A lot of the seemingly contradictory posts can be true. - gators played a good game against a top 10 opponent in the road. And we had the game in our hands and failed. - we marched down the field for the potential winning points including a 4th down conversion with our backup qb. And we settled for a field goal and inexcusably went out of bounds to give them time. - we are young and we do things (bad angles, effort on D) that are inexcusable. And our young guys are our best players. Lots of mixed signals with Napier's teams. The Arkansas loss was so bad, ut win and last night we’re solid. We will be better with talent and experience (duh) that seems to be coming. Very open questions as to the value and ceiling of the current staff as currently composed. Hopefully a big off-season of talent acquisition and fixing our staff to eliminate costly recurrent errors and failures. Point being there are good things AND red flags - premature to say either the red flags are fatal signs regarding BN or that they exist solely due to talent inadequacy (ie, coaches “will” fix it with recruiting). Beat FSU!
With next year schedule, there is a legitimate chance we are staring at/around the same record as this year.
A team can lack talent, be young, and still be fundamentally sound. This team is not, imho. They lack basic fundamentals and focus, too often at the worst possible times. The OL is a false start machine. The defense is a poor tackling unit. Basic football stuff just seems to get lost far too much with this team. It goes completely against what it appears Billy wants to be.
If I’m not mistaken, our defense forced a 3 and out the series before that. Sacked Cook to force a punt I think. Maybe Napier thought the boys could get one more. The momentum had definitely shifted a bit.
we played very well the first three downs now its 4th and 17 I would believe they would not make that no need for TO
They should have orange t-shirts made that say “4th and 17” in blue writing for the entire defense. You wear them until you win us a game.
We are a 4th and 17 stop and a chip shot field goal from being 7-4. We were competitive for long stretches with Georgia, LSU, and Utah, and with a more experienced team, would have had legitimate shots at winning those games. We played one of the toughest schedules in college football and played more freshmen than any other team in the nation. I am excited about what this team will be like next year. Napier has our team competing on a high level. Jackson, Wilson, Etienne, and a slew of TEs along with the development of our front line will make our offense dangerous next year to any defense (under Mertz who should go pro or Lagway). Our defense will be bulked up with more depth, experience, and talent than it has had in years. So even though we have another tough schedule, it sets the stage for a breakout year.
Here’s the thing… we all knew or know Etienne should’ve stayed in bounds. BUT, one Max Brown run where he pulls it from Etienne and goes right side may have been the difference in the game as we could’ve run the clock out with one first down. I know that may have been a little risky, putting the ball in a rookie’s hands. But, without Max Brown, and his fight we are not even still in the game. Kid is a gamer, and we should’ve given him one opportunity to run around left or right end they were sitting on our running back. Brown’s legs are a threat. Billy also knows what he has in his defense which should have made it all the more needed to get one first down. Even Wilson or Pearsall on one more jet would have been great especially with the way both of them turn it up hard downfield.
I say this in a plain way - I essentially posted the exact thing someone else posted- that guy had zero ‘disagrees’ or come on mans. I got three. Some of you are….just something else Onward. Beat F$U Sheesh. In all kinds of weather
Makes that last possession of the first half sting even more. We went into that with no urgency and came away with no points. A field goal at the end of the first half would have been a difference maker.
May have been. I didn't take much inventory of it, but there was a two-play sequence that was just . . . . It in no way changed the outcome of the game, so I'm not blaming the officiating. These two plays, though, were inexplicable. I think it came in the second Q. With 13:20 remaining, we ran up the middle for a two yard gain to the Mizzou 38. Ball was spotted at the 40 with 2nd and 10. Now if you watch this again, it's crazy to see where the ball was spotted. Next play was a 9yd run . . . holding. They gave two replays from the backfield and the player called for holding did nothing to suggest a hold. There wasn't a grab, a tug, nothing. The Gators threw a TD pass I think on the next play, but that two play sequence had me all .
The best way to squash bush league behavior is to beat people. In any case, the Curse of the Premature Chompulation was broken years ago.