It’s been a long off week, as fans and media have been relentless in their criticism of the coaches and players after getting run off the field in the second half at Alabama.  Losing the way it happened really left a sour taste in the jaws of Gator Nation.  That being said, the timing actually was best for the team to refocus and get back to fundamentals in practice, with all that needs to be worked on.  If reports from insiders are true, at least some of the problems and criticisms will be answered this week, as change is in the wind at multiple roster spots, especially the sieve that has been the secondary and the underachieving play at QB.

Tennessee surprisingly stayed close to Georgia throughout their game last week, which leaves some doubt as to the ability of each of those teams.  On offense, Justin Worley looks to have improved at QB, and has a group of good WRs with nice size, including Marquez North, Pig Howard, and Josh Smith, which will prove to be a challenge to the revamped Florida secondary both physically and schematically.  Still, stopping the running game comes first, which makes pass defense that much easier when the opponent is in obvious passing situations.  Freshman Jalen Hurd is a big back similar to Alabama’s Derrick Henry, and must be shut down.  The rotation at DT for the Gators  has been OK, but at this point it’s obvious that Darius Cummings, Leon Orr, and Jonathan Bullard simply aren’t elite DL, and rarely make significant plays.  Younger players such as Caleb Brantley and Gerald Willis have already shown the ability to make some plays, and likely will see more time starting this week.  The Florida defense will face a Tennessee O-Line that replaced all of it’s starters from last year.  Despite their seemingly good performance at Georgia, I feel the Gators can dictate the LOS and get pressure on the QB without having to resort to extensive blitzing.  If that happens, then it could be another brutal day for them.  Dante Fowler has been very good off the edge, and Alex McCalister is starting to show flashes.  The revamped secondary should have freshmen Quincy Wilson and Jalen Tabor seeing more time at CB opposite VH3 – this should allow Brian Poole to move back to the slot, where he is more effective.  Duke Dawson will get his chance at safety, where Jabari Gorman and Marcus Maye have really struggled.  Keanu Neal, while doing a great job of generating turnovers,  has been burned too many times peeking into the backfield and biting on head fakes – he needs to improve in this area immediately.  The linebacker play has been spotty as well – decent against the run, but poor in coverage.  Jarrad Davis hopefully is healthy enough to go, while Michael Taylor and Tank Morrison simply have to play better, or risk seeing the bench in favor of inexperienced guys like Matt Rolin and Alex Anzalone.  The recruiting at this spot the past 3-4  years in terms of talent and quality depth has suffered, and is being reflected in the performance of this unit.

Overall, DC DJ Durkin, Secondary Coach Travaris Robinson, and Muschamp may have to simplify the schemes just to get players in the proper positions, which limits the amount of blitz and cover packages and makes it an easier day for the Vol offense.

Now, on to the offense, which has it’s own set of serious concerns.  Jeff Driskel will be under tremendous pressure to improve his performance, and may face a quick hook if his accuracy doesn’t improve and he isn’t able to extend drives if forced into obvious passing situations.  I wonder if OC Kurt Roper will decide to go with more running plays to try and take advantage of a weak Vol front seven, including even more zone read keeps for Driskel.  Matt Jones and Kelvin Taylor may be relied upon heavily to pound away and hopefully lessen the need to rely on Driskel’s passing.  The long-term problem with this strategy is that it really takes away from the Spread concepts that Roper prefers to stretch the field.  I do expect to see Treon Harris get some meaningful snaps this week, both to develop him under live game conditions, but also as the starter if Driskel continues to struggle.  The O-Line is tasked with taking charge of this game, and the WRs, while improved as a unit overall, have to make the simple catches and avoid the critical drops seen too often so far this season.  Quinton Dunbar has regressed this season to date, while no other WR has stepped up to help Demarcus Robinson, who will continue to see double-teams until others start making an impact.  Ahmad Fulwood and Latroy Pittman need to play better or go sit on the bench.  Andre Debose apparently can’t be relied upon to run routes consistently or catch the ball with regularity, but is still being underutilized on sweeps to stretch the defense horizontally.  There is one area that could be exploited, and that is using the RBs more in the passing game, which potentially could help Driskel relax while actually doing some damage to Tennessee.  Jones is a very good receiver, and even Taylor and Valdez Showers have shown they can be effective.

I’m sure it’s been a very tough week for the entire team and staff to listen to all the negativity.  Will the coaches rein everything in and go conservative, or let it rip and hopefully see the players not play too tight and actually have some fun?  Here’s hoping that the players find their way and respond to a very tough mental challenge.  A loss to the Inbreds would really turn up the heat on Will Muschamp and possibly expedite Jeremy Foley’s “evaluation” of his coaching.

Prediction – Florida 27      Tennessee 23

1 step forward……2 steps back

What a strange (and ultimately disappointing) game.  Tied in the 3rd quarter due to a Gator team that was more opportunistic than good, the outcome never really seemed to be in doubt.

