Last Night was the Coaches Fault

[GatorTAG]

I put the sloppy play, penalties and mistakes on the coaches. They are rotating the entire bench in and out of the game. Backups, walk-ons and waterboys wtere playing. They wetre making wholesale changes throughout. They treated this game like a sccrimmage the whole night and didn't take this opponent seriously. No one can get in sync, rythm, or a flow of the game because they in and out. The coaches need to settle on the starters and get them used to playing together as a cohesive unit. It is particularly important that the offensive line work as a set group. How can they trust what the guy next to them is doing if it's a different guy every play? Shuffling 12 receivers in and out, how can Grier be familiar with that many guys? Herndon fumbling, what the hell is he doing in a close game? Washington at DB, why is he even in there? It was just a big, dis-jointed mess all night and they better get it straightened out by next week.

This game was a huge cluster f--k the coaches created and it sucked to watch.

 

[oxrageous]

Aren't these warm-up games at the beginning of the season supposed to be this way? I don't think you can expect us to be in mid-season form at this point, especially with an entirely new coaching staff and system.

It was Mac's second game. And in fact, we did win. I'm not going to string him up yet.

 

[T REX]

Herndon is all on the coaches. Not sure why you would play him at that point of the game like that. It was weird.

New Mexico State is total garbage. Throw last week out the window. Now, on the flip side, I don't think we're quite as bad as yesterday. I still say this is a .500 SEC team at best.

 

[PaulDrake]

I put the sloppy play, penalties and mistakes on the coaches. They are rotating the entire bench in and out of the game. Backups, walk-ons and waterboys wtere playing. They wetre making wholesale changes throughout. They treated this game like a sccrimmage the whole night and didn't take this opponent seriously. No one can get in sync, rythm, or a flow of the game because they in and out. The coaches need to settle on the starters and get them used to playing together as a cohesive unit. It is particularly important that the offensive line work as a set group. How can they trust what the guy next to them is doing if it's a different guy every play? Shuffling 12 receivers in and out, how can Grier be familiar with that many guys? Herndon fumbling, what the hell is he doing in a close game? Washington at DB, why is he even in there? It was just a big, dis-jointed mess all night and they better get it straightened out by next week.

This game was a huge cluster f--k the coaches created and it sucked to watch.

Yeah man. Right on. I've already got my www.fireMcElwain.com site already up and going. You can be my first signee....

 

[LongTooth]

OL and DL have to be rotated out throughout the game. the big dudes wear down badly in the trenches and have to be spelled.

Collins likely saved the game with a wholesale DL sub when ECU was driving. we blew up the next two plays.

 

[TN G8tr]

I think if you watch the presser TAG, you'll see and hear there is more to the Cluster as you call it than the coaches. I reference UM's meltdown and eruption on the plane sitting on the Tarmac in GNV back in '05. Mac has got a mess to clean up. The other part is he is looking to see who will be going into battle that we can rely on. I'm agree with Ox. At this point if its that bad in the locker room its time cut bait or fish.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

Didn't Nick Washington start last week? Yeah, we treated it like a scrimmage and we just aren't good enough to do that. We aren't that much better than ECU.

Your real concern is Grier. The fact is that if he keeps playing like he has he may well throw 6 ints vs Ole Miss and LSU. There is a reason Mac pressuring him to get better in a hurry.

 

[Okeechobee Joe]

When you lose it's the coach's fault. When you win, it was the players who did it. When the patient dies it was the doctor's fault. When he lives, it was God who pulled him through.

 

[GatorTAG]

Aren't these warm-up games at the beginning of the season supposed to be this way? I don't think you can expect us to be in mid-season form at this point, especially with an entirely new coaching staff and system.

It was Mac's second game. And in fact, we did win. I'm not going to string him up yet.

Yeah they're warm up games but you should be putting you guys in the best position to be successful. You should also be preparing some starters for SEC play. Can anyone name any starters at this point? At any position other than VHIII?

Yeah man. Right on. I've already got my www.fireMcElwain.com site already up and going. You can be my first signee....

Not ready to go there yet but hold a spot for me. These are all correctable mistakes and we know McElwain is working on a lot of other issues. I think he's doing the right thing withg changing the culture but I just don't think the coaches put the best product on the field.

OL and DL have to be rotated out throughout the game. the big dudes wear down badly in the trenches and have to be spelled.

Collins likely saved the game with a wholesale DL sub when ECU was driving. we blew up the next two plays.

The the S&C coach needs to be fired. These guys should be able to play a football game by now. Your comment about the D-line rotation shows what I'm talking about. He had a full set of backups in the game with ECU driving in for a score before he put the starters back in.

I like what McElwain's saying but he needs to take some responsibility for last night. There were also plenty of kids to blast for mistakes llast night. I think his making an example of Kelvin Taylor was justified but a little over the top. KT wasn't the only problem.

 

[78]

Yeah they're warm up games but you should be putting you guys in the best position to be successful. You should also be preparing some starters for SEC play. Can anyone name any starters at this point? At any position other than VHIII?

You have to know what you're players are capable of doing in game situations before you can prep them for the SEC. If that involves experimentation, then these are the games to do it. The first two games are glorified scrimmages, even more so when it involves a first-year coach. Game #2 was a bigger challenge than Game #1, which is to be expected. Neither the mental preparedness nor attitude was as good for Game #2 and Mac let it be known early in the week and post-game yesterday that everyone will be held accountable.

