November 29, 2021 — Comments are off for this post.

From Where I Sit- Championship Mentality- November 29, 2021

Sunday’s announcement of Billy Napier as the University of Florida’s new head football coach turns the page on a disappointing season and begins the process of rebuilding a consistent winning culture for the Florida Gators. Napier will be Florida’s 5th head coach since the 2008 National Championship season. The pattern for the last three hires has been two or three good years, one bad season, and gone. Expectations in Gator Nation are ruthlessly high. Here’s to hoping Napier is up to the task.

The box score from Saturday’s game against Florida State provides an excellent snapshot for where the program stands today. Just enough talent to overcome typical errors and win a home game against an underdog. The Gator’s weren’t poised enough this season to win road games or to upset favorites in the swamp. There weren’t any games, excepting the home loss to Alabama, where Florida exceeded expectations. On Saturday, the Gators added to their SEC leading penalties total with 13 more. They also added to their SEC leading interceptions thrown total with three more, two of them on FIRST down plays.

Beginning with day one, Billy Napier will have work to do reassuring and confirming Florida’s 12 currently committed 2022 recruits. He will have until the December 15th early signing date to add up to about 12 more commitments. By reputation, Napier is a strong recruiter, but recruiting is about building relationships and three weeks isn’t much time. Best case, he might close this recruiting cycle successfully by adding a few highly regarded Gator leans and then looking to the transfer portal. Realistically, the 2022 class is about damage control.

The second item that should be at the top of Billy Napier’s priorities is rebuilding a winning culture within the Gator football program. This task comes with a great deal of complexity and is unavoidably incremental. It isn’t about swagger. Beginning with swagger places the cart before the horse. It is about creating a mindset, individually and collectively, that reinforces an internal locus of control and accountability. It’s also about having a culture where TEAM results are the end game.

Questioning the Gators 2021 team effort level is the easy button for fans who might equate outward emotionality with effort, but Dan Mullen and team leaders have been clear in stating the problem hasn’t been about effort and desire. They have regularly attributed this season’s losses and failures to inconsistent focus and reoccurring mistakes.

We live in a world where the values that have historically supported team play are no longer universally held. Individualism and personal goals are greater priorities now for many. Increasing numbers of people aren’t willing or, perhaps, capable of delaying immediate gratification in favor of longer-term, bigger picture goals. This has been a big part of the problem for the 2021 Gators. Napier must build a culture for the 2022 team and beyond where mental focus and individual accountability for team goals is the measuring stick.

Mental focus aligns directly with both having an internal locus of control and with reducing external distractions. Individual accountability results from having clear standards and expectations that are reinforced when met and punished when they aren’t met.

The most successful athletes have a strong internal locus of control. They focus on the things they can control and work tirelessly to improve their ownselves. Their primarily source of motivation is on becoming the best version of themselves possible. They don’t need to be motivated by proving others wrong. They simply ignore the negativity of others because they are too busy working on the things that improve their own game. Responding to criticism on social media is the very least of their priorities. Their number of Twitter followers and their NIL agreements are clearly secondary to their football responsibilities.

The mindset during games for top performers is on making sure they are ready for the next play. The goal is to string together a series of consecutive good plays by maintaining game focus and not digressing into mini-celebrations and posturing after any decent effort. Trash talking energizes fans and social media, but most good players don’t need the distraction. They let their on field playmaking serve as their resume. This year’s Florida defense featured a handful of guys whose swagger was bigger and more consistent than their actual play. The frequent outcome was a good play followed immediately by a bad play. Staying focused and getting lined up and ready has to be a higher priority next year. On-field dancing to the music during dead-ball timeouts is time that could have been spent reviewing assignments and staying focused on the task at hand.

In terms of individual accountability for meeting team goals, consistently successful athletes play fundamentally sound assignment-based football. They fill assigned gaps and maintain contain on the edges. They line up correctly and know the snap count on each play. They understand down and distance and make in-game decisions that reflect an understanding of these concepts. They play as a part of a unit and subrogate individual attention in favor of team success. These are areas of needed improvement at Florida.

These are 18 to 22 year olds playing an intensely physical game in a high profile environment. Emotion and intensity are important components, but the ability to harness that energy constructively, deflect pressure, and perform at consistently high levels is a large part of what separates the top teams from the also rans. Without any doubt, Billy Napier’s ability to transform a program that lacked poise, focus, and accountability in 2021 into a consistent championship contender will determine if Florida is hiring a new head coach again in 2025.

