UAB prediction time

[News Bot]

Last week, I predicted the Gators would open their season with a 48-10 victory over Florida Atlantic. I didn’t get the score right, but I nailed the point difference — 38 points — so maybe I’ve got the feeling back after a lousy 2010 season picking Florida games.
Like John Brantley and Florida, my confidence is up.
Here’s my feeling on this game: It’s going to be a good test and a tough test that will get the Gators ready for the start of SEC play next week against Tennessee.
The UAB offense, led by senior quarterback Bryan Ellis, is going to have some success and score some points against Dan Quinn’s defense. Ellis has good skill players around him and he can really wing it, having thrown for almost 3,000 yards last season. This should be a great test for a young Florida secondary that is expected to start two true freshmen for the second week in a row. This is the kind of test those guys really need.
The Blazers have a new defensive coordinator, former Clemson and Memphis head coach Tommy West, and new excitement about slowing teams down this season, something they struggled with last season. UF offensive coordinator Charlie Weis doesn’t know exactly what to expect from the UAB defense, but he’ll come in with another great game plan and keep the Blazers off balance with his play-calling. I look for Weis to open up a little bit more of his playbook and I expect Brantley to be even sharper than a week ago, and get the wide receivers more involved in the passing game.
This should be a very entertaining game to watch — and a good one for the Gators.
Prediction: Florida 42, UAB 21.

Source: GatorSports.com - Robbie's Playbook

 

[DRU2012]

Even with Shariff still sitting (and the fact that HE doesn't get to face this more-competent offense is the practical downside of that overall travesty of a ruling), I would like to see us do a BIT better against the UAB offense than you predict--and the same for the defense. You may be right again, but I figure our "D" (already showing signs of rounding into a formidable unit) holds 'em to 13 points--and grabs a turnover, maybe two. Still not certain about what the offense is capable of: I like what I see thus far, especially in Brantley & Co.'s confidence and fairly smooth check-down efficiency, but I want to see more of that vertical game you mention--as I say, I'm hopeful based on the limited data, but JB IV has yet to show he can "do it when it counts". In addition to some additional wrinkles in the running game, I look for a few "shots" down the field...How about 45-13?

 

[DRU2012]

I was over at a friend's house earlier this evening, and he has recordings of just amazingly extensive variety and depth. This included a scouting overview of UAB last year, probably similar to what Charlie W. has been looking at the last few days at least, and it gave me pause as he took me thru' it: this team is well-coached, and gave a good account of itself in every game, it seemed, even though the record (4-8) might might cause you to overlook them. They gave at least 2 SEC-schools all they wanted, let me tell you: Tennessee--down, yes, but still talented and WE didn't exactly blow them off the field, if you'll recall--and MSU, who beat US in the Swamp (yeah, I don't like talking about it either, and I KNOW all the reasons we "coulda/shoulda" in that one), and they damn near beat them at THEIR place. Their coach has a Gator-connected background, and their staff knows what it's doing. All in all, I'm more well-informed than I was when I made my above prediction, and though I won't back away from it, I'm a bit more worried and cautious in how I approach this game. You can bet they'll try to take away what worked for us in Week 1--expect them to come up with a defensive scheme that tries to squeeze our speed in the running game. More than ever, I believe Brantley will HAVE to show he can throw it, and throw it long, in order to "stretch the field" and MAKE them back off...in other words, this time we may have to "throw to open up the run", at least to some extent early on. Now, there ARE different ways to do that, and a precision, rhythm medium-passing game can do the job, but can mean too many throws and too many opportunities for things to go wrong. It's OK as a change-up for a portion of a drive here and there, but nothing cracks this kind of "crowd-the-box" defense like a couple of well-thrown bombs. I think Weis is way ahead of this and it's in the game plan--and if it is and clicks, then my score still stands...but I'm more aware than I was of how and why this game is no "warm up with another patsy", but rather a good test for us at this point, just before starting SEC-play.

(PS--Added later:
Anyone who watched much of FIU/Louisville tonight will understand why on the one hand, beating FAU wasn't "nothing", and on the other, we DAMN well better not just assume UAB is beaten before they even GET to the Swamp...As we all know, Charlie Strong is a great defensive-minded coach who has his Louisville team "on the come" in the right direction, doing things the right way, but another young team came into their house looking for a "signature win", and GOT it tonight with composure, solid execution on both sides of the ball and one exceptional player that EVERYONE knew was their main weapon but who (for the second week in a row) "did it all" anyway. Now, FIU is MAYBE the SIXTH-best program in the state of Fla.?--seventh if you slot them AFTER FAU, which everyone would have until tonight, and still might. The obvious point here is, UAB comes into the Swamp in exactly the same frame of mind, with good coaching, more weapons than FIU, and having been aiming at this game for months. Now, we've got a "young" team too, but I trust our coaching, along with the way this whole team sticks together, works hard and takes care of business, to not fall into that trap. If they DO manage to smack us in the face, I expect THIS team to get up and smack 'em right back--then do it again...and again. That's one of the best things I saw from last week--and they may NEED it in this one, at least early.)

 

[Leakfan12]

I hope that JB 4 throws more touchdowns than interceptions this game. I'll predict 49-10.

 

[CaliZona_Gator]

I hope our starters stay on the field longer. I don't want to see Driskell until the 4th quarter.

I'm gonna go 38-10. Although I am hoping for something like 63-0.

Offensively I want to see some deep balls across the middle and consistency up the middle in the run game. As well as solid play from the O-line.

Defensively, nothing specific I can think of like with the offense. But I want no touchdowns scored against us. I want UAB to go 3 and out, a lot. I want consistent and solid play from the line, backers, and secondary.

 

[Escambia94]

Muschamp will keep the full offense under wraps. Instead of running six plays, he will run about ten. Muschamp probably realizes that there is no added value to running up the score 63-0, even though we can run up the score. We should run some limited tests of the vertical game, keep running Shake and Bake, and eating up opposing offensive lines for a conservative 32-10 win. I think JB4 throws for 220 yards again at 65% completion for 2 TDs. I think Jeff Driskel goes 6/10 for just under 100 yards and rushes for another 20 and a TD.

 

[DRU2012]

I like it! If you're CLOSE to right, our coach's main prob may be to keep our guys in the "one game at a time" frame of mind all the way to Tuscaloosa. After that "film session" mentioned above I'm a little more cautious: I''ll be real happy with my original 45-13 pick--and my warning re the tough-going early stands.

 

[Escambia94]

You never know. We could go conservative and still hang 45 on UAB without even trying.

 

[Swamp Person]

No points predicted by me. I'm just hoping WE all get the game we been wanting or needing. O well what the heck 35 -7 for me not much thought on my prediction. I just pulled it out my a$$. LOL Go Gators.

 

[Escambia94]

No points predicted by me. I'm just hoping WE all get the game we been wanting or needing. O well what the heck 35 -7 for me not much thought on my prediction. I just pulled it out my a$$. LOL Go Gators.

Just have fun with it. There are no correct answers, and there is no money on the table.

 

[DRU2012]

No points predicted by me. I'm just hoping WE all get the game we been wanting or needing. O well what the heck 35 -7 for me not much thought on my prediction. I just pulled it out my a$$. LOL Go Gators.

(laughing) "From your a$$ to God's ears"?

 

[CaliZona_Gator]

Swamp Person (35-7) & I (38-10) were both a combined 11 points off the actual score (39-0)

 

[Swamp Person]

Lol DRU it just sounded right. lol I'm not good with points. Close but no cigar.....

 

[DRU2012]

Naw, man--I loved it...