Offense D-
First half: The running backs really ran hard and allowed Florida to rush for 141 yards. But it appeared the Gators were scared to death to throw. Franks’ interception in the end zone was just dummy.
Second half: The 79-yard run by Feleipe Franks was, perhaps, the most stunning and surreal development of the night.
For the game: Florida only ran 27 plays in the second half after dominating the first half statistically. Take away the Franks’ run and the Gators had only 63 second-half yards.
Defense B-
First half: Other than one play — a 30-yard completion on a scramble play — Florida held A&M to 50 yards. That might have been the defense’s best half of football this year.
Second half: The Gators weren’t as efficient, especially against Texas A&M quarterback Kellen Mond’s runs and a couple of big passes.
For the game: For the second straight week, Florida gave up a touchdown drive to start the second half. But don’t lay this one on the defense. It played its heart out.
Special teams D
First half: Texas A&M came in here with some strong legs of their own, allowing them to flip the field on more than one occasion. Call the first half a special teams draw.
Second half: A kickoff out of bounds after taking the lead and a double penalty on a punt return were two of the lowlights of special teams.
For the game: Again, despite having two strong kickers, Florida just isn’t getting it done on special teams. One punt partially blocked and some really poor decisions on return teams. And then there was Christian Kirk’s punt return.
Overall F
You can’t say his team isn’t playing hard, but the worst start since 2003 is what it is. I know the grades don’t add up, but neither do the scenes we keep seeing in The Swamp.
Correction, Pat. The defense didn’t “play their hearts out”…..they “played their tails off”. Remember? Cool, huh?
“F” Can’t say it better. I mean….Doug Dickey is alive. We can bring him back.
This team is just not good. Rarely will I call out or bash players. It starts and ends with the head coach. Mr. Dooley, perhaps you should put a grade in the coaching. An F may be too high. Year one, understandable. Year three, inexcusable.
It concerns me that I can call what play the UF offense is going to run just about every down and I am just a network nerd (to the point that my wife who has no interest in the game asks how I Know what they are going to do)
Hard decisions and big changes will need to take place at the end of this season with this offense
Can’t agree more. I was calling the plays the whole 4th qtr. We ran the ball 3 straight times to gift wrap the game to A&M. Astonishing
I think you guys are full of yourselves. Pick a quarter, any quarter and keep track of each play and see what percentage of plays you predict correctly. Report back your answer after the next game what percentage you got right.
Any blind idiot can get 50% right. Given the fact that certain situations are running plays (e.g. 3rd and short) or passing plays (e.g. 3rd and long) that any knowledgeable fan can predict, I would be impressed if you can guess higher than 70% correctly. Short of that, you are full of yourselves.
What in God’s name are you talking about Sly!
I gotta go with John, Sly. I really enjoy reading your comments, but I’m not following this one.
Face it our coaches are not good at making the correct adjustments at halftime. It’s been that way for let me see THREE YEARS NOW. Also let’s run, pass, then you are for sure in a passing down. They just do not change up their plays, do they think they are so much better than the other coaches on the other team. They are not. Maybe if we lose all the rest of our games something will be done. We may only win one more maybe. Let’s face it gator fans we are back to the gators from the 70’s early 80’s. Wait till next year.
This team is broke…McYet has broken it completely somehow after Chump broke the offense. Dooley is an id!ot for his assessment of this game and last. Where was the honest criticism during Chump’s reign? Dooley has a bro-mance going with Chump and kisses his @ss every opportunity. Zero journalistic integrity for trashing McYet, while giving Chump a pass for 4 freaking seasons…and I’m not a fan of McYet.
Cool – –
Pat Dooley is a very good sports writer, both in style and knowledge. Yes, he may have given Chump too much slack at the beginning, but he sure turned it around in his last year or so. Don’t forget, he earns a living by writing articles that are interesting and informative and needs to keep an open door. He is not a “homer” as some of us suggest. His articles on this coaching staff and game day critique is right on in my opinion. Give up some of that hate towards the messenger.
I watched movies tonight and then got the predictable score. Only way to follow the Gators and not lose your mind. Gosh Gee, I thought Muschamp ruined the program. Mac has taken it completely in the tank. The laughing stock of college football.
Funny
Not yet, Gator Steve. Nebraska and Baylor are worse. But close enough for guvmint work, I’ll give you that.