Published by Dug Jones in Sports
Tags: culture change, Football, Gators, napier, SEC, sports mentality, University of Florida

November 14, 2021 — Comments are off for this post.

From Where I Sit- Cannibalism in the Gator Nation- November 13, 2021

Florida’s first half defensive performance today against Samford was a reflection, in some part, on what happens when you fire coordinators six days before a game and elevate someone who has never been a coordinator. This is why head coaches, even when they quietly know what’s coming soon, try to hold off on coordinator firings until a more rational transition period. Sometimes, however, a midseason firing is unavoidable to appease the media and a vocal fan base. A persistent vortex of negativity damages recruiting and sometimes the evidence of commitment to change can't wait. When coordinator firings do happen mid season, some period of chaos shouldn’t be surprising. Florida will really need to stabilize the defense quickly to be ready for next week’s game AT Missouri.

Despite the Gators' righting the ship today, after an ugly first twenty five minutes and going on a 42 - 10 run over the final thirty five minutes, the drum beats got louder from the “Fire Mullen” cannibals. For some, his departure is a foregone conclusion and their negativity has spiraled into concerns over what the coaching staff wears, whether the players sing the alma mater, Mullen’s dismissive treatment of the media, and an array of other peripheral issues. Clearly, there is trouble in paradise and something needs to be done to fix the ineptitude that has defined Florida’s last 5 games. The question, really, is whether Mullen is afforded a reasonable opportunity to fix things himself and, if so, how much time he gets.. Firing two coaches last week didn’t immediately solve the problems. Some believe Mullen needs to win both remaining games to make it to next season.

I understand we now live in an “immediate results” society where persistence through adversity and delayed gratification isn’t easy to accept. I also understand that $7.2M is a lot of money. The decision points, right now, aren’t really about either of these. The $12M buyout for Mullen is also a lot of money and starting over with our 5th head coach since the 2008 National Championship doesn’t ensure success more quickly than giving Mullen another season.

The expectations at Florida ate up Jim McElwain, Will Muschamp, and even Urban Meyer. Who could Florida hire right now that would, without question, get the Gators to the College Football Playoff within four years? The other two finalists when Mullen was hired by the Gators (Chip Kelly and Scott Frost) haven’t done as well as Mullen. Maybe Mullen was too good in his first three years and there is no going backwards to be tolerated? The University of Florida is one of a handful of places where there is no grace period, but maybe the more successful approach is to be a little more patient? As one example, Jim Harbaugh is in his 6th year at Michigan and the Wolverines are currently 9-1. In 2020, Michigan had a losing record. Perhaps Florida should choose that path instead of the paths taken at places like Tennessee and Texas? If so, just maybe their patience will be rewarded.

Published by Dug Jones in Society, Sports
Tags: coach, Florida, Football, Gators, mullen, SEC, University of Florida

November 1, 2021 — Comments are off for this post.

From Where I Sit- Georgia at Florida (in Jax)- October 30, 2021

The Gator fans who have been clambering for Anthony Richardson to start got their wish. They also got to see why it’s so tough for freshmen quarterbacks to be effective against top tier SEC defenses like Georgia’s. It isn’t just about sequences like the last two minutes of the first half. It’s also about having the ability to change play calls at the line of scrimmage and having mastery of the full array of play options. This is why Dan Mullen was reluctant to bench junior starter, Emory Jones. Still, Richardson earned important experience and remains an exciting piece of the future.

Florida has underachieved this year due to problems in three main areas. The first is the number of turnovers. Gator quarterbacks have thrown 14 interceptions. This is twice as many as all but two other SEC teams. The next highest total is four less than Florida’s total. The especially disappointing reality around this statistic is that Florida is one of the nation’s best running teams. Typically, a strong run game means defenses have to bring linebackers and the strong safety into run support. This opens passing lanes. The interceptions have not only been drive killers, but have also been catastrophic in terms momentum swings. Two have been returned for touchdowns and six others gave the opponent the ball on the Gator’s end of the field. The Florida offense has made life tough for the Gator defense.

