Praises:
> Ability to battle back from adversity - team and individual players from mistakes
- Team down 14-0 getting tied before Q1 ends
- Pearsall - bouncing back from takeaway to have nice day returning punts flipping field position
- McClellan - bouncing back from offsides on 4-1 to immediately have key tackles that forced a punt
- James - bouncing back from penalty to have pressure and 2nd down stop - leading to punt
- Smack - able to make the OT K after Q4 K
> Trey continuing to show how dynamic he is.
> Mertz' toughness and ability to run 2 min offense in both halves
> Effort of the Defense - they were depleted and gassed by end of Q4 - but never gave up... there were technical mistakes like gap integrity but real impressed with the effort they gave - especially since many were receiving their largest playing time yet.
> Crenshaw's punt in Q1 which flipped field and momentum.
> Florida's response with under 4 min remaining after Arkansas took the lead - the ETN drive.
> Won the TO battle (2-1) - happy for Castell getting rewarded for his outstanding season with a INT
> Appreciate the play call of immediately going for the TD after Scooby's forced TO and it paid off dividends
- Mertz drive and Smack making the field goal before half - difficult long kick with swirling wind
Postulates:
The flip side benefit of having one of the youngest teams in College Football gaining experience is the variability and uneveness of their play. It's up to coaches to understand what has been learned, what still needs to be taught and how to prevent unmitigated unforced chaos/errors. It's like the old cartoon about the dam and water leaking from a hole - as soon as you plug one hole, 2 new holes appear right beside it.
Some big picture themes where its encumbant on the coaching staff to assess, analyze, correct and implement:
- Continuing to play from behind. Arkansas scored first 14 points including scoring a TD on opening drive. Power 5 opponents not name Vandy have all scored on their opening drive: TD (Ark, Utah, SC, TN), FG (GA, KY). Record in these games: 2-4
- Special Teams: Every week something new springs up... I don't blame physical mistakes - a shanked punt, missed K or dropped hold - they suck but they happen. It's the preventable mental errors that keep occurring - in this case the unprepardness of when or when not to run the special teams unit onto the field. I know we have a special teams coach - however perception is reality - when it's not one of your "officially assigned" hired positions - the subliminal message is it's not as important as the other 2 phases of the game.
- Time management: It's a clear weakness for this staff. The end of Q4 (using a basketball term - the "ball don't lie" is why i knew we were going to miss the kick - we didn't deserve to win in regulation with a bailout) situation was an embarassment for the coaching staff. For detailed and meticulous coach who lives by a code of discipline and organization - why the constant trouble clock utilization? Part of the reason there were no TO's at the end was because 2 were burned in the 3rd Q while on offense. This is a continued pain point and one I was hoping to see improvement from the coaching staff...
> Napier:
- Love the hire when he was hired. Still love the hire today. He is our long term solution and Gator Fans will one day truly appreciate and thank him for being here.
- Napier is not a finished product and is still learning and growing into his role as a HBC @ a major football institution (whether Florida should be the place for development is a separate conversation for many fans...I'd rather take the risk of hitting on a superstar - and Napier has those traits).
- Off-field - he gets A+++++++. He is the best football coach i've seen in developing young men into becoming future outstanding leaders. He's cleaned up the off-field issues and our community and society is better for it. A true ambassador of the Florida brand
- On field - I feel he is stretched too thin with all the responsibility he's kept for himself and needs to delegate. I don't think Gator fans want to hear this - but the first 2 years - it was never about the final record and how many wins Florida was going to get. Napier has a long term 5 year & 10 year plan and Stricklin has committed to seeing that plan through. My expectation from reading the insiders and listening to Billy - he knows this offseason there will be structural changes in his responsibility - starting with hiring an OC and becoming the CEO of the team/organization. With this hire - I expect the time management situation to improve - because that's a CEO responsibility. If you're worried about calling plays and setting up situations - it's easy to see a clock situation being overlooked at best or mismanaged at worse.
