Gator Bites, Week 10: Florida Gators vs Georgia Bulldogs

[Escambia94]

This will be the 91st installment of the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party. Each squad is sitting at 4-3 (3-2 SEC) on the year, and have lost many starters. Thanks to Mizzou's double-overtime choke against USCe, the SEC East is potentially up for grabs amongst the Tigers, Dawgs, Gators and Gamecocks. The Leghumpers lead the all-time series 49-40-2, and are on a 3-0 tear thanks to Will Muschamp's ineptitude against our most vexing foe. The Dawgs are favored by 2.5 points, and the Mighty Gators have not shown us any reason i in the past three weeks, much less the past three years to make me believe they will win. Should a friggin' miracle occur and the Gators pull out an upset win, they could be on their way to turning the season around.

Should the Gators win out and Mizzou lose two more conference games, it would give UGly, Mizzou, and USCe three conference losses, the Gators would sit atop the East with a 6-2 record. (Ha ha, yeah right!) Should Florida lose one of their remaining SEC games and Missouri lose to Kentucky, we would need UT to win out, including against Bama. (Ha ha, yeah right!) Believe it or not, the Gators could lose to Vandy and still be in the SEC East hunt, if every other SEC East team were upset by other SEC East foes.

Also keep in mind that the Gators have five more games to get to 0.500 and bowl eligibility. Currently the Gators are the 7th-ranked SEC teams, and the bowl selection committee typically takes six from the SEC. The Gators must win 2 of the next 5 games to stay at 0.500, and with these injuries Vanderbilt and Georgia Southern are not necessarily gimmes. Remember that Vanderbilt beat Georgia! Speaking of bowl games, here are the latest bowl projections:
VIZIO BCS National Championship Game, Jan. 6: Alabama
Allstate Sugar Bowl, Jan. 2: Auburn
Capital One Bowl, Jan. 1: South Carolina
AT&T Cotton Bowl, Jan. 3: Texas A&M
Outback Bowl, Jan. 1: Missouri
Chick-fil-A Bowl, Dec. 31: LSU
TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl, Jan. 1: Georgia
Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl, Dec. 30: Ole Miss
AutoZone Liberty Bowl, Dec. 31: Tennessee
BBVA Compass Bowl, Jan. 4: Florida
AdvoCare V100 Bowl, Dec. 31: Vanderbilt

Georgia will likely gain their gashing rusher Todd Gurley. Even if Gurly is only at 80%, he can rip the Gator defensive line to shreds. Key match-ups: Will Solomon Patton (28 receptions, 426 yards, four touchdowns), Trey Burton (29, 336 and one) and Quinton Dunbar (22, 301) be able to find space against Georgia’s freshman-laden defensive backfield, especially up-and-comer Shaq Wiggins? Will Aaron Murray stop throwing to the wrong players? Will the Gators keep turning the ball over against these fools?

My prediction: Leghumpers 21, Gators 3. I am not even going to waste my time predicting a win.

 

[DRU2012]

This is what it's come to: Of COURSE I'd "like" to see us win (how can I feel otherwise?)--and yet, I am filled with complex and contradictory thoughts, feelings and cynical concerns about our future. These mostly revolve around my fear that a "big win", and/or "worse"--or at least more confusing--the idea that a series of "luckier than and/or not as beat-up and/or not as horrible as the other guy"-victories lands us some joke-of-a-default share-of-the-SEC-East in turn might WELL provide just the pretext for a continued, unchanging "status quo" of continued mediocrity on offense, etc. in this program...resulting in ANOTHER year of this useless waste of time, talent and potential--just as it now seems that "one loss away from playing for a Title" in 2012 continues to provide an excuse/rationalization for this Head Coach and his staff not to have made any real changes since THEN, even though we were in FACT fielding one of the worst offenses in Div. I, "major college" football last season (104th in 2012, and which has predictably thus further deteriorated to God-knows-what by now).

 

[Leakfan12]

I'm hoping for a Gators win especially since UGA did lose to Vandy. Can't believe Mizzo lost to OBC's guys. I believe the Gators D is better than USC (east) and they shut them down. Feel bad for their kicker. UGA offense is good, defense well I don't think it's the 1985 Bears the Gators are facing against.