A second problem area has been a general absence of “explosive” scoring plays in SEC games. Opponents have taken away vertical pass routes and forced Florida to move the ball incrementally down the field. When the Gators haven’t turned the ball over on these long drives, they have often stalled in the yellow zone (between the opponents 20 and 33 yard lines).

Focus related challenges have been a third area of concern. An abundance of illegal procedure penalties have hampered the offense. The defense has been plagued by poor fundamentals in tackling (an average of 12 missed tackles per game) and a failure to contain by playing edge assignments properly. These types of lapses destroy offensive momentum on the offensive side of the ball and extend the other team’s drives on the defensive side of the ball. This year’s Gators haven’t been able to overcome the adversity they’ve often created for themselves.

Florida faced two #1 teams and two tough SEC road environments over the last six weeks, but now has four very winnable games left on the regular season schedule. These are the circumstances where character determines the direction a program moves. Teams that are able to redirect energy and focus on team oriented goals will improve and position themselves for the future. Teams that lack leadership and are distracted by social media criticism will dissolve into negativity and focus on individual priorities (like NIL and unwarranted swagger) and fall apart. The next four weeks will define the 2021 Gators.

Published by Dug Jones in Sports
Tags: Bulldogs, Florida, Football, Gators, Georgia, SEC, University of Florida

October 17, 2021 — Comments are off for this post.

From Where I Sit- Civility and Personal Character- October 17, 2021

I typically comment about University of Florida’s football games, but was working a basketball telecast yesterday and didn’t get to watch this week’s game at LSU. What I did see was the end of the University of Mississippi at University of Tennessee football game. There was certainly some interesting football to be analyzed, but sadly the relevance of the game was overwhelmed by the disturbing fan behavior in the closing moments.

In the final minutes of a close football game, the game officials made, and upheld, a call that enraged many of the fans in attendance. Some of these fans threw objects on to the field. Many, many others joined the stupidity. Ultimately, the game was paused for over twenty minutes while officials and coaches huddled to discuss how the game could be safely finished. The band left. The cheerleaders left. Some fans left. Some coaches and players were struck by thrown objects, including golf balls. Ultimately, some degree of calm was restored and the last minutes of the game were played.

The concept of sports serving as a microcosm that mirrors society isn’t new. Yesterday’s behavior occurred within the context of sports, but unfortunately is reflective of a much more pervasive societal problem. The disgusting fan behavior yesterday in Knoxville is just the current sports related example. The symptoms of this disintegration of civility and personal character are not limited to Knoxville or even to sports.

A migration of personal values, the emergence of crowd sourced decision making, a growing preference for emotion over facts, and other facets have created this dangerous dynamic.

Here’s how it usually plays out. An incident occurs that elicits a strong negative feeling in an individual or a group. This feeling is accepted as being important even before any analysis of the facts surrounding the incident can be accomplished. An impulsive and typically unfettered reaction to the real or perceived injustice occurs. We tolerate this type of unmeasured reaction because we “understand” the person’s or group’s frustration and no longer expect/require people to delay gratification for their impulses. The heightened intensity triggers even more people and the volatility of the circumstances escalate. In the final analysis, when the facts do support the basis for the initial frustration we find their behavior justified (even when excessive). When the facts don’t ultimately support the complainants reaction, we excuse the behavior (too easily) because we understand their need for instant justice.

Societally, we are conditioned more and more to expect immediate and fair outcomes. These are good things in most circumstances. The rub occurs when these things can’t/don’t happen and people aren’t emotionally stable enough to handle the disappointment. The old days of “who told you everything was going to be fair” have passed. We seek and expect immediate redress for even the smallest of transgressions by others. Patience is a lost trait. We get responded to by email and even text rather than “snail mail”. We shop online with delivery by tomorrow. We get answers on Google and rarely wait for anything. Again, all good things except when we aren’t capable of coping with any delay in gratification.

In general, the media adds to the problem by encouraging a societal attraction to victims and victimization. Drama drives clicks and interpersonal conflict is the highest drama. We learn to focus more on the struggles, conflicts, and obstacles along the way than on the successes through consistent focus and effort. This way of thinking means people get more (immediate) attention, especially as children, for fighting, crying, and struggling, than they get for being steady, positive, and smiling. The point isn’t to discount the significance of mental health issues. The point is to highlight the problems we create when we accept, reward, and reinforce what should be unacceptable behaviors. These things begin in small ways and then systematically grow into much larger and, in some cases, dangerous behaviors.