Might as well get the negatives out of the way first, because they were so glaring.  The secondary play, especially the coverage (or lack of) by the safeties, is inexcusable.  Inexperience is one thing, but the blown assignments and poor discipline are shocking at this level of competition.  Will Muschamp and Travaris Robinson are great secondary coaches that have recruited and developed a ton of quality players that have succeeded in the SEC and NFL.  But the performance the past 2 games is unacceptable, and has to be corrected – now.  Perhaps simplifying the schemes and playing more zone coverage is a temporary solution (even though I’m sure Muschamp and Robinson would hate to do it).  Keanu Neal is a great physical talent, and has already shown big-play capability, but jumping the simplest of QB or WR head fakes doesn’t cut it at this level – he has to play smarter.  Jabari Gorman simply looks too slow.  Marcus Maye has caused a few turnovers, but really hasn’t shown improvement in coverage yet from last season.  The coaches have to find a way to stop the bleeding and coach these guys up.  At CB, Brian Poole isn’t a cover guy – he’s a good rotation player, but doesn’t seem to possess the quickness needed when forced into man coverage.  VH3 also had some bad moments, but a stud WR like Amari Cooper will make some plays every game.  I’m more concerned with his Achilles strain, and that the staff kept putting him back in the game late – he’s too valuable to be physically abused that way.

It may be a good idea for either DJ Durkin or Robinson to move into the coach’s booth to better see the field, and perhaps help get the secondary lined up more quickly and properly.  Something has to be done to help these young guys get it together.

Now, for the QB play – or lack thereof.  Jeff Driskel actually had decent protection and the occasional running game to allow him time to make reads in the passing game and also execute the zone read.  But it didn’t happen……again.  He is simply too inaccurate with his throws, and made some mistakes in the running game, including his terrible handoff to Matt Jones which killed a scoring opportunity after a Bama turnover in the 2nd quarter.  His best 2 plays were his TD pass to Valdez Showers to tie the game at 7 in the 1st quarter, then his run on the QB draw to tie the game again at 21 early in the 3rd quarter.  But simply too little, and too infrequent.  There doesn’t seem to be any adjustment during the play that he can make – it’s the first read or something bad happens.

The offense never established any consistency, mainly due to the bad performance by Driskel.  The O-Line actually looked decent, establishing some running lanes usually and giving Driskel a pocket and time to throw.  Sadly, he squandered their play with an erratic throwing day that wasted some quality scoring opportunities that could have made this a 4th quarter game.  Yes, there were some egregious drops by Andre Debose and Quinton Dunbar (again), but still there were far too many overthrows and slow reads that missed some open receivers that could have extended drives.  The fact that this is Driskel’s 3rd OC in 4 years does not excuse continued poor throwing and reads.  Is it time to give Treon Harris a real shot at significant playing time?  Perhaps – at a minimum he needs to get 3-4 series starting at Tennessee.  The Gators have an off week in which to come to grips with the QB play and give Harris reps with the first team in practice.  Matt Jones ran hard, and the fumble on the exchange from Driskel was the QB’s fault, putting the ball on Jones’ hip.  When Driskel starts making mistakes in the running game, it’s painfully obvious he is not playing relaxed and with confidence.

The defense again had multiple busts in coverage, allowing Bama to complete some ridiculously easy long TD throws, and never really rising up on 3rd down to get off the field.  Florida allowed a team record-high 645 yards – that cannot happen to a Head Coach that hangs his hat on tough defense and great secondary play.  Muschamp and Robinson have 2 weeks to simplify things and find 2 safeties that will not overpursue and actually keep WRs in front of them.  The run defense held up well until the last 20 minutes, when they were gassed and Bama could rotate their stable or big RBs and control the game.

I do want to point out what could have been the real backbreaker of the entire game, and I point the finger squarely at the defensive staff. In the 3rd quarter, with a 3rd and 23 play, it was painfully obvious that a screen play was likely to be dialed up by Bama.  Sure enough, they called it, and Derrick Henry was allowed to run almost untouched to the 3-yard line, leading to the go-ahead score.  That cannot happen with the quality of this staff – and it shouldn’t happen again this season.

Despite the obvious bad plays, there are some things I saw that were encouraging. The O-Line play, even with the loss of Trenton Brown, was adequate.  The D-Line wasn’t pushed around until they tired late.  Kyle Christy seems to have rediscovered his punting touch of 2012.  The kick coverage was very good, and even Austin Hardin made some solid, deep kickoffs.

Wow – there is a LOT to work on.  The timing of this off-week is great for the staff and players to go back to basics, and also to seriously evaluate the play at key positions and possibly put in some new guys and see if they can spark the offense and defense.  The howling from the anti-Muschamp “fans” has started anew, which doesn’t help anything right now – the players, coaches, or recruiting efforts.  I know my criticisms this week are pretty pointed, but I’m not immediately giving up on 2014 just yet.  October is a huge month for this year and possibly the future of the program.  All 3 games are winnable, starting with the biggest game of the season (as I stated in my season preview) at Tennessee.  It’s a tough task to try and get things back on track, with all of the pressure on the staff and players.  Somehow Muschamp has to look inward and do what’s best for the team and it’s chances for success going forward, and that starts with some personnel decisions.

See you next week with my preview of the Tennessee game.  Go Gators!

As expected, it was a beatdown from start to finish as the Gators finally were able to play a game, and took out their frustrations on hapless EMU.  I’m sure it was cathartic in some ways for the players, coaches, and fans to see a new product on the field and start to bury the memories of 2013.

