New Story Sunday Morning Quarterback: The Day After (9/8/24)

[Coolgtr]

I get what you are all saying and I don't disagree but I just think he has to go with Mertz "until" they drop another L and then he can turn it over to DJ

I totally agree with you if this were a different circumstance. Billy is not in a position to have another loss in a "winnable" type game. If this was Georgia or Texas, two teams we aren't expected to be competitive with, let alone beat, then you could take this position.

When you only have so many winnable games against the most difficult schedule in the country, you have to be sure or at least, very flexible to change if you see it's not working out. I'd start Mertz but if we don't look good in the first two drives, I'm giving DJ a try and seeing what we got. You can't afford to lose to TAMU and have any chance at a 6 or 7 win season.

 

[Coolgtr]

If Lagway falters you can always go to Mertz. But the future is now. Lagway should start.

I actually don't mind that strategy either. I still think he'll go with Mertz because he wants to play power football complimented by a short to intermediate passing game. Problem is that we don't have the OLine for that. If you can't run effectively, play action doesn't work and TAMU will be sitting on all the underneath routes, which is what Miami did.

 

[Gator21480]

I actually don't mind that strategy either. I still think he'll go with Mertz because he wants to play power football complimented by a short to intermediate passing game. Problem is that we don't have the OLine for that. If you can't run effectively, play action doesn't work and TAMU will be sitting on all the underneath routes, which is what Miami did.

Why doesn’t he understand this? Macelwain 2.0

 

[1gatorbear]

Mertz needs to come out playing really well on Saturday.

 

[BigRedGator78]

You nailed it. Can’t bench bc of injury as you said, then add in 6th year senior and he deserves another chance. It’s not like he was the only reason we lost to Miami. And he carried us a lot last year with no protection. He got destroyed many times and always got up somehow and kept going.

But his leash is pretty dang short! Way shorter than I thought it would be this early in the season.

No such thing as deserves in football, no one is owed anything. I agree that Mertz is gonna start, but I think it's the wrong approach and frankly is unfair to the other 83 guys not involved in the qb discussion to not give them the best chance to win. Loser mentality from a Loser coach

 

[BigRedGator78]

Disagree…this is a performance business. And let’s be honest, he wouldn’t be losing his job bc of injury….he’d be losing the job bc of poor play against Miami coupled with Lagway’s better play against Miami and then a superb performance against Samford.

Plenty of players across all sports have lost their jobs due to someone better getting an opportunity when that player was injured. Wally Pip is obviously the most famous….

Drew Bledsoe too. That move worked out pretty good for that coach

 

[Noel in the 305]

I get what you are all saying and I don't disagree but I just think he has to go with Mertz "until" they drop another L and then he can turn it over to DJ

But why risk the L to begin with especially when you’re coaching for your job here. We won’t win them all but Lagway gives you the best chance to win period. Makes no sense but then again he seems to get in his own way so 🤷‍♂️

 

[michael morsillo]

It would be a tough conversation for Billy and you hate to see a guy lose his job to injury, but there's 84 other guys to think about.

This^^^^

Not a scout so not sure if GM has a future in the NFL, but if he has the ability and is a good fit teams will identify him even if he sits behind what looks like a generational type player.

This^^^^

The NIL he is receiving currently I'm sure will soften the blow as well.

This

That being said, CBN starts Mertz next week.

Unfortunately this^^^

 

[michael morsillo]

This is a bad take and a worthless complaint. We played Samford. If Barber turns an ankle and is out for Texas A&M then what? They clearly need to get some folks snaps so they can hopefully get better. The only way your statement makes sense is if you make the argument that the OL needs time working together, and that is fair, but we need so much more than that on our Oline.

In this particular game, & with A&M coming in next weekend, I somewhat agree about Barber (although 24 snaps is not very much & inexplicably he was also not played very much against Miami)

however: George getting 44 ??? Waites getting 28???? (he shouldn’t get a single snap as a tackle) and Kearney only 10???