This team is terrible. This team will not improve. We may not win another game this year. The coaching is absolutely horrible. This team will not get better until we get a new head coach and an entirely new staff. Coach Mac was a terrible hire. Time to admit it and move on. Fire everyone. Everyone has to go.
Joel. You are wrong about McElwain. He is a good head coach and he is a motivator. He just needs a new OC and a SEC caliber QB. Hopefully, Nussmeier’s tenure is nearing an end (hopefully on Sunday). And Corral is hopefully on the way, along with some other badly needed playmakers and offensive linemen. Shannon is doing a great job with the defense, even with all the injuries and suspensions. We need more Shannons coaching on the offensive side of the ball. And clearly, Franks is not a SEC caliber QB. At least not a starting one. Just go to where his eyes are looking and intercept the ball. It is that easy.
Rick – right on Nuss, right on Franks but wrong on Mac. He is a lazy administrator that is not head coaching material in the SEC. He does not inspire, he does not coach on the sidelines, his gameday decisions are atrocious. And if he really was the QB Whisperer as advertised, Franks would be one helluva lot better than the guy that tried and failed tonight.
Tunaboat. Nussmeier is the QB coach, not McElwain. McElwain deserves one more year. Nussmeier does not deserve one more day.
Rick this is his third ! He’s had time to make some progress
Rick Gilmore. He’ll probably get one more year because of the suspensions but he doesn’t deserve it. The positive energy I feel about Mike White’s program doesn’t translate at all to Mac’s. It’s not even close. You can just tell. Like with Spurrier or Meyer or Billy D. You can just feel it. I wish I was wrong but I’m not. It’s that same feeling you got when Tim Tebow took the field. There’s no way you can say that about Coach Mac and his teams.
Rick – Nuss was not billed as the QB Whisperer, McElwain was! No matter, he is not that, or an offensive guru, or any other false title that got him hired here. What nobody ever suspected was that he is actually incompetent as an average joe head coach. He certainly does qualify there. We will not improve under this joke of a staff. A total flush-out and start over is the only way to go – you can’t fix Stupid.
Fillmore Gillmore – I remember you always defending Chump too…now on to McYet??? At least your consistent in your support of losers…
Oh come on James…..both Mac and Boom had good points as well. It just didn’t (hasn’t) translated to the field. No reason not to be fair about it, that’s all Rick is trying to do.
I disagree. Coach Mac and Cheese is responsible for everything on this team. If his OC is bad, fire him. No excuses. If the QB can’t read defenses and find the open receiver its because he was not taught how to do so. Franks is a big strong kid with a big arm. He is an SEC caliber QB. He has been on the team 2 years. Teach him. If your QB coach is not good enough, fire him. Hire someone who can teach him. No, I do not accept excuses. Coach Mac and Cheese is terrible. If he was such a good motivator why are 10 guys suspended? He sucks.
If there was a time we could have gotten Franklin from Vandy – – shame shame on us.
There was….”Coach Muschamp is our coach, and will be next season.” Jeremy Foley 11/23/2013. Imagine if Foley had committed to the football program the way he committed to the lacrosse and other women’s teams.
i agree Foley is to blame for a lot of this
I’ve been saying that for years about Foley. Great overall AD…blew every football HC hire. And I’m including Urban and his thugs in that assessment…
Would have worked out well, maybe even greatly.
It I see a bright spot that the team plays hard. I’m not sure if franks will ever get it at QB. And can someone answer why Florida thinks it’s illegal to call a blitz? I know they are trying to protect a young secondary but put some pressure on the true freshman QB. Even if he has a pair of legs.
Commentators said early in the season that Shannon doesn’t like to blitz, he thinks he can pressure with 4 and run a lot of zone. It’s more of the bend-don’t-break scheme and I’m not a fan. Usually in college, blitzing D’s are some of the best. I think he’s a great players or position coach, but his whole philosophy on D is wrong. I think he’s got to go with the rest of em.
The Swamp was electric again. Too bad the offensive coaching and QB play was totally shocking yet again. Nussmeier has to go……NOW. And Zaire should start vs. Georgia. Franks is clearly not an elite SEC QB and likely never will be (he lacks what elite QBs have in their brains). That last pass said it all about Franks. He just stares down receivers. He did it again all game, missing open receivers over and over again. And it never changes. And Nussmeier is clueless to fix him and the offense. Changes need to be made before the head coach needs to be changed. I still believe in McElwain. But he needs to start to fix this by letting his friend, Nussmeier, go. Now.
