Here We Go...

[DRU2012]

Just over 32 hours 'til we kick this thing off tomorrow, and "reality" begins to press in on us...
While I HAVE been more and more generally optimistic about our chances in this one, what with LSU's sputtering play and our various improvements, upgrades and strong 2nd-half showings, with the game almost upon us I am asking myself the same question I'm now gonna throw out to all of you:
"What ARE our real chances tomorrow? How confident are YOU regarding this game?"
Ok, it's in the Swamp, with a rollicking hyped-up home crowd loud'n'proud behind us, at least early on...On the other hand, this IS against one of the deepest, most talented defenses in the SEC (at least on paper...at the same time, I have the impression that if you could run this season's film of both ours and theirs side-by-side somehow without being able to tell which is which, I think you'd be hard-pressed to tell much difference--in fact, much of the time OURS has been as good or better).
The point is, though my gut has me worried (it ALWAYS has me worried--the better the team, all the MORE so this time), my mind tells me we have a decent chance in this game, but it WILL take a better start, smarter play (as in fewer crucial penalties) throughout, AND our getting-to-be-usual strong 4th qrtr to get it done--all things we are capable of. In fact, the most encouraging thing about our prospects is that none of what it takes to win here is beyond our talent or reach. It just requires us to stay calm, take all that crazy energy whipped up, over, around and through the Swamp tomorrow and let it raise us up, play our game of toughness, control and counter-punching, getting stronger even as we wear the other team down. Let THEM get tired, get worried, make mistakes. We can do this. As time goes on, we will be able to overwhelm even really good teams early, take control and dominate them, but for now, we win a game like this by tying them up and playing them even at the start, frustrate them, take their best punch, keep it close--then make adjustments, get or extend the lead in the 2nd half and just keep coming into the 4th and through to the end of the game, never quit 'til we're running that "Victory Formation" and there's nothing but "Zeros" on the clock.

 

[totenkopf13]

I feel pretty good about our chances. I would love to see the Gators pop LSU in the mouth. Hopefully LSUs "luck" against the Gators has run out.

 

[Leakfan12]

It will be a close game, I hope in the Gators favor.

 

[Escambia94]

Neither team is very explosive on offense, and both have smothering defenses. Florida has a hybrid 4-3/3-4 that can adapt to run or pass; LSU has the Mustang defense with a large defensive line that can smother the passing game while stuffing the run late in the game. This means that Florida needs to get its rushing yards up the middle early in the game and pound at the LSU defense. I do not know how Florida will move the ball in the air against LSU, since they can drop back more DBs than we have reliable receivers. A team with a good tight end will beat this LSU team, so I guess the answer will be Jordan Reed if he is healthy. The LSU OL and DL are bigger than Florida's, but we will find out this weekend who is stronger.

I want to call this a close game, but I have reason to believe both coaches have been saving up for each other and have hidden the explosive plays from one another. Florida has shown a better upside on offense, so it might unleash some fury on LSU, and it will probably be in the second half. Expect a slow first half, and hope that the Gators make those key adjustments at half time.

I call it 24-21, Gators. (It is hard for a realist/pessimist like me to call an upset, but for the first time in a long time I feel okay with making such a call.)

 

[DRU2012]

If we do win, that's likely the way that we will do it, E-...and yeah, I expect some amazingly creative plays to be pulled out from under the Hatter's hat and from up Pease's sleeve at unexpected moments in this one, but I also think it will be the less spectacular things you mention, adjustments made and the more patient running game begun early and continued throughout, slowly wearing down the other, well-conditioned team that will ultimately make the difference. If it goes THAT way, as I say, I too believe it is ours for the taking, with a Sturges-kick the difference (in which case, the 24-21 score sounds pretty close).

 

[DRU2012]

I feel pretty good about our chances. I would love to see the Gators pop LSU in the mouth. Hopefully LSUs "luck" against the Gators has run out.

