OGT 2024: Week 11 Florida Gators at #5 Texas Longhorns

[Escambia94]

The mighty Gators limp into Austin, Texas with a 4-4 record and 11 injured players. This will be the Gators’ third meeting all-time (0-1-2), with the last meeting being in 1940. UT is a 21.5 favorite.

There is no point in comparing statistics for both teams because Florida is likely playing backups at quarterback, running back, cornerback, and safety.

Good news:
Since Florida’s Week 5 bye, the Gators are allowing 4.8 fewer points per game (22.5) and 88.2 fewer yards per game (337.3). The UF defense has improved by surrendering 53.5 less rushing yards per game (135.3) and 66.7 less passing yards per game in the span. Florida also has eight interceptions in the last four games after registering just one pick in the first four contests of the campaign. The Gators have multiple takeaways in three-straight games for the first time since 2019.

Bad news:
The Gators have about a dozen injuries, with half of those being season-ending or career-ending.

Napier coached with Steve Sarkisian at Alabama in 2016. Sarkisian is 1-0 against Napier; the 2021 Longhorns defeated Napier’s Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns, 38-18, in the season opener.

 

[DRU2012]

A very strange, even SURREAL situation, heading into Austin with so MANY of our starting PLAYMAKERS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BALL sidelined by injury...and now our embattled Coach given the greenlight "vote-of-confidence" by his AD: "Back for 2025".
How does THAT affect the team's continued drive and overall performance in this very tough environment against a very good opponent, and then onward through the rest of the season?
More than ever, all we can do now is "WAIT AND SEE". The one major point of "argument/discussion" (choose one) has been taken off the table: For the moment, MY inclination is to just step back and support our Coach--hope for the best, because the short-to-midterm future is to a great extent now set; We live with the results.
Make no mistake--I will be as apoplectic as ANYONE if things DON'T improve, positive results NOT forthcoming...ESPECIALLY if the result of the same old onfield confusion and errors, OR poor (and predictable) play calling!
(I am really, REALLY hoping a proper OC/GM/Offensive Assistant was somehow a part of this renewal/repeat "vote-of-confidence" our Coach was apparently given earlier today).

 

[DRU2012]

Horns come out and go straight down the field.
But now 3rd and 10 for them inside our redzone.
I won't stick around for a beatdown--but holding them to 3 here would be a minor positive early.

 

[DRU2012]

Nice sack.

 

[DRU2012]

MISSED!
SO, our D continues to get tougher.
And it's Warner at QB.

 

[DRU2012]

Well, I never THOUGHT it would be Lagway.
Let's see what our running game can do.
Ooof. Not a lot.

 

[Escambia94]

I will not be posting statistics for 3rd string players starting against arguably the best team in the SEC.

 

[DRU2012]

Not with Billy calling the offense.
It isn't gonna be our defense but, thanks to Napier's "blind loser's offense", it'll likely be that putrid offensive scheme (and his unimaginative play-calling) that will set us back another year and his ultimate exit in any case.
You can spread see how THIS GAME will go:
Our Defense will keep things "respectable" for a while, but the constant "no show offense" will keep producing 3-and-outs while the D wears down and eventually begins giving up points.

 

[DRU2012]

I will not be posting statistics for 3rd string players starting against arguably the best team in the SEC.

I feel that way about watching this soon-to-be a mess!
That about sums up the whole game.
Sigh...here it comes now...

 

[DRU2012]

Here's where I bow out.
Sorry, everyone...As I say, I don't blame our banged up, under-manned defense:
I DO blame Billy Napier's inability to even TRY imagining some creative offense to mount SMOE sort of unexpected challenge in a situation EVERYONE knew was coming here in Austin today!
Yes, we are down to our 3rd string 3-star QB, but we DO have some talented offensive playmakers still healthy.
"Run, run, pass, PUNT..."
YEAH, great plan, Coach. NO one will figure THAT out.
Fumble. I cannot watch this.
Oh MAN--"Our Coach gets another year and stops even TRYING"--that's how it looks, anyway.
I'm just afraid this is how it'll look next year too, regardless of who we've got (and right now that's includes a 50-something ranked recruiting class, by the way).
But he gets a pass due to all the injuries.
So what'll be NEXT year's excuse?
Bottom line: If (WHEN!) things go the way I expect them to go in 2025, it'll be time to fire Strickland TOO!

 

[DRU2012]

We'll talk again about all this and more next few days. I doubt I'll be back today.

 

[DRU2012]

(Warner isn't a bad young player--just WOEFULLY inexperienced...Billy managed to lose games where his team was playing well with first an experienced Mertz, then also with a generational talent like Lagway in there...How in HELL is he gonna get it done under THESE much more challenging conditions--a broken down squad against one of the best overall teams right now in College Football?
Just pointing out the obvious--when we are getting nothing but more evidence of it being the reality under which we are operating.)

 

[Escambia94]

Yeah. This is bad.

 

[Escambia94]

In all kinds of weather...

 

[DRU2012]

Is that a picture that is emblematic of how most Gators find themselves coping with another Saturday in late 2024?
I dunno...maybe with Lagway and minus those first quarter missteps, perhaps we make a game of this one late after all--though I suspect that with Billy designing the offense and calling the plays, we neither EVER start strong (we never SEEM to under this guy--he doesn't appear to APPROVE of getting and KEEPING A BIG LEAD), nor FINISH especially strongly either...
And as for "going for the KILL", "stepping on their necks" or WHATEVER, HELL:
That has NEVER been in the script against an SEC rival since he got here. I swear, it is as if he doesn't BELIEVE in it!
Oh, how I ACHE for the days of "tryin' to hang half a hunnert on 'em!"

 

[Leakfan12]

Really hoping Lagway can play next week.

 

[DRU2012]

Really hoping Lagway can play next week.

It might at least make the game worth watching.
I can't TAKE another exercise in "noble hopelessness". Aiden Warner may someday be a serviceable backup QB, but at the moment we cannot win with him in there trying to succeed with Billy's "maybe we can win by a fieldgoal" offense (we haven't yet proven we can do that with LAGWAY against the better SEC teams (which compared to us currently amounts to just about ALL OF THEM!).

 

[Escambia94]

Medically, Lagway should not play next week. If platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections work, then he should be available for the Ole Miss game next week. PRP injections in the NFL have cut down missed time due to grade 2 hamstring injuries from 3 games to about 1.5 games.

 

[DRU2012]

Medically, Lagway should not play next week. If platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections work, then he should be available for the Ole Miss game next week. PRP injections in the NFL have cut down missed time due to grade 2 hamstring injuries from 3 games to about 1.5 games.

Nice detailed, up-to-the-minute information there
...Thing is, rest of the SEC is aware of this (as we assume Billy does as well)--so why the hell is OUR Coach peddling this "he might well be BACK" tripe? "Gamesmanship"? No one is seriously preparing with Lagway in mind--not before NEXT week against Ol' Miss at the EARLIEST.