Ancient Reptile
Senior Member
- Mar 4, 2015
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Why did he slow down? All he had to do was maintain his stride.
Bits & Pieces: Florida vs. Tennessee
- Thread starter cover2
- Start date
- Oct 23, 2017
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I'm guessing he lost the ball in the crowd and felt he had to slow down to pick it up, in case it was underthrown and he had to be the defender on the play
Ancient Reptile
Senior Member
- Mar 4, 2015
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Thanks.
- Oct 15, 2014
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It might have been nerves. Probably didn't ever expect such a perfect ball either.
Ancient Reptile
Senior Member
- Mar 4, 2015
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- Apr 26, 2016
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You're certainly worth waiting for Cover. As usual I pretty much agree. I to like Pierce, he does square up better than the other backs but I also believe he has better vision.Only maturity of what we have and recruiting is going to help on the O line. Smoke and mirrors until then.
- Sep 4, 2014
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I'm not a professional journalist, but I've heard those that qualify say this about news (sports or otherwise): like fish, it's best served fresh and hot. The longer it sits, the less interesting it becomes. Therein lies the basis for my apology for being a day late with this article. I consider this my "real" job, but for starters the one that pays the bills got in the way. A cross country meet that we hosted finished about 11:35 and after sprinting to the wing joint (I volunteered to pick up the necessaries for the family viewing), I was about halfway into the first quarter before I got to start watching (though Mick kept me informed and I did get to watch our first series while picking up the wings). Afterward, it was up to the lake place for a family weekend (both kids home from Tifton and Valdosta respectively). No cable and no internet...yet and the result is this Sunday evening offering. I hope you'll forgive me.
Alright, enough of this waxing melancholy BS. Let's talk about our 34-3 drubbing of the hapless Vols. The culmination of our effort and the win over a primary conference rival, which is always good, left me feeling more like Smokey had heart worms and we had to put him down. It is hard for me to comprehend just what tough times their program has fallen upon and for how long the malaise has lasted. But make no mistake, I have no sympathy. As we well know, one bad hire (or two) can quickly set you on your ear. Couple that with capital inefficiencies and the recipe for a dying program is before you. It is debatable about the time frame of our turn around, better but not yet best maybe, but there is little argument that the Vols are clinging to the rim. Better them than us.
The Trask story was probably the biggest to most everyone. Chapter One (last week was the Introduction I guess) solid and awe-inspiring to an extent when you consider Trask's football journey to date, but he's not quite super hero status yet. Still a mere mortal, but maybe just a spider bite or radiation exposure away from something really special. The contrived point here is to enjoy what he's been able to do and anticipate what he might, but keep it in proper perspective. He's got an advantage with our elite corps of receivers, but he's also a missed block away from an ambulance ride. With a better OL, not necessarily elite, and a strong running game, his progression might really be something, Kerwin Bell-ian perhaps. But as it stands, we get to enjoy this mystery chapter by chapter. On to the recap:
*Trask does some things really well, like throwing a good ball, most of the time, and putting it where our guy can catch it, most of the time. He has a confidence about him that doesn't belie that this was his first start since 9th grade. He's pretty clean with his mechanics (not just the throwing part) and his footwork. His humility, which is more throwback than modern day, makes me feel like he's very appreciative of where he finds himself and what it took to get there. He's not a finished product by any means and it is unbeknownst whether they'll make a CFB version of The Natural starring him, but who knows? I'll take him being in the conversation for All SEC. That's not too much to ask is it? ;)
I think we grew some. Even though it was a not so good Tennessee team, the fact that the new QB starter clicked and the rest of the offense clicked along with him tell me that there is a developing trust and an "eyes front, keep marching" mentality forming. The test will be when we get punched in the mouth by AU, LSU, UGA, etc. The strength of your conviction as well as your plan will be revealed. But that's got to wait until after Towson. Keep growing and stay healthy!
Go Gators!
Nice analysis as always.
