- Oct 5, 2017
- 2,306
- 6,270
The Gators game against Tennessee is one that runs the gambit of emotions. It was great seeing AR back to being AR. It had some decent play by freshmen on defense. It was maddening to be down 17 and yet somehow be an offensive line protection away from a win on the last play of the game. Great coaching decisions, poor coaching decisions, there was a bit of everything in this game.
AR on the day had a UF record of 515 yards accounted for against an SEC opponent. He only completed 54.5% of his passes, but several incompletions were throwaways and the final INT was throwing the game ending ball while being hit. Florida in recent years hasn't even gotten the ball off in these situations (see Bama 2021). On the 54.5% completion rate, I'm not as bothered if you average 10+ ypa. Take this as I mean it and not as a saying player A is player B, Danny in 1996, his Heisman season, completed only 57.5% of his passes, but averaged 10.1 ypa. If you're hitting balls down the field it can make up for misfires and throwaways. It was also good seeing AR taking off running again. He had a few big runs. The biggest mistake he made in the game was the fumble he lost. If he scores there, it is a one score game and who knows what could happen. However, UT may stay in their hurry up and not possibly lose their rhythm like it seemed they did when slowing down. Either way good to see AR back to form. Glad to hear several places like CBS and Gator Nation Football Podcast confirming an injury occurring in practice before UK in that there is some explanation/contribution to his recent lack of production.
The running backs overall did not have a great day and I do not put the blame on them for none of them averaging at least 4 ypc. It is not their fault that UT sold out taking away the interior running game and the coaching staff not adjusting to an outside running game. The running backs did some good things in pass protection and even run blocking on the designed runs to the outside for AR, one that ended in a TD.
The receivers and tight ends showed they could play when they got the ball. Shorter, Hendo, Pearsall, and Zip all made big plays. Zip with perhaps the highlight of the day with his big time catch and run for the Gators first TD of the game and AR's first passing TD of the season. Whittemore and Zanders also had some big conversions. Hopefully, this improves both their confidence and the confidence in them from AR and this coaching staff.
The OL had a mixed day. They couldn't open up holes for an interior running game, but did some good pulling for outside runs. At times they were a net positive in pass blocking and times they were a liability. In the biggest moment, unfortunately, they let AR get hit while releasing what I am all but sure was the game winning TD pass.
Tennessee's defense is nothing to write home about and they were 100th in passing D coming into Saturday, but with how our passing game was the previous two weeks this was spectacular. Against Kentucky, we had guys open and couldn't hit them, at Tennessee on the road we hit them over and over again. This offense will grow as AR gets healthier and gains experience/confidence. The good news is we have a few so-so teams coming up that should allow us to build on this performace. Or we hope it will.
There is not a lot of good to say about the defense. The defensive line failed to contain Hooker and many times opened up running lanes for him to scramble for massive gains. If they keep him in pocket a few of those times they probably sack him (notably the first play on UT's second drive of the second half). That would change the scenarios for the offense/defense and might lead to some stops.
Ventrell Miller did what he could when in, but injuries and reaggravating it didn't help. He forced a fumble and recovered one. We were better when he was in the game. James did have a big stop late to keep the Gators slim chances alive. Burney had a good play or two, but was a net negative. Scooby didn't seem to be much of a factor either way. They didn't step up to shut down Hooker's scrambling or UT's run game.
The cornerbacks overall did well. Of Hooker's 22 completions, I think I counted maybe 5 to players covered by corners. That include the fumble on the first drive, some quick outs, one of Hooker's TD passes (Devin Moore in coverage) and that amazing completion late in the first half where Marshall had perhaps the best coverage we could ask for, but the throw and catch were just amazing plays that the offense made.
Nickelback (well, one of them) and safeties, however, were terrible. UT did their homework and when they saw a LB, the starting Nickel, and/or a safety in either man or zone, they knew where to throw the ball. They did it early and often. Dean blew not one, but two coverages that combined for 115 yards.
Where the Kentucky loss was on the offense, this loss was on the defense.
The special teams needs changing. Not because our kicker missed a 50 yarder, that will happen, but why we return kickoffs that are deep, with the players we have returning is beyond me. Why we keep kicking short when we've given up several big returns is beyond me. But, BUT, we did have a great onside kick.
I have watched both my video and the broadcast video of the last play multiple times. IF we give AR a clean pocket it is a TD. When the ball is released, Shorter is about 4 yarders from the CB who is square to the line of scrimmage, the safety is 10-15 yards horizontal of where the pick happened. Neither would've been able to get to a play in the middle or back of the endzone. Oh well, things happen. Truthfully, we shouldn't have had that opportunity, but kudos to this team for getting us to that point. I wish that AR and Shorter were clear on the play before and that Thai Chaiokhiao-Bowman saved us 8 seconds by running out of bounds instead of fighting for 4-5 seconds and then the 3 seconds that ran to clock the ball, but is what it is.
