I went against my gut last week and picked Florida to beat LSU. I won’t do that again.
Here’s what my gut is telling me this week: Saturday night’s game against Texas A&M is going to play out a lot like that 2014 Missouri game in The Swamp. We all remember that one, right? It was homecoming and it turned into a turnover fest that was the beginning of the end for Will Muschamp, and effectively the end for Jeff Driskel. The game turned into a huge meltdown by the Florida offense that led to a stunning 42-13 loss. I’m sensing a similar offensive meltdown Saturday night, and another one-sided loss.
The Texas A&M defense is fast and aggressive and will throw all kinds of stunts and blitzes at a Florida offense that basically has no weapons left in the passing game with Tyrie Cleveland and Kadarius Toney out. The Aggies lead the SEC in sacks and create all kinds of negative plays. They’re going to have all kinds of fun attacking this impotent offense.
And the A&M offense is also going to enjoy going against a Florida defense that is susceptible in so many ways and hasn’t created a turnover in three consecutive games — and hasn’t recovered a fumble all season. A&M loves attacking the edge with dual-threat quarterback Kellen Mond, and as we saw last week, the Gators have a tendency to give up the edge way too often and way too easily.
Overall, it’s just a bad matchup for the Gators. And it’s going to lead to a bad loss.
Prediction: Texas A&M 28, Florida 6
Unfortunately Robbie I agree with you 100%. Truly hope I’m wrong….
This is not a indictment of this coaching staff…the team is decimated with injuries and suspensions and a rookie at quarterback. It will not be pretty but I suppose we will find out about their morale and heart. I expect they will fight harder than the Florida team did against the Tigers.
After watching the LSU giveaway, how could this NOT be an indictment of the *$%^# coaching staff?? Injuries and suspensions played NO part in that famous lack-of-tempo, 4-minutes-left with 1 timeout last possession last week that GAVE LSU a win. This coaching staff stinks. A second year defensive Saban disciple at UGA has TWO excellent QB’s, while our third-year offensive Saban trainee doesn’t even have one.
I’m tired of these lame excuses. There has been no improvement in the offensive production, play calling, offensive stats, entertainment value, confidence, competence, or overall culture in Gator football. Just a sorry excuse maker raking it in, and trying to sell sauce on the side.
So yes, this entire lame season is specifically an indictment of this sorry coaching staff.
The season is about to be a total bust. All I hope for is an interim head coach getting us a win over the ‘Noles. It wont happen that way, but a fan can dream.
I think it’s worse, 31-3, Eddy boots a 65 yarder
Dual threat QB. When will Mac acknowledge his system does not work well in todays college football. The pro set of drop back 5-7 yards and throw it just is not working. Arkansas tries to run the same pro system and it is not working for them either. Get Toney healthy and let him be the QB
It seems to work well for the Philadelphia Eagles. I don’t see why it wouldn’t work for us.
I don’t know why everyone thinks Toney is the answer at QB. I’m not saying Feleipe Franks is either but all it took was one throw to realize that Toney isn’t it. You say you want a “dual threat”. Dual means 2. Toney is definitely a threat to run. Is he also a threat to punt? Kick field goals? Not sure what that 2nd threat is. Yeah, he hit Cleveland on a nice trick play after Cleveland beat his man. That was fun. But he also threw a ball that bounced 3 yards in front of Cleveland on a screen play that wasn’t even close. Don’t get me wrong either. I love the dude and it was great foresight in recruiting by Mac to bring him on. But he’s not the future of this team at QB, near or far future. No one’s taking QB snaps this year besides Franks or Zaire, and no one’s taking them next year besides Franks, Allen or Corral (with the intention to actually play QB, that is).
YOU MEAN NOBODY BUT FRANKS HE’S JUST AS BULL HEADED AS MUSCHAMP AND GOING TO RIDE FRANKS JUST BECAUSE HE CAN THROW IT DEEP ALBOVERDI AND CORDOZA SAY HE HAS INTANGIBLES I’D LIKE TO KNOW WHAT THEY ARE TONEY WOULD BE A BETTER OPTION THAN THIS GUY CAN’T BE ANY WORSE
Because that’s exactly what Kadarius Toney was in high school. A dual threat quarterback who actually had some impressive passing stats to go along with his rushing stats. He’s thrown a lot more than one pass. I agree he’s probably not the answer, but to imply he doesn’t have a passing skill set suggests you didn’t know much about him before he got here.
