So where are the deficiencies in the 2018 football team?

[TN G8tr]

We can state the deficiencies as many have already done so. Other than WR & maybe RB you can make the case that we have them all over the depth chart. One thing that I am glad about is how Mullen has done in the past, especially his time at UF. He tweaks to his talent, not the MacNussy way of fitting a square peg in a round hole. That was evident with Leak and Tebow. But those two had playmakers around them. Not that UF does not have it now, but not near that level. With that said Mullen can be successful given his history. Just shore up the QB play (with whoever he trusts) and the OL. And if it means running is our strength then do it. This season could be anywhere from a 7-5 to an insane shot out of the cannon record. Depends on how the ball bounces.

 

[ChiefGator]

If Csonka, Morris (both 1,000 yard rushers) & Kiick show up, along with Larry Little and a supremely competent QB and backup QB, then yes, I’d be happy.

Winning is exciting. The 2006 team won a lot of close, hard-fought games. That was thrilling and we were on a climb (with a competent QB and 2 generational talents in Tebow & Harvin emerging.)

Contrasted with the 2012 team, which also won a lot of games, where the offense was pathetic but defense and special teams were good enough to keep racking up W’s, I don’t think many of us would be very happy because the imbalance was so apparent and was (is) recurring year after year. I loved the LSU and FSU games that year, but the miracle against La Tech (or whatever LA directional school) was disturbing.

Not to mention the entire oline. I heard that they all were telling Czonka to run behind them, all five of them.

The point was competent offense comes in several ways, not just scoring a lot. I also remember them beating the Pats 52-0 imagine that!!!

 

[lizardbreath]

This thread is ridiculous. It’s blindingly obvious what the OP is doing: setting up a no-win scenario for a coach he clearly thinks was wrongly hired. His premise: any good coach could win 10 games with this roster and this easy schedule... but he also states later that if Mullen does win 10, it doesn’t mean he’s good because the roster is talented and the schedule is easy. Dumb.

First, OL is atrocious. If you look at recruit rankings of projected starters, they are in the bottom third of the conference... AND they’ve had terrible coaches developing them. How can you expect them to be competent after one offseason with POTENTIALLY good coaching?

Second, LB is a dumpster fire.... at one of the most important positions in a 3-4 scheme. Safety isn’t much better.

Third, you say don’t discuss QBs but that’s insane - it’s the most important position and will likely undermine any chance of winning 10 games. You can’t just dismiss that part of the argument because it’s inconvenient for your narrative.

Finally, you might have a valid point about this roster and this schedule if these guys had good coaching and development for the last 3 or 4 years but they haven’t. They are installing completely different schemes on both sides of the ball AND revamping the S&C program. Winning 8 games this year with those VERY REAL constraints would be very impressive. Give Mullen a chance - don’t set impossibly stupid standards that you will still undermine if they are met.

This thread was a Trojan Horse from word one. Setting the table for future complaints seems to be its only possible goal. Nobody could be that blind to the extent of damage that has been done to the roster and to the program as a whole. I expressed similar thoughts earlier in the thread, but you drove it home to a fare-thee-well. We are at least 2-3 years out from a "real" 10+ win roster. I'm not talking about backing into a 10 win season as a result of miserable competition across the board. I'm talking about a team that can legitimately win the east, beat FSU, and then have an actual chance to beat the west champion in the SECCG. And the thing about leaving the problems at QB out of this "discussion" was bogus as hell.

 

[InstiGATOR1]

I wonder what an "exciting offense" might be. I watched the NFL network on the 72 and 73 Dolphin seasons. Was that offense exciting enough for you? Would you be happy scoring one TD and using half a quarter basically running the ball? Would you be happy if after that score and with your defense the game was essentially won?

I want a team that runs the right plays correctly, they we will win games we should, and some by large margins when the opponent is not as good as us.

When those Dolphin teams needed to pass they could, just only say less than 10 times a game.

The 1972 Dolphins averaged 18.5 passes per game.
The 1973 Dolphins averaged 18.3 passes per game.

That reality injected into this discussion aside, again I have not been firing any coaches at UF. The offense does not need to be exciting enough for me. The offense needs to be exciting enough to get fans in the seats, not just season ticket solds. The offense needs to be exciting enough for fans not to dread going to games. The offense needs to be exciting enough not to rank in the 100s in many categories. The offense needs to be exciting enough that fans anticipate that good things might happen with UF has the ball. The offense needs to be exciting enough that fans remain interested even in a blow out. The offense needs to be exciting enough that offense players with high level hoptions want to sign with UF to play in UF's offense.

