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Post by tapsgator on Nov 8, 2022 10:49:26 GMT -5
BTW, I saw more of your "one or two reads, and then run" strategy going on yesterday. The result was 41 points. I hope we do this the rest of the year. I watched/listened Saturday as I drove around Atlanta from coaching gig to coaching gig. I happened to get to watch 2-3 drives end in the red zone and on 2 we didn't really take many chances and kicked FGs I believe. One he threw a TD. From the highlights though it is really hard not to marvel at his skillset. Jimbo is a self-righteous, idiotic, petulant narcissist (somebody's been reading their word of the day calendar), but he bought a good number of highly touted recruits, so Richardson who is bigger than Tim Tebow was literally running away from 5 star DBs like somebody hit the turbo button on a video game. The free throw line dunk at 6'3.5 240 is beyond insane. The way the ball comes out of his hand with just the flick of his wrist I never thought we'd see somebody who was better suited for the Meyer spread option attack than Cam Newton, but I'll be damned if AR isn't a better fit. Cam didn't get caught from behind and obviously was more polished for his year at Auburn, but he didn't pull away from 5 stars and wasn't as freakishly built and fast. Similar arm strength, maybe give Cam a very slight edge. It always baffled me that Mullen at the very least allowed for the impression that Brantley was 2nd string behind Tebow when Cam was here. Of course when Cam came out of JUCO he was the head coach at the school that tried to pay Cecil off and turned in Auburn when they got outbid, but nevertheless. So, at this point Dan Mullen has on some level passed on the two QBs who could have been created in a lab for "his" offense. With Cam I think he knew he was leaving and didn't care because he's a douchebag. With AR I think after he had success with the Kyles and Toney (none of whom he recruited) he decided his knew "pro style" sling it around the yard had essentially qualified him as a hot NFL head coaching candidate if only in his own mind. So why would he want to "revert back" to an offense that high school kids want to play in and is fun to watch? Recruiting doesn't matter when you're a genius and who needs the fans? Doesn't make sense but since it's Dan Mullen I'm sure he's just way smarter than everybody else and playing chess while us idiot Gator fans that his wife hates when she's not molesting players play checkers. Or maybe he's just a douchebag. I'm sure I'll figure it out at some point but it'll take a lot of time because I lived in Gainesville and have never even been to Starkville Mississippi which as I understand it is like Paris with more cowbells.
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Post by tapsgator on Nov 7, 2022 12:26:54 GMT -5
Yeah I'd like Justin Fields to slow his roll a little bit, he came out way more polished than AR but not as physically gifted which is insane because Justin Fields ran a 4.45 and has a cannon. If he continues to excel using mainly his legs and Richardson keeps averaging 10+ yards per carry even with sack yardage counting against him you could get a rebuilding and/or run first team chomping at the bit. The idea of Richardson back there instead of Malik Willis would have to be appealing to a team like Tennessee or the idea of having the most exciting physical prospect since Cam learning at the feet of the great Jared Goof might be something that Lions fans would get behind. Washington wants to be run first and Riverboat Ron won 3 straight division titles and went to the Super Bowl with Cam before Newton started wearing bonnets and dresses (nothing wrong with that, live your life Cam).
Again, in no way, shape, or form does Richardson's current resume or on-field product look like a Fields, Newton, or Lamar Jackson but the tools do, and nobody has lost any money over-estimating the ego/narcissism of NFL front offices.
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Post by tapsgator on Nov 4, 2022 11:31:25 GMT -5
I would say there is no way in hell a real NFL franchise would take Richardson as the #2 QB prospect, but Jamarcus Russell was once drafted to play that position. Yeah, I mean he'll go, and probably higher than he should, if he declares just because NFL coaches and GMs are largely egomaniacs who think they can coach up anything and there's not many years where the biggest, fastest, and strongest arm are all in one package. The only draft I can think of is Cam. Was going to say Josh Allen but Lamar Jackson was in that class. With all that, I still don't know if he'll get into the first round this year. I know some people think he'd go undrafted but there's no way he gets out of the third round. It only takes one front office to fall in love with potential and somebody will most likely take a flier in the first 100 picks. Thing is, if he comes back and shows any improvement whatsoever, even if it's just calling more runs or looking to run more, his stock immediately becomes mid to late first round, if he shows moderate improvement with better accuracy and/or touch, he becomes a top 10 pick, and if he shows good improvement he'll go 1 overall. That was Napier's pitch after Utah game and I don't see any reason why it should/would change. So, I really hope he comes back. If I was his agent being totally objective (because my money is linked to his) I think the smart play is definitely coming back to UF if he has faith in the staff and they commit to designing an offense and calling plays that showcase his strengths. If he doesn't think they can turn it around, I'd say go to a school with a proven QB developer, most obvious would be Riley at USC but he'd have to wait a year behind Williams, so right now I'd say it would come down to Ohio State (inside track), Alabama, and Tennessee (that would be my pick based solely on his future). Wherever he would potentially go they'll pay him big NIL money and start a Heisman campaign for him out of the gate. That may bring Miami into play as well. We need to make sure he feels that the best place is Gainesville. Should have the inside track since it's his hometown, but it's a new world and it remains to be seen if we're going to adjust to the new rules or just bitch about the unfairness of it all.
