McElwain to use two-quarterback rotation until Gators' starter emerges

[gatormandan]

"What started out as a lock has turned into a competition, as Treon Harris has narrowed the gap between himself and Will Grier in Florida’s battle for backup quarterback.
Grier entered offseason workouts as a clear QB2, but in the past week Harris has closed quickly. His decision making has sharpened, his accuracy is better, and he is now believed by some UF beat writers to be sitting in the catbird seat."

Might have to rethink my stance on Will Grier winning backup job. Treon Harris has been absolutely lights out last three days. #Gators Thomas Goldkamp

Way, dude! Make sure no one is around when you upchuck.

What is hilarious is those people who believe ANYTHING that came from the prior staff.

 

[Ancient Reptile]

We'll know who the starter is on the first offensive series. It's not rocket surgery.

Operation a success, patient died.

 

[SavannahGator]

I think Mac is waiting to see (a) how well the O-Line jells together and (b) how well his receivers run routes before he commits to Grier, a pocket passer, vs Harris, a mobile QB who can get out of trouble with his legs if the line breaks down.

I'm sure he'll play both against NMSU, and maybe even ECU, before making a final decision before UK. However, I don't think he'll be running them in and out on every play, a la SOS vs FSU in 97. Heck, he may not even run them in an out on every series. But I bet he WILL play both in the first two games.

 

[EuroGator]

The more you hear about our receivers struggling from Mac, the less you wonder why we ran the ball 90% of the time the last 4 years.

You shut your filthy mouth! When speaking about the last 4 years, you are allowed to say one of the following.

Mushchimp was a moron who is completely responsible for our demise, especially on offense.
Driskel was a moron who is completely responsible for our offensive demise.
Fooley is a moron who is completely responsible for our demise.

Oh... and we have too many DB's.

The problem was simple, not complex. Those who were to blame are gone. ...besides Fooley who will retire soon enough or be forced out if McElwain isn't successful.
:wobble:

 

[EuroGator]

There is a 5% chance it's someone other than you. We've run this through the Gator Chatter calculations department. It's pretty much a done deal.

Wobble's longest post ever is something like 15 words. No way he is BlowsJoe.

 

[URGatorBait]

Wobble's longest post ever is something like 15 words. No way he is BlowsJoe.

That's part of the plan. It's brilliant really. He's been setting us up for years!

 

[EuroGator]

That's part of the plan. It's brilliant really. He's been setting us up for years!

More evidence to the contrary I would think.

Don't worry Wobbs, I'm arguing an airtight case for you not being this troll.

 

[URGatorBait]

More evidence to the contrary I would think.

Don't worry Wobbs, I'm arguing an airtight case for you not being this troll.

You and Wobble got a thing going on that you'd like to talk about? jk Euro

 

[ThreatMatrix]

This is not surprising at all based upon what Coach Mac has been trying to tell us.

• FLORIDA: New Gators coach Jim McElwain – whose background is mostly as a QB coach – inherited a starter in sophomore Treon Harris, but after spring McElwain made it clear that Harris will continue to compete with redshirt freshman Will Grier into the preseason. “Really what it comes down to is when we get there in August is which one of those guys affect the play of the other people around them,” McElwain said this week. “There’s a lot of talented guys out there who can throw it and do all that, but for some reason don’t click with the guys around them.”

Mac has said over and over that he wants the guy in there who can move the ball down the field and who can affect in a positive way the rest of the team. Sometimes this is the guy with the best arm or the quickest feet, but sometimes it is not. Some guys have the intangible "it" factor. Sometimes you can sort this out in practice, but sometimes you have to see how this shakes out in a real live ball game.

McElwain knows quarterbacks. I believe he will give Harris and Grier a fair shake in game competition. According to all accounts Grier is the better pure passer, but that doesn't mean he can "affect the play of the other people around him" the way Harris can. I think both Grier and Harris bring their individual strengths to the game, but I think Mac wants to see them in action during game condition. Then he will make a decision and stick with it.

Man I'm liking Mac more and more. Sounds a little like he is in the SOS mold.

 

[ThreatMatrix]

Regarding dropped balls--

I remember going to see a practice back in the early 90s. We had a new crop of freshmen WRs and I wanted to see them run some drills. I don't remember seeing a single ball dropped in practice. Went home giddy knowing these guys were going to be special.

If I recall correctly, their names were Reidel Anthony, Ike Hilliard, Jacquez Green, Travis McGriff, and Nafis Karim (and maybe Jamie Richardson who I think had eligibility issues that first year).

