- Oct 5, 2017
- 2,303
- 6,263
Well, that was fun. I meant to get this up earlier, but the internet in my hotel was too crappy to re-watch the game.
Our team keeps finding ways to win, and that's important. This game was an aberration in that we had a -3 turnover margin. Before much analysis, if we score a TD on that first drive, this game is a route, but it did't go that way so my prediction was off. Of course, second week in a row I've been off on the Gators' points by only a single point. This is more rambling than normal, my apologies, I'm tired. Kudos to BNA for making that drive every home game. Not bad, but got up early to beat Falcons traffic when going through Atlanta.
Did the Gator Walk, it was ok. Vandy's Star Walk, is an insane, fun thing. They band went into the crowd (and a trumpet player put his arm around me) to "I Love You Baby". I think though the Pride of the Sunshine could never provide the same type of atmosphere because of the size of our walk and the amount of fans. It was cool to see though. As a college football fan, seeing other school's traditions is cool for me. Easily 60-40 split, if not more for UF in the stands.
Most Vandy fans were great, but somehow I had the one overly obnoxious Vandy fan a few rows behind me (which really was empty for the first quarter and a half). Started with yelling how the "Get Up and Go" chant is the single dumbest cheer in the SEC, did the chomp, and other bs. And when I mean yelling, I mean yelling. Hell, I think he cheered Vandy less than he insulted Florida. When leaving, the guy turned around like he was going to say something, but thought better of it and left. I swear, it's possible for fans of both teams to be loud and cheer their team without being obnoxious. Oh, and one last thing, Mr. Vandy fan, who talked about how Franks is the worst QB in the SEC (he isn't the best, but sure isn't the worst), your team is so bad he had a career day as I predicted so take a lap and shut your mouth. (I'm leaving out issues that happened, but it's a funny story I'll save for another time).
Anyways, watching our team move the ball from the beginning gave me hope, even when behind 21-3. Everyone was awful at times and great at times. Great resiliency. Scarlett's go ahead score was, coincidentally enough, in the same area as Malik Davis' game sealing TD last year against Vandy. Take away that freak fumble (more on that later), we run for over 300 yards. Great job by the line overall. Some mishaps, but at least one sack was a matter of a delayed corner blitz (I think the first). Perine and Scarlett did amazing.
It is worth noting that after the pick on the first drive, we passed and ran down the field. But in the red zone we ran multiple times to settle for a field goal.
Yes, Franks threw a pick on the first drive, but the defense did allow a 98 yard drive. Then a 75 yard screen for a TD (bad safety angles). The third one was the only TD set up by a turnover with bad field position. Great halftime adjustments by Grantham. Pierce had the bad fumble, but a freshman mistake that he will learn from (hold tight when thrown sideways).
The infamous punt return and coach argument...Brought the Gators and Gators fans back into the game. 2 scores with 2:42 remaining in the first half was huge. First drive of the third was too conservative.
If I tell you a QB will throw for 2 TD, 1 INT, 65.5% and 284 yards with over 9 yards per attempt you would take it all day. Yet, there have been some fans saying this was a poor performance. Umm...what? Was it perfect? No. But this is why I don't take some critics seriously. Yes, it could and should be better, but if these numbers are poor, you have lost the plot. You can criticize the amount of screens, but there were several throws on slants and seams that were hit down the field as well.
Officiating
I think this game was exactly what the team needed. A game where nothing goes right to start and allows the team to know they can persevere. Also, waiting for the team to exit post-game I want to give a special shout out to Grantham. 15 minutes after he walked through the crowd he returned to a kid at the end of the line in a wheel chair and spent a moment with him and signed his stuff.
I think the Bye Week will allow us to install a few new things, expand the playbook. It's weird though not saying "and to get healthy", which I think is another credit to Nick Savage.
Oh, and we are officially Bowl Eligible. Where my "lucky to be bowl eligible" peeps at?
Enjoy the Bye Week.
