Whelp...ugh. I had a pal here in Los Angeles visiting from Florida, he's an LA guy that moved to Naples. He's visiting for the holidays, we ate and then watched the game. He isn't a Gator, but repeatedly said this during the game: "Why do you guys keep trying to run up the middle when the sides are constantly open? It makes zero sense, it's insane!" I thought..."is it that obvious?" I guess it isn't just me. Moving on... If I could find a fault with the Gators, beside the defense, it would be that redundant exercise expecting different results. It worked like maybe two times to perfection. Anyway... I hate the end result. But that was one of the best football games this season. Not just Gator games, any game in NCAA football! A true rival kick-ass no-quit game. Boy, we need a lot of work. We did better than I thought we'd do. (Actually, I thought we'd win!) We're really just a notch or two below some of these other teams, but next year after a great recruiting class we'll be a formidable opponent for anyone. Down 5 receivers? Come on, we did really well, and yes the errors cost us the game. That's the frustrating part-because once again we were this close. Man...we need defenders!! That stadium got mighty quiet there for a minute. We are what we are this year. The staff needs to sure up their play-calling and become a bit more 3 dimensional (whatever that means). We need to recruit, recruit, recruit and then get back to work. I'm proud of the kids. No quit in these kids and I think Shemar James (is that the kid?) is better than Miller; or will soon be. I appreciate the kids effort and their never quit attitude. Must be really tough for them. That was a tough one to lose. We're kind of the underdog these days. People like us again-they want us to win. Can't wait for the hatred to start back some day. Ha! It's always great to-be a Florida Gator. Go Gators.
We just played a hard fought even game against a team that is ranked 16 and was playing better than that according to many of the analysts out there on their home field. Look at the posts here and you knew it was going to happen. What a bunch of sorry misfits and malcontents. Sorry for the rest of you but it's hard to stomach. Not the loss, but the dumbassery from them. Yeah - going to bed.
Based upon actual production I agree he is overrated, but that doesn’t mean he is a bad QB. Interesting that you seem confident in your assessment that he can’t be a successful college QB yet you discuss the real possibility that the NFL will draft him early. What people get wrong is his stats don’t always reflect what we are used to seeing. He only completed 1/3 of his passes tonight which seems terrible. Yet his yds per completion was 20+ which is fantastic and his yds per attempt was 7.3 which is pretty typical. He had 3 TD passes which is good and 12% of his pass attempts where touchdowns, which is really good, and 33% of his pass completions where TDs which is crazy good. AR does get good production but it tends to be on big plays. He throws longer passes than most. Most QBs throwing 65-70% completion rate complete half of their passes behind the line of scrimmage. Plus AR gets some running production too. Add back even half of the dropped balls and he looks even better. Apart from Pearsall this is the most unremarkable group of receivers I ever recall.
The same things said about BN were said about Chmp, Butters and Mullen Chump needs an OC. He got win. We had our first losing season and he got fired. Butters just needs to get his players in. He did. Another losing season, death threats, got fired. Mullen just needs a competent DC. Trust out he needed more than that. Billy needs to give up playcalling duties. Needs an SEC DC. Needs to recruit better. Same story, different coach. He is doing some really good things, but his on field product is lacking
And in 1978 we fired a 4-7 coach to bring in… … an 0-10-1 coach. As I recall, that team was enormously improved over the next few years. I guess my point is that a first year rebuilding coach should not be judged by his first year record. Yeah, maybe he’s not the right guy but it’s also very possible that he concentrated on improving the team in the long run and let the losses fall where they may. I think so.
I hope BN can hold this recruiting class together and be effective in the portal. He really seems to be a good recruiter, but is up against hefty competition there too. One conclusion I have drawn after watching a lot of college football over the years is that the QB position has never been more important than it is now. Seems like the most successful teams either have a heady, sufficiently talented game manager like Stetson Bennet or an outright “Baller” like Travis.
Let them enjoy it. Fsu is a broke poor athletic department. Norvell is to be congratulated for this year but they will not keep up in this NIL landscape moving forward
Sorry, I disagree, the one he couldn't hold onto at the end of the game, was a tough catch. He was sandwiched between two defenders as he came down with the ball. Defenders made a good play.
I woke up, sun still came up. Trying to keep a more positive mindset. We're gonna be shedding some Mullen players shortly and the incoming class looks good. Hopefully Billy has serious self reflection on his role and how he can best help the program. I'm also hoping he uses to portal to his advantage like so many other coaches are doing. I have faith he'll figure it out, gotta give him at least 3 seasons. Go Gators!
Offense wasn't bad. 38 points should win you any game, not to mention the number of dropped passes and a couple actual good pass break ups (almost like we had second stringers at WR). Once again having a defense that is statistically terrible lost us the game. 38 points should win you any game but not if your porous defense let's them score 45. Go look at the stats. UF had 460 yards averaging 6.3 per play. 50% on 3rd down and 33% on 4th. Pretty good. Problem is our defense let FSU beat us in every stat I listed and the score.
Nope, this team is exactly where they should be. We just don’t have much talent. Billy didn’t coach perfectly but no coach ever does. Talent makes coaches look good.
They need twitchy receivers, twitchy edge rushers, twitchy linebackers. You cannot make chicken salad out of chicken shit!
Trying to hit a few comments that haven't already been said. Offense "did enough to win" looking at points and stats however just as in many other games the Offense failed in the 3rd coming out of half time. That is a concerning issue going forward in my opinion. Whether it be failing to extend leads or having to keep the game a one score margin the offense has failed situational offense over and over. Defense has almost always been the bigger problem and it was again last night however you work with what you have and if your offense is the only phase of the game that has kept you competitive then you have to value possessions and not allow the 3rd quarter to happen. I've beaten a dead horse about the portal but as much as we love Torrance Johnson and Pearsall fsu and lsu smoked us in the portal and that was the difference. My biggest gripe about another Gator loss is that it allowed that poverty program to really solidify momentum on a national stage. Timing has been off for the Gators so many times on so many levels and this is just another one. No one cares that we took a depleted roster in shambles into Tallahassee and could have won the game. In the end it was a recruiting promotional for FSU and that sucks as much as they do.... Edit: all in on Napier. Breathed life into a program across the board desperately in need of it but I'm in the camp that believes if he doesn't adapt and get an OC he will have an average ceiling. Vandy, UK and USF didn't have to happen and to a lesser extent neither did the other losses as well.
