SEC – Page 2 – Dug Jones

November 6, 2022 — Comments are off for this post.

From Where I Sit- Florida at Texas AM- November 5, 2022

Florida rebounded from a poor first half defensive performances to play what may have been their best second half defensive effort in several years. The Gator offense took too long to deliver a knockout punch, but mostly played well throughout the game. The combination resulted in a much-needed 41-24 away game SEC win.

In the first half, both teams moved the ball at will with each team scoring 4 times and punting only once. The difference was Florida was forced to settle for field goals twice to AM’s once. The Gators adhered to a disappointingly familiar end of first half script by failing to move the ball with 2:25 left and punting it back to AM just 21 seconds later. AM scored a touchdown a minute later to lead 24-20 at the half. Florida squandered the opportunity to extend their lead and went into the half behind instead.

For the second consecutive week, Florida came out of halftime having made better adjustments than the opposition and dominated the third-quarter. This week Gator’s generated 185 yards of total offense and scored 14 third-quarter points. The Florida defense allowed only 19 total yards and zero points.

In the 4th quarter, the Gator offense was pedestrian, but did manage a late short-field touchdown to, finally, ice the game after AM’s second turnover of the quarter. The Florida defense yielded 85 Yards to AM in the 4th quarter, but had two takeaways and forced a turnover on downs.

The game provided an array of noteworthy observations. Florida rushed for 291 yards and had zero turnovers. This combination will almost always result in wins. The very successful second half defensive adjustment was to use a variety of blitzes and stunts combined with tighter man-to-man pass coverage to create more pressure on AM quarterback, Haynes King. We saw an emergence of two younger Gator receivers as Ja’Quavion Fraziers caught 4 passes and Caleb Douglas caught 3. Both had touchdowns. Defensively, sophomores Antwaun Powell-Ryland and Princely Umanmeilen played well in expanded roles created by the dismissal of Brenton Cox.

Yesterday’s problem areas, beyond the first half defense, were penalties (a whopping ten) and another week of poor end of first half execution and game management. Special teams were good overall, but missed a 29 yard field goal in the 4th quarter. Finally, Anthony Richardson had 78 rushing yards on 7 attempts in the game, but his last rushing attempt (12 yard gain) was midway through the third quarter. Richardson really has to be a willing runner throughout the entire game for this offense to click.

Texas AM became Florida’s 6th opponent who spent time this season ranked in the Top Ten. Georgia (#1), Tennessee (#1), Utah (#7), LSU (#7), Texas AM (#6), and Kentucky (#7) all reached lofty rankings at some point this year. Life isn’t easy in the SEC.

This week’s win creates important momentum heading into the three remaining games. Florida now has the opportunity to become bowl eligible with a home win against an improved South Carolina team. The Gamecocks are 6-3 after this week’s 38-27 at Vandy.

Published by Dug Jones in Sports

Tags: Aggies, Florida, Football, Gators, SEC, Texas AM, University of Florida

October 31, 2022 — Comments are off for this post.

From Where I Sit- Gators At The Clubhouse Turn- October 31, 2022

The Gators make the clubhouse turn and head into the final third of the regular season and it’s time to talk about where this team stands relative to the expectations we had when the season began three months ago. There is, of course, both clear progress, but also some continuing areas of concern.

At 4 -4, Florida’s record is about where most reasonable fans expected it to be at this point. The seasoning opening win against a highly ranked Utah team prematurely recalibrated the expectations of the most impatient/least realistic Gator fans on social media. For those folks, fantasies of going 10-2 or 9-3 clouded their perspective and allowed them suspend the realities and limitations surrounding this team. Seven games later, the Gators have had great quarters and brutal quarters and are still striving to play a complete game. Inconsistency is the trademark of young/developing teams and Florida certainly fits this mold.

It is important, for context, to understand that the four Gators’ losses have come against teams that have all been ranked in the top twenty. Georgia and Tennessee are currently the number 1 and number 2 ranked teams. Kentucky and LSU reached numbers 7 and 15 respectively.

The competition in the SEC is intense every week and Florida still has three remaining opponents who are or have been nationally ranked this year. Even so, these last 4 games are all winnable for the Gators if the play well. They are also all losable if they don’t play well. A realistic goal is to finish 2-2 and be bowl eligible. This week, Florida is a 3.5 underdog at TexasAM. Of these last 4 games, the Gators may only be favored at Vanderbilt.

