Gator Gameday 10/29/2016: World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party (River City Showdown)

[DRU2012]

Our D keeps saving our butts.
Can we not return the favor? Give em a rest AND score some points?
That would go a LONG way to finishing this nicely, of course.
It's just a damn shame that this kind of performance from that defense DOESN'T have us "substituting freely" by now...

 

[DRU2012]

Why is that kid even playing with that messed up finger? Can't catch. And here's more of that flailing, "lets-try-this-now-then-punt" offense.
Hey aweb--THATS what they've done all day. "Conservative"? Try "Prehistoric".
No: "Amoebic".

 

[DRU2012]

I SWEAR: If we end up losing this without scoring another point, I will blame the OC entirely. Our D will be tiring soon, with time for a Georgia late rally, unless the offense can finally contribute when it counts.

 

[DRU2012]

They are going for it. This is it, then.
Broken up!!! Almost picked it off for the pick 6 and the win right there. But an O-drive now on the short field will do that too.
C'mon Nuss, Luke. I WANT you to SHUT ME UP!!!

 

[DRU2012]

Gator D has served this one up.
Now EAT EM UP, O!

 

[DRU2012]

Of all the times BOTH our RBs have tweaked ankles during the game, had to be when Thompson is back in G-ville for taking the pot-fall for his squeeze?
Can't you guys wait til AFTER the season to get into the Gainesville Green?

 

[DRU2012]

Geez, whats with these nuthin' bootleg short ones? There IS no flow to this offense--it's ALL on our playmakers to get it done...
OK, fine: get it to them, let'em do their thing--but STOP GOING OUTTA BOUNDS!

 

[DRU2012]

O-line starting to get it done now too.
Thats what we COULD be, with just a few more big bodies along there...

 

[DRU2012]

Well, looks like Eddie might get another shot--won't put it away, but if it can be put off maybe one more set pf running downs--and he makes it--well, go a long way towards that "win".
Now, do we send Eddie in? Yep.
Up. Good.
Well, 17 pt lead woulda put it away...
But they gotta throw it now; we play this right, DON'T go into full "prevent victory" yet, we can finish them off.

 

[DRU2012]

That mini-drive rested our D too--they just have to tackle, keep it in front of them.
Make them work for everything, burn clock.

 

[DRU2012]

No penalties now. Yes! Loss of down.
Another 4th down...
Yes!!! Our D has just won it. Only right, too.
OK. I don't like our offense, but this time they did enough. Barely--but it's a start.
And they did it when it counted, even if it only produced that 3 pointer.
Sure am glad it doesn't look like any "Hail Mary" is gonna save the other guys today, either.

 

[DRU2012]

Um, that looks suspiciously like a "stop the clock" injury. Don't they run 10 seconds off then restart the clock soon as he's off the field?

 

[DRU2012]

OK, maybe not. Or its academy award time. Not exactly gracious on my part--but hey, this is UGA.
Gator 1st down. So lets run this one OUT.

 

[DRU2012]

So: Great D. Solid "A".
Barely passable O. Grudging "D+"
Our decent RBs held back by all the rest most of game. Did anyone SEE a "gameplan" out there today?
Still waiting for Luke to come back, basically.

 

[DRU2012]

OK. This offense won't manage enough to beat the best of the west--or keep the "D" off the field enough to keep it close and have enough left to even keep us within range of any kind of challenge, even if there were some viable plan to mount one late.
The Gator announcers note that though Luke DOES have some healing yet to get back to where he needs to be, he also so far seems to be missing the sharp-edged decision-making, "see and DO" capablity he showed BEFORE the injury.
They stay away from even addressing our offensive game planning--but we don't have any reason for diplomacy. I only see the barest outline: more like only when the choices narrow down to "the stupid and the obvious"-- and you can't always count on the "right choice" even then!
Only reason I keep being open to correction on THIS issue is 'cause I think too much of our HEAD Coach to ignore fact that he hasn't overtly stepped in yet.
But he IS a Saban protege--and whatta ya think Saban might said AND done by now?
Well, gotta figure he knows a lot more about all things at work here--and has his own way of dealing with it in any event.
Be interesting to see what happens between end of this season and start of next in this regard.

 

[Escambia94]

A win is a win, but that was very Muschampian. The offense gets a C. The defense gets an A-. Special teams gets a C+.

 

[awebbf5]

Why is that kid even playing with that messed up finger? Can't catch. And here's more of that flailing, "lets-try-this-now-then-punt" offense.
Hey aweb--THATS what they've done all day. "Conservative"? Try "Prehistoric".
No: "Amoebic".

Lol yeah we beat a bad uga team dru. on a bright note guess who will be flying down in 2 weeks to the swamp to see the south Carolina game? that's right this guy.