The new offense of Kurt Roper was on display, and compared to the Brent Pease disaster it looked like Steve Spurrier vs. Lynn Amedee (for you Gator fans going back to the late 1980s – it wasn’t called ‘The Amedeeville Horror for nothing).  Lots of quick throws, mostly horizontal routes to spread the field, but enough deep shots to keep the secondary honest and not have to watch 9 defenders crowding the box anymore.  Jeff Driskel looked OK in his first action in almost a year, hitting more than 10 different receivers.  Yes, the Gators have WRs, and they have to love the fact that they can finally show off some of their skills.  Quinton Dunbar still seems to be Driskel’s go-to guy, but Demarcus Robinson flashed some of the big-play ability that was expected when he signed with Florida.  Kelvin Taylor and Matt Jones had enough touches in the running game to make some big plays, and it looks like there’s finally an OC that will get Jones involved in the passing game, to show off his receiving ability and also give the defense another option to worry about.  Driskel still stares down his primary receiver occasionally, and that’s going bite him in the ass against better opponents down the road unless he improves.

The O-Line looked better, but there were still too many times Driskel was pressured, especially troubling against an outmanned opponent.  The poor OL recruiting of the past 3 years is evident.  Chaz Green looked good in his return from season-ending shoulder surgery that wiped out all of 2013.  He will be needed in the Tackle rotation more than ever, as DJ Humphries did not look especially impressive and is hurt (again), this time with a high ankle sprain.  The Guard rotation did not impress.  Trip Thurman simply isn’t a SEC-caliber player, and Tyler Moore looked tentative coming back from a bad elbow injury that ended his season early last year.  Max Garcia did a nice job at Center – the Gators are very fortunate he transferred into the program last year.  It looks like young guys like tackles David Sharpe and Rod Johnson will get a lot of snaps early, and while it may cause some offensive struggles early this year, it will pay dividends in the future.  The ability level of future OL recruits simply has to improve.

The defense never was challenged, and the coaching staff was able to play nearly the entire roster.  A lot of younger players were able to get  a lot of action, and the future bodes well for the Gator defense.  Gerald Willis, Caleb Brantley, and Joey Ivie add a lot to a D-Line anchored by Dante Fowler, Jonathan Bullard, and Leon Orr.  Quincy Wilson, Keanu Neal, and Duke Dawson all made plays in the secondary, including Dawson’s pick six.  They will be relied upon all season, as opponents will rarely challenge Vernon Hargreaves.  Not a lot more to say here, as EMU was completely outmatched.

The SEC slate begins this week with the Kentucky Wildcats coming to the Swamp trying to end a 27-game losing streak to Florida.  Mike Stoops thinks he is raising the profile of a weak program with supposedly better recruiting.  The Mildcats are talking proud about their new offense, and also looking to last year’s Gator meltdown against Vanderbilt for hope.  Well, they are gonna get a reality check when they see the Gator defense unleashed Saturday night.  Kentucky has a new QB in Patrick Towles, who is a vast improvement over recent offerings, and their scheme is much more wide-open then previous seasons, featuring more spread concepts.  However, unless they unveil a rushing attack led by Nebraska transfer Braylon Heard and Towles that exploits Florida’s weakness against a power running game, they will realize quickly that the Gator pass rush and secondary play are superior.

I’m not sure if Roper will revel many (if any) new wrinkles yet on offense, as Florida should be able to move the ball with success running the base offense.  I am focusing on improvement across the board after the first game, especially by the O-Line.  This unit has to get it’s act together, as the schedule will toughen quickly.  I think the running game will be featured more, as the EMU game was little more than glorified scrimmage that allowed a lot of work on the passing game.  It’s rare that an unbalanced offense has any sustained success in the SEC, and Muschamp knows this.  The defense needs to continue to develop quality depth by rotating in the younger players, and pressure Towles early and often to disrupt his rhythm.  If he tries to run the ball 20+ times like last week, I don’t think he’ll make it through the entire game.

The loss of the Idaho game due to weather really hurt the offense, and they have to accelerate their development this week with a very tough road trip to Alabama coming up next.

Prediction:  Florida 31      Kentucky 14

For the first time since Hurricane Francis postponed the 2004 opener, a Gator football game was postponed due to weather, which means one less week to gain valuable reps for the offense implementing a new system. That also means one less week to prepare for the start of the SEC season in 2 weeks against Kentucky, and then a big road trip to Alabama.

It’s really a shame for all involved that this happened. What I don’t understand is why starting the game was even attempted, just to waive everyone off the field moments after.
The 2014 season kicks off (again) with Eastern Michigan traveling to the Swamp for a large paycheck and a beatdown.
Most of the attention of Gator Nation will be given to the performance of the offense, which was simply wretched last season. New OC Kurt Roper has a healthy Jeff Driskel back to lead his version of the spread offense, which should play much better to Driskel’s strengths, and those of most of the offensive players.
It’s time to spread the ball around to finally let the WRs show their abilities – a lineup of Robinson, Dunbar, Fulwood, and Debose is pretty good. Mix in the zone scheme running game with Taylor and Jones to wear down an undermanned Idaho team. The rebuilt and hopefully improved O-Line should take advantage of the opportunity to start the process of developing chemistry. This is a great opportunity to work out some kinks with the base offense, and begin the process of rebuilding the confidence of this group. Idaho’s defense was terrible last year, giving up over 46 points a game – no reason not to approach that number this week.
The EMU offense should not prove very challenging to the Gator defense, as they are overmatched physically and in skill level. Hopefully the Florida offense is providing an early and expanding lead, providing the defense the opportunity to rest the starters after halftime and allow for a lot of guys to gain experience and develop depth. Plenty of young guys will get their chance to prove they belong in the rotation this week and next at various positions, especially on the D-Line and in the secondary.
This should be a glorified scrimmage before the SEC season begins. As always, the mantra for these games is, “no injuries!”
Well, that had to be the easiest article to put together, ever!