Anthony and Hilliard were studs from day one. Green was converted from QB so it took him a tad longer to develop. McGriff flourished after Anthony and Hilliard left. Even Karim and Richardson were quality receivers, they were just overshadowed by the Stars playing in front of them.

I know that class was special (like, best class ever) but my point is great WRs don't drop balls.

They were all true freshmen and I'm telling you that ball never hit the ground. They were like vacuum cleaners out there, they caught everything.

Alex.

I think we had more dropped balls per game under 'chump than we had dropped balls per season under SOS. I used to predict our season based on the # of drops in the the first game or two - which seemingly were none.

 

[joeblow]

That was strange Treon getting all the reps with the ones during the open portion. Is Mac trying to give him a chance to show he may be the one that should be starting? Hard to say since he might have just did Grier's portion off camera but that was an unusual move and Harris supposedly came on big time late in camp last season even though we knew Grier wanted to be redshirted. It will start a lot of talk if nothing else.

That's another red flag for Grier. Have you ever heard of a quarterback that wanted to sit on the bench instead of playing? Despite the pumpers saying otherwise, it was always a possibility that Driskel would continue to suck, even in the perfect "system" and be benched. Voila, you're now starting. Of course the "plan" was for Driskel to be a dark horse Heisman candidate and then to win the Heisman this year. Tyler Murphy was supposed to be the backup quarterback, as well, but he took off for Boston college when he knew that Driskel remained Muschamp's darling.
One thing I do like about McElwain is that he is saying all the right things, and one of them is that you have to be prepared to deviate from "the plan" because it doesn't always work.

 

[VulcanAlex]

That's another red flag for Grier. Have you ever heard of a quarterback that wanted to sit on the bench instead of playing? Despite the pumpers saying otherwise, it was always a possibility that Driskel would continue to suck, even in the perfect "system" and be benched. Voila, you're now starting. Of course the "plan" was for Driskel to be a dark horse Heisman candidate and then to win the Heisman this year. Tyler Murphy was supposed to be the backup quarterback, as well, but he took off for Boston college when he knew that Driskel remained Muschamp's darling.
One thing I do like about McElwain is that he is saying all the right things, and one of them is that you have to be prepared to deviate from "the plan" because it doesn't always work.

Yes a freshman who needs development wants what is best for the team which is to get stronger, understand the playbook, and be a good team mate. Perhaps you have such a large ego that nothing makes sense to you from decent team players.

 

[joeblow]

Harris is so damn awful at throwing the football that if he is the starter we'll be lucky to win 7 games. Damn lucky.

UF is, currently, the underdog in seven games, according to Las Vegas. UF is the favorite in five. So you may have something there. One thing that I think is ignored is that UF's most effective play on offense last year was when Harris ran with the ball. I don't know how well Grier can run, but if he isn't as proficient, you'd be removing the one thing that UF was good at last year. As for the receivers, how can you blame it on coaching when Robinson has been a good player? Thompson, Bailey, and Fulwood were all in the same class, so coaching doesn't explain why they have been mediocre. It must not be getting any better under the new regime because the transfer from Vanderbilt, who should be UF's 3rd string quarterback, is now concentrating on catching passes.

 

[joeblow]

Yes a freshman who needs development wants what is best for the team which is to get stronger, understand the playbook, and be a good team mate. Perhaps you have such a large ego that nothing makes sense to you from decent team players.

You show me a quarterback that doesn't want to play at any time, and I'll show you a loser.

 

[WobbleGator]

More evidence to the contrary I would think.

Don't worry Wobbs, I'm arguing an airtight case for you not being this troll.

 

[Gator Fever]

Sounding even more like McElwain won't announce a starter prior to the opening game and may see how things play out according to practice quotes today.

 

[t-gator]

Sounding even more like McElwain won't announce a starter prior to the opening game and may see how things play out according to practice quotes today.

Both are playing the first game. He reaffirmed that today. I doubt we know the starter until the first possession.

 

[Gator Fever]

Both are playing the first game. He reaffirmed that today. I doubt we know the starter until the first possession.

I wonder if he waits until after ECU to even announce who has won the starting job?

 

[t-gator]

I wonder if he waits until after ECU to even announce who has won the starting job?

Hopefully we'll be able to tell after the new mexico st game. But idk.

 

[Gator Fever]

Hopefully we'll be able to tell after the new mexico st game. But idk.

He may announce after that game but with about the worst defense in all of FBS I dont think that game will say too much in reality. ECU at least has a defense.