Fixing Florida Cont'd: Before Fall!!!

I understand what you're trying to say but the reality is we've just been unlucky lately when it comes to the kicking game. Even when we had McPherson who was has won multiple games for the Bengals in the NFL we lost on game ending field goal situations to LSU, at home no less. They made theirs in the fog and we missed ours which was the shorter of the two. It's frustrating and it would have been nice but a clutch kicker is way down on the list of needs to this point. Our kicking has definitely hurt us more than it should have but that's because every game we play is a close one and every miss hurts.

I'd also argue against those who claim if a kicker who made prior field goals in a game is sort of off the hook if they miss the game winner because their prior made field goals kept a team in the game. Of course there is some truth to that but the bottom line is if a team is in position to make a play to win at the end of the game and they blow it then that play has more weight to it. The game is there for the taking at that point. Nothing else matters.

A RB can run for 200 yards and 3 tds but if he fumbles on the goaline to win the game that's on him at that point.

 

Yep, and just to add- that LSU kick would have changed everything if McP had made it and we won in OT.
I know people think I'm dumping on Smack- I'm actually not.
I am saying to make special teams a focus and work on the fundamental things- including field goals.
But also punt returns and kickoff returns. (And duplicate numbers, etc.)
Our punting was good but we did have one blocked.

Our Spurrier teams had a lot of blowouts so special teams weren't so critical. (Though we had some great kickers back then.)
But when you play a lot of close games then these special teams become literally the difference.

 

Oh i get it. The objective rational side of me says smack was great for us, especially as a longtime fan that remembers the occasional season where we had no reliable kicker. He was very good. The spoiled, passionate and fanatical side of me expected to miss game winning kicks because that's just been the way its been for us and quietly, I blame him more than i should.

 

So our 3rd string QB has to be perfect too.

 

What if he fumbles at the goal line on the first drive then rushes for 200 and 3 tds and lose by less than a TD? Is the game still on him or did he "bounce back" from an early mistake?

It's a debate with no right answer, his miss vs arky could be called costing us the game, or i could argue the entire flow of the game is different if we don't fumble and go down 14-0 in the blink of an eye.

I'm big on momentum, even if it's not entirely logical, as such I tend to put more weight on events that shifted momentum no matter at what point during the game. FSU double reverse into spit shower way more impactful than any missed FG.

 

Momentum Plays matter and I think they are massively influential on games but they can be overcome. If they are and the game is at hand with a given play at the end then the outcome of that play is still the most important because all else was overcome to that point. Danny wuerffel fumbled and Tennessee ran it back for a touchdown the very next play after Lawrence Wright murdered Joey Kent in 95. The Swamp went dead silent. Huge momentum changer before halftime. Didn't matter in the end though.

 

You can get on that train.