 

[Original813]

Disagree…this is a performance business. And let’s be honest, he wouldn’t be losing his job bc of injury….he’d be losing the job bc of poor play against Miami coupled with Lagway’s better play against Miami and then a superb performance against Samford.

Plenty of players across all sports have lost their jobs due to someone better getting an opportunity when that player was injured. Wally Pip is obviously the most famous….

I like your first paragraph. Changes my mind from “old school” don’t bench for injury. You are correct. He played bad, then got injured, so technically he was outplayed against Miami and then Lagway continued his success against Samford. Start Lagway to give the team its best chance to win now and for future.

 

[alexs08]

This^^^^

This^^^^

This

Unfortunately this^^^

I'll just add even Danny Kannell said nice things about Lagway... Danny doesn't do that for anything UF... Ever...

 

[rjcarter]

@JasonHigdon I get the "a player doesn't lose his starting job due to injury" but my question is, was the wrong guy starting to begin with? 🤨

 

[-THE DUDE-]

I get what you are all saying and I don't disagree but I just think he has to go with Mertz "until" they drop another L and then he can turn it over to DJ

That’s typically how it’s done but doesn’t have to be. For a guy with as many L’s as Napier he doesn’t have many more to spare just for political BS about a senior QB. The worst part is inevitably when our offense stalls under Mertz and the boos start reigning down…it will all be for Napier but it won’t be a good look

 

[-THE DUDE-]

Drew Bledsoe too. That move worked out pretty good for that coach

Favre got his chance in Green Bay after Majkowski got hurt. It happens…

 

[gatordvm1989]

This Saturday may be a tale of two halves- Mertz starts first half and we will see what he can do- DJ comes in second half if Mertz can't convert third downs or complete passes down field.. Just hope defense can keep it close.

 

[ChiefGene]

This Saturday may be a tale of two halves- Mertz starts first half and we will see what he can do- DJ comes in second half if Mertz can't convert third downs or complete passes down field.. Just hope defense can keep it close.

If Napier waits until the 2nd half to put in our best qb, we are doomed.

 

[cking6178]

If Napier waits until the 2nd half to put in our best qb, we are doomed.

Exactly, bc if it's close at the half - he won't make the switch....so, Lags would only be coming in if we are down several scores

 

[JasonHigdon]

I respectfully disagree as a competitor/ coach you owe it to your guys to give them the best chance to win. When you are making 7 mil a year and already on the hot seat you have play who gives you the best chance to win if that’s DJ play him if that’s GM play him. But I’m not settling for a L before I make that change if the change is inevitable.

I believe Mertz has earned the right to start vs the Aggies...that is all I mean with that, but if he does and UF gets beat then the time has come and Billy gave him a fair chance imo at that point.......

 

[cking6178]

I believe Mertz has earned the right to start vs the Aggies...that is all I mean with that, but if he does and UF gets beat then the time has come and Billy gave him a fair chance imo at that point.......

And if Billy does what most believe he won't and starts Lags and DJ continues to ball out and we beat Aggie easily....do you have an issue with how Billy treated Mertz in that scenario?

 

[ChiefGene]

And if Billy does what most believe he won't and starts Lags and DJ continues to ball out and we beat Aggie easily....do you have an issue with how Billy treated Mertz in that scenario?

I would have to start Lagway and find out.

 

[ChiefGene]

I believe Mertz has earned the right to start vs the Aggies...that is all I mean with that, but if he does and UF gets beat then the time has come and Billy gave him a fair chance imo at that point.......

Scared money doesn’t make money. Start Lagway.

 

[EH]

Yep, not being benched due to injury. In arguably the biggest game of the year (Miami), Mertz did not show up. Just like several games last year. Mertz gave up 31 sacks last year and his longest run was 12 yards. Not a good fit at all with this OL. Even if Lagway plays poorly against A&M I'd still stick with him. The Mertz highs are not high enough to put up with ANY of his lows.

We need the Rated R version of Napier not PG-13.

 

[k5gator]

Yep, not being benched due to injury. In arguably the biggest game of the year (Miami), Mertz did not show up. Just like several games last year. Mertz gave up 31 sacks last year and his longest run was 12 yards. Not a good fit at all with this OL. Even if Lagway plays poorly against A&M I'd still stick with him. The Mertz highs are not high enough to put up with ANY of his lows.

