- Jun 12, 2014
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Founding Member
Capable....but unable. Mick said something along those lines in the wrap-up. I couldn't agree more. We rode into Jax with only one loss, that to SECW heavyweight LSU. We'd found our QB and leader and along with our sterling group of receivers, the passing game was clicking. Bookends Greenard and Zuniga were set to return, rested and healthier. Bring on Fromm! Bring on Swift! This was to be our chance to reclaim the city and turn the series back in our direction. Six point 'dogs? We got this!
But it was not to be. This was not UT or Kentucky or Auburn or South Carolina. This was Georgia, the team that hates us as much as we hate them and they had the tools to get it done. Along with the previously-mentioned positives, there were some negatives that were our undoing:
*CBS showed several plays where Fromm had 4+ seconds to scan the field while we were rushing four or five most times. At some point you think Grantham's got to find a way to make him get the ball out quicker, but he never did or at least not effectively. I felt like I was watching my house burn down and all I did was hope the fire truck would eventually get there. I guess I'm now sifting through the ashes.
*The DL and LBs were pretty salty against their run game. I think I heard that Swift was held to 80-something. Unfortunately it didn't seem to matter. They still gained almost 400 total, ran more offensive plays than us, and held the ball longer.
*We aren't DBU. Not anymore, not right now. Lack of pressure on Fromm didn't help us, but we got lost in coverage several times. The most glaring was their last TD, the pass to #15 who was uncovered. As he released and ran the cross, our DB over him (we looked to be in Cover 2) turned to alert the safety. Unfortunately, the safety had bailed, starting to chase a deep receiver (who was covered) already 15-20 past him. A good team will make you pay for these blunders. Also, we had several instances of not finding the ball while in man coverage. Henderson had this happen a couple of times in key situations.
*Their OL was massive (avg. wt. ~320). Although we did well against them against the run, they were pretty solid in pass pro. The difference between their's and ours was frightening.
*Pitts is becoming a great TE. He made some great catch and runs in the first half. But he just vanished in the second. Some credit has to go to UGA for finding him and making sure he was covered.
*I'm not a big fan of the called runs for Trask. If we can't block for our backs who are much faster and more agile than him, we are wasting downs. The element of surprise is gone.
*I was pleased with our sense of urgency later in the game, but it proved to be too little, too late. Per Mullen, we've got to respond early and often. As mentioned, I think we let doubt creep in after turning it over on downs to start the game.
*Effort was not our problem, but execution was. Offensively it pretty much begins and ends with the OL. We're about where we're gonna be until this gets fixed.
Try as I might to cover my ear and think of other things, I can't help but hear the whispers of "wait 'til next year." Our top two goals are gone now. We can play to win out against Vandy and Mizzou and hope that by some miracle we get a little help with UGA. But the odds aren't in our favor. We're better served to play to win out, including F$U and a bowl and turn that into some positives with what'll be left of recruiting. This we can still control. Beside all that, we're Gators. As Freddie Swain said after the game "We got some guys with their heads down right now. The loss stings. But we'll come back Monday and work on getting better!"
That's what we do. Go Gators!
But it was not to be. This was not UT or Kentucky or Auburn or South Carolina. This was Georgia, the team that hates us as much as we hate them and they had the tools to get it done. Along with the previously-mentioned positives, there were some negatives that were our undoing:
- UGA owned third down. Seemed like every time we had an opportunity to force a change of possession, they'd convert. We, on the other hand, couldn't buy one when we had to have it.
- We were 2/3 on fourth downs, but the one we didn't get, the first attempt on the first drive of the game, seemed to rob us of our mojo. Mullen said in his post-game talk that after that "we failed to respond." He wasn't kidding.
- We couldn't block. They could. Even though we held their ground game in check for three quarters of the game, we were absolutely unable to run it against them when we had to. Furthermore, we got overpowered and passed by often while pass blocking. Our OL looked like the scout team, but we all knew this was bound to happen. We just hoped it wouldn't.
- Grantham's scheme looked almost identical to the one employed against LSU, generating insufficient pressure on Fromm who carved us up after winding his watch and scratching his @ss after the snap. That extra time also made it hard for our DBs to maintain coverage and Georgia made us pay over and over again. We didn't sack him and it seemed even when we pressured him he was able to escape with the second level defenders stretched away from the LOS. Groundhog Day.
*CBS showed several plays where Fromm had 4+ seconds to scan the field while we were rushing four or five most times. At some point you think Grantham's got to find a way to make him get the ball out quicker, but he never did or at least not effectively. I felt like I was watching my house burn down and all I did was hope the fire truck would eventually get there. I guess I'm now sifting through the ashes.
*The DL and LBs were pretty salty against their run game. I think I heard that Swift was held to 80-something. Unfortunately it didn't seem to matter. They still gained almost 400 total, ran more offensive plays than us, and held the ball longer.
*We aren't DBU. Not anymore, not right now. Lack of pressure on Fromm didn't help us, but we got lost in coverage several times. The most glaring was their last TD, the pass to #15 who was uncovered. As he released and ran the cross, our DB over him (we looked to be in Cover 2) turned to alert the safety. Unfortunately, the safety had bailed, starting to chase a deep receiver (who was covered) already 15-20 past him. A good team will make you pay for these blunders. Also, we had several instances of not finding the ball while in man coverage. Henderson had this happen a couple of times in key situations.
*Their OL was massive (avg. wt. ~320). Although we did well against them against the run, they were pretty solid in pass pro. The difference between their's and ours was frightening.
*Pitts is becoming a great TE. He made some great catch and runs in the first half. But he just vanished in the second. Some credit has to go to UGA for finding him and making sure he was covered.
*I'm not a big fan of the called runs for Trask. If we can't block for our backs who are much faster and more agile than him, we are wasting downs. The element of surprise is gone.
*I was pleased with our sense of urgency later in the game, but it proved to be too little, too late. Per Mullen, we've got to respond early and often. As mentioned, I think we let doubt creep in after turning it over on downs to start the game.
*Effort was not our problem, but execution was. Offensively it pretty much begins and ends with the OL. We're about where we're gonna be until this gets fixed.
Try as I might to cover my ear and think of other things, I can't help but hear the whispers of "wait 'til next year." Our top two goals are gone now. We can play to win out against Vandy and Mizzou and hope that by some miracle we get a little help with UGA. But the odds aren't in our favor. We're better served to play to win out, including F$U and a bowl and turn that into some positives with what'll be left of recruiting. This we can still control. Beside all that, we're Gators. As Freddie Swain said after the game "We got some guys with their heads down right now. The loss stings. But we'll come back Monday and work on getting better!"
That's what we do. Go Gators!
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