Why do I keep remembering Ron Zook?
- Thread starter GatorTheo
- Start date
Zook coached teams actually had an offense. I would take Zook as the coach of this team right now. I'm serious.
No clue. Zook's teams were exciting at least. We're bad and boring, the worst combo there is.
Closer to Dickey than Zook. Zook left the tank full. There are a lot of similarities between 1976 and 2016. I really do hate it for you guys, bc I root for UF when we are not playing each other. But, it is going to get a lot darker before UF football starts seeing light again.
Zook's bump class had Chad Jackson, Caldwell and Leak. Pretty damn good bump class.
We could have always gone with my boy Fedora.
Still can't believe that, as it appears, we never reached out to him.
Still can't believe that, as it appears, we never reached out to him.
Honestly the end of this season would be the time if any. There is honestly still enough talent to salvage for next year. Not a ton like Meyer started off with but just enough.
I think our recruiting class right now is good. It isn't great but it's a good recruiting class. Yes it needs some olineman and a DT. The DT replacement will be better than Jordan Scott so not worried about that.
Does anyone think Larry Fedora might be a great coach at Florida? He's done pretty well at USM and UNC. I'm not really sure if there is something going on with him that should raise concerns. I remember his name being thrown around prior to us hiring CJM. He's gotten some more time in at UNC and looks to have another 10 win season. He had a 12 win season at USM. Has ties to UF as well, if that matters at all.
I don't agree with this. Mac is a below average recruiter and even with that being the case he still falls ass backwards into a top 15 class regularly. We still got more talent than most of the people we play. How many people have weapons like Callaway, Scarlett, Perine, Goolsby, etc? Even the oline has 4 and 5-star prospects wanted by everybody. Defense needs no explanation and even though that's been hit or miss there's some elite talents there too. We need more talent for sure, but we have enough to not be near 100 in offense in year 2.
The problem is this shittyy offensive system and everything else filters down from there. Run a system out there that recruits wanna play in and it'll turn around quickly. There's so many examples of that all over the country. It doesn't take 3 years on offense anymore, recruits are more prepared than ever.
I'm not convinced that the talent is as good as you believe. But I agree with you completely about the offense. I do believe LSU has talent, more than Florida at every offensive position. How many points did they score on Bama with that "pro-style"? At home. At night.
Mac will tell you that he is running this because this is what fits the players he has on the roster. Problem is, like I said before, we can't run a modern offense because we don't have the players. Can't recruit players because we don't run a modern offense.
I said a week ago and got crucified for it. This system will NOT work at UF. It doesn't excite recruits. It doesn't fit the athletes available in mass quantities in the state. Don't believe it, hire Herman or Chip Kelly and see how quick this turns around.
You will also never succeed at UF recruiting well below average in state.
Mac was the recipe for disaster from the word go, the guy went 10-3 at CSU and people bought in. Herman has 3 losses in two years and he is "overrated". Take off the Orange and Blue glasses, we're broken and its going to take a massive shift in philosophy to change it.
Word has it Foley knows he botched this one, which gives me a glmmer of hope we'll end this sooner rather than later. Also some talk he isn't super popular in the athletic department.
Doesn't look to me like it fits the players he has. We ran for 12 yards against a team that Auburn's spread shredded for 500. As you say, look at how MSU and LSU struggle to move the ball against 'Bama compared to the success some of the spread teams have had. Hell, Saban is running the spread. If Mac is too blind to see what's staring him in the face, I hope he doesn't waste our time too much longer.
We pretty much have the same opinion. The talent isn't where it should be and we don't have any elite players, but it's good enough to not be trending towards 100 in offense again.
And agree with the 'prostyle' issue too even though for all intents and purposes we're a spread team in formation. The only difference is we don't utilize a lot of true spread principles. We don't run a lot of RPOs, don't use tempo, and don't give our QB's easy completions. The rules favor offense and instead of taking advantage of it we huddle up, take 20 secs in between plays to allow the defense to sub and match our personnel, and then try to dink and dunk our way down the field. It just isn't gonna work, especially when you have an immobile QB. Everything has to be perfect for those guys to succeed. Oline has to hold for 4-5 seconds, receivers have to run precise routes, backs have to pick up blocks, etc. How many college kids can do that consistently play to play? And if it breaks down you're behind the chains because your QB can't pick up 4-5 yards on the ground. It puts way too much strain on players to 'execute.'
