|
Post by tapsgator on Nov 29, 2022 10:13:46 GMT -5
I The opponent and their strengths didn't seem to have much bearing on what we did - leading me to conclude that perhaps there were things that we didn't know from week to week that prompted the coaches to go in different directions than maybe they wanted to at a particular time. This was the most perplexing thing to me, on both sides of the ball. I completely agree as far as giving him a lot of latitude, I won't go off on a tangent but I think the real problem is, and always has been, Scott Stricklin who goes straight back to Jeremy Foley the gift that keeps on giving. When Stricklin was hired here's your red flag quote (in addition to the fact that he was basically born and bred professionally in a city where their claim to fame is fucking cowbells): "Foley is not going anywhere: What was reported to be a reason some turned down the job with the Gators, Foley will remain with the program as emeritus athletic director/senior advisor to the president for at least the next five years. The reason this was presumably not much of an issue for Stricklin is that he and Foley have an existing relationship and get along quite well." Source: www.onlygators.com/09/27/2016/florida-hires-mississippi-states-scott-stricklin-as-athletic-director-what-you-need-to-know/With Foley came Stricklin and sure as the sun rising in the East Dan Mullen rode back into town full of douchebaggery, narcissism, and aspirations well beyond his ability. Nevermind that he trashed UF on his way out the door, had been on the hot seat in Starkville despite the low standard for success (come to Starkville where we've got low standards and low test scores! But we've got cowbells), and has made a career of trying to turn short-term success into stepping stones to "better" jobs. But I digress, we are where we are. Napier reminds me a decent bit of Kirby Smart with a slightly different coaching path. Now, as much as I hate to say it, Kirby is damn good and not afraid to set his ego aside and delegate on both sides of the ball. Kirby was 8-5 his first year but had more talent when he walked in the door, but the big swing was in year 2 and built on recruiting, here's his class ranks starting in 17: 3, 1, 2, 1, 4, 3. Last years 4 classes were 1,2,1,4 and this years are 2, 1, 4, 3. That's what Napier has to do because he's shown less as a head coach than Kirby. There are definitely growing pains for just about every head coach in their first year at a destination school. Seems like most make a big jump in year 2 if the cupboard is stocked and year 3 if the cupboard is bare. There are also guys who top out at year 2 when they can't restock the cupboard. I think year 3 will tell the tale on Napier, but definitely interested in what adjustments he makes from year 1 to year 2.
|
|
|
Post by tapsgator on Nov 28, 2022 22:20:34 GMT -5
Agree on the playcalling being every bit as big an issue, but that’s not on sale. Unless something has changed Napier is the play caller and the OC position is just a title. Sale is an Oline coach and a pretty damn good one. www.on3.com/college/florida-gators/news/billy-napier-discusses-play-calling-offensive-coordinator-florida-gators-coaching-staff-hires/Good news is there’s no way to dodge accountability. Bad news is between this and the PAT selections and timeout usage there’s plenty to account for. It’s not good when your superstar freshman’s older brother is tweeting in real time “just run the damn ball even if it’s trying it 1 time” and the universal reaction is “he’s not wrong.” It’s really not good when said brother became a first rounder at a school who could use a new RB and the transfer portal is a thing. Also agree on A/R. He absolutely shouldn’t leave and shouldn’t even be in consideration for 1st round slot. That said, 1) he may have the highest physical ceiling we’ve ever seen, closest would be Cam but richardson is faster and more explosive with just as good an arm 2) running QBs are killing it these days 3) most importantly, no money has ever been lost overestimating the egos of nfl GMs and head coaches. It only takes one to say “Dan Mullen is an asshole and Napier was over his skis, I can make this kid a franchise QB” Being completely objective if I was advising him I’d say go back to school and if you don’t trust the staff at UF enter the portal. I hate Ryan day and think he’s the most overrated coach not named Brian Kelly I’ve ever seen, but in that offense throwing to Marvin Harrison Jr who will be a top 5 pick in 24 and the top 2 WR recruits in the country (both from Florida btw) I could easily see a Heisman and 1/1 selection in 24. Against big 10 defenses? AR looks like he has a turbo button in the open field against teams like lsu. Now picture that but instead of 5 stars who are keying on him and will play on Sundays you’ve got 3 star kids from the Midwest who have to pick their poison. Doesn’t matter though, I suspect he’s heading to the draft. I wish him the best of luck, when he’s just letting it fly and playing he’s a lot of fun to watch. I hope somebody can get that out of him if it’s even in there. I don’t think anybody has any real clue what he is at this point. He’s not devoid of fault in that regard, but he has been dealt kind of a shitty hand
|
|
|
Post by tapsgator on Nov 28, 2022 13:53:57 GMT -5
FSU game was a little bit of a microcosm of the season as a whole. Started off well on offense, defense was porous but got a key turnover early, at halftime the other team(s) adjusted and we did not so we got blitzed out of the half and looked awful, pulled it together at the end but it wasn't enough. We were short-handed (especially and our most talented player was under-developed courtesy of the prior regime not being good at or caring about recruiting and development once Mullen thought he had punched his ticket to the NFL. That said, there were also some puzzling (to say the least) personnel, game planning, and in-game strategy decisions that fall squarely on this staff and need to be fixed ASAP if we want to return to national relevance. Couple thoughts
- I think this staff can recruit but based on the mixed results as far as development, our composite (recruits plus accounting for portal going both way) rank needs to be top 5 more often than not if we want to make even a 12 team playoff. For reference this year our talent composite was 12 in the country and we probably finished the season ranked somewhere in the 30s at best.
- I really cannot fathom our defensive approach starting at the development phase where the S&C department had at least 2 guys playing 40+ pounds too heavy. Moving on to game planning how we got beat by varying versions of the same QB from the real good (Hooker) to the kinda good (Daniels and Travis) to the ugly (the kid from Vandy who was benched 2 weeks prior), and never really adjusted even at halftime. While I understand and get why watching on TV it might appear that Travis was the superior QB on Friday, he wasn't. It's just impossible to describe the wide swaths of open grass that was readily available to him and their receivers unless and until you see it in person. For whatever reason we never put a spy on him. Didn't even try it. Richardson would have eviscerated that Defense because it played to his strengths and away from his weaknesses. Which is the other issue I have, we have a more physically gifted versions of the QBs that pushed our shit in. Watch tape on how teams took him out of his game, put him in a non-contact jersey at practice against the 1s and 2s on Defense. Anything really. Maybe they tried that in practice but in games it was the definition of insanity. Toney absolutely needs to go or have coordinator taken off his job title at the very least.
- It became very apparent that AR would not keep the ball on the read option. Maybe it was him, maybe it was the coaches trying to keep him healthy, maybe it was both, here's a crazy idea: Stop calling it. If you want him to run, call runs. It was obvious that we couldn't execute a swing pass, nor get particularly close, Richardson cannot throw it, no receivers were aggressive or good in space, and teams were not scared of us over the top. Stop calling it. Probably doesn't matter at this point since the consensus seems to be that Richardson will enter the draft and a vocal segment (I would say minority but I'm not sure that's accurate) of the fanbase will get their wish next year when Kitna takes over. Based on the snaps he's taken I'll give the kid this, for a silver spoon kid he's got some balls. Keeping it on a read-option when you come in as a relief guy shows a lot.
- Montrell Johnson is a nice running back. Etienne is a superstar. If you're not going to use them both (seems like it might have been worth a shot when we're down to backup TEs being used at WR) Etienne absolutely must be the closer.
- Why do we struggle in the Redzone when we have a 6'4 235 lbs. QB who clocks some of the top ballcarrier speeds in the country, two NFL caliber backs, and an O-line that excels at blocking? It feels like at least 60% of the time we get cute and try to out-think the room.
