Is it too early to scale back expectations?

Wow – that was the most brutal offense in the Meyer era.  Mike Pouncey was shockingly poor at snapping the ball in the shotgun, the OL blocking was mediocre, no mid-range passing game.  Steve Addazio apparently needs a lot of help from the rest of the offensive staff in devising a game plan, or else Coach Meyer needs to make an executive decision and relieve him of OC duties, as there is no ‘coordination’ of the offense at all.

The OL should improve with Carl Johnson coming back this week at LG, but Xavier Nixon is a huge missing piece right now at LT, and the absence for a few more weeks of Matt Patchan is killing the OT rotation.  The RBs were hard to evaluate, as the OL blocking was so poor.  Jeff Demps showed again how dangerous he can be on any play, and Mike Gillislee, in my opinion, has passed Emmanuel Moody on the depth chart.  The running game has to markedly improve beginning this week.

The passing game was pathetic, mostly due again to the poor snaps and general poor OL play.  I’m glad John Brantley didn’t get injured covering all of those fumbles.  When there was time to read the defense, there were glimpses of solid WR play.  The drop by Deonte Thompson of a potential long TD pass continued his inconsistent pass-catching, but he does get open.  He has to make big plays when given the opportunity.  Omarius Hines is a great player, and has to be utilized more as the competition toughens.  Chris Rainey made no plays in space (what little there was).  Carl Moore was a non-factor.  Also disappointing was the lack of any depth in the rotation.  Will Andre Debose get a chance to contribute?  When will Frankie Hammond be allowed to play?  Right now, there is no contribution from the TE position.  Hopefully Jordan Reed gets healthy soon and gives Brantley another outlet.  Trey Burton looks to be a jack-of-all-trades this season as a receiver and in the shotgun in red zone situations.

Man, if the O stinks it up this week, look out. And the Gators find a way to lose? Wow.

Like it or not, if that happens, someone is gonna take the bullet, and we know ultimately who it has to be.  I’m going to try and remain hopeful for this week’s performance, but hope does not = confidence.  If this doesn’t improve significantly by the end of September, there is NO WAY you can defend Coach A as OC anymore. 

The defense looked good for a first game.  Lots of speed at all positions, some turnovers, and most of the depth chart got some snaps.  The best development was allowing no touchdowns, even when put into extremely bad positions by the offense. 

The DL rotation is the deepest it’s been since Coach Meyer arrived.  Jaye Howard was disruptive at DT, and Omar Hunter occupied blockers and space, as he should.  Sharrif Floyd made a few good plays as well.  The DEs did not apply much pressure, and this will be a concern all season unless some young guys make an impact.  Justin Trattou is solid, but Duke Lemmens is simply not an SEC-caliber DE.  Look for some combination of Ronald Powell, William Green, and perhaps Dominique Easley to see a lot more snaps as the season progresses.

The LBs are fast and can hit.  There were some fundamental mistakes made in pass coverage by the young guys like Jon Bostic and Jelani Jenkins, but that will be corrected in time.  The secondary was terrific, with Janoris Jenkins and Ahmad Black always in position and also being sound tacklers.  Both of those guys should have all-SEC seasons if they stay healthy.  Josh Evans did a good job filing in for the suspended Will Hill.  The turnovers generated by the defense were not only a promising sign – they were the main reason for the win.  Coach Austin was able to play most of the depth chart, always a good thing with so many new faces to work in.

Janoris Jenkins is definitely a top cover corner who also can hit, Ahmad Black is always in position to make a play, Jaye Howard looks like the real deal at DT, and the young LBs can get to the ball.  Of course, some maturation needs to happen, as there were some mental lapses on the one long drive they allowed at the end of the first half, but that will get corrected with more game experience.

South Florida is talking a big game coming into the Swamp this week.  They obviously feel that the win last season at Florida $tate compares to what they will experience Saturday.  I was of the opinion there was no comparison until the horrid play of the Gator offense last week……looking frighteningly like previous F$U offenses.  Since most of the Bulls’ players are native Floridians, they have extra motivation to prove something this week, and will make some plays.

On offense, BJ Daniels is a mobile QB, and will probably make some plays with his legs.  However, if the Gators apply any pressure on him, he will turn the ball over occasionally.  USF does have a solid rotation at RB and at WR.  The Bulls usually have difficulty sustaining long drives, though, relying on big plays to score.

USF was gutted on defense by the NFL the past 2 seasons, and have a lot of new starters.  With the new coaching regime, there may not be much to gain from looking at last year’s tape.  Having so many in-state players means a fast, aggressive team, though.

It’s easy to say that “if the offense plays that way again, the Gators could lose to USF”.  Can the offense play that badly again?  It was criminal to see so much talent being wasted out there, and I can only hope Coach Meyer does right by the players and improves the coaching and their chances.  I don’t believe that there is a magic cure that will fix everything in just one week.  I need to see proof on the field of improvement across the board.  Getting a few more starters back on the OL will help, and the embarrassment of last week’s performance is a strong motivator.  I would hope that the OL can lean on the undersized USF DL and wear them down.  I fully expect the Bulls to line up guys right over Pouncey to see if the snap problems continue, and a lot of blitzing until the OL proves it can hold up in pass protection

Until the offense proves itself, the Gator defense will need to carry the day.  The quality defensive depth on the roster will be a big advantage in the heat and humidity.  Generating some turnovers again would make things easier all around this week.