We need the Rated R version of Napier not PG-13.

Even PG-13 is generous.

 

[Tarjf]

Yep, not being benched due to injury. In arguably the biggest game of the year (Miami), Mertz did not show up. Just like several games last year. Mertz gave up 31 sacks last year and his longest run was 12 yards. Not a good fit at all with this OL. Even if Lagway plays poorly against A&M I'd still stick with him. The Mertz highs are not high enough to put up with ANY of his lows.

We need the Rated R version of Napier not PG-13.

As y'all know I'm a big Mertz believer, but this is spot on. He's just not a great fit with the way this OL is currently. I agree with probably not starting DJ, but this is a game where they both play a bunch & whoever plays the best finishes the game & then starts moving forward

 

[InstaGator24]

As y'all know I'm a big Mertz believer, but this is spot on. He's just not a great fit with the way this OL is currently. I agree with probably not starting DJ, but this is a game where they both play a bunch & whoever plays the best finishes the game & then starts moving forward

Then the question becomes how long of a leash will Napier give Mertz? Like many others, I'm concerned it will be too long and by the time he makes a change, it will be moot, which isn't fair to Lagway IMO.

 

[rjcarter]

As several posters have said, and I agree with, this Texas A&M game is one of the very few winnable games left on our schedule, with UCF, Mississippi State, Kentucky, and FSU. We HAVE to find a way to get 6 wins so we don't have time to play around. Screw all this crap and play DJ the whole game!

 

[EH]

I agree with probably not starting DJ, but this is a game where they both play a bunch & whoever plays the best finishes the game & then starts moving forward

Could you argue that this was the mindset going into the Miami game and this is how it played out?

 

[PacoGator19]

I believe you cant lose a job bc of injury..SO, with that in mind I think Napier needs to start Mertz but DJ will play and THEN if you get beat again with Mertz as the No 1 QB off the bench you make the move -- that is what I think will happen.....

Can he lose his job for the terrible game he had against Miami?

 

[Tarjf]

Could you argue that this was the mindset going into the Miami game and this is how it played out?

I don't think so, I felt Napier only put DJ when the game was out of hand....but is the impression I got from watching the game so I'm not sure if that was what the staff was thinking

 

[Coolgtr]

I don't think so, I felt Napier only put DJ when the game was out of hand....but is the impression I got from watching the game so I'm not sure if that was what the staff was thinking

That was the feeling I got as well. Don't know what the plan was originally but I'm pretty sure it wasn't to get the brakes beat off of us. When Mertz got concussed, he put DJ in.

 

[gatorscott77]

I don't think so, I felt Napier only put DJ when the game was out of hand....but is the impression I got from watching the game so I'm not sure if that was what the staff was thinking

I thought he only played DJ because mertz was injured.

You’d think if he had any intent of playing DJ situationally, one of those situations would’ve come up on the first half

 

[InstaGator24]

I thought he only played DJ because mertz was injured.

You’d think if he had any intent of playing DJ situationally, one of those situations would’ve come up on the first half

Yep, it kinda feels like that whole spiel he gave about Lagway being part of the plans this season going forward might be lip service if Mertz is healthy otherwise.

 

[the_whistle]

This is a bad take and a worthless complaint. We played Samford. If Barber turns an ankle and is out for Texas A&M then what? They clearly need to get some folks snaps so they can hopefully get better. The only way your statement makes sense is if you make the argument that the OL needs time working together, and that is fair, but we need so much more than that on our Oline.

100%

 

[ChiefGene]

Yep, not being benched due to injury. In arguably the biggest game of the year (Miami), Mertz did not show up. Just like several games last year. Mertz gave up 31 sacks last year and his longest run was 12 yards. Not a good fit at all with this OL. Even if Lagway plays poorly against A&M I'd still stick with him. The Mertz highs are not high enough to put up with ANY of his lows.

We need the Rated R version of Napier not PG-13.

I wish I would have said that. Spot on.