From the Bottom of the Cliff, On Our Backs, Looking Up at the Sky

[DRU2012]

There it is. The title describes pretty accurately what it felt like Sunday morning, right?
Awakening to find ourselves lying on our backs, staring at the sky--in pain (I feel like I have been thoroughly pummeled , worked over with blackjacks by a dozen evil trolls and left for dead), but also slightly surprised to find that we are alive, that there will be a tomorrow.
So. Can't lie there for long, no matter how battered--little matter of having to fight our way out of enemy territory, carrying our wounded and missing half our weapons. They don't call the place "Death Valley" for nothing, either. This ain't over, by any means. We're gonna have to come up with one helluva plan if we hope to survive.
First, the stark truth: we were once again beaten by the stronger, tougher team. We got walloped, for the third time by the same team in the same way in less than 2 years. Oh, we DID have chances that, had they ALL gone well early MIGHT have given us a CHANCE to win, but that isn't really the problem. The PROBLEM is that business about "stronger, tougher". Letting ANYONE have that advantage over us has always meant that without everything else going our way, including things we have no control over, we were likely going to get beat.
So I have an idea. Aside from the various young QB candidates, it seems clear what we could REALLY use next year is a competent SENIOR QB, one who has already "grown up, has proven skills and knows what's required of him". Rare and risky, they ARE out there--it's just that "we" don't go after them, never have...but maybe it's time. That's right: I am suggesting that perhaps we should find out if there's a "forgotten f*ck-up" out there, screwed up his full-ride somewhere and had to leave, enroll at one of these Div.II or III private ju-cos that have a history of bringing in such guys.
I know: we just don't DO that...but WHY THE HELL NOT?!! It makes sense this time. Consider: WE get someone to run the offense with all the OTHER players around him and take the heat from the fans regardless. Meanwhile, the other, younger quarterbacks are coming along apace. We may not even be able to find a suitable candidate, but we should start looking--and to HELL with the predictable nay-sayers.
Meanwhile, the question marks remain on offense: the Braintrust KNOWS that they HAVE to get that Big Tough Downhill Runner. Meyer searched, begged, coddled but never got one; these guys are making a serious run at pulling TWO in the next recruiting class, which is unusually heavy in them--unfortunately, FOUR of 'em were sitting in the endzone at that game Saturday night, from what I understand; hard to say which way they'll fall in the end, but watching us get clobbered by the OTHER team that is ALSO after them (and already HAS the Big RB-tradition) can't have helped our cause. We can't keep getting JUST the kids with "all the moves", though; he's gotta be able to BREAK tackles.
The one thing we have to be careful of, something that Meyer really WASN'T but Muschamp again shows every sign of being seriously vigilant about, is not bothering with selfish head-cases. You KNOW that's what a lot of these transfers "with our support and blessing" are about, and it's the right way to go; there'll be fewer misses, fewer transfers and fewer wasted recruit picks as time goes on, and the team will be all the stronger and tighter on AND off the field as a result.
The payoff will be a team on the field that we can trust and depend on. This will be the last time we show up for a knock-down free-for-all expecting a track meet--especially one where the loser gets thrown off a cliff.

 

[FrozenGator]

Do you get paid per word?

I kid, I kid.

 

[DRU2012]

Do you get paid per word?

I kid, I kid.

Yeah--wrote it a daze in the middle of the night, waking up after spending 6 hours at my office re-editing a gargantuan screenplay someone ELSE wrote--maybe I caught HIS bug, but no excuses: I had all these things going around in my head and just let loose with ALL of it--pretty self-indulgent.
So I re-edited THIS thing. Better?

 

[FrozenGator]

I don't know how The System works as well as perhaps I ought to before commenting, but if I understand correctly, you're not suggesting a transfer-in, as that player would have to sit out for a year. You're suggesting a player who's been kicked out of his program and is therefore a "free agent," or a junior college player who is a "free agent."

I think, if it was a player with the right level of talent, I'd want to make sure that he wasn't off the rails, still. The media seems to LOVE when a Gator does something he oughtn't, and the program doesn't need the 'Canes' reputation of ignoring their criminals.

I just don't know who we'd sign up. Got any names for us to look into?

 

[DRU2012]

I don't know how The System works as well as perhaps I ought to before commenting, but if I understand correctly, you're not suggesting a transfer-in, as that player would have to sit out for a year. You're suggesting a player who's been kicked out of his program and is therefore a "free agent," or a junior college player who is a "free agent."