Florida 31      S. Florida 17

Offense

It’s the start of a new era, beginning with QB Johnny Brantley IV replacing iconic Tim Tebow, and with other stalwarts like Aaron Hernandez, Riley Cooper, and Maurkice Pouncey gone to the NFL.  Florida is fortunate to have such a talented guy ready to step in, and there are still a ton of playmakers on the roster to fill the void.  Freshman Trey Burton is the first backup, and the offense looks much more like the spread with Tebow when he plays.  He has great running ability, but is suspect right now in the passing game, and has zero college experience except for spring and fall practice. 

It will be the challenge for Coach Addazio to mold the scheme around a different skill set.  He has the luxury of a stable of experienced and dangerous RBs with Jeff Demps, Emmanuel Moody, and the possible dark horse in Mike Gillislee.  Mack Brown comes in with lots of hype, but it will be very difficult to crack that rotation.  This group has big-play ability, but who will develop as the trusted short-yardage back?  I’m leaning towards Gillislee becoming that player.

No worries at RB, but there is a serious lack of experience at WR after Deonte Thompson, who must not only be the leader, but step up and make the big plays everyone expects this season.  The passing game will be much more diverse, with short routes to the RBs helping ease the load on the WRs.  The staff expects to move Omariius Hines around a lot, even flexing him out from the TE position.  A possible key for the entire unit will be the development of Andre Debose, coming back after a lost season due to injury.  If he approaches the playmaking ability that he came to Florida with, then so much more opens up for the offense.  There is a lot of buzz surrounding Chris Rainey’s move to the slot, and if he grasps route-running, his ability to make huge plays in space could be a defensive coordinator’s nightmare all season.  Frankie Hammond has to work his way back up the depth chart after his off-season troubles, but had an inside track to start previous to that.  Chris Dunkley and Quinton Dunbar are two freshmen who will vie for a spot in the rotation as well.  An interesting twist will be the use of Jordan Reed at TE.  I expect to see a handful of direct snaps to him, and he has flashed enough passing ability as a former backup QB to keep defenses honest on run/pass options.

The number one mission for the OL?  Keep Brantley ambulatory, and let him pick defenses apart.  The OL starts off a little shaky with practice injuries to Xavier Nixon and Matt Patchan at OT, necessitating early shuffling of positions.  Nixon must get back soon and establish himself as an all-SEC candidate at LT, which I believe he can be.  The line is still anchored by Mike Pouncey at C and Carl Johnson at LG, two all-SEC caliber players.  Mo Hurt, Jon Halapio, and Sam Robey provide solid depth.  The unit as a whole is very stout and one of the best in the nation when completely healthy.

Defense

The loss of Tebow gets most of the press, but the defense in fact lost even more quality players and leadership with Brandon Spikes, Ryan Stamper, Carlos Dunlap, Joe Haden, and Major Wright gone to the league.  That’s a lot to replace, and will really test the defensive staff’s development skills.  On a promising note, there is so much quality talent stocked up that, given the past player development evidenced by these coaches, the Gators should still put a solid defense on the field that is capable of getting back to Atlanta. 

The past 4 recruiting classes have stocked the roster with talent, but there could be some growing pains early in the season with so much turnover not just on the field, but with a new defensive coordinator (Teryl Austin from the Arizona Cardinals) and LB coach (DJ Durkin from Stanford).  Replacements such as S Will Hill and LBs Jon Bostic and Jelani Jenkins have the ability, while a host of stud freshmen DL join the fray and will see playing time early.  The DL is probably the deepest and most talented under Meyer’s watch, with Omar Hunter, Jaye Howard, Duke Lemmens, and Justin Trattou leading the way.  It will be a nice problem for Dan McCarney to decide how to rotate Lawrence Marsh, Terron Sanders, and William Green in, along with freshmen Sharrif Floyd, Dominique Easley, and Ronald Powell.  Competition breeds competition and improves the entire unit — these guys will have to carry the weight of the defense’s performance this season.

Brandon Hicks and AJ Jones lead the way for the LB corps on the outside, but this is the unit with the least depth and quality across the board.  Health may the biggest factor in their performance as the season progresses.  Bostic and Jenkins must develop early in the middle while Dee Finley is the top backup at OLB.  Lorenzo Edwards is back for one more year to back up all of the positions, but never became the force many expected him to be.  Freshmen Michael Taylor, Darrin Kitchens, and Neiron Ball will get good looks early in the season to see if any are ready to forego a redshirt year.

