- Oct 5, 2017
- 2,315
- 6,299
It’s not whether you win or lose, it’s how you play the game.
It’s not whether you lose, it’s how you lose the game.
Hurray for computers in airports and flight delays.
Before the game I described the Kentucky game as a must win game. I did it because it would be the best defense we have faced. I did it because of a previously abysmal road record that had one win on the road and that was against an A&M team ravaged by injuries and the flu. This was the chance to beat Kentucky, who I’m seeing on the Twitter and Facebook machines is apparently a juggernaut program we should be emulating. Maybe the standards have changed to average 7-8 wins a season while going absolutely ape sh*t if we get a 10th win in the Citrus Bowl (because Lord knows the expansion from big 4 bowls to big 6 bowls didn’t get the SEC #2 vs. Big Ten #2 match up that bowl mostly had for decades. I digress.
I said it was a must win and a loss would undo the progress that was made with the Kentucky win in light of the struggle to score TD’s at Charlotte. Well, hate to say it, but here we are. I thought there was a possibility of a loss, but for Kentucky to be up 23-0 and technically score all they needed to by the end of the first quarter is awful. I don’’t care how bright the sunshine you pump is, getting blown out by Kentucky is awful. There is no world where I accept that Kentucky blowing out Florida in football is ok.
On offense, we averaged 2.4 ypc. Johnson finally had the better stat game against an FBS opponent compared to Etienne. Neither one could overcome the failings of an OL that has plenty of time in college. I”m not going to act like this OL’s failure is because they are all so young. Barber a RS Sophomore is the youngest, but has many starts and more games under his belt, Leonard is a RS Junior, Kingsley is a 5th year Junior, Mazzccua is a RS Junior, and George is a 4th year Sophomore. Without Covid, we have all 3 Juniors and a Senior along with a guy who was freshman AA. There is enough experience there to not be failing spectacularly one on one against defenses with a pulse like Utah (who started a true freshman DE for his first game) and Kentucky.
Mertz was Mertz. Got a text that was not on my bingo card during the game, “I feel bad for Mertz he is doing the best he can with this _______ offense.” For his limitations, his inflated completion % due to LOS, behind LOS or barely beyond LOS throws, and his Derek Zoolander-like inability to turn left, he hasn’t been the problem. To clarify, yes, he is Derek Zoolander. He did throw 3 of his 30 passes left against Kentucky (I rightly said to my wife during the game a trips left was bs, we aren’t going there and we screened right), but that brings his season total to 9 passes outside of the left numbers. For comparison, he’s thrown 37 to the right on such throws. For more comparison he has 35 passes both behind the line of scrimmage and between the numbers this season.
I say the same things all the time about how we can help the OL through a quick passing game so beyond that mention I won’t.
Defense, we had a bad game. Bad games happen. What I don’t like is not having an offense that can make things happen when the defense isn’t dominant. 19 missed tackles is unacceptable as is giving up as many rushing yards as we did.
Kentucky found a way to exploit our defense with the trap. Many times guys were in position, but failed to make the tackle. The difference between this and LSU 2021 is at least we were in position a lot. LSU 2021 we were never in position nor did we make tackles. Also, this is one game. I’ll give the defense a bad game. It is if it becomes consistent that a problem may arise.
Again, it is not that we lost. It is how we lost, how we continue to lose. We continue to use and find ourselves down multiple scores. Florida is 5-9 against Power 5 opponents the last two seasons, in all 9 losses, including Vandy, we have been down multiple scores. For those clinging to the “improvement” subjective form of judging the season. Defense has improved, through 2 road games it hasn’t. It needs to start in Columbia or this season may spiral. There is no reason to worry about a Vandy team that only put up 28 on Kentucky...
We will learn a lot in the upcoming months, about this team and this staff. There was and is opportunity, but you’ve got to be prepared to play on the road in order to seize it. That is where we will learn about the team and the staff this year. Can they avoid being blown out in the remainder of their games away from the Swamp?
I’ve maintained that 7 wins is my line for acceptable this season. That is still on the table. Now is the time we acknowledge the road form has been a problem, but it doesn’t have to define the rest of the season. Now is the time to admit that maybe this offense does need work, but you can start work on some help and maybe let an assistant like Callaway audition for the rest of the season. Lots of things we are doing aren’t working, some things we are doing are. Time to move more things from the former group into the latter. Vandy is a good time to start, Carolina has a bad defense you can build on, then the bye week allows for more help.
