**Buzz Buzz Buzz** - How did we get here?

He didn't out-talent UF in the 2009 SEC title game, he out-coached us.

 

We outcoached ourselves all year that year. We were undefeated but we won several games by 1 to 2 scores against inferior talented teams with uninspired and predictable offense. Close games against Tennessee, Arkansas, South carolina and lsu and miss state.

Some like to regurgitate the ole "nobody suffers a win like Gator fans" but football savvy fans critique wins and when there are deficiencies, it's not complaining to show concern. We were winning but many knew it wasn't good enough for a title unless some changes happened on offense .

 

It has been spoken! Wonder why news articles about his feet keep coming out, and why it keeps being discussed on broadcasts? After all, nobody has ever been given a vote of confidence and fired, right? Come on man – it is a message board and people have every right to their opinions on whether Napier should or should not be back next year without folks calling them obsessive or getting personal.

 

I have my doubts about Cignetti, but not about recruiting. He was Saban's recruiting coordinator at Bama for 3 years under Saban, and if he was sub par at acquiring talent he wouldn't have lasted 3 years.

My issue is with his age, and whether he wants to do what's necessary to win as he will be close to 65 if he came here, and his payout will set him up for life. That being said, he may very well be the right guy

Here is the problem. We've had multiple failed hires during the SS term in different sports, glaringly in Football. In retrospect, we all know now what the problems were... Mullen quitting on the team and his desire for the NFL as an example. A good to great executive recruiter knows how to flush out all the issues BEFORE they are hired and come up with the best candidate. Cignetti does check a lot of boxes and on paper looks really good, however do you trust the man currently in charge to vette the candidates and make the hire?

IMO, Whether any of us are skeptical or not of Kiffin, Cignetti, etal. I really think we need a very good professional to delve deeply into the interview in order to make the home run hire.

We really need to do this right next time, not half assed as been done in the past.

 

Is it really settled, simply because of the “letter”? Were the Bulls really all in on this too? I’m just not convinced that’s the case, on either count. No where in said letter of support did it say, next season, next year or 2025. If it did, someone can correct me. It was a very carefully and strategically worded letter, imho.

 

Zooker was a better recruiter than Billy by a good margin. In my opinion Zook was a better in-game coach than Billy.
Billy is probably a lot easier to deal with, and certainly better at keeping the administration happy by playing well with everyone even fraternities.
Sadly, for both of them, I don’t think either can maintain a successful program.

 

If we still had Percy, i doubt it wouldve gone down like tgat. Much eadier to defend in 09 than 08

 

Kiffin is the guy. He may have even lost to Kentucky on purpose to avoid the SECCG, lol. His team dismantled Georgia like they haven't been dismantled in three years.

 

Players loved Ron Zook.

 

Disagree. In fact, I would not be shocked if Stricklin makes a move after the LSU game if we lose that game convincingly. The injury excuse has been rendered meaningless with Lagway's return.

 

As was our 2022 roster, lol.

 

Napier’s defense is currently ranked 14th in the SEC, giving up 381 yards per game. This is year 3…that’s pretty bad. Injuries are what they are but it’s hard to support him given this.

 

Does Lagway play 4 positions on defense?

 

A message board is like a merry go round (constant conversation) you get on

But it's improving........

 

Nope, The draft says otherwise.

 

Have you fallen and hit your head...again?

 

Yeah, that Percy just tore up Bama in the 08 SECCG...
So many yards rushing, receiving, and returning. What did he get- 5 or 6 TDs??
He was MVP of that game.
Then without him in 09 we just fell apart...

Seriously- I'm so sick of this revisionist history.
The reason 09 was such a step down from 08 was..
1) Mullen not there. Mullen stood up to Meyer's conservative ways and gave us an offense. Addazio- not so much.
2) Meyer wound tighter than a drum. Even Tebow said the year was no fun and he rarely said anything negative in his autobiography.
3) The team fell apart mentally after the Dunlap DUI again related to 1 and 2. But to be clear it was falling apart anyway.
4) Bama spent all year prepping for us. A well coached team could have beaten them, but see #1, #2, and #3.

We could have easily won the SECCG and the natty in 09 with better coaching.
Meyer's obsessiveness and control-freak nature actually made our team WORSE than it was.

 

Not that I'm doubting you, but if the 1990 team put more players in the NFL, it probably had a lot to do with Spurrier winning the SEC that year. Especially back then, players for the top teams received a lot more exposure to scouts. 2022 Gators were probably overlooked for their lack of success. But I'd still be curious to know how many players on the 1990 roster were drafted versus how many players on the 2022 roster were drafted.

 

There were 5 players drafted in 1991 from the 1990 roster. There were 6 players drafted in 2023 from the 2022 roster. Yes there were more players drafted in 1992 from that '90 roster, but that was after two years of Spurrier's tutelage. Napier actually inherited more NFL draft ready talent than Spurrier as evidenced by more draft picks in 2023 than 1991.

 

Percy was definitely a game-changer. He turned the special teams into a weapon and gave us an extra edge we didn't have. Perhaps the best all-around position player (outside of QB) in UF history. Bama completely shut down our running game though, so I am not sure Percy could have helped deliver the 2009 SECCG.