Post Game Thread

I said he at least would leave the program in better shape than he found it. Without transfer NIL changes I think that would still be true, however, in CFB as is, I don't know how true my prediction will be.

 

I'm OK with any discussion of who should be the head coach.

But I think we have CULTURE issues.

Winning football games should be serious business. I just don't see it with our program. Especially when I look at other programs who are winning.

I watched some of the Mississippi State/Furman game this morning. 52-0 in the first half. 6 passing TD's and 1 rushing TD. Starting QB (Dart) is done for the day. New guy comes in and first play is a TD pass.

That is serious football....not what we are doing.......

 

Yeah, new coach talk is certainly not out of place at this juncture. Our powers to be have always decided on the up and comer mentality and it's been an abysmal failure, except for Meyer. We need someone who is a winner. Three years in and Napier can't hire a OC? That's crazy chit, man. He can't see the elephant in the room apparently, seeing he's the elephant.

Get the coach, (he'll fulfill the dream) and they will come. Get the right guy, our class stays intact or improves and we start off winning!

But, for right now, I'm most excited for Lagway to start, as is every Gator out there. I hope Mertz is recovering, but start DJ or we'll light the torches and head to Dr. Frankenstein's mansion...

Go Gators.

 

And because of the portal, he might leave it in worse shape. Feel for the players, sold a pile of..

 

Can SOMEONE please do a Napier "meme" using the Hitler parody of the Miami game? I think that is in order!
I'm way too dumb to do it myself

 

Wouldn’t be credible. I don’t think Billy can muster a Hitler-type rant.

 

Guys....our problem isn't that we don't have an OC.

The problem is an AD who isn't getting involved TO THE EXTENT he needs to - WHATEVER that means.

WE have ZERO power over what happens with the football program.

But guess who does.....and that is the person who is not getting it done!

 

Thanks for sharing, Spurrier is an absolute gem and the greatest Gator ever. Awesome to hear him singing the praises of UF volleyball and golf at about the 21 minute mark. Also love hearing him cite famous quotes - he mentions a William James quote about how a change in attitude can turn a person’s or a team’s fortunes around, then he gives examples from UF (after Syracuse loss in ‘91) and from his days as coach at Duke. Spurrier knew he had to do something different. Hopefully his words of wisdom resonate across campus and throughout the football program.

 

The Gator defense did not cause Mertz to overthrow at least 3-5 receivers (depending on your perception). Had Napier shaken things up from the beginning Miami would have not been prepared.

 

I don’t know if you listened to the commentary during the game, but what was pointed out and what was so extraordinary about Ward is that he beat us in second gear of about 7.

 

You are moving the goal posts on this item. I was referring to your statement that inferred that Mertz was responsible for the last 5 loses of last season. Go back and look at your post.

I do agree that Napier has not shaken thing since last season. Sources from Miami was already onto Napier's "SOP" (standard order of procedure". For obviouse reasons they knew we was not going to deviate from his scheme. A scheme that the top tier teams know and have are ready for it.

 

Let's move the goalposts back for you. He did not play in the FSU game. Missouri- Mertz throws an interception and Missouri kicks a field goal. We lose by two points.

LSU- Daniels outpasses Mertz by 61 yards, throws 3 times as many touchdowns, and rushes for 234 yards while Mertz rushes for 6. Mertz fumbles twice and loses 1.

ARK- Jefferson rushes for 92 yards Mertz for minus 3


UGA-Beck outpasses Mertz by 85 yards and rushes for 10 while Mertz rushes for minus 32 (that is one-third of the football field and 3.2 first downs). Mertz fumbles twice losing 1.

So while the defense must share much of the blame for the outcomes, suffice it to say, Mertz was essentially outplayed by every QB he faced in the last 4 and now 5 games. I hope I do not have to rehash the Miami statistics for you.

These stats are irrefutable. So your claim that my suggestion that a better performance on his part would have made a difference in the outcomes is unjustified is contrary to the facts. What if we had a QB against LSU that could rush for 100 yards forget the 234 that Daniels rushed?

I could apply such analysis to every game. Mertz is a gamer and has been a positive for the program. He is a great Gator, but we have the number-one player in the nation in HS last year at his position. I watched the Orange and Blue game. I saw no separation between the two. Seniority is not a basis for first-team status. Mertz will not be here next year. He was last year and we lost 6 games with his taking snaps. He was 19-13 at Wisconsin. Combined, he was 24-19. I rather give the number one player in the nation a chance to demonstrate why he was number 1.