Coach Chuck Heater has one solid CB in Janoris Jenkins, but it’s a free-for-all at the opposite slot between Moses Jenkins. Jeremy Brown, and freshman Josh Shaw. There is a lot of young talent including Shaw, Cody Riggs, and Jaylen Watkins, but no real experience.  Not quite as thin in depth as at LB, but still shaky until a few players come to the forefront.  The safety position is stacked with Hill, Ahmad Black, an Josh Evans, with freshman Matt Elam projected for a lot of playing time immediately.  Jonathan Dowling is another freshman that may be too good to redshirt.

Special Teams

Florida is blessed with perhaps the top pair of specialists in the country with P Chas Henry and K Caleb Sturgis.  Henry doesn’t get the publicity he deserves due to his limited opportunities, but ask the rest of the SEC coaches about his leg and placement abilities.  Sturgis has proven he has the leg for long-range FGs, but has to maintain focus on shorter kicks.  He still can improve his consistency on kickoffs as well.  Coach Meyer has never been hesitant to play starters on coverage teams, but now has to replace stalwarts like Joe Haden and Wondy Pierre-Louis, along with possibly Hill and Edwards, who will be seeing much more time on defense.  We should see a lot of hyped freshmen get lots of chance early in the season to make their mark here.  Coach Durkin has been allowed the chance to take the lead in coaching this unit as Meyer has scaled back his own responsibilities, but there’s no reason to think otherwise that the Gators will again be one of the best special teams units in the SEC and nationally. 

Schedule

Miami (OH) – The Redhawks are nothing like 6 seasons ago when Ben Rothleisburger was the QB there.  This will be mostly a glorified scrimmage for the Gators, and a chance to play a lot of freshmen the second half.  WIN

South Florida – They are talking proud, but were gutted by graduation and the NFL on defense.  New coaching staff, many new players on the two-deep depth chart, and turnover-prone QB.  They will be jacked up, but this ain’t a crappy F$U team at Joke Shamble Stadium.  Florida pulls away in the 2nd and 3rd quarters to win comfortably.  WIN

@Tennessee – Wow.  The Vols are staring at a stunning lack of talent across the roster, and have lost almost any playmaker on either offense of defense due to the draft or injury.  Their only hope is the game is at home, and it being the first road game for a lot of young and/or inexperienced Gator players.  Unless there are a rash of injuries or turnovers,  Florida overpowers both lines of scrimmage.  WIN

Kentucky – Joker Phillips is talking a lot of smack about how well he’s going to coach up the Mildcats.  Yeah, right.  Unless Randall Cobb has a Percy-Harvin circa 2007-type game, there’s no way they hang for more than a half at the Swamp.  WIN

@Alabama – Too many storylines to summarize here.  Great matchup, and Bama is whistling past the graveyard if they think the losses on defense won’t hurt them.  Still, until the Gators can slow down the Crimson Tide running game, winning a tough contest on the road comes down to the defense, and the Gator front seven still untested.  LOSS

LSU – Dangerous game for Florida, no matter the result at Alabama.  LSU still has some elite talent, and their pride is hurt after 2 less-than-stellar seasons.  However, I am not a believer in Jordan Jefferson at QB, and the Swamp crowd will pull the Gators through.  WIN

Mississippi St. – Dan Mullen returns to the swamp, and his offense will be improved.  The Bulldog defense is weaker, though, and they still don’t come close to matching the talent and depth of Florida.  This one stays closer than expected due to the emotional letdown after 2 huge games, but there is still plenty of leadership from the upper-classmen to prevent a shocking loss.  WIN

Off Week – WIN (just checking to see if you’re paying attention)

Georgia (@ JAX) – Lots of unknowns about the Puppies, starting at QB.  They also lost a lot of starters in their defensive front seven.  They will be emboldened not seeing Superman on the other sideline, but the Gators are so far into their heads right now that Florida’s defense would have to collapse to lose this game.  WIN

@Vanderbilt – With Bobby Johnson gone, there is a huge loss at the top, as he was respected as a legitimate coach.  There is simply too large a chasm in talent and coaching staff ability to see anything but a solid win in Music City.  WIN

Souh Carolina – So, this is supposed to be the Pariah’s best team at Columbia, and some pundits already predict this as the SEC East championship game.  Sorry, but until Stephen Garcia becomes a SEC QB, this team is too emotionally fragile to tough out a win at the Swamp.  Actually, I hope the Gators have the opportunity to cut out Spurrier’s heart – again – and crush his hope of a division title.  WIN

Appalachian St. – This is a gutsy team that has dominated 1-AA the past 4 seasons.  Despite the loss of many of those players, the tradition they have built is impressive, and they could make some early noise against a Gator team looking ahead to F$U.  A sloppy first half turns into a big win after the 3rd quarter, then it’s time to clear the bench and get ready for F$U  WIN

@Florida St. – They’re back!  At least that’s what the “fans” of the clown school are thinking right now.  The ACC is actually so bad the Criminoles could be 9-2 or 10-1 coming into this game.  They do have good talent on offense, but that overrated sieve of an OL is no match for Florida’s front seven.  Assuming both teams are healthy coming into this game, it will actually be close.  I’m putting my money on Urban Meyer over Dumbo Fisher in the clutch, though.  WIN

