That stat might be true but... how do you compare some of Whittemores lost catches? That's a strawman comparison... I understand flat out speed is not the only ingredient to be a great receiver too. Remember way back when Doering was a "walk on" and the receivers coach hardly gave him a look? Yeah, Steve Spurrier did alright making that call. Making Doering one of our best receivers every to wear a Gator's uniform... helping to set up Gator Nation's first ever National College Football Championship the next year in 1996. And that receivers coach was? Who know what ever happened to that coach. This receiver's coach has to explain why Whittemore suddenly is not as good as we all saw, with our own eyes, playing receiver for the Gators these last 3 years. I saw it happen I saw how good he was, especially compared to some of our other receivers. This must be explained to all Gator Nation before I let it go.
Yep. We have seen Whittemore play very well. What happened? I suppose it’s possible this system does not fit him. But I doubt it’s that.
#2 and #7 are too good to not get all the RB snaps. I’m glad Billy sees it that way. Two is enough. Pierce would have got a lot more carries last year if Billy was around
Sounds like the scheme was adjusted a bit to maximize effectiveness this game. Which is key. I’m always a “win the game at hand” guy. That ultimately builds for the future too. We are set up to run the table. That would be a good first year. Especially given the losses we have….the only one we really need back is UK.
I use this as a reason to not get too excited. The Gators were slow in the first half against a team missing 19 players, including the presumptive dual-threat QB. On the other hand, the second half showed how Florida used a bunch of “new” players in a halftime adjustment to shut down an opposing offense and continue controlling the ball. The aTm players on the field were still way more experienced and higher rated position-by-position than Florida, so the 19 missing athletes might not have been a valid “excuse”, but it is something to consider when looking back at the season. FSU is the only game that worries me. Kentucky is the one game I wish we could get back. aTm might be the game that defines how we finish.
I will peruse the remaining posts this AM, but has anyone heard from Gatorpa? I am afraid his "education" has him feeling out-of-sorts. Maybe even "Finebaum-esque." G'pa, if you have at least a modicum of strength to read this thread by using all your strength moving the mouse, just know that it is the darkest before the dawn. You learn from mistakes and not from righteousness. If gluttonous, wormy types can morph into beautiful flying creatures, you can too. I believe in you!!!
If I may play both sides of the coin, what I saw was VERY encouraging. It appears as if the message that Napier gave the guys is finally sinking in. That includes some mental aspects of playing elite QB, although AR still has a good ways to go. After that, it is plainly a lack of really good bodies. Again....thanks Dumbo for the parting gift. But to "the other side", it has taken THIS long, and a half of pretty damn bad defensive ball in this game, to go "oh, so we are supposed to play REAL football"? REALLY??? Talk about a bunch of misguided players who either never had much except superior HS athleticism and some damn bad previous coaching, or they just didn't care. Is this a sign that they FINALLY care? I sincerely hope so.
I think today proves exactly what i've been saying all along. Those focused on Toney, our scheme, etc were way off base. Toney wasn't going to run the scheme he was running the first few games into the future. CBN has been focused on getting the team to play hard and play together. A big task considering what we lost and how the team quit last year. We lost a ton of players last year, off a team that quit on Mullen. We had one experienced quality LB, lost a lot on our DL, and our upperclassmen on the back end of our D (saftey) weren't playing very well. We had a mediocre OL, lost a ton at TE, and inexperience (aside from Shorter) at WR and QB. CBN had to go to the portal and recruiting to bring in a few good players. We have 3 or 4 Sr's on the roster, whose draft status (aside from the transfers) with questionable draft status. We have good assistant coaches and this whole process is going to take time.. In fact after watching the Dawgs, it will probably take 2-3 years for our roster, experience, organization to be able to go toe to toe with them on a consistent basis. CBN is steady, and the fact that the team has been playing hard from start to finish is a very good sign for the future of our program.
I would suggest you get press credentials so you can personally ask CBN all these questions you have. Hopefully he will answer them to your satisfaction. Let me know what you find out..
You and I feel the same way about Whitt. Kid can play when given opportunity. I’ll explain it as to why he’s not playing- because he’s transferring. Very disappointed as not just a great rep of the team but could be a very productive player.
Yep, took a while but glad to see the Carries being distributed the right way and like the sprinkle of Carries we’ve seen go to Lingard.
Quick assessment. AR played one of his best games, he actually ran the ball like we all knew he could. He was accurate for the most part. So glad BN is helping him to become more of a vocal leader. Amazing how our DC had the guys put pressure on the young qb in the second half. That's what you should do. I like that we made adjustments but surprised we didn't come out of the gate pressuring this qb. We needed this win and got it. But keep in mind this is not a good A&M team we beat. They will be lucky to get six wins. Still, it's good to see our team play better. Good win.
The never ending complaining about Whit’s playing time is getting old. I like him too and it’s a great story being the local kid and all …but truth is he is not as dynamic as Shorter, Rick or X. I hope he stays but think that ship has sailed. The staff doesn’t owe us an explanation. We should let it go. And, the comments about KC not showing us anything.. is just NUTS. He’s done a really good job with a very maligned group. The WR room being the weakest position group in the team was a very popular take, coming into the season. They have improved with each game and have quietly been one of the bigger surprises of the season at this point.
