Dwyer QB not 100% on UF

[SEC_Supreme]

especially since many complainers I hear on other forums hate the spread in any variant even though it got us two national championships.

I agree with this. I'm no fan of the spread offenses. I do appreciate the fact it won us two NC's, well...a true spread won us one. The '06 NC had more vertical passing with Leak, but my favorite offense, obviously, was Spurriers Fun n Gun. I for one am very excited to see a true passing game coming back to Florida even though I know it will be much more tame than Spurriers was.

 

[DRU2012]

I agree with this. I'm no fan of the spread offenses. I do appreciate the fact it won us two NC's, well...a true spread won us one. The '06 NC had more vertical passing with Leak, but my favorite offense, obviously, was Spurriers Fun n Gun. I for one am very excited to see a true passing game coming back to Florida even though I know it will be much more tame than Spurriers was.

I'm with both you and E- on this: Weis will move away from the misdirection-to-the-edges approach of this past season's "hybrid spread", at least as much as he is able--depending on the O-line, which as JvilleJ points out is the one main impediment to going full-on, pro-style "bang-AT-'em-and-then-go-vertical". Even if/when we get the parts we need on the line (and remember, you gotta have some DEPTH there; it could take a second recruiting class after this one to get where we need to be) it'll take some time to mold them into a truly effective unit.
In the meantime, call it what you like, they'll have to retain SOME elements of the "keep-'em-guessing" and "use-your-speed-to-beat-'em-to-the-edge"-offense until then. Of course, I think we'll see a LOT more of a "stretch the field"-philosophy from the quarterback position, no matter WHO is playing there. Weis is a shrewd and flexible innovator in his practical approach to attack-offense; I expect him to work at figuring out what he's got right now and making THAT work, while long-term he builds closer to what he envisions as "ideal".
You do what you can with the hand you're dealt, right? ANY inflexible adherence to a particular offensive approach, without regard for who you have to run it and/or what the opponents are doing to disrupt it will bring frustration, inconsistency and ultimately, disaster--as we saw this past season. As much as I've enjoyed the results Coach Meyer and Co., at their best, have gotten with variations on "The Spread" the past few years, it may have just about run its course, "had its day"; anyway, I am not especially sorry to see our offense headed back to a more balanced attack. At the same time, it wouldn't surprise me if elements of both were part of that "new Gator offense".

 

[SEC_Supreme]

If Florida's spread had taken more of a variant like Brian Kelley's I probably would have been okay with it. I just like to see the ball get aired out some, well okay, alot. And it may just be that I got burned out on seeing last seasons spread offense. I don't need to make any jokes here, we all now what the play was...

 

[DRU2012]

You mean, like we're watching one of those old WWII movies, with duels in the Atlantic and submarine Captains yelling, "D---..." ? OK, OK, I'll exercise some self-control and spare us all...

 

[Escambia94]

I will go out on a limb here and guess that we are going in the right direction. One of the problems with the Urban Meyer spread is that he sacrificed size for speed at RB and WR in order to get that misdirection. This is similar to what Steve Spurrier did with his Fun N' Gun. We got manhandled by teams like Nebraska because no matter how fast we were, we were getting dominated in the trenches. Under Spurrier, we had the fastest team in the Galaxy and we could stretch the field vertically...if the WR survived the bump and run. Under Meyer, we had the fastest team in the Galaxy and we could spread the field horizontally...if the QB and RBs survived first contact.

I have read through the play books of a typical Ernhardt-Perkins offense that will be used by Weis, and I as an armchair QB can see that the boys will probably do well once Weis has a couple recruiting classes under him to get bigger RBs, and maybe a different style of TE. Would Briskett fit better than Driskel in this offense? On paper, yes. In reality, I really think we are going to be pleasantly surprised by Driskel and Briskett will go elsewhere and probably do very well there.

What we have to hope for is that Weis' offense does not repeat the mistakes of his predecessors--keep the speed, but keep the size as well.

Just as an example. Meyer's first NC running back was DeShawn Wynn at 5'10", 230 lbs. His second NC running back was arguably Tim Tebow at 6'3", 240 lbs. Neither Rainey nor Demps break 200 lbs. Maybe they will be a part of the 2011 Gator rushing attack, but watch for these scatbacks to give way to powerbacks sharing the backfield with the scatbacks (as Weis did in Kansas City). As we grow bigger RBs, I think we will see better passing from Driskel and forget about Briskett...definitely Brantley (unless he surprises the heck out of all of us).

 

[DRU2012]

That's about how I see it too. The tricky part of course will be these next couple of seasons, as we transition in just the ways you outline: we have to hope that Weis and Co. will manage the various fine points of using what he has now while converting over to a differently constructed and focused offense. That will include both hybridized, transitional style of play and reassuring the players already here and/or just coming in that they have a place here. I believe they're up to it.