Offensive Line and Running Backs - Week 1

[gatorev12]

I do think the OL will be a problem for the rest of the year; but let's hope our coaching staff is better prepared to deal with it by scheming around it and/or getting the ball out of Franks' hands earlier. And having RJ back there as a blocking option can be tapped into if we need an extra blocker to compensate for our OL being weak.

That said--getting Toney back is going to greatly open things up, as safeties can't cheat up too much with our WRs out wide and Toney always a threat on the jet sweep.

I'm not worried about our RBs, in truth. Outside of Scarlett (who had a fairly mundane game overall), all the others showed good signs--even Davis. Granted, the games will get tougher from here on out; but we've seen our RBs adjust to the challenge in the past.

 

[williston_gator]

@ThomasGoldkamp: This is the consistent problem I’m talking about with #Gators O-line. Play nearly stuffed because Martez Ivey is just so tentative getting to his assignment and engaging with a block. Malik Davis forced to make a guy miss when UF has plus numbers in the box.

 

[BruceWayne]

It's nice to see Goldkamp pointing out a problem. The media has sucked at that through the last two coaching staffs.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

@ThomasGoldkamp: This is the consistent problem I’m talking about with #Gators O-line. Play nearly stuffed because Martez Ivey is just so tentative getting to his assignment and engaging with a block. Malik Davis forced to make a guy miss when UF has plus numbers in the box.

Yeah, that is just terrible. He should destroy that LB. It's not like the LB was strafing away from him.

 

[Gator Fever]

Ivey will probably be like our past O linemen that go in like the 4th round of the NFL draft after playing substandard here and then all at once become serviceable at the NFL level. On his best plays he does show he is more talented than our other O linemen - its just he does stupid stuff quite a bit.

 

[Ancient Reptile]

It's not just his recruiting ranking. He was chosen SEC lineman of the week couple of times as a freshman or sophomore. How has he managed to get worse?

 

[SeabeeGator]

It seems like the bigger problem is inconsistent effort. He shows the ability on some plays but damn, sometimes he seems disinterested.

 

[g8trs99]

I thought Tyler Jordan struggled, but he generally does. Ivey looked slower than ever as well playing LT. Perhaps it was scheme and they will get it figured out. I was hoping Davis would redshirt. With Scarlett, Perine, Lemons and Pierce there is only one ball. It would give him a year to heal up. We will see. Running game has to improve for the offense to be effective.

 

[g8trs99]

If he came back to improve his draft stock he is failing with plays like that.

 

[divits]

I think our lines as a whole have just seemed to lack that nasty killer instinct you want to see in offensive linemen. We need a group of fire breathing badasses like Donnie Young or Lomas Brown.

 

[5-Star Finger]

@ThomasGoldkamp: This is the consistent problem I’m talking about with #Gators O-line. Play nearly stuffed because Martez Ivey is just so tentative getting to his assignment and engaging with a block. Malik Davis forced to make a guy miss when UF has plus numbers in the box.

What the hell was he doing? He looked like he was doing a one man conga line. HIT SOMEONE!!!

 

[leogator]

For another example of Ivey's 5* play!

 

[BMF]

For another example of Ivey's 5* play!

The rest of the OL excelled on that play. He single handily ruined the play. I wonder how long of a leash they give him. Unless Forsythe is a significant drop off I can't imagine they allow this type of performance to continue.

 

[leogator]

The rest of the OL excelled on that play. He single handily ruined the play. I wonder how long of a leash they give him. Unless Forsythe is a significant drop off I can't imagine they allow this type of performance to continue.

Yeah, Tyler Jordan blocked two guys on that play.
Forsythe is not a drop-off. The two games he started last year at right tackle he did very well particularly against FSU vaunted DEs (Sweat and Burns). There were couple of instances in that game that he was indecisive but other than that I really thought he did well against a very good DL.

 

[Alumni Guy]

It feels like we have whiffed on 4* and 5* O-linemen the same way we have at QB.

DJ Humphries was a top 10 overall recruit. Somehow he was a 1st rounder, but he sat his entire rookie year and didn’t seem that dominant while here.

I’m sure there are more clunkers, besides DJ and Ivey.

A lot of that is attributable to coaching and piss-poor S&C.

 

[LagoonGator68]

Ivey had many good plays this game.....damn....y'all are ruthless to a loyal, good Gator who has done his best since stepping on campus as a freshman and playing game one. Never caused an ounce of trouble.

 

[G8trwood]

Even if Ivey makes contact, he stops driving after a count of 1 and releases his guy. Soft or lazy

 

[TheDouglas78]

As I have suggested elsewhere the RB yards per carry stats were:

Scarlett: 4
Davis: 6.33
Perine: 14
Pierce: 9.38

The issue to me seems maybe to be Scarlett not the OL. He seems to lack vision, can't make anyone miss and does not defeat many tackle attempts.

Can't be I was told on this very board, that last year Scarlett was an blue chip NFL talent.... can't be him.

 

[GR8 2B]

I think our lines as a whole have just seemed to lack that nasty killer instinct you want to see in offensive linemen. We need a group of fire breathing badasses like Donnie Young or Lomas Brown.

I agree, and I think it starts with having that same kind of OL recruiter. Badass gravitates towards badass.

 

[TheDouglas78]

Our Oline got their first year of real S&C, they are going to struggle against the big boys in the league. Hell some struggled last night. That is on Butters... only so much of roster management can be fixed in 10 months, but Mullen better recruit some big boys.