Bits & Pieces: Florida vs South Carolina

aka

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A great win and a Cover 2 review. That's a good weekend.
 

AlexDaGator

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When I list the things I’m thankful for this Thanksgiving, the return of Bits & Pieces will feature prominently.

Thanks C2.


Alex.
 

NOLAGATOR

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I’m about over my “case of the @ss,” as my granddaddy used to call it. In sports, winning can be a healing salve. Winning and looking pretty good doing it is even better. So I expect us fans, thoroughbreds and jackasses alike, to be finding a better feeling about the recent turn. And a 38-6 thumping of the ‘Cocks is certainly that, comparatively speaking.

Defensively, it’s hard not to notice the flip of the switch that started in the second half a week prior against Texas A&M that continued for four quarters yesterday. Not that I would necessarily consider USCe an offensive juggernaut, but holding them to 237 total yards (44 rushing) and no offensive scores was quite the contrast. Another couple of big stats were holding them to 3/11 on third down conversions and three takeaways. There’s a noticeable difference in the play of the front 6/7. The interior guys are controlling the gaps which is freeing the LBs to scrape and flow. We’re also getting some pressure more consistently from the front with a few blitzes mixed in. As important or maybe more so, the secondary is playing much tighter in coverage as well as run support. Can’t help but think that the light is coming on which allows for less tentative play and fewer instances of paralysis from over-analysis. Kudos to this group from the staff down to the players.

Offensively, our identity is definitely in the ground game. Montrell, ET, and AR rushed for 161, 100, and 96 yds respectively with each scoring a TD. The team total was 374 and a lot of the credit has to go to the OL, anchored by Torrence who is receiving a lot of well-deserved notice, and Sale, who is looking more and more like the best OL coach we’ve had in years as well as a contender for the best in the SEC. Passing, on the other hand, has looked more complimentary as opposed to threatening. While it’s nice to see some youngsters stepping in and doing good things and Pearsall becoming maybe a favored target, the fact remains that AR’s inconsistency is the biggest issue with the throw game. A lot of his misses seem to be behind receivers, leading me to believe he is late with his reads and execution. What’s the cure? More reps, more film, another year in college. If he ever works out the consistency kinks, he’ll be extremely difficult to game plan for, given his rushing ability. I do think his confidence is growing, which is an important part of his development. The sky’s still the limit, but his window at UF grows smaller with each game.

* Punt return was responsible for the ‘Cocks’ lone score and a penalty that set them up with a short field. Certainly work to do there.

* Not nominating him for MVP by any means, but 0 has played more solidly of late. He made a great play running down JuJu McDowell from behind on a sweep. Glad to see the improvement.

* I don’t think the dismissal of one player is the sole reason for our better defensive play, but it’s a known truth that people generally experience an improved demeanor when they have a boil on their @ss removed.

* Am I concerned with the two-minute plan to end the first half? Sure. But in the grand scheme of things, the defense improving is higher on the priority list. I’m not suggesting time management isn’t important, but I am suggesting that there were more issues with this team than might have been realized and while the improvements haven’t been immediate, they are showing up…as expected.

* We’re bowl eligible! Not an end all, but a step along the way to getting back where we expect to be.

Vandy’s looming and they appear to be much better that your Dad’s Vandy. We’ll be tested, but we’re rising as well. It’ll be more of a test than usual I suspect, but with our defense starting to figure things out, we should be in a good position to take the next step in the rebuild.

I’ll close with my sincere wishes that all will feel better and better about the direction of the program. I do, despite a rocky start and any lingering uncertainties. We might not have a highly polished SEC head coach, but the guy knows how to work and I don’t believe will embarrass the University and the fans, at least those of reasonable temperament. Hang in there Gators! I truly believe our better if not best days are ahead. If I’m wrong, I’ll refund your subscriptions :lol:

Go Gators!

:chomp:
Robert Duvall GIF
 

1EyeVern

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View attachment 51027

I’m about over my “case of the @ss,” as my granddaddy used to call it. In sports, winning can be a healing salve. Winning and looking pretty good doing it is even better. So I expect us fans, thoroughbreds and jackasses alike, to be finding a better feeling about the recent turn. And a 38-6 thumping of the ‘Cocks is certainly that, comparatively speaking.

Defensively, it’s hard not to notice the flip of the switch that started in the second half a week prior against Texas A&M that continued for four quarters yesterday. Not that I would necessarily consider USCe an offensive juggernaut, but holding them to 237 total yards (44 rushing) and no offensive scores was quite the contrast. Another couple of big stats were holding them to 3/11 on third down conversions and three takeaways. There’s a noticeable difference in the play of the front 6/7. The interior guys are controlling the gaps which is freeing the LBs to scrape and flow. We’re also getting some pressure more consistently from the front with a few blitzes mixed in. As important or maybe more so, the secondary is playing much tighter in coverage as well as run support. Can’t help but think that the light is coming on which allows for less tentative play and fewer instances of paralysis from over-analysis. Kudos to this group from the staff down to the players.