There will, hopefully, be significant consequences for yesterday’s craziness in Knoxville meted out by the University of Tennessee and the SEC, but the real solutions will lie in reshaping the societal standards for acceptable expressions of dissent. We need to return to the days when some level of civility is expected. We need to draw a clear line between dissent which is truly speech and dissent which is actually violent behavior. If we continue to accept (and even justify) dangerous behavior when it serves our own agendas, we shouldn’t be surprised when it permeates all facets of our lives.

Published by Dug Jones in Society
Tags: civility, fan violence, Football, Ole Miss, SEC, societal norms, Tennessee

October 10, 2021 — Comments are off for this post.

From Where I Sit- Vanderbilt at Florida- 10/9/2021

The Gators performance against Vanderbilt was solid, not spectacular, just solid. The sports headlines and a 42-0 final score might imply otherwise, but the “progress” pieces are what really matters. Last week’s loss at Kentucky raised three concerns that Florida needed to address. This Vandy game was really about correcting last week’s problems. Some progress was made. Plenty still left to be addressed.

This week Florida reduced the number of offensive penalties by about half. The two illegal procedure penalties and three holding penalties are still too many, but didn’t bring the same drive killing impact we saw last week. Clearly, Vanderbilt is not Kentucky and a home game in the Swamp is different then an away SEC game.

Special teams play this week was an asset. In the punting game, Florida flipped the field by averaging a net +47 yards compared to Vandy’s +35 per punt. Toss in Jeremy Crenshaw’s 28 yard run (from the Gator’s own 27) on a fake punt and the punt game differential is even more significant. The Gator’s made all four place kicks and covered kickoffs well. Progress.

The third area for focused improvement was the level of offensive aggressiveness. Florida’s offense had been productive, but not explosive in games against SEC teams. This week, the Gators had seven plays for over 25 yards. In the Kentucky loss, they had zero plays of over 20 Yards. We saw a bit of a vertical passing game this week. The fake punt on the first drive of the second half (mentioned above) was another indication Florida might be ready to be more aggressive moving forward.

The Gator defense pitched a shutout, but was the beneficiary of three missed Commodore field goal attempts. In the first half, especially, there were missed tackles and assignments. Vandy possessed the ball nearly twenty of the thirty first half minutes and rolled up over 200 yards of total offense. The Florida defense was more focused in the second half, holding Vandy to negative rushing yardage and less than 100 yards of total offense. More work to be done in the weeks ahead.

Teams are rarely as bad as they seem in losses or as good as they seem in wins. The margins are often narrow. A few crucial plays, here and there, create momentum and shape the outcomes. Florida should feel better about themselves this week, but Vandy at home isn’t a tall task. Next week playing LSU in Death Valley will be a growth opportunity.

Last year, LSU was reeling when they came into Gainesville and derailed the Gator’s season. This year, LSU is still talented, but also still inconsistent. They’ve struggled on both sides of the ball in the run game. Head Coach Ed Orgeron’s seat has gotten hotter. The Tigers lost their biggest offensive threat (Kayshon Boutte) this past week and Florida benefits from a noon kickoff. Still, the LSU crowd will be the largest and loudest the Gator’s will encounter this season.

The outcome this Saturday will rest heavily on whether Florida can focus and function offensively in the noise. If Florida runs the ball effectively and avoids drive killing penalties, they should prevail. This game represents another opportunity for the Gators to better handle a tough away SEC environment and take a step forward.

Published by Dug Jones in Sports
Tags: 2021, commodores, Florida, Football, Gators, SEC, University of Florida, vanderbilt, Vandy

October 3, 2021 — Comments are off for this post.

From Where I Sit- Florida at Kentucky- 10/2/2021

The Florida Gators struggled with poise in their first away SEC game and blew a golden opportunity to establish themselves as an SEC contender. In their 20 - 13 win, the still undefeated Kentucky Wildcats played just well enough to allow Florida to give away the game. Statistically, the Gators who always seem to struggle against Kentucky, weren’t bad. The problem, from start to finish, was penalties. Of the Gator’s eye popping 15 penalties, 12 were against the offense and killed or stalled promising drives. Clearly, a noisy away stadium in the SEC brings a set of challenges for offensive linemen. Three of Florida’s offensive linemen had significant SEC away game experience, but center Kingsley Eguakun did not. Several of the 9 illegal procedure penalties appeared to be the result of late center snaps with more than one Gator moving in unison before the snap. On a couple others, it was impossible on replay to see who moved early.