- Do you get extra timeouts in the second half in the Sunbelt conference? Or maybe math generally works differently? I'm a fan of Napier, I am not a fan of his game management. It needs to get better.
- Ending on a positive note, this team did not quit. The staff didn't either, funny how that works. I don't love the term "culture change" because it too easily morphs into an excuse, but here the need was very valid. I think that corner has been turned by most of the guys still on the roster. That was always going to have to be the first domino to fall and I think it's Mission Accomplished there.
It'll be interesting to see what happens next year. I really hope that someone with some common sense can get Richardson's ear and he comes back, but reading the tea leaves I doubt that is in the cards. He's not ready, he's not close, he'd be better off trying to get ready for another year and if he can't flip the switch move him to TE or RB. So, it's really hard to forecast the weather next year, but in all kinds: Go Gators.
|
|
|
Post by tapsgator on Nov 26, 2022 22:36:24 GMT -5
Any lingering doubts about the quality of acc competition should have been erased along with dabos playoff bid today
|
|
|
Post by tapsgator on Nov 26, 2022 13:43:16 GMT -5
Toney has made Todd Grantham look like a good DC. Hooker, Jefferson, the joker from vandy who got benched the week before, in a third of our games we have managed to scheme guys into playing the best game of their career. If you haven’t been to a game you can’t realize how wide open huge patches of turf are. Im talking 25-30 yards and that is not an exaggeration.Travis made exactly one tight window throw and that was because Dean was late over the top leaving Marshall on an island with a 6’7 receiver. He missed 5-7 since TDs because he can’t throw into even mediocre coverage. He’s fast but honestly didn’t have to make anybody miss, he just ran in a straight line.
At halftime I told my son I didn’t feel great because we were scoring on nfl throws to the one active receiver who can catch while fsu was basically scoring with a high school offense (qb is faster than anybody chasing him that can make a tackle). I knew they would do this crazy shit at halftime where they make adjustments and make someone other than pearsall beat them, but was hoping we’d be okay because miller would be back and we could adjust to take away the scramble (most people would use a spy). We somehow got worse. We stayed in man, no spy, only guys whose eyes are on the QB are too fat and sloppy to tackle him. Miller joined in on the missed tackle party. It was a wild time. Then we rode etienne back to a tie game and took him off the field for the final drive.
We lost that game because we got out-coached. Badly. Period, point-blank. Napier gets plenty of rope and time to fix it, but he needs to get better. There have really been no adjustments in game or game to game. It has been disappointing to say the least
|
|
|
Post by tapsgator on Nov 26, 2022 1:08:05 GMT -5
I seriously can’t believe that etienne wasn’t on the field. Also number 12 is bad at catching the ball. And getting open. Other than that he’s a great player. Also if there has been a better example of piss poor coaching than not being lined up on the critical third down after a, drum roll, 4:36 second break for a commercial and review I really can’t think of it and we’ve had some all time dumbass coaches and coordinators. Also call me crazy but I might have drawn up a few throws to pearsall down the stretch but I guess maybe he was tired after the big play got called back for the stupid block in the back we wanted to keep that in our back pocket. Smart. Finally, is our defensive line training table at Golden Corral? Dexters scouting report coming into this year was “lightning quick first step and elite athleticism.” That was at 290. He’s every bit of 330 now and watching him stumble around after Travis looked a lot of things but athletic and lightning quick were nowhere to be found. Maybe he figured since big des was told to lose 40 lbs and gained 20 and was punished with a starting job and lots of media attention that was the play. Probably cost himself a legit 10 million if he tries to leave early. Then again if he comes back he may try to play next year at 370. Speaking of big des, I was reading an article entitled “Desmond Watson leads a defensive turnaround” that evidently someone paid to analyze Florida football wrote which is amazing where they said he really sticks to his meal plan and works his ass off even putting in extra time on the treadmill in an effort to lose weight. If that is true he should see a doctor. Immediately.