- I'm guility at wanting to see more emotion from Billy on the sidelines to convey the urgency of a situation on game day. Being weaned on Spurrier, Zook, Urban, Muschamp, McElwein, and Mullen - all had this fiery side (some a little too much) that can rally the troops emotionally. However the best thing for Billy is to continue to be his authentic self and if means staying cool, calm and even then it's up to fans and myself to adjust.
- Some Game Thoughts:
- Jefferson reminded me a little of AR15 - extremely athletic, great in open space, tough to bring down and wildly inconsistent with his accuracy only using a fastball in his arsenal.
- Given the key losses on D - thought they made adjustments well in the middle half of the game. My only quibble is why in Q4 & OT did we only rush 3 and not have a spy on KJ when his best play was his legs and his best WR was out of the game?
- Officials gave Florida many breaks today they didn't deserve:
- on Johnson's incompletion at the goal line - he had 2 feet down and ball before it was knocked out at the goalline and ruled incomplete
- On Trey's 2nd chance TD - Jackson was not lined up on the line - creating 5 in the backfield (bottom left of formation where Trey came in motion to- not called
- Biggest one with the illegal sub at the end of the game. Officials have discretion to rule that time would not have remained since Arkansas would be alloted an opportunity to sub. Again - "ball don't lie" and a higher power corrected an injustice in regulation.
Thought accepting the hold on 3rd down on Arky last drive of Q4 was the correct call - even it risked more time off for a response and give Arky a chance at a 1st down - it backed them up, then they False started - but showed their hand with the 8-10 yd pass to slot. Would've loved taking that away as they went right back to it and set up a manageable FGA.
- If i'm a recruit - especially on D line - I'm salivating at the opportunity to join the Gators - here is a young team that will get stronger (physically and mentally) and I can be a difference in getting them to the playoffs. Florida just needs that one DL that opposing coaches need to game plan around. Been thinking of Justus Boone and what a difference he could've made this season.
I keep thinking Napier is on the Mike Norvell track - rough first 2 years and then bam - it coalesces together to be a special team. Playing in the SEC and 2024's schedule is not for the faint of heart but I do see similarities. The 3-5 players acquired in the transfer portal will be huge this offseason, while maintaining and keeping our own key players and avoid being raided by others. This is where Napier's greatest asset of leadership and evaluating his players - as people becomes critical.
Middle 8 - Florida won 3-0. Middle 10 Arky 6-3
Jet Sweep went AWOL - except at end of Q4 when Trey got a touch
Mertz passed well when throwing inside the hash - could there have been more opportunities as it seemed 90%+ were throws outside the hash?
Uniforms - love Napier always has positive messages - in this case saluting the Veterans as his reason to break out the black unis. Agree this week should have military honoring... just wish that uniform attire wouldn't be determined 6 months in advance and instead have flexibility to decide the week before to maximize effect. For a day game - the old Florida unis would've been a good combo for something different- while a night game - like TN or if FSU is at night - would be cool to introduce that black unis.
In summary - in the heat of the battle - it's Ok to vent your emotions verbally (boy did I let my TV have it and stayed away from message boards until now - hope the chat was a good calming one)... when you put pen to paper or keys to a screen and hit enter - it becomes permanent record. This team needs us to support them. We all want the same thing - to be playing for championships. The best way is not denigrate specific people by name and attack them personally. WE need to lift them up. Provide proper encouragement and support. There are no participation trophies to give out and none are wanted or warranted. If you want to make a difference there are a few ways to change future outcomes...
- can support financially - BD Inc & FV have demonstrated this capability
- can support emotionally - recognize and print praise in the improvements when seen and warranted. Don't need a sunshine pumper and believe me I'm as cynical and sarcastic as they come (born/raised in NYC) - but what does continued criticism accomplish? If you are constantly criticized you'll either go ostrich or find a more supportive environment - Recruits are watching. Don't we want to keep and continuing to acquire the best instead of run them off? Most Fanbase behavior when winning is easy... just like the team - it's how you handle adversity when challenged that speaks to the core of the person
- can support spiritually - a few prayers can't hurt - can it?