I cannot end this without taking a look at the coaching. Napier was aggressive and in many ways, some of it was necessary. However, aggression and not "scared money" are not blanket excuses for some issues. First, is the failure to adjust the run game to the outside when it was clear the middle was not working in the run game. Second, that timeout before the half. I understand it was taken to try and give us a last drive before the half, however, I'd have waited until 4th down based on the defensive performance until that point. It did give UT a chance to formulate the best 3rd down and long play. Perhaps UT would've taken a timeout, but that would've left them one less. Finally, I don't care what chart says what where, I don't see the sense in the going for 2 down by 11. All of us in Z15 were wondering what we were doing from that point on. The Missouri Gator Bowl was even invoked after we failed to convert. Why we didn't run plays that gave AR a run option (like put the ball on the hash and rollout) or even the QB designed run to the outside that had been successful is beyond me. I enjoyed how we called the game overall, but the game management calls near the end were head scratchers for me.
We will now see how different Nape is when it comes to personnel than Mullen. We have seniors on defense making freshman mistakes and it has continued through 4 games. With Eastern Washington and Mizzou coming up, now would be the perfect time to get some young guys starts against lesser opponents to be prepared to start against LSU and UGA. If the freshmen are playing comparable to the seniors, play the upside and long game and build for next year. If the older guys are clearly better, keep them out. To do nothing and to not adjust should not be an option. I would not have made these switches before this point due to playing 3 top 20 teams and probably an offense like UT's and being on the road is not the best place for a first start. Like I said, now is the best time in the schedule for us to make a change.
I will say this, watching the Vol fans freak out when we got that onside kick was a real highlight for me. Had some classy Vols around us, but plenty in the general vicinity who weren't. They went from braggarts to sweating in a matter of seconds. Of the hundreds of Vols I walked by and around on my way to the car, only one could must some sort of drunken confidence. The rest praised Richardson and were in a shocked relief. There are no moral victories and this game was ours for the taking, had we scored to go up 21-10 after our second stop in the first half, this game is different. It is what it is, but based on the previous weeks we exceeded offensive expectations in Knoxville and that's not nothing. That's something that could carry us against a FCS opponent, a middling Mizzou, a rebuilding LSU, an A&M team (Arky disappointed me yesterday) who might've lost their best player, a so-so Carolina, Vandy and FSU. Plenty of winnable games ahead.
Like I said Week 1, this will be a rollercoaster season, buckle up.
Go Gators!
AR on the day had a UF record of 515 yards accounted for against an SEC opponent. He only completed 54.5% of his passes, but several incompletions were throwaways and the final INT was throwing the game ending ball while being hit. Florida in recent years hasn't even gotten the ball off in these situations (see Bama 2021). On the 54.5% completion rate, I'm not as bothered if you average 10+ ypa. Take this as I mean it and not as a saying player A is player B, Danny in 1996, his Heisman season, completed only 57.5% of his passes, but averaged 10.1 ypa. If you're hitting balls down the field it can make up for misfires and throwaways. It was also good seeing AR taking off running again. He had a few big runs. The biggest mistake he made in the game was the fumble he lost. If he scores there, it is a one score game and who knows what could happen. However, UT may stay in their hurry up and not possibly lose their rhythm like it seemed they did when slowing down. Either way good to see AR back to form. Glad to hear several places like CBS and Gator Nation Football Podcast confirming an injury occurring in practice before UK in that there is some explanation/contribution to his recent lack of production.
The running backs overall did not have a great day and I do not put the blame on them for none of them averaging at least 4 ypc. It is not their fault that UT sold out taking away the interior running game and the coaching staff not adjusting to an outside running game. The running backs did some good things in pass protection and even run blocking on the designed runs to the outside for AR, one that ended in a TD.
The receivers and tight ends showed they could play when they got the ball. Shorter, Hendo, Pearsall, and Zip all made big plays. Zip with perhaps the highlight of the day with his big time catch and run for the Gators first TD of the game and AR's first passing TD of the season. Whittemore and Zanders also had some big conversions. Hopefully, this improves both their confidence and the confidence in them from AR and this coaching staff.
The OL had a mixed day. They couldn't open up holes for an interior running game, but did some good pulling for outside runs. At times they were a net positive in pass blocking and times they were a liability. In the biggest moment, unfortunately, they let AR get hit while releasing what I am all but sure was the game winning TD pass.
Tennessee's defense is nothing to write home about and they were 100th in passing D coming into Saturday, but with how our passing game was the previous two weeks this was spectacular. Against Kentucky, we had guys open and couldn't hit them, at Tennessee on the road we hit them over and over again. This offense will grow as AR gets healthier and gains experience/confidence. The good news is we have a few so-so teams coming up that should allow us to build on this performace. Or we hope it will.