I think your middle paragraph is not a bad summary.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

This thread was a Trojan Horse from word one. Setting the table for future complaints seems to be its only possible goal. Nobody could be that blind to the extent of damage that has been done to the roster and to the program as a whole.

No, it is a continuation of his thesis that three star FIU specials are just as good as the 5 stars that Bammer and Suckeyes recruit. He has been babbling about this for years, swearing that Butters was doing a fine job recruiting and the usual mindless "we just need a QB" bullshyt that all the other people who don't know a damn thing about football repeat.

 

[InstiGATOR1]

We can state the deficiencies as many have already done so. Other than WR & maybe RB you can make the case that we have them all over the depth chart.

...

Depends on how the ball bounces.

I glanced at I think Lindy's in a bookstore the other day. I believe they have UF ranked 1st or 2nd in the SEC in DBs. So that is 3 of really 6 position groups some reasonable opinions think UF is good in. Some also think UF is not bad at DL either. So that gets us to 4 out of 6.

As for depending on how the ball bounce, you clearly are a young fan. Way way way back when UF fans had an attitude like that. Then UF had top teams from about 1984 through 2009 and we learned differently. UF did not lose two out of the last three SEC champisonship games because of the way the ball bounced. UF was not good enough and luck had little to do with it.

 

[Renard904]

I don't think this team is nearly as deficient as some of you think.
Maybe you can point to the LBs as being underwhelming, but most of the other questionable groups, ie: QB, TE, WR; will be filled with new faces. And there's actually some pretty good talent coming in to fill those positions.

However, there is one glaring deficiency. The OL play has been consistently bad along with the QB play. Skill positions are glamorized and publicized for public consumption, but we all know winning football games starts with the OL and DL.
Well, our OL play has been remarkably atrocious. Everyone points to the QBs and skill guys of our glory years, but we're missing the most important contributors. The '06 NCG was won solely on the strength of our OL and DL.
So, theoretically the team could get better but we still may not see a huge impact in the W/L column. Unless, of course, the OL improves. We'd be a pretty good team with just adequate OL play.

 

[lizardbreath]

No, it is a continuation of his thesis that three star FIU specials are just as good as the 5 stars that Bammer and Suckeyes recruit. He has been babbling about this for years, swearing that Butters was doing a fine job recruiting and the usual mindless "we just need a QB" bullshyt that all the other people who don't know a damn thing about football repeat.

I don't doubt the part about the OP being a mile up McElwain's butt - or the POSSIBILITY that someone could be so blind to the utter mediocrity of this roster, especially compared to the teams we'll have to beat to be a top-tier program again. But the crap about "out-boarding" the QB issue, along with his assertion that anyone with a pulse should win 10 games with this bunch of misfit toys, just smells like BS to me. If we win 8 or 9 games and the OP is lambasting DM for "squandering" all that wonderful talent, I'll call BS then too. Until then, we can agree to disagree on the OP's possible motives. I think we already agree on his assessment of the roster.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

I don't doubt the part about the OP being a mile up McElwain's butt -

So ridiculous. A mile? Three feet maybe but not a mile.

 

[ChiefGator]

The 1972 Dolphins averaged 18.5 passes per game.
The 1973 Dolphins averaged 18.3 passes per game.

That reality injected into this discussion aside, again I have not been firing any coaches at UF. The offense does not need to be exciting enough for me. The offense needs to be exciting enough to get fans in the seats, not just season ticket solds. The offense needs to be exciting enough for fans not to dread going to games. The offense needs to be exciting enough not to rank in the 100s in many categories. The offense needs to be exciting enough that fans anticipate that good things might happen with UF has the ball. The offense needs to be exciting enough that fans remain interested even in a blow out. The offense needs to be exciting enough that offense players with high level hoptions want to sign with UF to play in UF's offense.

I think your middle paragraph is not a bad summary.

Thanks for the correction, I guess I was remembering some comments from the video of say seven passes. With their receivers you could pass, I remember Warfield saying you blocked to be able to get open. Man defenses could be influenced, now if we only had receivers like that.

 

[Theologator]

Thanks for the correction, I guess I was remembering some comments from the video of say seven passes. With their receivers you could pass, I remember Warfield saying you blocked to be able to get open. Man defenses could be influenced, now if we only had receivers like that.