SEC Championship Game (@ATL) – Despite the loss of so many great players, the recruiting prowess of Coach Meyer and his staff the past 4 seasons proves itself on the field, as Florida still finds it’s way back to Atlanta.  The opponent?  I still maintain that Alabama could lose at least 2 SEC games, which could open the door for LSU or Auburn.  I actually give Auburn’s Tigers a better chance of getting there more than LSU’s.  I just don’t believe in the Hat’s coaching abilities, and still gibe the Crimson Tide the edge over Auburn based on big-game experience.  Can Florida reverse the early season result on a neutral field?  I think so.  The past two title games have given the edge to the team with more to prove.  WIN

Heeeeeeeere come the Gators!

It was a totally stunning and deflating defeat in Atlanta — a complete collapse of the defense, coupled with a bizarre offensive gameplan that went completely away from Urban Meyer’s “plan to win”.

Where to begin?  I suppose the defense gets most of the blame, playing a listless, sloppy affair from start-to-finish.  There was something wrong from the very start just from the eyeball test watching the players on the field.

The week began ominously enough, with the suspension of Carlos Dunlap for a DUI offense — shocking for someone who had been a model citizen until then.  It would come to light in the days following the SECCG that there were many significant players at the same party.  The loss of Dunlap was glossed-over by many, but not me, as I stated my concern in my preview article.  Little did I know that after a year of distractions, that this one was more deep-seated than all of the others.

There was no energy of life in the defense from the outset, and the tackling (or lack thereof) was the worst since 2007.  The only signs of life came when Coach Strong started bringing the house in the second quarter, forcing Bama to finally punt.  But after the Gators closed to 12-10, the corner blitz was burned for a 60+ yard screen pass to Ingram, leading to a short TD run a few plays later that swung the momentum right back to the Crimson Tide.  It seemed the defense was never in the game again, making an average Alabama unit look like the 2005 USC Trojans.  Unreal.

On offense, the play-calling was curious at best, and a seemingly complete departure from what had been successful for almost 2 seasons.  4 carries for the RBs?  No speed option to the edges?  It appears in retrospect that the staff actually panicked to an extent when they saw the defense struggle so much from the start.  The funny thing is that the O-Line probably did it’s best job of protecting Tebow all season, and the passing game was working.  Cooper and Hernandez were getting open, and David Nelson came to life, catching the only TD scored by the Gators.

But the lack of running plays to the edges to spread the field was shocking — and a real indictment of Coach Addazio in his first year as Offensive Coordinator.  When the lights shone the brightest and hottest, he failed.  I can understand going against tendencies with the passing game, and it had some success.  But the complete lack of balance killed Florida against a quality defense and a defensive mind like Coach Saban.  Unacceptable.

The most disturbing revelation to come from this game is the word leaking out that a handful of players, including some prominent starters, completely got away from the preparation and focus they had exhibited for 22 straight games.  Even more troubling are the strong rumors that a group of guys did not lay it on the line for this game, with thoughts of a possible NFL future and money being first priority.

Wow — no wonder Tebow looked so devastated after the game.  He already knew that there was a serious lack of focus permeating the locker room, and it showed on the field clearly for all to see.  This outcome is so shocking that it has the entire Gator Nation shaking it’s head — and has caused serious rifts between fans, players, and possibly some of the coaches.  It was an open secret that Charlie Strong was probably going to Louisville.  But the sudden departure of WR coach Billy Gonzales, who was miffed that his input on playcalling was limited and that he wasn’t going to be promoted to the Offensive Coordinator position, was a surprise, made worse with his accepting a spot at L$U — an annual SEC rival.

Coach Meyer and his staff have a major task ahead in trying to re-focus the team on a strong showing in the Sugar Bowl.  Cincinnati is dealing with it’s own drama, losing it’s Head Coach to Notre Dame, but they are a dangerous offensive team.  It will be very interesting to see if the Gators resemble the sleep-walking Bama team that got run off the field by an inspired Utah team last year.

I’ll be back in a few days with my Sugar Bowl preview.  Until then, Happy Holidays from The Visor.

The Beat Goes On……

Another beatdown of the Criminoles capped off a perfect Senior Day at the Swamp.  The gap between the two programs is as wide as ever.  The superiority in talent and coaching was in evidence for a national audience to witness on Saturday, and the last 3 victories so complete that even Blobby Bowdown has had enough and will retire.  How much better could the script be than that?  The coach that coined such sportsmanlike phrases like, “Praying for a misdemeanor”, “The Polish Rules”, “playing to the echo of the whistle”, all the while doing anything and everything to keep players eligible and continually recruiting thugs like Darnell Dockett, Geno Taze, er, Hayes, and currently Nigel Bradham and Greg Reid, can’t hang with the Gators anymore.

The Florida defense toyed with F$U all day.  The Criminole OL (aka “The Turnstiles”) were once again dominated by the Gator front seven.  No running game of note, and a dink-and-dunk passing game that hardly posed any threat.  That’s one dangerous offense new head coach Dumbo Fisher has.