Florida fans have plenty to feel good about. Most indications are that the culture change that will be the basis for returning the program to prominence IS occurring. We see greater player accountability. We see less unfocused play. We see less selfish actions on the field. Clearly, there is some distance to still be covered and the talent gap (compared to top ten teams) remains, but measurable progress is being made.

Gator fans should be excited about this roster and the trends moving forward. Florida is only playing a handful of seniors. The entire two deep offense could return. Defensively, only Ventrell Miller, Amari Burney, and Trey Dean are seniors. This coaching staff is playing young guys for important minutes in critical situations. Etienne, Wilson, James, and McClellen are playing as true freshmen. Eight others are playing (on the two deep) as red shirt freshmen. Additionally, the 2023 committed recruiting class is already ranked in the top ten in the nation with several other highly regarded recruits still possible. Florida must finish strong to address the current depth and talent gap issues.

Of the other areas where there are concerns, inconsistent quarterback play is the biggest. There is no question about Anthony Richardson’s great attitude and his athleticism. His inability to manage games in the critical moments, however, is concerning. Hopefully, more experience will help. He simply can’t continue to do things that enable opponents. He has to learn things like staying in bounds when trying to run out the clock. He should know that throwing passes out of bounds on fourth downs, when trailing late in games isn’t useful. He can’t throw interceptions (especially on first and second down plays) and expect to win.

Richardson is at his best when he becomes an aggressive ball carrier. Somehow, perhaps injuries or perhaps a commitment to becoming more of a NFL type Quarterback, AR goes spells where he appears reluctant to carry the ball. He rarely keeps the ball on the read option until the offense is in desperation mode. He is this offense’s most dangerous playmaker and, assuming he is physically capable, he needs to embrace this role. Once he does, other things will come more easily.

This Florida team has shown a spirit to battle through adversity and stick together. That characteristic is encouraging. Special teams play and third down defense were improved in the Georgia game. Virtually everyone, including the coaching staff, seems willing to be accountable. This internal locus of control is also a key to sustained progress. There is no feel being displayed from the program of panic.

This week’s game in College Station will help define whether Florida is getting the corner turned and is ready to play a more consistent brand of winning football. Florida has the opportunity to make a statement with an away SEC game win as an underdog.

Published by Dug Jones in Sports

Tags: College Sports, Florida, Football, Gators, SEC, University of Florida

October 10, 2022 — Comments are off for this post.

From Where I Sit- Missouri at Florida- October 8, 2022

In many ways the Florida Missouri game this week was a continuation of the themes that have persisted through this season. Billy Napier characterizes the Gators as a work in progress. Indeed they are. We still see inconsistent play, especially at quarterback. Getting stops defensively in third and long situations continues to be frustratingly difficult. Tackling in space is still a problem for several key players. There has, however, been noticeable progress in other important areas. Changing culture and building depth both take time. The progress made isn’t always reflected immediately in terms of winning games. On the days where the programmatic progress is reflected in wins, the effort being made is energized. The Missouri win was important in this regard. Florida hadn’t won a conference game in nearly a year. Saturday’s win ended that drought.

Among the encouraging take-aways are the clear continuing reduction in focus/discipline related penalties and the large numbers of true freshmen playing important snaps. Florida had ONE penalty of any kind this week. The Gators are also enjoying improved offensive line play and the associated productivity gains in the running game. The Missouri game also featured Florida’s first big special teams play of the year and the Gator’s first “pick six”. Both fall in the category of being game changers. Another positive aspect, defensively, from the Missouri game was Florida’s 13 tackles for loss and 4 sacks.

If the Gators hadn’t also given up numerous third and long conversions (again this week), the defensive performance could have been characterized as very good. Of Missouri’s 9 third down conversions, 5 were on plays that gained more than ten yards. Of these, 3 within the final 8:30 of the game gained 18 yards or more. Clearly, there is still much work to be done in Florida’s safe/prevent coverage package.