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Post by tapsgator on Nov 4, 2022 11:14:43 GMT -5
Anybody else click the side story on the first Pierce link? Felipe Franks turning heads with Atlanta Falcons as a tight end. Story is 2 + months old, now I have to see how that played out Falcons roster wise. He made it, not really ever playing at TE, but gets a few snaps. Mainly a way to carry 3 QBs and he is the holder.
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Post by tapsgator on Nov 3, 2022 13:55:00 GMT -5
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Post by tapsgator on Nov 3, 2022 11:30:11 GMT -5
Probably the best and most thorough piece I have read on this board. Very well done. We should probably give you your own weekly post-game summary spot. Thanks Mo. Somehow found time in between coaching and what passes for working these days to get to one. Next one will be FSU on Black Friday. I hope it goes better.
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Post by tapsgator on Nov 2, 2022 9:49:53 GMT -5
AR is not the answer. We need to groom a new QB next year. I remember a time not too long ago when people were saying that Dan Mullen should be fired for not starting Richardson. Mullen gave UF plenty of other reasons, but in retrospect this one is amusing. Gonna have to agree to disagree, particularly after watching a game in person and when I've seen the film breakdowns. Anthony Richardson is raw and flawed, but he's literally better at everything football related than Emory Jones. Mullen should absolutely have started him. He's bigger, faster, has a stronger arm, and is just as accurate probably moreso. Emory would have thrown at least 3-4 picks on Saturday and would have missed the throw to Henderson which wouldn't have been there in the first place because they wouldn't have come up to try to help in the run game. The two deep balls to Shorter (one catch and the other should have been caught and was interference) would have been under thrown and picked. I'm guessing with the number of hits we gave up Emory probably would have fumbled a time or 3 as well. I'm glad Mullen is gone, but in Meyer's system with designed QB runs that bring guys into the box and then freeze them so you can go over the top Richardson would be a big play machine and Heisman contender especially if he still had Copeland who left (along with multiple other starters) because Mullen was allowed to stick around and poison the well. It also would have been nice for Richardson to get some meaningful reps since there's no substitute for live bullets. What's done is done. Hopefully Richardson can stay healthy and doesn't leave. Somebody will draft him in this current incarnation but a first round pick is heavy for a flier. I think he was healthy going into the UG game. To their credit, the UG defense did exactly what they were told to do, and went for his legs on the first play. He didn't shake that off for the entire first half. In the second half, he played good considering the level that UG defense plays at. He played his best game against UT, in a losing effort. If we could get that from him consistently, we'd all be happy campers. ALL THAT SAID, our defense is terrible. TERRIBLE. Ranked 117th in yards/game and 93rd in scoring. This is what really got the ball rolling to dump Mullen, and here we are again, only worse. I know, I know the HBC has total confidence in him. And I know they are not his guys, blah blah blah. This shit has to get fixed before I get too worked about a QB that plays every game from a 2 or 3 TD deficit. This. Between the transfers (again why we let Mullen keep coaching I will never know) and the fact that Mullen didn't care enough to recruit once he didn't get the NFL job he felt so entitled to, we have maybe 4 players on defense (Dexter, Marshall, McLellan, and Torrance) who would get snaps at UGA and none that would start. I don't think they would give scholarships to at least 6 of our starters. McLellan for some reason struggles to get snaps but would probably get some rotational work to get experience at UGA because they do that instead of starting an ineffective or disinterested upper classmen. Our starting Defense is probably not as good as their scout team. On offense our line is good. Theirs is better. Etienne is a superstar but wouldn't stand out and would have to wait his turn. None of our receivers would play for Georgia which allows a really talented front 7 to constantly come downhill . I'm not gonna bother mentioning tight ends, they've got the best room in the country, maybe in the history of college football, we're using a converted DE in our regular rotation. I'm guessing there's a worse TE room somewhere in the country but I haven't seen it. That's where we're at. We're not close. Tim Tebow was the best college football player ever. He would not have changed the outcome of any of our games other than Kentucky and even then it would require vastly different play calling and possibly a complete systemic overhaul. I don't think that's Napier's deal. Which I'm good with, it's the Jimmys and Joes not the Xs and Os now more than ever. Just need to start hitting homeruns on the recruiting trail because solid doubles isn't going to cut it. Not after what we've seen the last 2 games.
