It was there, caked over social media, strewn across the faces of all the students that were shown in the stadium. The all too familiar 2013 feeling of, “Oh, my God, this is happening.”
After 30 minutes of football, the Florida Gators and Kentucky Wildcats were tied at six. It was the first time that Kentucky had entered the locker rooms at the break with either a lead or share of the lead since 2003. It was also just the fifth time in the last 28 meetings between the two schools that the Wildcats held the Gators to under 20 points in the first half.
“Offensively, I felt like in the first half we battled some position issues,” Muschamp said. “We had some open throws, we didn’t hit on them. We had four or five shots in the game that we missed down the field.”
It’s true. The Florida Gators offense that moved the ball at will a week ago looked sluggish, offbeat, out of synch and even 2013-esque.
Jeff Driskel was bad through 30 minutes. A complete regression from the progress he showed against Eastern Michigan. Driskel was a putrid 7-for-20 for 116 yards and an interception. He looked uncomfortable as Florida’s offensive line struggled at time to protect him and he wasn’t able to take advantage of one-on-one situations he had with receivers outside.
“I think on the deep balls I didn’t do a good enough job of giving us a chance down the field,” Driskel said. “We got on top of some guys a few times, but right now I’m not thinking about that. I’m just thinking about the plays we didn’t make.”
In the first half there were only a couple of players making plays. Demarcus Robinson had six receptions for 107 yards through 30 minutes (he would finish with a school record 15 receptions for 216 yards and two scores.) The Gators were also able to move the ball on the ground efficiently, averaging 5.95 yards-per-carry between Matt Jones and Kelvin Taylor.
Still, the game was tied at half and it was once again a boring showing from Florida’s offense. A show we have seen all to often.
After a first half dominated by punters, the offenses stole the show.
Driskel transformed (although he was never impressive on the night) to go 10-for-13, 114 yards and two scores. While Driskel and the offense started trading punches with Kentucky, it was an uncharacteristic performance from the Gators’ defense that kept the Wildcats in the game.
In 2013, the Gators held Kentucky to just 173 yards. Kentucky put up more yards than that (176) in just the third quarter against Muschamp’s defense. There were miscommunications in the secondary and just overall down play that has Muschamp concerned.
“They had six big plays for 173 yards,” Muschamp said. “When you play a team that is willing to throw the ball vertically that much, there’s going to be some 50-50 balls. We need to play the ball better in some situations. We didn’t and that was very frustrating.”
The game entered overtime tied at 20. Kentucky wound up and delivered a knockout punch to the Gators when Stanley “Boom” Williams took the first play in overtime 25-yards to the house. Florida would answer, barely, with a nine-yard touchdown pass to Demarcus Robinson as the play clock ran down to zero.
It was sloppy, far from the offensive masterpiece that Florida produced a week ago in The Swamp but at the end of the day the Florida Gators are 2-0 and there was at least one positive to take away from the first conference win of the season.
“The positive of it, it’s a very adverse game. There’s gonna be games like that when you play in our conference and you gotta find ways to win those games and our guys found a way to win the game,” said Muschamp. “So that’s a huge positive. Just showed some resiliency fighting through adversity and all of the positives in that. A lot of things certainly to be corrected.”
They’ll need to be corrected in a hurry. Florida has a date with Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa in less than a week’s time.
Nick-thanks for keeping it real… Exciting game. Nerve wracking affair, to say the least. I guess it’s how we come out of this that defines our season. I want to say a lot of stuff, but I’ll save it for you folks that are better versed…it ain’t gonna get any easier. We’ll have a better sense of who we are after next weekend. Go Gators.
I think we’re missing a couple of big things here because everyone wants to go into panic mode after a close victory over Kentucky.
First: Kentucky is much better, and this is not a slight against anything Florida did yesterday. Kentucky is simply a much, much better team this year. They have guys that can actually make plays. The catch in the 3rd along the sideline was a play they could not have made last year. The coverage was there, but they had a WR that could make the tough catch. That is different from the previous few Kentucky teams. The TD run in the first OT. Not to get crazy here, but that was a play we saw Percy Harvin make, or even Andre Caldwell against Georgia. The D was there and in the right spot, but he simply made an unreal athletic move and beat it. Those are just two examples to prove the point. Kentucky is better and I am now thinking they will take the Gamecocks out when they come to visit Lexington. This game will feel much different by season’s end.
Two: Sure the offense did not score in the first half and Driskel struggled, but I think we are missing something else here. The offense did in fact move the ball pretty well. I believe we had close to 250 yds in the first half, but only three points. Which is a weird stat, but it shows strides in the right direction. The offense can actually move, guys, and that’s new.
Three: The offense could not finish three pretty good drives with TDs in the first half, but in the second half it has to be noted that we have an OC now who can actually make an adjustment. He found what worked and exploited that over and over in the second half. This is also something we did not have last year, or the last three years, really. If our offense came out bad we saw the same thing over and over until the end of the game with no changes or improvements within the game. Last night was a different story.