Even worse was the F$U defense, which is defenseless this year, and is the worst in probably over 30 years in Taliban City.  The Gator offense didn’t have to do anything but run mostly base plays, letting the OL easily abuse the Criminole front seven.  There were some good developments — seeing some long runs broken off by Demps and Rainey, improved pass protection, and some very accurate passes to the intermediate zones by Tebow to Cooper and Nelson.

Talk about “resistance is futile”.  Florida dominates F$U across the board, and the best thing is that the F$U “fans” still think it’s going to get better.  They have no idea how the past 3 years of poor recruiting, to be coupled with a weak class this year (and possibly a few more), will keep them down for a loooong time.

It was quite an atmosphere at the Swamp, watching the introductions of the Senior class.  The accomplishments of this group are on a level of the best groups in SEC history, and possibly nationally as well.  It was an emotional week for Coach Meyer and the departing players, capped off perfectly on a beautiful afternoon.  By the time Tim Tebow was introduced, if there was a dry eye in the stadium, that soon changed as he wept openly on his walk to hug Coach Meyer, a truly wonderful moment.  It was almost surreal during the last few drives by the Gators, as camera flashes went wild, looking almost like paparazzi at an awards show, capturing Tebow’s last few snaps in the Swamp.

But, as the players themselves said to a man, there’s still work to do……

It’s on to Atlanta for a rematch with the Crimson Tide in a game that somehow may eclipse last year’s in anticipation and hype.  Alabama has wanted the Gators all season, and now has them.

I really think that Bama will throw a lot on first and second down — especially with Carlos Dunlap out — and it could hurt the Gators.  It would also take some pressure off of McElroy by not putting him in must-pass scenarios on 3rd down.  The loss of Dunlap’s playmaking against the pass could be felt much more than folks are talking about.  There’s no way Bama’s OL is as good as last year — despite the running success of Ingram and Richardson.  Last year’s group was damn good.  They have no lineman that can Dunlap one-on-one, but now they don’t have that worry.  Justin Trattou will probably move out to DE.  He is a tenacious player, and plays the run very well.  But , he is still playing hurt with a ruptured biceps tendon.

Coach Strong will have to adjust accordingly.  I expect to see the multiple looks from the front seven that have been so successful the second half of the season, and hope that this can lead to some confusion on the Bama OL and with the QB.  As good as Julio Jones is at WR, Florida has enough talent at CB that I could see some exotic blitz packages dialed up to try and force a turnover or get a timely defensive stop.

The Florida offense seems to have turned the corner since the start of the Georgia game in terms of finally spreading the ball around and utilizing all of the skill players.  The zone-read must remain the staple of the game plan…..but Coach Addazio HAS to spread the ball around early and often.  That has been the key to better efficiency on offense.  Once again, the Tide will have the best defense the Gators have faced all season, and they have the experience pf playing Florida as recently as last year to learn from.  Coach Saban knows defense, and I fully expect them to frustrate the Gator offense occasionally.  Cody, McClain, Arenas, Jackson, and co. are simply too good and experienced to expect anything less than a difficult challenge from.  However, this is no time for Florida to go into a shell.  You have great senior leadership and playmaking — take advantage of it.

Another #1 vs. #2 matchup.  Another berth in the BCS Championship Game at stake.  And this quite possibly will be the most-watched college game on CBS — ever.  Unbelievably, the hype exceeds 2008, and again proves the superiority and cache of SEC football across the country.

Irresistible force meets immovable object again.  Bama has immense motivation to avenge last year’s loss, while at the same time Florida seeks a special place in college football history.  It has been a year of distractions and detractors for the Gators, even going into this game.  And yet, they persevere to survive and advance.  I have to go with the coaches and players that can face and overcome what this group of Gators has done.

Prediction – Florida 27        Alabama 23

Mission accomplished against FIU, except for the injury to AJ Jones that could keep him out until the bowl game.  Florida was able to clear the bench in the second half, and give the young guys plenty of reps before the next 2 games.  Coach Meyer complimented the team for staying focused and practicing well, even with an outmanned opponent to play against. 

It was apparent that the staff wanted to work on the passing game quite a bit with Tebow, and they went with a lot of empty-set looks to work on timing routes and underneath stuff — good idea to work on this now, as the level of competition ramps back up with the Criminoles coming to the Swamp.

The defense played a solid game.  Coach Strong knew he could keep things simple against FIU.  The tackling was good, and once again no touchdowns allowed.  Business as usual.

It’s now on the Florida State, and Rivalry Week.  This is not a vintage Criminole team, what with a lousy defense, no running game, and a serious lack of playmakers on both sides of the ball.  Even providing on-line courses with the answers, the usual cash inducements, and always discounting any lack of character, it looks like F$U just doesn’t have the cache it once did.  Gator fans have had to put up with the garbage coming out of Taliban City for 25 years, but karma is now putting them back in their rightful place.