The most critical negative sequence for Florida came with 8:44 left in the third quarter and the Gators leading 10 to 7. Florida’s Tra’vez Johnson intercepted a Will Levis pass and returned it to the Kentucky 16 yard line. Unfortunately, Antonio Valentino was called for a “blind block”, away from the action, on the return and the Gators began their possession at the 31 instead of the 14. On third down and three to go at the Kentucky 24, Florida had a Damian Pierce ten-yard run called back for holding (on Eguakun) and ultimately settled for a 48 yard field goal ATTEMPT. The kick was blocked and returned for a Kentucky touchdown. Instead of a possible 17 - 7 or (at least) 13 - 7 lead, Florida trailed 10- 14.

Don’t tell the fire Todd Grantham crowd, but the Gator’s defense was solid again this week. Their “bend but don’t break” approach kept Florida in the game, despite Florida’s offensive problems, to the very end. Of Kentucky’s 20 points, only 13 came against the defense and 7 of those came on a Kentucky drive that began at the Florida 29. Notably, the Wildcats ability to convert the post-turnover short field into a touchdown when Florida failed miserably in a similar circumstance was the difference maker. This week, the fan criticism will be on Dan Mullen and his offense instead of on Grantham’s defense. It’s a what have you done for me lately world.

On offense, the Gator’s had nearly 400 yards of total offense. Emory Jones was more than solid. It was the inability to survive self-inflicted wounds (penalties) on virtually every offensive possession that prevented Florida from converting yards to points. The difference between great teams and good teams is that ability to survive tough breaks and tough environments. Florida isn't quite there yet.

The Gators will follow next week’s home game against Vandy with a trip to one of the noisiest stadiums in the nation. The LSU crowd makes Kentucky's seem sedate by comparison. Hopefully, Florida uses the full two weeks to better prepare for the crazy, loud environment at Death Valley.

Published by Dug Jones in Sports
Tags: Florida, Football, Gators, Kentucky, SEC, wildcats

September 27, 2021 — Comments are off for this post.

From Where I Sit- Tennessee at Florida- 9/25/2021

Emory Jones’ performance the last two weeks validates Dan Mullen’s confidence in him and serves as reminders both that Jones has what it takes to succeed as Florida’s quarterback and that Mullen knows what he’s doing. Anthony Richardson will make important contributions, as Tim Tebow did in 2006, but this year’s offense is Emory’s.

While quarterback play and rushing yardage are today’s obvious marquee messages the more interesting discussion surrounds the steadily improving Gator defense. Sure, Florida surrendered over 400 yards of total offense. Yes, there were some missed tackles and a couple busted coverages (one resulting in a 75 yard touchdown). Continuing challenges ahead, of course, but It’s also important to notice the good things occurring and the strides Todd Grantham’s defense is making from week to week.

This week, Florida gave up 14 points to a Tennessee team that was averaging over 42 points per game and hadn’t scored less than 34 in their first three games. The Gators accomplished this without two of their three best defensive players (Elam and Miller). Freshmen started at both cornerback spots and were backed up by transfers who have been with the program for just two months. Gresham is substituting liberally to cross train and to keep players fresh. Very notably, the Florida defense has been better than last year on third downs, allowing conversions on just 35%. Only one defensive penalty this week. No guarantees moving ahead, but the defense is moving in the right direction.

Recent success in the Gator running game is attributable, in large part, to better offensive line play, but the Florida’s running backs have played a huge role, as well. The current three + rotation of backs has kept them all fresh, healthy, and able to earn additional yards after first contact. Each has a different running style, but all have been effective. At 6.34 yards per carry, the six Florida backs are among the nations best as a group. This week, the Vols’ defense came in allowing just 1.7 yards per carry and 54.3 yards per game, so Florida’s 7.1 yards per carry and 283 rushing total are impressive. Additionally, the backs have all been good with ball security (zero fumbles on the season) and in pass protection. Through four games, Gator running backs have 17 pass receptions. Really, a position of strength this year.

An away SEC game against the undefeated Kentucky Wildcats will serve as the Gators next opportunity for continuing progress.