Four: We had 500+ yards of offense heading into the OTs (600+ after, but I don’t like counting OT stats). When was the last time a Gator team had 500+ yards in two straight games? And we threw the ball for well over 200 yards in two straight games. That is also something we haven’t seen much here lately.
I don’t remember anyone saying previously that this Gator team would beat Alabama, FSU, or win a title, but to ignore obvious improvements is to do a disservice to what we are seeing. This team is more than capable of beating two out of the three Georgia, South Carolina, LSU teams we have seen so far this year as well as Tennessee. Maybe Alabama and FSU aren’t in the cards, yet, but that may be coming . No they are not ready to conquer the world this year, but things are changing.
One big positive is that the Gators finally seem to have a playmaker at wide receiver in Demarcus Robinson. The preseason hype about him was true, but all the rest seems to be a case of propaganda again. Jeff Driskel is , well, still Jeff Driskel. The black studio analyst at the SEC network said it best during halftime: “Jeff Driskel can’t hit the side of a barn.” The big question is whether Kentucky is a good team this year or is Florida still a bad team? Right now, you have to question if Florida will have a winning record this year. Only Vanderbilt and Eastern whatever look like sure wins. The next two games will seal UF’s fate. I don’t think anyone now expects this team to go into Tuscaloosa and come out with a victory, but UF needs to not get blown out like a bad team would do. After a bye, UF travels to Tennessee. It is a must win game for UF. If UF loses, it’s time to get a new coach and a new quarterback.
I do feel sorry for Kurt Roper though, he is now learning what those who went before him learned the hard way. namely, that Jeff Driskel may look great in practice, but when a real game comes around, he still doesn’t have what it takes to be a good quarterback. It’s not the X’s and O’s, it’s the Jimmy’s and Joe’s, Maybe UF has a good quarterback right now, but it’s not the current starter.
SNOWPRINT…
Although I have read your comments for as long as you have been posting here… I must admit that this is the fairest thing you have written so far. And I know that it is unrealistic to ask for fairness in an unfair world… but that’s all we are seeking… commets that are fair and balanced.
As a rival fan, your comments in the past have dug pretty deep into our Gator hide… Many of us, have just said, “Okay… here he goes again.” But many will find that MOST Florida fans will own up and tell you that you right when comments are expressed in an open, kinder way. So, thank you.
You questioned if Florida would have a winning season. I firmly believe they will. The offense, with or without Diskell will get better… and lets hope that Muschamp, being a defensive coach will get our your and tender DBs up to speed. As for former offensive lineman, I am personally worried more about our lack of a past rush, etc.
We shall see. Alabama may surely beat us but I agree with you… as long as we are not blown out… that would be progress against the number 3 team in the nation… at their house.
Unfortunately, I think JD should be playing on our baseball team.
Kevin O’Sullivan’s squad is stacked this season. Driskel wouldn’t play there.
Oh dear, was SNOWPRINT right with all his sobering pre-season comments? Though his constant “glass-is-half-empty” remarks was not what this optimist wanted to hear, one recurring comment could not be argued: We won’t know how good we are until we play a good team. Was Kentucky that team? Though the ‘Cats are definitely on an upward trajectory, I got the feeling we were helping them look their absolute best.
We’ll see how good Florida is this week against Alabama.
Many of you are overlooking some fairly obvious truths. (1) Driskel did not play as badly as most of you are stating. Yes, he overthrew some deep balls (not by much) and made a couple of bad decisions (1 leading to an INT), but he still ended the game with almost 300 yds passing and 3 TDs, 1 of which was a gutsy 4th down throw in the first OT. Sorry, but experience matters in those situations, anyone else at QB thats either an incompletion or delay of game penalty. (2) there were a number of drive-killing dropped balls that should have been caught. (3) Driskel led this offense up and down the field all game, ensuring that our defense get much needed rest on a very humid night. (4) 2 blown defensive coverages directly led to 14 pts. Finally, (5) there were no less then 3 dropped balls by our secondary that should have been intercepted. Most of the above will be corrected as we get more game experience. I honestly believe winning a game like this against Kentucky is BETTER then blowing Kentucky out…..this was a great learning experience for this team, and they fought through the adversity and came out on top…..something that we did a lot of in 2012. Really proud of this team…..Go Gators!