"Luck" has a way of evening out over time, and "Turf-chewer" HAS had some crazy good luck against us over the last couple of years--even his mistakes have turned out either harmless or outright golden for them. Time is ripe for that to change, for things to swing our way, but it's up to us to put OURSELVES in position to allow it.

 

[Escambia94]

I will say that the unknown here is whar surprises Pease brings to the table. The close games between these two come down to surprises. Think of Tebow's surprise jump pass, the lucky bounce fake field goal, etc. If Muschamp unleashes Pease, expect a surprise that wins the game.

 

[Escambia94]

As the game gets closer, I worry about the Gator run defense. LSU has four HBs, plus a 272 pound FB.

 

[NaffGutts]

WTF ....

I don't know if you guys are like me, but a typical Saturday for me is watching Gameday, then every relevant game that is on besides my Gators. I've watched LSU football all year, as I'm sure some of you have too. Nothing scares me about LSU this year, not one single thing. Hell, Texas A&M scared me more than this game. We are at home, we are coming off a bye, they're not.
Towson got pressure to LSUs QB, Auburn shut down their run. Are we talking about the same team guys?

This isn't the LSU we know, nor will it be, Gators will walk out of the Swamp with gas left in the tank.

Gators 28-7

^ i'll be back to confirm my score with the "i told you so"

 

[Escambia94]

I will gladly take the "I told you so". This time last year I had convinced myself that the Gators would snap out of their funk and beat one or two of the SEC foes in the Gauntlet. The past two years have taken a toll on my confidence as a fan, as it has for the fans still living in Gainesville. I want the Gators to win back that swagger, but a year of Urban Frickin' Meyer/ Steve "the Dazzler" Addazio and a year of transition have taken that confidence away from me.

I still think Florida will win this game, but not by a large margin.

 

[NaffGutts]

I will gladly take the "I told you so". This time last year I had convinced myself that the Gators would snap out of their funk and beat one or two of the SEC foes in the Gauntlet. The past two years have taken a toll on my confidence as a fan, as it has for the fans still living in Gainesville. I want the Gators to win back that swagger, but a year of Urban Frickin' Meyer/ Steve "the Dazzler" Addazio and a year of transition have taken that confidence away from me.

I still think Florida will win this game, but not by a large margin.

This years Gators are 10x much better, not to mention all of the players that have stepped up on both sides of the ball. LSU and even 'Bama aren't the same teams they were a year or two years ago. But based on the game today, from what I've seen in LSU reminds me of the Gators last year. No identity, no fire, no motivation really. Auburn is horrible this year and held them to only 12 points, imagine what our defense will do. I got the Gators early and often for today lol.


Side Note: Read that the word "swag" started back in the day in California for gay dudes, originally meant "secretly we are gay". Nice random fact for you lol.

As far as swagger, I think they got it back. I watched the ESPNU All Access on Florida Football and they seem to be pumped up around each other, I know our defense looks to Easley for motivation, and between Burton, Reed, Gill, and Driskle, someone needs to step up to be the head motivator for our Offense.

28-7 ..i'll be back after the game for that "told ya so" speech lol


EDIT - Don't forget to check out my channel tomorrow, probably later in the afternoon for LSU highlights added in.

Also, my wifes Brothers son has been living with us for about a year, just found out that the Gators have interest in a guy playing for Southview Highschool here in Hope Mills, NC. Thinking about sending to school with a mini-helmet to get a per-emptive autograph lol

 

[DRU2012]