I’d give the defense a basic C, but I won’t quibble with your B- since we agree on an overall F. But I give the F for one reason that I’ve been preaching, which is…when you hire a head coach, you do it with the expectation that the team will get substantially better on the side of the ball that made him famous. When Urban walks in, you know the offense will improve….heck, even Champ has improved South Carolina’s defense. But Mac is failing miserably!! What exactly does he bring to the table?
Dooley, why are reporters so friggin scared to ask tuff questions to Mac including you? Are there repercussions like you’ll never get called on or passes revoked or something? Frankly y’all might as well not attend anyway because as reporters your grades are F.
Yes, there are. Understand that Dooley and Andreu are bound to UF standards, or their press passes are revoked. If they truly ask the tough questions and go after the coaches with facts, they’ll be banned from all press conferences. So…they have a lot to lose by being honest.
It’s time to give MZ a shot. Franks had his shot and didn’t get it done.
Attention Mr. Stricklin: CHIP KELLY, CHIP KELLY, CHIP KELLY, CHIP KELLY… plain and simple..before he gets scooped up– we will be in playoffs within 3 yrs..
Pipe dream, Scott. Ojahla que.
Come on Dooley, tell your readers again how they don’t know what they’re talking about, even as you haltingly admit that this coaching staff is inept.
We can dissect it to the Nth degree, but Joel is right. Flush this staff and start over. Every single coaching staff we will play, including the cupcakes which now includes us, is better than ours. We are awful under Mac because he is an awful, clueless coach that likes to surround himself with incompetents like himself. Cut the losses and fire these imposters now. Anyone can coach better than these assclowns. We are wasting talent while embarrassing ourselves on national TV every weekend.
Pat, we need guys like you to put some real heat on Mac. Ask the tough questions.
We have passed the point of diminishing returns. Help us Obi-Pat, you’re our only hope.
CHIP KELLY, CHIP KELLY, CHIP KELLY: get the message.. we would be in playoffs within 3 yrs…
For all the good Jeremy Foley did for the Gator athletic department he will be mainly remembered for 1 thing….hiring horrible football coaches. He inherited SOS. He hired Zook, Muschamp, and McElwain. I’m fairly confident the only reason Meyer ended up here was because of Machen. I’ve never seen one man so completely unable to judge football coaching talent. Can you imagine interviewing Mac, Chump, or Zook and saying, “Wow! That’s the guy I want to be the CEO of my multi-million dollar football franchise!” Let’s hope Stricklin is better at the hiring process for football than Foley was. Let’s hope we find out soon!
FIRE THESE COACHES
Franks tries hard and seems like he’s all Gator in his heart, but the game moves too fast for him too much of the time. The O-line has improved but is still not there yet. You have to feel sad for them when they are hamstrung by play calling that makes little sense. I don’t think anybody understands why the head coach can’t seem to see that the offensive game plans and play calling are stiflingly. He’s saying the troops (players) need to step up when it looks like the generals (offensive coaches)are failing. I think an “F” grade by Pat is a little harsh considering the game was close and many of the fans thought the Gators might get blown out tonight. Still, Coach Mac needs to hold all the offensive coaches accountable for the last two losses. After all, he was hired and paid big bucks to fix the offense and the Gator Nation ain’t seeing results. Fans are growling. And that ain’t “cool man.”
Gator Steve, please go to the movies every game. You a not a Gator! Win or Lose support your team.
Please guys give these kids some support! They played their hearts out.
This team has had every bad break (suspended players) and injuries.
Granted there are several questions, please remember this is especially a young team.
Please Gator Nation let’s give these Kids and Coach Mac one more year before you circle the wagons..
You call them “kids” and are worried about their wittle emotions and judge people as not being a Gator because they refuse to coddle these MEN getting free educations to play a game and the coaches are receiving millions for absolutely sucking arse?!! ROFL
These are not the Gators and have not been since Tebow left – these are the porch lizards, and the UF Football program is a farce, just like donkey tooth Mac.
Hear ya, but at 71, it is just not in my health’s best interest to keep yelling at the screen or just burning inside. Never blame the kids. But coaches that make hundreds of thousands and millions deserve our rath. This team is now worse than when Mac took over – with better talent.
He IS supporting his team, Bogey!
