Bits & Pieces: Florida vs. Missouri

[soflagator]

Another note from last night that was a head scratcher - on the 4th and inches play, when Missouri tried to draw us off-sides (and Carter jumped, but their C didn't snap the ball), and then they called timeout....Slaton wasn't on the field. WTF? 4th and inches and our 350lb NT is on the bench. That's Grantham for you.

 

[lizardbreath]

I don’t know about you, but it was a restless Halloween evening for me as I waited for the game to begin. Seems like we haven’t played football in a year or so. Maybe it was the COVID shut down and the lost opportunity to play a seemingly hapless LSU bunch. Maybe it was that our last outing was a stinging loss in the waning minutes to TAMU (and Jimbo Fischer) on October 10, three weeks ago. Maybe it was the concern for our defense, or lack there of, and whether it would be any better (or worse) in light of the interrupted practice. Maybe it was a rare Blue Moon.

But in the end, the recovering Gators, without a dozen or so players, easily handled the Tigers of Mizzou 41-17. The defense effectively bottled up Missouri, holding them to 248 yards (208 passing, 40 rushing). Most amazing was that we were without three starters in the secondary and the tackling woes that have plagued us previously seemed to have been corrected...with limited practice opportunities! Second most amazing was that for a week at least, “Third-and-Grantham” wasn’t much of an issue as the Tigers were 3 / 15 on this down.

On the other hand, I was worried for a while that “Third-and-Mullen” might become a chant with us having some problems converting. For the game we were only slightly better than Missouri at 4 / 13 on third down, but we moved the sticks enough to put up five TDs and two FGs. There was a little rust, but the offensive efficiency was enough to engender confidence with the Dawgs and the WLOCP (or what once was pre-COVID) looming ahead.

So, let’s take a look at some specifics from the game:

*The story was the defense. If anybody would have told me that we’d have performed as well as we did with what we’ve put on the field thus far, I’d have told them they were crazy! How the heck we magically learned to tackle is a head scratcher. To be fair, Missouri helped us with some pass drops by open receivers and a couple of overthrows, but our performance was better. Now, will the improvement carry forward and be enough to help thwart UGA next week? You gotta think it looks better than it did three weeks ago!

*Offensively, Toney was the guy. Three TDs on the day, two receiving, one rushing, several defenders left grasping at air and nursing injured ankles. His talent is a difference maker and that he is getting the touches only makes our O that much better.

*Trask wasn’t at his very best, “only” 21 / 36 passing for 345 and a couple of hiccups (an INT and a three-and-out series with three straight incompletions), but he did throw four TDs and ran the ball effectively a couple of times. Maybe as importantly, he wasn’t injured on the unpenalized late hit just before the half. Healthy, he’s as good as any QB in the country.

*The front seven, especially the DL, Slaton, Cox, et al, deserve a shout out. 40 yards rushing, regardless of what you think of the Tigers, is a statement, especially when you weigh it against what we have been putting on film. Now go put two games together back-to-back.

*About that late hit...for all the blather and time spent by the SEC Network guys dissecting the play and the ensuing dust-up midfield, the biggest unanswered question to me was why was there no flag? Clearly Trask had completed the throw and was essentially defenseless. Although Mullen seemed to clumsily explain how things transpired, I don’t hold his outrage and sprint to midfield against him. If the refs aren’t going to protect your QB, then the HC has got to do it. And if the league hands down any suspensions after review, they should include an official responsible for the no call.

*Hats off to Howard! No McPherson? No problem! Way to step into the breech, young man. Evan will be back, but you showed that you’ve been earning your place at the training table. Kudos to a valuable walk-on and the latest Gator to make good.

*I’ve got to give @Swamp Donkey a shout. After seeing Mullen’s outfit for his postgame presser...

...I couldn’t help but think “Damn, he really is ‘Dorky Dan!’” Maybe he lost a bet with Grantham?