On offense, E.J. Manuel won’t have weak sister ACC defenses like Wake Forest and Maryland to face.  Hopefully Coach Strong unloads a lot of pressure on the F$U OL and WRs to disrupt the dink-and-dunk passing game of Dumbo Fisher, which should lead to a lot of 3-and-outs and possibly some turnovers.  The Turnstiles on their OL are still in place, and I expect a lot of Gator meetings behind the LOS.  The only thing that could be problematic is Manuel’s running ability, and I fully expect some draw plays and read options called to take advantage of that.  However, Florida’s defense can run with anyone, and should be able to limit the effectiveness of that.  The Gator front seven is superior in ability and more physical than F$U, and should be able to dictate the pace of the game.

The F$U defense is in shambles.  Their DL is the weakest it’s been since the early ’80s.  They have their usual talent and thuggishness at LB in Bradham, Watson, and Carr.  The Criminole secondary also has some talent at CB in Robinson and turncoat Greg Reid, but their safety play is poor, and has been for years.  The fact that they can ruin Florida’s season will give them extra motivation to play hard and to “the echo of the whistle”, but, quite simply, they don’t have the talent or coaching to stand up to the Gators for a full game.

 The Florida offense has to elevate it’s level of play now.  No more excuses — it’s time to physically dominate in the run game, and to execute some crisp pass plays to gain momentum early and slowly beat down F$U.  There are only 8 more quarters of play to achieve their goals, and there’s no reason the Gators shouldn’t push through to the finish.  The OL should be able to impose it’s will all game, and allow Tebow, Demps, Rainey, Cooper, Hernandez, and Co. to make plays.   

** Extra Bonus Points **  Florida gets to kick Mickey “the Lizard” Andrews’ *#$ one more time before he retires as well.

It’s going to be an especially emotional Senior Day, with an outstanding class playing their final home game at Florida.  Tim Tebow and Brandon Spikes are the headliners, but there are a ton of talented players that have contributed from their freshman year, and as the names are called, it’s really going to hit home all of the great things they have accomplished.  There will be a lot of tears shed by not just the fans, but Coach Meyer as well.

With all of the attention of Senior Day, the imminent fall of the Criminole empire, the countdown to St. Bobby being wheeled away from the sidelines, and the SEC Championship Game talk, this will be a real test of the leadership of this team to focus on the immediate job at hand.  Fortunately for Florida, it doesn’t get any better than Urban Meyer, Tim Tebow, and Brandon Spikes to lead any team, and the players have already had an almost weekly dose of distractions to deal with and push through all season.  The Gators will be ready for this game.

Preciction – Florida 34        F$U 14

The Gators followed the season-long script against the Lamecocks, showing signs of breaking out of a scoring funk, and yet not quite executing well enough to make it happen.  The playcalling seems to be loosening up, and more of the entire field is now being attacked, which is a promising sign.  But time is running out to make the key plays it requires to win an SEC championship.

The long TD to Cooper definitely set the tone early and took the crowd out of the game, and the entire offense looked as good as it has all season — until the 10 minute mark of the second quarter.  After forcing a turnover with a 17-7 lead and starting at midfield, the offense went flat, and wasted multiple opportunities provided by the defense to put the game away early.  Then Coach Meyer made a surprising call to go for a long FG instead of pinning Carolina down and letting the defense continue to dominate.  They then went on a TD drive to make the score 17-14 at the half — not exactly Meyer’s “Plan to Win” formula.

It was then a fight until the play of the game to start the 4th quarter, the tipped pass and interception return by Trattou that set up Florida with a short field to ice the game.  A great play all around, and excellent blocking by the defensive players.  The defense completely dominated the 4th quarter, as the Lamecocks could not figure out the Joker package and the various blitz packages thrown at them — great work by Coach Strong and the defensive staff.

The offense in general is actually improving.  Less predictability, more downfield passing, and the pass protection is getting better, but still has a ways to go.  The most interesting development was Xavier Nixon getting the start at LT, with Carl Johnson moving back to LG, where he is a natural, and can really help the interior running game take off.  If Nixon can play a serviceable game going forward, this move could be enough to push the Gators to a win against Alabama……but we’re getting a little ahead of ourselves, aren’t we?

This week is another glorified scrimmage, which is fine with me.  Get the rust knocked off of Brantley and the younger players.  Rest the starters and……wait for it……NO INJURIES!  Two big games coming up to close out the 2009 regular season, and it’s imperative to have the full complement of players ready for F$U and Alabama.

Prediction Florida 45        FIU 7

Vanderbilt Review / South Carolina Preview It was talent over execution or game plan, as the Gator offense took a step back to where it has been wallowing for over a month. So much for the hope that the game plan for each game forward would build on the success against Georgia. Back to the dive plays against a stacked box, shaky pass protection, and no downfield pass plays to the WRs. Does Steve Addazio really believe he’s playing possum with future opponents, or is he simply incapable of being both the OL coach and Offensive Coordinator? I know Coach Meyer is fiercely loyal to his assistants, but Coach A has failed this year to put a talented group of players consistently in position to be successful.