McElwain’s comment, either after the Vol win or the UK, win, which were both nail biters, was “We’re built that way.” So you lose to LSU by 1 and A & M by 2, and is it because of they way we are built? Well our structure is not sound and fans have been made to worry about each upcoming opponent. It won’t be long until we are losing to Georgia Southern at home again. Maybe it was a break to have the Northern Colorado game cancelled. I still find it shocking that Mac Started Franks against Michigan. Thank God the baseball team won a national championship, the basketball team went to the Elite 8 and is poised for another strong season, and our women’s sports are so strong as well. Football is going the way of what another poster said, the Dough Dickey era, not to mention Charlie Pell’s first year as coach. You would think the Steve Spurrier would get pissed off enough to get the entire coaching staff dismissed and fix the program for the second time. We will not continue to win the SEC East being built this way, and we will NEVER win the SEC championship being built this way, on a foundation a sand.
The team is regressing.. Mac had almost identical record to chump 2 1/2 yrs in.. not improving…. Where is Chip Kelly.. GET HIM NOW..!!
Bogeyjim05. The large majority of Gator Nation believes McElwain deserves at least one more year. But hardly any of us believe Nussmeier deserves one more minute. McElwain’s loyalty to his friend, Nussmeier, may end up costing him his job as head coach of the Gators. The offense is badly broken. And Nussmeier has proven over and over again that he is incapable of fixing it or the QBs that play for him. Franks simply does not get any better from week to week. He seems to get worse, in fact. Changes have to be made to this offense, beginning with Nussmeier. And Florida has to somehow find a QB that can play in the SEC. Franks is clearly not that QB. But Grier was. And we know what happened to him.
You speak for Gator Nation now?
I am pretty sure he does, James. Do you? and if you do, what do you have to say?
McElweird MUST GO!
Rick…..did you see Grier’s stats from yesterday? Awesome!!
For those who have been listening to Pat’s broadcasts for the last few weeks, his central theme has been this: I get your frustration, but stop calling for Mac to be fired now, or at the end of this season. He’s right. Think about it for a minute…Let’s say we get what we want, and Scott Stricklin shows him the door now. Then what..we are competing for coaches at the end of this season with several other major programs (Probably not A&M, if I am Kevin Sumlin, I’m saying to them “How ya like me now?” I think it is ridiculous that they are even considering letting him go. Do you Aggies long for the days of RC Slocum? We don’t play football anymore the way it was played in 1939). My point is this: Pat is right. Bobby Stoops isn’t coming back to Gainesville. Florida will never hire Chip Kelly because of his “show cause” history, Jon Gruden is not coming here, the HBC is not moving offices to take the reins, Charlie Strong knows the fire he would walk into by coming back to Gainesville, and Dan Mullen will be there just as easily for UF next year as he might be this year, if we wanted him. If UF fires Mac this year, odds are we end up with another Mac, or worse, as our head coach. Let this runaway bus fall off the cliff this year, but start the process now of researching a candidate that we could get at the end of the 2018 season who could actually bring some offensive life back into this program. Mullen, David Cutcliffe, Dana Holgorsen, Justin Fuentes, etc…All of them will be available to call next year. It sucks now, but if UF pulls the trigger too fast, we are assured of more of the same for years to come.
By the way, Jeremy Foley was an awesome AD for UF. His one achillies heel. Hiring football coaches. He’s done an amazing job in every other sport. But his track record with HBC’s is abysmal. For the record, Bernie Machen was the lynch pin in getting Urban Meyer here, so I’m not sure he deserves a ton of credit for that hire. But he did get us awesome coaches in virtually every other sport that UF plays.
Very reasonably and rationally put, CJ.
CJ…..your post is the best and most reasonable and credible explanation of the situation. As a journalism major from UF back in the day, I commend you.
Poor game time coaching and a QB that has no future. The guy sees nothing. BB starts soon though.
I do now think Mac is not the one. I just think overall the coaching this year has been really bad.
YA THINK!!!!!!!!!!
Missing 25% of our roster and competing. There’s a lot of pride on this team. They don’t quit.
Even though these brutal comments on this board should make them give up. These “supporters” have thrown in the towel on these kids. Take your comments and go trash another program and come back when all the risk is gone… The world will be a better place for you and for the real supporters of this program.
No seniors on offense. If the negative fan base doesn’t run these hard working kids off, a veteran, complete team will get the coaching right and execute to the standards that so many have come to demand.