I'll say this. I do think we grew to some extent, despite the level of competition being pretty ugly. But to me, the biggest difference between having KT in there over Franks is that when we had a chance to put up points, we did it. Unlike the um game where we're driving inside the 10, or at midfield with a chance to go up 2 scores, and instead fumbled it away(Franks' fault or not), we seemed to be calmer and more opportunistic with Trask in there due to his ability to make plays through the air. It just seemed like every time FF went back to pass, even his biggest supporters squirmed a bit. With Trask, that didn't happen, with me anyway. And so rather than letting those teams hang around and keeping them alive, we stepped on the vols' throats and made it a blowout, which--in hindsight--I think we could've done in both of the other games this season if we'd had the proper poise at QB, when you look at the number of points we left on the table. Big difference.
The other important growth was fewer 3rd and Grantham's. Again, I recognize the competition for what it was. But I don't think Uk or um are lighting things up offensively either. So good offense, bad offense, it didn't matter. We were giving up too many of those plays either because of poor tackling or poor coverage. I only remember one egregious one Saturday, so I consider it a step in the right direction.
- Aug 30, 2014
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Great review, Cover! You hit every nail square on its head. Like you, I have hopes for what might come, because we actually look like we have a competitive and interesting team to watch again. I'm not expecting championships at this point, but it feels like we are witnessing some growth and progression for the first time in years. The running game is definitely a serious concern though. I'd really like to see us line up in I formation more often. Our OL looks confused, and the RBs look timid with our current running schemes. I'd like to see Pierce get more runs with a head of steam. If we could have even a small amount of success with this, Trask could become a play action monster with his accuracy. We have a good crop of receivers and they look pretty comfortable with Trask tossing it around the field. I'm not giddy yet, but hope springs eternal, and it seems like we might be on to something. Time will tell.
- Jan 2, 2018
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There’s a certain amount of luck involved. UT should’ve recovered a fumble inside our twenty on the second possession (I think) but the DB stepped out when he touched it. Trask fumbled it to them later in that drive but still, very lucky. Franks was just on the other end of luck when Davis coughed it up.
Their QB also missed a wide open TE streaking upfield and we gave up several long yardage situations. I’m not sure if the improvement is real or fool’s gold based on a crappy opponent.
- Jan 2, 2018
- 7,032
- 10,100
I too liked the I formation in this game. Helped the running game some and gave a wrinkle for DC’s to account for. Hope we see that and jet sweeps incorporated more often.
- Jul 30, 2014
- 10,131
- 16,377
He might’ve been looking back towards the sun. Maybe not directly, but possibly enough to misjudge the ball. Or just a freshman mistake.
- Jan 2, 2018
- 7,032
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Who knows but I guarantee he regrets it. That was as pretty as they come.
- Jun 3, 2016
- 229
- 478
Cover 2 thank you for another review. All our lives sometimes get in the way of Gator Games. We are finishing up a 4 brand new vacation rentals and a bigger house here in Cozumel. I missed the first half moving boxes. You can peak at Cozumel Vacation Rental | 15A Avenida Sur | StingrayVilla.com if interested.
lizardbreath
Well-Known Member
- Nov 5, 2016
- 3,341
- 6,323
I'm not a professional journalist, but I've heard those that qualify say this about news (sports or otherwise): like fish, it's best served fresh and hot. The longer it sits, the less interesting it becomes. Therein lies the basis for my apology for being a day late with this article. I consider this my "real" job, but for starters the one that pays the bills got in the way. A cross country meet that we hosted finished about 11:35 and after sprinting to the wing joint (I volunteered to pick up the necessaries for the family viewing), I was about halfway into the first quarter before I got to start watching (though Mick kept me informed and I did get to watch our first series while picking up the wings). Afterward, it was up to the lake place for a family weekend (both kids home from Tifton and Valdosta respectively). No cable and no internet...yet and the result is this Sunday evening offering. I hope you'll forgive me.
