The High Five was having a wonderful weekend until Florida broke out those orange jerseys. You see something refreshing, I see Lindsay Scott running down the field. I see disappointing losses. I see dead people.
1. Hey, orange-jerseyed Gators, Larry Ochab just called to ask that you not wear them again.
2. A lot of e-mails about the fake field goal LSU hit on Florida. The ones that I can repeat on a family web site were asking about the legality of the play. Shouldn’t, I have been asked repeatedly, it have been considered a fumble and the only player who can advance a fumble on fourth down is the fumbler? No, it’s a lateral (barely) and it would be no more different than if a player bounced a backward pass to a wide receiver. However, there is a rule that states that a holder is allowed to have his knee on the ground only if the kicker is in position to kick or he fakes a kick. Once he leaves the position, as JoshJasperdid hen he sprinted to his right, the holder’s knee has to come off the ground. You can see on the front page of the Gainesville Sun it did not. The caveat is that this is at least the third timeLSU has run this play illegally (if my interpretation of the rules is correct) and has yet to be called for it. Should be an interesting conference call this week when the SEC officials get together with RogersRedding.
3. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen this before — Auburn, Alabama, LSU and South Carolina all bunched up together at Nos. 7, 8, 9 and 10 in the AP poll. I’m not sure what it says but they all have landed there following different journeys. And while the East is a mess, the West promises some high drama down the stretch.
4. Denard Robinson looked like a shoo-in for the Heisman before he threw three picks against Michigan State. Now, I think it’s wide open again. And this could be the year where a new precedent is set because I have Nebraska freshman Tyler Martinez high on my ballot. I also have Cam Newton up there. Wouldn’t it be something if Newton won. Could Florida claim a fourth Heisman winner? Just saying.
5. But my player of the week doesn’t go to a Heisman contender but to Oregon State’s Ryan Katz. I’m not a big fan of the defenses in the Pac 10 but Arizona was ranked second in the country before Katz lit the Wildcats up for 393 passing yards. He threw for two touchdowns and ran for another in the upset win.
This week
Not a great lineup, but don’t miss these:
Arkansas at Auburn, 3:30 p.m., CBS
Texas at Nebraska, 3:30, ABC
Ohio State at Wisconsin, 7, ESPN
Pat, I LOVED the Ochab bit, and I concur that Orange jerseys should be left in the 80’s along with parachutte pants…and I agree the jerseys were JUST ANOTHER DISTRACTION from the obvious:
WE DON’T HAVE MUCH CHEMISTRY ON THIS TEAM AND THE PLAYERS WHO TALK THE MOST – DISAPPOINT THE MOST!
The fight they showed to get back in to the game was commendable; the lack of forsight (fake) and big-stops was NOT!
I think IT IS the OTHER USC (SOUTH CAROLINA’S) year and I for ONE ENJOYED SEEING SPUR-DOG ROCK THE TIDE’S WORLD-NO, I LOVED IT!!!! GO SPURRIER all the WAY TO ATLANTA… as the GATORS, at least this year, DO NOT DESERVE IT !!!! maybe this will WAKE UP ADDADDADDAIIADDADZZZIO!!!!!! ha,ha sorry – i had to!
Pat,
My question is how do you not have your defense out their for the LSU field goal attempt protecting against a fake. Why go after the block of a 53 yard field goal. If they guy makes a 53 yard field goal in the Swamp, you tip your cap to him and move on to overtime at HOME! I would be curious as to what the special teams coach or Urban called on that play.
GO Gators!
Pat, I really believe I saw thru my orange and blue glasses the fake field goal was a forward pass by a couple of inches ( by the way, are the fans the only one who expected that play). But really irked me was the fact that the holder’s knee was down and I am glad to see that you are as intelligent as I am to recognize that fact and should have been gator ball. However, we still get no pass rush but have one on one coverage. I am very confused with both the offense and defense and the special teams. Besides that, I think everything is ok.
It seems that Addazio’s play calling is all the 90,000 fans talk about. His play calling, for a second year, simply is terrible. Yet I don’t hear you or other media mention it, which seems weird given that is clearly the hot topic.
My question is, are the media guys scared to talk about addazio (or write about him) out of fear of Meyer getting mad at them? It just seems like the media covering this team won’t discuss the purple elephant in the room.
Pat, you are right about the knee on the ground as it relates to holders, but the other thing is that he also touched the ground with the ball. So now you have a player that is essentially the quarterback in this play, touching the ground with a knee AND the ball. My problem with the outcome is not the review call, it’s the actual play itself. You have to have it one way or the other, but you can’t have both. If he can put a knee down to hold but not to fake, then he certainly can’t touch the ball to the ground! Regardless, we shouldn’t have given up the next pass and run to the 3 yardline. We really had them right where we wanted them-having to kick a 53 yard field goal to tie and the kicker’s previous long kick was 52 yards. Shame on the Gators for not finishing what they struggled to reclaim. Still, the play needs to be clarified.