Offensively, our identity is definitely in the ground game. Montrell, ET, and AR rushed for 161, 100, and 96 yds respectively with each scoring a TD. The team total was 374 and a lot of the credit has to go to the OL, anchored by Torrence who is receiving a lot of well-deserved notice, and Sale, who is looking more and more like the best OL coach we’ve had in years as well as a contender for the best in the SEC. Passing, on the other hand, has looked more complimentary as opposed to threatening. While it’s nice to see some youngsters stepping in and doing good things and Pearsall becoming maybe a favored target, the fact remains that AR’s inconsistency is the biggest issue with the throw game. A lot of his misses seem to be behind receivers, leading me to believe he is late with his reads and execution. What’s the cure? More reps, more film, another year in college. If he ever works out the consistency kinks, he’ll be extremely difficult to game plan for, given his rushing ability. I do think his confidence is growing, which is an important part of his development. The sky’s still the limit, but his window at UF grows smaller with each game.

* Punt return was responsible for the ‘Cocks’ lone score and a penalty that set them up with a short field. Certainly work to do there.

* Not nominating him for MVP by any means, but 0 has played more solidly of late. He made a great play running down JuJu McDowell from behind on a sweep. Glad to see the improvement.

* I don’t think the dismissal of one player is the sole reason for our better defensive play, but it’s a known truth that people generally experience an improved demeanor when they have a boil on their @ss removed.

* Am I concerned with the two-minute plan to end the first half? Sure. But in the grand scheme of things, the defense improving is higher on the priority list. I’m not suggesting time management isn’t important, but I am suggesting that there were more issues with this team than might have been realized and while the improvements haven’t been immediate, they are showing up…as expected.

* We’re bowl eligible! Not an end all, but a step along the way to getting back where we expect to be.

Vandy’s looming and they appear to be much better that your Dad’s Vandy. We’ll be tested, but we’re rising as well. It’ll be more of a test than usual I suspect, but with our defense starting to figure things out, we should be in a good position to take the next step in the rebuild.

I’ll close with my sincere wishes that all will feel better and better about the direction of the program. I do, despite a rocky start and any lingering uncertainties. We might not have a highly polished SEC head coach, but the guy knows how to work and I don’t believe will embarrass the University and the fans, at least those of reasonable temperament. Hang in there Gators! I truly believe our better if not best days are ahead. If I’m wrong, I’ll refund your subscriptions :lol:

Go Gators!

:chomp:
I never post but I have to! Cover2, I am I so very happy to see you back. I've missed your "day after" response to the game. Welcome back!!
 

I Have No Friends :(

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Glad to see you rubbed some dirt in it and came back, Cover. It wasn't the same without you.

I will give Napier and his staff a lot of credit for the turnaround this season. I think Toney and his staff on the defensive side of the ball, especially, did some introspective evaluation and made the necessary adjustments to put our guys in a better position to make plays. I was proud of our defense for the entire SC game, and it was fun watching them have fun playing successful football. Being able to show recruits that Toney has the potential to coach a shutdown defense in the SEC is only going to help us from here on out. Hopefully we can build on the momentum of the last 6 quarters and continue to show improvement against Vandy. Vandy's offense will present a bigger challenge and may even put together a few scoring drives, but, if this new defense shows up like they have of late, we will see a Vandy offense forced to earn everything they get rather than the turnstile defense that started this season. Again, kudos to Toney and the other defensive coaches for this turnaround. I was down on Toney for most of the season, but he's making a believer out of me.

As for end of half game management by Napier, it's becoming more and more apparent to me that AR is the limiting factor here in what Napier feels comfortable calling in a 2 minute offense. Unlike some, I don't think AR is far from having all the lights come on; he just isn't quite there yet. I see his confidence growing with each game, and now we just need him to take that next step of trusting his reads and throwing the ball on time. Once AR takes that next step, look out. It's clear to me that Napier is doing everything he can to not put AR in the position to lose the game by himself (see Kentucky), so I'm going to back off on my criticisms of the 2 minute drill. Once AR shows he can start hitting wide open receivers on time with accuracy, I think Napier will trust him more when we need to run the 2 minute drill.
 

SGG

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Glad you’re back, sir!

You summed up pretty much what all(well, most) of us are thinking about last night.

I’m glad to see the defense making strides.
 

MertzJay26

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I’m about over my “case of the @ss,” as my granddaddy used to call it. In sports, winning can be a healing salve. Winning and looking pretty good doing it is even better. So I expect us fans, thoroughbreds and jackasses alike, to be finding a better feeling about the recent turn. And a 38-6 thumping of the ‘Cocks is certainly that, comparatively speaking.