 

[Escambia94]

At this point, I will not use any logic to rationalize the possibility of a victory. I will just assume we fumble the ball 27 times, miss 27 field goals, lose 27 more players to season ending injury in PRACTICE, then another 27 season injuries in the damn game. Throw in 555 yards of penalties, and two targeting ejections and think I have accurately predicted the outcome of this game. Maybe I am being a tad cynical.

 

[Dale J. Rodriguez]

I agree with the Cyncicsm! My motto:

Just Win Baby!!!!!

 

[awebbf5]

At this point, I will not use any logic to rationalize the possibility of a victory. I will just assume we fumble the ball 27 times, miss 27 field goals, lose 27 more players to season ending injury in PRACTICE, then another 27 season injuries in the damn game. Throw in 555 yards of penalties, and two targeting ejections and think I have accurately predicted the outcome of this game. Maybe I am being a tad cynical.

No e, I think you nailed it.

 

[DRU2012]

At this point, I will not use any logic to rationalize the possibility of a victory. I will just assume we fumble the ball 27 times, miss 27 field goals, lose 27 more players to season ending injury in PRACTICE, then another 27 season injuries in the damn game. Throw in 555 yards of penalties, and two targeting ejections and think I have accurately predicted the outcome of this game. Maybe I am being a tad cynical.

(Lol) Well, you've made every point I can think of--and made me laugh in the process...Bravo!

 

[Escambia94]

As bad as our offense is, I would rather punt on first down, but our punting game sucks as well. Perhaps the solution is to punt-pass!http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaaf...k-legal-kick-pass-first-223417840--ncaaf.html

The punt-pass or kick-pass is just a short punt to your own player behind the line of scrimmage. The receiver must disengage from his two blockers, retreat behind the line of scrimmage, and catch a short, directional punt that has travelled 10 from the punter. This is a rare play, but it might be the best option for our inept passing and punting units.

 

[miltongator]

This is what it's come to: Of COURSE I'd "like" to see us win (how can I feel otherwise?)--and yet, I am filled with complex and contradictory thoughts, feelings and cynical concerns about our future. These mostly revolve around my fear that a "big win", and/or "worse"--or at least more confusing--the idea that a series of "luckier than and/or not as beat-up and/or not as horrible as the other guy"-victories lands us some joke-of-a-default share-of-the-SEC-East in turn might WELL provide just the pretext for a continued, unchanging "status quo" of continued mediocrity on offense, etc. in this program...resulting in ANOTHER year of this useless waste of time, talent and potential--just as it now seems that "one loss away from playing for a Title" in 2012 continues to provide an excuse/rationalization for this Head Coach and his staff not to have made any real changes since THEN, even though we were in FACT fielding one of the worst offenses in Div. I, "major college" football last season (104th in 2012, and which has predictably thus further deteriorated to God-knows-what by now).

Hell, I wish were would improve to "mediocrity"!

 

[Escambia94]

The Gators have had nine starters miss multiple games with injuries and will have at least five out against Georgia.

Out for the season:

• quarterback Jeff Driskel (ankle)
• wide receiver/kick return Andre DeBose (knee)
• running back Matt Jones (knee)
• defensive tackle Dominique Easley (knee)
• tackle Chaz Green (shoulder)

Missed time during season and not at 100%:

• defensive end Ronald Powell (ankle)
• linebacker Darrin Kitchens (shoulder)
• noseguard Damien Jacobs (concussion)
• special teams Jeremi Powell
• Offensive lineman DJ Humphries (strained MCL)

Some players are playing injured, but have only missed practice:

• quarterback Tyler Murphy (sprained shoulder)

Georgia has had 12 players sidelined either for the season or for extended periods by injuries. That list includes 8 starters: tailbacks Todd Gurley (ankle) and Keith Marshall (knee), wide receivers Michael Bennett (knee), Chris Conley (ankle), Malcolm Mitchell (knee) and Justin Scott-Wesley (knee), and safeties Josh Harvey-Clemons (foot) and Tray Matthews (hamstring).