Prediction: Florida 41 Eastern Michigan 10

The 2014 season kicks off with the Idaho Vandals traveling to the Swamp for a large paycheck and a beatdown.

Most of the attention of Gator Nation will be given to the performance of the offense, which was simply wretched last season. New OC Kurt Roper has a healthy Jeff Driskel back to lead his version of the spread offense, which should play much better to Driskel’s strengths, and those of most of the offensive players.

It’s time to spread the ball around to finally let the WRs show their abilities – a lineup of Robinson, Dunbar, Fulwood, and Debose is pretty good. Mix in the zone scheme running game with Taylor and Jones to wear down an undermanned Idaho team. The rebuilt and hopefully improved O-Line should take advantage of the opportunity to start the process of developing chemistry. This is a great opportunity to work out some kinks with the base offense, and begin the process of rebuilding the confidence of this group. Idaho’s defense was terrible last year, giving up over 46 points a game – no reason not to approach that number this week.

The Idaho offense should not prove very challenging to the Gator defense, as they are over matched physically and in skill level. Hopefully the Florida offense is providing an early and expanding lead, providing the defense the opportunity to rest the starters after halftime and allow for a lot of guys to gain experience and develop depth. Plenty of young guys will get their chance to prove they belong in the rotation this week and next at various positions, especially on the D-Line and in the secondary.

This should be the first of two glorified scrimmages before the SEC season begins. As always, the mantra for these games is, “no injuries!”

Prediction: Florida 41 Idaho 10

The upcoming 2014 season will be a harbinger of the immediate future of Florida football. Along with the anticipation that comes with the start to a new season, there is as much angst as hope as the dark cloud of a dismal 2013 still hangs over the program. It’s likely a make-or-break season for Will Muschamp, as he is under intense pressure to turn the win-loss record around and establish positive momentum going forward. Part of the hope of a turnaround is pinned on the hire of new Offensive Coordinator Kurt Roper and Offensive Line coach Mike Summers. They are tasked with implementing a new philosophy based more on a Spread scheme, and even more importantly rebuilding the confidence of a unit shattered by injury, ineffectiveness, and bad coaching. Fair or not, the fate of this staff rests on a very fast learning curve for a bunch of kids that have been dealt a largely bad hand during their Gator careers to date. Jeremy Foley is a very smart AD, and has mostly ignored the noise from disgruntled Boosters and fans, given the extreme circumstances surrounding last season. Forces both inside and outside of the program have been working to tear down Muschamp and the team. While no one can be sure what would constitute enough of a turnaround for Foley to grant Muschamp another season, common sense dictates that, barring another rash of key injuries, an improved offense and perhaps a minimum of 8 wins are required.

Offense

This side of the ball will determine the success (or failure) of the 2014 season, and the future of Muschamp as Head Coach. That’s a lot of pressure to perform under, especially installing a new offense. Roper comes in highly thought of as a QB coach and playcaller, but may not have the luxury of easing in to his new role.

The abysmal 2013 performance led to the worst season since Charley Pell’s initial campaign in 1979 (the Visor’s freshman year at UF). Injuries ravaged every unit, while the ineptitude of OC Brent Pease and OL coach Tim Davis as coaches and recruiters led to their deserved firing. Physical injuries can heal, but can Roper and Summers rebuild the damaged confidence of the returning players? Already, the early returns out of spring practice and fall camp indicate that this offense will be far better suited to the abilities and strengths of QB Jeff Driskel and the skill position players, and will employ a blocking scheme much easier to pick up and implement.

Driskel is back and healthy again, and could thrive in the new offense. He will be asked to make quicker reads, which has not been his strong suit to date – Coach Roper can make a huge difference here. Driskel will still be allowed to run occasionally, and he is a premier threat when used this way effectively. The most interesting off-season battle will be to see which freshman will the backup role – Treon Harris or Will Grier. Both are highly-ranked recruits and bring a lot of promise to the position. Harris is the son of a coach, and played in a similar offense at Miami Northwestern against the best competition in the state while winning a championship. He is also an effective runner, which I feel gives him an advantage right now because of this background. Grier is a very accurate passer and has decent running ability, plus he had the advantage of enrolling early and getting to participate in spring practice. He has stated he wants to redshirt – I hope the performance of Driskel and Harris allow it.

The biggest question mark is the O-Line. At the Tackle positions, returning a healthy Chaz Green at RT is a huge bonus, as that allows Tyler Moore to slide inside back to OG, his natural position. DJ Humphries has to improve at LT – JUCO transfer Drew Savary, and freshmen David Sharpe and Rod Johnson will push for playing time and could provide some quality depth at both slots. Joining Moore in the Guard rotation will be Trenton Brown, Cam Dillard, and Trip Thurman – the performance of this position should markedly improve. Moore is a natural guard, and Brown really came on late in the season as he gained experience and got in shape. The hardest spot to fill will be at Center, as the loss of Jonathan Harrison will be felt. Max Garcia did well in the spring and during fall camp, and will provide senior leadership, with Dillard as the backup. Losing that much experience of making the blocking checks at the LOS hurts though, especially installing a new offense. A lot is riding on Garcia’s speed in picking up the new calls. Coach Summers has some quality material to work with, and hopefully gets this unit to perform much closer to it’s potential.