And finally, numbers 21, 1, I think there was a 2 in there at some point, and 0 in your programs from 2017-22 (not kidding) but always number 1 in your heart, Trey Dean. No words. Great job flexing on that one tackle you made, not so great job of covering anybody. Ever. I’m pretty sure he mugged a 5th string TE down on the goal line because he couldn’t even cover him. I think if we could have had him ejected for his helmet to helmet hit on Marshall we win that game, but evidently there’s no targeting if you miss the receiver and hit your teammate because you’re 3 steps late. Shame that we only get to see one more game because why wouldn’t you have a 6th year senior play every snap of a bowl game? How else will he prepare for his job of bagging groceries and selling weed out the back of his hometown Publix next year? Big Des will probably be his best customer both on and off the clock.
Oh well. It was a fun game. Napier gets a C for year one, but Kirby smart was around .500 his first year too. He made the changes that needed to be made. We’ll see if Napier does the same. Here’s hoping. Go Gators
|
|
|
Post by tapsgator on Nov 25, 2022 23:25:17 GMT -5
Toney should be fired immediately. If he’s the DC next year it’s more than fair to start questioning Napier. They just gave up a crucial 3rd down because they weren’t lined up. After a 3 minute review and commercial break. That’s a joke
|
|
|
Post by tapsgator on Nov 25, 2022 21:27:58 GMT -5
If we don’t fire or at least demote Toney at the end of this season I think it raises serious questions. We’ve all seen this movie.
|
|
|
Post by tapsgator on Nov 25, 2022 17:30:02 GMT -5
They need to design runs for him. None of this “he has the option to run on every play” bullshit. That feeds into the uninformed although possibly well intentioned segment of the fan base blaming AR who has the physical upside to run away with the heisman and be the 1/1 pick in 2023 for a loss after he went 25/42 for 400 yards with 7 (SEVEN) drops including one that led to his first interception in 4+ games. He was far from perfect but he’s also roughly where a kid like arch manning/Trevor Lawrence are as juniors in high school from a coaching perspective because he was a low 4 star and then Dan Mullen was dreaming of riding mcgoobers players to nfl superstardom.
I’ve seen things in comments on SDS saying “he will lose his starting job by the midpoint of next season.” If Anthony richardson comes back (huge if given that he’s thrown the ball better and is projected in the 1st round most places AND he could see himself as a scapegoat based on some media etc) and loses his job to kitna or miller it will be a major indictment of the coach staff.
About to park and see what happens. I try not to be a prisoner of the moment, but with some questionable in-game decisions, consistent struggles on defense with the same issues, and some very mediocre (to be kind) gameplans, I really think this is a pretty big deal. Not a must win by any means, but we need to show up.
|
|
|
Post by tapsgator on Nov 25, 2022 17:03:40 GMT -5
Yeah he’s gone and his little brother decommitted. Wish him them the best of luck and hopefully we recruit at a level where they won’t be missed.
|
|
|
Post by tapsgator on Nov 25, 2022 17:01:11 GMT -5
The farther he is away from Gainesville the better. He’s probably bringing two 5 stars and couple more 4 stars including his son who has been a stud at QB. In the right situation he can build a dynasty but if he’s anywhere close to Gainesville he’s a problem for us.
|
|
|
Post by tapsgator on Nov 21, 2022 12:32:50 GMT -5
Absolutely a cop out. I hate it, especially since the kid appears to have taken it in stride and made a classy statement which makes me think he wants to leave the door open. Which makes sense because I hate this commenter on SDS but he’s not wrong here:
I just wish the offended university would come clean, they pulled the kid’s offer because Stokes has only accounted for 1,127 passing yards, seven touchdowns and eight interceptions on 50% completion during his senior campaign. Just say it Billy, Stokes ain’t good enough to be forgiven for his childish behavior…now if he had 2500 passing yards with 20 touchdowns and 2 interceptions, no harm no foul
|
|
|
Post by tapsgator on Nov 19, 2022 23:56:49 GMT -5
Welp this was pretty much the worst possible result. Richardson showed growth as a passer and we lost. For some reason richardson strikes me as one who will leave if he gets a first day grade. I really don’t understand how etienne and richardson get 4 carries each. I read an article about Desmond Watson “leading” the defense. He’s worked hard but is still a liability. Maybe next year he can get down to 380 and be really good. Right now he’s not.