Alright, enough of this waxing melancholy BS. Let's talk about our 34-3 drubbing of the hapless Vols. The culmination of our effort and the win over a primary conference rival, which is always good, left me feeling more like Smokey had heart worms and we had to put him down. It is hard for me to comprehend just what tough times their program has fallen upon and for how long the malaise has lasted. But make no mistake, I have no sympathy. As we well know, one bad hire (or two) can quickly set you on your ear. Couple that with capital inefficiencies and the recipe for a dying program is before you. It is debatable about the time frame of our turn around, better but not yet best maybe, but there is little argument that the Vols are clinging to the rim. Better them than us.
The Trask story was probably the biggest to most everyone. Chapter One (last week was the Introduction I guess) solid and awe-inspiring to an extent when you consider Trask's football journey to date, but he's not quite super hero status yet. Still a mere mortal, but maybe just a spider bite or radiation exposure away from something really special
*Trask does some things really well, like throwing a good ball, most of the time, and putting it where our guy can catch it, most of the time. He has a confidence about him that doesn't belie that this was his first start since 9th grade. He's pretty clean with his mechanics (not just the throwing part) and his footwork. His humility, which is more throwback than modern day, makes me feel like he's very appreciative of where he finds himself and what it took to get there. He's not a finished product by any means and it is unbeknownst whether they'll make a CFB version of The Natural starring him, but who knows? I'll take him being in the conversation for All SEC. That's not too much to ask is it? ;)
*I'll be brief about the OL. They're still not very good. That said, I think it's time for more Pierce, as he seems to be the only guy we've got in the backfield that can get behind his pads consistently and I'm afraid that's what we're going to need this season. I see there's a thread on this subject (thanks @AugustaGator) so I don't believe it's my homer-ism. If I have a worry it's that we're liable to lose a back or two behind this line before the year's out.
*I felt like the coverage was some better, still a little soft in spots, and the interceptions were timely, but we missed a lot of tackles yet again. I keep my fingers crossed each week that we don't get fatally blistered, but so far we've escaped. I hope the growth and progression stays up (or ahead) of the level of our competition, but my head tells me we're going to get our britches pulled down sooner or later. It'll be nice to have Henderson back and see some of the others play up to their potential consistently (e.g. Wilson) and others keep progressing (e.g. Elam, Davis).
*Greenhard is bad dude. It was him amongst the boys yesterday. Glad we got him for a year at least. His play is especially important with no Zuniga. I think his heart might be the strongest muscle in his body. I appreciate what he brings. Quickness, strength, and great positional knowledge. Sometimes getting your hands up in the passing lane is as good as a sack.
*I think this game might have set some sort of record for official reviews. Luckily, we seemed to come out on top of most of them and I suppose it's great to be able to get most of the calls right, but it makes the games kind of clunky sometimes. Just wish we'd have had this feature in '03. Jack Childress would still be in prison.
*LBs looked like they were some better. Saw Moon make a couple of plays. Brunson may be emerging. Think it was Miller that got injured. Not sure of his status, but hoping this group can stay healthy throughout the season. The more reps they get, especially on passing downs, the better our entire D becomes.
*The OL notwithstanding, what's wrong with Malik Davis? Just doesn't look like the same guy. Ball security issues is a killer. Body looks healthy, just not sure about his head.
*One more note on Pierce...on a visit back home, one of our coaches asked if he thought he might be our best back. He immediately deferred to Perine and said it was his year. If Perine's going to be a scat back, which it looks like that is what he's become, it might not be his year for long. I appreciate Pierce's respect for his older teammate, but he needs to seize the opportunity.
*Three turnovers will hurt us against a better team, but I can't fault Trask's aggressiveness. It not hard to understand given the guys he's got to throw to. If Copeland hangs on to the one he dropped, the stat line might have had a little more bulge. I've already referred to the receivers as "elite," but if you add Pitts in with them, they might be as solid as any group we've had since the Spurrier years.
*Hats off to Franks. You can tell he's invested even though he can't be a part physically. I have to admit he's shown more character than I might have once thought he had. Glad to be wrong and hope for his future best.
*The TV guys made a big deal out of it, but Mullen calling time out to "refocus" the troops was well-timed. Hopefully they soon become self-correcting.