Areas for work, offensively, include yellow zone execution and play calling. Excluding the clock killing possessions to end each half, Florida had eight possessions. One began at the Missouri 24 yard line and resulted in a Florida field goal. Two other long drives ended with Gator touchdowns. Four of the remaining 5 drives reached Missouri territory, but stalled beyond the 30 yard line and netted no points. Coming away with zero points on those four drives kept the game closer than it could have been. The Gator receivers also dropped several catchable balls this week. Typically, this year, the receivers have been reliable, just not explosive.

At the end of the day, Florida came away with an important (for measuring progress) SEC win despite a large time of possession deficit and execution that wasn’t especially sharp. To notch another win next week against LSU, the Gators will need to execute better than this past week and have fewer turnovers than the Tigers.

Published by Dug Jones in Sports

Tags: Florida, Football, Gators, napier, SEC, Tigers, University of Florida, university of missouri

September 27, 2022 — Comments are off for this post.

From Where I Sit- Florida at Tennessee- September 24, 2022

Ironically, the title for my blog is all too relevant for today’s post. I was able to attend the Florida vs. Tennessee game this past Saturday, but the wheelchair accessible seating in Neyland Stadium was atrocious. There was plenty of it, but it was all unelevated and situated directly behind the upper row of each section in the stadium. This meant, of course, that anytime anything interesting/exciting occurred and people stood up, my view was completely blocked. Gosh, who might have anticipated in the design phase, that people might stand up for the exciting moments of a major sporting event? As best as I could tell from the crowd noise and glimpses of the action, it was a great game in terms of fan experience for the able-bodied fans. Lots of big plays, huge crowd, and a tight finish.

There has been much written about the action by those who could see the game, so I’ll comment more generally about a concerning trend that is creating one of the biggest challenges for the Gators. If the Florida coaching staff can ascertain exactly what is happening to make the last minutes of the first half and the entire third quarter so difficult, the Gators could realistically finish 7-5 or even 8-4 this season.

Florida has lost the combined third quarter of the four games played by a score of 7 - 38. They’ve also allowed opponents to score on their last possession of the first half in every game. The Gators have started games and finished games pretty well (a combined 102 - 80 in scoring excluding the third quarters). One logical deduction is that opponents are making better adjustments during the halftime break. Not an especially surprising dynamic as the Napier era at Florida has begun with games against highly ranked opponents with established coaching staffs. Florida’s new staff is still gelling and refining processes.

Much progress, however, has been made by this coaching staff in many areas surrounding focus, discipline, and accountability. Once the staff also gets resolution to the “third quarter problem”, this progress will become even more evident and the final scores may begin to reflect the programmatic improvement being made.

Published by Dug Jones in Sports

Tags: 2022, Football, Gators, SEC, Tennessee, University of Florida, Volunteers

September 18, 2022 — Comments are off for this post.

From Where I Sit- USF at Florida- September 17, 2022

For Florida, the USF game was more of what we'd seen in the Gators first two games. I’m not sure we learned a great deal more this week. The first fifty nine minutes this week looked a lot like the Kentucky game and the last one minute was similar to the finish of the Utah game. Florida caught a couple of breaks to take a double digit lead in the second quarter both last week against Kentucky and this week against USF. In both games, they squandered the opportunity to take full control of the game by giving up late points in the first half and struggling offensively in the second half. A defensive stop in the waning minutes to end the half and points on offense on their offensive possession to open the second half would have given Florida a three score lead and created a very tough path for the visitors. Instead, the Gators allowed both teams back into the game and suffered the consequences.

The good news this week, against USF, was that Florida was able to regain footing late to score last and win 31 - 28. The finish wasn’t without tense moments, though. USF, like Utah in game one, moved the ball down the field in their last possession to be in position for an easy tying field goal. Again, like Utah, USF made a critical error to blow their opportunity. This week, with 50 seconds remaining and a first down at Florida’s 19 yard line, USF sandwiched a 14 yard loss between two short runs and had to settle for 49 yard field goal attempt instead of a chip shot. USF mishandled the placement and the kick was awkward and wide right.

There were certainly positive things to highlight from this week’s game, but clearly a great deal of work needs to be done before Florida is ready to contend for titles. When the Gators have the ball, the offensive line continues to do well and the running backs have been a bright spot. Defensively, Florida has been gritty and has battled hard despite tough circumstances created, in large part, by the Gators’ offensive struggles. Earning three turnovers from USF was a critical component in this week’s win.

