15 Thoughts: Four in Row.

We’ve gotta fix some things. Can we?

I will never, ever complain when we beat Florida. Whether we beat ‘em by 1 or 101, a win over the Gators is just about the best thing in the world. But after 8 games into the season we’ve got some issues that may or may not be fixable.

1. Could you sense it? That ‘ol familiar, nauseating feeling that when things begin to go sideways in that stadium against that team, we will most certainly lose. I think this is what sets Kirby Smart apart: No matter how much adversity any of his teams face, there is a belief that they will eventually overcome it, even when we gift the other team precious possessions like so much Halloween candy. We probably lose this game under any other coach not named Vince Dooley or Kirby Smart. Just my .02.

2. I hated seeing all the injuries during this game. Trevor Etienne got stuck in the ribs and couldn’t continue in the 2nd half. Compared to Florida, we were lucky. That turf seemed to be especially “grippy,” if that’s even a word. A lot of guys were getting orthopedic type injuries. There were Gators going down on virtually every play for a spell, beginning with DJ Lagway. I sincerely hope he has a speedy recovery.

3.

“And when they (QB’s) are good, they are very good. But when they are bad, they are horrid.” – Former Bowdoin College offensive coordinator, poet and educator Henry Wadsworth Longfellow on quarterbacks.

Volumes have already been written about Carson Beck, so I’m not going to pile on too much. He came up clutch again when we were deep in our own end of the field in the 4th quarter after Florida tied it up. His two picks he threw in the 2nd quarter were awful decisions and came after we were effectively moving the ball into Florida territory. He got away with another one later. The pick on our first drive coming out of the half wasn’t necessarily his fault as Florida dialed up a well-timed blitz. Ole Miss is absolutely salivating at the prospect of doing the same thing next Saturday. Through 8 games, the Rebels have 33 sacks; about 4 per game and are currently #2 in the nation.

4. Beck missed another sure-fire touchdown to Cash Jones on our first drive. This was a great call to isolate Cash on a defender down the right sideline. Deep ball issues are still a major problem.

5. I’ve seen a lot of Bobo bashing, too and I don’t think this is warranted. We had 457 yards of total offense ; 309 passing and 148 rushing. That’s pretty good balance. We are not extending early drives and not executing nearly enough on early downs. After 8 games, this is who we are. In today’s game, the clock runs and every possession is precious. If we don’t protect the football next week, we’re doomed. I think. We beat Texas on the road with 3 picks and pulled away from Florida with the same. Up is down, black is white, Gators Eat Boogers.

6. It certainly seemed like Florida gained more yardage than they did, on only amassing 259 in total: 113 passing but 146 rushing. The Gators got to our edges effectively in their zone blocking schemes, which was a bit disconcerting – especially on their final scoring drive to tie it up late. I felt our defense relaxed twice in this game: Just before the half when Florida drove the field in maddening style to kick a long field goal in 40 seconds after Lagway went down and the aforementioned touchdown in the 4th quarter. Poor tackling aided the Gators.

6A. Florida held a lot yesterday. Most went uncalled. Penalties were pretty even: Gators 5 for 42 yards, Dawgs 5 for 48 yards.

7. Nate Frazier is a great, young back that is only going to get better as he lives and learns. His running style reminds me a lot of Knowshon Moreno, as he has a great ability to find the hole and a burst that is fairly atypical of most backs out there. His pass protection still needs work and he did a freshman mistake when he scored his lone touchdown by performing the throat slash gesture. Kirby “mildly” admonished him for that indiscretion after the fact and brought it up in the presser. Youth is wasted on the young.

8. Every good, clean hit is going to get a targeting flag. These modern-day college refs are conditioned to throw the flag first, let the dust settle later. This was a great hit and perfect form-tackle by Daniel Harris:

9. No one maximizes his opportunities like Cash “Money” Jones. He really is a weapon and Bobo seems to have about 3 or 4 plays a game dialed up specifically for his skills set. I mentioned earlier that he should’ve had a touchdown on our first drive. He finally got some glory and it was all him:

10. We gifted Florida enough during this game. We finally caught a break when the Gators were poised to go up 16-13, but a bad snap ended up costing the Gators 31 negative yards and the ball. From there, we took the lead, got tied up, and then our talent and depth took over.

11. When true freshman Dwight Phillips, Jr. scored, I honestly had no idea who he was. Nearly every game we’ve played this year has been too close to allow for much of the guys down the depth chart to play. But Kirby placed him on the travel squad for a reason: Lack of depth. And this kid’s patience was rewarded. They designed something for #20 and it worked to perfection. Nice debut!

12. I was in school when the last senior class went 4-0 against Florida (1980-1983). That’s a long, long time ago. I don’t know what the future holds in this series, but I love where it’s going (warts and all) and were we’ve been since 2016. The streaky psychology of this series is in full force. I wonder if the Florida administration gives Billy Napier a Mulligan on this season due to all the injuries his squad has endured. They’re not a bad team. But they still eat boogers.

13. Special teams were good enough. Peyton Woodring hit a couple of important field goals, including a long 53-yarder. I thought Brett Thorson was a bit inconsistent. Malaki Starks was not particularly interested in trying to return punts, replacing injured Anthony Evans. He had 3 opportunities and did his job conservatively. I have absolutely no problem with that.

14. I guess I’m feeling a little bit like I did after we sleep-walked through a maddening victory over Mississippi State a few weeks ago prior to playing Texas. Based on that game, I didn’t feel like we had a snowball’s chance in Austin – yet we dominated. Same thing yesterday. This team played a C- football game against an overmatched opponent, yet we ended up winning a 4th quarter battle comfortably. We must now travel to Oxford, Mississippi to take on a team that looked like an offensive (and defensive) juggernaut yesterday. I have absolutely no pulse on this right now. I’m just glad we won on Saturday.

15. There was a lot of good that came out of yesterday. The team never panicked, and ultimately displayed what Kirby Smart preaches every day: Composure. The most important thing, of course, was we beat our most hated rival and bragging rights remain with the Red and Black. For me, living down here in the Swamps of Broward, that’s a fine thing indeed. I don’t work with as many Gators as I once did when I was in the TV bid’ness. But my neighborhood is full of “Gator Mom” and “Gator Dad” tags. My grocery store is usually infested with full-on Florida people with their Florida shirts and such. And that doesn’t bother me in the least. But when I show up to buy my provisions and am rockin’ my latest Georgia T-shirt or wearing my Georgia cap, it’s funny how a lot of folks don’t like to make eye contact.

How ‘Bout Them Dawgs!

BONUS THOUGHTS:

• James Franklin should probably start looking for a new home. If Florida gets rid of Billy Napier, he should be their first call.
• Why no flag on this play during last night’s Kentucky-Tennessee game? At least the SEC officiating crews are consistent. As in, they consistently suck.

• It’s Vandy’s world and we’re just living in it. The Commodores cruised into Hugh Freeze’s Brick House and handed Auburn their 6th loss. Vandy didn’t do a ton on offense, but their defense is actually pretty good. Meanwhile, Hugh Freeze’s popularity is Harsinian at best.
• I watched a bit of South Carolina’s butt whoopin’ over Texas A&M. Shane Beamer’s team is a dangerous out. That defense is still legit.

That’s all I’ve got. As Always,

GO DAWGS!