I think, if it was a player with the right level of talent, I'd want to make sure that he wasn't off the rails, still. The media seems to LOVE when a Gator does something he oughtn't, and the program doesn't need the 'Canes' reputation of ignoring their criminals.

I just don't know who we'd sign up. Got any names for us to look into?

EXACTLY why it would be controversial, and why we probably WON'T do it--but Coach Boom walks his own road, and if the right kid, no hopefully by now "young man" is out there, this Head Coach would be the one to do it.

So you understand, here's how this works: kid leaves major program for whatever reason--but he's not a freshman or sophomore anymore, and whatever the circumstances (usually has screwed up multiple times, at his original and/or other major Div. 1 program(s)) no longer has the "year to give" that the NCAA requires he sit if he goes to another Div. 1 program, so none of those want him at that point. So he goes to one of these "Private Football Schools" for his junior year, buckles down and does well in the classroom and everything ELSE he can do to show he finally "gets it", tears-UP the "East Prairie Patriot Conference" or whatever and leads his team to the Div. 3 Championship, etc.--you get the idea.
Low and behold, at THAT point he is about to be a senior and IS now eligible to play for a Div. 1 program, IF one offers him...long shot? Sure, but it happens. Happened TO us, in a sense, but FOR Auburn, just last year. Remember?
Cam Newton was originally Tim Tebow's backup, having lost out to TT in their head-to-head competition (at that time, it wasn't much of a competition--Cam was big and had raw talent, but he was a messed up kid in SO many ways...if you aren't already familiar with THAT whole tale, well, suffice to say by the end of his sophomore year at UF he'd been busted as a cheater in school and a thief by the University Police, and leaving school quietly was getting off easy). He followed exactly the above process (with who knows exactly what detours along the way, with his daddy, "Show-Me-The-Money"-Cecil out in front of him) to eventually end up at Auburn, and the rest is, well it still remains to be seen what they'll eventually call it.
OK, the good AND the bad points of going that route are a part of Cam's story, but it doesn't HAVE to be "get a good one, no matter what". I'd take a guy who was just "pretty damn good", skilled and looking for redemption after going through some screwing up and GROWING up, if he were out there. I've already started a search, and I'll relay any progress, but you can bet our Recruiting Coordinator has access to information and data bases WAY beyond my reach (without opening up that can-of-worms his previous involvement with Miami might entail--aww hell, that's probably ANOTHER impediment to this idea, what with all of that...)

 

[Escambia94]

Driskel or Murphy can thrive in a tweaked Weis offense. The passing game worked early on, but Alabama was so physical that we got no time to throw. Shake and Bake need to alternate with Burton and Joyer early on, maybe with Driskel rolling out on occasion so that LSU does not jam the running backs. It will be tough to throw on Matthieu, but Driskel needs to become a passing threat.

Where do we go? Get Shake and Bake back in the game, but start with Burton and Joyer to soften them up. The defense has to be disciplined with tackling. If we cannot get pressure, we need to press in coverage and limit the run. I think we tried to get cute last week. Time to get back to basics.

 

[DRU2012]

Back to basics--definitely. Go with our strengths, too--and we DO have at least a few that we haven't had the opportunity to really use properly yet, as well (I'm thinking of our tight ends and a fast-break passing game, maybe a good mix with roll outs to put Driskel in his comfort zone--and get the LSU secondary on its heels, too).
Same on defense, the basics (we've talked about the woeful tackling elsewhere), but I have a feeling that will get fixed to a large degree "OR ELSE", know what I mean? I have always though we matched up better, our defense against LSU's offense, anyway. Still have to score points, tho'. Tough venue for the kid.
What about beyond this week, this month, even this year, E-? I notice you didn't bite regarding my QB proposal. Out of the question? What about the "don't really get it or come into their own until their junior year" theory? Lotta evidence to support that one, it turns out (I did some checking). Driskel, then the others in turn don't show even signs of being ready, what do we do? My "keep recruiting 5-star youngsters and hope one of them's a freak"-idea (I threw that out there in the 2nd half) isn't at all practical (crazy bad idea, actually). So do we just wait it out, trust time, the coaches and the process to get us there? Even if it means waiting until the year-after-NEXT before it all comes together on offense? Is that a realistic scenario for Gator Nation? Besides my "reverse-Cam-pick-up", are there other possibilities I'm missing?