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Post by tapsgator on Nov 1, 2022 13:02:59 GMT -5
He supposedly tried to fight a position coach, called Napier a cajun Willie Taggart (points for wit anyways), and said the program would be better off with Mullen (deduct those wit points for stupidity). He's a selfish player on and off the field. The next time he sets the edge in run support will be the first. Evidently he wasn't content to crash his draft stock by being locked up by every draft able offensive lineman he faced he wanted to remove any doubt that he's a prima Dona and head case in case people thought the UGA rumors pre-transfer weren't true. Gonna be one of the more talented guys to go undrafted I think.
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Post by tapsgator on Nov 1, 2022 12:56:20 GMT -5
Our bad is even worse than I thought from watching TV. Here's what jumped off:
- our receivers cannot separate downfield. At all. They were blitzing and playing single coverage and Richardson had one decent window and he hit is for the long TD. Those are the throws that make him a potential first rounder. I assumed he was making bad choices and not processing based on telecasts, and that is true, but there's also nobody open. Ever.
- Desmond Watson should not play in the SEC until he weighs less than 400 lbs. I really don't understand now because McLellan is coming on and was our best lineman on Saturday, and I don't think it was close. When he lines up and Dexter plays inside we gave a good offensive line some problems. Yet when we pulled to within 8 good ole 21 waddled back out and they ran right at him for: 11, 20, 8, and 22 yard TD. There was a run outside that lost 2 and a play that took 7 seconds to develop for Stetson to throw a duck to a wide open guy running across the middle. 4 plays, 61 yards, all at Watson's gap.
- How is it that without us blitzing Bowers (who is their best offensive player by far) is always single covered? He made one lucky/amazing catch in a kinda tight window although the ball was under thrown, but other than that he was open on every play. If Bennett didn't suck he would have had 2-3 more TDs.
- Richardson was limping after the first play, but when are we going to say fuck it and start running a 6'4 240 lbs. guy who runs a 4.4? We designed some QB runs out of halftime, and I'll be damned the offense actually looked good. Also he has not gotten hurt on one designed run this year. It's been in the pocket or as he gets dragged down and/or hit low. If Napier is so married to his system that the best physical prospect since Cam Newton is not a fit, then start/play someone else. Stop trying to run the Kyle and Kadarius show offense with Anthony Richardson and bad receivers.
- The misdirection throws to the flat weren't just unsuccessful it was a constant loss. Running up the middle and throwing to the outside was 90% of the game plan. Neither had any chance of success. The other 10% got solid results.
- Richardson has the best arm in the country and is the best runner at QB. One read, two tops, and take off. Every time. And once he starts running just run, no need to keep your eyes downfield. Other than Piersall our receivers have no idea what to do in a scramble drill and no ball skills, Shorter was just running down the field on that deep ball off the scramble in the first half, I don't think he saw it until it was halfway to him. It was still interference but damn. Also, I've never seen wide receivers at the college level (or even good high school teams) back peddle so much. I think my kid runs through a ball better than half our receivers and he's a 13 year old back up Defensive Tackle.
- It's brutally simple, when Richardson plays the right way this year he's been awesome. When he hasn't he's dog shit and as crazy as it is to say Jalen Kitna (who was a 4 star solely because of his last name or he would have been a 3) is probably a better player. It's asking a race horse to pull a wagon. Results are consistent. I think everybody knew what he was coming into the season, but if somehow he looked more ready to work progressions in practice it should have been obvious in week 3 that it didn't translate to Saturdays. At that point it is on the coaches to adjust either the play calling/approach or change personnel. The former would seem to be the play as there's a much higher ceiling and more realistic paths to success.
