Truth Takes: Game of the Season, Do Your Part

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Alethea
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I have two requirements before I will admit that Dan Mullen was a good/the right coaching hire:
  1. BEAT FSU
  2. Win the SEC, because if winning the East mattered Mac would be a saint. 100% glad they got the East title painted over this year.
If we want another coach who can't beat FSU or win the SEC, why did we fire Muschamp and Mac? No, the #GatorStandard is higher, no matter what Pat Dooley, Crucial, Jeff Cardozo, Nuss, Robbie Andreu, Steve Russell, Edgar Thompson, or anyone else says about Gator fans expectations of a functional offense, efficient QB play, and actually winning titles are "too high". If you want to show what the #GatorStandard is, it starts Saturday. Anything else, and it's still the status quo of the decades. Muschamp and Mac had top 5 wins, so don't tell me about LSU.

Gator Football, for me, is split into two time periods/sets of expectations, and it is split in 1990 with the arrival of Steve Spurrier as head coach. There was plenty of greatness before 1990, but then it was taken to the next level, the level we want to be at and the level we want to stay at, and also the level we currently are not at. In that time, we have developed new rivals to own (Tennessee) and overall, have owned others (Georgia). Since that time, there is only ONE, SOLO, SINGLE, UNO, rival who we play regularly and have a losing record against, the Florida State Seminoles. We are 12-17-1. For those of you playing the home game, yes, we have played them more than anyone else since we got Spurrier, 30 times in 28 years and we have lost more than we have won. This isn't a joke, this is the game of the season. This season means nothing if you lose the the worst FSU team in 40 years. You want to talk recruiting? Here are the pitches based on the outcome of the game:

  1. Willie Taggart if he wins: "Honestly, this is the worst team in 40 years and if UF couldn't beat that when they had 'shown progress', how much better could they really get? Come pay for the best team in Florida."
  2. Mullen if he wins: "Two programs, both with new coaches, one was 4-7 and won 5 more games, while the other program had a winning record the year before and ended with a losing one. That's the difference in the direction of the programs."
Offense

If we can run the ball, we will be fine. This game does not need to be put in the hands of Feleipe Franks. If he were more accurate down the field, I would 100% back taking some shots. I say take the 2nd half offensive plan from Carolina and let it ride. This FSU defense isn't that good. The D-line is decent, but that's about it. Get our guys in space and let them do their thing. Tyler Jordan, Fred Johnson, Martez Ivey, time to play like you actually care about being a Gator. Show the younger guys that this game means more, it does. If you block, Scarlett, Perine, Pierce, Toney, and dare I say Franks may have a field day running the ball. The last time we won, we put it away with the running game. Do Your Part. Tight ends, in 2014, we were dominating until one of you popped a ball up for a pick 6 that changed that game. Do Your Part. Receivers, block like you never have before and don't drop passes. Do Your Part. Running backs, find the holes, protect in the passing game. Do your part. QB('s), hit the open man, don't overthrow, take care of the football. Do Your Part. If you all play like your capable of, we've seen you drive 90 plus yards to take the lead multiple times this year. We've seen you come back from 3 score deficits multiple times this year. It all comes down to one thing, that you Do Your Part.

Defense

Let's not act like those 3 score deficits were all on the offense. Let's not pretend that the D-Line who did well against a good #failstate O-line and a good LSU team hasn't disappeared in recent weeks. Let's not lie and say that anything you've put on tape since the bye week (excluding Idaho) would lead an NFL team to draft you in a decent round. This is one of the worst offensive lines in the game, show everyone why you should get drafted. Do Your Part. Linebackers, your results have been mixed at best since the bye week. FSU has killed us on the ground the last 5 years. Do Your Part. DBU, let's not forget about Jake Fromm and Drew Lock having fun, especially on 3rd and long at your expense. This FSU has won a few games by BIG plays in the passing game in the final minutes. Ensure that this doesn't happen. In fact, keep the game going. Don't brag if a ball hits your helmet because if you even looked, its a pick. That's a failure on your part. Do Your Part.

