2018 Season Thoughts

[jgator]

Mullen had a better year than any other new coach at their respective schools.
And he did it with a team that went 4-7 last season against a Top20 SOS.

- Destroyed F$U.
- Beat Muschamp when they were preseason division darlings.
- Destroyed UT.
- Beat a Top5 team at home.
- Beat a ranked team on the road.

How in God's name you could EXPECT 10 or 11 wins is beyond me.

 

[RiverRat]

I think any reasonable Gator fan likes where were at right now and believes Mullen has us headed to even better times.

Things that need to happen to improve moving forward:

* Consistence good play for the QB position.
* Top ten recruiting class every year
* Recapture the SWAMP, one lost at home is too many.
* Hold our on against the really good teams, we don't have to win them all but make the games competitive.
* Get the Missou. Monkey off our backs, for some reason they have our number.
* Last but not least is "Keep the good vibes coming form Coach Mullen" enthusiasm is contagious.

 

[InstiGATOR1]

So, with MSU, UGA, LSU and FSU on the schedule, you thought we'd win 10 or 11 games? All coming after a 4-7 season?

So, this 9-3 season must really be a disappointment to you. Talk about high expectations. Wow!

Nos. 4-8, I'm with you on those.

You lead with Mississippi State as a reason UF's schedule is tough? Just more evidence that UF fans are beaten down to a pulp by the last decade.

Think about this schedule:

1. Charleston Southern, they were not competitive with UF as everyone knew they would not be as an FCS team.
2. UK , maybe they were a little better than we thought, but maybe not. They are a 9-3, 5-3 team who would have been 8-4, 4-4 had UF not had an inexcusable home loss to them.
3. Colorado State, a 3-9 midmajor not competitive, as bad as expected.
4. @UTn, a bad program struggling to rebuild after a dumpster fire coaching search. Maybe a bit worse than expected.
5. @Miss State, another 8-4, 4-4 team and seriously Miss State does not have the player to compete with UF if you is decently coached and there are not a trap game. Maybe a tad worse than their preseason hype.
6. LSU, a 9-3 team coached by Orgeron, that is game that needs to be won at home every time it is played and were about what we expected this season.
7. @Vandy, another barely competitive opponent who were about what we expect every year.
8. UGa, the one challenge on this schedule and UF did lose this game.
9. UMo, another inexcusable home loss to a team that was 0-4 in the SEC at the time. Maybe a tad better than expected.
10. SoCar, another 6-5 not very good team without the athletes to hang with UF if UF is well coached and you know SoCar is not well coached. They were probably worse than we thought pre-season.
11. Idaho, another noncompetitive
11. FSU, as I said an historically bad poorly coached group of good athletes.

So FSU was much worse than expected, SoCar, UTn and Miss State were a bit worse than expected. Charleston Southern, Colorado State, Idaho, Vandy, UGa, LSU were about what we expected. UMo and UK were maybe a tad better than expected, but I am not sure UK did not belong in the about what we were expecting group. In total that adds up to a schedule worse than it looked like preseaons and one that UF very well should have gone 11-1 against.

UF should have beaten UK and UMo at home. Either of these losses is inexcusable. Losing both is sad. That said, as other have pointed out maybe UF could have won those two games and say lost at Miss State and to LSU, had the same record but a different feel to the season.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

We have Sunbelt garbage at LB and both safety positions, at two of the OL positions and all through the depth chart.

That's why anyone who isn't insane realizes this team is lucky to be where they are and that Mullinz deserves the credit for that.

 

[NavetG8r]

Magical considering this was a 2-9 team last year if not for a last second hail mary against UT and UK forgetting to cover our WRs twice. Mullen should get coach of the century for what he did with this team.

 

[SGG]

You lead with Mississippi State as a reason UF's schedule is tough? Just more evidence that UF fans are beaten down to a pulp by the last decade.

Think about this schedule:

1. Charleston Southern, they were not competitive with UF as everyone knew they would not be as an FCS team.
2. UK , maybe they were a little better than we thought, but maybe not. They are a 9-3, 5-3 team who would have been 8-4, 4-4 had UF not had an inexcusable home loss to them.
3. Colorado State, a 3-9 midmajor not competitive, as bad as expected.
4. @UTn, a bad program struggling to rebuild after a dumpster fire coaching search. Maybe a bit worse than expected.
5. @Miss State, another 8-4, 4-4 team and seriously Miss State does not have the player to compete with UF if you is decently coached and there are not a trap game. Maybe a tad worse than their preseason hype.
6. LSU, a 9-3 team coached by Orgeron, that is game that needs to be won at home every time it is played and were about what we expected this season.
7. @Vandy, another barely competitive opponent who were about what we expect every year.
8. UGa, the one challenge on this schedule and UF did lose this game.
9. UMo, another inexcusable home loss to a team that was 0-4 in the SEC at the time. Maybe a tad better than expected.
10. SoCar, another 6-5 not very good team without the athletes to hang with UF if UF is well coached and you know SoCar is not well coached. They were probably worse than we thought pre-season.
11. Idaho, another noncompetitive
11. FSU, as I said an historically bad poorly coached group of good athletes.

So FSU was much worse than expected, SoCar, UTn and Miss State were a bit worse than expected. Charleston Southern, Colorado State, Idaho, Vandy, UGa, LSU were about what we expected. UMo and UK were maybe a tad better than expected, but I am not sure UK did not belong in the about what we were expecting group. In total that adds up to a schedule worse than it looked like preseaons and one that UF very well should have gone 11-1 against.