Our team keeps finding ways to win, and that's important. This game was an aberration in that we had a -3 turnover margin. Before much analysis, if we score a TD on that first drive, this game is a route, but it did't go that way so my prediction was off. Of course, second week in a row I've been off on the Gators' points by only a single point. This is more rambling than normal, my apologies, I'm tired. Kudos to BNA for making that drive every home game. Not bad, but got up early to beat Falcons traffic when going through Atlanta.
Did the Gator Walk, it was ok. Vandy's Star Walk, is an insane, fun thing. They band went into the crowd (and a trumpet player put his arm around me) to "I Love You Baby". I think though the Pride of the Sunshine could never provide the same type of atmosphere because of the size of our walk and the amount of fans. It was cool to see though. As a college football fan, seeing other school's traditions is cool for me. Easily 60-40 split, if not more for UF in the stands.
Most Vandy fans were great, but somehow I had the one overly obnoxious Vandy fan a few rows behind me (which really was empty for the first quarter and a half). Started with yelling how the "Get Up and Go" chant is the single dumbest cheer in the SEC, did the chomp, and other bs. And when I mean yelling, I mean yelling. Hell, I think he cheered Vandy less than he insulted Florida. When leaving, the guy turned around like he was going to say something, but thought better of it and left. I swear, it's possible for fans of both teams to be loud and cheer their team without being obnoxious. Oh, and one last thing, Mr. Vandy fan, who talked about how Franks is the worst QB in the SEC (he isn't the best, but sure isn't the worst), your team is so bad he had a career day as I predicted so take a lap and shut your mouth. (I'm leaving out issues that happened, but it's a funny story I'll save for another time).
Anyways, watching our team move the ball from the beginning gave me hope, even when behind 21-3. Everyone was awful at times and great at times. Great resiliency. Scarlett's go ahead score was, coincidentally enough, in the same area as Malik Davis' game sealing TD last year against Vandy. Take away that freak fumble (more on that later), we run for over 300 yards. Great job by the line overall. Some mishaps, but at least one sack was a matter of a delayed corner blitz (I think the first). Perine and Scarlett did amazing.
It is worth noting that after the pick on the first drive, we passed and ran down the field. But in the red zone we ran multiple times to settle for a field goal.
Yes, Franks threw a pick on the first drive, but the defense did allow a 98 yard drive. Then a 75 yard screen for a TD (bad safety angles). The third one was the only TD set up by a turnover with bad field position. Great halftime adjustments by Grantham. Pierce had the bad fumble, but a freshman mistake that he will learn from (hold tight when thrown sideways).
The infamous punt return and coach argument...Brought the Gators and Gators fans back into the game. 2 scores with 2:42 remaining in the first half was huge. First drive of the third was too conservative.
If I tell you a QB will throw for 2 TD, 1 INT, 65.5% and 284 yards with over 9 yards per attempt you would take it all day. Yet, there have been some fans saying this was a poor performance. Umm...what? Was it perfect? No. But this is why I don't take some critics seriously. Yes, it could and should be better, but if these numbers are poor, you have lost the plot. You can criticize the amount of screens, but there were several throws on slants and seams that were hit down the field as well.
- Laser to Hammond on the Sideline for a first down and 14 yards.
- Screen to Hammond for 13 yards and a first down.
- Swing to Scarlett for 12 and a first down.
- The pick. Called Quick Slant bad decision to throw.
- 16 Yard pass to Van Jefferson after a sack to set up 3rd and 2.
- A "pass" jet sweep to Toney for 4 yards.
- Great ball into the window on the slant to Pitts for 12 yards.
- Swing to Perine for 6 yards and a First down.
- Bad throw that landed a few yards behind Jefferson. Only thing I can think of is he was trying to go back shoulder, but Jefferson was reading an over the top throw.
- Over Pitts' head. Franks is being hit while throwing. I know, 99% of QB's are 100% accurate when being hit, but Franks is the 1%. Yes, if you think I am making fun of you and/or some people in the stands, I am. When I hear people blame a QB for a poor throw as they are getting rocked, that person loses any and all credibility with me, especially when they are hit within 3 seconds of the snap indicating a guy came basically free at him.
