Culture Shock, Part I: inside the Florida Gators’ implosion under Dan Mullen

I think that you are much closer than most people on here but head coaches are always hiring and firing assistants or assistants are leaving. How many people are returning from last year for us? There are sure a lot of changes.

I could elaborate on some issues but too many people prefer the dramatic story instead of the truth.

Mullen made mistakes. QB may not have been one. Kyle Trask did not come to UF as a great QB. He was a high school backup QB with little playing experience. FF did a decent job early but hit a peak in development. Mullen decided to start Trask earlier (the year before) but Trask got hurt in practice so Mullen was stuck with FF who did a pretty good job after Trask's injury.

FF got hurt in the UK game the next year which allowed a healed Trask to start and exceed anyone's reasonable expectations.

There are far too many people on most football forums who have great hindsight. But coaches cannot see into the future any better than anyone on here can. I sure cannot! As one of my football mentors use to say, hindsight is always 20/20!

We have a great coach now who I hope will be successful.

In case anyone is wondering, most first round draft choices do not become stars in the NFL. Some do not ever start a regular season game. So not even the supposed professionals are that good at picking the winners and the losers.

If anyone is interested we can start keeping records on predictions and see how successful and wrong people are.

It might be good for a laugh!

I do not think anyone wants to do that. We always remember the times that we were right but forget the times that we were wrong!

No offense to anyone. Just pointing out the fallibility of human beings.

I wonder how many Saban misses on each year ( and he gets the cream of the crop)!

 

Great post

 

Do you have any stats to back your opinion?

I would say that Jones was subbed for Trask sparingly or infrequently.

Jones sure did not get into many games!

I will be interested in seeing the stats.

 

Now what said scool does with that pile of cash is the only thing that matters on the field. It seems UF has finally come around to the fact that money, not a pretty face wins championships.

 

I agree. Meyer can coach! He is also great at simplifying tasks. He loves his lists which are very beneficial in his coaching!

Simplify tasks down to their elements and teach and motivate!

 

I deleted the post that @Matthanuf06 was replying to. I made a stupid statement attacking Meyer’s coaching abilities and was rightly called on it. What I should have questioned was Meyer’s offensive play calling abilities.

2009 proved that losing Mullen severely compromised our offense. Meyer (and Addazio) proved to be very average at putting together an offensive plan. We were anemic on offense most of the season and got smoked in the SECCG, because there’s more to play calling than Tebow off tackle twice and Tebow throw on 3rd. Crazy to think an undefeated team can be frustrating to watch, but they were on offense. OK enough of that….

Urban Meyer was a great coach for the reasons you stated. And he had stellar special teams. Probably the ultimate CEO head coach until he broke under pressure. The players clearly respected him too.

 

Jones was plugged in during several key games. Auburn, lsu, etc all during games that were not yet decided. Name another Heisman candidate that had possessions lost to the backup. This on top of having fewer offensive possessions to begin with because our defense was historically bad.

Want stats? Do your own research.

 

Trask was the best college football player that year in my opinion

 

Sorry, your faulty memory does not count unless you can prove it!

 

And almost every Heisman candidates loses possessions to the backup when the game starts getting out of hand.

Did you ever coach or play? I do not think so!

 

I would agree that the loss of Mullen hurt us as the play calling was not as good under his successor.

It probably cost us another national Championship!

Meyer was a little too conservative as was his new OC.

Meyer tried to play it too close to the vest. Mullen did not have that problem as an OC. Mullen's strength is as a play caller!

 

He certainly didn't get the credit Mac Jones got despite not having the running game or Offensive line that Mac had. I remember feeling like we had a chance to convert 3rd and a mile when we had Trask and the receivers clicking.

 

Mac Jones didn't lose possessions in the first half of tight ball games. Go watch the games. Now with the auburn game Trask got hurt for a possession but the subbing thing was a recurring issue all year. Maybe you don't remember but we didn't exactly blow teams out. Even the ole miss game was too close for comfort despite putting up a million yards and a ton of points. In any event this is a weird argument to make.

 

I agree that you are making a weird argument!

 

Emory took part in about 64 plays (either running or throwing) in 2020. While Kyle Trask took part in 501 passes or runs in 2020. Not counting handoffs.

I did not want to spend the time looking at how many times either QB ran but it is obvious that you do not have a point.

Your memory is faulty. The number of plays that Trask ran from scrimmage is overwhelming larger than Emory Jones.

What we remember is seldom correct. That is why they keep statistics!

 

Ok man. Have a nice day. "Coach"

 

I'll do the research for 2020, Trask got pulled in and out at odd times and not just when the game was out of hand.

Ole Miss
Emory game in on the 2nd Possession...he threw a pick, also started the 3rd Poss and ran twice before Trask came back in.

Missouri
Trask was yanked in the middle of a drive with the score 7-6 Mizzy.. for Richardson who ran for 7 yard then committed a false start and got removed for Trask.

Georgia
UF up 7 when Trask was yanked in the middle of a drive for Emory, again a QB run and a false start and Trask came back.
Later UF only up 13 when the same thing happened..Trask out..Emory in to run...penalty..Trask back in

Arkansas
2Q UF up 7...Trask out in the middle of a drive in the red zone..Emory runs 2 plays..Trask back in

Vandy
2Q UF down 10-7, Trask out in the middle of a drive for the Emory run around show

LSU
Florida down 14-10, Emory comes in in the middle of a drive, runs, incomplete pass, penalty, Trask back in

 

I gave up on this guy already. He wants statistics outside of context. You nailed it.

 

Sounds like the games I watched. Weird huh

 

Seemed like Mullen was trying to recreate the Leak/Tebow thing without having the Tebow part.