Warfield downfield, Howard Tilley over the middle, Kiick out of the backfield.

That team was how I came into awareness about sports. It started with the 1971 Christmas longest playoff game against the Chiefs. Then undefeated. Then another Super Bowl.

 

[ChiefGator]

Warfield downfield, Howard Tilley over the middle, Kiick out of the backfield.

That team was how I came into awareness about sports. It started with the 1971 Christmas longest playoff game against the Chiefs. Then undefeated. Then another Super Bowl.

I go back to the start with them, it was very bad at times and you could go to games for almost nothing.

I remember the strike year when the team practiced while on strike since they knew when it was over coach would demand them to be in shape.

They made low salaries and some needed jobs in the off season.

Morris eventually went to jail for drugs, they had him on quite a bit. His cell was near the Orange Bowl and he could hear games.

Lots of memories of those times and players who bought in, and were not as today's.

I remember when the Bears were close to matching the perfect season, they visited the Dolphins and that was the end of their being perfect.

I have a little celebration each year when every NFL team has a loss, like those players but without the drinking and personal things.

Those were the days.

 

[5-Star Finger]

So again I DO NOT want to hear about the position that is NOT to be mentioned on this thread. Other than that position what do you feel are the weaknesses of this roster that makes my analysis, that if UF hired the right coach he should win 10 games this year, wrong?

What's wrong with our team? I'll let Jim Mora explain:

 

[lizardbreath]

So ridiculous. A mile? Three feet maybe but not a mile.

Now we're quibbling - I love quibbling.

 

[TN G8tr]

I glanced at I think Lindy's in a bookstore the other day. I believe they have UF ranked 1st or 2nd in the SEC in DBs. So that is 3 of really 6 position groups some reasonable opinions think UF is good in. Some also think UF is not bad at DL either. So that gets us to 4 out of 6.

As for depending on how the ball bounce, you clearly are a young fan. Way way way back when UF fans had an attitude like that. Then UF had top teams from about 1984 through 2009 and we learned differently. UF did not lose two out of the last three SEC champisonship games because of the way the ball bounced. UF was not good enough and luck had little to do with it.

Thanks for the compliment, but no I am not a young fan. Actually been a Gator all my life and remember guys like Dubose, Posey, Chandler playing at FF. The ball bouncing comment actually meant more than a little luck. Things like suspensions, injuries, and not having a MacNussy on the sideline.

 

[BMF]

Thanks for the compliment, but no I am not a young fan. Actually been a Gator all my life and remember guys like Dubose, Posey, Chandler playing at FF. The ball bouncing comment actually meant more than a little luck. Things like suspensions, injuries, and not having a MacNussy on the sideline.

I'm 47 and he's called me a "younger fan" before (and I'm certain he's younger than me). That's his go-to when he wants to back-hand insult somebody he loses an "argument" with....

 

[Marine1]

I go back to the start with them, it was very bad at times and you could go to games for almost nothing.

I remember the strike year when the team practiced while on strike since they knew when it was over coach would demand them to be in shape.

They made low salaries and some needed jobs in the off season.

Morris eventually went to jail for drugs, they had him on quite a bit. His cell was near the Orange Bowl and he could hear games.

Lots of memories of those times and players who bought in, and were not as today's.

I remember when the Bears were close to matching the perfect season, they visited the Dolphins and that was the end of their being perfect.

I have a little celebration each year when every NFL team has a loss, like those players but without the drinking and personal things.

Those were the days.

I remember Wahoo McDaniel! Shula came in 1970 and went 10-4 and it was on to bigger things from there.

Fun fact: I filmed a United Way commercial for the NFL with Larry Csonka on Florida Field with a group of Alachua County Pop Warner football players. The kids (this was the 80’s) didn’t even know who he was.

 

[Ancient Reptile]

Now we're quibbling - I love quibbling.

Quibbling with a Chardonnay or, maybe, a Pinot Grigio.

 

[InstiGATOR1]

(and I'm certain he's younger than me). That's his go-to when he wants to back-hand insult somebody he loses an "argument" with....

You should be less sure. Calling someone young is not an insult, it is certainly better than calling them forgetful.

 

[BMF]

You should be less sure. Calling someone young is not an insult, it is certainly better than calling them forgetful.

I don't really give a **** how old you are. I know I've been watching Florida football since the late 70's, my first game we lost to Kentucky, and I used get the newspaper version of Gatorbait magazine. But calling someone a "younger fan", like you're some godfather of Florida football is pretty weak.