The Gators offensive struggles surround Anthony Richardson’s challenges in running Billy Napier’s system. In each of the last two weeks, opponents have committed to taking away Richardson’s running productivity and forced him to complete passes. Both weeks, he made mistakes, lost confidence, became tentative, and failed. Once a defense has made an offense one dimensional, it becomes very difficult for that offense to be productive.

In second half possessions, Florida ran ten first down plays. Of these plays, five gained three yards or less, two were incompletions, and one resulted in an interception. Only two of Florida’s second half first down plays were productive.

The Gator staff may want to consider altering the passing part of the offense to emphasize more timing type routes where there are less variables to be read and decisions to be made. Perhaps also some designed QB runs, with blocking, that are not the read option.

The Florida defense hung tight throughout the game and avoided many gaffes resulting in big plays. The 4th and one misdirection play that went for 51 yards is a notable exception. USF, however, was able to move the chains relatively successfully by converting on a high percentage of third down plays (8 for 13) and 4th down plays (2 for 2). Disappointingly, 5 of these conversions gained more than 7 yards. Not surprisingly, Ventrell Miller was missed in the middle. His experience and leadership are critical. Interior defensive line depth is also a challenge that will continue to impact the team until the younger players gain much needed experience and new recruits arrive.

Gator fans should be content with this team’s 2 - 1 start with a new coaching staff and a schedule that includes two top twenty teams and no patsies. The schedule doesn’t get any easier this next week with an away SEC game against another Top Ten team. Playing away in the SEC is always an adventure and Knoxville is among the tougher venues.

Published by Dug Jones in Sports

Tags: Bulls, College football, Florida, Football, Gators, SEC, University of Florida, University of south florida

September 13, 2022 — Comments are off for this post.

From Where I Sit- Kentucky at Florida- September 10, 2022

If Florida’s week one game against Utah provided the Gator fan base the sense of optimism needed to validate Billy Napier‘s hiring, week two against Kentucky provided these same fans the dose of reality needed to help them manage expectations. Rebuilding a program from the ground up is an arduous process that takes time, especially in the SEC where the margins are tight. While many fans initially comprehend the need for patience, unexpected early success often confuses their perspective. Longer-term, sustainable, success is based on programmatic factors that take time to instill. Until teams have built a culture of accountability and recruited depth at all positions, they will be vulnerable to inconsistent play and injury or fatigue related vulnerabilities. Both of these factors impacted the outcome of this week’s Florida versus Kentucky game.

Even within the context of taking two steps forward and one step backward, the Kentucky game was hard to accept for most Florida fans. The Gator offense was virtually absent from start to finish. The 16 - 7 Florida lead with 4:12 remaining in the first half was a reflection much more on a solid first half defensive effort and Wildcat miscues. The Gators’ early offensive problems were based mostly around Florida quarterback, Anthony Richardson’s, struggles with passing accuracy and a Kentucky defensive scheme that accounted for Richardson’s running ability. The Wildcats prioritized defending the run game (linebackers in the box) and deeper passes (cover 2 in the secondary). This creates passing opportunities with crossing routes and mid-range curl routes. Unfortunately for Florida, Richardson’s early issues with accuracy prevented the Gators from taking advantage of what was given them. Had Florida been more successful, Kentucky would have had to drop linebackers into coverage (opening up the run game) or brought a safety up (creating opportunities for deeper passes).

The single biggest turning point in terms of momentum was when Florida not only failed to extend the 16-7 lead by closing out the first half with a good offensive possession, but turned the ball over to Kentucky at the Gator 6 yard line for a short-field touchdown. What could have been a 23-7 or 19-7 halftime score was 16-13 instead.

Still, even with such a rough first half, Florida had a half-time lead and an opportunity to turn things around offensively. The Gator defense did their part to seize momentum by stuffing Kentucky’s first possession of the second half. From this point through the rest of the game, however, the Gators accomplished just 91 offensive yards, 5 first downs, and zero points. Kentucky wasn’t prolific either, but used a pick six and two successful drives (one of them just 16 yards) to score 13 points and squeeze the life out of the Gators.