I feel personally attacked.
 

cover2

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Want your take on this.....
To me playing with tempo and 2 minute drill are two different processes. I think when we go tempo, we are hard to stop. Seems when AR and offense go into a 2 minute mode, they make mistakes. Surely I would think Napier knows and how to address that. But also know he is a process guy. If he feels this team cannot accomplish running a 2 min. drill, perhaps he's hesitant and relegates being conservative knowing what he has. Just my take on it.
Certainly differences in Tempo and 2 Min. The execution of both begin with the QB. I can’t tell you for certain, but what I see right now is a QB that does well with pre-determined actions as opposed to those he has to process by reading the coverages and blitz probabilities. His best check down is when he cuts and runs and when he busts loose for yardage it’s certainly a positive, but the problem is that it extinguishes any over the top possibilities. In turn, that allows the defenses to play +1 or +2 in the box and now our one dimensional offense becomes much more difficult to execute.

@Altitude Gator alluded to AR screwing up in a two-minute situation and Billy going immediately conservative. Until AR progresses to the point that he trusts him not to screw up in those situations, he’s going conservative to make sure we don’t have a sudden change or give the ball back with time remaining and possibly give up points.

I’m pretty critical of AR while sitting in my easy chair, but as his limitations diminish, so do our offensive constraints. Right now his biggest issues are quickly digesting the defense pre-snap, applying that to his progressions passing and give/keep on the zone read and then throwing accurate passes, particularly intermediate to short routes. I don’t know for sure, but I’m thinking he was pretty raw when he joined the team and he’s having some issues chewing and swallowing what he needs to make the offense click. If he was a thespian, his strength would be improv as opposed to Hamlet.
 

oxrageous

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Many were frustrated at the conservative play calling in the second half, but AR wasn't throwing the ball well and of course UF had a big lead. I think if Richardson had been more on, Napier would have opened it up a little more. I personally think that Napier likes to pass more than we think he does.
 

NVAGATOR86

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Damn Cover I have been spending too much time in the politics room and almost missed your return!
As usual you covered all the key points from yesterdays win. It was one of the most enjoyable Gator games I have watched in a while. Of course the 24-0 lead in the first half helped a lot. I was very encouraged with the defensive performance. It looked like we were on many plays lining up at least 5 on the DL and alternating blitzes which rattled Rattler and the rest of the Cocks.
I agree that our DBs looked solid and playing much tighter coverage. The whole D looked like they were for the most part on the same page. Listened to Kelly and Mathews the whole game. Sean Kelly actually called the fake punt and I am sure many of us did too. When Napier called the TO to set up getting the ball back Beamer the younger saw his opportunity. He figured the Gators were sure that he was punting. Good move on his part. Biggest disappointment was that Des did not flatten Rattler into road kill. Other than that a nice pay back for last years game, and the 2020 Cotton Bowl .
 

CGgater

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So glad you are back, c2! My weekend is now complete! If it weren’t for @GatorTruth continuing his weekly “Takes,” I’m not sure I would’ve survived this long (thanks Truth!). I hope your sabbatical gave you some quality decompression time.

I don’t know how much the level of competition helped, but the last 6 quarters of Gator football has been much more funner to watch. My top 3ish plays:

1. Big Dez take away.
2. ETN 85 yarder.
3. Trey Dean tip drill INT.

I think you covered pretty much all the important points.

Go Gators!!!
 

lagator

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Nice writeup and really great to have you back.

I agree with everything except the suggestion that this is some improved Vandy team better than the ones our father's teams faced. This is a pretty typical Vandy team, 10th or worse in almost every statistical category. But they are an SEC team and have given us trouble in the past even when we had more talent than them at almost every position, just like we do this year. Hopefully we will come in focused and not over confident after a couple of good performances, or looking ahead to the matchup against the Women's Clown School.
 

lagator

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Good to see you back Cover ,we missed you. It was fun again in the SWAMP, the defense made plays unseen this season, ETN’s long scamper was reminiscent of Emmit. The Icing on the cake was seeing Watson’s snatch and run , then seeing the team dog pile him , like I said it was Fun again in the SWAMP for the players and the fans.
:ugh:

I'm pretty sure he doesn't have a snatch, but if he does I'm 100% sure I don't want to see it.
 

deuce

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Like a fine Wine, C2 just gets better with age.

I like your take on Cox and think his dismissal was a key to improved play by the D-Fence!

OL line is showing more nastiness and backs are not dancing around as much..... C-Hole - Hit Hole!

I think AR is just what we see.......... A wonderful athlete who is slow to process info. :dunno:

I like our chances at Vandy but FSphew looks worrisome!
 

WalnutHll

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I rejoin after many years off, and Cover2 comes back with a game write-up. Of course that's off-set by my misspelling my hometown (Walnut Hill, fat fingers!). I call it a push to Cover2's return
 

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