Running back should be in the capable hands of Kelvin Taylor as the starter. He showed flashes of being a solid SEC RB as a freshman, and will be backed up by Matt Jones, Mack Brown, and Adam Lane. Jones may finally get to show off his receiving skills to help with the passing game, which will help lighten his ball-carrying load as he has struggled with injuries. Brown is a senior and has plenty of experience, and redshirt freshman Lane has drawn physical comparisons to Maurice Jones-Drew and Ray Rice. The performance of this group should be solid.

Now comes the mystery group that is the WR corps. After being underutilized in 2012 and ignored in 2013, no one is quite sure what this unit will contribute this season. Quinton Dunbar is the leader, and physically plays the part of a SEC WR – now is his time to shine. Demarcus Robinson came in hugely hyped in 2013 as a freshman, but poor work habits and some dumb off the field behavior wasted his first season. Off-season reports indicate he has his mind right now and worked hard – he has all the physical tools to be an all-SEC performer someday, but it has to start now. There is plenty of untapped potential among Ahmad Fulwood, Andre Debose, and Latroy Pittman. Some of the freshmen will get a chance early for playing time, led by the promising CJ Worton. Roper’s offense should be a godsend for these guys, and their playmaking abilities may surprise the SEC this year. An interesting development is the promotion of Chris Leak to WR coach – can he transition his QB skills to this group in reading coverage, route running, and blocking schemes?

The TE position has been completely revamped due to injury and scheme change. Of most importance is the transfer in from Virginia of Jake McGee, a quality player who was a 2-year starter – he inherits the starting role and could thrive in this offense. Colin Thompson has left the program, and freshmen C’yontai Lewis and DeAndre Goolsby could get immediate playing time. Both have some raw physical skills, but can they develop quickly enough to provide receiving depth? Coach Roper’s offense flexes out the TE in the ‘B’ position quite often, relying less on in-line blocking and more on stretching the defense down the seams. This scheme alone should help open up the offense in general, make Driskel’s life easier, and force defenses to actually guard the entire field instead of loading up the box with no passing threat to worry about.

Defense

This unit is Coach Muschamp’s calling card. They performed very well early in 2013, but eventually wore down both physically and mentally as the offense sucked the life out the entire program. Injuries struck at many key positions here as well, but there was also locker room infighting as the defenders became frustrated with the offensive meltdown, and this damaged team chemistry. Even with the loss of star DL Dominique Easley, and experienced CBs Marcus Roberson and Luchiez Purifoy, there is a lot of quality material returning to again have a solid SEC-level defense. The hope is that the defense isn’t relied upon so heavily in 2014 and stays much fresher.

The D-Line will be an interesting mix of different levels of experience, and has the chance to play more closely to that of a SEC-level unit again given better health. Dante Fowler is the leader, and should be an all-SEC candidate at DE. The rotation at the other DE/Buck position is a question mark. Alex McCalister and Bryan Cox have little experience, and Freshmen Gerald Willis and Taven Bryan come in as highly-regarded prospects, but the SEC is hard on young guys. Fowler must stay healthy, and some of the DTs such as Jon Bullard may need to play some outside to shore up this group. The situation at Tackle is much better. Bullard, Leon Orr and Darius Cummings return, and there is a lot of young talent to provide depth between Khairi Clark, Caleb Brantley, Jay-nard Bostwick, and Joey Ivie. Bullard is the top player, but needs to up his level of consistency and intensity. New DL Coach Brad Lawing has an excellent reputation of developing linemen and has enough talent within this group to make it an effective unit, but some of the young guys have to prove they can quickly adapt to the SEC.

The LB corps has a lot to prove this season, as their play fell off markedly last year and was, quite frankly, sub-par. There is plenty of experience with Michael Taylor, Neiron Ball, and Antonio Morrison returning, but their performance left much to be desired. Jarran Reed looks to be the breakout start in the middle. Alex Anzalone and Matt Rolin have promise, but have not proven they can stay healthy. Daniel McMillian has the physical tools, but hasn’t put it together mentally. Morrison has the best chance to bounce back, but Tank needs to get his mind right and focus on playing hard every snap. This group was pushed around last year, and don’t appear to be capable of playing SEC run defense. Decent in pass coverage, but with a very good secondary behind them, they may be tested early and often by the quality teams to see if they can slow down the running game. Overall, this unit looks average at best, and I can see a lot of 4-2-5 looks to try and get the best players on the field, and mask a deficiency.

The secondary has the potential to be strong again despite losses to the NFL, but few positions are settled as there is a lack of 1st-team experience. It all starts with Vernon Hargreaves III, who will challenge for SEC and national honors at CB. Right now it appears there will be a revolving door at the other CB post until 1 or 2 guys separate themselves from among the group of Brian Poole and true freshmen Duke Dawson and Jalen Tabor. Plenty of talent, but short on experience – an injury to Hargreaves could prove problematic. At safety, there will be a lot of quality competition between Marcus Maye, Marcell Harris, and Keanu Neal, with Jabari Gorman likely backing up both positions. This is a physical group that will be stout against the run, but their coverage skills are in question until they prove it on the field in a tight game.

Defensive Coordinator DJ Durkin and DB Coach Travaris Robinson should be able to mold a solid overall defense by the end of the season, but there could be some shortcomings in the LB and inexperience in the secondary that require some scheming around until a few guys prove they are ready for SEC football.

Special Teams

All phases of the kicking and the return game took a huge step back in 2013. The loss of confidence in the entire group from the coaching staff was alarming, and every spot is an open competition right now.