I think we grew some. Even though it was a not so good Tennessee team, the fact that the new QB starter clicked and the rest of the offense clicked along with him tell me that there is a developing trust and an "eyes front, keep marching" mentality forming. The test will be when we get punched in the mouth by AU, LSU, UGA, etc. The strength of your conviction as well as your plan will be revealed. But that's got to wait until after Towson. Keep growing and stay healthy!
Go Gators!
Yoeman work, well done.
- Sep 4, 2014
- 21,298
- 79,534
I get that. But unfortunately for Franks, there's also some apples to apples in the final quarter in Lexington. I understand the argument that they were depleted, but you could make just as strong an argument that we were in obvious pass situations on those drives and he handled it well. Compare that to the final pass attempt against um when the only thing we couldn't do was throw a pic and that's the poise element I think we were missing. But again, this isn't to imply the vols are something more than their record shows. My point, which is impossible to prove and thus very much moot, is that neither Uk nor miami are the teams we made them out to be. I don't think we leave those points on the table or continuously give the opponent life if Trask is playing. And that's coming from someone who was really pulling for Franks. Rematch tomorrow, I don't think they stay within 3 scores.
Also, yeah I meant to include that TE miss in my post. That one was ridiculous and should've been costly.
- Jun 11, 2014
- 22,331
- 28,422
Founding Member
I'm not a professional journalist, but I've heard those that qualify say this about news (sports or otherwise): like fish, it's best served fresh and hot. The longer it sits, the less interesting it becomes. Therein lies the basis for my apology for being a day late with this article. I consider this my "real" job, but for starters the one that pays the bills got in the way. A cross country meet that we hosted finished about 11:35 and after sprinting to the wing joint (I volunteered to pick up the necessaries for the family viewing), I was about halfway into the first quarter before I got to start watching (though Mick kept me informed and I did get to watch our first series while picking up the wings). Afterward, it was up to the lake place for a family weekend (both kids home from Tifton and Valdosta respectively). No cable and no internet...yet and the result is this Sunday evening offering. I hope you'll forgive me.
Alright, enough of this waxing melancholy BS. Let's talk about our 34-3 drubbing of the hapless Vols. The culmination of our effort and the win over a primary conference rival, which is always good, left me feeling more like Smokey had heart worms and we had to put him down. It is hard for me to comprehend just what tough times their program has fallen upon and for how long the malaise has lasted. But make no mistake, I have no sympathy. As we well know, one bad hire (or two) can quickly set you on your ear. Couple that with capital inefficiencies and the recipe for a dying program is before you. It is debatable about the time frame of our turn around, better but not yet best maybe, but there is little argument that the Vols are clinging to the rim. Better them than us.
The Trask story was probably the biggest to most everyone. Chapter One (last week was the Introduction I guess) solid and awe-inspiring to an extent when you consider Trask's football journey to date, but he's not quite super hero status yet. Still a mere mortal, but maybe just a spider bite or radiation exposure away from something really special
*Trask does some things really well, like throwing a good ball, most of the time, and putting it where our guy can catch it, most of the time. He has a confidence about him that doesn't belie that this was his first start since 9th grade. He's pretty clean with his mechanics (not just the throwing part) and his footwork. His humility, which is more throwback than modern day, makes me feel like he's very appreciative of where he finds himself and what it took to get there. He's not a finished product by any means and it is unbeknownst whether they'll make a CFB version of The Natural starring him, but who knows? I'll take him being in the conversation for All SEC. That's not too much to ask is it? ;)
*I'll be brief about the OL. They're still not very good. That said, I think it's time for more Pierce, as he seems to be the only guy we've got in the backfield that can get behind his pads consistently and I'm afraid that's what we're going to need this season. I see there's a thread on this subject (thanks @AugustaGator) so I don't believe it's my homer-ism. If I have a worry it's that we're liable to lose a back or two behind this line before the year's out.
