Reality and Progression, UGA

Any offensive scheme that does not feature Richardson’s legs is suboptimal. Nobody can argue with that. That’s why some fans are saying this offense would be better under Mullen. He would have featured Richardson’s legs. Anthony sees the field well enough and has a cannon for an arm but I’ve seen enough of the inaccuracy to confirm the pre-season reports that suggested his accuracy was a problem. Our WRs aren’t game breakers but they aren’t bad. The circus style catches they’ve had to come up with because Richardson can’t hit them in the numbers shows they have talent. At times, Richardson does not look like a very willing runner.
For the offense to take the next step, Richardson needs to be involved more in the run game and his accuracy must improve. With the defense in a rebuild, we need to be able to win in a shootout.

 

Agreed. AR's mobility is the only thing that makes him a threat. Without that, as in pocket passer, he's average at best. So, if you want to maximize his ability, thus the offense's capability, he needs to be a constant run threat. This ties directly to the type of offense Napier wants to run. From what I have seen thus far, AR is not the guy. You can talk about development all you want but he just doesn't have IT. He doesn't see the field well and he struggles with accuracy and decision making. This talk of the Heisman and the NFL is a joke. QB is THE most difficult position on the field. We need a guy with a higher QB IQ.

 

IMO, it will take at least two very strong classes in '23 and '24, plus an additional year to get everyone up to speed before we can seriously hope to compete with the top programs in the SEC. The portal can of course fill some holes and lower the pain level a bit for next season. But frankly, we don't need several new contributors - we need dozens of them. TBH, I greatly underestimated the extent to which we had regressed talent-wise coming into this season. It is also evident that the staff/HC needs to show some growth and perhaps some scheme/personnel changes as well. But as fans, we have only two choices. One is to be patient and give BN time to rebuild the program properly - or drive ourselves batshit crazy with unreasonable expectations. Although I admittedly have trouble with the first alternative on occasion, I'm determined not to fall prey to the later - yet again.

 

Most accepted we would be good, we just wanted functional with signs of improvement. Cupboard completely bare? Coaching not optimized? Aliens?

without a competent passing game, our running game and OL are stranded. Give AR better options for presnap reads. Needs big work on follow through mechanics. D, lineman and backers oh my.

Go Gators

 

Agreed. Has BN given a reason as to why AR isn't being featured as a runner? (And I mean after Miller was available....I get protecting him prior)

He was turned loose down 28-3 and we made a damn good run at them. Why not start the game that way? Run a few QB draws and utilize the Tebow "rocker step", one man play action and I think we get the most out of this offense.

Still don't think that would have resulted in a win vs UGA, but it would give us the best shot at these next 4 games, all of which are winnable (and losable).....

 

I've been saying that all year. We have 1 really good player and maybe a few decent players, but you need to be good across the line, which we are not.

 

Thanks again @thekentuckygator . . . another GREAT perspective!

 

That Tebow "rocker step" play action would never work until he proves to be a willing and effective runner. The DE's already completely ignore the QB on the read play because he has handed it off 99% of the time and rarely pulled the ball and taken off. I don't know whether its coaching or the QB's hesitancy to run, but it doesn't really matter because the result is the same.

 

I would say that UT was in far worse shape than us when Hyp took over. Many good players left them high and dry. UT found some gems in the portal and priced together a very good team in just year 2. Hyp is legit. From ucf to ut, he has helped built an offensive juggernaut. He seems to find a capable qb, develops them and they score points like SOS used to. BN is not that but I believe he is building on a foundation and deserves a minimum of 3 years to see the kind of results we all hope. I will never call for his ouster but may not be happy with some of the assistants if improvement isn't seen.
Ut will be a thorn in the side of the SEC east.

 

If I may add, even though this is all tangential, Tennessee's real head scratcher isn't that Hooker became something special overnight, but rather their defense should not be able to keep the scoring down. That to me is a REAL head scratcher. They lost a LOT via the portal.

 

I don't generally pay much attention to UT except when we play them, or when they are in a position to affect our season by winning or losing against a common opponent. But it is my understanding that they have a considerable number of 5th year seniors with concomitant playing time under their belts. And their QB is arguably the single most successful transfer portal pick-up in the country. I do agree that Heupel has done a magnificent job and may well be the NCOTY. But, IMO, Mullen left a depleted roster and a radioactive locker room mess that renders any direct comparison between the situations pretty much invalid. I'll also be interested to see how things go in Knoxville when much of the talent and leadership departs after this season.

 

They'll take a step back. They are not recruiting at the level necessary to compete for conference championships every season.

 

I live just south of Knoxville, Jeremy Pruitt left a far worse stain on UT than Mullen I can assure you that. There was a major exodus of good players that left the program as it looked like the usual dumpster fire.
I'm also from Orlando, and Hyp knows offense. Good coaches can do more with less than bad coaches can do with more. Spurrier's offense was very innovative and score did he ever. UM with the spread offense rolled up some numbers. UT offense is somewhat similar to OK offense when we beat them for a title. Up to that point they were scoring td's like crazy. If you have the right system, as did SOS, and Hyp, you can make it work. Spur did at Florida and so far Hyp has done well throughout his coaching experience. Quite impressive to turn a really no good ut team into a title contender in year two.

 

I just CBN can build a top-tier nasty defense. I can’t take much more of the current version. It doesn’t do anything well.

 

Napier is a CEO. There will be an OC next year. He is not nearly so arrogant that he thinks he knows everything better than anyone else.

 

Well said Kentucky!

 

At this time, we are driving the car with a donut spare. i get we want to project O and D schemes in the future basis what we see now, however im confident CBN's schemes wiil morph and grow as the team progresses. IMO, Patience on our part will be well rewarded in the future

 

I have some schematic issues with Napier (who obviously knows more about football than me, let me get that disclaimer out of the way, he'll probably forget more football than I'll ever learn), but it's still way too early to determine how good he'll be.

I'm of the belief that it's hard to be a champion in today's college football when you rely on the run about 60% of the time (a Napier trend going back to his Louisiana days), but I'm also of the belief that if they can't stop the run, run it all day.

And I just want the defense to run what we ran under Muschamp, Quinn, Durkin, and Collins. But I'm fine with whatever works. Problem is, looking at the season as a whole, the defense hasn't been working.

 

Absolutely we shall be rewarded. Napier is the man. He will learn and adjust, and adjust things right to winning an NCAA Title.