It didn’t take long for Florida Athletic Director Jeremy Foley to get his new man, but who could blame him as every second that a college team goes without a head coach makes the recruiting process that much more difficult.  Foley went “deep in the heart of Texas” to get his man.  Former Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp will prowl the sidelines for Florida in 2011 and he will be formally introduced during  Tuesday’s press conference.

Muschamp will be the 23rd coach in Florida football history.  Muschamp is known by and larger for being a defensive guru and a great recruiter.  Before being D.C. at Texas, he had two other stints as D.C. in the SEC, once for Auburn and also with LSU, where he coached the defense to the BCS National Title.  Muschamp has great recruiting ties in the State of Texas and Florida, the two richest states in terms of recruiting.  He is also very familiar with SEC football, another prerequisite according to Foley.  Muschamp grew up an SEC fan and has coached 8 of his 16 years in the SEC.

His defenses have continually ranked in the top 10 nationally in scoring defense and his hiring will no doubt make an impact on the much talked about freshman class, which is loaded with defensive talent, that reacted very strongly to Meyer’s announcement earlier this week, even going as far as saying they were all leaving.  Of course this is probably a knee jerk reaction from emotional 18 year olds, but it is good to know that one of the best and most respected defensive coaches is now ready to assume command in Gainesville.  They say “defense wins championships”, if so then Florida is well positioned for the future.  Now the only left is to make up a coaching staff.  At this point it is not know who will be retained from the former staff nor who might be coming in to replace the departed.

Even Urban Meyer seemed pleased with the hire.  He had this to say about Coach Muschamp;

According to my trusted sources earlier today, and now confirmed by the mainstream media, Urban Meyer will announce his retirement later today and cease his duties as head coach of the Florida Gators.  I was waiting to be sure because as we all know, this time last year the same thing happened only to be reneged 1 day later.  But it appears the second time is the charm for Meyer.

It appears his health continues to be an issue, as reports of more chest pains surfaced earlier in the week.  It is said that Meyer informed the team over the weekend and will hold a press conference at 6pm today to make things official.  He will coach his final game as a Gator on Jan 1 at the Outback Bowl vs another legend, Joe Paterno.

At this point it is too early to speculate on replacements.

This is a sad day for the majority of Gator fans, myself included.  I would like to express my sincerest thanks and admiration for the Head Coach that won us 2 national titles and brought us back to the top.  Whoever follow him will have huge shoes to fill.

On the bright side for Gator fans, this all but ensures Steve Addazio will not continue as offensive coordinator…thats my silver lining for the day.

The Gators finally got a W in the Swamp after 3 consecutive losses.  Of course it came against an Appalachian State team that plays in a lesser division, but that’s beside the point.  It was an emotionally charged game in Gainesville for the senior class that was playing in its final home game.  Future NFLer Mike Pouncey was brought to tears during the opening ceremony, much like Tim Tebow in 09, and was consolled by his Coach at midfield before being swarmed by the other seniors in a giant group hug.  Of course not alot of people witnessed this, outside of the 90 thousand strong at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, because the game wasn’t carried by any of the major networks but was availble on pay per view.  I suppose that is to be expected when a 4 loss Gator team plays a team from the subdivision, but thanks to the wonders of internet and streaming technologies I didnt miss a beat. 

The Gators looked good in their 48-10 trouncing of the Mountaineers. The offense had its best showing of the season with over 500 yards of total offense.  John Brantley was relatively accurate early in the game and even caught a touchdown pass from Jordan Reed.  Jordan Reed continues to impress as the Spread Offense quarterback, he accounted for 4 Gator touchdowns.  His performance further accentuates the mind boggling  decision to not use him in the biggest game of the year last week against S.C. with the SEC East on the line.  In all, it was a nice “feel good” game as the Gators finally overwhelmed an opponent at home.  The victory however, does not shakeoff any of the negativity that has permeated the team since the home opener.  If this coaching staff wants to get the fans back on their side, then they will need to come up big against reF.S.U. next week in the season finale.

Meyer can “save the season” by beating reF.S.U. because it will give them some momentum heading into the recruiting home stretch and it will further sink F.S.U, who is looking to make a move with a lot of the instate talent.  It will also make the Gators perfect against their traditional rival (UT, UGA, reFSU) for the year and any Gator fan is always hard pressed to deem a season a complete failure when beating the “big three”.

The Gators are taking the field tomorrow with the hopes of putting an end to a humiliating 3 home game losing streak.  This is an unprecedented home losing streak that has everyone in the Gator Nation embarrassed and agitated. 