There is not a lot of good to say about the defense. The defensive line failed to contain Hooker and many times opened up running lanes for him to scramble for massive gains. If they keep him in pocket a few of those times they probably sack him (notably the first play on UT's second drive of the second half). That would change the scenarios for the offense/defense and might lead to some stops.
Ventrell Miller did what he could when in, but injuries and reaggravating it didn't help. He forced a fumble and recovered one. We were better when he was in the game. James did have a big stop late to keep the Gators slim chances alive. Burney had a good play or two, but was a net negative. Scooby didn't seem to be much of a factor either way. They didn't step up to shut down Hooker's scrambling or UT's run game.
The cornerbacks overall did well. Of Hooker's 22 completions, I think I counted maybe 5 to players covered by corners. That include the fumble on the first drive, some quick outs, one of Hooker's TD passes (Devin Moore in coverage) and that amazing completion late in the first half where Marshall had perhaps the best coverage we could ask for, but the throw and catch were just amazing plays that the offense made.
Nickelback (well, one of them) and safeties, however, were terrible. UT did their homework and when they saw a LB, the starting Nickel, and/or a safety in either man or zone, they knew where to throw the ball. They did it early and often. Dean blew not one, but two coverages that combined for 115 yards.
Where the Kentucky loss was on the offense, this loss was on the defense.
The special teams needs changing. Not because our kicker missed a 50 yarder, that will happen, but why we return kickoffs that are deep, with the players we have returning is beyond me. Why we keep kicking short when we've given up several big returns is beyond me. But, BUT, we did have a great onside kick.
I have watched both my video and the broadcast video of the last play multiple times. IF we give AR a clean pocket it is a TD. When the ball is released, Shorter is about 4 yarders from the CB who is square to the line of scrimmage, the safety is 10-15 yards horizontal of where the pick happened. Neither would've been able to get to a play in the middle or back of the endzone. Oh well, things happen. Truthfully, we shouldn't have had that opportunity, but kudos to this team for getting us to that point. I wish that AR and Shorter were clear on the play before and that Thai Chaiokhiao-Bowman saved us 8 seconds by running out of bounds instead of fighting for 4-5 seconds and then the 3 seconds that ran to clock the ball, but is what it is.
I cannot end this without taking a look at the coaching. Napier was aggressive and in many ways, some of it was necessary. However, aggression and not "scared money" are not blanket excuses for some issues. First, is the failure to adjust the run game to the outside when it was clear the middle was not working in the run game. Second, that timeout before the half. I understand it was taken to try and give us a last drive before the half, however, I'd have waited until 4th down based on the defensive performance until that point. It did give UT a chance to formulate the best 3rd down and long play. Perhaps UT would've taken a timeout, but that would've left them one less. Finally, I don't care what chart says what where, I don't see the sense in the going for 2 down by 11. All of us in Z15 were wondering what we were doing from that point on. The Missouri Gator Bowl was even invoked after we failed to convert. Why we didn't run plays that gave AR a run option (like put the ball on the hash and rollout) or even the QB designed run to the outside that had been successful is beyond me. I enjoyed how we called the game overall, but the game management calls near the end were head scratchers for me.
We will now see how different Nape is when it comes to personnel than Mullen. We have seniors on defense making freshman mistakes and it has continued through 4 games. With Eastern Washington and Mizzou coming up, now would be the perfect time to get some young guys starts against lesser opponents to be prepared to start against LSU and UGA. If the freshmen are playing comparable to the seniors, play the upside and long game and build for next year. If the older guys are clearly better, keep them out. To do nothing and to not adjust should not be an option. I would not have made these switches before this point due to playing 3 top 20 teams and probably an offense like UT's and being on the road is not the best place for a first start. Like I said, now is the best time in the schedule for us to make a change.
I will say this, watching the Vol fans freak out when we got that onside kick was a real highlight for me. Had some classy Vols around us, but plenty in the general vicinity who weren't. They went from braggarts to sweating in a matter of seconds. Of the hundreds of Vols I walked by and around on my way to the car, only one could must some sort of drunken confidence. The rest praised Richardson and were in a shocked relief. There are no moral victories and this game was ours for the taking, had we scored to go up 21-10 after our second stop in the first half, this game is different. It is what it is, but based on the previous weeks we exceeded offensive expectations in Knoxville and that's not nothing. That's something that could carry us against a FCS opponent, a middling Mizzou, a rebuilding LSU, an A&M team (Arky disappointed me yesterday) who might've lost their best player, a so-so Carolina, Vandy and FSU. Plenty of winnable games ahead.
Like I said Week 1, this will be a rollercoaster season, buckle up.
Go Gators!
