Some thoughts on the game

[GatorInKnox]

deceptive athleticism.

I love how this has become the PC way of saying "white but fast".

 

[T REX]

I can't believe no one has mentioned it, but Cece is going to be a BEAST! Crazy strong and fast!

Most of the team beasted yesterday. It was our men vs their boys.

 

[NCOGator]

WilleyG looked really good. I'm calling him WilleyG bc his throwing motion is smooth as Jazz (just like Kenny G) and he throws a frozen rope.

 

[williston_gator]

Did anyone notice we are using the old 4 picture poster way of play calling?

 

[ItsDookie87]

We have all heard about the 65-0 win last year but anyone with a brain sees this is different. It was clear that it was just going to be the same old offense that wouldn't get it done in the SEC. This offense just looks different, so many well designed plays with well coached players. There are going to be growing pains with young QBs and a brand new offensive line but the future looks bright. There were plays last night that looked so much like the Mac Bama team that we haven't seen since Tebow, the improvised scramble drills to be specific. When the QBs had to leave the pocket you could see WR/RBs looking for open field for a pass, in prior years I feel like they would either just go into blocking mode for the QB to run or they would just stop working to get open. It's the little things that make all the difference.

 

[williston_gator]

Did we use a timeout at all last night?

 

[Gatormac2112]

I was really impressed by Greir. Laser arm, very fast release, good pocket presence, reads defense, and deceptive athleticism. Treon was clearly good last night too, but against better competition a few of those slower wobbly passes are certain interceptions as pointed out already. And he seemed to have to roll out every throw. I think he would be an excellent backup option. Hope the online improves. Kelvin Taylor looks like a different player from last year too. A little surprised demarcus Robinson was barely involved.

I thought that about Demarcus as well, but checking the box score he had more catches than anyone else.....they were just short passes that were unremarkable. I think he will still be a weapon, the ball was spread around to 14 different receivers! And I whole heartedly agree with your analysis of the QBs.

 

[NavetG8r]

They look coached and prepared. I haven't seen that in a long time around here.

 

[RocketCityGator]

Cover2, I'd like to hear your take on the game.

Me too!​

 

[VulcanAlex]

Great comments all around and of course it was only the first game. That said we now call plays in a more creative way not so predictable as the past has been. Oline is still an issue as is receivers. OB competition is still on for at least one or perhaps more games.

 

[Gator Fever]

It was NMSU so who knows if we are going to be good. ECU will be a better test but after UK and UT we will have a better grasp of this team especially on the line of scrimmage. Nice to see some big plays and some scoring. Both QBs did good things. But still. It was New Mex State.

Yep and at QB also. It looked good there but the receivers were getting real big cushions making it kind of easy. We need to see the QBs with some pressure and tighter windows on the throws to really know what we have there.

 

[AlexDaGator]

Just to add (since the author beat me to this

Don't make us beg.


Alex.

 

[AlexDaGator]

I'm a Cronkite fan. Runs heavy. Neither he nor Scarlett know how to pass block yet so we're going to need Taylor to stay healthy. Bright future at TB.

The o-line is bad.

Both QBs are better than what we've had for years. Grier is better than Harris. He wasn't tossing rainbows out there. Those were NFL style darts to the numbers. Harder to catch, but harder to intercept.

Love Hargreaves on punt returns. Not so much the return (nothing really flashed last night) but he was calm, made sure of the catch, made good decisions. Most important thing for a punt returner is to catch the ball cleanly in traffic and VHIII is great at that. Powell not as impressive on KO returns but not sure if it was him or the blocking. Didn't look like he was hitting the seam at full speed.

NMSU was outmanned. No doubt. But...this looked like a well coached team. Remember all those times the offense looked confused? Time running out on the play clock as they looked to the sideline trying to figure out what they were supposed to do? Yeah, me either. Huge improvement. No formation or procedure penalties? No delay of game penalties? No wasted TOs trying to get our heads out of our asses? Wow! Feels good.

Thurman may have to move back to center. Can't have that liability going forward.

Go Gators.

Alex.

 

[8802Gator]

All i really wanted to see last night was an offense that didn't shoot itself in the foot. I was very pleasantly surprised. Qb's looked confident. I thought Grier looked sharper and the offense was more efficient when he was at the helm. He was very decisive and got the ball out quickly and accurately. He had one errant pass and one terrible drop by Fullwood, other than that he was perfect. Treon was almost as good. Made some very nice plays when the protection broke down. The pass to Kelvin comes to mind. O line was pretty rough to start the game, but they played a little better as the game went on. Getting Ivey back should help. I was very encouraged by what i saw.

 

[CaribGator]

1 Defensive line got pushed around early which i attribute to an experienced and cohesive NMSU Oline, we stiffened up in the 2nd half but need to be able to clamp down from the start of a game and not allow a team the momentum

2 Oline struggled against stunts, in the run blocking. Game experience and Summers coaching will have them playing better each game, Need Ivey in there for run plays, need all of them to stay healthy.

3 Spreading the ball out to 14 receivers and multiple TE's catching the ball showed there is plenty of talent out there to have a good passing game (maybe not Fullwood..) That running back coach turned Wide Receiver coach did a great job for the 1st game, we'll see how well they are coached and able to run routes against in a few games when we face better defenses. But there is plenty of hope that between the coaching and better play calling we'll have a good air attack.