I said earlier this year that I’m not the sort to call out coaches and advocate they lose their jobs, but quite honestly enough is enough.  The Gator coaches as a whole, including the head man Urban Meyer, have done a great diservice to this team this year by poorly coaching and poorly preparing this team from the get go.  The Gators have 4 and 5 star talent at nearly every position, but they are playing like a high school team.  But I don’t think all the coaches need to go, in fact I remain a Meyer backer, but his offensive cordinator is a disgrace to the previous Gator offensive coaches who made Florida a perennial offensive delight to watch.  Addazio constantly makes excuses for why his team is not producing yet never blames his play calling or the team’s preparation, when its rather apparent that his playcalling is dubious at best and his offense is rarely prepared.

Simply put the Florida Gators are not playing Florida Gator football.  John Brantley is not playing Gator football.  The offensive gameplan IS A JOKE.  In fact, the Gators have no gameplan.  It seems like the plan is to give Chris Rainey a handof and see what happens, or even worse, to throw the ball on a swing pass 3 yards behind the LOS and see what happens.  Of course there is no blocking, whether that be at the line or on the perimeter, despite the fact our O-line coach (who doubles as offensive cordinator) assured everyone we had one of the best O-lines in America before the first game.  Also, forget about anything related to scheming and adjusting to an opponent.  The Florida offense seems to be running about 10 different plays, all game, everygame, no matter the opponent or situation.  The result has been catastrophic and if the coaches march on Florida Field with the same BS gameplan, then Appalachian State will be making headlines for defeating another traditional college football “powerhouse”. 

I am not kidding folks.  This upcoming game is a toss up because the Florida offense under Steve Addazio simply cannot move the ball to save their lives.  2 touchdowns in their last 8 quarters at home ! To be fair though, due to the veil of secrecy that has fallen on Gainesville since the summer, it is unclear how much this falls squarely on Addazio only and how much of this is on Urban Meyer.  There are those who say that Addazio is simply Urban’s “Yes Man” and he is simply executing the offense that Urban Meyer has insisted on running.  Then there are those who claim that the offense is run by committee with Addazio as the head man.  Either way, Urban Meyer managed to send Gator Nation into further panic earlier this week when he stated that he felt Addazio would be back as O.C. next season.   If that proves to be true, I predict Florida loses at a minimum 4 games next season.  Steve Addazio has become public enemy number one in Gainesville and time will tell if he that is justified or if he is being made a scapegoat.

The reason for my ranting against the offensive coaching is simple.  The coaches have made several inexplicable decisions and have been guilty of saying one thing and then doing another, but not in the “fool the opposing defense” kinda way, which would not only be totally acceptable but also very welcome.  For example, after the meltdown against MSU, the coaches made an effort to revamp the offense and the result was a mini revival.  The games against Georgia and Vanderbilt were the most successful in terms of offensive production because QBs Trey Burton and Jordan Reed were given a lot of snaps in the Spread Option game.  Then against South Carolina the coaches went back to what wasn’t working, namely using John Brantley for every play, and the result was an epic failure.  Now I don’t want to come down too hard on John Brantley.  I must admit I drank alot of the “Brantley cool aid” over the hot summer, but can you seriously blame me, it was almost 46 degrees one day!  I will also admit that he has fallen well short of expectations despite showing that he has a good arm. 

Brantley’s “failure” to lead the Gators is more on the coaches, especially Addazio-Meyer, than anyone else.  For starters, Addazio-Meyer, despite their coachspeak, never truely adapted the offense to his strenghts.  The offensive line has been a complete joke in pass protection.  For the first 6 games Brantley was expected to be a Spread Option quarterback, when we all know he is as slow as a drunken turtle, and is simply not a running threat.  The Gator gameplan has never focused on his abilities to pass the ball.  Earlier in the season, Brantley was not being given time to find receivers and the “run on first and second down” gameplan constantly put him in 3rd and long situations.  More recently the line has been giving him a little more time but Johnny appears to have regressed in his read and when he does manage to find an open receiver he misses him with his eratic throws.  This might be a result of him splitting time with Burton and Reed, but against S.C. that is not a valid excuse.

In any case, it is senior day at the Swamp so the Gators will surely leave it all on the field.  It is difficult to imagine that the once mighty Florida Gators can lose AT HOME to a Div I-AA opponent, but that is what can happen when a team is poorly coached for an entire season.  If I were a betting man I would stay away from this game altogether. 

Logic dictates that Florida wins this one, but I will believe it when I see it.  Appy St can move the ball very well so if they can score a couple touchdowns that might be enough to beat Florida.  On the bright side of losing to a I-AA squad, Meyer would be forced to clean house and set course for a better 2011.

