How? Norvell with a relatively healthy squad of upperclassmen barely beat us. We had more total offense, more rushing yards, better completion percentage, not sure how they are night and day unless you're referring tomorrow record. But hell he had a shitty record too his 1st 2 years , in a crap conference non the less. People just kept saying Norvell just has to get his talent and install his plan. Sounds a lot like CBN to be honest. It's worked out for Norvell hopefully it does for CBN. A lack of passing attack after our 2 RB's left the game, penalties ( not many procedural penalties at least) and 2 missed fieldgoals doomed us. Max was game, played hard, flashed some good stuff but he was not ready.and at times looked like a deer in the headlights. Like when the safety came unblocked right in front of him and he didn't see the safety till he got clobbered. He could be good with more experience though.
It gets worse. The last three years: * Florida is 8-16 in conference play. By comparison, Ron Zook's Gators were 16-8. * Against SEC teams with fewer than four losses, the last three Gator teams were 0-8. Zook's Gators were 3-5. * Against OOC competition with fewer than four losses, Florida was 0-3. Zook's Gators were 1-6 (2-5) on the field. And before anyone wants to talk about young teams, the Gators had to replace 12, 13 and 13 starters from 2002-4, including a true freshman at QB and "the worst football coach in the nation, going down to Pop Warner level," as it was said at the time. Considering his record thus far, Billy is being treated rather kindly by comparison. And BTW, the first three years of SEC competition, going back 73 years: Steve Spurrier: 19-3 Dan Mullen: 19-7 Urban Meyer: 17-7 Galen Hall: 12-5-1 Ron Zook: 16-8 Jim McElwain: 16-8 Ray Graves: 12-6 Will Muschamp: 13-11 Galen Hall (after sanctions bit deep): 9-10 Charley Pell: 7-11 (counting in the 1979 rebuild year) Bob Woodruff: 7-11 Doug Dickey: 7-12 The last two years, Billy is 6-10 in SEC competition. Next year, our SEC opponents are: Georgia Kentucky LSU Ole Miss Miss State Texas Texas A&M Tennessee The seat will be a bit toasty for all the coaches next year...
If we could have Napier recruit and Mullen coach, we'd be OK. Seems like once Dan signed that big contract with UF, his drive and motivation too work hard to recruit kids went out the window.
Freeze lost to a 25 point dog two weeks ago. Where was his fire then. Auburn gets up just like we do when they are motivated. He didn’t get them in the game for New Mexico State.
Read my post…I said his approach has its shortcomings as the players cannot get up for every game. But they did for Alabama. We seem to be vanill process oriented most of the time.
We always win against the early schedule Pud teams. This year we started with Utah then puds (including toothless ) Then the sec schedule slaps us in the face. The regression topic is always tough because of our late season strength of schedule Next year will be enlightening. Go Gators
I’ll go out on a limb and say Zook had a vastly superior roster. Maybe it’s coaching but our oline is bad and we have no pass rusher nor linebackers that intimidate anyone. Get an sec line, a pass rush, and some guys that can tackle and then we can better critique Napier and staff.
I just once want to see on 4th and 1 that with a full play clock we go through all the motions of acting like we are going to snap it but it appears we are just trying to draw them off, call the time out and kick the field goal. The qb walks over a little ways by the running back and stands there looking at the coach and the coach is even watching the clock and conversing with the ref as if he’s going to call the time out. The qb is actually set. The D is already raising up and expecting the timeout. With 1-2 seconds on the play clock, Boom, Direct snap to rb and easy first down. I think they did this in the longest yard.
1724 No, I am not referring to some obscure year in the 18th century........ I am referring to UFs last 41 games. 17 wins, 24 losses. Barely over a 40% winning %. The Gators lose 6 out of 10. I hate to be negative but facts can't be ignored. The current trend is beyond shocking. Let's review: 3 consecutive losses to KY. Loss to Vandy. A road record beyond pathetic and so many choke jobs I can't eat solid food anymore. A shout out to Auburn. Thank you for somehow surpassing UF on the choke o meter Saturday. Historically bad defense, I'm too depressed to do the math but UF must be close to allowing 40 a game and 500 yards + over this stretch, including a 700 yard all time gem against LSU. Unspecial teams galore, heck Trey Smack only misses now when it counts the most. Seriously, outside of Vandy is UF better than anybody in the SEC? MSU maybe? Bowl games? Well let's review: 2020. 20 - 55 2021. 17 - 29 2022. 3 - 30 Outscored 40 to 114. One coach fired and another tracking in that direction. An upcoming schedule considered by most to be the most daunting in Univ. history, if not the most difficult in the nation. And to top it off, FSU comes to the Swamp begging to get spanked. UF refused to put its cleat on their throat and instead of a 22 - 0 halftime lead, a reversion to form, by refusing to capitalize, game was over FSUs first drive of the second half. Not to worry, UF did win the spitting contest. Nothing I posted here is untrue. I love the Gators but this shyatt is getting old and no relief is in site outside of basketball and baseball. I only may hope UF has hit its nadir and we emerge from this pit of despair because it stinks down here.
And we did for fsu but we both still lost. The two better rosters won. After watching that game, something tells me Georgia is going to beat Bama. Bama has a shot of course but things will have to fall their way. The coaching staffs probably won’t be the difference in Atlanta, Georgia just has better players.
Take away the wins against teams that should be illegal for the poor kids safety and it’s even worse. Napier has to turn the corner next year. The boosters are going to have to overpay for the necessary portal help or tge conclusion is forgone. We won’t beat superior teams with an inferior roster. Oline and front seven cannot be subpar and expect anything different from what happened this year.
I hope this doesn't get lost. Vegas isn't infallible, but they're right way more often than they're wrong. So when they set UF's win total next year at 5.5 again or something close to that, don't delude yourself into expecting an 8+ win season or complain about a vast anti-UF media agenda. Until the program proves otherwise, this is where UF is at.
Agreed Wanne, it makes me sick to post something like the above, we are what our record is and the record stinks. Napier, so far, has been unable to compete at any but the lowest levels of competition. A third season like this will see him cashing big checks and enjoying his French Chateau and new wine label.
Not sure you can compare the SEC of now to the SEC to even when SOS was here. The talent. And even coaching is better all around in the SEC. Much more parity than 25 years ago.
Bamas play and conversely auburns yesterday had less to do with Freeze and all to do with Jordan hare stadium where nick Saban is a very pedestrian 4-4 before yesterday)there as bamas coach. He just does not do well at Jordan hare.