Even with this disappointing loss, there were high points worth noting. The Florida defense fought hard and made the Wildcats earn every yard. Kentucky averaged less than 2 yards per carry when running the ball. In pass defense, other than one 55 yard touchdown on a well-defended 50/50 ball, the Gators allowed only 147 yards on 23 attempts. Florida continued to play, on both sides of the ball, with more poise than last year. There were only three Gator penalties for the game and one of these was a very questionable (and critically damaging) roughing the passer call. The call gave Kentucky a first and goal at the 3 yard line instead of third and goal at the 6 yard line.

Florida, again, played many younger players including true freshmen. Post-game, the key players (especially Richardson) and coaches were accountable and accepted responsibility for mistakes. The consistent narrative from all was a commitment to learn and grow. Even the Florida fan base was mostly resolute through disappointment at the missed opportunity. The week ahead brings a 24 point underdog, in the University of South Florida, to The Swamp and delivers the Gators an opportunity to move forward and beyond the Kentucky game. The Bulls, no doubt, will use the blueprint provided by Kentucky to game plan for Richardson and the Gators. The outcome on Saturday will be a reflection on how well this Florida team learns and grows.

Published by Dug Jones in Sports

Tags: 2022, College Sports, Florida, Football, Gators, Kentucky, SEC, University of Florida, wildcats

September 4, 2022 — Comments are off for this post.

From Where I Sit- Utah at Florida- September 3, 2022

The Billy Napier era at Florida began with a game that was an elixir for what ailed the Gator fanbase. Prior to last night’s heart-stopping 29 – 26 win over the #7 ranked Utah Utes, Florida had lost 7 of their last 8 “one score” games. They competed, but just couldn’t get it done in the final moments. Last night, the Gators drove to score the game winning touchdown in the last minutes of the game AND clinched the game with Amari Burney’s end-zone interception with a mere 17 seconds remaining. Beginning with the infamous shoe-tossing loss to LSU in December of 2020, Florida had found ways to lose more often than they found ways to win the close games.

This win was especially satisfying in that it extended Florida’s nation leading streak of “home opener” wins to thirty-two. While most of these game one wins were against weaker opponents, this one was an exception. Utah was not only a top ten team, but was led by a highly-regarded veteran quarterback. The Utes didn’t disappoint in terms of representing themselves very well in a tough environment. While the heat and humidity were certainly factors, they didn’t wilt down the stretch like many others. The crowd noise from the 90,000+ fans was intense, but Utah managed their snap count and communications without any obvious challenges. They had only two delay/procedure related penalties and one was intentional as they tried to draw Florida offsides on a 4^th down play. The Utes managed down and distance masterfully throughout the game and avoided difficult third and long scenarios. Of their 25 first downs, only 8 required third down conversions. Of the 8 converted on third down, the longest was third and 6 and most were in the 2 to 4-yard range. This is a very good running team and they made very few mistakes.

Florida was impressive in their ability to go toe to toe with Utah and refuse to cave in. Four times, the Gators fought back from deficits to tie or take the lead. Anthony Richardson’s growth as a quarterback was evident. He made (mostly) good decisions and managed the game well for a guy in just his second start (both against top ten teams, by the way). Richardson’s amazing athleticism was on display throughout the game, but it was his poise and decision making that was most impressive. He ran when it was needed. He avoided unnecessary hits when he did run. He made mostly good reads and threw to the best choice of receivers based on the circumstances. Only one third down completion came up short of the first down marker. And most importantly, only one ball thrown into coverage that could have been intercepted. All things considered, the Utah game was a big step forward for Richardson.

The Gators’ offensive line was good. Florida ran for 283 yards and averaged over 7 yards per carry. Both winning football type numbers. The passing yardage was more modest (168 yards), but the O-line didn’t give up any sacks (due in large part, however, to Richardson’s elusiveness). The Gators had three false starts for the game, but only one helped kill a drive.

All three of the Florida running backs contributed by earning tough yardage between the tackles. Montrell Johnson and Trevor Étienne both had good Florida debuts despite one fumble each (‘Etienne recovered his own, but Johnson’s was a costly lost possession) by averaging over 8 yards per carry on combined stats. Nay’Quan Wright was solid throughout. Each back brings a different skill set and provides important depth and versatility.