*I felt like the coverage was some better, still a little soft in spots, and the interceptions were timely, but we missed a lot of tackles yet again. I keep my fingers crossed each week that we don't get fatally blistered, but so far we've escaped. I hope the growth and progression stays up (or ahead) of the level of our competition, but my head tells me we're going to get our britches pulled down sooner or later. It'll be nice to have Henderson back and see some of the others play up to their potential consistently (e.g. Wilson) and others keep progressing (e.g. Elam, Davis).
*Greenhard is bad dude. It was him amongst the boys yesterday. Glad we got him for a year at least. His play is especially important with no Zuniga. I think his heart might be the strongest muscle in his body. I appreciate what he brings. Quickness, strength, and great positional knowledge. Sometimes getting your hands up in the passing lane is as good as a sack.
*I think this game might have set some sort of record for official reviews. Luckily, we seemed to come out on top of most of them and I suppose it's great to be able to get most of the calls right, but it makes the games kind of clunky sometimes. Just wish we'd have had this feature in '03. Jack Childress would still be in prison.
*LBs looked like they were some better. Saw Moon make a couple of plays. Brunson may be emerging. Think it was Miller that got injured. Not sure of his status, but hoping this group can stay healthy throughout the season. The more reps they get, especially on passing downs, the better our entire D becomes.
*The OL notwithstanding, what's wrong with Malik Davis? Just doesn't look like the same guy. Ball security issues is a killer. Body looks healthy, just not sure about his head.
*One more note on Pierce...on a visit back home, one of our coaches asked if he thought he might be our best back. He immediately deferred to Perine and said it was his year. If Perine's going to be a scat back, which it looks like that is what he's become, it might not be his year for long. I appreciate Pierce's respect for his older teammate, but he needs to seize the opportunity.
*Three turnovers will hurt us against a better team, but I can't fault Trask's aggressiveness. It not hard to understand given the guys he's got to throw to. If Copeland hangs on to the one he dropped, the stat line might have had a little more bulge. I've already referred to the receivers as "elite," but if you add Pitts in with them, they might be as solid as any group we've had since the Spurrier years.
*Hats off to Franks. You can tell he's invested even though he can't be a part physically. I have to admit he's shown more character than I might have once thought he had. Glad to be wrong and hope for his future best.
*The TV guys made a big deal out of it, but Mullen calling time out to "refocus" the troops was well-timed. Hopefully they soon become self-correcting.
I think we grew some. Even though it was a not so good Tennessee team, the fact that the new QB starter clicked and the rest of the offense clicked along with him tell me that there is a developing trust and an "eyes front, keep marching" mentality forming. The test will be when we get punched in the mouth by AU, LSU, UGA, etc. The strength of your conviction as well as your plan will be revealed. But that's got to wait until after Towson. Keep growing and stay healthy!
Go Gators!
Great thoughts Cover, as usual. Thank you!
- Jun 14, 2014
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- 29,513
Founding Member
For sure Tuna. One game, Iverson Clement did that and ran for 25 yards before they caught him. It looked like, once it dawned on him he was stalled he just kept the legs churning and bounced it to the outside. Our RBs should have eyes-closed sessions where their coach verbally describes possible scenarios. Seems to me RBs should have in their minds multiple choices -- Tuna's "run to daylight" is a great thought-implant.
- Jun 12, 2014
- 8,931
- 32,362
Founding Member
There's track (measured) speed and game speed. Confidence built by repetitive experiences, knowing assignments, and reacting to opponents allows the game speed to be close to track speed (my theory). I think like most teams we have a fair amount of track speed. Some of our O skill guys demonstrate excellent game speed (e.g. several receivers). Not quite as many skill defenders show it consistently. Why? Lack of experience, lack of confidence in themselves regarding recognition of the O, processing what's about to happen, and reacting accordingly. A most recent example was Chauncey Gardner. He looked like he was covering guys and pursuing with a piano on his back early on. By his last two seasons, he'd sped up significantly. More mental development than physical IMO.
- Jun 9, 2014
- 78,409
- 110,720
Founding Member
They individually have some talented players, but of course they are poorly coached.
They did also try to bring some pressure from different places. It was good as a tuneup game but they may have been the worst team we play this year.