- I think Etienne is the better back generally and we should figure out a way to get him on the field with Johnson so he's out there at all times, but if you can't run up the middle and you've got 2 guys that can play at a speed that allows a chance for success you should have them both on the field as much as possible in Etienne's case and run Richardson.
- Trey Dean. I mean at this point what more can you say? I will say he played his best game of the year, but watching a 6th year senior make the same mistakes a younger guy would have a chance to learn from is maddening.
There was some good:
- Jason Marshall will be an All-American corner and first round pick. Shemar James is about 10 lbs. and 6 games experience from being a star at LBer. McLellan showed out. I would like to get more looks at the young guys and less Desmond Watson (until he loses 40 lbs.) and no more Trey Dean. I have a feeling that Toney gets another year, and I'm not optimistic, but at least Cox wrote himself out of the equation by calling Napier a "cajun Willie Taggart" which is wittier than I would have thought. - If Richardson comes back and can be coached into playing the right way he could have a Cam Newton season. He's always the most physically gifted guy on the field and when he plays the right way even Georgia was on their heels. - Etienne is Reggie Bush. Worst case scenario he's his brother. That's not bad.
Short story long, I think we have a coaching staff that can restore the program IF they get 2-3 top 5 classes in here. At this points classes should all be calculated including transfers both brought in and lost. If we don't I think we will seriously struggle to contend for even a 12 team playoff. I don't think we're going to be out scheming anybody, but neither do the Alabamas, Georgias, Clemsons, and Ohio States of the world. Coaching in college at this point is about 60% recruiting, 25% development, and maybe 15% gameplan/scheme. That 15 is probably too high if you look at it objectively.
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Bummer
Oct 28, 2022 9:53:45 GMT -5
Post by tapsgator on Oct 28, 2022 9:53:45 GMT -5
gatorswire.usatoday.com/2022/10/27/florida-football-recruiting-cormani-mcclain-commitment-miami-hurricanes/That's a bummer. Cristobal is building quite the roster for whoever comes after him. Gonna be a bitch if they can actually coach. Zookian. It feels like our NIL ducks still aren't quite in a row because we keep losing at the 11th hour on the 5 star kids. Can't have a top 5 class without at least one 5 star, and it's really tough to win without at least one top 5 class on your roster unless you kill it in the portal. If he had picked Alabama I would say it wasn't NIL based but there's only one reason for a kid from Lakeland to go to Miami over UF.
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Post by tapsgator on Oct 17, 2022 13:19:38 GMT -5
Right now our Defense is overmatched both personnel wise and schematically. LSU had not scored 21 points going into the 4th quarter before Saturday. They had 42 against us.Tennessee has considerably less talent on that side of the ball and held LSU to 13 points. The disparity is obvious. On the personnel side we have upper classmen that include a DT with a 1st round grade, a LB with a 3-5, a DE with a 2-3 and even some late 1 buzz, and a FS with a 2-4. For some reason Desmond Watson is starting and receiving regular reps at 430 lbs. program weight. He really does very little although when he makes a play it's impressive that someone that size is athletic enough to pay SEC and that one time he threw a RB down one-handed. Doesn't offset the fact that he's a non factor in the passing game and they run into his gap almost at will. Oh yeah and once he's in you can't take him out because he can't get off the field fast enough. Trey Dean should not play anymore. He's the John Brantley of Defensive Backs. It's not even worth going into at this point. Toney is generally regarded as the DC even though there are co-coordinators on paper. He's also the safeties coach. It wouldn't be out of line for him to be fired today based on how his position group has performed and for the Defensive scheme and gameplans specifically. It seems like he hadn't watched film on LSU at all on Saturday. He not only played away from their weaknesses, he also seemed to play away from our strengths. Miller is a run stopping sideline to sideline LBer who should not be responsible for man coverage, yet there he was, running a step behind all night. Jaydin Hill got beat over and over and over again. The coverages were easily identified with simple motion and left holes up to and including the sticks on 3rd down. My sons 8th grade team plays down and distance better. These articles, grammatical ineptitude aside, sum it up accurately: hailfloridahail.com/2022/10/16/florida-football-patrick-toney/hailfloridahail.com/2022/10/16/florida-football-patrick-toney/I'm actually not overly upset because I knew this year was going to be uphill anyway and I think it will be a good fork in the road moment for Napier. Will he be Spurrier who would move on by firing or demoting coordinators or will he be Mullen who died on the Grant Ham hill? I'm not saying he needs to move on right this second or even this offseason (although I think promoting Raymond would both makes sense and be a boon to recruiting), but something needs to change. You can't beat talented teams (LSU is not good this year but they have talent) if you can't get off the field.