Steven Orr Spurrier went into the Swamp with his Gamecocks and walk out champion of the SEC East.  South Carolina thoroughly dominated the Gators last night and won comfortably 36-14.  The Gamecocks out played and out schemed the Gators who once again reverted to uselessness on offense after putting forth 2 good games in the prior weeks.  Florida did not really do what it said it would, namely go with 3 QBs.  Instead John Brantley took the vast majority of the snaps and the result was yet another humiliating offensive performance in the Swamp.   Brantley missed open receivers, constantly had his passed batted down at the line and his team lacked any semblance of rhythm when he was in the backfield.

Ironically things started off perfectly for Florida.  Andre Debose took the opening kickoff 99 yards for a score and the Swamp was rocking.  South Carolina then settled down and weathered the storm by putting together 2 scoring drives in the 1^st quarter.  Florida on the other hand had absolutely nothing to show for after the first half was over.  By the half Florida had barely 50 yards of offense and managed to convert only 2 first downs.  S.C. was much more effective.  Star RB Marcus Lattimore alone had outgained Florida and was well on his way to amassing 217yds on the ground. 

It took Florida 10 drives to finally score any points! When the game was well out of reach in the fourth quarter, Jordan Reed, the player who can actually move the chains in this offense, was allowed to play and responded by throwing for a 26 yard touchdown pass.  South Carolina held the ball for more than double the time of possession of Florida, and had it not been for the last garbage drive at the end the Gamecocks would have run twice the amount of plays as Florida.

Lattimore was the difference maker in this game.  He not only rushed for 217 yards but punched in 3 touchdowns to finally break the will of the Florida defense.  The Gator defense cannot be blamed for this loss because it was able to hold the Gamecocks to 22 point in 3 quarter despite the fact it was getting no help whatsoever from the offense.  The defense was on the field for about 70% of the first half and in the 3^rd quarter the Gator offense managed only 11 plays on 3 drives, 2 of which ended in turnovers.   So to be realistic, no defense can hold for that long without any help.  Eventually in the fourth the Gamecocks would break things open.

The Gators are seriously lacking competency on offense.  It is time to take a long hard look at the work of O.C.  Steve Addazio as his offense has failed miserably all year long and so has his offensive line, which he once described as one of the best in the nation.  If there are no wholesale changes made in the offseason, this team will continue to struggle against SEC opponents because this offense is not fooling anyone and everyone knows which plays are coming and when.  Meyer needs to realize that signing #1 recruiting classes alone is not close to being enough to build a championship team, somewhat has to coach up these kids and put them in a position to win.

Spurrier and the Gamecocks earned this victory and will go to Atlanta to plays for the SEC against an Auburn team that already beat them earlier this year in a close fought game.   They dominated the Gators in the trenches and imposed their will in the running game. Alshon Jeffery was held to 52 yards on 6 catches, but some of those early catches resulted in key first downs while the game was still undecided.

You could tell it was bittersweet for Steve to win in the stadium he christened as “the Swamp” and where he would experience his glory years as a player and coach.  With time winding down his players drenched him with Gatorade and tried to pick him up and walk him off Florida Field as a hero. The Ol Ball Coach resisted and jumped off.  Then later his offensive linemen would try again, this time they managed to pick him up and take a few steps forward.  Spurrier acknowledged his players and fans, then quickly jumped off his players shoulders for a second time and ran off to midfield.  That gesture did not go unnoticed amongst Gator fans.  Steve is a class act and a true Gator.  I wish him the best of luck and I have no doubt his team can take the Tigers. 

This was South Carolina’s first ever win at Florida Field.

GAME: #22 Florida vs #23 South Carolina

Where: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, a.k.a The Swamp

At Stake: SEC East Championship

Where can I watch? : ESPN @ 7pm

 The Florida Gators can salvage their season this Saturday against the South Carolina Gamecocks in the Swamp.  This possibility laid latent in the minds of Gator fans after a brutal 3 game stretch in October that saw the Gators lose 3 straight to 3 ranked SEC teams, but seemed like a stretch to most, including myself.  However, after a two game rebirth, Florida fans can finally see some light at the end of the tunnel.  That “light” is the possibility of playing for the SEC championship in Atlanta later on in the year.  In the preseason, Urban Meyer made it clear that “returning to Atlanta” was the overall objective of the season.  It is an obvious goal when you consider that the last 4 SEC champs have gone on to win the MNC. 

There isn’t, nor will there be, any talk of playing for the MNC this year at Florida, but Gator fans would be more than happy to play for, and win, the SEC crown. In order to do so, Florida must first butt heads with a familiar foe, the Ol Ball Coach himself.

