This Gator Country podcast focuses on recapping the Florida Gators win over South Carolina on Saturday afternoon in Columbia, South Carolina.
Andrew Spivey and Nick de la Torre break down Treon Harris’ play on Saturday, plus how the offensive played in general during the Florida Gators win.
Andrew and Nick also recap how their three break out players did on Saturday, plus they talk about how great this Florida Gators defense really is.
TRANSCRIPT:
Nick: What’s going on, Gator Country podcast listeners? Nick de la Torre, back from Columbia, South Carolina. My second Columbia of the year. Joined, as always, by the goat, the self-proclaimed goat, Andrew Spivey. Andrew, tell them how it’s going.
Andrew: It’s going great. Everybody on Twitter’s calling me the goat as well. Miss Amy called me the goat. It is what it is. The goat stare. It is a sad day. Our girl Ronda Rousey.
Nick: Oh my.
Andrew: Man, my woman crush Wednesday and every other day is Ronda, and poor girl. It was rough. It was honestly one of those moments where it’s like, I really didn’t know if I’d ever see Ronda get knocked out. Then when you’ve seen it it was like, wow. You’re speechless.
Nick: I thought that we could see Ronda get knocked out, because she’s not great on her feet. She doesn’t have great striking. It’s gotten better each fight, her striking has gotten better, but Holly Holm is a champion boxer, and that’s not just talking about her hands. She’s got footwork too. In the past, even Miesha Tate had hit Ronda where Ronda kind of was taken aback for a second, and then immediately threw her to the ground and threw her in an arm bar. The thing that Holm was able to do that was different was the footwork. Her footwork was so good so that when she shocked Ronda with the power behind her punch, and Ronda went for the takedown, went for a judo throw, because Ronda is an Olympian level judo practitioner, Holm was able to get out of the way. Then when she did get her down she was able to get back up. That’s the problem. Ronda can be a little stubborn, can be a little headstrong. Deep down she knew she couldn’t stand with Holly Holm. She would have to take it to the ground, and Holm just didn’t let her do it.
Andrew: I understand what you’re saying. She could have, but realistically did you ever think you would see the photos you’re seeing of her today where she just got dominated? Usually Ronda gets hit one time, gets pissed off, and is like, time to break your arm, home girl. Last night it was boom, boom, boom, continued. It was nasty.
Nick: What was it?
Andrew: It was nasty.
Nick: I was looking for the boom, boom, boom again.
Andrew: It was. My new word for the week is lit. I don’t know what that means, lit, but everybody keeps saying that fight was lit. Last night was lit, and it was upset Saturday. I think we always seem to have an upset Saturday where it’s like all of these teams fall, and it was like Baylor goes down. Utah goes down at 2:30 in the morning. Stanford goes down. LSU goes down. Oklahoma State should have went down to Iowa State. Iowa State just gave them the ballgame. Iowa had a shot to lose the Minnesota. Iowa pulled it out last. It was upset Saturday in the college football world, and the Gators win by 10. It’s like, maybe that 10 point win doesn’t look as bad as it does.
Nick: It’s one of those days where you queue up the Vince Lombardi, what the hell’s going on out there?
Andrew: Just win it, baby. Just win.
Nick: Crazy stuff happening on Saturday. That leads me into a rant. Normally Andrew Spivey is the one ranting and raving. This leads me into a rant. Gator fans, I know that the term fan is short for fanatic, that you want to break everything down. What is going on with you guys? Florida, throughout the game I see bashing of the offensive line, bashing of Treon Harris. We get more questions about recruiting than we do about football in the middle of football season. I’m getting asked questions about what does the team look like next year. Come on, man. Raise your hand right now, no one’s watching you. You’re listening to this podcast by yourself. Maybe you’re driving your car. Be honest with yourself. Raise your hand if you thought Florida would be 9-1 right now, before the year started.
Andrew: I’m raising my hand.