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Post by tapsgator on Oct 10, 2022 11:40:44 GMT -5
66 yards passing is not good. AR seems more solid when he is rolling out of pocket, moving his feet. Almost like he sees the field better. The last interception might have been avoided if he rolled out maybe. I'm no coach, this is just my observation. #23 Jaydon Hill of Huntsville Alabama hero of the game. Who knew?? Hard to put the turnovers on him because the first looked like an awful call and the second the ball bounced around a little bit, but I don't know whether it is coaching, something ingrained in him, if he's dinged up, or what but he only plays the style he should about 40% of the time. To be effective and beat good teams/defenses Richardson needs to play Cam Newton/Lamar Jackson/Tim Tebow football. One read, two at most, if it's not there take off. When he tries to play a Trask/Wuerrfel style it is a shitshow of epic porportions. He can't process information or throw with anticipation. He's not accurate especially once the wheels start spinning. He needs to see people open at this point in his development. Now, playing the right style does leave him open to injuries, but most serious injuries to QBs happen in the pocket. And while it's true that there's not much behind him at all, Miller is back and honestly if you want a guy to go through progressions and manage the game from the pocket I think any of the QBs on the roster are probably better at it than AR because they've had to play that style coming up. It's like asking Usain Bolt to run a marathon. That's not who he is and anybody who has trained their whole life and was good enough to make a SEC roster will pull away from him. Who knows what's going on behind the scenes, maybe they are telling him to work through progressions or maybe they're saying let it all hang out, but he looks crossed up out there. If he's ever going to fulfill his potential and get close to his ceiling which is a consensus top 5 pick and probably #1 overall, he is going to have to let it all hang out and play aggressive. Let's hope it's in there and Napier and company can get it out.
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Post by tapsgator on Oct 10, 2022 11:26:53 GMT -5
I can't help but wonder what could have been if Stricklin had moved faster on Mullen instead of letting him continue poisoning the shallow well. Our linebacking core could have been: Diabate, Hopper, and Miller. Copeland would be helpful as a down the field threat since Richardson has a huge arm but struggles to throw with anything resembling anticipation. Allowing Mullen to stay in place when he clearly had neither the motivation nor the ability to build anything longterm set the program back another year in my opinion.
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Post by tapsgator on Oct 10, 2022 11:16:16 GMT -5
Ok. So why the hell would Napier call two timeouts on the Mizzous FG at the end of the first half just to let the clock run out when they got the ball back? I do not understand his TO/ clock strategy at all sometimes. Why not take at least one shot at the end zone there? You burned two timeouts to preserve clock? Pretty weak sauce imho. Scared money if I’ve ever seen it. I'll say it, and this is as a fan and a believer, his in game coaching has been pretty miserable at times, most notably Tennessee (which was bad but not terrible) and the end of the first half Saturday which was awful. It is tough to change personnel and kick a 40 yard field goal in 20 seconds. There was absolutely no reason to stop the clock there unless you're thinking about a 15 yard pass and then a Hail Mary or two shorter passes and a long FG which I would question given the state of our kicking game. It could have bit him in the ass big time. Even if they miss the kick you still get the ball at damn near the exact same spot with the same amount of time. Taking the second "ice the kicker" timeout was even stupider/more confusing and made me think "yeah his plan is, there is no plan." If you're going to try to score there (the only reason to use the first TO) you need that timeout to be able to use the middle of the field. The good news is, and this definitely falls into the believer and fan category, I think he will figure it out quickly because he seems pretty accountable.
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Post by tapsgator on Oct 7, 2022 10:01:34 GMT -5
If Richardson stays healthy and doesn't play scared I think we win a shootout. If not Mizzou will ugly it up and run the ball if they're in front. We can't come back if Richardson is limited or hesitant. He'll never be a guy who beats people strictly from the pocket. I think/hope that the Kentucky and South Florida games were reality checks for him and the staff. If he plays not to get hurt we are a 4-5 win team. We're just as bad with him playing scared as we would be with a backup. If he lets it hang out and just plays we've got a punchers chance against good teams and should steamroll bad ones. I think maybe the Defense wakes up a little bit (especially if Dean doesn't play) and we go over 38-17.