Spurrier comes back to Gainesville on Saturday with his most talented team since he took over in Columbia.  The offense is lead by a trio that is as good as any combination in college football; freshman sensation RB Marcus Lattimore, future first round pick WR Alshon Jeffery, and QB Stephen Garcia.  The play of these three will in all likelihood determine the Gamecocks chances.   Lattimore has already hit pay dirt 11 times this year, while averaging a cool 94 yards per game, and Jeffery is averaging 17+ yards in his 59 catches to go along with 7 receiving touchdowns.   South Carolina has looked brilliant at times this season but also uninspired in some games.  The home win against what was then considered to be an unbeatable Alabama team stands out as Spurrier’s biggest win as a Gamecock.  His masterful play calling kept the Tide defense on their heels all game as he mixed equal doses of Lattimore and Jeffery, to the tune of 5 combined TDs.  However, let down games against Kentucky and Arkansas makes one wonder which Gamecock team will show up at the Swamp on Saturday.

Florida would not be in this position had it not been for an offensive revival after hitting rock bottom against Mississippi State.  The bye week in between the MSU and Georgia games clearly did Florida some good.  In the last two wins, the Gators have racked up 930 yards of offense and scored 89 points.  This revival was made possible by 2 things; the recuperation of several key players and the return to the Spread Option offense.

The offense has received a boost from players returning from injury and Chris Rainey returning from a 5 game suspension.  Since his return, Rainey has accounted for 176 yards of offense, 2 TDs and 2 blocked punts to jumpstart the offense.  RB Mike Gillislee returned for the Vanderbilt game and scored 2 touchdowns while averaging 6.3 yards per carry.  Starting RB Jeff Demps only played against Georgia and scored a touchdown while rushing and receiving for 81 yards.  Demps is expected to play against S.C. and he was held back last week for this reason.

Another player that has made a huge difference in the offense is new QB Jordan Reed.  Reed (redshirt freshmen) missed some time earlier in the year with a bruised knee.  He has played TE and wingback for most of the season.  Recruited as a QB/Athlete, Reed was moved over to TE to fill the void left by departing underclassmen Aaron Hernandez (now starting for the Patriots) in the spring.  But with the offense in shamble and QB John Brantley limited in his ability to be a run/pass threat, the coaching staff called on Reed and fellow freshman Trey Burton to play the role of Tim Tebow in the spread option.  Burton ran for 110 yards against Georgia and scored twice.  Reed, the much bigger (6’3, 240lbs) and more polished passer of the 2 freshmen, was called on to play against the Commodores and he responded by passing for 120 yards on 11 of 19 attempts for 1 TD and rushing for 84 yards and another touchdown. 

John Brantley continues to be the “starting” quarterback for the Gators.  He is the passing quarterback of this offense and the veteran leader, but the coaching staff has finally dropped the idea that he can be an effective spread option quarterback.  In the last 2 games, Brantley has gone 27 for 43 for 350 yards with 2 TDs and 1 INT.  These are not spectacular numbers by any means, but in this diminished role, the offense has taken off.   The Gators will continue with this 3 headed monster at the QB position going forward, often sending all 3 out at the same time to confuse defenses.  Brantley will pass, Burton will run the option, and Reed will do a little of both as he is now the best suited to run the Spread Option that Meyer feels is the identity of the offense.

KEYS TO THE GAME

- The biggest individual match up will be between Gator cover corner Janoris Jenkins and Jeffery.  Jenkins has done a great job all year and managed to keep other big names such as A.J. Green and Julio Jones at bay.   If Jenkins can shut down Jeffery, the Gators will have the advantage of stacking up against the run.

- South Carolina ground attack against the Gator front 7 will also be a key.  The winner of this battle will greatly increase its chances of winning the game.  The freshman Lattimore is a physical back and Florida relies more on speed and gang tackling than physicality on defense.  Florida must do a better job tackling and being “gap sound”.  Rising star freshman DT Sharrif Floyd could be a difference maker busting up the middle.

- The Gamecocks lead the SEC in sacks.  Florida has been atrocious in picking up the blitz and protecting Brantley in general.  If S.C. can keep the pressure on the Florida QBs, the Gators will have a hard time winning this one.

- Florida needs to remain creative on offense.  They need mix up the play calling and get the best out of their 3 quarterbacks.  Reed will run a lot and look to make S.C. pay through the air when it sells out on the run.

- Florida needs its playmakers to make big plays.  The Rainey-Demps duo needs to step up, and the ground game must be productive.  Mike Gillislee will be instrumental and the receivers must step up and make big plays when called upon.  Last week WRs Deonte Thompson and Frankie Hammond each had a long TD catch.  Florida will need the same type of play to beat Spurrier.

THIS AND THAT

- Spurrier has never won in Gainesville as a Gamecock.  In fact, neither have the Gamecocks.  Last time around the Gators trounced the Ol Ball Coach 56-6.

- DT Jaye Howard has practiced this week and should be able to play some on Saturday.

- Andre Debose is taking reps as the punt and kickoff returner in practice.  He will in all likelihood do both on Saturday.

