Why does Meyer keep referring to this team as being young?

[The Zooker]

Out of the typical starting lineup we have . . .

Fifth year players: 1
Fourth year players: 12
Third year players: 6
Second year players: 3
First year players: 0

That's not a young team. All but three of the players have been on the team for at least three years. I don't think age can be an excuse for these guys.

 

[Escambia94]

The playmakers are young, but he is "obliged" to play the older players in the typical starting lineup. When veterans screw up, blame it on the youngsters. When youngsters screw up, blame it on youth.

I am not buying the excuse either. I think it's the coaching--same problem as last year. We argue all the time about Addazzio on this forum, and I think Vitamin A is part of the problem. The other part is what we do not see or understand out of Urban Meyer. What is his plan? Let the team play like this and magically fix it at some other time?

 

[jhale]

This team is young

There's an article on the GatorSports website that outlines why Meyer refers to this as a young team.

70 players made the trip to Knoxville
43 were underclassmen
21 were on their first road trip
19 played in their first road game

Consider that UF had several plays where they had 2-3 freshmen (Ali, Clark, Burton, Reed) on the field at the skill positions who had trouble getting lined up. That penalty burned us on our first drive, UF had the ball at the UT 20.

 

[leakbrewergator]

Out of the typical starting lineup we have . . .

Fifth year players: 1
Fourth year players: 12
Third year players: 6
Second year players: 3
First year players: 0

That's not a young team. All but three of the players have been on the team for at least three years. I don't think age can be an excuse for these guys.

That's just the staring lineup. We are a young team. The fact that we have used more true freshmen than anybody is a testament to that.