Realistically, the game played out as most would have expected. Including some who were anticipating a 6-6 or so season, BEFORE all the injuries.
The OL isn't where is needs to be, everyone knows that. AA had very little time. And got sacked a few times when he probably should have chosen to throw it away. Almost all of the offensive woes stem from this. Next year they will be older and stronger.
The Defense has been wracked with injuries. It's amazing that they are still playing at a high level. They kept us in the game until the very end. Brantley in particular was a major force, he's a fun player to watch.
Some positives that I haven't seen mentioned:
* no false starts or holding calls on the OL that I recall. That part of our game has definitely improved.
* there was no give-up in the players. They gave great effort for the entire 60 minutes.
* We played with pretty good discipline. No personal fouls, no major jawing episodes. That's rare when we're playing FSU. I think Eddie may have led the team with two penalties.
* Dalvin Cook is a undoubtedly a great back. He had 96 yards in the first half but only 50 or so in the second half. Somehow we managed to contain him fairly well.
In summary, whatever you thought about the Gators and the coaches before this game, you didn't see anything to change your opinion either way. We don't have the same level of talent as FSU or the other top tier teams. Are we getting better? The evidence is ambiguous. Are we getting better as fast as we want? Of course not.
We all need to pray hard that one of the new QBs steps up next year and shows vision, timing, and accuracy.