-  The Gators will be hosting a slew of potential recruits on Saturday, so the atmosphere in the Swamp will be electric to say the least

PREDICTION

This game should be a dandy with a trip to Atlanta on the line.  Mix in the “Spurrier returns to Gainesvile” storyline and you got yourself a potential classic.  Both teams have tons of talent and skill and both were favorites to win the East in the preseason and now it comes down to 4 quarters of football.

Final score: UF 34 – S.C. 28

Gator win 60%

S.C. win 40%

Florida goes on the road Saturday to take on fellow SEC East rival Vanderbilt.  On paper this doesn’t seem to be much of a game.  Vanderbilt is 2-6 this year, with its wins coming against Mississippi and Eastern Michigan.  As bad as the Gator offense has been this year, Vanderbilt has been worse.  In fact the Commodore offense ranks dead last in the SEC in scoring and total yards.  To make matters worse, their most (perhaps only) explosive player, RB Warren Norman, is out for the season following wrist surgery.  For comparison’s sake Vanderbilt lost to Georgia, the same team that the Gators just beat in OT, 43-0 less than a month ago.  Florida leads the all-time series 32-9-2 and have won the last 19.

But we all know that football is not played on paper and that teams that overlook “weaker” opponents tend to get a rude awakening on Gameday (Hello Hurricanes!). Over-matchedVanderbilt teams have played the Gators tough at home in the recent past. A 1 point win during the Spurrier era when Florida was ranked #1 comes to mind along with an OT win during the Meyer era.   If Florida reverts back to pre-Georgia form, we could be in store for an upset.  The game will be played at 11:15am  local time in “un-Florida” like weather, so one can wonder if that will affect the young Gators on the road.

Florida needs to win this game if they want to keep their dream of playing in a 3rd consecutive SEC Championship Game alive.  For this reason I believe the Gators will not overlook the Commodores and will put forth a 60 minute effort in Nashville.  That should be enough for them to come home with the W.  If the Georgia game is a true indication that this team has managed to kick start its offense by 1) allowing Trey Burton to run the spread option and 2) no longer ask John Brantley to do what everyone knew he was not suited to do, then the Gators should continue to see some progress on offense.  Florida was able to move the ball with relative ease against UGA last week, to the tune of 450 yards and 34 points.  With another week of practicing the no huddle and the mending of several key players, namely RBs Mike Gillislee, Emmanuel Moody, WR Andre Debose and Jeff Demps, the outlook is even more promising.  Florida will need to continue improving on offense if it has any hopes of beating South Carolina next Saturday in the Swamp.

Florida also needs to tighten up on defense.  The “bend but don’t break” defense that started the year off rather stout has now tended to “break” more often than not, espcially most recently on 3rd down. Although the Gators have done a great job creating turnovers, relying on them cannot be a way to success, so D.C. Teryl Austin will need to get his group ready.  Florida needs to do a better job stopping the run and winning 3rd downs.  Simply put, the Florida defense is on the field for too long at times.  Getting back DT Jaye Howard would be a huge boost, but at this point his presense on Saturday is uncertain.  

This and That

- Florida is slowly getting healthier, as mentioned in the earlier passage.  Having Gillislee, Moody, Rainey and Demps available in the backfiled will result in a match up nightmare for opposing D.C. .   Jeff Demps has said his foot is slowly getting better, he still has pain when he cuts, but it is improving every week.  He might be held back this week in order to further rest his nagging foot.   Although I do not expect to see WR Andre Debose play on Saturday he has resumed limited practice following a nasty ankle turn 3 weeks ago.  I think it’s more likely that he is kept for the S.C. game.  The same goes for Jaye Howard. 

- Sophomore WR Frankie Hammond’s role will continue to increase in the offense as a result of his improved play.  Hammond has become a reliable target for Brantley and has shown the ability to make some nice catches and big plays.  He is a candidate to break out down the stretch.  For those who don’t know, Hammond was taken off scholarship this summer as a result of a DUI.  He has paid his own way to remain at UF.  He practiced hard during 2 a days and has done everything asked of him by the coaches.  He is a good blocker on the perimeter and plays excellent on special teams.  It’s good to see a guy make the most of a second chance.  

- 4 star freshman safety Jonathan Dowling has been dismissed from the team.  He is not expected to return and for all intents and purposes will never again play for Florida.  He is the 3rd 4 star prospect from the much heralded class of 2010 to leave the team.  In my opinion he will be missed, mostly next year, as he was a superb athlete, hard hitter and at a thin position.

Prediction

Im starting a new prediction format.  This will include 2 things, my personal prediction of the final score and the chances, expressed in a percentage, of each team winning, in my humblest of opinions of course.

