Just getting word in of rather high number of moderate-to-serious injuries for us in our Bowl game earlier today. Still haven't seen more than short stretches of game itself, so many of you may well have had a more complete view of this than me already, but aside from Treon's knee and shoulder (both of which I have only unofficial version that neither "looks serious", but he'll be going in for a "precautionary MRI" at Shands in the morning--anyone hears more, please share it with us), bulk of problems coming on defense, where we lost several starters in the secondary during game. With Ball and a couple of others already not playing due to injuries of varying severity, it looks like an unhappily largish portion of that defense will likely be rehabbing this Spring instead of fully a part of development, play and experience in the new system. With us losing one or two of our very best to the pros as well, well, we GOTTA hope things don't turn out to be as bad as they appear to be right now. Brantley and a couple of other linebackers messed up their knees. We HAD some depth there, it seemed, but not anymore, not at the moment. Damn! That WAS the side of the ball that looked to stay pretty solid, talent- AND depth-wise. There was some hope that healthy we might even be able to run fresh legs in all game, especially in the secondary; now we'll have to see. As things stand tonight, well, that E.Car QB just threw for 427 yds on us: With that short-D , we made another "pretty good quarterback" look like a Heisman candidate, at least on the stat-sheet. That just won't do.
Meanwhile, back on offense, still trying to find out more about Treon, and Adam Lane, who ran so well up until that helmet-on-ball fumble in the 2nd half, hurt his shoulder on the same play. He played on but was hurting, and is described as "got a banged up shoulder that will need some looking at"--and with Matt Jones leaving, it'll be him and Taylor back there. He hadn't had hardly any game time before today, and we're gonna need him next season; it'd be a good thing for him to be ready come spring.
Haven't gotten the impression (by the little of it I've watched so far OR by what anyone else has said) that it was a particularly "dirty" game, and beyond that, let's face it: Football's a rough game for EVERYONE, but the Gator squads of the last few years have seemed to have been especially "injury-prone", whatever that really means. Once again, can't help but at least wonder, in our hearts-of-hearts, "What the HELL is going ON?!!" I mean, I don't wanna point fingers at the strength-and-conditioning coaches, or anyone in particular, but short periods of such "outbreaks", flurries of injuries at one position or over a short stretch of time is one thing--but this sort of thing has been a steady problem all over the field for us for several YEARS now. Aw, hell, I don't know who or what to blame, even what I'm saying really...I just don't get it, and damn well wanna see it STOP.
(PS Officially "gone" now, as of final gun: Driskel to somewhere, Jones, Fowler & Humphries to the pros, and "new and notable" among the coaches, T. Robinson to join Muschamp at Auburn...re this last, there are those who worry about a "fall off" in recruiting S. Fla., but it's at LEAST a "break even" with Randy Fowler as far as recruiting--and I figure a net win when you figure in actual coaching.)
Meanwhile, back on offense, still trying to find out more about Treon, and Adam Lane, who ran so well up until that helmet-on-ball fumble in the 2nd half, hurt his shoulder on the same play. He played on but was hurting, and is described as "got a banged up shoulder that will need some looking at"--and with Matt Jones leaving, it'll be him and Taylor back there. He hadn't had hardly any game time before today, and we're gonna need him next season; it'd be a good thing for him to be ready come spring.
Haven't gotten the impression (by the little of it I've watched so far OR by what anyone else has said) that it was a particularly "dirty" game, and beyond that, let's face it: Football's a rough game for EVERYONE, but the Gator squads of the last few years have seemed to have been especially "injury-prone", whatever that really means. Once again, can't help but at least wonder, in our hearts-of-hearts, "What the HELL is going ON?!!" I mean, I don't wanna point fingers at the strength-and-conditioning coaches, or anyone in particular, but short periods of such "outbreaks", flurries of injuries at one position or over a short stretch of time is one thing--but this sort of thing has been a steady problem all over the field for us for several YEARS now. Aw, hell, I don't know who or what to blame, even what I'm saying really...I just don't get it, and damn well wanna see it STOP.
(PS Officially "gone" now, as of final gun: Driskel to somewhere, Jones, Fowler & Humphries to the pros, and "new and notable" among the coaches, T. Robinson to join Muschamp at Auburn...re this last, there are those who worry about a "fall off" in recruiting S. Fla., but it's at LEAST a "break even" with Randy Fowler as far as recruiting--and I figure a net win when you figure in actual coaching.)