Xzavior Henderson led the Gators with 6 catches, but Ricky Pearsall was Florida’s top receiver in terms of yardage. He displayed what made him such an effective slot receiver for Arizona State last year. Florida’s longest passing play was for just 23 yards. Florida will need to show they can stretch the field to be successful in the games ahead.

Defensively, the Gators got pushed around the entire second half, but made two huge plays when it mattered most. The 4^th down stop (from the 1 yard line) and the preceding 3^rd down stop (from inside the 3) on Utah’s first drive of the second half preserved a 14-13 Florida lead at the time. The goal line interception, on 2^nd and goal from the 6 yard line, on Utah’s last offensive play sealed the game. Otherwise, for the game, the Gators gave up 446 yards of total offense and allowed over 7 yards per play. Utah didn’t have to punt at all in the second half. Still, Florida battled and had their moments against a really good running team with a versatile quarterback.

Ventrell Miller’s return to the lineup after last year’s season ending injury was significant. The Gators are a much more organized and solid team with him in the middle. The youth and limited depth in Florida’s defensive line was a problem, especially against a power running team with a veteran O-line like Utah’s. Florida substituted continuously to keep guys as fresh as possible, but this created some continuity issues and confusion when subs rushed on to the field just in time to get set before (or during) the snap. The Gators played, defensively, a bunch of young guys and guys new to the program, so things should improve with experience. Shemar James played a bunch of snaps at the weakside linebacker. Devan Moore started and played most of the important plays at one cornerback. Five guys were first time starters.

Florida played, for the most part, with a greater level of focus and poise. For a few guys, missed assignments (contain and/or gap control) were problems, but the Gators didn’t have any of last year’s personal foul type penalties. Trey Dean was the only Gator who has obvious challenges managing his emotions. Fortunately, the officials ignored his post-play yakking and post-game antics. It may take the coaching staff a little longer to shape his maturity and team first focus.

On a side note, I may feel differently when I watch the replay, but my first impression is the Pac-12 officiating crew wasn’t good yesterday. Cam Rising may very well have scored for Utah on the Gators third down stop preceding the big fourth down stop. They missed what was probably a goal-line pass interference on a first half deep ball to Xzavior Henderson. They also called an obvious incompletion, complete, on Utah’s last drive. Everyone was confused by the 10 second “run off” enforced in the last minute of the first half when Florida had the ball and the injury was a Utah player. Finally, they continuously failed to allow Florida adequate time to make substitutions before the snap to counter Utah substitutions.

Next week, Kentucky will provide another big (but different) challenge for the Gators. Playing at home again will help, but the Wildcats return a strong team that beat the Gators (in Lexington) last year. Will Levis is another experienced quarterback and Kentucky has experience playing in the toughest, loudest SEC stadiums.

Published by Dug Jones in Sports

Tags: 2022, College Sports, Florida, Football, Gators, SEC, University of Florida, Utah, Utes

November 29, 2021 — Comments are off for this post.

From Where I Sit- Championship Mentality- November 29, 2021

Sunday’s announcement of Billy Napier as the University of Florida’s new head football coach turns the page on a disappointing season and begins the process of rebuilding a consistent winning culture for the Florida Gators. Napier will be Florida’s 5th head coach since the 2008 National Championship season. The pattern for the last three hires has been two or three good years, one bad season, and gone. Expectations in Gator Nation are ruthlessly high. Here’s to hoping Napier is up to the task.

The box score from Saturday’s game against Florida State provides an excellent snapshot for where the program stands today. Just enough talent to overcome typical errors and win a home game against an underdog. The Gator’s weren’t poised enough this season to win road games or to upset favorites in the swamp. There weren’t any games, excepting the home loss to Alabama, where Florida exceeded expectations. On Saturday, the Gators added to their SEC leading penalties total with 13 more. They also added to their SEC leading interceptions thrown total with three more, two of them on FIRST down plays.

Beginning with day one, Billy Napier will have work to do reassuring and confirming Florida’s 12 currently committed 2022 recruits. He will have until the December 15th early signing date to add up to about 12 more commitments. By reputation, Napier is a strong recruiter, but recruiting is about building relationships and three weeks isn’t much time. Best case, he might close this recruiting cycle successfully by adding a few highly regarded Gator leans and then looking to the transfer portal. Realistically, the 2022 class is about damage control.

