We all know that the bye week was huge for this team and the turn around. What in your opinion was the biggest reason this team had the type of success after the bye week? 1. My pick is the defense. If the defense in the past three years showed up like it has the last 5 or 6 games we would of had a winning record. 2. My next pick is the running game. This team has practically run on every one this year and with the young guys getting more playing time, it has made us pretty dominate. 3. While I think DJ is going to be a really good QB for the next 2 or 3 years. I still believe we would have done as well in this area and possibly better with Mertz, just because he is much more of a seasoned player at this point. DJ has a far superior arm and clearly has better intangibles, he is not consistent at this point though. I expect his year 1 to year 2 jump to be huge. In the end it was better for him and the team that he played so much this year and without question it bodes well for next year.
It's the defense and it isn't close. I posted the difference in red zone stops, sacks and turnovers in another thread. Those account for a number of extra possessions and point swings that weren't happening before.
Defense. We haven't see the busted coverages we saw early in the year. Sure guys get beat, but at least they know their assignment. The defensive front has been aggressive and getting after the QB better than we have seen since maybe Muschamp
My crazy mind thinks he actually benefited from having less players to rotate in and out. But it starts and ends with defense.
DJs ability to hit downfield passes opened up the running game. He’s got about the same number of completions as Graham and twice the yards. Really spreads out the defense. So DJ. Defense is finally getting sacks and turnovers.
In general I agree. However, you have to give credit to the Gator O-Line. The blocking improved as the seaon progressed. With that improvement: Lagway is getting more time to pass, and Lagway and the Gator Backs have holes to run through. Got to give a shout out the the pass receivers for running their routes the way they were designed to.
A factor but not THE factor in my opinion. We've had a hard time staying on the field with DJ which stresses a defense. If they didn't step up the way they have then we could have still lost the last two despite the more explosive offense.
I agree, the offense passing game is super inconsistent right now, which is to be expected with a young QB. Yes, hitting the deep ball is sexy, but being consistent in the 10-20 yard passes will make this offense hard to stop.
I think that it is a comming together of sorts for everything on this list. I am unsure as to why it took so long for this to click, but it just did and it all clicked at the same time. It is absolutely unlike anything I have seen in college football. Maybe Billy was right, and it was really going to take 2.5 years. I don't know, I am just glad to get to see it.
Just as much to do with a walk on 3rd stringer playing his first start on the road against a ranked team imo. I'm sure the team was demoralized going in.
I'll go with coaching. DB and DL coaches are a huge upgrade from last two seasons. Roberts has been a gift. Took them longer to start producing than we would have liked but they are performing lights out now. Raymond and Spencer should be served papers for stealing from UF for two years.
I voted Defense, but I think that and his better play calling with DJ also tell us that he is figuring it out. The answer may be all of the above.
Even though I've been clear my pick was defense I have to say it's been a long time since we had a QB that brought that genuine confidence and dare I say "swagger" along with the tools to back it up. Taking leadership at such an early stage without being cocky is invaluable. Can't wait to see him when he has command of the game at this level.
Defense for sure. Play calling has a ways to go, yet. Still convinced we could really use a proven offensive coordinator.
Didn’t we learn from muschamp that it’s not necessarily the offensive coordinator but what he is allowed to do.
Let's be perfectly honest with each other. When Mertz (love him) got hurt and Lagway took over....it changed everything. The rest of the team has rallied around Lagway because he has Vanderbilt vibes.
True but if the offense Performs better with a more experienced lagway and company and Napier can run some other aspects of the program with more attention then so be it. Just trying to see the good in things for now
I agree with you. Just don’t know if hiring an offensive coordinator will be the panacea envisioned. Lagway seems to be what our offense lacked.