Punter Kyle Christy completely lost his way, and Austin Hardin and a cast of thousands couldn’t remotely approach the level of departed PK Caleb Sturgis. Christy has to return to 2012 form or will be benched for good in favor of Johnny Townsend, who filled in adequately last season. The same goes for Hardin, who will be challenged by Frankie Velez for PK duties through fall camp and into the start of the season. Coach Muschamp has no time to coddle this group given the stakes of the upcoming season.

The return game was anemic last season as well, as there simply were no playmakers available to try and provide decent field position. Hopefully Hargreaves won’t be called upon as the PR, even though he really looks the part and has the ‘it’ factor – he is simply too valuable as the best CB on the roster. It may fall upon one of the freshmen to fill this role in 2014 – there are some exciting prospects such as Alvin Bailey that could get their chance early. At KR, an intriguing prospect is the return of Andre Debose. He has been one of the most dangerous KRs in the country, and could be play a huge role is helping the offense with improved field position, and possibly influencing the outcome of a few games with some big returns.

Schedule and Outlook

Only recently has the excitement level for Gator football begun to come back this summer. Everyone was disillusioned after the abject failure that was 2013, and here’s hoping for an entirely fresh start across the board. Florida opens with 3 straight home games where the confidence of the team can be slowly rebuilt, and the new offense can get valuable reps in before the schedule toughens.

Idaho – Win
Time to establish a new identity for the offense and use this as an advanced scrimmage; stay healthy (please)!

Eastern Michigan – Win
Continue to build the confidence of the offense and get the reps more up to SEC-level speed; again, stay healthy (please)!

Kentucky – Win
SEC opener at the Swamp; a chance to better gauge the development of the offense, and settle on rotations on both offense and defense.

@Alabama – Loss
Despite the doomsayers, the Gators have enough talent to stand strong against the Tide, who will be breaking in a new QB. The real test will be to the confidence of the offense in the new system against a quality SEC opponent, and how well it can execute in a hostile environment. I think for now that the lack of depth and the unknown capability to respond to adversity on the road against an established program will lead to a loss, but can also be a building block to the key part of the schedule coming up. The Tide running game is based on brute power, and Florida’s front seven has not proven it can stand up for a full game against that type of attack.

Open Date (first of 2) This comes at a good time, in advance of perhaps the most important game of the season in terms of development of a winning attitude and confidence

@Tennessee – Win
Florida will travel to Knoxville to play the inbreds of Tennessee. The Vols are sick of being the Gators’ whipping boy since 2005, and are talking a big game right now for a program that been irrelevant for years. It will be interesting to see how Florida responds to a second straight SEC road game, as Tennessee is sure to throw everything into winning this game. A second straight loss here could seriously damage any physical and emotional progress from September, and start the howling (again) for Muschamp to be fired. This is simply a huge game for the Florida program.

LSU – Loss
Next up is a return to the Swamp to face LSU. The Tigers lost a lot of talent and leadership to graduation, and may still be deciding on a permanent starter at QB. They again will have a talented roster, but this is a winnable game for the Gators if they play smart football. They don’t have the firepower on offense yet to overcome turnovers or a slew of mental mistakes. Stopping the Tiger rushing attack is the key to this game, and I’m not sure if the Gator front seven is good enough yet to do it.

Missouri (Homecoming) –Win
The Tigers come to Gainesville, and this will be as much a mental test for Florida as physical, as the Gators will be coming off of 3 emotional battles, and can’t afford a letdown. The Tigers were deluded by a historically weak East Division in 2013 and seem to think that playing in the SEC is no big deal – it’s time for the league to remind them of their standing.

Open Date

Georgia – Loss
It’s on to the final stretch, starting with Georgia in Jacksonville. Everyone knows Muschamp is 0-3 vs. his alma mater, and he’ll be under intense pressure to reverse this disturbing trend. Even with the tremendous struggles on offense for most of his tenure as Head Coach, the Gators have had the chance to win this game in the 4th quarter each of the last 3 seasons. Can Florida get over the mental hurdle and finish? Sometimes the hardest thing to do is get over that hurdle

@Vanderbilt – Win
Next up is a trip to Nashville. Vandy broke their 26-game losing streak to Florida last season – in the Swamp no less, a real blemish on Muschamp’s resume. Payback will be in order, as the Gators will put the Commodores back in their place.

South Carolina – Win
Florida returns home to face what appears to be the preseason favorite in the SEC East, South Carolina. Everyone who has read my column for the last 10 years knows that I have no desire to “help” Steve Spurrier win the East “if it can’t be Florida”. That line of thinking is crap – all he has done is try to beat the Gators on the field and in recruiting, so I could care less what he did as a player and coach at UF. Florida needs to beat his brains in if at all possible, to help re-assert it’s dominance in the series. Despite the Gamecocks’ recent success, I’m of the opinion that they will take a step back this season, and this game is there for the taking with a loud Swamp crowd supporting the Gators.

Eastern Kentucky – Win
The final home game is next as EKU comes to the Swamp for a nice paycheck and a beatdown – no Georgia Southern flashbacks here. The Colonels will suffer the wrath caused by last season’s GSU meltdown.