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Post by tapsgator on Sept 27, 2022 9:52:04 GMT -5
I'm not putting this on Napier, but I just realized in the last calendar year we are 1-7 in the SEC with a lone win against Vandy. We've lost 7 straight. Last year aside from UGA none of the losses were to ranked teams. The end of 2020 was when Mullen was riding highest and decided to throw his hat in the ring (largely unsolicited) for NFL jobs. We closed that year with 3 straight losses including 2 in the SEC. I knew he sucked, but NFL Dan really did a number on the program. All while Stricklin was playing his fiddle and ignoring sexual harassment in other sports.
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Post by tapsgator on Sept 27, 2022 9:41:17 GMT -5
I hate that chart. At it's core I know that the numbers can be supported, and generally I like analytics, but the over-reliance on them seems to hurt more than it helps. I know we were on the road, etc., but it's not like we had been lights out on short yardage and in the red zone. If we were blowing them off the ball and could run at will it would have been one thing, but where you are consistently going to 4th down (meaning you aren't converting third downs) and as a team you're averaging 3 yards a carry I think you should kick.
That said, even when I disagree with the decision at least there's a method to the madness these days. Unlike, oh for instance, giving a guy who is starting in the NFL as a rookie less than 10 carries per game when your passing game is a joke.
On Defense I think we might as well really go full youth movement. Dean has been bad for so long now it's an indictment of the previous regimes that he's still playing at all much less among the team leaders in snaps. And it's not just blown coverages, he's been bad in run support, like epically bad, which is supposed to be his strength. On Saturday Torrance who is supposed to be the safety with good ball skills and doesn't drop down into the box had 11 tackles and 2 assists. Dean had 3 tackles and 3 assists. So even his "strength" has become a liability. There's no reason for him to be out there. I'd be okay with blown coverages from Freshman and Sophomores, but this is his 6th year. 6 YEARS. And he's still blowing coverages like that. Inside there are times when our supposed top 15 talent is replaced by a 430 lbs. guy that cannot move laterally. Nobody can at that weight. The stench of Grant Ham is still all over this defense, maybe turn over the personnel to the extent possible to wash it off.
We're going with Co-coordinators at DC one of whom is a career position coach with a good resume but no DC experience to draw from and the other (who seems to be the lead dog) is in charge of the safeties (clearly the worst position group so far) and has a year of DC experience at Lousiana and a resume that doesn't really qualify him for the position. It seems like Raymond who is our best recruiter with the best reputation makes more sense at DC than either of them, but he hasn't been with Napier so maybe this is a feeling out year. The Defense has not appeared well coached so far, but I don't think you can do a 1 year leash with how bad things had gotten, but if it doesn't improve I wouldn't be surprised at all with a staff shuffle of responsibilities at the very least.
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Post by tapsgator on Sept 25, 2022 21:25:10 GMT -5
Also, in the last 2 games Gervon Dexter has 1 tackle. Desmond Watson has been more impactful. That’s difficult to say it very true
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Post by tapsgator on Sept 25, 2022 21:22:41 GMT -5
Even in his 6th season and his 4th number Trey dean still can’t play. I feel like maybe he doesn’t understand football
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Post by tapsgator on Sept 20, 2022 11:53:17 GMT -5
Yeah but will he show up in costume around Halloween and be a condescending douchebag? Actually, if he shows up in a Dan Mullen costume and starts patronizing reporters and quoting the most random stats possible we should build the guy a fucking statue.
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Post by tapsgator on Sept 20, 2022 11:50:36 GMT -5
Richardson is a different QB when he's feeling healthy versus when he's tweaked. Pre-scramble in the third quarter he was starting to look like he did against Utah. After he came up gimpy he started missing 10 yard throws by 5 yards, wasn't looking to run, and generally playing white dude at a wedding football (off-rhythm). Results, predictably, were way more Kentucky than Utah. The issue I have is he seems to be injury prone, and if even tweaks lead to a complete breakdown of mechanics and approach, he either needs to play a different style or learn to play through it because we haven't got shit behind him. For this season, and really this season alone because with NIL and the portal turnarounds are accelerated, we can fall back on "a win's a win." Next year it won't be good enough, and Napier knows it. Not sure how you practice playing through and injury as a mobile QB, but somehow he has to flip that switch to realize his potential.
Also, maybe it's just me, but Dexter looks fat, and objectively his impact has been limited to say the least. Guy was hyped as a sure fire first rounder and probably top 10-15 pick. We've heard his name way too infrequently so far. He has to dominate.