The play calling and lack of adjustments is disturbing. I put it in the fsu preview thread but we are fucking 11 games in and when richardson runs we score and when he doesn’t we don’t. For the life of me I don’t understand how you’re not running him 12-15 times especially in the red zone and short yardage. And your most explosive player got 4 carries.
Speaking of the definition of insanity, when does Napier call a spade a spade with Toney? When is the breaking point? I know we’re a little short on talent and needed a culture change but our 3rd down performance alone is grounds for termination. Against real teams. We just got beat by a vandy team that has a play book that may be one page if they use front and back of the paper. I hope we can flip another kid or two and/or hit the portal hard so we bring in a top 5 class. This staff is going to need to have a shitload of talent and develop it unless there’s an overhaul to the approach. We don’t play to our strengths or the other teams weaknesses.
I seriously can’t fathom how you can watch tape on Vandy or even read their program and think “we need to sling it around and whatever we do don’t use richardson or etienne in the run game behind our best unit (the Oline).” Also “vandy won’t run right at us, they’re gonna air it out.”
This staff should be ashamed of itself for putting that gameplan on the field this far into the season. Napier talks about accountability, now walk the walk.
|
|
|
Post by tapsgator on Nov 16, 2022 11:56:14 GMT -5
I'll be there. I don't think they can contain Richardson if he runs. If he carries it more than 10 times (not counting sacks) we win. If not we lose. That's my guess anyways. Rivalry games are always a crap shoot. Just for shits and giggles, taking out sacks:
Utah- 11 for 106 UK-5 for 15 USF- 6 for 35 Vols- 16 for 70 and 2TDs EW- not a real team but 1 Mizz- 4 for 50 LSU- 8 for 115 UGA- 8 for 40 5-6 in the 3rd quarter during the run T A&M- 6 for 80 and 2TDs Cocks- 12 for 120+
All of our good offensive performances he's killed teams with his legs. The only one where he didn't have a huge YPC average is Tennessee because they had to pull a ton of people up to stop him and we beat them over the top. I know he's been dinged up and all of that, and everybody loves to second guess the play calling, but that seems like a pretty strong trend. Like not a coincidence trend. The only team that has legit contained him has an NFL defense and whipped us up front. Even then, when he was running we moved the ball. FSU doesn't have UGA's front 7 (nobody does) and they don't really even have LSU/Tennessee/Kentucky level front 7. We should be able to beat them up on the line of scrimmage when we have the ball.
|
|
|
Post by tapsgator on Nov 15, 2022 13:51:00 GMT -5
Still pretty far from sold on Toney as a SEC caliber DC, but at least there is some semblance of progress and a few adjustments. I also think some of these young guys are legit so either he or his replacement will not have the talent disparity to fall back on moving forward, particularly if Dexter comes back which he should.