 

[DRU2012]

Up late--Hey, it's the Saturday before Halloween in Austin, a traditional "designated party night" if there ever was one--and probably our "high water mark" as far as the Gators' record and "false relevance" on the national stage this season. Now approaches our Reality Check, as things have played out:
On the road against mainly "Teams We'll Have to Score On No Matter How Good Our D Is"--and who thinks this offense is or will be up to it?
No, can't shake the feeling that except for South Carolina, we're about to watch a whole lot of nightmare repetition of the 2nd half in the Vols game, over and over again. Nice to be "about to possibly find ourselves in the Top 10" (even in the first "official poll" for playoff rankings)--but who here feels we really ARE deserving? Our D is certainly of that caliber--but our offense is at the opposite end of ANY such list--and I just dread the plunge in fortunes and its resulting reflection in those self-same rankings.
We're like the guy who jumps off the high cliff over the yawning chasm, and in that instant of "quiet pause" before gravity really takes hold and plunges him to his inevitable fate, he yells, "I'm flying!!!"
Yeah. Look at us "FLY"...
(@awebbf5, However, before things will likely have gotten TOO out of hand--we might be able to give Arkansas a game for 3 qrtrs or so, with our D alone, after all--there is a South Carolina game that is very winnable before our offense permits us to be exposed as "fraud contenders from a Bad SEC East" rest of the way...That one in Columbia is BY FAR the one and only road game left ahead I'd even WANT to be on hand for--but that one should be ok, as a trip, a game AND an overall "on the road experience"...Yeah, you can and should enjoy that one: Good choice...)

 

[awebbf5]

Up late--Hey, it's the Saturday before Halloween in Austin, a traditional "designated party night" if there ever was one--and probably our "high water mark" as far as the Gators' record and "false relevance" on the national stage this season. Now approaches our Reality Check, as things have played out:
On the road against mainly "Teams We'll Have to Score On No Matter How Good Our D Is"--and who thinks this offense is or will be up to it?
No, can't shake the feeling that except for South Carolina, we're about to watch a whole lot of nightmare repetition of the 2nd half in the Vols game, over and over again. Nice to be "about to possibly find ourselves in the Top 10" (even in the first "official poll" for playoff rankings)--but who here feels we really ARE deserving? Our D is certainly of that caliber--but our offense is at the opposite end of ANY such list--and I just dread the plunge in fortunes and its resulting reflection in those self-same rankings.
We're like the guy who jumps off the high cliff over the yawning chasm, and in that instant of "quiet pause" before gravity really takes hold and plunges him to his inevitable fate, he yells, "I'm flying!!!"
Yeah. Look at us "FLY"...
(@awebbf5, However, before things will likely have gotten TOO out of hand--we might be able to give Arkansas a game for 3 qrtrs or so, with our D alone, after all--there is a South Carolina game that is very winnable before our offense permits us to be exposed as "fraud contenders from a Bad SEC East" rest of the way...That one in Columbia is BY FAR the one and only road game left ahead I'd even WANT to be on hand for--but that one should be ok, as a trip, a game AND an overall "on the road experience"...Yeah, you can and should enjoy that one: Good choice...)

It's at the swamp

 

[DRU2012]

It's at the swamp

Damn--you're right...and that's good news, obviously. I somehow got it in my head that we were bout to go on the road all the way until the finale against Girl's School (sorry--it's just what we used to call 'em when I was there...hilarity ensuing; ok maybe not so much...this was pre-Spurrier, who always had the best lines for everyone and everything: eg. Speaking of Mack Brown, then Tarheels coach and source of mutual dislike since SS's Duke days, when asked about some gator-disparaging remark Brown had made, "Oh, then it must be true: He's MR FOOTBALL--just ask him!" Still makes me laugh...loved the guy)
...Anyway, good one to go to: The Vols shoulda won that game yesterday against a "still rebuilding" SC team and program--and so should we, when we play 'em. Think we WILL, too (it's the ones before and after on the road that I have a lot more concern about).
(BTW, as I type this I'm listening to some S Carolina columnist/Muschamp apologist talking about that program, essentially blaming Spurrier's "behind-the-times" style and approach for all the Gamecocks' problems, and (believe it or not) relating and seconding Muscjamp's supposed feeling that it was the fault of the offensive staff (his hires), and the faults and failures of his PLAYERS (his recruits), that he ended up being fired at Florida--"In his heart of hearts, he believes that if he had a decent quarterback and the right staff, he'd still be at Florida and be doing very well..." (!)
There are just so many things to be qualified, argued with and outright dismissed there that I'm not even gonna start...Instead:
"Yeah, and if we had a better Coach, who either knew what he was doing or found and listened to folks who DID, we'd already BE "back", not still slowly, steadily rebuilding a program he left bare after having gotten it just a year past playing for Championships!"
This SC guy and the radio people on SERIUS College Sports' "Sunday With Staples" are calling the game "the climax to the 'Muschamp Revenge Tour' " ...
Oh really? I'm looking forward to asking postgame to that one, "How did Tennessee LOSE to these guys???"