Published by Dug Jones in Sports
Tags: Florida, Football, Gators, SEC, Tennessee, University of Florida, Volunteers

September 15, 2021 — Comments are off for this post.

From Where I Sit- Florida at South Florida- 9/11/2021

For many, the USF game felt like an extension of the FAU game for the Gators. In both games, Florida played well at times, but also lost focus at times.  There was never a moment in either game where the outcome was in question. Twice, though, the Gators have failed to maintain their momentum and limped home with solid wins instead of blowouts. Disappointing, perhaps, but a better problem to have than most.

The post-game superlatives are also similar. Florida piled up running game yardage in huge chunks in both games. Florida leads the nation in rushing offense with an average of over 380 rushing yards per game and nearly 8.5 yards per carry. In both games, the Gator defense was solid until the 4th quarter when the younger players had opportunities to play. Florida has given up only 13 total points in the first three quarters of the two games with two of the scores occurring after Gator turnovers provided USF short field opportunities. Opponents have had just one sustained scoring drive in the first three quarters of games, thus far.

Both games were also similar in the eye-popping individual statistics amassed by Anthony Richardson. Combined, Richardson has thrown for 192 yards on 11 attempts (17.45 yards per attempt and 32 yards per completion). As a runner, Richardson has been even more prolific. He has 11 total carries for 275 yards (25 yards per carry). Excluding the 4 interceptions, Emory Jones has been solid, as well. He’s had 31 completions in 49 passing attempts (63%) for 264 yards and has run for 155 yards. Jones’ interceptions combined with Richardson’s amazing athleticism has fueled the “quarterback controversy” discussion for the media. Interestingly, the commonality for the Jones interceptions has been that, in each case, he wasn’t pressured. He’s played better when acting instinctively than when he has had time to overanalyze/reconsider decisions.

Contrary to what the game scores might suggest, the Florida defense improved from week one to week two. They allowed 3 less first downs, 70 less total yards, and 1 less yard per play. They also only allowed a 26% success rate on 3rd and 4th down conversions in the USF game compared to 36% in the FAU game.

The number of weapons in the running game has been impressive. Four different ball carriers have gained at least 85 rushing yards with three of them running for over 130 each. An additional bright spot this week was the emergence of a couple of additional receivers. Through the first two games, four receivers have caught at least five passes.

To maintain perspective, it is important to note that FAU and USF are not even SEC caliber teams, let alone Alabama. Still, with many new faces playing key roles for the Gators, the goal is to improve week over week and that has occurred.  Without defensive leader, Ventrel Miller, and with a (likely) hobbled, Anthony Richardson, the odds of Florida beating Alabama are long. In any case, the game provides another opportunity to improve week over week.

Published by Dug Jones in Sports
Tags: Bulls, College Sports, Florida Gators, Football, Gators, SEC, University of Florida, USF

September 5, 2021 — Comments are off for this post.

From Where I Sit- Week One- Florida Atlantic at Florida- 9/5/2021

Florida extended the nation’s longest home-opener winning streak with a 35 - 14 win over Florida Atlantic University. While the game wasn’t a blowout, the Gators were never seriously challenged by the Owls.

There were many bright spots, but this was an inconsistent performance in some of the ways you expect to see in opening week games. Too many penalties (9 for 91 yards), miscommunications, missed opportunities. Still there is much to build on for the Gators.

Social Media and the casual Florida fan will be attracted to a discussion about a manufactured quarterback controversy. The reality is Emory Jones wasn’t sharp, but handled himself relatively well in his first ever start. He ran for 74 yards and completed 63% of his passes. The two interceptions, a couple of delay of game penalties, and a miscommunication on a red zone play call were disappointing. Jones is talented and will learn from these mistakes

Anthony Richardson wowed the internet and fans with his athleticism and big play capabilities. He possesses truly amazing athletic gifts and creates highlight reel types of plays. His 73 yard touchdown run showcased great agility and foot speed for a man who weighs 236 pounds. One one play, he runs over defenders and on another he hurdles them. For this reason, he is a shiny object and many fans will fail to notice that he completed only 37% of his pass attempts and, excepting the one 36 yard completion, had only four total yards passing. Make no mistake, though, he has a great arm. He will become a more effective passer as he learns to check down to the (often) shorter open routes rather than selecting the big play option.