|
|
|
Post by tapsgator on Nov 11, 2022 11:03:20 GMT -5
That's big specifically because we need a QB of the future and the kid we had seemed like a decent but not great prospect which can work out but it's the exception not the rule. It's encouraging generally because it would appear that: 1) Recruits are starting to see Cristobal as a carnival barker rather than an up and coming coach who will compete for national championships 2) We've got our NIL house more in order. Kids from California can sign NIL deals in high school. Haven't seen where Caspino (who reps a lot of the CA QBs) is no longer in the picture so I assume nothing has changed there. Hopefully somebody explained the difference between the Gator Guard (who has the assets to accomplish what Napier wants) and Gator Collective (funded by alumni which is a nice way to feel a part of but isn't really a needle mover but for some reason Caspino was in a pissing match with during the UM commitment) and there will be continued delineation between the two. The kool-aid drinkers, some of my friends included, may feel like that knocks us off the high road. Newsflash: there is no high road. Every single major program is heavily engaged in NIL brokering. It's legal and the only way to keep up. Hell, even Saban-Dimbo spat sprung from Saban telling the Bama boosters they were getting their asses handed to them by A&M. Good get, and better sign of things to come, seems like we won't be recruiting with one arm tied behind our back anymore.
|
|
|
Post by tapsgator on Nov 9, 2022 11:59:58 GMT -5
This game was a rerun of the UG/UF game. Better talent on the UG side, limit the mistakes and you'll win. I can't wait for Stetson Bennett to go to the NFL. Not because I'm afraid of his game, but because it'll be entertaining to see him play against defenses with talent equal to his WRs, TEs, OL, etc. He's been blessed in his college career having the guys on his team always better, often much better, than the competition. He's good, but not as good as he thinks IMO. Better get your tickets for some pre-season football because Stetson isn't gonna play many regular season NFL games. He's a smaller, weaker armed but slightly quicker Jake Fromm.
|
|
|
Post by tapsgator on Nov 8, 2022 11:10:23 GMT -5
I have to say yesterday was one of the best defensive games of the year, without Cox. I think we might not be 130th in the country in stopping 3rd down conversions any more! Not that it was an UG defensive performance, just that it wasn't the bullfighter defense we've been using all year. Forced six punts and a FG, and kept them from scoring the entire second half. Not a bad day at all. Definition of addition by subtraction. AND most of the guys involved will be back next year. What a novel concept.
|
|
|
Post by tapsgator on Nov 8, 2022 11:08:45 GMT -5
The ideal situation for Richardson would be a team who needs a QB in 2-3 years. IMO he would simply flame out if he were pushed into a starting role right away (see JaMarcus Russell as a cautionary tale). His skills are too raw for the pro game as they stand, and he would need the additional time to polish them. The physical tools are there. Agreed, the real ideal situation is at least another year in college. I don't think he will grow much as a player sitting on the bench because you can't simulate NFL game speed in practice/training camp/private workouts or guys would constantly get injured. And he's not afraid to get injured. If he leaves now I think he winds up with a mediocre team with a GM and coach that are trying to save their respective jobs. Let's say it's Detroit. As soon as the lose to the Bears with Fields running for 100+, probably going to happen this year, the media and fans will start the theory "we need a mobile QB." The GM and Campbell will sign off on that because it's someone else's fault that they are stuck with Jared Goff. That buys them a year. They start Goff in 23 and go 1-7. Lose games to guys like Lamar Jackson, Hurts, Fields, Allen maybe even Bryce Young. At that point they're going to AR who is their "new toy," the fact that all those guys were 5 years ahead of AR in their development be damned. I don't think he turns into Russell because that dude was sloppy going into the draft and then went full fat alcoholic as soon as he got paid because he could throw the ball 65 yards from a knee. If there was a comp it would be Vince Young (only with different lifestyle choices) but Young was also years ahead of him in terms of development and game reps against good competition. The game was also different and even with all that Young was out of the league within 5 years (meaning there was other stuff going on). He needs to come back, they need to coach him up better, and they need to call plays that maximize his production and draft stock. Those plays are one in the same. In the meantime somebody hook him up with competitive NIL money. We've seen flashes of a generational talent. Those will get you drafted. Probably first round because they're so freaking rare. If he puts it together though? Definitely going #1 overall. His talent is just that good. We've never had one of those, it would be a cool feather in Napier's hat if he coaches up the first.
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
Post by tapsgator on Nov 3, 2022 13:55:00 GMT -5
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
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.
|
|