Post-Game Discussion: f$u

he would definitely have been a Spurrier 2.0, right down to the mouth and attitude...

 

It wasn’t a wise play to call. Our Oline can barely block long enough for the Qb to make a pass….and we expected them to hold on for three exchanges and then a pass? We had them on the ropes and we let them off the hook

 

^ this

^ and this.

Look, I think it's clear we need a talent upgrade at several key positions, but the majority of the blame goes to the coaching/training staff. Our linemen (on both sides) are huge, but they get bullied by guys a fraction of their size. We see all these hype videos about the new facilities and the fancy weightroom and the nutrition experts with the player specific meals and all that stuff, but what good is it doing?

Our defense can't tackle, can't rush the passer, can't create turnovers, can't make a crucial stop in a clutch situation. Is that a lack of talent, a lack of fundamentals, or a problem with our scheme? Our offense looks fine when everyone is healthy, but is still too predictable and our two OL coaches don't seem to be earning their salary. Our special teams....yikes. This "GameChanger Coordinator" does what, exactly? Despite all the problems, the most concerning part is that we rarely seem to make adjustments and it frequently kills us in the second half. The bottom line, our coaching staff seems to get outcoached FAR too often.

I like Napier, but he needs to take a hard look in the mirror. Whatever moves he makes this offseason will define his future at Florida.

 

Love the way we showed up in the first half. In the end, we couldn't pull it off against a more experienced team. Go Gators. Recruit well, and regroup. I see a few more wins on close games next year and a solid 2025. We'll get there.

 

I think everyone would have thought we lose this game and been fine had we from the jump. But we went up 12-0 with them on their heels. We were clicking even with some bad play (missed FG) and some good luck (questionable roughness call).
With all the momentum, ball on their half of the field, and 2 RBs gashing…..we run a double reverse flea flicker without an outlet pass. That is a Napier problem. Then we spit on a guy next drive. That is a Napier discipline problem. We miss another FG. Then we completely stink the entire second half including hitting a sliding QB on third down. It’s frustrating.

 

Napier simply is lost. Novell realized he needed players and went to the portal and got them. You can't win in the SEC with freshmen and sophomores.
Next year is it. Anything less than nine wins and the CEO should be fired.

 

I tried to get to something "witty" or "epic" as a prologue, but I have decided to repeat the end of the last post-game thread:

Tick....Tick....Tick..........

Okay, the season is finally over. Time for the program to both put the equipment back in its proper place while reaching out to the prospective signees (remember, NOTHING is done until SOMETHING is done) and let them know of the "ultimate" plan and vision and why it WILL come to fruition and not a rehash of what just happened this entire season (you know, the "Hokey Pokey"). Methinks the Gator recruiting boards are going to be "interesting" these next couple of weeks, if not until the "final" signing day or days afterwards.

At least it will be "interesting" if you think getting a root canal without Novocaine is interesting, either having one or watching someone else.

And to those who think that recruiting is a real sport, I feel for you and I would say you are not out-of-bounds in what you are feeling about the program. I would just remind you that there are plenty of ways to skin a cat (just an old expression). Not every "cat skinner" starts with 15-25 5-star talents preparing for the NFL draft in 3 years.

Now to the elephant in the room. This team was "on-schedule" with the USCe win. Then one player - James - got hurt and it has been downhill ever since. This is NOT really a player talent issue (James is NOT that kind of player), it is all about coaching. Communication, commitment, accountability, leadership development, talent development and identification and lastly, build a building........RIGHT NOW AND FOR THIS GAME......that can withstand this "gale wind" known as your opponent. The building may have some odd 2x4s stuck in weird places, but you HAVE to know what you have and what you HAVE to do.

Plain and simply, this coaching staff...as a collective whole...failed this team. We were NOT going to compete for the SECe this year (hope went away FAST), but this is NOT the product of a coaching staff who, again collectively, "gets it." And now we are in a conundrum. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

I am not going to go all "history finding" around Norvell and FSU. I will only say that, I truly believe that FSU's mess when Jimbo left was worse than UF's when Mullen left. Not just talent limitations (UF probably wins that one) but rather the stench and entitlement crap the players feel after they have been mishandled by their old coaches and the butt-hurt feel when the party ends and the cleanup begins. Now yes, Norvell has a personality that seems kind of "nice guy" and we all know that nice guys finish last (as the old saying goes), but once he hit upon some transfer players, the "stench" of the old somehow got removed. And right now, I am NOT going to offer up that it got "removed" under ACC competition instead of the SEC. Nope. Their victory ends that conversation IMMEDIATELY. Hats off to what he has accomplished. Well done. Now, go take the aTm job while the iron is hot.

