Orange and Blue Game

[g8rfan]

Anyone watch it? I didn’t get to. Just wondering how it looked. I’m bored.

[wahhappen]

I didn't see the entire game but caught a recap and highlights. It's difficult to gather much intel based on the way that game is set up, but to me it looked like Lagway is a playmaker limited by the offense. Mertz looked comfortable in the offense and limited by his ability. I think if you give Lagway Trey Wilson, he would have looked even better. The final score was misleading because the Orange team missed several kicks, and the clock had run out when the Blue team made the last field goal.

It definitely had a better feel than last year's game, but basically seemed like the same thing we've come to appreciate... rack up a bunch of yards in between the twenties and then kick. I am sure it was a great day for football though, and we saw a lot of maturity and growth since January as always.

[tapsgator]

Didn't watch because I backed up leaving at 0600 for Augusta Friday AM with leaving at 0600 for Cedartown Georgia for a 14U travel softball tournament Saturday morning but here's what I've read:

gatorswire.usatoday.com/2024/04/14/florida-football-orange-and-blue-game-cbs-sports-takeaways/

www.onlygators.com/04/14/2024/florida-football-takeaways-dj-lagway-flashes-gators-work-in-progress-after-2024-orange-blue-game/

www.si.com/college/florida/florida-gators-spring-game-recap-dj-lagway

The last two are probably closest to objective, but this pretty much looks exactly like I expected, a little straw grasping mixed with some sunshine pumping. I'm still excited about Lagway, still think the notion that Mertz mentoring him is absurd to the point of hilarity, still think Napier needs to go back and work his way through remedial English classes Billy Madison style, and think it's going to be a really long year and the worst thing that could happen is anything resembling middle ground because the majority of Gator fans, the media, and the administration are a bunch of wimps and perfectly happy to keep going to the fertilizer store getting bullshit and then writing a 5 star google review.

[tapsgator]

Apr 15, 2024 9:51:21 GMT -5 wahhappen said:

I didn't see the entire game but caught a recap and highlights. It's difficult to gather much intel based on the way that game is set up, but to me it looked like Lagway is a playmaker limited by the offense. Mertz looked comfortable in the offense and limited by his ability. I think if you give Lagway Trey Wilson, he would have looked even better. The final score was misleading because the Orange team missed several kicks, and the clock had run out when the Blue team made the last field goal.

It definitely had a better feel than last year's game, but basically seemed like the same thing we've come to appreciate... rack up a bunch of yards in between the twenties and then kick. I am sure it was a great day for football though, and we saw a lot of maturity and growth since January as always.

I find it hilarious that on 2 kicks we lined up with 10 guys. Less is more except when it comes to analysts.

[wahhappen]

Apr 15, 2024 11:38:53 GMT -5 tapsgator said:

Apr 15, 2024 9:51:21 GMT -5 wahhappen said:

I didn't see the entire game but caught a recap and highlights. It's difficult to gather much intel based on the way that game is set up, but to me it looked like Lagway is a playmaker limited by the offense. Mertz looked comfortable in the offense and limited by his ability. I think if you give Lagway Trey Wilson, he would have looked even better. The final score was misleading because the Orange team missed several kicks, and the clock had run out when the Blue team made the last field goal.

It definitely had a better feel than last year's game, but basically seemed like the same thing we've come to appreciate... rack up a bunch of yards in between the twenties and then kick. I am sure it was a great day for football though, and we saw a lot of maturity and growth since January as always.

I find it hilarious that on 2 kicks we lined up with 10 guys. Less is more except when it comes to analysts.

At this point I had just assumed this was a part of our special teams strategy. Do we know if our special teams analyst was allowed to be on the field for the scrimmage?

[tapsgator]

x.com/GatorsFB/status/1779207294938747243


This is the stuff of nightmares for opposing coordinators.

As a DC, how can you hope to stop that level of arm talent and ability to drive the ball into tight windows? Especially since Head Coach of the Coaches of the Defensive Football of which he is the modern day Godfather and inventor of AND his fearless assistant/coachee/Defensive Coordinator in charge of coordinating the defense Titties McJiggles were so helpless to stop it?

Likewise as an OC how do you combat that coverage scheme and execution and hope to possibly move the ball in the air if you do not have the competitive advantage of Gutsy Graham Mertz and his laser accurate arm cannon? I don't think there's 5 people on the planet that can make that throw against that kind of pressure, and we have one of them. The bestest one.

[g8rfan]

Apr 16, 2024 12:50:20 GMT -5 tapsgator said:

x.com/GatorsFB/status/1779207294938747243


This is the stuff of nightmares for opposing coordinators.

As a DC, how can you hope to stop that level of arm talent and ability to drive the ball into tight windows? Especially since Head Coach of the Coaches of the Defensive Football of which he is the modern day Godfather and inventor of AND his fearless assistant/coachee/Defensive Coordinator in charge of coordinating the defense Titties McJiggles were so helpless to stop it?

Likewise as an OC how do you combat that coverage scheme and execution and hope to possibly move the ball in the air if you do not have the competitive advantage of Gutsy Graham Mertz and his laser accurate arm cannon? I don't think there's 5 people on the planet that can make that throw against that kind of pressure, and we have one of them. The bestest one.

Yikes.

[g8rfan]

If anyone is interested it looks like it will be on SEC network at 8pm Eastern tonight. I’m going to watch some of it. Just for shiggles.

[tapsgator]

Apr 17, 2024 14:38:33 GMT -5 g8rfan said:

If anyone is interested it looks like it will be on SEC network at 8pm Eastern tonight. I’m going to watch some of it. Just for shiggles.

I know not everything can be as exciting as that play or Desmond Watson being Desmond Watson, but I heard Lagway looked pretty legit.

[g8rfan]

Apr 18, 2024 10:37:01 GMT -5 tapsgator said:

Apr 17, 2024 14:38:33 GMT -5 g8rfan said:

If anyone is interested it looks like it will be on SEC network at 8pm Eastern tonight. I’m going to watch some of it. Just for shiggles.

I know not everything can be as exciting as that play or Desmond Watson being Desmond Watson, but I heard Lagway looked pretty legit.

Lagway did look good. So he probably won’t play much.

[tapsgator]

Apr 18, 2024 11:07:33 GMT -5 g8rfan said:

Apr 18, 2024 10:37:01 GMT -5 tapsgator said:

I know not everything can be as exciting as that play or Desmond Watson being Desmond Watson, but I heard Lagway looked pretty legit.

Lagway did look good. So he probably won’t play much.

Of course not, he needs to see how a slow footed weak armed white guy manages the offense in order to develop properly. Next year he's probably going to play for Lane Kiffin or Texas A&M, I hope it's Kiffin. In Gainesville. Being Athletically Directed by Steve Spurrier.

[Rock Gator]

That TD pass was hilarious to watch. First read was the out pass, which to his credit, would have been a pick 6. Second read was the RB in the middle but was covered like a blanket. Third "read" was "Holy shit, there's a guy running free to the endzone! What do I do? Oh yeah, I'll throw it to him!". It was a reverse check down, nice! Hahaha!

[g8rfan]

Lagway looks fast as hell on the scramble too. Reminded me a lot of AR the first time I saw him play. Kind of has a slippery glide to him. So yeah, he probably won’t play much.