Shortly following the 26-20 loss to Georgia Southern — the University of Florida’s first loss ever to an FCS team — Will Muschamp called the moment a disappointment and an embarrassing day for the University.
He’s right. There are no excuses for Florida to lose to Georgia Southern. Throw injuries out of the window, the Eagles played against Florida without 19 players due to injury and had their 6th and 7th string “B” backs gain more than 100-yards against what used to be the SEC’s staunchest run defense.
When you get past the embarrassment of a six and soon to be seven-game losing streak there are learning points that can be taken from the game.
We found out why the gameplan against South Carolina was so conservative
Skyler Mornhinweg threw the ball five times through the first 56 minutes in Columbia. He finished with 13 pass attempts but seven of those came on the final drive while the Gators raced against the clock to try and get into the end zone. After the game Muschamp and Brent Pease said the game plan was conservative because Florida didn’t trust the offensive line to block Jadeveon Clowney and keep Mornhinweg upright.
I get sticking up for your player and the game plan against Georgia Southern was decidedly more open in the passing game but that doesn’t mean it should have been. Mornhinweg’s first three passes all should have been intercepted and for most of the night Mornhinweg was inaccurate.
Florida simply cannot win a football game with Skyler Mornhinweg at quarterback throwing the football. They couldn’t beat Georgia Southern doing it and they certainly can’t keep it close against Florida State with him in the lineup.
This team has an on/off switch
And it’s been turned off for most of the season.
Following a spirited loss to South Carolina on the road Gator fans praised the team for the way they fought. I praised the team for showing grit and passion for 60 minutes even if it was in a losing effort.
The same can’t be said of the performance last Saturday. This was a game where Florida just needed to show up and execute and a win was theirs for the taking. Georgia Southern turned the ball over twice in the first half and Florida couldn’t take advantage of it.
Coming into the game Eagles head coach Jeff Monken said his team would have to play near perfect to come away with a win in Gainesville. They played anything but a perfect game and it didn’t matter.
Florida has played inspired football a handful of times this season and the question as to why they can’t play the way they did in Columbia every week has to be asked.
Florida doesn’t deserve to go to a bowl game
Let’s be realistic. The loss two weeks ago in Columbia realistically eliminated Florida from going to a bowl game. It didn’t mathematically eliminate them, but there is no way this Florida team was going to win their final two games and go to a bowl.
Even if they won, they wouldn’t deserve a bowl game.
A home loss to Georgia Southern, or any FCS team for that matter is inexcusable. It doesn’t matter if they run the fun ‘n gun, wishbone or triple option. The talent gap between the two teams should be an insurmountable advantage in Florida’s favor.
This is the most embarrassing loss for the University of Florida since anyone on the roster has been alive and maybe ever. The inability to take this game seriously in the middle of a five-game losing skid is unfathomable.
Three players (Skyler Mornhinweg, Cody Riggs and Jon Halapio) stuck around to speak to the media following the game. Credit those young men for facing the music and trying to put into words what they had just gone through but this team as they are currently assembled and as they have shown throughout this season is not worthy of playing in any bowl game, not even the nobody cares bowl at 8 a.m. the day after Christmas.
hear hear!