Special Teams
Kick it out of the end zone, make your field goals, stop punt returns cold, pin them deep. Do Your Part.

I could spend a lot of time ranting about the last 16 games, so I will do it more briefly than I want:
2003: Refs AWFUL, still win if you don't give up a 50+ yard bomb near the end of the game.
2004: First time in Tally, probably taking the exact same crew this year for the first time since. Fun game. Got home around 4-5 am. After missing our hotel due to a wrong turn.
2005: Game began and UF scored TD's and FSU scored FG's, leads to a differential easily.
2006: 1 point win, Percy leaves injured in first half. Fiancee (now wife) and I get up at like 4-5 am in Pine Mountain, Georgia and drive to Tally to scalp tickets, good seats, we go on to a Natty.
2007: Geno Hayes, the cop beater, says Tebow is going down. He had one tackle, on Chris Rainey, which he acted like he was a badass after. Too bad Tebow embarrassed him with a spin move.
2008: Only UF-FSU I've missed in this span, in the rain, Percy leaves injured, Tebow gets warpaint, makes iconic image. We roll.
2009: Tebow says goodbye in a White helmut and destroy FSU.
2010: Microcosm, Jordan Reed drives us down the field, John Brantley inserted to play hero and he does...for FSU by throwing pick in the end zone.
2011: How we weren't shut out is amazing. This game was all that people needed to see to know Muschamp not going to work, if they didn't know already.
2012: The lone win this decade. The 4th quarter rushing game and Antonio Morrison put it away.
2013: Wow, just wow. "It's great to be a 4 and 8'er" rings through the Swamp...Muschamp retained.
2014: Really dominant start. Muschamp philosophy that DE's are good TE's bites us in ass as Tevin Westbrook stone hands a ball, allowing FSU to change the game with a pick 6.
2015: All around awful game. Treon, defense, o-line, running backs, everyone.
2016: I don't remember much, I do remember Callaway slowing down on a corner route that would have been a TD.
2017: God, o-line let's FSU get hot early by letting Franks get strip sacked as he gets out of the play action. Franks plays awful. Can't repeat.

Fans
If your going, show up early, get loud, let the team know your behind them. I've noticed many teams we have lost to in the Swamp have brought raucous crowds. I'm not saying it's a sure thing, but it does help. Show up and show out.

Dan Mullen has never lost to FSU, I don't think this is the time he does. This FSU team is too bad. I think the give some fight early, but our rushing attack takes it toll.

Florida 31 Florida State 21

Go Gators!
 

78

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Great effort, good take, probably a bit too long for most members' taste. People tend to prefer consolidated sound bites.
 

rogdochar

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Great effort, good take, probably a bit too long for most members' taste. People tend to prefer consolidated sound bites.

Grand post, Truth - stuff we all should cogitate on. I know it all needs saying. But perhaps present it in several continued posts - like serialized.?? Message boarders won't cling to so thorough analytic posts. Can't wait 'til your next installment. :cool:
 

SGG

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No one on this roster has beaten F$U. That should be all the motivation they need to go in to Trailerhassee and kick these cksuckers’ teeth in Saturday afternoon.

Relentless effort? Sounds good. This Nole team likes to quit, let’s make them quit early in this one.
 

rogdochar

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You folks driving to the game, obey the road laws, 'cause you know Leon County cops just by your tag will stop you just to have someone interesting to talk to for a change.
 

Gator Fever

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I doubt this game affects recruiting this year as the 2nd class is on the recruiting ability of the coaches at these big southern football schools and not what the team is currently doing. It could help with the classes coming after the 2019 class since we have lost 7 out of our last 8 games against them.


FSU's run defense has been up and down a little but its not horrible usually like their pass defense. I think I read their rushing defense at home has been the best in all of college football on a per carry average but maybe their home schedule is easy this year - not sure.
 