Last night, even with the two interceptions, Emory Jones’ 95 QBR was twenty points better than Richardson’s QBR of 74. Richardson will need more game experience before he is ready to truly challenge for the starting quarterback position. Eventually, there may be one, but there is currently no quarterback controversy. If you don’t believe me, ask Dan Mullen.

The discussion today, really should be more about improved productivity in the overall run game and about the added depth in the defensive line. The SEC is a “line of scrimmage league” and Florida made good strides this off-season to strengthen both the offensive and defensive lines.

Against FAU, the offensive line opened holes, stayed on blocks better, and enabled the Gator run game to stack up 400 rushing yards while allowing zero sacks. Florida converted on 63% of third down plays. With 12 offensive possessions, Florida only punted twice.

On defense, the addition of three new interior defensive linemen, via the transfer portal, provided an obvious improvement. Valentino, Newkirk, and Truesdale are all game-ready run stoppers that Florida was able to “plug and play”. To succeed in the SEC, teams must have six effective defensive tackles. The Gators are finally at this number. Stout interior line play creates opportunities for Florida‘s edge rushers and linebackers to do their thing.

The Florida defense was more than solid against FAU. 200 of the 353 yards surrendered in the game occurred in the last 12 minutes when the outcome was already assured and the younger players were getting playing time. For the first 48 minutes of the game, Florida gave up about 150 yards, no big plays, and zero points. The Gators had six sacks, forced two turnovers, and generally tackled well.

Up next, Florida needs to focus exclusively on the University of South Florida and getting better one game at a time.

Published by Dug Jones in Sports
Tags: Florida Atlantic, Football, Gators, SEC, University of Florida

December 31, 2020 — Comments are off for this post.

From Where I Sit- Florida/Oklahoma Cotton Bowl- 12/30/20

In the 2018 Citrus Bowl, every Gator wanted to play. Michigan, on the other hand, had significant opt outs and struggled to compete. In tonight’s Cotton Bowl, the shoe was on the other foot. Florida’s challenge wasn’t only about the numbers with only 59 of 85 scholarship players available. It was more about who was missing. The Gators’ MIA list included the team’s top four pass catchers, the team’s leading tackler, three of the four experienced defensive tackles, and two starting defensive backs. The bright side is the number of freshmen and sophomore‘s who played significant numbers of snaps. The obvious downside was how disjointed Florida looked with only three bowl game practices to integrate so many new players.

In many ways, for the Gators, the game felt like the spring Orange and Blue game. There were plenty of dropped passes, many missed tackles, and lots of busted assignments. You also needed a printed roster to know who was on the field for Florida.

Despite the challenges, the Gators were in decent position with 6:10 remaining in the first half. Down only 17 - 10 with the ball on Oklahoma’s 17 yard line, Florida had an opportunity to tie the score. Instead, they failed to convert on third down, settled for a short field goal, and still trailed 17 - 13. Oklahoma scored twice in the remaining six minutes, sandwiching another Florida failed third down conversion (dropped pass), to lead 31 - 13 at the half. Most times this season, with a full roster, Florida scored last in the first half and first in the second half.

A number of the Gator absences, especially on defense, were due to injuries and/or COVID protocols, but others simply chose to opt out. For some, the risk of injury outweighed any benefit to playing. Kyle Pitts and Kadarius Toney are great examples. A few others might have improved their draft potential by playing. Chauncey Gardner-Johnson used that 2018 Citrus Bowl to improve his draft position. More than any disappointment with the players who opted out, I was impressed by the seniors who chose to play. Principally among them, Kyle Trask, Stone Forsythe, and Brett Heggie. At every step of his Florida career, Trask has subrogated personal goals for team goals. This is Leadership 101.

The Cotton Bowl provided an mini-showcase for the athletic capabilities of Gator quarterbacks Emory Jones and Anthony Richardson. Florida’s running backs and quarterbacks ran the ball for 250 yards against an excellent Oklahoma run defense. Clearly, the personality of the Gator offense will be different next year. On defense, Florida’s success will depend on the maturation of young defensive backs and how depth issues at defensive tackle are addressed.

Next up for the Gators is to close out the 2021 recruiting class with three more quality recruits and then address any remaining needs via the transfer portal. The next game is September 4th against Florida Atlantic University.

Published by Dug Jones in Sports
Tags: Big 12, Cotton Bowl, Florida, Football, Gators, Oklahoma, SEC, Sooners
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