What saved the season the most for Billy Napier?

I seem to remember a picture of that myself.

 

My official response is..NOT one thing. Several.

Defense improved when the players asked/ told the coaches at the break the calls needed to be simpler..so all the less experienced players could play faster.

Lagway has a magic touch on long throws. This reduces some pressure on the running game. When DJ can get his full mobility back and progress in intermediate throws..he will be even more dangerous.

CBN did not wake up one morning and have an epiphany of all the coaching things that need to be done.
He woke up and his tools/ his charges were maturing and improving their own performances. if we had some our injured back, we would be even more dangerous. Wilson et al.

The coaching staff are not the dunderheads we believe them to be.
However…
The real message is this..
KEEP YOUR POWDER DRY. WE HAVE TWO MORE GAMES TO SHOW/PROVE WE ARE HEALING AND IMPROVING.

The seminoles will not lay down. They will fight. To win, we will have to PUT them down.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING to all, but especially to the Gator fans who have diligently tried to keep their minds and hearts open in the face of so many challenges.
Class is excellence under pressure.
Kudos my friends.

 

He does need to master it, sure, but we need plays that take less than 2 seconds to develop. And if you look closely at some of the Ole Miss offensive plays, you'll see what I mean. I've replayed that game a few times to pick up nuances and other details that most of us miss.

 

SOs also said we need to do something different and we did.

 

You’re welcome, I was at UM, TAAM, LSU and Ole piss.

To add to your point I think the way we played at UT and at UGA helped a lot. I don’t know if the stadium would have been so packed for those last two home games if we got boat raced at UT and in Jax.
Regardless we would put more than 40k in the stands unlike those other two who shall remain nameless.

 

95 and 96 were unreal.

The way we crushed LSU and Auburn was amazing. It was never close and they were good teams.

 

DJ has a strong arm and a way quicker release. He can wrist snap it 40 yards. Mertz who I love can’t do that.

 

I am guessing it was photoshopped but parody is never far from the truth. lol

 

My name is Derek J Lagway, Commander of the Gator Nation, Quarterback of the Reptile offense, loyal partner to the HBC, William Napier . Leader to a lost tribe, renewer to a damaged legacy. And I will have my championship , in one season or the next.

I voted for Lagway. He is the most important factor for us since Tebow. It is very rare that your best player is your hardest worker. It is lightning in a bottle when that best player/hardest worker is the Heisman trophy winner. Yes I’m saying DJ will win a Heisman. He is the first in the building, he sets the standard, he is only a freshman but he is the alpha dog who everyone will follow.
Saw a review of the Ole Miss game by Cole Cubelic (?) and Roman Harper who spent a ton of time talking about their impressions of DJ and they both agree- that he is more than a great player, he is a program changer.
Showed DJ shrugging off would be sacks and flicking the ball to a spot to save a drive. Showed throws, side arm, 3/4, and one to a back on a check down complete-where the ball was never more than 2 feet off the turf.
But it wasn’t just the physical aspects of DJ it was his overall attitude and desire and unwavering purpose and will.The kind of leader who says something and all his teammates believe it will happen. The kind of man who, if you have him on your side, then you know you have a shot to win.
I think seeing DJ in the game making plays lifted up the effort and desire of every single one of his teammates on offense, defense and special teams.
You can tell when SS talks about Danny, what an influence Danny had on him. The same in spades for Urban’s feelings for Tim. Billy tearing up and voice cracking post game talking about DJ was so genuine.
Yes I know DJ has a lot of work to do, a lot to learn and improve.
Yes I know DJ doesn’t walk on water and he may end up disappointing in some way. I just have a really strong belief that in the future we’ll all be telling stories about when DJ did this and DJ said that and he’ll go into Gator history as one of those players where you only need one name and everyone knows who you’re talking about….alongside Spurrier and Emmitt, Danny and Tim.

 

Epic scene from gladiator. Great movie.

 

Toss up between Lagway and the Defense, but to me Napier pulling his head out and reforming the Defense has been the most crucial. Even with Mertz as QB, we are a much better team if only the Defense was simplified in the off season and we start the season with it entirely on the same page.

 

DJ!

The defense has been playing great but the threat of the down field passing has opened up the running game.

 

Yes very true, he did say that and the coaching staff absolutely listened.

 

Tbh, not a fair pole to not give multiple answers.

You literally listed everything that are the reasons but the top two are the lions share of checks with a few more on defense because the level of improvement is quite staggering and what’s really exciting about that is it’s coaching. I say this because it’s just fundamentals like tackling and play calling that’s doing it.

 

He’s doing more than his stats show and don’t forget he’s not 100. He’s doing what needs to be done for the current scheme to work. He’s not as accurate with his current injury. He didn’t forget how to throw.

 

Exactly, all those thing listed.

 

I’m in a tiny minority that voted running game. Baugh and Jackson have been fantastic. I don’t think I gave Montrell enough credit as a “Louisiana transfer that wasn’t maybe SEC talent”. The o-line has toughened up. I don’t know. We are still giving up some third and long on defense but no real busts. Beat FSU Go Gators

 

Well that’s what happens when you are essentially down to a walk-on.

We are fortunate DJ was ready to step in without a hiccup. Guy is an immense talent for sure, but I think our turnaround was definitely more about the defense. Offense was already ok-ish and even though Lagway has that playmaking ability, he also had more inconsistency making the routine play (which is hardly surprising when comparing true freshmen vs 6th year senior).

Did the team rally behind him? Maybe. DJ deserves a ton of credit for how he stepped in (esp finishing these last games injured). But just purely on what “changed” from the first 4 games… it was defense. It was noticable even when we were still losing. Those “moral victories” actually turned into some real wins for once.