Everybody here should read that post. You have cut right to the heart of the problem.
Too many people out there don't realize how the game has changed. They see Saban running a spread offense with a dual threat QB, but they don't realize why. They also don't see how Saban has changed his defense. How there aren't any more Mount Codys in the middle. Bama is 30+ pounds lighter at every position up front. Faster and more mobile across the board, more able to keep up with the pace of the game and defend athletic, running QBs. That's proof of his recognition that the game has changed. Ole Miss has a QB that can throw better than anybody the Gators have had since Grossman. But he's always on the move and if you drop into coverage he will KILL you with his legs. On top of that, they call designed runs for him routinely.
Simply put, the game has evolved beyond what Florida is trying to do every Saturday.
But why did the Arky game change this view for everyone. I said this same thing the day of Chumps introductory presser. We have been doing it for 5.5 seasons and NOW people see it, WTF???
Pretty much. I think most defenders would tell you they'd prefer to play against a drop back passing game with an unathletic QB. Why? Because you know where he's gonna be every single play so you can do more upfront and with blitzes. And you can play way more coverages against that type because you don't fear him taking off and hurting you on the ground. The worst thing that can happen to a defense is when they defend everything perfectly and the QB takes off and picks up 5 yards anyway.
Now don't get it twisted, a mobile QB doesn't solve all the problems because they still gotta be a competent passer. But if they are, as a defense there's not much you can do. You can't play man coverage because you have to turn your back to them which opens up running lanes and you can't blitz too often because if you miss it's a huge gain. That type of QB takes tons of pressure off the o-line and receivers to get open. As a defense you're basically left to rush 4, play zone, and keep everything in front of you.
I'm not too sure people are seeing it.
I was ok with Mac last year. But when we came out with 3 tight ends and Del Rio to begin this year I sounded the alarm. Then when you saw teams like UMass able to defend us you have to know what's coming against SEC defenses. Nothing that's happened since Del Rio was named starter has surprised me.
I had a conversation about this with my son who plays LB. You basically quoted verbatim what he told me about the difference between defending pro-style vs dual threat.
His other choice was worse than LDR.
Guys, get a grip. This coaching staff is far better at coaching than anything Zook ever did
They are offset by their piss poor recruiting compared to Zooks. We have a talent deficiency, and its NOT Chumps fault other than the OL which Mac hasn't done a thing to. Best QB Mac touched was a Chump guy, though word is Mac preferred LDR, which should tell you all you need to know. And the staff is wholly responsible for the lack of excitement, period.
My angle is, I kept waiting for Zook's teams to get better. Now I'm waiting for McElwain's teams to get better. We're getting into the second half of the second year....I was hoping for something significant by this point.
Fair point. I would like to see McE with a Chris Leak kind of QB for a coupla years to see what he can do.
As Meyer used to say, "Having a QB that can run cleans up the defenses coverages quite a bit." Having can also result in a fairly simple route tree for receivers too. A critique we often hear with spread type offenses
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Yep. But I'm fine with that. This is college not the NFL. I don't need a complex route tree with all types of sight adjustments, etc. Too much mentally for 20 hours a week.
Chump didn't leave an oline, WRs or RBs for the next guy and he left a drug addict QB.
You will see with next years defense exactly what he did leave when Tabor, Wilson and Maye are in the NFL. And I wouldn't call DRob, Taylor and McGee nothing. And he left your boy Fulwood, who could forget him
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That drug addict QB is the sole reason you even have this last thread to hang on to Mac with.
Ummm. He got DRob, Taylor and McGee for 1 year. Those 3 guys aren't exactly going to be doing much in the NFL anytime soon either.
Yes he left a good defense. Thanks Captain Obvious!! LOL.
Can you tell us something we don't know?