The second item that should be at the top of Billy Napier’s priorities is rebuilding a winning culture within the Gator football program. This task comes with a great deal of complexity and is unavoidably incremental. It isn’t about swagger. Beginning with swagger places the cart before the horse. It is about creating a mindset, individually and collectively, that reinforces an internal locus of control and accountability. It’s also about having a culture where TEAM results are the end game.

Questioning the Gators 2021 team effort level is the easy button for fans who might equate outward emotionality with effort, but Dan Mullen and team leaders have been clear in stating the problem hasn’t been about effort and desire. They have regularly attributed this season’s losses and failures to inconsistent focus and reoccurring mistakes.

We live in a world where the values that have historically supported team play are no longer universally held. Individualism and personal goals are greater priorities now for many. Increasing numbers of people aren’t willing or, perhaps, capable of delaying immediate gratification in favor of longer-term, bigger picture goals. This has been a big part of the problem for the 2021 Gators. Napier must build a culture for the 2022 team and beyond where mental focus and individual accountability for team goals is the measuring stick.

Mental focus aligns directly with both having an internal locus of control and with reducing external distractions. Individual accountability results from having clear standards and expectations that are reinforced when met and punished when they aren’t met.

The most successful athletes have a strong internal locus of control. They focus on the things they can control and work tirelessly to improve their ownselves. Their primarily source of motivation is on becoming the best version of themselves possible. They don’t need to be motivated by proving others wrong. They simply ignore the negativity of others because they are too busy working on the things that improve their own game. Responding to criticism on social media is the very least of their priorities. Their number of Twitter followers and their NIL agreements are clearly secondary to their football responsibilities.

The mindset during games for top performers is on making sure they are ready for the next play. The goal is to string together a series of consecutive good plays by maintaining game focus and not digressing into mini-celebrations and posturing after any decent effort. Trash talking energizes fans and social media, but most good players don’t need the distraction. They let their on field playmaking serve as their resume. This year’s Florida defense featured a handful of guys whose swagger was bigger and more consistent than their actual play. The frequent outcome was a good play followed immediately by a bad play. Staying focused and getting lined up and ready has to be a higher priority next year. On-field dancing to the music during dead-ball timeouts is time that could have been spent reviewing assignments and staying focused on the task at hand.

In terms of individual accountability for meeting team goals, consistently successful athletes play fundamentally sound assignment-based football. They fill assigned gaps and maintain contain on the edges. They line up correctly and know the snap count on each play. They understand down and distance and make in-game decisions that reflect an understanding of these concepts. They play as a part of a unit and subrogate individual attention in favor of team success. These are areas of needed improvement at Florida.

These are 18 to 22 year olds playing an intensely physical game in a high profile environment. Emotion and intensity are important components, but the ability to harness that energy constructively, deflect pressure, and perform at consistently high levels is a large part of what separates the top teams from the also rans. Without any doubt, Billy Napier’s ability to transform a program that lacked poise, focus, and accountability in 2021 into a consistent championship contender will determine if Florida is hiring a new head coach again in 2025.

Published by Dug Jones in Sports

Tags: culture change, Football, Gators, napier, SEC, sports mentality, University of Florida

November 14, 2021 — Comments are off for this post.

From Where I Sit- Cannibalism in the Gator Nation- November 13, 2021

Florida’s first half defensive performance today against Samford was a reflection, in some part, on what happens when you fire coordinators six days before a game and elevate someone who has never been a coordinator. This is why head coaches, even when they quietly know what’s coming soon, try to hold off on coordinator firings until a more rational transition period. Sometimes, however, a midseason firing is unavoidable to appease the media and a vocal fan base. A persistent vortex of negativity damages recruiting and sometimes the evidence of commitment to change can't wait. When coordinator firings do happen mid season, some period of chaos shouldn’t be surprising. Florida will really need to stabilize the defense quickly to be ready for next week’s game AT Missouri.