@Florida St. – Loss
Finally, it’s off to Taliban City to face the Criminoles and the King Crab. No matter how much hate there is for F$U, it’s always tough to stay emotionally ready after the grind of the SEC schedule, especially when this game is on the road. F$U is talking proud about how they are ”back”, just as they were when they dominated a garbage conference in the 1990s to pump up their record as they played 1 or 2 tough games annually. After all these years, the ACC still stinks. In all likelihood they will have waltzed to another bloated record against minimal opposition, and have plenty of weeks to game plan for the Gators. Muschamp’s struggles have infinitely helped F$U recruiting in-state the past few years, and the Gators will be an underdog in this game. I’m just not sure the offense, no matter how well it may progress as the season plays out, will be ready to carry the load it will need to.

Overall Record 8-4
SEC Record 5-3

There is so much riding on the results of 2014, unfairly or not, for Will Muschamp and the entire program. The perception of the Gator program is one of skepticism, from knowledgeable observers to recruits. Basically everyone outside of the players and coaches is in wait-and-see mode. A good season that shows offensive progress can lead to a great offseason and recruiting class, and help permanently turn the corner for a positive future. More struggles, whether they are due to injuries or with learning the offense, and change will be in the wind again, leading to a handful more of seasons lost trying another rebuilding effort. No pressure……

It’s that time again……HEEEEEEEEERE COME THE GATORS!!!

The embarrassing, depressing, and in a bad way historic season of 2013 mercifully ended with a lopsided loss to F$U.  Another painful and inept offensive performance – as John McKay once so aptly put it, “Our offensive execution?  I’m all for it!”

What a disaster.  Even the one glimmer of hope in game-planning a lot around Trey Burton in the Wildcat formation had to be scrapped as he injured his shoulder being tackled after his 55-yard run in the 1st quarter – a perfect summary of the offense of 2013.  With Skyler Mornhinweg at QB, the Gator offense never really stood a chance.  Brent Pease disappointed again, as he refuses to throw downfield – even with low-percentage attempts at a few big plays, and with nothing to lose.  There is really nothing else to add, as I have harped on the poor offense ad nauseum for weeks.  But to go out so meekly without taking some shots deep is maddening and has no excuse.

On defense, the front seven simply wore down with the pathetic effort of the Gator offense constantly returning them to the field.  The scheme was there to perhaps pull off an upset, but only with a college-level offense to support it.  After holding F$U’s offense  down for most of the first half, I was disappointed in the pass coverage that allowed Kelvin Benjamin to score twice and turn momentum completely to their side.  Loucheiz Purifoy was burned badly, and showed why even though he is a terrific athlete, he lacks elite cover skills as a CB and has been picked on the past 2 seasons.  VH3 took over and slowed Benjamin down in the second half, but still gave up some completions due to the size differential.  The loss of Marcus Roberson to injury was sorely felt.  The injuries in the LB corps helped necessitate playing a lot of nickel and dime packages.  That was fine with me, as I didn’t fear the Criminole running game at all, even with the scrambling ability of Jameis Winston.  But given the amount of time the defense had to play, even that scheme cracked late.

All in all, a microcosm of the entire season.

Talk about a stunning fall from a 12-1 National Championship season just 5 years ago, followed with a 12-1 season in 2009.  The shock won’t wear off for a while for many who haven’t experienced something like this.  However, the offseason purge will begin quickly, and will benefit the program in the long run.  Expect OC Brent Pease and OL coach Tim Davis to get blown out in a few days.  Also expect to see quite a few transfers of players that are disenchanted with lack of playing time and perceived slights from the coaching staff, but in reality were either too soft or simply aren’t SEC-caliber talent.  In a strange way this will lift some of the dark clouds hanging over recruiting the past few months as the losing streak grew, and will generate some new excitement with some of these kids.  I also expect a few current commits to waver if not decommit, but that will open the door to other guys who want to be Gators, and also open up more scholarships than expected before the season started and allow flexibility for Muschamp and the staff to pursue talent.

It’s a delicate balance that Jeremy Foley has to strike with a head coach that’s perceived as on a 1-tear leash, and Will Muschamp in turn has to find an OC and OL coach that are willing to come in with that risk.  Obviously not the best scenario for access to coaches you want to interview, but this is what happens when through a variety of causes your program bottoms out……and it can be a difficult climb out of that dark hole.  With no bowl practices, the staff has more time than ever to plan out a strategy for the balance of the recruiting season through NSD, and also take a hard look at the roster and how best to utilize the returning talent.  I hope a few moves are seriously considered, such as moving Leon Orr to TE to take advantage of his size, speed, and athleticism, as he simply doesn’t make impact plays as a DL, and there was ZERO production from that position in 2013.  Perhaps Ron Powell gets a look at MLB depending on the health of other returning LBs.  A few guys like Purifoy and Roberson could leave early for the NFL, opening up the depth chart in the secondary.

For those that are stepping out on the ledge, I would like to remind them to go back and compare Florida’s performance starting in 1980 to any program in the country……and that was accomplished in the SEC, the premier conference in college football.  One bad season every 30 years or so is more easily accepted and understood when compared to what many of the other traditional powers have suffered through.  This too shall pass……but had better pass quickly.  College football is religion in the South, and Saturdays are the high holy days.  Even the Visor has limited patience!

I’ll be back after NSD with a recruiting recap and look ahead to Spring Practice.

Happy Holidays!

As always, Go Gators!

Wow – even with a vote of confidence for Will Muschamp after losing to Vanderbilt, few saw this latest blow to the football program coming.  As bad as the offense is right now – essentially a high-school scheme with a QB to match – being held to under 300 yards and only 20 points against an inferior opponent is the last straw for the current offensive staff.  Changes are a comin’……but will it be Muschamp making them?  I still believe he’ll be back for 2014, but any thought he had of keeping most of the offensive coaches is out the window now.  The hue and cry from the masses is deafening, and he’s in danger of losing the players……which is when the Head Coach gets fired.  I’m not sure how hands-off Jeremy Foley has been willing to stay up to now, but he has to address this with Muschamp immediately.