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Swamp Donkey

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2011: How we weren't shut out is amazing. This game was all that people needed to see to know Muschamp not going to work, if they didn't know already.
There are STILL people here who think he is a good coach. STILL.
 

Swamp Donkey

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Great effort, good take, probably a bit too long for most members' taste. People tend to prefer consolidated sound bites.
We've won once this decade.

Thanks Fooley!


How's that? Pretty consolidated.
 
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Gator Fever

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Just looked at FSU's rush defense stats in all their games. The only team to average 4 yards or more a carry against them this season was Notre Dame.

Their pass defense was a joke in many games however and even Samford passed for 475 yards on FSU.
 
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Theologator

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Truth - you’ve given me a flashback.

1980: Charley Pell, at a pep rally before the LSU game, revealed that week’s theme. “We will win if everyone does his part.” He had a t-shirt for them every game (the fateful t-shirt slush fund) and this one had “Do Your Part” on it. The point was to do your job, trust your teammates, don’t get out of position trying to do too much, etc. Then he told us to do our part by showing up, cheering, etc.

We lost pretty badly, 24-7. (In that era, we won at LSU and lost to them at home regularly.)

I hope that’s not an omen, but his point and yours it true. Just have to do it. The only way they win is if we forget the progress made this fall and they suddenly put it all together. I don’t think they can in the trenches.
 

alcoholica

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I doubt this game affects recruiting this year as the 2nd class is on the recruiting ability of the coaches at these big southern football schools and not what the team is currently doing. It could help with the classes coming after the 2019 class since we have lost 7 out of our last 8 games against them.


FSU's run defense has been up and down a little but its not horrible usually like their pass defense. I think I read their rushing defense at home has been the best in all of college football on a per carry average but maybe their home schedule is easy this year - not sure.
This game could easily affect recruiting. Go back to 2005, it was a huge win over FSU at home that kickstarted that class.

Being on the road won’t help, but a huge win, and I mean huge, could get momentum going. It’ll be low percentage because this staff probably doesn’t know how to capitalize.
 

Gator Fever

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This game could easily affect recruiting. Go back to 2005, it was a huge win over FSU at home that kickstarted that class.

Being on the road won’t help, but a huge win, and I mean huge, could get momentum going. It’ll be low percentage because this staff probably doesn’t know how to capitalize.

I doubt it myself but we will find out I guess. I think 2019 will be what its going to be regardless. If Mac and them are not good closers we are looking at a Mac level # 17 or so crappy Rivals class. If they can close well maybe we cant get to the top 10.
 

SavannahGator

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You folks driving to the game, obey the road laws, 'cause you know Leon County cops just by your tag will stop you just to have someone interesting to talk to for a change.
I'm not going, but they'd have a field day with me. My GA tag is a UF Gator tag.
 

SavannahGator

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Just looked at FSU's rush defense stats in all their games. The only team to average 4 yards or more a carry against them this season was Notre Dame.

Their pass defense was a joke in many games however and even Samford passed for 475 yards on FSU.

So does this mean we let Felipe wing it? I'm all for letting him pass the ball, but way too many of his long balls are overthrown. Maybe he can take advantage of some intermediate length routes.
 

Gator Fever

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So does this mean we let Felipe wing it? I'm all for letting him pass the ball, but way too many of his long balls are overthrown. Maybe he can take advantage of some intermediate length routes.

Not sure but of course we will have to pass some if we can't force our will in the running game. They are really bad in a couple of places in their secondary.

If we had a decent passing QB I think we would pass all over them for sure but with Franks you don't what we will get.
 

GatorTruth133

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Not sure but of course we will have to pass some if we can't force our will in the running game. They are really bad in a couple of places in their secondary.

If we had a decent passing QB I think we would pass all over them for sure but with Franks you don't what we will get.

I think we try to get the run going and then go to the air. If the Feleipe who had impressive deep throws last year shows up, FSU will be in trouble.
 

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