 

[Swamp Person]

I like the idea DRU. It would work, it will work ,it's done been proven. I know there are pros and cons on the subject but I for one agree with you on it. They are out there for sure.I think our offense could, would really gain from it. Simply by given our younger QBs time to mature as they need to do at their own pace. NOT OURS. Honestly if they get thrown in and their not ready,not able to cope with it. They will be the next QB Stepchild that just sucks in every ones opinion. We tend to forget how young, how good they will be next yr.. Face it. We are a wild bunch when we get pounded week after week we will forget I promise you. Or we will be out for lynch mob justice on the coaching staff. Which to me is when we will be way off coarse.

I also think E might be onto something also afew others on here about Driskel being a better out of the pocket passer which would bring more to the table then the drop back throw or hand off style of JB. My only concern is if he don't turn out the results hes spirit might get broken then were on the mend for next yr. handle with kid gloves care. Or even the worst kid gets wrecked, crushed, ruined for the rest of his career or life..Just some thoughts with the pros cons included.

I kind of hate to say this because I might be stealing it from someone else, from some where else on GE. But I vote Trey Burton. The heck with the guessing we know he could handle the pressure. He throws and runs. Hes been there before 2010. Hes been shifted around enough to know the system or systems. Heck go for broke. Every thing hes done he has been good at. Even coming from WM and CW mouths hes multi lets see if hes got The IT FACTOR. I think It would work just like all the other opinions on here. In 2010 my son and I were screaming to bench JB and let Burton try it. So I guess I'm going to SCREAM it one more yr..TREY BURTON he does got the game mindset that will be needed this yr. plus the time under his belt.I would be more out to work with him. When in this position you got to do what you got to do. This seems to be how we would use Driskel to some degree isnt it? More run then gun? We got it right here...Just my two worthless cents......

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/sports...me-florida-gators-mr-versatility-1802564.html

 

[InkedAdrenaline]

I vote we go back to tebows offense and put Driskel or Burton as qb

 

[Escambia94]

I say we give JD, TM, and JB a crack at the job before we import transfer students. Now, if there is a juco transfer that knows the Weis system, maybe we give him a shot. For now, trust in recent recruiting and hope for the best.

 

[DRU2012]

OK...we are all OVER the place. Three regulars, three different ideas (not including my admittedly out-of-left-field proposal--I would never have even considered going that way before that second qrtr. on Saturday; you pretty well stated my train-of-thought at the time in your 1st paragraph above, SP).
There is merit and strong argument for each of them, but let's face some likely realities:
Trey Burton hasn't even been practicing at quarterback this season, unless you include the Wildcat, designed for his quick check down from (in order of preference) run, hand off, keep it and throw, or run again after all. To Weis that's just a "wrinkle", another arrow in his quiver. He won't go to it full time, and moving TB back to QB for the full offense does NOTHING for the future of the offense long term. Whatever he does now, I think it will be with NEXT season and beyond in mind.
Driskel and Burton running "Tebow's offense", the "power-version" of the Meyer Spread, is out for the same reason--and Tebow was such a special and unique package that even two talented young potential stars-in-their-own-right might very well NOT be enough, either.
Which leaves us with the guys we've got. That still means that at least one of them must stand out, and come a long way towards "Ready to Lead Us" by the end of THIS season. As a true freshman. Not only is that unlikely, it's unfair, and risks breaking and/or losing any or all of them in the process.
No doubt there is a "Weis Way" that somehow takes all of this into account, shuffles and deals it back out in a specific plan for each game and works from a general scheme for the offense--depending on which QB is running it. This sounds complicated, but it really comes down to this: does he have enough info. on ANY of them to determine which one can do it anytime soon, and what form should the scheme take when that particular QB is in there?

 

[Swamp Person]

I thought this might fit with our thoughts right now.​

This might give us something to CHOMP on. lol
http://www.gatorzone.com/carter/blog/537

 

[DRU2012]

I thought this might fit with our thoughts right now.​

This might give us something to CHOMP on. lol
http://www.gatorzone.com/carter/blog/537

Ouch--that 1980 Lindsay Scott TD-game...I was AT that Cocktail Party, my 3rd one and we'd been in a string of gettin'-beat-late losses (Hershell the year before, I believe): we had it WON, finally, then right at the very end--STOP HIM!!! (I STILL can't watch the replay and have never HEARD more than the first few words of that Georgia homer's famous call).
As for the rest, IS "the past prologue"? I'm more interested in (and concerned with) how each of those QBs turned out for us long term than I am about how often they won that first game. I didn't see much consistency in the relationship between those two, though.