My guess is that Gurley and Bennett will play near 100%, just enough to boost Murray's confidence so they pull out a win.

 

[Escambia94]

Add DJ Humphries to the list. The offensive lineman hurt his MCL and will be out a month.

 

[DRU2012]

Friend called me with news earlier today...Was working on rewriting a dialogue-scene, he calls and begins, "Well, y'all lost ANOTHER one to a ligament injury--and another 1st-string O-lineman, too..." (strange, though: Humphries was plentry healthy to screw up all OVER the field last time out!). So frustrated, angry and confused/bewildered at this latest "run-of-bad-luck"/"symptom-of-inept-conditioning -program" that it messed with my ability to do my (normally second nature) work the rest of the afternoon. Just can't get over how (and maybe "why?") this has continued to occur from the spring of this year onward.

 

[Ufgatorfan]

At this point I'm not expecting too much from this UF team. I have learned through the last 3 games that the words common sense and expectations do not belong in the same sentence when speaking of this years team. It still blows my mind at the lack of improvement this team shows from weak to weak over the past three years (offensively speaking). I look at these guys an wonder is they truly want to play in the NFL, because if they do then they better learn how to block and run a freaking route. The lack of any players outside of our running backs and maybe Burton, playing solid football makes me wonder how these kids made it to such a bit time program like UF. I'm not big on giving kids "stars" when they come out of high school but these group has got to be the biggest bust in UF history. I read an article that said a UF is no longer considered an "elite" program. I'm beginning to believe that with this current coaching staff this article may be true. We are no longer a great program but instead a good program. I'm not totally giving up on Muschamp, but if next year it's the same old "blue collar" BS he spits out and we continue to have a pitiful offense, then yes he needs to go. I'm not giving him a break on the injuries either, this is UF, he should have players ready to go if a player goes down. He has had 3 full recruiting classes so there is no excuses for not having a player on this roster that can run a route, catch a pass, block a player, and make a tackle. The injuries have only given him a stay of execution, we will see next year if he has got what it takes to be a UF Head Coach, but judging on this year I would say I'm asking for too much. Oh and I do not believe we will beat Georgia, no way no how. We are way too dis functional. I won't mind being wrong on this one but we shall see.

 

[DRU2012]

I don't CARE 'bout the rhetoric--Muschamp can call his DEFENSE "blue collar" or anything else that "says it" for him and/or his team (and yeah, it's as good a tag as any to convey his philosophy AND practical approach to that squad's on-field persona)--but not only doesn't it apply to that offense, obviously, there is absolutely no reason he nor anyone else would claim proud ownership OR continued determination to carry on in the same direction. He doesn't know anything ABOUT offense, it seems to me (Didn't he come in essentially saying as much? Wasn't the whole idea from the start to bring in a "high-profile expert"--a la Weis, admittedly a complete "miss" on everyone's part, not just his...just the first, of course?). Well, never mind "high-profile", at this point he better make a big move, find someone (even take a chance on a young "up'n'comer") with real imagination ideas and a fire in his belly to go with the kind of knowledge on that side of the ball as we all grant our Head Coach brought to the defensive side, or he WILL be gone--and we'll be basically back where we started at the end of 2010. Meanwhile, however, there is no sign our Coach even "gets it", (whether out of stubbornness or blithe ignorance of the plodding failure that mess on offense represents, he refuses to waver and calls it "resolve")--let alone that he has begun to even consider making changes in what has by now become a dire situation.
As for the idea that we may no longer be "elite", well, there'll ALWAYS be haters out there gleefully proclaiming our demise, but the fact remains that, more than ever, we are an "elite" DEFENSE (something our Head Coach can and SHOULD be personally proud of). It is in other areas NOT his forte that we are not only lacking, but losing more ground in all the time: The offense is the most obvious and extreme manifestation (and either MUST be radically changed, or we WILL soon be starting again with a new man-in-charge--and I'm not so sure that's the way to go, especially in terms of how LONG it will take to backtrack and then hopefully surpass where we COULD be from here with some brave and timely moves made now under THIS one)...but you see similar lack-of-focus, planning and/or foresight in places like kicking and (of course) conditioning, it would seem (can that possibly all just be "an extremely bad luck streak" on the injury-front?!!).
"Will, admit your mistakes, face your strengths and flaws and, respectively, concentrate on the former and find the right guy(s) to accomplish the same kind of success in the latter, and turn it over to THEM!"
We'll be elite "winners", and YOU'LL be called "genius", if you do. A genius with SICK job-security.