We do not know if he is the answer until we try him. How many think Franks is the answer? Toney threw the ball well in H.S. One thing about a QB that can run is he does not have to be the best passer in the world to win. Was the kid from Alabama a good passer last year? No just adequate, but now with time under his belt he is a pretty good passer. If you run a pro style offense you better have a good offensive line and really good receivers, at this point the gators have neither
Well said. To this day I firmly believe if Jeff Driskel had not screwed up his knee in that Miami game several years ago he might have turned out to be a special player for UF. Urban Meyer knew he was only a 50 percent passer when he recruited him, but that kid could run like the wind when he was healthy and freaked defenses out because they had to commit a DB to shadow him. I will never forget that Kentucky game where he blew past a UK corner like he was standing still and ran in for a long touchdown. At this point, what would it hurt to put Toney in for a game and see what he can do? Being creative would go a long way for McElwain in his attempts to save his job between now and December 2018.
Wow!! Step away from the ledge guys. I also am not happy with what the Gators are putting on the field, but am not ready to throw everything about this team away. Certainly we are not looking at our QB for the future, but I also have to believe he will play better this week, and probably continue to improve as the season goes on. Other than on our two lines, we are thin in every position. That is mainly because we are only playing with about 80% of our roster, and about 85% of our starters. That would be tough on any staff including Bama. Mac is not going anywhere unless he gets tired of the pressure put on him by the fans and media. Nuss cant call plays but is a decent coach. If as OC, he needs to call the plays, then he needs to move on. The D is very young and will improve each week. We are not going to the playoffs this year, but it will be at least a decade from now if we start throwing away all of the staff you guys are wanting in this blog.
Right?! I can’t believe how short-sighted so many Gator fans are. McElwain inherited a dumpster fire with no offensive lineman at all and no talented receivers, QBs or running backs on the roster, yet still won the SEC East in his first two years. The defense lost 7 starters off the defense last year to the NFL and another to an injury before the season started this year. He has been forced to play mostly freshmen and sophomores while building a Top 5 recruiting class to come in next year. The future looks as bright as can be. All the negativity from ignorant snowflakes undermines the program and needs to stop because starting over with a new coach, as you say, would result in disaster.
Mark Davis. Gator Nation does not want McElwain fired. We just want the team to have more than a bad high school offense and a bad OC calling plays in an offensive scheme that lacks an identity, imagination, and effectiveness. We are tired of watching this same olf same old. As you said, way too much talent. So stop pouring cornflakes into your bowl of sugar.
it’s not negativity, it’s the reality of the situation
Absolutely!
I agree with your assessment we can’t throw the baby out with the bath water. Nuss play calling is more than suspect it’s down right awful. Coach will have to make the tough call of firing a long time friend at the end of the year. If he doesn’t it’s hard for me to see a path for him to still be the coach at the end of next season. Friendship is a two way street so if they are as good of friends as portrayed Nuss should see the writing on the wall and relieve Mac of that decision.
“Nuss cant call plays but is a decent coach.” Huh? How exactly is he any good as a coach otherwise?
Believe it or not, he is an excellent coach when it comes to QB. His entire career, he has coached QB to a very high level, both on mechanics and reading defenses. In my opinion, it was believed that anyone that could coach QB, should be able to call plays. I think we have all seen that is not he case. It appears he has been been promoted outside his skill set and the Tide, Wolverines and Gators are the recipients of this experiment. Doubtful he would ever accept a demotion, but that probably would be the best option for him more than anyone.
If he’s such a good QB coach, then why have ours not progressed accordingly?
You are being kind. Texas A&M 45, Florida 10. But, on the bright side, the Florida defense will score the Gators only TD on a fumble return for six. And Eddie makes the kick, thanks to Townsend not trying to spin the ball on the PAT. He also makes a 67 yard FG at the end of the half to cut into A&M’s lead, which will be 28 to 0 at that time. And that FG comes after Florida gets the ball on their own 39 with four minutes left in the half and runs off most of the four minutes getting two run up the middle and one bubble screen plays called during that timeframe. Unfortunately, poor time management (they did not get all the time run off the clock with their short drive (their best of the half) and leave 52 seconds on the clock. A&M runs 15 passing plays during those 52 seconds and scores on a perfectly thrown fade pattern by their true freshman QB to go up 35 to 3 at the half. A&M then quickly scores 10 points to begin the third quarter on a 26 yard FG after a fumbled kick return by Florida and then scores right after the next kick off when Franks drops back to throw a bubble screen, gets confused, and instead throws the ball over the middle to Powell who is once again tripled covered and a A&M DB intercepts the poorly thrown pass and runs it in from the Florida two yard line for another TD. A&M takes pity on Florida and plays their fourth string team the rest of the way. But, after the Florida offense crosses the 50 yard line once but fumbles the ball away…..after 3 in motion penalties and one personal foul…..A&M puts its 3rd string defense in the game and Florida does not achieve another first down the rest of the game. After the game, MacElwain states, “There are a lot of hurting players in that locker room. But, heck, what about that crowd in the Swamp tonight. That was cool, man. They stayed nearly through the first quarter. Loud, man. But we got to see what the Swamp looks like at night when everyone but the players have left the stadium. How cool is that? That is a piece I have not seen before. Cool piece. I could hear the A&M coaches calling plays. Cool. Must try that strategy again next week, during the bye week. Cool piece right there. Will get that right during practice. Be it the thing you know. With us, the thing, you know. Cool piece right there. A&M gave us a cool piece. Looking forward to the team practicing all week. You know, putting this game behind us. Learn from it. Get cooler than before. And to borrow a cool piece from Ron Zook, get better and better before heading over there to Jacksonville. You know, over by that cool looking river that flows north. How cool is that? Flows north. We a should try that in practice this week. Flowing north. That would be a cool piece to add. Got to go talk to Douglas about that piece. Go Gators.