One again the defense was stellar, allowing only a FG. That’s now a total of 6 TDs allowed by the defense in 9 games. Yes, the Commodore offense is a level below most SEC opponents, but the performance of the defense has been consistently solid all year. Ryan Stamper filled in nicely for Brandon Spikes, who served his suspension for “giving Washaun Ealey the business”. The DL and secondary were never really challenged, but played hard and hustled to the ball. Carlos Dunlap is playing his best ball of the season, running many plays down from behind to make the tackle.

Another week, another distraction (or distractions), as Coach Meyer was fined $30,00 by the SEC for criticizing the referees for not calling a penalty on the late hit on Tebow by Georgia. What a joke — while *&%#! Lame Kiffen gets a “reprimand” for calling other coaches liars and criticizing recruits that don’t come to Tennessee.

For some reason, I’m more worried about the upcoming game with the Lamecocks than I normally would be. I’m sure part of it is the inconsistent play of the Gator offense this year, but I also wonder, now that the SEC Championship Game matchup is set, if Coach Meyer can keep the team focused on the next game only. He has done a fine job so far, but there remains work to be done..

South Carolina actually has shown signs of life this year in the passing game, and Stephen Garcia is a good runner who can keep plays alive. His biggest problem is still accuracy, though, and I hope that continues at least one more week. The USCe running game has tailed off, which should allow the Gators to get by with a 4-man line and drop the LBs into the intermediate zones and cover the seam route to the TE that they go to multiple times each game. The Florida cornerbacks will be outsized, but neither Alshon Jeffery or Freddie Brown have elite speed, so the safeties should be able to keep things in front of them and help over the middle.

The real mystery is what Gator offense shows up? Eric Norwood is going to be a matchup problem for both of the OTs, and Aaron Hernandez may need to block a little more than usual in the passing game. Of course, a strong inside running game and some actual read option plays on the edges can help negate Norwood’s aggressiveness somewhat. Normally I would say that the passing game should have success against an inexperienced Carolina secondary, but there is no consistency week-to-week. There is a lot of pressure on the Florida offense to finally make a statement against a good defense, and it’s getting late in the season to make it happen. Tebow can still play better, and his reads and decision-making have to speed up. He has help the ball too long much too often this year, and takes too many sacks. Some of this is attributed to Coach Meyer’s “Plan to Win”, which includes limiting turnovers, but I think Tim has played things a little too safe, and has not made the pass plays he did in 2007 and 2008.

Ultimately, I believe that despite the offensive struggles this year, there is simply too much talent and leadership throughout the lineup to allow a letdown now. It’s time to remind the Pariah that the Gators come first, no matter what. I’m hopeful for another beatdown similar to the past 2 years, but it’s “survive and advance” in 2009.

Prediction – Florida 27 South Carolina 17

 It was “get well” time for the Florida Gators, as they put together their most complete team effort this season in neutering the Puppies — again!  17 out of 20 now, as the “trail of tears” from Jacksonville back to Athens has become a well-worn route.  After 2 weeks of sloppy play, turnovers, poor play-calling, media scrutiny, and soul-searching, perhaps it’s time for this year’s team to finally start having fun again and put together a strong stretch run to Atlanta.
 
It was long-overdue to see the Gator offense finally break some keys by throwing more on 1st down, hitting the edges more instead of stubbornly running between the tackles into 8- and 9-man defenses, and taking shots to the end zone from outside the 20.  Georgia’s weakness at defensive end set up most of the offensive game plan, and the players executed it well.  Tebow looked more comfortable throwing the ball in rhythm downfield this game, and the O-Line showed some improvement in pass protection.  Riley Cooper continues to show what a great athlete he is, both with his great one-handed TD catch and his continued excellence in downfield blocking.  This needs to be more of the norm rather than the exception the rest of the season to establish momentum building up to the SEC Championship Game, which Florida has clinched a berth in.  Finally, how poetic that Tebow’s 50th rushing TD, the all-time mark in the SEC to break Herschel Walker’s record, came against the Puppies themselves.  Just one more dagger in their hearts as they sink further behind Florida.
 
The defense was solid again.  I was a little disappointed in the rushing yards allowed between the tackles, but Georgia did have 2 weeks to prepare, and shuffled their entire O-Line personnel around to their advantage in the running game,  However, the Gators had a distinct advantage with their pass rush, and it really showed in the second half as they got multiple sacks and 3 of their 4 interceptions — all from the LBs.  AJ Jones has really started to perform this year at a high level, and has to be the biggest surprise on defense this season.  It was nice to see Brandon Spikes getting close to 100% health, as he made his presence known with 11 tackles and the interception return for the final score of the game.  I was also surprised it took so long for the safeties to come up and start to take away the seam route to the TE and the 15-18 yard square-ins that were really the only pass plays Georgia had success with.  Once Major Wright laid the wood the AJ Green, though, that took him out of the game and essentially ended any consistent threat from the Puppies.
 