Remember (unconditional Gator fans)… In all kinds of weather we ALL stick together!!
Your reasoning wouldn’t apply at, say, Alabama – the standard – nor Clemson (per your “no seniors” and “veteran, …team” references).
Besides, we’re not trashing the kids (for the most part), but the coaches.
And since when is it the responsibility of the team to “get the coaching right”??
PS: Our commiseration herein is evidence we DO “stick together.” The problem is McElweird is NOT a Gator!
BOOM!
Hopefully Dabo Swinney will be looking for a new challenge.
We got one right here!
Gators looked great in the first half, A&M makes adjustments at halftime, and all of a sudden the Gator running game disappeared and the offense completely disappeared in the 4th quarter (again). Mac gets out coached again. 3rd down calls are unbelievable. 3rd and 3, they throw to the sideline at the line of scrimmage and come up short. 3rd and 1, they pitch the ball 6 or 7 yards behind the line so in effect it becomes 3rd and 8 and they come up short again. Finally, Will Grier, 32-41, 352 yds, 5 TDs for a come from behind win.
who cares about will grier he’s gone get on with it there will be better ones he’s not the only fish in the sea if coral comes you’ll forget grier
I thought Dooly’s Grades were right on, maybe a C+ for the defense but they are very young and play with heart. I’m holding judgement on Coach MAC until I see what he does with Nuss. That guy clearly can not develop a QB, and his offense is sloppy both in terms of execution and play calling. I think he literally has an entire seasons plays on a post-it note, front side only. If we want to use this as a development year Mac needs to fire Nuss now, put Zaire in while teaching Franks as a back up, and put on a a set headphones to call plays instead of sitting there picking his teeth looking bewildered.
Did you change this article’s title, Pat (from “31 years” to “14”)? I thought it read that way initially.
In your closing “Overall F” comment you say “worst start since 1986.” That WOULD be 31 years.
Fourteen years would take us back to 2003, not 1986.
So you DID change it!
I just noticed the referenced year in the final paragraph was adjusted from 1986 to 2003 (AFTER the number of years in the original title was changed from 31 to 14)
No doubt you would’ve preferred to have edited them together.
OOPS!
(good night!)
The suspensions were mentioned in the comments – not in the right context. Sure – I have issues with Coach Mac’s coaching too – but how did we get so many players doing so many wrong things. Do the players respect the program? Do they really care about being men – or are they allowed to remain adolescents? That’s all on the Head Coach – and it translates to results on the field.
Now that the former “Head Ball Coach” has returned as “ambassador” and “consultant,” and his name has been attached to Florida Field, there’s hope that this charade will end sooner than later!
McElweird must go!
THAT would be “cool.”
Okay, NOW good night!
I like the players, I like the team, what I don’t like is the PLAY CALLING. That seems to be all Nussmeier. It is ineffective in the same way every game.
Basically this is exactly why no one should get mad at fans after we “barely squeak by” week after week. Because We as fans know that won’t last. We get accused of “Complaining” “Whining” etc. But this is what we see the entire time.. We are literally 3 plays away from being 1-5 right now.. And for the suspended players thing.. The ones that have played including calloway haven’t done much when they were on the field last year…. You know why??? Cause this offense has been terrible for years now and that includes the games that scarlett etc was on the field… Basically none of those guys are saviors.. This ultimately seems like a recruiting problem.. I don’t see real “gamers” on this team.. So just a week ago we were accused of “overreacting to a 1 point loss.. But it wasn’t about THAT loss.. It is about the non progress.. The getting worse each game,year,quarter etc.. It wasn’t solely complaining about that game.. Lastly if Franks literally is the best option on this team right now.. then what was all of the pre season hype about having five quarterbacks and it was so hard to choose??? Maybe he didn’t wanna choose cause he didn’t like any of them lol… “Go Gators”!!??
The problem is the system that this coach want to run. Go to the spreads with up tempo. At least it is exciting.
Huck gets one more year…period. UCF, USF, UM all ranked….FSU will be back…..UF
will be rebuilding…again thanks to another Foleys Folly. Looks like UGA hired the right AD….he picked Saban Jr. Scott Frost should be mentioned in the HBC wishlist. And Greir….why did he really leave?? Maybe he saw the real Huck and knew he whispered foolishness…..cool huh?
College football is all about the dual threat QB, period.