Lol Rick very funny “piece” right there. I needed that. He needs to figure out that scoring “peice”. Haven’t figured out during sideline interviews is he nervous or about to cry with the voice cracking? Sounds like I did doing a book report in front of my class in the 10th grade. Go Gators! Find a way to win!
Isnt that nearly crying voice so annoying! I agree!
But we have our new Nike lizard scale uniforms to play in!
Pretty cool, huh?
If we are not even competitive in this game, it will be an overall indictment of this coaching staff as a whole.
This will be a lopsided score, and so will the UGA game. Again I predict a best case scenario 6-5 but more like 5-6 season, pretty cool right? The dagger will be a loss to usce. The plain simple fact is this team is no fun to watch. Frankly, it hasn’t been for several years. I’ve been a gator fan all my life, and wouldn’t miss a game, now, it’s who cares. I love college football and there are plenty of other good games to watch. No reason to watch and get angry anymore.
The game against the Cocks will determine bowl eligibility. Who cares…all I care about now is beating the clowns.
This team was never going to be a Top 25 team. Then it got worse with Callaway gone and 9 others. Then Cleveland goes down, then Toney, then…..well, the list goes on. Best I can see is this team goes 6-5 and heads to the St. Pete Bowl. The real test, unfortunately for Gator fans, is if this team can be developed to make a run in 2018. Right now, the jury is out. Call it like it is. Tex A&M 34, Fla. 6. I have been a Gator fan for 50 years (since I was a little snot) so I hate to see a season lost like 2014. Regretfully, 2017 is looking like that. And THE PRO SET OFFENSE IS JUST THAT: FOR THE PROS. IT DOES NOT WORK IN COLLEGE. Please someone inform Mac the game has changed from 1980.
Question if Mac is such a good coach why did he recruit a guy that didn’t have a Quarterback coach near him in high school and probably not in pop warner either by the way he plays; Franks maybe a good fellow but he’s not the answer going forward and not the future neither is mac same as muschamp people defended him too and look what he put on the field
It’s a good sign when the consensus media picks the opposition to win. Not to disrespect the writers, but they are usually wrong with their picks on UF games. I think Mac and company pulls another rabbit out of the hat.
Florida 23
Texas A&M 21
Franks throws for 300 yards
And all of these dreadful fans will order the BBQ sauce for the crow on the their Sunday dinner plates.
Mac can “Aw Shucks” is way to an SEC title and I will not buy any of his sorry low-rent sauce!
ARRRRRRRRGHHHHH!!!
Hard to believe Robbie is a Gator fan. Having been one myself since 1969 (when UF blew out Houston in the first game – nobody saw that coming), I believe in the Gators with all my heart and soul. I pray that our team beats A&M and proves Robbie wrong – I would like to see Robbie eat crow. I have stood by the Gators through thick and then, through great seasons under Spurrier and Meyer and very mediocre seasons since. Win or lose I am a Gator fan and the last thing I am going to do is bad-mouth the Gator team or its coaches. If you are a true Gator fan, you will do everything you can to build your team up, to inspire their confidence, to urge them on to play their best, and God willing, be victorious. I hope the entire team reads my message – GO GATORS!
Neither Robbie nor Dooley is paid to be a Gator “fan”. While much of their writing ends up looking like they are paid shills for the UAA (possible, but unlikely), at the end of the day, they are simply columnists who get to write about sports instead of the more important issues of daily life. It’s a good gig, so read it for what it is. I agree with Gilmore and others that Mac should be secure for at least another year, and if he chooses to hitch his wagon to Nuss for that time, that will be his call (or Stricklan’s). In the meantime, we have basketball and spring baseball / softball coming up, which will a much needed boost to our enjoyment levels as Gator fans.
Time to begin our new head coach & offensive coordinator search as I do not see this season getting better. We will probably lose to GA & FSU. This lack luster offense & low key attitude by this coaching staff is unacceptable! Florida has not been the same since Meyer was the coach. I’m ready for a change asap!