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Post by tapsgator on Sept 15, 2022 10:38:44 GMT -5
I think there will be days like this this year. I think/hope that Richardson's lack of running (designed and otherwise) was based on a tweak early in the game that will resolve by the Tennessee game. Agree with STC on the body language and demeanor but that could be if he was playing on 1 good leg in his 3rd start. Let's hope so anyway, few yellow flags on his maturity already, but Mullen wasn't much of a developer in his time here (physically or psychologically).
On the bright side, it increases the chances he'll be back next year and get another full off season and camp(s) with an actual coaching staff. Etienne is going to be a good one. Our receivers are not good. Obviously Richardson was throwing the ball like crap, but without scheming them open and/or the threat of a 240 lbs. sledgehammer coming down field they cannot separate.
I'd consider moving Wright to receiver or using more 2 back sets just to get an extra threat on the field. Especially if Richardson is dinged up which takes away our most effective weapon/leverage point. He's gonna keep the WILL at home if there's a potential for him to pull it, and he freezes at least one safety when he's right. Even if they use a spy (and they will because Stoops can gameplan on defense and has a few horses) that guy can't crash like last week once they realized Richardson wasn't right.
I thought the first string Defense looked good. I still can't believe that the University of Florida is at a place where a guy generously listed at 430 who gained weight over the Summer when he was supposed to cut another 40 lbs. is getting snaps. Regularly. In meaningful situations. When he can't move laterally at all. Every time he's in for a regular rotation there's been at least one run into the A gap on 1st or 2nd down. But we are where we are I guess.
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Post by tapsgator on Sept 8, 2022 10:29:55 GMT -5
I think we should send a gift basket to Scott Woodward because he wanted to make a splash by getting a moron who fakes accents and had his ability to hire staff removed at Notre Dame 5 years ago (in exchange for not being fired) over the guy down the street with recruiting ties in the State, training under 2 top 5 coaches, and success on his own merits. This is going to fail so spectacularly and it couldn't happen to a nicer guy. A guy from Massachusetts faking a Cajun accent. Classic. I'm sure that the locals were amused. LSU broke the bank to get this idiot. His contract includes a $500K bonus for making a bowl game. Not a New Year's Six bowl. Not the national playoff. Any bowl game. They signed on for ten years of this to the tune of $100M plus bonuses which can reach $1.325M per season. I am floored by the bowl game clause. There are so many bowl games that over half the teams in FBS are invited to one. You don't even have to be at or above .500 to get to one. The buyout would be monstrous if they were inclined to think that way - and they will be. He didn't bother to try a Cajun accent. He just went straight Southern accent. What a donkey he is.
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Post by tapsgator on Sept 7, 2022 11:57:36 GMT -5
I think we should send a gift basket to Scott Woodward because he wanted to make a splash by getting a moron who fakes accents and had his ability to hire staff removed at Notre Dame 5 years ago (in exchange for not being fired) over the guy down the street with recruiting ties in the State, training under 2 top 5 coaches, and success on his own merits. This is going to fail so spectacularly and it couldn't happen to a nicer guy.
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Post by tapsgator on Sept 7, 2022 11:52:45 GMT -5
That was a great win. The offensive line can play. Physically Anthony Richardson is the #1 pick in the draft. If he stays healthy he'll go top 5. I'm sure Napier already knows it, but he's gone. The #12 prospect ranking by Kiper/McShay is about as low as I've seen even before he did anything. Confirms what we already knew as far as Mullen checking out. Etienne is better than advertised and the backfield is loaded. Wide Receivers looked good not great. Hopefully someone elevates as an over the top threat to open up the full playbook because Richardson can literally do everything on a football field.
Concerns are pretty much the same as I thought they would be. Depth, Depth, and Depth. Largely on Defense. The fact that we have a 430 (program weight) kid who gained 15 pounds (again in the program which means he probably gained 30 and weighs 445) between Spring Practice and the Season Opener getting meaningful snaps in the fourth quarter is funny but really an awful indictment of where Mullen left this roster. Every time he is in the game teams will run inside or off tackle. He can't move. I'd go tempo as well because he can't get off the field without a timeout. If Kentucky is smart (jury is out and Stoopes is a defensive guy) they'll exploit that. It sticks out in every which way. Utah is known for being physical up front, but they neutralized Dexter (1st round grade by most) & Cox (late 1/early 2) pretty good. Linebackers looked good. Dean had a great game but he's basically a LBer playing safety so this game was in his wheelhouse. At least he likes to hit and we're gonna need that at the second level it looks like. Torrance must have started tackling better in the second half, I had to listen to the first quarter and a half on radio. He'll be alright, snuck into the top 5 safety prospects on a lot of sites and scouting report is that scouts like his physicality. Again, behind those guys though we're really really green.