Final Score: Florida 31 Vandy 10

Chances: 75% Florida win- 25% Vandy win

Florida managed to scratch and claw its way through a closely fought game to win a hard earned victory over division rival Georgia in Jacksonville this Saturday.   This traditional Border War of college football lacked some of the lustre it has had in the past years due to the poor season of each team.  In fact, this was the first time since 1979 that both teams were unranked going into Jacksonville.  That aside, this game delivered on all accounts.  There were big hits, Will Hill demolishing Kris Durham over the middle comes to mind (Durham would later be taken into the hospital for coughing up blood), big plays in the air and on the ground, turnovers and overtime to settle the matter.

The game started off well for Florida, on the first play of the game CB Janoris Jenkins picked off Aaron Murray deep in Georgia territory.  Unfortunately for the Gators the offense managed to only move the ball 4 yards and punter turned kicker Chas Henry was called in for a 42 yard attempt.  Henry’s kick sailed to the left and missed by an inch.  This was the same distance that Henry missed 2 weeks ago and doomed Florida to a 10-7 loss in the dying seconds of the game against Mississippi State.

The ineffective offense that was talked about so much during the off week looked to be just as bad as it had been against MSU.  The next two possessions resulted in negative yards and an interception.  To Gator fans it must have looked like the continuation of a disappointing season.   It looked like the Gators’ season was truly snake-bit.  Injuries have been plaguing the team, bad bounces in critical moments (LSU fake FG), the offense hadn’t gotten into any rhythm, turnovers in the red zone killing drives, etc.  Then in 1 play, the football gods turned and Florida was release from its apparent curse. 

The first play of the 4^th drive, on a play that was destined for failure inside the Gator redzone, QB Trey Burton ran up the gut out of the wild cat for 4 yards and fumbled the ball.  The ball hit the ground without a Gator in sight and 2 Bulldogs right on it, but as luck would have it neither got a good handle on it and the ball popped out again and rolled to the feet of offensive tackle Maurice Hurt, who fell on the ball.  A bullet had been dodged, a break had gone Florida’s way.  The Gators would then put together an 11 play drive for 86 yards that ended with a 20 yard run by Chris Rainey up the Dogs’ gut.  Rainey made his return after a 5 game suspension in fashion, accounting for 241 yards of total offense (rushing, receiving and returns) and the game’s opening score.

Georgia would only need 4 plays to draw even.  A 64 yard bomb from Murray to King would tie things up with 12 minutes left in the half.  Florida would then break the game open with 2 touchdowns off turnovers. The first thanks to Ahmad Black who came in on a blitz and sacked Aaron Murray near midfield.  The ball was knocked out in the process and picked up by LB Jelani Jenkins, who returned in to the 34.  6 plays later RB Jeff Demps ran it in from 2 yards out, making it 14-7 Gators.  On the next possession Florida would get another break when Aaron Murray’s well thrown ball would go right through his receiver’s hands and into safety Will Hill’s midsection.  On the next play QB John Brantley hit RB Jeff Demps on a wheel route for 40 yards to the half inch line.  Trey Burton would run it in the next play and just like that Florida would go into the locker room with a 21-7 lead.

Georgia would wake up in the second and come roaring back into the game thanks to the much improved play of freshman QB Aaron Murray and TE Orson Charles.  Georgia would dominate the second half of the 3^rd quarter and the 4^th quarter to the tune of 24 points.  Florida however, never trailed in this game and answered each Georgia score with its own.  After Murray hit Charles for a 29 yard touchdown pass to tie the game at 24, Florida answered immediately when Trey Burton ripped a 51 yards run for a TD to make it 31-24, with little over 6 minutes to play.  Georgia would score later to send the game into overtime thanks to A.J. Green’s only TD catch.

In overtime the Gators started off on defense and forced a third and long that would prove to be the difference.  With the young Bulldog Qb under duress he lofted a soft throw dow the middle of the field, over the head of his intended target and again into the hands of Will Hill, who returned the kick 86 yards all the way to the inch yard line.  It was almost a walk off INT, but Hill stepped out an inch shy of the line.  Although the Gators would not capitalize on the INT, they had held Georgia scoreless and now only needed to kick a FG to win the game.  Florida gained 6 yards to make the attempt more comfortable for their punter turned kicker. 

Henry had missed his last 4 attempts coming into this game.  But stepped up to the plate and belted home the game winner, right down the pipe, no doubt about it, 37 yards for the win.

It was an even played game, Florida barely outgained the Dogs 450 to 439.  It was the 3 turnovers that won the day for Florida, two resulted in 14 points and the other allowed for the game winning field goal.  Florida can finally hold its head up high after winning a close one against an arch rival.

Florida still controls its destiny in the SEC and a looming match up with Spurrier and his Gamecocks will determine their fate in the SEC.