We know there will be change after the season - there always is. Stay strong Stay together... after all ... in all kinds of weather, we'll all stick together for FLORIDA... Go Gators !!! Beat LSU
> Ability to battle back from adversity - team and individual players from mistakes
- Team down 14-0 getting tied before Q1 ends
- Pearsall - bouncing back from takeaway to have nice day returning punts flipping field position
- McClellan - bouncing back from offsides on 4-1 to immediately have key tackles that forced a punt
- James - bouncing back from penalty to have pressure and 2nd down stop - leading to punt
- Smack - able to make the OT K after Q4 K
> Trey continuing to show how dynamic he is.
> Mertz' toughness and ability to run 2 min offense in both halves
> Effort of the Defense - they were depleted and gassed by end of Q4 - but never gave up... there were technical mistakes like gap integrity but real impressed with the effort they gave - especially since many were receiving their largest playing time yet.
> Crenshaw's punt in Q1 which flipped field and momentum.
> Florida's response with under 4 min remaining after Arkansas took the lead - the ETN drive.
> Won the TO battle (2-1) - happy for Castell getting rewarded for his outstanding season with a INT
> Appreciate the play call of immediately going for the TD after Scooby's forced TO and it paid off dividends
- Mertz drive and Smack making the field goal before half - difficult long kick with swirling wind
Postulates:
The flip side benefit of having one of the youngest teams in College Football gaining experience is the variability and uneveness of their play. It's up to coaches to understand what has been learned, what still needs to be taught and how to prevent unmitigated unforced chaos/errors. It's like the old cartoon about the dam and water leaking from a hole - as soon as you plug one hole, 2 new holes appear right beside it.
Some big picture themes where its encumbant on the coaching staff to assess, analyze, correct and implement:
- Continuing to play from behind. Arkansas scored first 14 points including scoring a TD on opening drive. Power 5 opponents not name Vandy have all scored on their opening drive: TD (Ark, Utah, SC, TN), FG (GA, KY). Record in these games: 2-4
- Special Teams: Every week something new springs up... I don't blame physical mistakes - a shanked punt, missed K or dropped hold - they suck but they happen. It's the preventable mental errors that keep occurring - in this case the unprepardness of when or when not to run the special teams unit onto the field. I know we have a special teams coach - however perception is reality - when it's not one of your "officially assigned" hired positions - the subliminal message is it's not as important as the other 2 phases of the game.
- Time management: It's a clear weakness for this staff. The end of Q4 (using a basketball term - the "ball don't lie" is why i knew we were going to miss the kick - we didn't deserve to win in regulation with a bailout) situation was an embarassment for the coaching staff. For detailed and meticulous coach who lives by a code of discipline and organization - why the constant trouble clock utilization? Part of the reason there were no TO's at the end was because 2 were burned in the 3rd Q while on offense. This is a continued pain point and one I was hoping to see improvement from the coaching staff...
> Napier:
- Love the hire when he was hired. Still love the hire today. He is our long term solution and Gator Fans will one day truly appreciate and thank him for being here.
- Napier is not a finished product and is still learning and growing into his role as a HBC @ a major football institution (whether Florida should be the place for development is a separate conversation for many fans...I'd rather take the risk of hitting on a superstar - and Napier has those traits).
- Off-field - he gets A+++++++. He is the best football coach i've seen in developing young men into becoming future outstanding leaders. He's cleaned up the off-field issues and our community and society is better for it. A true ambassador of the Florida brand
- On field - I feel he is stretched too thin with all the responsibility he's kept for himself and needs to delegate. I don't think Gator fans want to hear this - but the first 2 years - it was never about the final record and how many wins Florida was going to get. Napier has a long term 5 year & 10 year plan and Stricklin has committed to seeing that plan through. My expectation from reading the insiders and listening to Billy - he knows this offseason there will be structural changes in his responsibility - starting with hiring an OC and becoming the CEO of the team/organization. With this hire - I expect the time management situation to improve - because that's a CEO responsibility. If you're worried about calling plays and setting up situations - it's easy to see a clock situation being overlooked at best or mismanaged at worse.