UF should have beaten UK and UMo at home. Either of these losses is inexcusable. Losing both is sad. That said, as other have pointed out maybe UF could have won those two games and say lost at Miss State and to LSU, had the same record but a different feel to the season.

In other words, we played one power 5 team with a losing record, and we were the reason for their losing record.

You couldn’t have fvvked this argument up worse if you let McTaggarchump write it out

 

[InstiGATOR1]

In other words, we played one power 5 team with a losing record, and we were the reason for their losing record.

You couldn’t have fvvked this argument up worse if you let McTaggarchump write it out

Look if you are dumb enough to think that UF played a tough schedule this year, well there is little I can do to change your view that UF's schedule was hard because UF played Miss State. I can however have a good chuckle at that.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

Recruiting is far, far more important.

But ending the season with momentum is important. (And may be important for recruiting.)

 

[gardnerwebbgator]

Got max performance out of Franks. That's a miracle with Franks piss poor attitude. Example? Watch the gator rewind of the FSU game. Mullen is addressing the team at halftime, and the mental midget dip**** is standing right behind him with earphones on in his own little world. No way in hell he should be the starter, or frankly on the roster next fall.

 

[MissouriGator]

We lost to UK, The nasty azz mutts, and Mizzou.
The UK loss sucked, and left much of the fan base wondering if we were capable of winning another game (outside of Idaho).
Then we pulled off some great wins against against Miss State and LSU.
It was obvious at that point that UK wasn't the same doormat that we were used to playing.
Then comes ugly which played for the title last year, and many of us thought we had a chance to win that game. That was hard to take but ugly is--if nothing else--a very talented team that exploited our weakness in the secondary. And although a loss to them is always unacceptable, we reasoned that we are in a transitional period with a first-year head coach trying to resurrect a team that went 4 and 7 last year--a group of young players that had just went through some of the most atrocious coaching in the history of Gator Football.
So I think many of us--under such circumstances--gave Mullen a pass on that one.
It was the Mizzou game that stung the most. And most of us predicted that game would be a struggle--mostly because of Drew Locke and their passing game.
It was a bad matchup with our lack of talent and depth in the linebacker and secondary positions. But there is no excuse for getting blown out by Mizzou in The Swamp.
It's not just that we need to recruit better; we absolutely must hire some coaches that can both recruit and coach linebackers and safeties. Our corners aren't that bad--just young and need time to develop. But they could use a little help.
F$u being down--and beating them the way we did--is the best thing to erase the negativity and that sour taste that lingers...the only way is to recruit and keep winning.
We will probably end up with a top 15 class for 2019. I would love to be closer to 10 but that will be nothing short of miraculous.
However, next year will decide the fate of this program and coaches. Mullen better figure out how to get some recruiters, and that coupled with another 10 win season will bring us back to championship expectations.
We're just not there yet.

 

[PaulDrake]

So now that the season is over, except for the bowl, and we are collectively calming down a bit from the excitement from that very satisfying win over FSU. Recruiting is about to hit the early signing period stretch, but we have a bit of time to think back over the season.

.....So overall UF made some progress this year compared to the last 3. UF still lost AT HOME to UK and UMo. That is unacceptable. The only real solid win was LSU at home, maybe Miss State on the road. It was not a disasterous first year for a coach, but it was not a stellar first year either.

Well here's MY thoughts....I figured if we didn't go undefeated and win a national championship that included a 40 point win over Alabama in the SECC this proved to be a horrible hire and an abject failure.

 

[Captain Sasquatch]

We really need to stop playing a game the week after Georgia. Put the bye week after that game instead of before it. We always seem to lay an egg the following week regardless if we win or lose.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

Well here's MY thoughts....I figured if we didn't go undefeated and win a national championship that included a 40 point win over Alabama in the SECC this proved to be a horrible hire and an abject failure.

And yet...

that is clearly not the case.

 

[PaulDrake]

And yet...

that is clearly not the case.

I should have noted my post was pure sarcasm....

 

[oxrageous]

Magical considering this was a 2-9 team last year if not for a last second hail mary against UT and UK forgetting to cover our WRs twice. Mullen should get coach of the century for what he did with this team.

It's great to see you again. Sincerely.

 

[MissouriGator]

Well here's MY thoughts....I figured if we didn't go undefeated and win a national championship that included a 40 point win over Alabama in the SECC this proved to be a horrible hire and an abject failure.

I was thinking more like a 20 point win over Bama, but I get your point.

 

[UFHealthGator]

Beating Miss st on the road is a historically difficult game. They had an experienced senior team. We still beat them. They fielded their best team in years and we fielded probably the worst roster in a while. Kinda explains Mullen's "lateral move". He hit the ceiling in Starkville.

 

[SGG]

Look if you are dumb enough to think that UF played a tough schedule this year, well there is little I can do to change your view that UF's schedule was hard because UF played Miss State. I can however have a good chuckle at that.

Everyone we played from the Power 5 is BOWL GODDAMNED ELIGIBLE, save for the Nulls, and we’re the reason they aren’t.

Jesus Christ man. Why’s that so difficult to grasp?

I know you love to come here and shyt all over everything good that’s happened, that’s kinda your thing, but just don’t be an idiot or a d1ck while doing it, that’s all any of us ask.

Call me a pumper if you want, I give zero fks. Guess that makes 98% of the board pumpers at this point.

 

[78]

I figured after the first few bullet points it would get better. It didn't. It got worse.

I think I'll move on to the next thread.