There is only one way UP

[NaffGutts]

Here is my rant ...

Everyone knows our strengths and weaknesses on the field. Everyone has seen our improvements in each and every game thus far, on one side of the ball or other. But here is where it should get you excited, and doubt less of our Gators. I know everyone would want to think of a National Title, but rational thinking and facts sometimes gets in the way of our fantasy lol, this is where I come in.

Our defense is winning games, you can't deny it. It's one thing to have a game or two that you come from behind and rally a win, it becomes coincidence. It's another thing to do it week in, week out, every game, this is when it becomes something special. To us it's awesome to watch, and experience. We go on the emotional roller coaster from what seemed like an impending loss, to feeling the rush when we take the lead late. But to our guys, and by guys I mean Gator Players, it's proving that they refuse to stop now, they won't pity themselves and just accept it. They are proving that they know what it feels like to be down, and even in that moment, they refuse to allow it to happened, refuse to stop, and refuse to be denied something that hasn't been determined yet. This to me, speaks volumes on our Defense, and I think most of us realize it. Our offense on the other hand, is struggling at times and not performing where we would like them to be at. Unlike our Defense, there are plenty of areas to be poked, prodded, dissected, and analyzed. Each game I see improvement with them, just not as much as our Defense. But you have to think about it like this, only one thing can change, our Defense is established and, in my opinion, is in the Top 5 in the Nation. As far as the Offense, there is only one way it can go guys, and that's up. Could you imagine a Gator team that moves the ball on every possession, and because of this allows our Defense to rest and save energy, could you seriously imagine that team right now? How feared other teams would be going into a game with us? I promise that Muschamp can imagine it, I bet our mature seniors that have been from the 2008 highs and the last 2 year lows can imagine it. I can imagine it, hell, I can imagine it so bad that I'm expecting to see it any game now. When this does happened, and not if but WHEN, we will find something else to talk about. Until then, I'll be here to pick up any doubt you have, whether its from being rational, realistic, or just assuming because they said it on Sports Center.

Winning doesn't have to be pretty, it just has to be realized, our guys have figured one of them out so far, wait for the other.

 

[Escambia94]

Winning does not have to be pretty, but the Gators need balance on offense in order for me to imagine the boys going unscathed against SC, UGA, and FSU.

 

[NaffGutts]

i thought the same thing at half time versus Texas A&M, Tennessee, and LSU. If our defense plays anything like it did against LSU then any of the teams you mentioned will be hard pressed to find the endzone.

But my whole point was, our offense can only get better, and when it does it's going to be hard for any team we face to keep the scoreboard close.

 

[Leakfan12]

Winning does not have to be pretty, but the Gators need balance on offense in order for me to imagine the boys going unscathed against SC, UGA, and FSU.

Agreed though UGA got lit up by Scar and FSU blew it against NC State. SCar, not sold on them (depends how they do against LSU). Even if they get through that there's still Bama in the SEC title game unless they lose.

 

[Dale J. Rodriguez]

IF our O comes to play, we can challenge for a national championship.

However, Gators I am looking forward to next year, when these guys mature, and grow up. I can honestly say that I am impressed, I do not want them to loose any more games; but we are going to have a great year, regardless of what happens.

But next year is going to be nuts if we have no injuries and we grow stronger.

 

[Escambia94]

Next year is looking up. The recent success and national attention is finally drawing some offensive high school recruits to Florida. No official flips and commits yet, but there is a buzz stirring. (Let's not get ahead of ourselves just yet.)

This year is looking promising, but I will try to remain cautiously optimistic. This style of play from the Gators is new to the Gator Nation, so we are not sure how well it will work against all teams.

 

[mjfan23]

Right now Driskel is a game manager... He gets limited throws, rarely makes a dumb decision (exception would be holding the ball to long), and hands off alot.

If this florida team wants to make some serious noise, hes going to have to get some chances. I think that time is coming soon. Either way the future is looking bright and driskel continues to impress me.

 

[NaffGutts]

Why are we talking about next year only 5 games into the season? i understand the excitement for it, but lets go, lets talk shit, pummel Vandy into the dirt and wipe the Swamp with some Gamecocks, then we can finish the regular season off by scalping a Seminole

 

[DRU2012]

After exactly the kind of "roller coaster rides" spoken of above (and why deny it? We were all goin' thru' it together--all you have to do is go back and skim over the GameDay threads to see that every one of us, myself for SURE, was at various times--especially in the first half--hopeless, frustrated, disgusted, and ready to quit, so far down that when our team finally DOES begin to pull things together later in games we're slow to believe in them), these dominant 4th qrtr "drives to victory" have seemed almost accidental, a surprise at the end.
In truth, though, we are coming to see now that at least ONE big part of our offense, and the philosophy behind it, IS working: with our O-line and the right guy running behind them, we are more and more able to "assert our will" on the opposing defense. With that in mind, our coaches' determination to run the ball early and often is paying dividends in the 2nd half, exactly as intended. That and our conditioning program under Dillman has the whole team playing stronger, with greater stamina than last year's squad (and that of the teams we are facing, too), allowing us to keep coming, taking control on offense and eventually posting a lead that likewise the defense can hold in the 4th qrtr.
We all see the missing pieces though, even if they haven't cost us a game yet. The widest and most glaring of these is of course in the passing game: We have the right OC now, and seem at least to have the necessary pieces in order to mount a credible short- and medium-range ball-control passing attack that might well complement our running game, even if we haven't seen much trace of it on-the-field in games as of yet. Frustrating and worrisome as I may find that personally, seeing it as a dangerous gap whose disuse will cost us sooner rather than later, of even more concern is our obvious inability to go long. This isn't a matter of our young quarterback being unable to get it there (he was the highest-rated passer in the nation his graduating year in high school), but simply that not one of our already thin group of wide receivers has stepped forward to become a reliable and consistent target for him downfield. Well, we better start working out a practical plan, some alternative scheme from Pease's creative mind to move the ball OVER them IN THE AIR when they load the box to stop our running game--and we need to employ it now, see it in action against a decent SEC-defense BEFORE we find ourselves in a dogfight, behind against a high-scoring offense whose defense IS over-committing to the run, and us still not sure if OUR passing offense, in whatever form it takes, can in practice break that "press". Moreover, if we fail to find a credible long threat, a consistent playmaker who gives our QB and offense that stretch-the-field option, I strongly suspect that sooner or later it will cost us, when we need to get down-the-field quickly in order to score and pull out a game.
There's one more important point NaffGutts makes, one we'd all do well to remember and bear in mind: Even while we discuss all the things that are missing that prevent this Gator team from being as of yet a Championship-caliber squad, by all the signs and results thus far this team is not only vastly improved over last year, it is by now a very good team in its own right, well-ahead of where I thought we had any right to expect them to be at this point. Good as they are clearly "going to be in seasons ahead", as much as possible let's not forget to appreciate and enjoy the great leaps and bounds they are making right now, and our pride in what they achieve THIS year on its own terms.