2 TD RB RJ Harvey - 6 REC, 129 YD, 2 TD TE Randy Pittman - 9 REC, 113 YD, 0 TD ---- TOT - 58 REC, 869 YD, 7 TD
Kicking	PK Trey Smack - 16/16 XP, 3/3 FG, 47 YD LNG, 25 PTS	PK Colton Boomer - 19/20 XP, 3/6 FG, 50 LNG, 28 PTS

	UF	UCF
Total Offense	#50 424.2YPG/F 7.25YPP	#4 543.2YPG/F 7.30YPP
Total Defense	#112 425.5YPG/A 5.69YPP	#53 331.5YPG/A 5.41YPP
ESPN FPI	#46 5.4	#31 7.9
Sagarin Rating	#39 76.45	#34 77.20

 

[DRU2012]

Got a bad feeling about this one.
Given what we've seen, crap defense and having somehow lost a great part if our "edge in The Swamp" (even though we are still packing it out--which somehow makes it even worse).
I so wanna be wrong--but at the same time cannot see what great difference it will make to the season's eventual overall general outcome, nor Billy's ultimate fate.
Or OURS.

 

[Escambia94]

On paper the Gators are more talented and more multidimensional than the Bronze Knights. The game plan should be easy: stack the box on defense and throw vertically. Those are simple tactics already in Napier’s Post-It note playbooks that should work against Rural Central Florida Basement’s weaknesses.

All that to say, Napier will blow this game with two damn weeks to prepare. If Napier loses this game he should be shipped back to Gainesville…Georgia!

 

[DRU2012]

On paper the Gators are more talented and more multidimensional than the Bronze Knights. The game plan should be easy: stack the box on defense and throw vertically. Those are simple tactics already in Napier’s Post-It note playbooks that should work against Rural Central Florida Basement’s weaknesses.

All that to say, Napier will blow this game with two damn weeks to prepare. If Napier loses this game he should be shipped back to Gainesville…Georgia!

Unfortunately, I find myself actually EXPECTING that last.
Hope I'm wrong--but if we don't have this game in hand by the half, I HOPE I will be smart enough to TURN IT OFF rather than expose myself to the possibly painful indignity of having to watch us let another inferior squad embarrass us for all to see--IN OUR OWN HOUSE!
("Gainesville...Georgia" will be too GOOD for him, if that comes to pass...and make no mistake: That USF team and their fans have been WAITING, hoping and praying for a chance just LIKE this one...As a program we DESERVE a long slink to the darkest corner with our tail between our legs if we DO permit this scenario to play out.
I truly fear the bottom falling out of what has to be by now a brittle version of "team spirit and cohesion" on the Gator squad.

 

[DRU2012]

This one's all in the coaching--meaning,
"IT'S ALL ON YOU, BILLY!":
As E-- notes, you've (CLEARLY) got the edge in talent. You've had a bye week, so TWO FULL WEEKS to prepare (and relatively minor injuries to heal).
By all accounts your team is still "buying in"--if anything feeling like THEY are letting YOU down of late. If you ever had a reason and CHANCE to coach your ASS OFF and have your team at a fever pitch, poised to blow out practically ANYONE who ventures into OUR PLACE this weekend, it is HERE AND NOW.
And YOU gotta KNOW that, Coach.
Anything ELSE is on you, man.
For the sake of your guys, on the field AND on the sidelines, you damn well better have come through this time--even if it is for just "ONE LAST GASP".
One last roll of the dice. One last blast of why you CAME here. Whatever happens after this, between now and that "Last Game" looming against FSU at the end of the year--EVERYONE has to LEAVE IT ON THE FIELD, something Y'ALL can hang your collective HAT on, no matter WHAT comes after.
And I don't see much, to be fair and honest...
But things ARE lined up for us to possibly shine ONE MORE TIME.
SHINE in The Swamp (labeled the "UNDERDOG", fer cryin' out loud!) ONE MORE TIME.
Before whatever is gonna happen, HAPPENS.

 

[DRU2012]

Here we go. Are y'all as worried biut this one as I am? Not sure why I shoukd be...I mean, it's mostly a matter of how bad our actual season will end up being. But DAMNIT: I wanna see us winning The Swamp, anyway.

 

[DRU2012]

Got a drive going here. Need to score a LOTherd tonight...With their run game and our defense, that is mandatory.

 

[DRU2012]

Don't know bout y'all, but thus broadcast totally SUCKS! Choppy sound, but the worst thing is they keep jumping back a few minutes in the whole play by play. It has happened THEEE TIMES!!!

 

[DRU2012]

Finally (in more ways than one).
This telecast has been nearly unwatchable, at least here in Austin.
I guess this TD actually happened 10 MI UTES ago...I would put the RUF radio broadcast on--but it will be RIDICULOUSLY out of sync this time.
Still--I MAY just go to that: THIS thing is so far one of the worst streaming experiences I have HAD!

 

[DRU2012]

Oh oh. Here's what I was afraid of...UCF able to move the ball too easily.
Matter of fact, I have turned off the sound here and have the RUF feed on instead.
So they get the 3 pointer...
Now we have a poor series and have to kick it back. Is this the end???

 

[DRU2012]

UCF gets to start with pretty good field position.
Last play of the quarter.

 

[DRU2012]

(They are just getting to the Gator kic off after their TD there on the SEC Network. This is just like "slow death"...Sorry guys: I am gonna leave it on with the sound off--but only look at it when I wanna see a play "after the fact"--it's that delayed! So am gonna just lay here and LISTEN to this thing unless/until they happen to fix this thing--maybe at the half?)
STILL got a bad feeling about this one.
As we go to the 2nd quarter, UCF has 4th and short near midfield, at 7-3 Gators.

 

[DRU2012]

Gators stop them! Turnover on downs!
Long pass from DJ--STRIKE to the goal line.
1st and goal: TOUCHDOWN!
THAT is how we need to play this whole game.

 

[DRU2012]

I mean it. ONE approach to dealing with a leaky defense is simply to SCORE A LOT, Billy.
Ask SS: The fans'll forgive a LOT if you consistently OUTSCORE them!

 

[Escambia94]

Gators look okay at times. Penalties suck.

 

[DRU2012]

14-3 Gators. Now they stop them and it will go back over to the Gators.
(Gator D looking better as this goes on)

 

[DRU2012]

Our running game hadn't been great so far--but the passing has been superb.

 

[DRU2012]

DAMN! nother poorly chosen and executed play.
They BETTER get a run game.
Great punt, though. UCF Ball on their own 3 yd line after the 54yd punt.

 

[DRU2012]

HAD them for a safety--BUT NO! MISSED TACKLE and he gets the big pass off out to the 30.
Damn.

 

[DRU2012]

GOTTA somehow stop them here.
SACK on 3rd down!
Whew. Our D isn't strong, but they've managed to come through so far.
Flag. WTF? Good!--Facemask call on the fair catch...Gives the offense good field position to start this series.