Sure the whole Brantley/Newton thing could be a sore point by season’s end. But Florida has bigger issues than that. And, they begin with coaching. Meyer has not replaced irreplaceable assitants and some of his decisions and recruiting are looking pretty human. This may not only be the year that Alabama and Florida end up looking human, it could be the year that Saban and Meyer have to step down from the pedestals.
The orange jersey was just as desparate as the jump pass on third-and-goal last week. For a strong team with a good plan, these things seem a little beneath our dignity. Skip that garbage and focus on blocing and tackling, good decision making and sustained effort. “There is no shame in losing to a more talented opponent.” But I see a team with poor execution, lousy in-game adjustments and perhaps (dare I say it?) questionable coaching.
I’m not sure when I’ve seen a more unmotivational coach on the sideline as Urban. He sure wouldn’t inspire me. Why not let the players see some excitment whether it’s a good play or a bad play (whick we’ve had plenty of). I observed other coaches on Sat., and you see lots of emotion from all of them. Not ole deadpan, he should take a few lessons from his wife about school spirit. Where is the talent from our top recruiting classes from the last couple of years???
My concern is player number 1 on defense seems like he misses key tackles and rushes uncontrolled off the left side to block field goals (against LSU) and I think it was him, against Alabama he ran full bore to stop a run up the middle and Ingram ran right around to the outside of him. Saturday night when he saw the kicker running, why didn’t he slow and cover the kicker instead of full steam ahead and oblivious of what is really happening… I have never played football in my life but a 53 yard attempt with 3 minutes remaining in the game. Why wouldn’t UF be thinking, maybe this is going to be possibly, a fake kick? Do you think maybe some of our new coaches aren’t up to speed on coaching college football where more chances are taken during a game? I enjoy reading your football reports, you put some humor in your articles..
Don’t be foolish. Meyer isn’t going anywhere!
He should however take over the special teams. we’re giving up way too much yardage on kickoffs and punts.
I’d like to hear exactly what the coaches were telling the field goal block team AFTER the LSU timeout. I still can’t believe we were so dooped on that play.
Also the league needs to get involved that that play is illegal unless the holder gets his knee off the ground before he laterals.
The O-line play has been terrible, no push, no nothing, period. These guys should be all-world, so it boils down to a matter of desire. They seemingly don’t have the will to impose their will on the other team’s line. Until the fire gets lit, it’ll just be some big boys leaning on some other big boys, nothing more. Rumor says the seniors are just biding time until they get their NFL paychecks. Well those checks are going down the drain the way they’re playing. Can you say “Walmart Greeter”?
Please no more Orange Jerseys…or White helmuts…or Brantley running the option…
I was in school and lived through 0-10-1 with orange jerseys. I knew we were in trouble as soon as I saw them.
Not much we can do now about not getting the coaching line-up in order (new OD, when we new we would need a new offensive approach). The injuries are disheartening, but again little can be done about that. The best we can do at this point is rally behind the team and hope team leadership and cohesion can be enhanced and supported. Go Gators, through thick and thin!
And not more all-white uniforms! It looks as if the Gators are going to a wedding… Meyer should know better that psychologically, teams that are dressed in darker colors play more aggressive than teams dressed in lighter ones.
Whether the fake itself was illegal or not, with the play coming off a timeout, and the field goal attempt being from about 53 yards, our defense should have been watching for a fake. LSU has gotten a lot of pub for running this fake in the past, so it should not have been a surprise that they ran it in this situation. Even the network announcers suggested the fake might me coming.
“Wait ’til next year” Let’s face it, what ever the “issues”, UF is not a very good football team.
Why is Mack Brown not playing? Is he not good enough yet? It seems very selfish of the coaching staff to waste a redshirt year.
Coaches get outcoached.Ours just won’t admit it.When the other team lines up fpr a 53 yard field goal,and can only tie if it’s good, or lose if it’s bad and there is less then a minute left,G-d Bless him if he makes it. Let’s go to overtime.But,to not have the defense playing for a fake try was ridiculous.90,000 other coaches expected it in the stadium and they don’t get paid.
Urban Meyers is a real piece of dog waste. If Chris Rainey was attending UM he would have been booted off the team by Randy Shannon – no question. Meyers fear of losing allows a kid to break a core rule yet he can still get back on the team by meeting certain conditions – please. How many arrests since he took over? He doesn’t care about the personal caliber of the players and now the Gators have replaced UM as the thug program.
i like the orange.
it reminds me of when we were state champs while miami was natl champs.
of when we had 3 first round running backs on same team.
when we had second longest consecutive first round picks in college history
players like wilbur, emmitt, and lomas who dominated people
when we played fsu, miami, and southern cal as our non-sec cupcakes….what would spurrier and meyers record be with those teams in their heydey.
Pat, My eleven year old son asked me something I didn’t have an answer for after the Miss. St. loss. He asked, “Why don’t the Florida players shake hands with the other team after they lose?” He has to do it in his Pray then Play league. And, “Why doesn’t the team sing with the fans after a loss?” Maybe you could address it – he is starting to think they are poor sportsmen.