Despite the scores of injuries on the defensive side of the ball, the offense should have been able to score enough points to put GSU in passing situations and out of their comfort zone, allowing the Gator defense to get some rest.  Sadly, it became obvious that the defenders were wearing down quickly in the 2nd half.  The triple-option is tough enough to deal with……especially with less than a week to prepare.  But overcoming an inept offense has finally broken the will of those guys, and it’s a damn shame.

Again, the offense came out solidly and then flattened out after early in the 2nd quarter.  The performance of the O-Line doesn’t excuse Brent Pease for making puzzling and ineffective play calls to maintain momentum at key points in the game.  Even with Skyler Mornhinweg’s weak arm, there were plenty of chances to throw the ball against an 8-man front geared up for the run.  Maybe the bad coaching of Tim Davis has Pease so spooked he can’t see the forest for the trees at his point…….but those problems run deeper than that.

With nothing left to play for except pride, the Gators host Florida $t. this Saturday at the Swamp.  It would be wonderful to have a competitive roster to field  to try and ruin the championship hopes of the Criminoles and (notoriously) Famous Jameis Winston, but maybe it will be up to the Florida Attorney General to do the dirty deed instead (doubtful).  While I still believe the defense has enough manpower to put up a decent fight for a while, it looks like it would take a decided advantage in turnover margin plus an entirely risk-adverse offensive game plan to pull off the upset.  I simply can’t look at the numbers the F$U offense has piled up against pretty much a crap schedule and be overly impressed……but sadly they can pretty much play conservatively until the Gator offense wears the defense down……the Gator defense.  Still, I would dare the Criminoles to run the ball and stick with the run, while taking away TE Nick O’Leary and taking your chances with the jump-ball strategy to Kelvin Benjamin.  Luchiez Purifoy and Marcus Roberson have the size to fight with Benjamin, VH3 can stay with Kenny Shaw, and Brian Poole or Jabari Gorman can man up with O’Leary.  Run a defense with 5 and 6 DBs the entire game (the strength of the entire team), and even if F$U has some success running, so be it.  Given the lack of quality numbers on the D-Line and at LB, go with your best payers and unit to try and lead the way.

If Tyler Murphy plays and plays well, I think his mobility can help create a few chances for points, but the RBs and WRs have to make something happen on their own.  A dink-and-dunk pass attack simply won’t cut it……it’s time to go for lower-percentage pass plays down the field, and see if the WRs can make a few plays on the ball and/or runs after the catch.  As always, expect the opponent to stuff the box and dare Florida to throw the entire game.  It’s been hard to watch the high-school offense resorting to direct snaps to the RBs as a staple the past 2 weeks.  As good as Kelvin Taylor can be, there’s no way he has any real success if Skyler Mornhinweg plays……you’d be looking at the distinct possibility of a shutout barring a defensive or special teams score……his arm is that weak.  Unfortunately it’s looking less likely that Murphy plays, pretty much sealing Florida’s fate.  If that is the case, I hope Max Staver gets some snaps – at least he has a real arm, and maybe can get lucky on a few deep throws.

It’s bad enough that Florida is playing only for pride at this point.  The other shoe to possibly drop is that this was to be the biggest recruiting weekend of the year.  With all of the dysfunction exhibited by the offensive staff and the media hype on Will Muschamp’s status, this could crush this year’s class, and seriously impact the 2015 class as well.  Having the stands half-empty (again) in the second half, with more Criminole fans left than Gator fans, is almost certain death to closing on the quality players left on the board.

All good things must come to an end it seems…….but so will all bad things in terms of Gator Football.  No matter the dark days, weeks, and possibly years ahead, Florida will eventually come back to prominence.  This fact is completely lost on those who only have known Gator football since Steve Spurrier arrived in 1990, or even going back to 1980, the year after the infamous 0-10-1 season.  Times have changed…….wall-to-wall media coverage, social media, instant gratification, salaries, the pressure to win immediately……and the environment in and around big-time college football is completely different than just a generation ago.  Short-term thinking and mindless hysteria are what’s in vogue right now.  Make no mistake – these factors are definitely causing damage to the program right now……as has the bad coaching and less-than-stellar CEO performance by Coach Muschamp to date.  In addition, there are forces in motion behind the scenes that may take years to repair, which could put Florida in a cycle of rinse-and-repeat coaching changes that only prolong the pain and make it that much more difficult to recover.  Of course, no one wants to hear that, and even to try and contemplate the thought would make any Gator fan sick.

Despite the storm over the Swamp these days……it will always be great to be a Florida Gator.  It’s hard to believe it’s been 40 years since my dad took me to my first Gator game in 1973 to see a JUCO transfer RB named Nat Moore and QB Don Gaffney lead the Gators.  I’ve seen it all since then……a winless season, “Run Lindsay, Run”, crippling probation, the first (unrecognized and recognized) SEC Championship, dominance in the best league in the country for a 20-year span, Heisman Trophy winners, Hall-of-Fame players like Emmitt Smith and Wilber Marshall, and truth-is-stranger-than-fiction coaching sagas.

And it’s all worth it.

Thanks dad……and Go Gators!

Prediction:  F$U 38        Florida 14