First and foremost, and it almost sounds like a broken record over these last three games, but at 10-4 and winners of the SEC East, Florida did much better than I, or anyone else, might have expected this year.
With a team short on talent at the offensive skill positions, woefully inexperienced across the offensive line, and without an SEC caliber quarterback, it is hard to legitimately critique the offensive coaching staff.
On one hand you want to give the coaches credit for grinding out 10 wins with this team, on the other hand, from the LSU game on, they seemed to have been treading water. The team is 4-4 down the stretch.
I am torn on how I should feel about them. Yes this is a young team offensively, but even with that being the case you expect them to get better as the season progresses, not get worse.
Even in this game, it is easy to come away disappointed in a third straight loss, but the Gators, already very limited offensively, came in here without their starting right tackle (Halter) and most dependable pass catcher (McGee) and then lost the starting left guard (Ivey) early on. Florida played three true freshmen and three sophomore offensive linemen in the game. That is good for the future, but they took their lumps today.
As someone who isn't totally sold on Nussmeier (second straight year he has one of the bottom 20 offenses in the NCAA), I will say that I was pleased to see the offensive diversity in play calling that they showed in the first quarter and a half. However, it felt like when Treon Harris (who I would guess has played his last game as a quarterback for Florida) threw that first down interception in the endzone, that took the air right out of the team. Florida was on the way to perhaps knotting it up at 14-14, but instead was blown out 41-7. UF had a little more then 220 yards of offense in the first quarter and a half, but less than 50 yards from the interception on.
One thing I was displeased with was McElwain's sideline demeanor. Too often he comes across as a passive observer. There has to be a happy medium between Will Muschamp's over the top lunatic like behavior and CJM's dead fish (his description of his team a couple of weeks ago) like passive approach.
You don't have to yell and scream, but he almost comes across as uninterested.
Basically, as you can see, I am all over the place. Thus, I am withholding judgment until year two.
I think the players are in place to once again have a stout defense in 2016. Offensively, the line should be better with the youngsters gaining experience this year. Offensive playmakers outside of Antonio Callaway and Brandon Powell need to be found.
Then of course, it is all about the quarterback. Almost anything has to be better than what Florida received from Harris over the last eight games.
Before the season started I pegged the Gators as an eight win team. I don't think it is out of the question to expect 9-10 wins next year.
With a team short on talent at the offensive skill positions, woefully inexperienced across the offensive line, and without an SEC caliber quarterback, it is hard to legitimately critique the offensive coaching staff.
On one hand you want to give the coaches credit for grinding out 10 wins with this team, on the other hand, from the LSU game on, they seemed to have been treading water. The team is 4-4 down the stretch.
I am torn on how I should feel about them. Yes this is a young team offensively, but even with that being the case you expect them to get better as the season progresses, not get worse.
Even in this game, it is easy to come away disappointed in a third straight loss, but the Gators, already very limited offensively, came in here without their starting right tackle (Halter) and most dependable pass catcher (McGee) and then lost the starting left guard (Ivey) early on. Florida played three true freshmen and three sophomore offensive linemen in the game. That is good for the future, but they took their lumps today.
As someone who isn't totally sold on Nussmeier (second straight year he has one of the bottom 20 offenses in the NCAA), I will say that I was pleased to see the offensive diversity in play calling that they showed in the first quarter and a half. However, it felt like when Treon Harris (who I would guess has played his last game as a quarterback for Florida) threw that first down interception in the endzone, that took the air right out of the team. Florida was on the way to perhaps knotting it up at 14-14, but instead was blown out 41-7. UF had a little more then 220 yards of offense in the first quarter and a half, but less than 50 yards from the interception on.
One thing I was displeased with was McElwain's sideline demeanor. Too often he comes across as a passive observer. There has to be a happy medium between Will Muschamp's over the top lunatic like behavior and CJM's dead fish (his description of his team a couple of weeks ago) like passive approach.
You don't have to yell and scream, but he almost comes across as uninterested.
Basically, as you can see, I am all over the place. Thus, I am withholding judgment until year two.
I think the players are in place to once again have a stout defense in 2016. Offensively, the line should be better with the youngsters gaining experience this year. Offensive playmakers outside of Antonio Callaway and Brandon Powell need to be found.
Then of course, it is all about the quarterback. Almost anything has to be better than what Florida received from Harris over the last eight games.
Before the season started I pegged the Gators as an eight win team. I don't think it is out of the question to expect 9-10 wins next year.