NaffGutts, Escambia94
I have a very similar routine to yours on Sat.'s, NG--and I agree about LSU's less-than-scary performances in games thus far this season. However, like anyone you talk to from the Gator coaching staff, not for one moment do I expect to see the same lackadaisical Tiger team whose bland offense was barely adequate the last 2 weeks against mediocre, even sub-par opposition, when we face them today. At the same time, neither am I so sure they can just "flip the switch" and suddenly become efficient, dominant, least of all against OUR defense, so that gives me a certain amount of hope.
Like E-, I WANT to feel confident, believe we have a real opening, a chance to take a huge step forward here, but the last couple of years have taken their toll: intellectually, I see all the reasons that, thanks to a new coach and staff with a new approach, who've brought in new players with a new attitude, this is a different Gator team that deserves to be viewed on its own terms--but it's still hard to FEEL anything but foreboding, a tightness in my gut going into a turning-point game like this one against an elite SEC-program: we've seen it all turn to dust, our hopes crushed before our eyes again and again in just these situations the last few years (hell, pretty well starting with the '09 SEC-Championship game in Atlanta, and every time since).
We can talk about all the reasons why this time is different, how this TEAM is different, what is and isn't within our control and where we can go from here, but first comes this one Big Step: I need, WE need to see this Gator team step up and seize the moment, GET IT DONE. Until that happens the first time (at least in this "era"), my head just won't convince my gut to be anything BUT tight going into games like this one.

 

[InkedAdrenaline]

Chomp chomp

 

[NaffGutts]

can i get a close enough? i predicted 28-7 lol, I stand proud behind that after the game

 

[Escambia94]

can i get a close enough? i predicted 28-7 lol, I stand proud behind that after the game

I gave you credit in the game day thread. Good call! Closer than me.

 

[NaffGutts]

I gave you credit in the game day thread. Good call! Closer than me.

glad our Gators won, wish they would have settled down earlier, but again our 2nd half adjustments played a huge part. Muschamp said "if you stop this front 7, you've done something".

I think we proved to the doubters and more importantly our team that we are contenders regardless of how pretty it is. Hope they are enjoying the celebration in the locker room. Gator Nation

 

[Escambia94]

I hope they enjoy the celebration, but avoid getting too high on the win or too high on pot/booze/other.

 

[DRU2012]

NaffGutts, Escambia94
Heck, NF--had our offense not jerked around throughout that 1st half, you would have been DAMN close! As it is, you KNOW we're all happy with both your pick going in AND the actual outcome.

 

[DRU2012]

@NaffGutts, @Escambia94
Like us, they DESERVE to "kick out the jams", feel good, yell and holler about this one for a day or two...then it's time to settle down and get ready for the NEXT one (is that Vanderbilt?)--The good news is that I just don't see this team "drinkin' the Coolaid" of "Gators are BACK", nor this staff, starting with Muschamp (who sets the tone for the whole team, glad to say--this IS more and more HIS team), LETTING them become satisfied or happy with where they are at now--and he's got all the film of the 1st half today to make his point(s).
(BTW--the guys at SportsCenter/College GameDay just agreed that "Florida has the best resume in college football right now...any ranking below 3rd or 4th is TOO low..." (!!!)

 

[NaffGutts]

@NaffGutts, @Escambia94
Like us, they DESERVE to "kick out the jams", feel good, yell and holler about this one for a day or two...then it's time to settle down and get ready for the NEXT one (is that Vanderbilt?)--The good news is that I just don't see this team "drinkin' the Coolaid" of "Gators are BACK", nor this staff, starting with Muschamp (who sets the tone for the whole team, glad to say--this IS more and more HIS team), LETTING them become satisfied or happy with where they are at now--and he's got all the film of the 1st half today to make his point(s).
(BTW--the guys at SportsCenter/College GameDay just agreed that "Florida has the best resume in college football right now...any ranking below 3rd or 4th is TOO low..." (!!!)

I guarantee Muschamp isn't letting them get too crazy, hell they are probably watching film right now. This isn't a first run of the mill team, we're an SEC contender team almost every year, these guys know what South Carolina did to Georgia and they know that beating LSU doesn't do anything but put the fire in them, they know they have to go right back to work next week against an even tougher defense and explosive offense. Hope they have some real eye opening practice and start trusting themselvs.