Gameday: Gators Host Mizzou (10/15/16)

[DRU2012]

Well, we crank it back up again, finally.
Like most Gators, I'm still steamed bout that whole hurricane hassle, especially our having caved on the make-up arrangements. Our "braintrust" has managed to put us in a position where, the better things go for us between now and Nov. 19, the worse that sequence of poor decisions will look, feel, and likely affect our season--unless we WIN it, in spite of everything now stacked against us, thanks TO those very same "poor decisions".
Ah well, nothing for it now but to just move on, accept the "current reality" however it got here. But it is an ironic piss off that it "twern't the hurricane that screwed us, but our own cowardly dumbasses behind the scenes!"
So: Mizzou. At our place.
We "SHOULD" win this one. Shouldn't even MATTER where it's played, really--we are better than they are, even banged up--and we are getting some key guys back. Top of that list is Luke at QB, of course. He'll get a chance to work out the rust in his game against a weaker-than-usual Tiger defense, and OUR D will likely be able to keep things well under control if it takes a quarter or two for that to begin to translate into drives and points for us.
Might not be a pretty sight til then. Hell, might not be a "pretty sight" at any point in the proceedings, even with a Gator win: seldom has this season. And you can't go by the scoreboard either: Wasn't comfortable with what we'd seen in the 1st half against the Vols, penalties, time mismanagement, points left all over the field--and it all caught up with us after the break.
Aw, time to just throw out the hopes, dreams and plans, deal with what we got, where we go from here and LET IT RIDE...
Either we have enough to make something outta what's left of this season, or we go down in flames trying. Building back towards the perrenial power we were and will be again, meanwhile SHIT HAPPENS along the way: ADAPT! Attention to detail is the key in the long run, but flexibility and inspiration makes the difference along the way.
I THOUGHT we had exactly that kind of Coach, that he'd build his team accordingly, a reflection of both the personality and efforts of he and his staff. Now's the time when we find out for sure.

 

[DRU2012]

(Waiting for game to start, watching NCS choking away the opportunity to beat a WAY overrated Clemsen team--led by the most overrated Coach since Les Miles--I mean, I love the college game, but I don't enjoy the way head-case kickers' screwups even given the opportunity to blow the work of a whole team for the previous 59 minutes and 59 seconds. Here, the State coaches had 'em PLAY for the last fg, Sweeney holds back a timeout just to ice the kid--and it WORKS, kid misses the chip shot. But he'd missed 2 already today, not much more distance, one blocked and one just shanked, he was only 8 for 12 from inside the red zone for the season, so it never WAS any kind of "sure thing", so why play for it?
See, that's the kind of "conventional wisdom", "can't blame ME" I can't see us settling for at UF--the kind that gets you "9 or 10 wins per year" ad infinitum just with "good enough" recruiting in Florida, but will NEVER win Championships. Not in the SEC, let alone playing in the Final Four.
Yep. Clemsen wins on the pick, first play after the overtime reset. Now we'll hear about how resiliant they are, " find a way to win" blah blah blah--but they were BEAT, til the other team beat themselves.
BS)
Our game now underway finally. Luke looks fairly sharp--and he'll get better.
We are moving the ball--GEEZ! Thomson fumbles, but outta bounds. Whew.

 

[DRU2012]

Unforcasted rains coming down in the Swamp today...worse than actual conditions LAST Saturday, ironically enough.
Our O-line seems to be firing off nicely--when they don't go offsides.
C'mon Luke, put it in the endzone.
3rd and longish now in the redzone.
Bad throw behind Calloway.
What happened to our running game? Lucky didn't get it picked.
GROAN...long drive to NUTHIN'.
Pinero a feisty li'l character--but I'd settle for a steady, boring NON headcase who makes everything under 40 yards.
We don't NEED " a cannon", we need "money" and a cool head.

 

[DRU2012]

OK. Here is our weekly problem:
Points left on the field, everything left on shoulders of our defense.