Lot to love about that gameplan and this team. With the transfers coming following from Louisiana and the seemingly 180 culture turnaround this is starting to feel a lot like early Urban Meyer minus the personality flaws. Hopefully we shore up the NIL organization and give Napier the support he needs in that area because I really think he's the guy and it's nice not to qualify my opinion on our coach with "I hope I'm wrong......." Go Gators.
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Post by tapsgator on Aug 30, 2022 13:24:20 GMT -5
Skittles needs to give Hawaii an NIL deal before I believe a win over the Rainbow Warriors is meaningful.
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Post by tapsgator on Aug 30, 2022 13:18:50 GMT -5
Frost is 15-30 at Nebraska. Pelini (who wasn't great by any means) was 67-27. Even Mike Reilly was 19-19. Frost left his recruiting bases in the two best states in the country for the athletes that thrive in his system (Oregon and the Nike money can always recruit Cali and Florida is Florida) so he could go home and be a hero in the middle of the heartland. Really bad move professionally, hope it worked out for him personally.
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Post by tapsgator on Aug 26, 2022 9:10:09 GMT -5
Spiraling at super speed. I just don't know how it corrects, I would say market correction but fans (especially super rich ones) are so delusional that even if they pay a kid in high school who never plays a down for their team they feel like they've "done something." If the kid hits? Next time someone will try to get the next big thing in middle school.
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Post by tapsgator on Aug 24, 2022 10:29:41 GMT -5
"Another Name, Image, and Likeness milestone came and went on Monday when KONGiQ Sports Performance and Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco, one of the top high school football programs in the nation, announced they had entered into a NIL agreement. Every player in the St. John Bosco program will earn money in exchange for posting content on social media and on the KONGiQ app. While the deal isn't expected to be nearly as lucrative as the reported NIL deals for top 2023 prospects, this is a huge deal for high school players around the country. Bosco's NIL deal is believed to be the first of its kind and more are coming. Remember when everybody was flipping out about the alleged $1 million deal Travis Hunter got from Jackson State? Now five-star quarterback Nico Iamaleava allegedly has a $7 or $8 million NIL deal. Expect the value of these team-wide NIL deals to go up too. Right now there are fewer than 20 states that allow high school athletes to sign NIL deals. Of the four big recruiting hotbeds (California, Florida, Texas, and Georgia), California is the only one that will let prospects capitalize on their Name, Image, and Likeness. As these team-wide NIL deals get more and more valuable, expect players from around the country to start transferring to these schools. Dozens of top prospects already transfer to another state during each offseason but it will be interesting to see how quickly other states fall in line if dozens of top prospects from one state start transferring to another." source: www.n.rivals.com/news/three-point-stance-mid-atlantic-predictions-nil-teams-on-a-tear?ga_source=cmThe South needs to catch up here or else Lincoln Riley will wind up reeling off national championships. I'm sure they will. And it's not IF dozens of prospects change states, it's when. It won't be long before 90% of rising 5 stars take money to go to prep schools in California. If the kid is good enough they'll move their whole family out, and once they're out there it's gonna be hard to get them back.
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Post by tapsgator on Aug 15, 2022 11:30:11 GMT -5
a coach that gets it and sees this as a destination rather than a stepping stone. I'm really starting to like him. Love this: www.saturdaydownsouth.com/florida-football/billy-napier-speaks-about-recruiting-momentum-this-is-certainly-a-sign-that-were-gaining-traction/Specifically this part: “We’re going to be diligent, we’re going to be consistent,” Napier said. “I think we’ve got an incredible product to sell in the University of Florida that comes with that. There’s history here, there’s tradition here. There’s an elite education experience here. We have an alumni network that can help position our players for success when football’s over. We have one of the best game days, if not the best game day venue in all of sports. I think we’ve got a prime location.” That he mentions several times consistency of effort and diligence in following through tells you all you need to know about his predecessors and how we fell out of realistic national relevance. This is how we get back. Growing pains are fine as long as there's growth.
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