This Gator team is a few freakish/broken plays from having only one win, and that was with LDR.
Georgia will win by 24, at least, they are very good, Gators are very bad.
Gators may only win 1-2 more games and finish 4-7 or 5-6, at SC and at Mizzou will be tough to watch.
On the bright side,basketball begins next month.
@Rick Gilmore: Not sure that “the large majority of Gator fans” believe that Mac deserves one more year. I know of no Gators who support Nuss, yet Mac continues to keep him for loyalty since he is a personal friend. Mac continues to support an O coordinator that has never had an offense ranked above 100… think about what that means…directional schools have much better offenses than us. The rankings were not much better for Nuss at previous jobs either, so why does Mac continue to support him? If Mac is going to be our head coach, then he had better makes changes to the O and now as you said. I am not one to jump on the “fire the coach bandwagon”, but he has not made any changes. Given that, why allow him to keep doing the same thing? If Mac does not fire Nuss now, then Mac needs to go THIS year. He doesn’t “deserve” anything since he’s brought our team to lows.
It’s also a kick in the teeth to see UCF and USF ranked and we’re just, well, rank. My wife, who has watched UF football with me since 1991, says Nuss should go while claiming, in the same sentence, she’s not that knowledgeable about football. She learned football under Spurrier and Danny, she’s knows what an offense should look like.
I just can’t write or even care anymore. Foley screwed us to the wall
Plus he is an ahole
I’ve finally ally learned not to worry and I must say with this coaching staff I expect us to lose and we do. We threw away wins the last two games. Very sad for our players and fans and ex players. I’m done worrying with MacDuff. They whole staff should go and I only hope the rxplayers and bullgators get to Stricklin this year. He owes MacDuff nothing
We re a train wreck
Time to play the what if game. Like what if Mac takes his aw shucks routine down the road with Nuss and we get a legit head coach in here. Preferably Chip Kelly because the spread is tailor made for athletes in this state and he knows it. I’ve seen enough crappy football to be done. If we didn’t watch this same product for years before him maybe he would get more time for unimpressive SEC East championships.
People are not coming to football games as much and some not even watching on tv anymore. Every viewer/fan that you lose now is more important because chances are they might not ever come back, given the entertainment options available. There is no time to wait till next year, you let this team linger in mediocrity now and it could have long term ramifications to the athletic program.
When does basketball season start?
Poor coaching from top to bottom and terrible play calling.
Sad to see my lifelong favorite team in this broken and unacceptable state. With incompetents continuing to drive what’s left of our proud tradition off the cliff. Mac and staff are a disaster. Waiting one more year, even if Nuss is gone this year won’t make a Mac’s traveling circus a winner. Mac’s decision making is totally inferior. He cannot handle small things like keeping track of timeouts in any game – with the numbers shining down at him from a giant scoreboard. He refused a penalty against A&M that would allow us to re-kick a horrible punt by Townsend. He would rather run out a clock at the half than score. All that is MAC, not his bumbling OC Nussmeier. I would really like to see what Mac’s IQ actually is.
Gator fan, step back from the ledge! Yes, watching this team play offense is the definition of insanity, “doing the same thing and expecting a different outcome.” Believe it or not this team may not be that far away from contending in 2019. I offer the following as a defense of what may seem a ludicrous suggestion by a crazed fan, 1) FSU. FSU was predicted to be a playoff caliber team. Francois’ injury shows the importance of the quarterback position. FSU is now playing Gatorball and hoping to beat Wake Forest and Duke by a touchdown or less. 2) Recruiting. After dismal results in 2015 and a marginally better 2016, the 2017 class is showing real promise. Recruiting is on the upswing for 2018 and 2019. If MattyIce is the real deal, maybe the Gators have the elite quarterback they need to run Mac’s offense. 3). Youth. While playing freshman appears to the new norm in college football, this team lacks veteran leadership. The youth of today will be the leaders in 2019. MattyIce seems to be a leader given his early commitment and push to get other elite players to join his class.
All of that said, Coach Mac needs to pull his head out of his rear end and try something different before he blows up the momentum the Gators created last summer. Franks is not ready yet, and may never be ready, to be the quarterback the Gators need to be successful. Why not Zaire a chance? The bye week is the time to implement a change. Otherwise, I may go insane watching this offense.
We have nothing to lose by starting Zaire against Georgia. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. If we gain nothing, then we have still lost nothing.