After 2 weeks of self imposed exile and mourning, due to the horrific loss suffered at the hands of the Mississippi State Bulldogs, I have returned.  The Gators lost to Mississippi State at home for the first time in about a half century, in a game where the rotting offense managed to put up a measly touchdown en route to a 10-7 loss, the 3^rd consecutive regular season loss this year.  That would be the first time that’s happened since 1988.   The offense ranks in the bottom 20% in all meaningful categories, nationally mind you and not only at the conference level.  Needless to say IT’S PANIC TIME !

But what is to be done? And more importantly, what will be done?  Can the season be salvaged? And finally the question in everyone’s mind is; what the hell is going on with the Gators?

I won’t take a shot at the first question because that would require me advocating some people lose their job and to be honest, I simply don’t roll that way (I’ll consider it if we end up losing to UGA and S.C.).  As for the second question, apparently nothing drastic will be done, this season at least.  No major personnel changes, no system changes have been announced.  Then again, Coach Meyer said they have worked on some tweaks to the stagnant offense, but wouldn’t elaborate and what that meant, understandable.  All the press conferences of the past 10 days seem to be saying the same thing; the players are not executing the offense correctly, too many mistakes, and the team needs improvement in all areas.  Does that mean that Mike Pouncey will remain at center?  YES.  Does that mean Brantley will be expected to “run” the option?  I would certainly hope not.  I’ll give our offensive coaches some credit and assume they will use the option QB (Trey Burton) to run the option and finally trash the Brantley option.   There has been a huge emphasis on getting better by practicing better.  Meyer said recently that his team has generally had poor practices this year and that has resulted in poor execution come gameday.  The focus during the off week was to practice at game speed. 

In the immortal words of a basketball great, “we talkin bout practice! Not a game, not a game, we talkin bout practice!”

The answer to the 3^rd question is actually “yes”, in a comical yet sad way.  Comical because despite the 3 consecutive losses, Florida still controls its own destiny to win the SEC (thank you Kentucky).  If Florida was to win out against Georgia, Vandy, and the Ol Ball Coach, the Gators would play for the conference championship.  Making it to Atlanta would salvage the season for sure; winning in Atlanta would put Florida in a BCS Bowl and allow for forgiveness across the board.  Yet it’s also sad that Florida fans can even contemplate such a fate when the reality is that their offense plays at the high school level, a bad high school offense at that.  It’s sad to cling to the hope of winning the SEC when it’s more likely that Florida ends up losing another 2 or 3 games.

Finally, everyone is wondering how the Gators fell from grace.  What happened to the team that has won 26 games in the last 2 years.  The answer to that is multifaceted.  The most obvious answer is simply that the Gators lost too many veteran leaders not to take a step down.  They lost their leaders on both sides of the ball to graduation (Tebow and Spikes) and another 7 guys to the NFL.  That’s A LOT of talent and experience right there.  They also lost their defensive coordinator, receivers coach, running back and defensive backs coach.  So it’s no wonder some of the coaching staff is struggling right now.  But those things happened way back in January and everyone knew that and still expected Florida to compete for the SEC title (really compete, not just be mathematically alive).  The main issues have obviously been with the offense.  Simply put the offensive line has been a HUGE disappointment this year.  With 3 returning starters and 5 veteran linemen, this unit was pegged as one of the best in the country.  The results have been nothing short of catastrophic.  The running game is abysmal and pass protection is worse. 

The main reason for this, it has been revealed by an insider close to team sources, is that the blocking schemes in the passing game are different this year. The change occurred during the offseason and was meant to install a “man” blocking schemes.  The idea was to have “man” blocking schemes to go along with the transition to a more traditional offense with QB John Brantley at the helm.  Needless to say the OL has not picked up the new schemes and this has resulted  breakdowns.  Moreover, the line looks lost at times, which is very puzzling because they are so experienced. In other words the veteran players on the O-line have been asked to do too much and have not responded.  The “Brantley offense” has been a complete failure so far and the Gators have actually looked better at times when freshman Trey Burton comes in to run the same Spread Read Option that made Tebow famous.  This is not an indictment on Brantley’s ability but rather a criticism of the coaches’ inability to prepare this team for a passing quarterback.  

The other main reason for the offensive debacle is play-calling.  It has long been known that QB coach/ Passing coordination Scot Loeffler and O-line coach/Offensive coordination Steve Addazio are both in charge of calling the plays.  This has resulted in a somewhat schizophrenic offense which basically runs two different schemes, depending on who is at QB, and tends to be over predictable and conservative.  Addazio thinks that the offense needs to be simplified to allow for better execution and this might be what’s in store for the remainder of the season.  The danger inherent in such a solution is to make the offense even more predictable.  It has also been suggested that Meyer will continue to oversee the offense, but Coach Addazio will begin to exert greater control of all the play-calling, much to the disbelief of the Gator nation.  There’s only so many more dive plays we can endure before we smash our TV sets.