There were PLUSES and MINUSES in the game. The offense did move the ball… It was boring to watch the power play followed by an occasional counter. I hate to say it but JD has to run the ball (and risk getting hurt) to make this offense work like it was intended. I was very impressed with #11 Demarcus Robinson – however the others have to step up and support him. They dropped too many easy catches and are not helping the O. I have to say that the long balls JD attempts to complete are more of a hope and prayer…. they are always too long or out of bounds…. The backup QB – TREON HARRIS might need to be subbed in on long passes…He seemed to have the long ball touch…. 2 for what 140 yards… I know it was not Kentucky it was western Michigan….But his log ball looks more than a hope an prayer. This is one thing Danny Wuerffel MASTERED. I remember watch Danny in high school at Fort Walton Beach throwing the long ball. He was a master. Driskel seems to be better at running than the long ball…. RUN THE GUY….. If he gets hurt…Step up to # 2 or #3. One thing that might make Jeff a better passer is not taking that hit from the missed block on his blindside…LEARN TO PROTECT HIS BACKSIDE or roll him out… USE his strengths…. On defense, I think it’s time and practice…. They will be ok as long as the Defense can do more then they have and not keep them on the field all the time. The final plus and minus is the PUNTER – Kyle Christy is the real deal… He alone kept us in the game Saturday night against Kentucky… Kicking out of his end of the field multiple times and excelling was awesome…. However it looks like field Goals are going to be a sore point again this year…. Valez and Hardin have got to be much more reliable… how many time did FSU lose because of a kicker…. Time will tell if the Gators have changed, but Saturday was both boring (power run) and exciting (Demarcus Robinson)….Go Gators.
There were PLUSES and MINUSES in the game. The offense did move the ball… It was boring to watch the power play followed by an occasional counter. I hate to say it but JD has to run the ball (and risk getting hurt) to make this offense work like it was intended. I was very impressed with #11 Demarcus Robinson – however the others have to step up and support him. They dropped too many easy catches and are not helping the O. I have to say that the long balls JD attempts to complete are more of a hope and prayer…. they are always too long or out of bounds…. The backup QB – TREON HARRIS might need to be subbed in on long passes…He seemed to have the long ball touch…. 2 for what 140 yards… I know it was not Kentucky it was Western Michigan….But his long ball looks more than a hope an prayer. This is one thing Danny Wuerffel MASTERED. I remember watch Danny in high school at Fort Walton Beach throwing the long ball. He was a master. Driskel seems to be better at running than the long ball…. RUN THE GUY….. If he gets hurt…Step up to # 2 or #3. One thing that might make Jeff a better passer is not taking that hit from the missed block on his blindside…LEARN TO PROTECT HIS BACKSIDE or roll him out… USE his strengths…. On defense, I think it’s time and practice…. They will be ok as long as the Offense can do more then they have and not keep them on the field all the time. The final plus and minus is the PUNTER – Kyle Christy is the real deal… He alone kept us in the game Saturday night against Kentucky… Kicking out of his end of the field multiple times and excelling was awesome…. However it looks like field Goals are going to be a sore point again this year…. Valez and Hardin have got to be much more reliable… how many time did FSU lose because of a kicker…. Time will tell if the Gators have changed, but Saturday was both boring (power run) and exciting (Demarcus Robinson)….Go Gators.
I agree with one of our posters comments…Driskel needs to run the bloody ball. It isn’t good when Kentucky’s QB knocks out a longer run than our guy. Coaches are too worried about hurting players feelings or something. Put it the new kid for some plays. If he shines Driskel can sit for s bit. Makes them both better. All the top 25 teams hit guys on bombs all day long-that’s not our guy. But he is improved and we need to have him use his legs. He did get us the win, but we’re just not suing him as a complete player. JMHO. Next week prime time. We’ll see what we have. If we play a first half like the Kentucky game we’ll be down by 25 before halftime. Maybe… just maybe. I have a question: How can a coach come into a place like Kentucky and turn a program around that quick? It it coaching? Is he a better recruiter? Or is it both? Go Gators.
Malscott I think it’s not a given that Mark Stoops has made Kentucky a good team suddenly. UF would have easily won the game if Jeff Driskel was an accurate passer on more than horizontal throws. No, I think Kentucky is still a bad team. The question is whether UF had a bad game, even good teams have one sometimes and still manage to pull out a win. Or is UF still a bad team? Last year’s bad team was still able to go on the road to Kentucky and win easily, this year’s team needs three overtime periods at home to beat Kentucky. I may be wrong about Kentucky, but I am sure that Alabama is a good team. Right now, the data that’s in says UF is a bad team, but it’s still very early in the season, there’s hope that can be changed. Roper needs to tweak the offensive game plan, I think going vertical is just a waste of a down with Jeff Driskel. You’re either accurate or you’re not, it’s not something you can fix. It should not be a surprise that Driskel isn’t accurate. Remember the first play of the Spring game this year. A long pass was called, something that I’m sure Jeff Driskel knew was coming for a long time and had practiced constantly. Yet, he still was off target. You can’t teach accuracy. Florida is considered to be about the same underdog to Alabama as Kentucky was to Florida. This should give hope to UF since Kentucky proved that a heavy underdog can still win, or come within an eyelash of doing so. One thing will have to improve dramatically though, the offense and secondary are obvious, but I’m talking about the defensive line play. Just like last year, it appears that Dante Fowler is the only guy who shows up. Alabama may not have a great quarterback, but neither did Kentucky, if UF can’t pressure the quarterback, UF’s young secondary will be exposed. Like Driskel, it’s time for Jonathan Bullard to prove he’s not another 5 star bust. It’d be nice to see him at least get near a quarterback sometime.