Are the goalposts back to where they need to be?

 

Mertz really sucked at that game Completed 18 out of 26 pass attempt, 1 int, 2 TD's, and 239 yards. Did that int cost the Gators that game? Or was it the Gator D giving up 331 passing yards and a total of 508 yards?

Nice way of slanting the passing stats in the LSU game. Why didn't say "Daniel passed for 372 yards and Merts passed for 311. Looks like both QB's had a hot night.
You also left out that LSU had 701 of total offense versus the Gators 488 yards (which is still respectable).

As for the fumbles, As bad as the Gator pass protection was last season, there could of been more fumbles. Mertz was whacked like a pinanta doll.

Again, did Mertz cost the Gators that game or was it the Gator Defense that gave up 700 yards of total offense?

Note: Had the Gator Defense shown up for that game and reversed that lost, you probably would not of included the LSU game in your response.

Jefferson is a duel threat QB in that he can pass and run for good numbers.
Mertz is basically a pocket QB and when he runs with the ball, it is most like due to not having any pass blocking.

Again, another slanted and unfair comparison.
1, Georgia has two football lines (offense and defense). On the other hand Florida did not have neither to brag about.
2, Did you really expect a pocket QB with the inept O-line to run for notable yards against the UGA Defense?
3, As I recall Beck played the whole game and Mertz played about three quarters. He left that game early due to breaking a collar bone on a 15 yard running play to get a first down. Do you think that Mertz could of ended up with positive rushing yards if the Gators had a real O-line and he had not been injured?

So the way you put it:
1, The Gator O-line was not to blame for last season woes. It all goes on Mertz.
2, You do not have any problems with Napiers game planning and play calling.
3, That Mertz should of won player of the year with all of the negative factors that you do not consider.
4, That Mertz should of won the Miami game even when the Gator O-line did not show up to play, and that Miami knew what play was going to be called.
5, Mertz getting outplayed in 4 out of 5 of his last games? First of all, QB's do not win games by themselves. It takes the Offense and a Defense units to win games.

• In the South Carolina game Mertz had 423 yards and 3 TD's to 313 yards, 4 TD's and 1 INT. The nod here goes to Mertz.
• The UGA won that game with a total team effort on offense and defense.
• The Arkansas game saw both QB's with good stats and with Mertz edging out Jefferson.
• The LSU game saw both QB's and Offensives having a good game. However, even with Mertz's 311 yards of passing, the LSU Offense really feasted on the Gator D to the tune of 700 yards.
• The Missouri game saw both teams with 500 yards of total offense. Yes the Missouri QB had more passing yards, 311 to 239. However the Gators had a great night running the ball 261 yards. Also both teams average 7.6 yards per game.

So you want to play the what if game? How about this, What if the Gators had an O-line that could block and not just produce a running back with 100 plus yards per game but a QB doing the same thing.

The O and B game that you watched was the same Gators that you saw last Saturday.

Thos six loses were not just on the QB. As I recall the Gator Defense had a very bad year. They finished at or near 75th in the rankings.

Lagway was the number 1 QB in highschool last year. He did not play a down last in college football. Lagway has only played 1 quarter of college football this year. The way you are talking, I am getting the impression that he should of won the Miami game.

Also, Lagway will be playing with the same O-line, the same Napier scheme and play calling, and the same defense we saw last Saturday.

I am not saying that Lagway sucks. I hope that he does not get hurt and that he will shine.

I believe that my reply shows otherwise.

 

ok I'm ready to move on to the next game.

 

I was there 2 days ago.......

 

Billy looks more like one of the generals squirming on the sofa wondering how the hell he got himself into this mess.

 

Same but it's likely we relive the same one over and over again...

This horse is dead for sure though. Nothing left than to wait and see if coach decides to throw spaghetti against the wall and sees what sticks or if he just continues to believe we are a play here and there away while doing the same thing each week.

 

Was watching his demeanor as the team came out of the tunnel and thought he seemed very unsure of himself then. Nervous....anxious, etc. I'm no expert in body language mind you - so just an observation of mine at the time.

 

some of us are slow

 

Team takes the demeanor of their coach. This game was really important to Billy and word was he was all business all week and the team came out playing tight. Need to have fun and play loose. It’s football. It’s a game. It should be fun.