Just to make matters clear in case there is any doubt, there is no QB controversy in Florida and the team is not divided along QB lines.  Rather, Florida hoped to have 2 systems installed and be able to execute both, but shortcomings of personnel and preparation have made it more than obvious that Florida cannot run either scheme at a competitive level.  The result has been the worst offense I have ever seen at Florida.  The Gators have had 2 weeks to make whatever changes they could to save the season.  They will be going up against a resurging Georgia team that would like nothing more than to deal a death blow to its most bitter rival.  We will see on Saturday what Meyer has concocted in his laboratory during the bye week, he is 13-1 coming off the bye so there is at least 1 reason for Gator fans to be optimistic this weekend.

Coming on Friday: Preview for the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party, a.k.a Florida vs Georgia.

Oh how the mighty have fallen. 

It was only two weeks ago that Florida was undefeated, ranked in the top 10, and talking about playing for the national championship.  Then came the crushing loss in Tuscaloosa to then #1 Alabama and a week later the heartbreaking loss at home to #9 LSU.  Now all the talk is about playing for a piece of the SEC East championship, which the Gators can still win if they run the table and beat the Ol Ball Coach and his Gamecocks in November, and avoiding total collapse with upcoming games against Mississippi St, Georgia, and South Carolina.  There is also lots of talk against the coaching staff, especially those in charge of the offense, as a result of the unprecedented putrid offensive number. The Gators rank 96th in total offense, 76th in rushing offense, and 87th in passing offense.  Simply put, these results are unacceptable for a team that consistently recruits 4 and 5 star players year in and year out.  Something has to change soon, or else heads will roll.

The first two rivals on the remaining SEC schedule might not appear imposing to the casual observer.  But one must keep in mind that Mississippi State is now coached by former Gator offensive coordinator Dan Mullen and his team is enjoying a successful season at 4-2.  Earlier in the year they took #7 Auburn to the wire when they lost 17-14 at home.  More importantly Mullen is quite familiar with the Florida staff and players so he will be well prepared for this week’s game.  Georgia was the laughing stock of the SEC earlier in the season, but now that All-American WR A.J. Green is back from suspension the team has new life.   If Florida can get past these two teams they will play against the Gamecocks for a shot at the SEC title.  As it stands, I would have to admit that it is rather unlikely that Florida will win out the rest of the way.  If the offense continues to struggle, Florida can lose any and all of those games.  Florida must also visit a rejuvenated Tallahassee to end the year and that could also obviously end in defeat.

A new season starts tomorrow for Florida.  The Gators need to forget about the last two weeks and focus on the present; their goal of winning the SEC is still attainable despite the struggles.  For this reason I expect Florida to be jacked up tomorrow for Homecoming against the Bulldogs.  The season is on the line and they will give it their best shot at home against their former coach.  The game will be close because the Gator offense is not in a position to blowout any defense.  It will be a hard fought SEC battle between 2 tough teams.  In the end, I expect the Gators to pull through by a touchdown. 

The Gators might be without starting RB Jeff Demps again, he has missed the last 2 games with a sprained foot.  He has been truly missed because he provides steady production out of the backfield and is a threat to break a play for a TD at any moment.  His chances of playing are 50-50 according to Meyer, but then again Meyer said he was “probable” for the LSU game.  One of his backups, Mike Gillislee, is also questionable for tomorrow.  If they are both out, look for heralded freshman Mack Brown to finally get some significant playing time as he spells Emmanuel Moody.     The O-line continues to be banged up, LT Matt Patchen is still out, Jon Halapio had an operation on his finger early in the week and is expected to give it a go, RG back up David Young is out for the year, and senior James Wilson might also give it a go.  I expect WR Andre Debose to continue his maturation.  He will provide the spark needed to wake up this anaemic offense.  Florida will need to pass more to set up the run, because the opposite formula has failed miserably all year long.  If the O-line can finally put together a complete game and give John Brantley time to dissect the defense, Florida should not have too many problems taking this one.  But given the last few games, that’s a big if.

On defense Florida will need to stop a familiar offense.  Mullen runs the same offense he ran in Florida with Tebow.  With that said, it won’t be easy for the Gators.  Last week the Bulldogs blew out Houston on the road and amassed over 400 yards rushing in the process.  Mullen is confident his team can move the ball against Florida who struggled earlier this year in stopping the running QB from South Florida and again struggled last week when LSU’s QB Jefferson took off with the ball.  This game will be interesting as all SEC games tend to be.  Florida must win, or the floodgates will open, and Mississippi State would like nothing more than to give its head coach his signature win in The Swamp against his old boss.

Prediction:  Florida wins 28-24.