It feels good to feel good on Sunday morning again. Part of that has to do with a better effort by the defense. It’s also nice to not have to constantly fret about the OL! Looking ahead to next Saturday, it begs the question “Can we keep progressing on that side of the ball so that we give our O the chance to outscore the Dawgs? Their D is pretty good, but their O not so much. If we can at least continue to tackle better, our chances are much greater than anyone would have given us three weeks ago. We also have to keep getting improved efforts from the front seven. UGA’s OL is better than Mizzou’s, so we’ve got to take that step. Do we end Kirby’s run and maybe represent the East this year? We’ve got a great opportunity. Can’t wait to see how we react! Bottom’s up, Jacksonville! And Go Gators!

Great stuff C2. As always, you bring balance, perspective and insight to a board that truly benefits from those frequently elusive qualities. A couple of thoughts; It was a moment I will never forget when Trask came out for the second half and quietly and methodically commenced to lowering the boom on those cheap shot taking ridge runners. His comportment and command were a credit to himself, his family and to all who stood with him in putting those Ozark ass hats in their place. Just as striking was the improvement by the D. I know it was just Lil' MO, but they did some things on the field and made some adjustments on the sidelines that we have not seen this season. It was a strong showing all the way around and will set the table for the possibility of a big day in Jacksonville. Again, kudos and huzzahs!.

 

[lizardbreath]

No. He's just not as good as advertised. He looks out of shape, and slow. Maybe he'll improve, but he's definitely no better than what we've been putting out there the last few years. Braun allows Gourage to move to OT, putting our biggest liability - Delance - on the bench.

This.

 

[BMF]

The backup OL must be horrendous if Delance gets this much PT. He missed about half his blocks.

I think what we'll see by the end of the year - possibly - is a starting lineup of: Forsythe, Braun, Heggie, White, Gourage.

Next year, Tarquin & Gourage or Braun & Gourage will be the starting OT's w/ either White or Eguakin at C - and then the OG's would be either two of these three: White, Eguakin, Braun.

 

[Gator By Marriage]

Great write up as always C2. I read it to Mrs G. and we agreed that it was much better than what the so called professionals write on the sports sites and in the paper. Perhaps you missed your calling!
(I must confess however to having found the following line a bit cringe-worthy:

Maybe it was a rare Blue Moon.

Isn't a Blue Moon rare by definition?)

As for the rest, I found myself nodding in agreement at several points. I too was wondering what the heck was going on third down when we had the ball and was pleasantly surprised with third down when they did. Trask was definitely not as sharp as the earlier games and I have to believe the layoff really affected his timing. (The TV broadcasters mentioned he was throwing passes during the time off to his GF, a Gator softball player. Apparently she is a center fielder and thus probably has good speed - for a girl - but I can't imagine that helped very much.) Lastly, kudos for giving Howard a shout out. McPherson's absence was the one (other than perhaps Davis) that concerned me the most. He may never get a meaningful kick ever again once McPherson returns, but he'll always have the memories of how he took care of business when the team needed him; not many walk-ons get to ever say that.

This was definitely the most enjoyable game thus far and as a result a great Sunday tradition, enjoying "Bits and Pieces" with a mug of coffee, continues.

 

[ChiefGator]

Overall I was surprised by our handling them that easily. Perhaps they are much better at home. I hope that ref that missed the call is held responsible as should be the player. Several game suspension would be my punishment if I was his coach. I believe our coach was trying to separate our players not start more stuff. We still have missing players and one more during this game. As in our championship years you really need at least 6 good defensive linemen to dominate as we did then, not there or even close.

 

[solarman]

The ref that missed the late hit on Trask must have been the one the was calling the mysterious pass interference on our guys but missing it on thiers

 

[Detroitgator]

Great write up as always C2. I read it to Mrs G. and we agreed that it was much better than what the so called professionals write on the sports sites and in the paper. Perhaps you missed your calling!
(I must confess however to having found the following line a bit cringe-worthy:

Isn't a Blue Moon rare by definition?)