Vanderbilt is up next for the Gators.  Despite the step down in talent level from the opponent, there needs to be no let up in intensity and execution.  It’s getting closer to money time now, and a tough road game at South Carolina follows.  The Commodores have taken a step back from their performance the past few years, and simply do not have the depth or playmakers to stay with Florida for more than 1-2 quarters.  It will be interesting to see if Coach Addazio continues to mix things up on offense, or goes back into a shell somewhat and be painfully conservative to ensure a win.  I think it would serve the offense best to continue to build on the scheme used against Georgia in order to establish a consistent rhythm and more confidence in the passing game.
 
This staff is too good, and the players too mature and experienced, in order to have a real letdown this week.  The bigger prizes are starting to come into view, and it’s time to build some real momentum to finish the regular season and peak in Atlanta.
 
Florida 38        Vanderbilt 10

Survive and advance.  Unfortunately, given the terrible red-zone performance of the Gator offense this year, that’s the mantra the rest of the way, unless major changes occur.  There are serious rumblings out of Gainesville this week that some changes may actually start to happen, including perhaps Carl Johnson moving back to LG, and an entire re-think of red zone play calling.  The offensive staff is simply not giving the players the best chance to win, and that’s completely on them.

When you see Tim Tebow show that much frustration to Coach Meyer, and the lack of smiles and fun had by the team, than there is something seriously wrong.  I’m sure Tim is pressing, and the constant attention and sniping from everyone across the country has to wear on young kids like this.  Being a defending champion is tough — being the Florida Gators, with Tim Tebow and so many returning starters, has to be incredibly tough.  Just look at how poorly Arkansas played against Ole Miss — think they didn’t give the Gators their best shot?

There are no real complaints about the offensive performance between the 20s.  Chris Rainey was very solid, Aaron Hernandez is money, and Riley Cooper made some nice catches over the middle.  You have to make defenses pay if they are going to crowd the box and run blitz constantly.  The pass protection is still a major concern, though.  Mike Pouncey was beaten badly a few times, and Carl Johnson does not have the foot speed to handle speed rushers.  The loss of Matt Patchan really hurts at LT.

The Florida defense again led the way, allowing zero offensive touchdowns.  They did a great job in limiting the effectiveness of Dixon in the running game, meaning MSU had zero chance of any consistent success.  Dunlap and Cunningham seem to be ramping up the pass rush, and Terron Sanders is playing the best football of his career at DT.  Once again the LB corps handled the loss of Spikes almost seamlessly. 

Now it’s on to Jacksonville to play a desperate Georgia team.  The Puppies have beaten Florida the first 2 times the Gators were defending a National Championship, and have had a week off to prepare to try and save their season.

The Puppy offense has shown flashes of big-play ability all year.  AJ Green is the one true playmaker in their offense at WR, and commands attention anywhere.  Orson Charles has hit some big gains on the seam route at the TE position.  The real surprise is why their running game has struggled so much.  Even with the loss of Knowshon Moreno, they have talent at RB in Samuels, King, and Ealey.  The performance of their OL has been the main culprit, and their level of play has to improve dramatically to have any chance of scoring on the Gators.  Joe Cox can make plays, but only with time to throw and by scheme — he does not have the physical tools like Matt Stafford to make plays when things start to break down, and the hope is that the Florida defense breaks the entire Puppy offense — in two.

Georgia’s defense has been maligned since game one, and defensive coordinator Willie Martinez seems to be ‘Dead Coach Walking’ right now.  Little pass rush and poor DE play, spotty play from the LBs (except all-SEC performer Rennie Curran), and shockingly inconsistent play from their secondary, who made Tennessee’s Jonathan Crompton look like Peyton Manning 2 weeks ago.  They may be fired-up early against Florida, but a crushing running drive or an actual big pass play could shatter what little confidence they may have right away.

It’s been an interesting week in Gainesville getting ready for this big game.  I still have confidence that the staff will correct some things, and that the players realize that they have made some uncharacteristic mistakes, including Tebow.  Tim needs to throw more passes on-time, and take some swing passes earlier.  Plus, the main thing to correct is fumbling the ball — ball security is key in Coach Meyer’s Plan to Win, and he has to be dying inside after the past 2 weeks.  Even the special teams can improve.  The kickoff coverage has shown some cracks recently (partly due to poor kicks from Sturgis), and Brandon James is simply not himself.  I think the added responsibility of more offensive snaps is wearing him down some physically, as he doesn’t look nearly as explosive as past seasons.

Despite the extra week to prepare, a confidence-shaking loss like the one to the Vollies could be too much for Georgia to overcome.  The Puppies are hurting not just from last year’s beatdown at the hands of Florida, but from the recent collapses against LSU and Tennessee.  Yes, Florida’s offense is making even mediocre defenses look good right now, but I have to go with the matchups at QB (Tebow vs. Cox), defensive coordinator (Strong vs. Martinez), Head Coach (Meyer vs. Pricht), and Florida’s across-the-board superiority in talent level and leadership.  Maybe this week is when the Gators turn it on for a run to Atlanta.

Prediction – Florida 23        Georgia 20