Offensive minds in the SEC

We haven't seen a combination of a competent offensive line, QB play and defense yet so I can't make any indictments of his offensive scheme. When the Offensive line was solid the defense was terrible and the QB play was wildly inconsistent. Mertz added some stability to the QB position but the offensive line was rough and the defense somehow took a step back from the year before.

As you said, he seems to have shored up a lot of issues with depth, talent and coaching staff this year so the hopium is plentiful at the moment. We were competitive in several losses despite the horrific defense and offensive line issues so I wouldn't say his offense isn't enough to compete with the offensive talent in the SEC. I imagine this season will tell us a lot more than the last two.

 

The facts doesn't back up your statement about the offenses in the SEC. The Florida Gators were #6 in offensive yards per game in 2023. Now the total yards are skewed becasue the Gators only played in 12 games last year, but total yards is not indicative of our offense as much as yards per game is.

2023 College Football Offense Total Team Stat Leaders - ESPN

 

The #6 in offensive yards per game makes Napier and his offense a top tier SEC offensive team.

But we all know that we need to get into the top 2 or 3 in points per game to make the Gators' offense an SEC power house. We need a points per game increase for the 2024 season.

 

Our points per game puts us at 9th in the SEC. Not that I agree or disagree with the OP just that we have had issues for multiple reasons that hopefully have been corrected this offseason.

Edit: your follow up post beat me to it.

 

I posted on that... it must get better... and that starts with red-zone offense. We have to increase that scoring percentage and we have to increase the TDs versus field goals in the red-zone percentage too.

Yes, Napier needs to improve on offense, but Napier's offense is not as devoid of skill and talent like some might have you believe. He needs to focus on the details that increase our points per game... yepper, that is true.

 

What yards per game means to me is that Napier's offense does move the ball, sure there is more that he needs to improve on offensively, but his offense at least moves the ball. Now... I agree that is NOT enough and he needs to get more points on the board. Let's take the next step and score more points.

Ideally I would like at least 10 more points game. That means he needs to figure out the red-zone conundrum. He has to invent more creative plays or new schemes to push the ball into the endzone once the Gators get into the red-zone.

That is what he needs to prove this year. He has to invent more creative plays to get those easy TDs... easier TDs once we get into the red-zone. That is where he is now that he has all of his "systems" in place.

I'd like to see more/different offensive personnel set-pieces. where in the 22 personnel and the 23 on goal line or red-zone offensive plays? Why not add a 6th offensive O-lineman on goal-line plays?

Where is the creativity that separates a great coach Napier from the average Joe/coach that tries to bludgeon you to death with bigger guys on the goal-line irrespective of scheming? Misdirection and scheming are as important as the personnel that we play with.

That lack of creativity is what is holding Napier's offenses back. One day he might have a team of all 5* star players so he can "muscle" that ball into the end-zone with superior talent. But right now he has to work on scheming and misdirection with different personnel groupings.. that is where he needs to be right now, because the Gators are NOT flush with NFL players just yet. So... get creative.

Yes, he has all summer long to figure out can't miss red-zone plays. Can he figure out that he needs a thick book of plays from short yardage to red-zone specific short yardage plays? I sure hope so.

Offensively, I would work on the hurry-up offense. We have the players that have been in his system long enough to know the plays inside and out. I would work on tempo all game long, and red-zone offensive plays every single day.

He has the middle of the field plays now he needs to work of specialty plays and that means everything from the long ball to the short goal line plays. He needs to go back into his folders and see what our weakness has been and focus on it. That seems easy enough to me... Lol, easier said than done, I'm sure.

It's really about timing and conditioning... and It's all about scoring more points.

 

When the line sucks, you can kinda throw the rest out of the window.

 

Hard to take you seriously when you extol the North Texas offense and bag on the UF staff.

 

Calloway had it going at Samford as OC for four years but couldn't do better at Florida than TE coach to begin with. Equating success at lower levels, including B12 to the SEC, is apples and oranges. To praise Litrell and the lol at UF's offensive staff is interesting at the least, with UF having injured OL and no depth last year compared to OU with a veteran OL, again apples and oranges.

 

Not always. Hal Mumme translated Mike Leach's offense from Valdosta State to Kentucky very quickly. Unfortunately for KY, their defense resembled ours of the last 3 seasons.

 

Spot-on and I think that's very much a product of poor OL play, especially pass protection. When the field gets short, pass plays need to be precise. Precision goes out the window when the QB is on the run. I'm guessing Mertz's completion percentage falls way off when he crosses the 20.