As for the rest, I found myself nodding in agreement at several points. I too was wondering what the heck was going on third down when we had the ball and was pleasantly surprised with third down when they did. Trask was definitely not as sharp as the earlier games and I have to believe the layoff really affected his timing. (The TV broadcasters mentioned he was throwing passes during the time off to his GF, a Gator softball player. Apparently she is a center fielder and thus probably has good speed - for a girl - but I can't imagine that helped very much.) Lastly, kudos for giving Howard a shout out. McPherson's absence was the one (other than perhaps Davis) that concerned me the most. He may never get a meaningful kick ever again once McPherson returns, but he'll always have the memories of how he took care of business when the team needed him; not many walk-ons get to ever say that.

This was definitely the most enjoyable game thus far and as a result a great Sunday tradition, enjoying "Bits and Pieces" with a mug of coffee, continues.

Howard's holder, who was also our punter last night, is also a walk-on and good friend of Son #2.

 

[Gator By Marriage]

Howard's holder, who was also our punter last night, is also a walk-on and good friend of Son #2.

When no one knows the holder's name, it's usually a good sign.

 

[CGgater]

@cover2 , always look forward to your analysis, thanks!

-Hard to know what kind of quality opponent we got in mizzou, but it was good to see the D make some stops. I think getting K Campbell back helped shore up the middle. I wish we had him a couple of weeks ago and hope he's ready to go against the uga o line.

-It was Trick-or-Toney last night! That kid is fun to watch when he gets in the open field.

-The offense showed some rust, and Trask wasn't immune. However, there were a few drive-killing drops that hit the WR's in the hands - Trask can't catch it for them.

-Speaking of Trask, still amazed at this point that anyone still wants to use his previous moniker. I think he's shown he can handle SEC competition. At this point, anyone using the other spelling is an embarrassment. You know who you are.

-Good to see some youth on the field and I hope they grow up fast. I noticed Pierre looks more like a LB than a Safety, which we need at the LB position (hat tip to Donk).

-The brawl was disappointing, but can't blame them for sticking up for their QB. If the refs throw a flag for the late hit, that brawl probably doesn't happen. One of many failures by the refs.

-I questioned DM's decision to make the long bomb attempt, but was more concerned about the potential scoop and score if the pocket collapsed. I appreciate being aggressive, but let's take calculated risks. Then the riot broke out and all of a sudden the uga game could be a tougher fight if Carter and other key players are suspended.

-Overall, last night was much more fun to watch, but these Gators need to improve every week. We're not winning any hardware with where we're at now.

Go Gators!!!

 

[NOLAGATOR]

Nice summary as always.

I am actually looking forward to UGA

 

[Swamp Donkey]

Braun stabilized the line. He replaced Reese after the first two series (I think).

Reese has looked pretty mediocre unfortunately.

 

[neteng]

So what changed with the defense? Was it the ability to get pressure with a front four that protected our weak secondary that had been exposed all season? Was Gratham forced to change scheme? Was it Mizzou just sucked?

Sincere questions. I picked us to lose this one and happily eat the crow. But still kinda lean towards this game being a defensive anomaly vs the baseline. Mizzou O just looked like crap.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

Was Gratham forced to change scheme?

Yes. We played some more base defenses. Man 1/2 and Cover 1/2/3 stuff. Much much less blitzing too.

 

[neteng]

Yes. We played some more base defenses. Man 1/2 and Cover 1/2/3 stuff. Much much less blitzing too.

... and Mizzou just sucked

 

[H20Gator]

Yeah He's OK. I guess.

...

one of my favorite legacy posters from gsmb.

post more!

 

[Swamp Donkey]

Yeah He's OK. I guess.

You too!

Where the hell have you been? MattM have you locked in his basement?

 

[H20Gator]

You too!

Where the hell have you been? MattM have you locked in his basement?

I stop in regularly to get all the Gator facts.

... as for MattM:

 

[Gator by the Sea]

So what changed with the defense? Was it the ability to get pressure with a front four that protected our weak secondary that had been exposed all season? Was Gratham forced to change scheme? Was it Mizzou just sucked?

Sincere questions. I picked us to lose this one and happily eat the crow. But still kinda lean towards this game being a defensive anomaly vs the baseline. Mizzou O just looked like crap.

One of the biggest differences that I noticed was quite simply that our defense finally decided they were going to tackle the other team's ballcarrier. Much better tackling Saturday night.