Andy Staples article on “why Florida has fallen behind”

That enforcing cheating thing use to sting a bit.

 

Bama and Georgia have guys that weren’t even on their two deep that probably start for us. We had starting db’s running 4.8 at the combine. No wonder they were two steps behind a crossing pattern and playing soft zones. You can’t scheme around slow.

 

Utah was the best team we beat. We played decent or pat least as good as we we’re capable of against fsu and Tenn. They didn’t even show up for the bowl game but hopefully most of that attitude has left the building.

 

The coaches responded by cleaning house of quitters and guys who didn’t want to work which seemed a common theme of Mullen and his players.

 

the logic of “if they left they are quitters and lazy, if they came here they are virtuous and hard-working” is so clearly a logical fallacy that it seems unnecessary to even point out

but I just did, so I will end with this question - why did our transfer pickups leave their other school? better yet, why did they “quit” on the program that they committed their lives to only a short while ago?

 

Equation of The Day:

Mullen = Meyer Negatives X Empty Trophy Case

 

I think your answers lie among the long lines formed for other programs to compete for the former staff coaches and for the players who have left since last season. (Hint - Nick and Kirby ain’t exactly fighting over them)

 

Most come from smaller schools to play in the SEC. If they came from bamer or Georgia or Ohio State, they weren’t good enough to make the two deep.

 

Actually, the Napier bashing is relatively mild. You should have been on Gator message boards 20 years ago...

 

I was. For what it's worth, I was totally opposed to the fireronzook.com website that was up and running before the Zooker even landed back in Florida. Sadly, Zook was another clear example of a good coordinator who was in over his head as a HC.

 

Because what is being built at Florida is so much better, they jumped at the chance to be a part of it.

 

A positive outlook is important.

 

It’s critical - that’s why all the bitching and bashing here is so counterproductive. It’s people making themselves feel better while not giving a crap about the toxic environment they’re helping create for Napier to deal with. Can’t get much more self-serving than that. Drives me nuts

 

It is so very very important..like you wouldn't believe

 

Probably affects their lives in the same way.

 

I heard a podcast several months ago where Spurrier was the guest and in the interview he talked about Zook getting something of a raw deal. Talked about how the team that he left was loaded but all of the talent were short timers and Zooker had to rebuild and learn how to be a head coach at the same time. He actually talked about how he Zook would have been fine by his fourth season and would have stayed a lot longer than Meyer lasted.

Made me go back through old articles and Zook was running away with the No.1 recruiting class when he was fired. Ironically, McElwain was putting a top class together as well when he was fired in 2017.

To Zook’s credit, winning three straight road games against top 5-10 teams in 03 was damned impressive. Also going 80 yards for a TD in the 4th to put the Noles away was something that just didn’t happen back then. It certainly wasn’t supposed to happen on the night it was being named for Bobby. In his honor, we give the sports world Ron Zook Field at Doak Campbell Stadium.

 

And that’s the way it was….
Great post

 

Zook had the impossible job of following Steve Spurrier. But you know, he wasn’t the guy. Great recruiter, defensive coach but not a Gameday head ball coach. I literally thanked Mississippi State fans after they beat us in 04 - thanked them for providing the final nail in the coffin. I personally think another 3 years would not have helped. As so many others, he was in over his head.

As I think about it, there were some similarities between Zook’s and Muschamp’s careers at UF — Both good guys. Both defensive coordinators in their first HC gigs. Both with impossible acts to follow….Both were never going to get it done.

 

You could be fully correct. But I will give Zook credit for handing the defense to Strong and then realizing that Zaunbrecher wasn’t the right guy and promoting Fedora.

I can’t really hold Illinois against him, because they are, well Illinois. He did better there than anyone else there has done over the last 30 years.

As much as I loved the two Nats, we have paid an extremely high price over the last 13 seasons for that and I don’t think those payments end for another season.

Not to put words in Spurrier’s mouth but I think his point may have been that we may not have won the two that we one but we definitely would have been elite for a lot longer time.

 

Didn’t SOS fire Zook to hire Stoops as his DC in the 94-95 time frame? And wasn’t that why the fireronzook.com website was established as soon as it was announced he was our next head coach in 2002?