To this, I say simple “fair enough”. I did say it was not to the person I quoted. It was the next one that I was just like enough. Your post was just the first. I had not seen the forum since the game to find people picking on the defense instead of wondering where the D and frankly O-Line this week came from and last week too. I don’t have your history but first and foremost thank you for your service and appreciate your Gator legacy. Also your post was friendly now and earlier; that’s why I said to the community, not this poster. Thanks for sharing your past and I apologize if you thought I was going on you. Wasn’t but I did quote you so fair enough.
I agree with you that our defense performed very well, but I am also tempered by the quality of offense we played. Total Offense: 115th Scoring Offense: 115th Passing Offense: 121st Rushing Offense: 78th We allowed 309 yards to the "Cats. Vandy: 322 Ole Miss: 336 Georgia: 284 USCe: 183 Southern Miss: 317 What is indeed impressive is the fact we gained 476 yards against a team that averages 284 yards/game. This is why I agree things are indeed looking up. I am optimistic, albeit cautiously optimistic. My only concern is that the lion's share of the yardage was on home run balls. It's exciting to watch, but I am old enough to remember "Good Rex, Bad Rex" with those 4 INT games. As SOS said, "It is easy for the Fun n' Gun to turn into the Chuck n' Duck..."
I never called our defense “trash” or even anything remotely close. I said I thought they might turn around and give up 300 yards on the ground because they have been prone to do that under Napier. We are still ranked next to last in rushing defense in the SEC. I think this qualifies as a “real” issue. One game did not justify a whole lot of trust in it. They have shown improvement and I have mentioned that in other posts. 2024 College Football Defense Rushing Team Stat Leaders - ESPN
This thread started with the Gators 2-2, having just beaten Miss St. The Q was how many more games will the Gators win? Here are some gem responses. I've redacted the names of the posters: (7 sacks ) This one was actually a good prediction: In response to the post above:
6 wins is very doable, we have a good shot at 7 IMO and 8 with a bowl win. I would be extremely pleased with that from here on out. At the start I predicted 8 regular season wins and 9 wins possible. I could not have foreseen the amount and degree of injuries to our top 2 QBs.
Yeah, considering the key injuries that we have endured, it's going to be really hard for the naysayers to criticize a 7 win season when most of them only pegged us for 8 wins (bowl game included). They will give it their best, though.
Beating f$u gets us to 6. Upset Ole miss for 7. Showing up at a bowl game with a good match up and 8 is the ceiling. Even if we don't beat Ole miss, 7 would be a good springboard for next season. Recruit, work the portal and set the bar higher next year.
We were not favorites in those games for the most part. Anyone saying they predicted this complete turnaround is either a soothsayer or a complete dreamer. I did predict the LSU win before Lagway was even cleared to play. I will admit I thought Ole Miss was a bridge a little too far to cross. I’m 100% glad I was wrong. I’m pretty sure after the UM and TAM games that was the general consensus on our future. Of course many on GC will say they never doubted for a minute. I always post my thoughts but it’s just one Gators opinion. I will ask this question at the risk of bacon….. If Mertz does not get hurt, how many of these games do we win if Lagway is only playing in spots? And no one, absolutely no one predicted this defensive turnaround.
All these ifs, ifs, ifs…remember my observation; GC isn’t real. X isn’t real. YouTube isn’t real. Fan opinions are not real. Sold out Swamps, with screaming fans that influence the game, are real. Football players are real. Coaches are real. We can talk, and postulate, and if, if, if all day long. But the reality is what we are seeing; young men and old men working together to get better every day. And representing our school at a very high level. Sunshine pumper? Possibly. Bandwagon jumper? No. Never got off since 1978.
I for one was way off - we have a shot at 8 wins - never in my wildest dreams at the time this thread was started did I see 8 wins congrats to both our coaches and our players
I have smiled reading the first month or so of posts on here. What it tells me is MOST fans have no clue or idea what they are talking about The games changes, players get hurt. Coaches adapt or don't. The folks who analyze football for a living- AND GET MONEY TO DO IT. Picked Michigan in the top 5 or so. Same for other schools. FSU the can't miss top 10. yep no one knows Squat