- Screen to Toney, Grimes and Lewis can't block 1 Vandy Defender, play goes for a loss.
- Ball goes through Pitts hands. Should have been caught on the slant.
- Great throw to Cleveland on a stop route allowing Cleveland to run for a first down.
- A yard off of Jefferson that would have been a TD. Incomplete.
- Screen to Toney, who loses his footing on a cut so only 9 yards.
- Completion to Jefferson on a slant.
- Swing to Perine for a first down.
- Poor pass at the feet of Grimes. Live it looked like Scarlett was a lot more open than it did on the re-watch.
- Perine on the swing down to the 7 just before half. Live, from our poor perspective in the far end zone we thought he was down at the 3. When we realized it was at the 7, we thought quick throw to the end zone.
- A great decision by Franks. It had to be a one read decision because of the time left. When he sees Jefferson is well covered he quickly throws it away. Broadcast thinks its back shoulder, if that's right, it's the second possible back shoulder miscommunication. Either way, people thinking Franks needed to waste the rest of the clock going through progressions are hilarious.
- Jefferson drops it on a great called drag route. There were blockers ready. I think Jefferson got distracted by jumping d-linemen.
- "Pass" to Toney for 2 yards. ***Not sure if counted as a pass.
- Swing to Perine for a first down. High throw because Franks had to throw over the DE. Good adjustment by him.
- High throw to Perine.
- Great Slant throw to Jefferson for the TD.
- Great Seam throw to Moral Stephens for 26 yards and a first down.
- AMAZING defensive play by the Vandy linebacker tipping it at full stretch. Guy starts by the line and drops just enough to get it. Right read, just needed a little more air underneath it.
- Great pass to Cleveland for a first down after going through his progressions with help from the o-line.
- Pierce on a swing pass for 6.
- Screen Pass to Swain for a TD. Swain with the AMAZING leap for the score.
Officiating
- First and Foremost. Re-watch the pick, the official 2 yards away waves his arms above his head. Play should be dead there, PERIOD. Our guys stop playing because he does this.
- Then the other officials don't pay attention to him and allow the player to return it.
- My seats were right down the Vandy sideline. At least 14 players ran onto the field and at least 5 were no less than 10 feet on the field at one point (can't see this on the broadcast, only see one guy). The fact not a single flag was thrown is a joke. Every official needs to be fined half their pay for this alone.
- Then, the Joseph ejection, are you kidding me??? I'm glad that SEC Now even went after it.
- Side note: referencing Jimmy Snuka on what looked to be a Falcon's Arrow by Joseph on the first 15 yarder is ignorant.
- The block in the back was a joke. The player waits to hit the Vandy players side once he turns.
- Perine's first TD (on review), the Vandy fans thought it was for a fumble, because the ground can cause a fumble. LOL.
- That fake by Townsend...awesome. Also, Vandy NEVER got him to the ground...
- Can't wait to see Jeawon Taylor to finally catch one of these balls he's dropping.
- I forgot Kylan Johnson was on the team...sad because he was decent for us two years ago. Victim of the nickel package.
- The East has a good shot at going at least 7-7 against the West after Tennessee's win at Auburn. We've beat LSU and #FailState, UT beat Aubie, UK beat #FailState, with Mizzou/Arky, Carolina/Ole Miss, Vandy/Arky & Ole Miss and UGA/Aubie as winnable in the East. For how it has been, this is a shift. Will it last? I don't know, but it is worth watching.
I think this game was exactly what the team needed. A game where nothing goes right to start and allows the team to know they can persevere. Also, waiting for the team to exit post-game I want to give a special shout out to Grantham. 15 minutes after he walked through the crowd he returned to a kid at the end of the line in a wheel chair and spent a moment with him and signed his stuff.
I think the Bye Week will allow us to install a few new things, expand the playbook. It's weird though not saying "and to get healthy", which I think is another credit to Nick Savage.
Oh, and we are officially Bowl Eligible. Where my "lucky to be bowl eligible" peeps at?
Enjoy the Bye Week.