4 We are solid in the RB department. I think KT didn't play as much as because Mac just wanted to let everyone who was going to play this year get in the game and reward them for work in the practices. Expect the rotation of RB to slim down when we need our horses out there every play. Scarlett and Cronkite are the real deal.

5 Grier throws a nice polished pass, looks like the hype has some backing, definitely a better passer. We'll have to see how he fairs against tighter coverage. Treon will be needed as long as the Oline is struggling and going through their growing pains. (a good part of the season) Expect both to play a lot until at least TN

Summary: the team played loose and was having fun, the Swamp was rocking and this will lead to happier times and make winning enjoyable again.

Go Gators

 

[L-boy]

I'm a Cronkite fan. Runs heavy. Neither he nor Scarlett know how to pass block yet so we're going to need Taylor to stay healthy. Bright future at TB.

The o-line is bad.

Both QBs are better than what we've had for years. Grier is better than Harris. He wasn't tossing rainbows out there. Those were NFL style darts to the numbers. Harder to catch, but harder to intercept.

Love Hargreaves on punt returns. Not so much the return (nothing really flashed last night) but he was calm, made sure of the catch, made good decisions. Most important thing for a punt returner is to catch the ball cleanly in traffic and VHIII is great at that. Powell not as impressive on KO returns but not sure if it was him or the blocking. Didn't look like he was hitting the seam at full speed.

NMSU was outmanned. No doubt. But...this looked like a well coached team. Remember all those times the offense looked confused? Time running out on the play clock as they looked to the sideline trying to figure out what they were supposed to do? Yeah, me either. Huge improvement. No formation or procedure penalties? No delay of game penalties? No wasted TOs trying to get our heads out of our asses? Wow! Feels good.

Thurman may have to move back to center. Can't have that liability going forward.

Go Gators.

Alex.

I have mixed feelings on Hargreaves returning punts. Obviously a great candidate, but he is so important on defense I hate to seem him back there taking those hits, especially against chump teams. If he has Percy Harvin punt return talent (or close to it) then it is worth it. Otherwise it isn't.

 

[maheo30]

I keep seeing that NMSU provided a lot of cushion which is why the QB's had it so easy. That is partially true. The reason they provided cushion was because NMSU was doing a ton of blitzing. I was happy to see them pull out all the stops against our o-line. It was a great learning experience for them. Grier figured out what they were doing very quickly. He read their D. He knew where the blitz was coming from. And knew who the ball should go to. He did all of that pre-snap. The kid has a real head for the game. Treon isn't there yet. He is good, but his strength is getting outside the pocket and making plays when things break down.

 

[cover2]

Don't make us beg.


Alex.

My bad. I actually had a composed reply that evaporated into cyberspace! Here's what I was going to add:

*This game feels a lot better than what we have experienced lately, to me at least. Mac is a big upgrade, especially where the offense is concerned. I also appreciate the teaching he provides as seen on the clips from practice. I also like his sense of humor in the interviews. Some have said that it's hard to get a straight answer from him, but a lot of that is him adroitly avoiding getting hemmed up by some of the questions. It'll be interesting to see if anything changes after an adverse outing. I don't see him showing up to a pressed in bandages, however.

*Liked what both QBs provided. Though I personally think Grier has a little more upside based on his accuracy and touch as well as his progression reads, I have to admit that Treon allayed some fears I had where his leadership capabilities were concerned (based on his off the field decisions last year). It also helped to hear a fellow player express in a post game interview that the team felt like both were capable of leading them to victory. Maybe no schism a la Brissett/Driskel?

*Defense looked a little unfocused to start the game and pass rush/pressure was inconsistent during the first half. Halftime adjustments (likely more @ss chewing than anything schematic) worked and we looked much better in the second half. The secondary play was also inconsistent in the first half. Hargreaves was not tight and poor Marcel Harris showed that he might need more polish. But Vernon rebounded and looked like his AA self after halftime. This unit will be fine if the LBs can stay healthy. Also, I agree with the poster that anzalone looked pretty decent.

*As many have opined, the OL has a ways to go. A little more seasoning will help and the fact that they've got a pretty good position coach to work for gives hope. A healthy Ivey will pay dividends down the road this season. If there is an urgency, it is that the conference schedule comes pretty quickly and it'll be interesting to see where they are in two weeks compared to this game.

*We've got three guys that can tote the ball. They'll get even better as they mature (talking about Scarlett and Cronkite) and the OL progresses. Staying healthy is also important, but between the three, they should be good for at least 25 carries and 180-200 yds combined (again, with a little help from an improving OL).

*Hardin was impressive, but damn he could use a haircut!

*Where has this embarrassment of riches with the TEs been, especially last year? Would have been nice to have that kind of play from the position last year, especially against LSU and FSU.

*Finally, we won the Time of Possession!

As an optimist who was finally beaten down the last two seasons, I feel like there is now a new lease on my Gator life. Probably has a lot to do with the sighting of a potent offense once more, even if it was against New Mex State.

 

[ThreatMatrix]

I love how this has become the PC way of saying "white but fast".

Or it just means "deceptive athleticism".

 

[aka]

Didn't I hear Doering say something like, our defense has been kicking the offense's butt in practice?