 

[miltongator]

Oh, for a few good offensive linemen. (and a top-flight QB)

 

[DRU2012]

Already starting to shape up as this year's version of "a typical Gator game". Nothing vey impressive most of the way, ZERO fun to watch. We ARE better than our oponent--but we still can't put things together with any consistency. That's COACHING--or to be more precise, LACK thereof.
Anyone else getting as tired of it as I am?
Anyone else thinking it outta have improved by now?

 

[DRU2012]

Meanwhile, Alabama has already jumped out 2 TDs on the Vols. It is there for the taking, boys...Oooh Calloway had a step, but ball thrown a tick late.

 

[miltongator]

I think it comes down to recruiting and we just haven't gotten it done. Have to start to get a consistent offense to get the recruits interested....catch22. If improvement doesn't start happening, the rumbles will start.

 

[DRU2012]

Damn. We are stalled here on their side of midfield. Looks like its up to the D to get points for us.
Gotta hope Luke closes that slight gap in his timing with WRs, Calloway in particular so far.

 

[miltongator]

We're using the Muschamp offensive playbook.

 

[DRU2012]

I think it comes down to recruiting and we just haven't gotten it done. Have to start to get a consistent offense to get the recruits interested....catch22. If improvement doesn't start happening, the rumbles will start.

Yeah, that's my daily refrain now: Kill the next recruiting class or that is it, imho.
Luke just isn't getting enough air under the ball on those long throws--but recievers aren't helping him at ALL: NONE of em came back to him on that roll outta the pocket.

 

[DRU2012]

But again, this is what has become the way these games play out this year: We outplay'em, but don't get much on the board.

 

[DRU2012]

Will we get ANY points out of a whole quarter played in the other team's end?
Here we go AGAIN....

 

[DRU2012]

I actually find it painful watching this Gator offense. And maybe the worst of it is all the penalties.
There's Powell with a good come-back catch in their territory.
End of ANOTHER qrtr where we did everything right--except get points out of it. Yeah, "good signs" abound, but mean little at this point.

 

[DRU2012]

Aw hell. They had the pass play called and the WR woulda been free down the sidelines--but line jumped AGAIN.
CANNOT STAND THIS.
Pinero kicks the long one. Who can figure this kid? Hell, this whole Gator team is just OFF so much of the time. Flashes of "really good" everywhere, but in isolated cases, just makes it worse: There's talent--but not quite enough. There's Coaching--but not quite enough of that either...We are talking about CONSISTENCY and attention-to-detail.

 

[DRU2012]

They can't move the ball on our D, but that O has GOT to take advantage.
I don't get the feeling our OC has any real plan beyond what we've seen so far--which seems to amount to, "Lets see if THIS will work..."

 

[miltongator]

Aw hell. They had the pass play called and the WR woulda been free down the sidelines--but line jumped AGAIN.
CANNOT STAND THIS.
Pinero kicks the long one. Who can figure this kid? Hell, this whole Gator team is just OFF so much of the time. Flashes of "really good" everywhere, but in isolated cases, just makes it worse: There's talent--but not quite enough. There's Coaching--but not quite enough of that either...We are talking about CONSISTENCY and attention-to-detail.

Amen to all of the above!

 

[DRU2012]

Yikes. More ugliness. Hard to watch this mess.

 

[miltongator]

How inept can we possibly get on offense???

 

[DRU2012]

I do not even understand this passing game--inept in both scheme and execution so much of the time--then suddenly well-designed, perfectly executed play down the field. Only they didn't score--and now penalties immediately moving backwards.
No. We are poorly coached. That becomes more and more clear. And our game plan on offense really IS "keep banging away with different plays, no continuity or efficiency but we got all these great athletes..."
Yeah, good players being poorly used.
Got 4 good RBs? Run 'em all, and maybe that line can manage to all block without false-starting all on the same play...
And after all that, one broken assignment on defense can put Mizzou in the lead.
Unacceptable.