cheezyq
1/9/2009, 09:30 AM
Watching the game, these two teams were evenly matched. In fact, I would say that, given some specific differences in playcalling, etc., that we were the BETTER team, as far as football talent goes. Obviously, that's moot now.
First, I'll congratulate catsigater, who was pretty much the ONLY reasonable gator fan on here. To the others, suck it.
Here are a few things I think would have won the game for us.
#1 - We didn't, and in some cases couldn't, run our hurry-up offense. Our offense all season long has been to get up to the line in a formation and snap it. Between the referees dawdling in getting the ball to the spot, the constant reviews and measurements, the FU defensive line slapping the ball away as we line up (which should have resulted in an unsportsmanlike penalty), and the incessant injury timeouts...there was no way to run the hurry up. When we finally did, it was effective against FU.
#2 - We DIDN'T run the offense that has been successful all year long. Why do we hang on to the shotgun formation? IT IS INEFFECTIVE AGAINST GOOD DEFENSES, PERIOD. This has been the case since Chuck Long was losing us the 2003/4 MNC against LSU. When we line up under center, we would run for 10/13/14 yards nearly EVERY time. Then a play action or two and we have that ball down the field in zero time flat. The 1 1/2 drives in the 2nd and the 1 drive in the 3rd that we did that, resulted in getting the ball in scoring position. The rest of the day, we wasted our time in the shotgun. I just want to know WHY, when it is such a blatantly obvious difference.
#3 - Playcalling. I think we got a little arrogant with our offense when we were in the redzone. We should have just taken the points.
#4 - I have to admit that our defense did better than I expected. But we got away from the one thing that was working in the 2nd half. When we stuffed the run and forced Tebow to pass, the game was headed our direction. In the 2nd half, it was as if we were suddenly scared of Tebow's passing, and generally got away from what we were doing.
This is what I want for 2009...and beyond:
#1 - **** the spread. **** the hurry-up. I hate it. Sure, it's been fun to see our offense score 60 ppg. But it causes SO MANY PROBLEMS, for US, not the opposition. We have more talent than almost every team we line up against, and that's what makes the spread successful. However, when we face teams with remotely good talent on defense, the offense stalls. All the shotgun does is TELL the defense WHAT we are going to do. Running from the shotgun has NEVER been effective against GOOD defenses.
I don't want us to do the 3-yards and a cloud of dust thing. But I want to see a pro set with a balanced offense that runs the ball and gets downfield with the play-action. I want to out-physical teams.
#2 - I want the most aggressive defense in college football. I want us to throw blitzes at people and attack like no one has ever seen. Sure, against some teams we may have to make some adjustments. But it has become MORE than obvious to me that we have the talent. We just don't use it well enough.
That's what I want.
Oh, and to you Florida fans that might be trolling around, now you know that speed doesn't matter as much as you think. This game was about execution, and THAT's why you won, not because your guys could run a 10.01 100-meters. We ARE just as fast as you are.
First, I'll congratulate catsigater, who was pretty much the ONLY reasonable gator fan on here. To the others, suck it.
Here are a few things I think would have won the game for us.
#1 - We didn't, and in some cases couldn't, run our hurry-up offense. Our offense all season long has been to get up to the line in a formation and snap it. Between the referees dawdling in getting the ball to the spot, the constant reviews and measurements, the FU defensive line slapping the ball away as we line up (which should have resulted in an unsportsmanlike penalty), and the incessant injury timeouts...there was no way to run the hurry up. When we finally did, it was effective against FU.
#2 - We DIDN'T run the offense that has been successful all year long. Why do we hang on to the shotgun formation? IT IS INEFFECTIVE AGAINST GOOD DEFENSES, PERIOD. This has been the case since Chuck Long was losing us the 2003/4 MNC against LSU. When we line up under center, we would run for 10/13/14 yards nearly EVERY time. Then a play action or two and we have that ball down the field in zero time flat. The 1 1/2 drives in the 2nd and the 1 drive in the 3rd that we did that, resulted in getting the ball in scoring position. The rest of the day, we wasted our time in the shotgun. I just want to know WHY, when it is such a blatantly obvious difference.
#3 - Playcalling. I think we got a little arrogant with our offense when we were in the redzone. We should have just taken the points.
#4 - I have to admit that our defense did better than I expected. But we got away from the one thing that was working in the 2nd half. When we stuffed the run and forced Tebow to pass, the game was headed our direction. In the 2nd half, it was as if we were suddenly scared of Tebow's passing, and generally got away from what we were doing.
This is what I want for 2009...and beyond:
#1 - **** the spread. **** the hurry-up. I hate it. Sure, it's been fun to see our offense score 60 ppg. But it causes SO MANY PROBLEMS, for US, not the opposition. We have more talent than almost every team we line up against, and that's what makes the spread successful. However, when we face teams with remotely good talent on defense, the offense stalls. All the shotgun does is TELL the defense WHAT we are going to do. Running from the shotgun has NEVER been effective against GOOD defenses.
I don't want us to do the 3-yards and a cloud of dust thing. But I want to see a pro set with a balanced offense that runs the ball and gets downfield with the play-action. I want to out-physical teams.
#2 - I want the most aggressive defense in college football. I want us to throw blitzes at people and attack like no one has ever seen. Sure, against some teams we may have to make some adjustments. But it has become MORE than obvious to me that we have the talent. We just don't use it well enough.
That's what I want.
Oh, and to you Florida fans that might be trolling around, now you know that speed doesn't matter as much as you think. This game was about execution, and THAT's why you won, not because your guys could run a 10.01 100-meters. We ARE just as fast as you are.