 

maybe one of those reasons is the poor defense that we've had. CBN talks frequently of playing complementary football and if he knows the D can't stop anything, that would force him to call the O plays differently. Hopefully the D will be much better allowing him to open it up on O some this year.

 

We had a new QB and a brand new OL to start the year. So we had a learning curve to start the year. Nonetheless, Napier and Co turned things around on offense by the Vandy game. You may not believe that, but the scoreboard does not lie. Look at the portion of our schedule from Vandy to Mizzou. And keep in mind we had one of the worst defenses in the country in creating turnovers and scoring points. We scored 30+ points in every game after Vandy (w/ the exception of UGA) where Mertz was the starter:

Lets go game by game through that stretch. Other teams and what they put on the scoreboard are included for the sake of direct comparison, which helps to weed out any biases we might have in making comparisons between Napier and those on the list some might say have a better offensive pedigree than Napier.

Vandy:

Kentucky: 45 points
Mizzou: 38 points
Florida: 38 points
Georgia: 37 points
Ole Miss: 33 points
Auburn: 31 points
South Carolina: 47 points
Tennessee: 48 points


South Carolina:

Georgia: 24 points
Mississippi State: 30 points
Tennessee: 41 points
Florida: 41 points
Mizzou: 34 points
TAMU: 30 points
Vandy: 6 points
Kentucky: 14 points

Georgia:

South Carolina: 14 points
Auburn: 20 points
Kentucky: 13 points
Vanderbilt: 20 points
Mizzou: 21 points
Florida: 20 points
Ole Miss: 17 points
Tennessee: 10 points
Alabama: 27 points
FSU: 3 points

Arkansas:

LSU: 34 points
TAMU: 34 points
Ole Miss: 27 points
Alabama: 24 points
MSU: 7 points
Florida: 33 points (in regulation)
Auburn: 48 points
Mizzou: 48 points

LSU:

FSU: 45 points
MSU: 14 points
Arkansas: 31 points
Ole Miss: 55 points
Mizzou: 39 points
Auburn: 18 points
Alabama: 42 points
Florida: 35 points
TAMU: 30 points

Mizzou:

LSU: 49 points
Kentucky: 21 points
South Carolina: 12 points
Georgia: 30 points
Tennessee: 7 points
Florida: 31 points
Arkansas: 14 points
Ohio State: 3 points

At some point results against common opponents have to begin to shape your perspective. There are games where Napier's very green offense with very few returning starters paced some of these names many consider to be better and sexier OCs.

The bad defense of 2022 and 2023 is what clouds our perception of Napier as an OC. That and some situational failures.

From a raw output standpoint, down the stretch after the Kentucky game, Napier was peer with many of the people that are considered to be better OCs in the SEC outside of Brian Kelly and LSU.

We have not yet seen what Napier is capable of when he returns a multi-year starter at QB and a veteran OL. I am excited to see what Napier is capable of with a more experienced roster.

 

Yes, that is the unspoken part of this thread, because it's a thread about "offensive minds."

However, if we fix our defense much of what held the Gators back will be easier to overcome... with a sound offense, that is.

 

Yes, in the second half of the season the offense was playing no where near the bottom of the SEC.

 

Love your stats, but On3 does not agree that we have a 'veteran' OL.

"The Gators will lose their starting right and left guards, as well as their center. Getting Jake Slaughter back softens that blow....Slaughter played 574 snaps and was the Gators’
highest-rated run blocker among offensive linemen and third-highest pass blocker (more than 30 snaps). He’ll return to his starting role in 2024.

The Gators will also return Austin Barber who started at left tackle in eight games last season while totaling 561 snaps. Barber’s play wasn’t as good in 2023 at left tackle as it
was in 2024 at right tackle. The addition of Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson could allow Barber to slide back to right tackle.
The Gators also added Devon Manuel who can play tackle. Kam Waites is still thought of as a guard by the staff but has experience playing tackle as well.

The interior of the line is where the Gators will have question marks. Knijeah Harris looks like he will be a starter but the Gators don’t have any proven depth at guard. Damieon George will more than likely slide inside after struggling at right tackle in 2023. The numbers may be the same as last year, but the Gators lost a ton of experience and their line will be young and unproven heading into 2024."

 

The only stat that matters is the number of "W's" in the win column!
The rest are meaningless and fan fodder.

Napier needs more W's...