”That fourth-quarter magic has been rubbed off, and now UF sees its season spiraling downward thanks to narrow back-to-back Swamp losses (which usually NEVER happens anymore, until now) that have basically eliminated the Gators from the SEC East race. The loss drops the Gators to 3-3 overall, their worst start since 2003, and 3-2 in the SEC. A&M improves to 5-2 and 3-1. Just like a week ago in the 17-16 loss to LSU, the Gators had nothing left down the stretch in the fourth quarter… The Gators and Aggies are clearly heading in different directions. ‘There have been a lot of doubters,” A&M coach Kevin Sumlin said. “But we’ve believed in ourselves.’ ”
-By Robbie Andreu.
Well, Coach Sumlin, you all will probably (and deservedly so) get an invite to the storied ”Cotton Bowl”, while U.F. will more than likely get an invited to the Music City Bowl, if any bowl at all. Oh joy! Coach Mac doesn’t promote 4th qtr. toughness that the S.E.C. DEMANDS, in order to win close games. But I will continue to hope, because ”when all is hopeless (like now) hope becomes a strength”. The very best U.F. Football can do is RUIN U.G.A.’s chances of a PLAY-OFF HOPE, by beating them little red and black dawgies in J’ville in 2 weeks. It’s, sadly, come down to this: beating U.G.A. and F.S.U. are this 2017 Gator teams only hope of regaining any self-respect and ”Gator pride”. But I won’t hold my breath. It’s truly a shame that these U.F. Football coaches have ”MORE EXCUSES” as to ”why” they aren’t good, than they have ”answers”. That’s the dilemma that new A.D. Stricklin must deal with in his new role as ”THE BIG DOG” at U.F.. But at least Coach Mac can soften him up with a nice P.B. & J., or a bottle of his new B.B.Q. Sauce.
I really enjoy reading all the posts because it gives everyone a chance to feel the pulse of GATOR NATION. That said here is my 2 cents. The team did not buy in during the OFFSEASON the fact that a couple of the the best players decided to become criminals was bigger factor than we want to admit. This combined with a coach who has decided he no longer needs to coach but instead must MANAGE a team is the problem. Listen I don’t know if Mac is good or bad but what I do know is this… I am a College Sports GEEK and I watch other programs with vigor. Here is what I see. SABAN coaches on the sidelines. He is in the huddles during time outs and in players grill when they mess up. Ditto for Smart and Harbaugh and Meyer, Fisher, Barnett, and most of All Spurrier. He was always involved. A head coach must be a Head Coach but on Game Day he must be the LEADER not a silent partner who paces back and forth and never grabbed his young Quarterback by the face mask and say Throw it out of bounds before you run out of bounds ( I watched Smart jump in Frome’s face while winning by 20, Ditto for Fisher and Saban) Its called being a Head Coach. Im not sure Coach Mac is the guy or not the guy but I know what I see because I look for it….. He needs to go back to being Coach MAC and not CEO Mac. He once said he could coach his dog to play quarterback the COACH COACH stop the CEO thing it doesn’t work..
I fear our problems go much higher than just the coaching staff. I grew up in Gainesville in the 70s and went to school there in the 80s. I have seen good times and bad. But it just does not seem like UF wants to be in the SEC anymore? Especially in recruiting ?
Allen, you just might be onto something there. If this goes on for another 5 or 6 years, maybe we could join Conference USA. We’d kick some serious butt there. Kind of. Maybe.
Football is performance based and it’s obvious everything this year with suspensions and injuries equals little to no performance. All the marketing done over the summer about crashing down the door of the SEC will have to wait until we get some coaches who can run the offense without the fear and trepidation that now exists. Hope all of our recruits can see the opportunities galore. Talent combined with a better offensive system and coaching will mean a return to being serious contenders and not a continued laughing stock.
SO if Calloway didn’t get suspended who would’ve been throwing the ball to him??????? Franks ignores every wide open receiver as is… It simply wouldn’t matter because we don’t have a qb.. Which is a big reason his entire career has been lack luster because of the sorry quarterback play when he has been on the field..
Steve Spurrier loved to defeat Georgia. We need Steve to sit next to Nussmier at that game and help him call some great plays.
Unfortunately Franks does not scan the field for open receivers and the receivers do not get separation.
I was very obvious at the Michigan game that the team was not prepared compared to the coaching that was done by Michigan’s coaches.