 

[Ufgatorfan]

Not sure our defense can be called "elite" . Good to me is more like it. Sure we can say we are ranked high is most categories, but let's face it we haven exactly faced offenses who put up huge numbers on other good defenses. The only good offense our "elite" defense faced, they burned us for over 500 total yards, with a back up QB. I know ESPN says our defense is great or "elite" but great defenses show up to big games and ours we'll they seem to fold durning big games, I'm not putting our defense down because at this point it's all we got but if you look back at the "elite" defenses we had (2006, 2008) they showed up during big games against good offensive teams. This unit has yet to show me it can stop a good offensive team, in fact it showed me it can't stop a team with a decent QB or RB. Stats are good but when your record is 4-3 and 0-3 against top 25 teams something is wrong. Each one of our loses our defense did not make play when it needed to or gave up multiple big plays . I know our offense needs to help but we all know that ain't gonna happen.

 

[awebbf5]

We suck point blank, our scheme is crap just like the leader. You know the zook years were bad but IMO no where near this. FSU and Miami have finally passed us again. This is the university of Florida no excuses for this. I have watched some of Kentucky's games and if stoops had our team they would be tough. You know I have tried to take up for muschamp, first two years I defended him, but after that Miami loss we all know deep down we will never be on the level we were with him as the hc. We might get good, but not feared and dominant like the Spurrier and Meyer eras. Its time to bring back fear to the swamp and put points on the scoreboard

 

[Escambia94]

To sum it up, we have become what FSU was a few years ago.

 

[Leakfan12]

To sum it up, we have become what FSU was a few years ago.

It seems to happen to most big programs time to time, have a few good years, get top 25 in recruits, those recruits underachieve causing them to have down years which sometimes led into a coaching change and sometimes it works, he turn it back to top of the ranking or the current coach gets the players who performs and has another few good years and the circle continues. It happens, even the top programs can't keep winning all the time.

 

[Escambia94]

It seems to happen to most big programs time to time, have a few good years, get top 25 in recruits, those recruits underachieve causing them to have down years which sometimes led into a coaching change and sometimes it works, he turn it back to top of the ranking or the current coach gets the players who performs and has another few good years and the circle continues. It happens, even the top programs can't keep winning all the time.

Agreed. It just sucks that this is happening now, at the same time the basketball season is also going down the same path. For the season opener the Gators will have a #10 ranking, two suspensions, two injuries, two walk-ons, and three NBA players to replace.

Getting back to football, we could be in danger of not only missing a bowl game for the first time in 22 years (26 if you count out NCAA sanctions from 1990), but also our first losing season since 1979...if you are a pessimist. I am not a pessimist, but watching this team is pushing me in that direction. As bad as we were in 2010 and 2011, those teams were more fun to watch than this team. Either Will Muschamp or Brent Pease are responsible for making games boring, uninteresting, and predictable. Injuries aside, the games are not fun to watch at all.

Even in other bad seasons the losses looked less boring.

 

[DRU2012]

No matter what, two points seem to crop up in EVERYONE'S (what can only be described as uniformly) "pissed off rants" (I'm the worst, probably), and really do seem "inarguable":
(1) We're no fun to watch--especially on offense, and
(2) More than anything else, even with the injuries, the main underlying cause (and this makes it inexcusable) lies in two areas: Lack of discipline/team cohesion, and bland, ill-planned and/or run SCHEMES.
We HAVE the talent in most areas to do a WHOLE lot more than we have for a season and a half now...So what gives?