Despite the Gators' righting the ship today, after an ugly first twenty five minutes and going on a 42 - 10 run over the final thirty five minutes, the drum beats got louder from the “Fire Mullen” cannibals. For some, his departure is a foregone conclusion and their negativity has spiraled into concerns over what the coaching staff wears, whether the players sing the alma mater, Mullen’s dismissive treatment of the media, and an array of other peripheral issues. Clearly, there is trouble in paradise and something needs to be done to fix the ineptitude that has defined Florida’s last 5 games. The question, really, is whether Mullen is afforded a reasonable opportunity to fix things himself and, if so, how much time he gets.. Firing two coaches last week didn’t immediately solve the problems. Some believe Mullen needs to win both remaining games to make it to next season.

I understand we now live in an “immediate results” society where persistence through adversity and delayed gratification isn’t easy to accept. I also understand that $7.2M is a lot of money. The decision points, right now, aren’t really about either of these. The $12M buyout for Mullen is also a lot of money and starting over with our 5th head coach since the 2008 National Championship doesn’t ensure success more quickly than giving Mullen another season.

The expectations at Florida ate up Jim McElwain, Will Muschamp, and even Urban Meyer. Who could Florida hire right now that would, without question, get the Gators to the College Football Playoff within four years? The other two finalists when Mullen was hired by the Gators (Chip Kelly and Scott Frost) haven’t done as well as Mullen. Maybe Mullen was too good in his first three years and there is no going backwards to be tolerated? The University of Florida is one of a handful of places where there is no grace period, but maybe the more successful approach is to be a little more patient? As one example, Jim Harbaugh is in his 6th year at Michigan and the Wolverines are currently 9-1. In 2020, Michigan had a losing record. Perhaps Florida should choose that path instead of the paths taken at places like Tennessee and Texas? If so, just maybe their patience will be rewarded.

Published by Dug Jones in Society, Sports

Tags: coach, Florida, Football, Gators, mullen, SEC, University of Florida

November 1, 2021 — Comments are off for this post.

From Where I Sit- Georgia at Florida (in Jax)- October 30, 2021

The Gator fans who have been clambering for Anthony Richardson to start got their wish. They also got to see why it’s so tough for freshmen quarterbacks to be effective against top tier SEC defenses like Georgia’s. It isn’t just about sequences like the last two minutes of the first half. It’s also about having the ability to change play calls at the line of scrimmage and having mastery of the full array of play options. This is why Dan Mullen was reluctant to bench junior starter, Emory Jones. Still, Richardson earned important experience and remains an exciting piece of the future.

Florida has underachieved this year due to problems in three main areas. The first is the number of turnovers. Gator quarterbacks have thrown 14 interceptions. This is twice as many as all but two other SEC teams. The next highest total is four less than Florida’s total. The especially disappointing reality around this statistic is that Florida is one of the nation’s best running teams. Typically, a strong run game means defenses have to bring linebackers and the strong safety into run support. This opens passing lanes. The interceptions have not only been drive killers, but have also been catastrophic in terms momentum swings. Two have been returned for touchdowns and six others gave the opponent the ball on the Gator’s end of the field. The Florida offense has made life tough for the Gator defense.

A second problem area has been a general absence of “explosive” scoring plays in SEC games. Opponents have taken away vertical pass routes and forced Florida to move the ball incrementally down the field. When the Gators haven’t turned the ball over on these long drives, they have often stalled in the yellow zone (between the opponents 20 and 33 yard lines).

Focus related challenges have been a third area of concern. An abundance of illegal procedure penalties have hampered the offense. The defense has been plagued by poor fundamentals in tackling (an average of 12 missed tackles per game) and a failure to contain by playing edge assignments properly. These types of lapses destroy offensive momentum on the offensive side of the ball and extend the other team’s drives on the defensive side of the ball. This year’s Gators haven’t been able to overcome the adversity they’ve often created for themselves.

Florida faced two #1 teams and two tough SEC road environments over the last six weeks, but now has four very winnable games left on the regular season schedule. These are the circumstances where character determines the direction a program moves. Teams that are able to redirect energy and focus on team oriented goals will improve and position themselves for the future. Teams that lack leadership and are distracted by social media criticism will dissolve into negativity and focus on individual priorities (like NIL and unwarranted swagger) and fall apart. The next four weeks will define the 2021 Gators.

Published by Dug Jones in Sports

Tags: Bulldogs, Florida, Football, Gators, Georgia, SEC, University of Florida

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