Okay, back to the elephant. There are two distinct possibilities. One is that, while Napier is quite good at evaluating HS player (and some transfer) talent, his acumen at evaluating, acquiring, and communicating/commanding assistant coaching talent is NOT up to speed. The second one...hold on and take a BIG breath... is that:

He has visions but he plainly as no clue as to how to implement them in earnest. Now, is this correct? I will only say that...it doesn't really matter. All that really matters is what the opposing recruiting folks are going to say about him. Until further notice, major college football is mainly about player acquisition and development to get them to a real paycheck in the future. And, I keep saying this for those folks who want to learn and haven't yet, the coaches are just as motivated for THEIR prestige and paychecks as the players are for "theirs" now but mainly in the future. And as a result, if you want a good-sized one, you WORK. And that means eating others' lunch, dinner, and their whole friggin' pantry. It IS the way it works. We do NOT live in a bubble. The sharks are all around and MOTIVATED.

Napier's demeanor is like Norvell: nice guy. That is about all there is at the end of Year Two. So, he is "learning" what is the difference between the theoretical and the actual. Going back to FSU/Norvell, did he have coach retention throughout his 3 years or did he hit a serious "reset" between years 2 and 3? I say this because that is EXACTLY what Napier is staring at...at best. That means he is in my Scenario 1 mode. Unfortunately, that "Scenario 2" dynamic is NOT going to go away. It just won't. Again, sorry to be the bearer of bad news. And even if he is indeed going to "go back to the drawing board" and lose a bunch of coaches for good reasons and even a few more than that because they want to get away before THEIR careers and paychecks get sidetracked, there is only one salient point about this program and the elephant:

He is NOW behind schedule and he is being paid well by some impatient...and pretty damn smart...football junkies. This is NOT just a more resourceful version of Louisiana. This is NOT going to work. EVER.

IMO, Stricklin should be "assisting" as well as S__ting HUGE bricks. He is staring at losing HIS prestige and paycheck. Not this year but after that...

Napier is what everyone wants (at least those who know how to use their brains). But, until further notice, he has a DAMN BAD ceiling he has to figure out how to get through and then push the building higher and faster than he probably is imagining (ie, taking too many chances and perhaps cutting corners). Time for bold and resolute action. But all I see is quiet calm and obliviousness and perhaps even callousness. We shall see.

In the political game, you can NOT make bold moves and proclamations and then run away from them afterwards and get away with it. At least for a discerning electorate (that is quite a different topic). This "electorate" is NOT stupid. You take him on his words and go from there. Until further notice, he is coaching scared. And that is NOT what he proclaims. Maybe he is not "hypocritical", he is just young and inexperienced. But still, there really IS no other thing to say except for the prologue, which is now the epilogue to the season:


Tick....Tick....Tick..........

 

You gave me a good idea tegator80 for next season. Instead of using Lidocaine I am going to use Nitrous Oxide during the games to see if that makes it more Bearable to watch.

 

Wow, lots to unpack.

But the main point being he IS behind schedule, and his ability to identify and choose assistants is to be questioned.

You can’t sit there preaching process anymore.

Last night he got all verbose about just how big a challenge and a battle the UF job was to be when they signed on. Translation: we had no clue the SEC was this tough and the process isn’t working. But of course he won’t admit that.

Not only does he need to identify top OC, ST, OL, and potentially DC coaches, he has to hope they don’t see this as a sinking ship. Not sure what he says behind closed doors, but what he says during PCs is not reassuring at all.

 

11-14
7-14 vs P5 teams

 

11-14

 

Early 70's maybe?

 

The 1940s.

Napier cannot be blamed for 2021.

There just isn’t a successful UF coach in our history who started with 2 losing seasons. Pell sure turned it around in year 2.

 

8 penalties for 90 yards

 

50 of them in 4th Q with the game on the line.

 

45,46,47

 

Good! I need a break from the pain.
That’s plenty of time to make a lot of much needed changes.

 

First 3 straight losing seasons since 1945-1947; 8 losing seasons since 1962, 3 of those the last 3 years. Unacceptable and hard to digest considering the talent, facilities and resources available at THE University of Florida. This idea of the Napier "process" is more like excuses for incompetence to me.
I'm very interested to see who transfers out and which players he can get to transfer in and whether there are more than the current 3 flips from our current recruiting class. Not optimistic.

 

Only two teams in the SEC had an overall record worse than Florida and one of them beat us. Never thought I would see the day.