Either way, I’m still going to every game I can, supporting this team and cheering for these kids.
Go Gators!
It’s not whether you lose, it’s how you lose the game.
Hurray for computers in airports and flight delays.
Before the game I described the Kentucky game as a must win game. I did it because it would be the best defense we have faced. I did it because of a previously abysmal road record that had one win on the road and that was against an A&M team ravaged by injuries and the flu. This was the chance to beat Kentucky, who I’m seeing on the Twitter and Facebook machines is apparently a juggernaut program we should be emulating. Maybe the standards have changed to average 7-8 wins a season while going absolutely ape sh*t if we get a 10th win in the Citrus Bowl (because Lord knows the expansion from big 4 bowls to big 6 bowls didn’t get the SEC #2 vs. Big Ten #2 match up that bowl mostly had for decades. I digress.
I said it was a must win and a loss would undo the progress that was made with the Kentucky win in light of the struggle to score TD’s at Charlotte. Well, hate to say it, but here we are. I thought there was a possibility of a loss, but for Kentucky to be up 23-0 and technically score all they needed to by the end of the first quarter is awful. I don’’t care how bright the sunshine you pump is, getting blown out by Kentucky is awful. There is no world where I accept that Kentucky blowing out Florida in football is ok.
On offense, we averaged 2.4 ypc. Johnson finally had the better stat game against an FBS opponent compared to Etienne. Neither one could overcome the failings of an OL that has plenty of time in college. I”m not going to act like this OL’s failure is because they are all so young. Barber a RS Sophomore is the youngest, but has many starts and more games under his belt, Leonard is a RS Junior, Kingsley is a 5th year Junior, Mazzccua is a RS Junior, and George is a 4th year Sophomore. Without Covid, we have all 3 Juniors and a Senior along with a guy who was freshman AA. There is enough experience there to not be failing spectacularly one on one against defenses with a pulse like Utah (who started a true freshman DE for his first game) and Kentucky.
Mertz was Mertz. Got a text that was not on my bingo card during the game, “I feel bad for Mertz he is doing the best he can with this _______ offense.” For his limitations, his inflated completion % due to LOS, behind LOS or barely beyond LOS throws, and his Derek Zoolander-like inability to turn left, he hasn’t been the problem. To clarify, yes, he is Derek Zoolander. He did throw 3 of his 30 passes left against Kentucky (I rightly said to my wife during the game a trips left was bs, we aren’t going there and we screened right), but that brings his season total to 9 passes outside of the left numbers. For comparison, he’s thrown 37 to the right on such throws. For more comparison he has 35 passes both behind the line of scrimmage and between the numbers this season.
I say the same things all the time about how we can help the OL through a quick passing game so beyond that mention I won’t.
Defense, we had a bad game. Bad games happen. What I don’t like is not having an offense that can make things happen when the defense isn’t dominant. 19 missed tackles is unacceptable as is giving up as many rushing yards as we did.
Kentucky found a way to exploit our defense with the trap. Many times guys were in position, but failed to make the tackle. The difference between this and LSU 2021 is at least we were in position a lot. LSU 2021 we were never in position nor did we make tackles. Also, this is one game. I’ll give the defense a bad game. It is if it becomes consistent that a problem may arise.
Again, it is not that we lost. It is how we lost, how we continue to lose. We continue to use and find ourselves down multiple scores. Florida is 5-9 against Power 5 opponents the last two seasons, in all 9 losses, including Vandy, we have been down multiple scores. For those clinging to the “improvement” subjective form of judging the season. Defense has improved, through 2 road games it hasn’t. It needs to start in Columbia or this season may spiral. There is no reason to worry about a Vandy team that only put up 28 on Kentucky...
We will learn a lot in the upcoming months, about this team and this staff. There was and is opportunity, but you’ve got to be prepared to play on the road in order to seize it. That is where we will learn about the team and the staff this year. Can they avoid being blown out in the remainder of their games away from the Swamp?
I’ve maintained that 7 wins is my line for acceptable this season. That is still on the table. Now is the time we acknowledge the road form has been a problem, but it doesn’t have to define the rest of the season. Now is the time to admit that maybe this offense does need work, but you can start work on some help and maybe let an assistant like Callaway audition for the rest of the season. Lots of things we are doing aren’t working, some things we are doing are. Time to move more things from the former group into the latter. Vandy is a good time to start, Carolina has a bad defense you can build on, then the bye week allows for more help.
Either way, I’m still going to every game I can, supporting this team and cheering for these kids.
Go Gators!