- I'm guility at wanting to see more emotion from Billy on the sidelines to convey the urgency of a situation on game day. Being weaned on Spurrier, Zook, Urban, Muschamp, McElwein, and Mullen - all had this fiery side (some a little too much) that can rally the troops emotionally. However the best thing for Billy is to continue to be his authentic self and if means staying cool, calm and even then it's up to fans and myself to adjust.
- Some Game Thoughts:
- Jefferson reminded me a little of AR15 - extremely athletic, great in open space, tough to bring down and wildly inconsistent with his accuracy only using a fastball in his arsenal.
- Given the key losses on D - thought they made adjustments well in the middle half of the game. My only quibble is why in Q4 & OT did we only rush 3 and not have a spy on KJ when his best play was his legs and his best WR was out of the game?
- Officials gave Florida many breaks today they didn't deserve:
- on Johnson's incompletion at the goal line - he had 2 feet down and ball before it was knocked out at the goalline and ruled incomplete
- On Trey's 2nd chance TD - Jackson was not lined up on the line - creating 5 in the backfield (bottom left of formation where Trey came in motion to- not called
- Biggest one with the illegal sub at the end of the game. Officials have discretion to rule that time would not have remained since Arkansas would be alloted an opportunity to sub. Again - "ball don't lie" and a higher power corrected an injustice in regulation.
Thought accepting the hold on 3rd down on Arky last drive of Q4 was the correct call - even it risked more time off for a response and give Arky a chance at a 1st down - it backed them up, then they False started - but showed their hand with the 8-10 yd pass to slot. Would've loved taking that away as they went right back to it and set up a manageable FGA.
- If i'm a recruit - especially on D line - I'm salivating at the opportunity to join the Gators - here is a young team that will get stronger (physically and mentally) and I can be a difference in getting them to the playoffs. Florida just needs that one DL that opposing coaches need to game plan around. Been thinking of Justus Boone and what a difference he could've made this season.
I keep thinking Napier is on the Mike Norvell track - rough first 2 years and then bam - it coalesces together to be a special team. Playing in the SEC and 2024's schedule is not for the faint of heart but I do see similarities. The 3-5 players acquired in the transfer portal will be huge this offseason, while maintaining and keeping our own key players and avoid being raided by others. This is where Napier's greatest asset of leadership and evaluating his players - as people becomes critical.
Middle 8 - Florida won 3-0. Middle 10 Arky 6-3
Jet Sweep went AWOL - except at end of Q4 when Trey got a touch
Mertz passed well when throwing inside the hash - could there have been more opportunities as it seemed 90%+ were throws outside the hash?
Uniforms - love Napier always has positive messages - in this case saluting the Veterans as his reason to break out the black unis. Agree this week should have military honoring... just wish that uniform attire wouldn't be determined 6 months in advance and instead have flexibility to decide the week before to maximize effect. For a day game - the old Florida unis would've been a good combo for something different- while a night game - like TN or if FSU is at night - would be cool to introduce that black unis.
In summary - in the heat of the battle - it's Ok to vent your emotions verbally (boy did I let my TV have it and stayed away from message boards until now - hope the chat was a good calming one)... when you put pen to paper or keys to a screen and hit enter - it becomes permanent record. This team needs us to support them. We all want the same thing - to be playing for championships. The best way is not denigrate specific people by name and attack them personally. WE need to lift them up. Provide proper encouragement and support. There are no participation trophies to give out and none are wanted or warranted. If you want to make a difference there are a few ways to change future outcomes...
- can support financially - BD Inc & FV have demonstrated this capability
- can support emotionally - recognize and print praise in the improvements when seen and warranted. Don't need a sunshine pumper and believe me I'm as cynical and sarcastic as they come (born/raised in NYC) - but what does continued criticism accomplish? If you are constantly criticized you'll either go ostrich or find a more supportive environment - Recruits are watching. Don't we want to keep and continuing to acquire the best instead of run them off? Most Fanbase behavior when winning is easy... just like the team - it's how you handle adversity when challenged that speaks to the core of the person
- can support spiritually - a few prayers can't hurt - can it?
We know there will be change after the season - there always is. Stay strong Stay together... after all ... in all kinds of weather, we'll all stick together for FLORIDA... Go Gators !!! Beat LSU
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