Gator Bites - FLA vs UGA

[DRU2012]

DRU2012: I just realized that wind will be a factor. The winds are expected to be 30-40 mph sustained. That pretty much kills field goals and deep passes. That plays into the Gators' favor, but changes how the game will pan out.

That it neutralizes our kicking game in GENERAL is a drag--'cause that's a big advantage we've got over ANY team, both in getting points and flipping field-position (we've seen BOTH keep us in games early this year, so that "we have 'em right where we want 'em" come the second half...).
Now, the passing game SEEMS to be more important a vulnerability for them than us with the wind gusting, but as I've said, with any such unforeseen, unpredictable factor, especially one so extreme (and arising out of a late-season HURRICANE, for cryin' out loud), you never really know--this has ME flashing back to all kinds of disasters that have come in "weather" over the years, and the best I can do at this point outlook-wise is to try and just settle down into a "wait'n'see" approach until game time. Then we'll see. I'm kinda numb. I thought we'd finally begun to reach a kind of balanced "Gator-equilibrium", but another "chaotic system" (for that's what "weather" IS, by definition, as I'm sure you're aware) has once again entered the picture and threatens to "blow" that away. It is now more than ever up to this TEAM, these 2012 Gators, who are like no other team we've had in MY lifetime of Gator-watching, to restore some semblance of "order"--or at least keep them and us on track, wherever it is we are all heading.
Until tomorrow.

 

[NaffGutts]

Guys, guys, guys, calm it down lol

Here are some of my "non conventional" factors that will win us the game. I feel like I'm kinda on a roll with some of my mentions on previous games. Especially the "excitement factor" I called vs USC with kick-offs. Anyway .....

1) Play Calls; A few threads ago, a few of us were on the same thinking that Brent Pease hasn't opened up the playcalling, because there was no need to. Like I keep reminding everyone, we "cant" pass until we pass lol, which means if it aint broke don't fix it. But to everyones comfort, our game vs USC showed us some playcalls that we have not seen all year. Count on Brent having plenty of creative ways to get the ball into playmaker hands. All season he has been creating them, running them in practice, everything. It's like poker, if your opponent folds, why give them a chance to see your cards?? He is thinking long run, and how limiting a working formula can help us, and not help the next team we face that is attempting to watch plays. They can't see what we havn't run.

2) Passing; Dunbar is starting to separate himself a little more as THE... go-to receiver, this isn't too surprising and I count on him getting quite a few more looks. I think Driskel reads him perfectly and I count on a few opening drive short passes to get his confidence up, and then he'll start spreading it out around the field to more of our players. If Debose gets his motivation back in the receiving game, we'll have an awesome duo

3) Defense; Need I say more? Some will blame Lattimore not being 100%, some will say its USC road game blues, but some will say its an under-rated Defense that is probably the best in the country. We've held two Top 5 running offenses to their lowest yards of the season, and basically ineffective. We've only allowed THREE plays for 30+ yards all season, and we are one of the best SCORING defenses in the nation. My biggest fear of last game was the physicality of it might take its toll on some of our big players, but that didn't happen. I count on our defense stepping up yet again, they are getting better every game, and now they are starting to see how much it's contributing to our success, and they want to taste blood.

4) Special Teams; We've got the nations BEST kick teams. Even with the wind, a force that would effect both sides equally, we are still the better. I don't expect a once in a season performance like last game. But I do expect minimal return yards, and still being able to flip the field when we have to.

5) The X Factor; Georgia right now has some locker room issues that aren't coming to light. Maybe the South Carolina thrashing took a deeper toll than what we expected, maybe it's egos clashing off the field, but there is something there. Even fans are hoping for a loss in a chance to see their head coach fired, for reasons unknown, but he seems to not have that little bit of extra that every successful coach in the SEC needs. I think our teams will be polar opposites in this game, I expect a fired up Gator team, burning its hottest on Defense, and I expect a flat, bland Georgia team, only flickering a bit on Offense. In this case, our Defense will surely NOT leave the light on.



Prediction: I expect Gilly to have another 130+ game, and Driskel having a good passing game because of it.

I got 33-10 Gators

 

[DRU2012]

NaffGutts
Love your attitude AND reasoning, NF, but as the "Official GE Voice of Doom" I must point a few things out:
(1) As far as "locker room clashes" go, apparently one of their team-leaders has publicly "called -out" their defense, specifically "linebackers and the rest of the secondary" to "finally" step up and "make a difference"--and this is being "spun" as a GOOD thing, supposedly has their "whole team fired up"--but we'll see...that sort of thing can go either way (and even if it DOES "fire them up" early, a quick shot-to-the-mouth, a long strike OR long drive by us, can deflate that in a hurry, and leave them "down" and lagging a bit instead). They're "talkin'" NOW ("Check us out on SATURDAY!" is what I heard/saw one of them saying to a reporter on one of the "other" regional sports-channels...I hope to HELL that is seen in Gainesville!), but I like our "business as usual"-approach. Still, all the more reason what happens early will tell us a lot.
(2) Regarding EVERYTHING ELSE, which for all of your reasons and more would seem to favor us, this "Storm Factor" should neither be overlooked nor under-rated as a difference-maker in how things play out--mainly, that weather can be "The Great Equalizer": this time I'd have rather not seen it here...Its very unpredictability can obliterate the better team's advantages. Back when I used to bet on pro-football, there was a saying among gamblers you heard around the bars and sportsbooks: "Wind and rain, anybody's game". It was meant as a warning: Be very careful how you figure the affected game--if you bet it at ALL. Now, I don't give a damn about point-spreads as bettors do, which simplifies things somewhat...but the fact remains, it WILL have its effects. At first glance, it would SEEM to favor our running-based offense as opposed to their reliance coming in on Aaron Murray's arm to force us to play catch-up. On the other hand, it would also seem to equalize the kicking game, where we otherwise have ("had"?) enormous advantage--and ALL points will be important in a close, low-scoring "game-in-the-elements". In the end, though, it isn't these seeming effects that concern me the most, but rather, again: THE UNEXPECTED. WE just can't SAY how this will affect the game, and experience with that reality, as we go into this one, has me worried...
So keep thinking (and saying) those good thoughts, NF--they won't change the tight feeling I have in my gut as Kick-off approaches, but they certainly can't HURT either!

(NOTE: GAMEDAY-THREAD for "Cocktail Party" now up)

 

[Escambia94]

Alrighty then. I am copying one of my posts from this thread to the to official thread, making my official prediction, and then I will try to be online during the game. The kids have sports Saturday morning, so sometimes I am posting from the one spot where I have a signal.

 

[DRU2012]

This may be a strange day participation-wise--a number of y'all are "busy, BUT trying--", as in trying to get in some "GE-time" during the game...guess I'll try to include some play-by-play/gameflow along with my usual nail-biting, long as possible, at any rate. 3:23pm Eastern--Anyone else getting as tight about this one as I am as KO approaches?

 

[Dale J. Rodriguez]

we will prevail.

 

[Dale J. Rodriguez]

It has been a rough first quarter. We have a few guys injured. Jeff needs to make better decisions, and Brent Pease needs better calling.

I am not sure what Coach Boom is doing on defense. But we are getting spread out and getting gashed.

 

[Dale J. Rodriguez]

This our chance to settle down, and take control of ourselves. We got to stay focused.