As far as I'm concerned, he's mapped this out the logical way, and that involves the quarterbacks. No one knows for sure who the starter should be right now.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

The the S&C coach needs to be fired. These guys should be able to play a football game by now. Your comment about the D-line rotation shows what I'm talking about.

Don't go full retard. They are out there doing battle with a bunch of other 300 lb athletes. Of course, they get tired. Rotating DL is a hallmark of Saban's defenses and most other decent coaches.

Step off the ledge.

 

[oxking]

This game was a huge cluster f--k

Sometimes, that is the only description that is apropos. However, you can blame the coaches for the substitutions and all but not necessarily for the execution, or lack thereof. I should know, I tried coaching 7th and 8th grade girls softball and what they were coached to do and what they actually did during the game was miles apart. I will give Mac the benefit of the doubt in this case.

However, I will say this. I like the way SOS always handled after the game interviews when negatives occurred by saying, "we didn't coach very well and we played poorly." Mac would have benefited from saying something like that.

 

[GatorTAG]

Don't go full retard. They are out there doing battle with a bunch of other 300 lb athletes. Of course, they get tired. Rotating DL is a hallmark of Saban's defenses and most other decent coaches.

Step off the ledge.

But Saban's backups are just as good as his starters. Yeah, when a guy gets tired sub him for a few plays. Even Saban doesn't pull his entire starting rotation out for a series like Collins did. That's what was going on last night.

 

[oxking]

Didn't Nick Washington start last week? Yeah, we treated it like a scrimmage and we just aren't good enough to do that. We aren't that much better than ECU.

Your real concern is Grier. The fact is that if he keeps playing like he has he may well throw 6 ints vs Ole Miss and LSU. There is a reason Mac pressuring him to get better in a hurry.

I agree with that. Grier is definitely a gunslinger, one of those QBs that intends to pass the ball when a pass play is called, even if no one is open. However, he is a super talented passer IMO and can be coached out of that. Maybe a little bit of Treon's reticence in throwing the ball will rub off. Personally, I think the kid will be a very good QB and I hope he is named the starter this week.

As far as treating it like a scrimmage, I would have to say that Mac did so and got away with it....barely.

 

[GatorTAG]

Sometimes, that is the only description that is apropos. However, you can blame the coaches for the substitutions and all but not necessarily for the execution, or lack thereof. I should know, I tried coaching 7th and 8th grade girls softball and what they were coached to do and what they actually did during the game was miles apart. I will give Mac the benefit of the doubt in this case.

However, I will say this. I like the way SOS always handled after the game interviews when negatives occurred by saying, "we didn't coach very well and we played poorly." Mac would have benefited from saying something like that.

The telling comment in your post is how you're comparing our roster of Division 1 football players to 8th grade girls softball.

 

[78]

Sometimes, that is the only description that is apropos. However, you can blame the coaches for the substitutions and all but not necessarily for the execution, or lack thereof. I should know, I tried coaching 7th and 8th grade girls softball and what they were coached to do and what they actually did during the game was miles apart. I will give Mac the benefit of the doubt in this case.

However, I will say this. I like the way SOS always handled after the game interviews when negatives occurred by saying, "we didn't coach very well and we played poorly." Mac would have benefited from saying something like that.

He's got a sharp tongue. I know I wasn't ready for it. I wonder how ready the players or media were. He came across like Mr. Laid-Back Congenial all year long until the opening kick. We're now finding out just how intense he is as a coach.

 

[Ray Finkle]

Suck it up Francis. This is GatorChatter, not VolNation. These coaches are doing everything to get the WM stench out of this group. Some things take time, this is one of those things.

 

[GatorTAG]

Your real concern is Grier. The fact is that if he keeps playing like he has he may well throw 6 ints vs Ole Miss and LSU. There is a reason Mac pressuring him to get better in a hurry.

Didn't you say last week that it was the 90's all over again and thet noone in this league plays pass defense? So why are you worried about that? The Fun-n-Gun is back!

 

[Swamp Donkey]

I agree with that. Grier is definitely a gunslinger, one of those QBs that intends to pass the ball when a pass play is called, even if no one is open. However, he is a super talented passer IMO and can be coached out of that. Maybe a little bit of Treon's reticence in throwing the ball will rub off.

Yeah, right now we have one too hot and one too cold. Grier's skillset is clearly what Mac wants (and, frankly, what I prefer out of a QB).

 

[Swamp Donkey]

Didn't you say last week that it was the 90's all over again and thet noone in this league plays pass defense? So why are you worried about that? The Fun-n-Gun is back!

Yeah, it is and they don't play pass defense. But Danny didn't hit the DB between the numbers repeatedly or fumble every game.

Also, I am not that worried about it. I think a 6 or 7 win season will be an outstanding coaching job given what he was left and the injuries you can expect us to have during the season. You guys that declared all the analysts were out to get us and that we are surely a 10 win SEC east contender are the ones now in panic mode.

We have to keep reminding you that WE WON. Everyone with any common sense knew this might be a tight game. Hell, we were only 1 point favorites.