Nick: You shut your mouth. No you did not. 9-1. Nobody did. We asked Jalen Tabor yesterday after the game, and he told us a couple weeks ago Jim McElwain asked the team to raise their hands if they thought they would be in this position. He said not too many guys raised their hand, because they were being honest. This is a season that nobody could have predicted. Stop asking me questions about recruiting. Stop complaining about Treon Harris. Florida is 9-1. They are the SEC East champions. You guys are purchasing tickets to watch this team play in Atlanta. Enjoy what you’re seeing. Is it pretty? Are they going out and beating teams 56-0 on Saturday? No, but they’re winning football games. Just enjoy the ride this football team is taking you on, because you had no idea this was going to happen. Sit back and enjoy what’s happening.
Andrew: Here is the deal, Nicholas. Trust me, I’m with Coach Mac. Just win, but is Mac happy right now? Hell, no. No, he’s not. The problem is the offense has regressed instead of progressed. It’s not what you’re wanting to see. I am probably the biggest critic of the offense, and I’m also probably the most homerish of anybody when it comes to covering the Gators. I’ll admit that, completely. I’ll admit that. I don’t care. I always try to see things from the coach’s perspective, and, Nick, I think you will agree with me that 99% of the time I do try to come at from a realistic standpoint. Right now, from a standpoint of offense, they’re regressing instead of progressing.
Nick: Here’s the thing.
Andrew: They’re winning. Sure.
Nick: I know that Twitter is full of coaches and full of people who know better than the guys getting paid to coach the team, but Twitter’s not coaching. They’re not calling plays. While Jim McElwain and Doug Nussmeyer might be worried about what the offense is doing and this and that, the fans don’t have that pressure on them. Just enjoy this.
Andrew: It is, but here’s the thing. Let me take this to a perspective of what Mac says. Mac says Florida fans should expect to get to Atlanta. Isn’t that the message?
Nick: Yes.
Andrew: Okay. Expect to get to Atlanta. 15 opportunities, expect to get to the playoff. That’s what Mac says. I love Mac, and I agree with Mac’s message. Alabama fans are right now ready to ship Lane Kiffin’s ass out the door, because Alabama’s offense isn’t good enough, and they’re rolling over teams.
Nick: Alabama fans have been ready to ship Lane Kiffin out the door since the second game of the year.
Andrew: Right. I’m just saying, while I agree with your statement for 99% of it, it’s also okay to be pissed off about the offense. It ain’t pretty, boys. Here’s the thing though. It’s going to get better. Why? You have a genius, Jim McElwain, Doug Nussmeyer. Great offensive game plan. I told you this yesterday, Nick. I fully believe Florida State and Alabama’s offense, or Florida’s offense against those two teams will look a ton better. Why? Jim McElwain doesn’t want to get embarrassed. He knows he can run a shitty offense out and beat South Carolina, Vanderbilt, FAU. He knows that. He knows he can’t run that out against Florida State and Alabama. We’ll see. I understand the argument.
Nick: It’s just kind of like it’s almost like human nature and finding something to complain about, even when things are good. I mean, Florida is a fake field goal away from being 10-0 right now. You’re on a ride that nobody thought could have happened. Just enjoy it. I’m enjoying covering this team. My first year covering the team they were 4-8. Last year was 7-5. I was under 500 as a beat writer. I’m enjoying covering a team that’s winning. I’m enjoying the opportunity to go to Atlanta and cover a championship game. I didn’t even cover a bowl game my first year, and now I’m covering the SEC Championship game this year. I’m enjoying covering this team.
Andrew: Agreed. I’m not saying that this is not a great season. Let’s just be honest. This is a great season. You’re #8 in the country as of Sunday morning in the Coaches poll, probably about that in the AP poll, and I would say probably about that in the Playoff poll. You win, you beat Alabama, you go to the College Football Playoff, as long as you beat FSU, and I don’t think that’s a problem. I understand exactly what you’re saying. The things that I think bother me more than anything are the jabs at people of this guy sucks, he should be on this team. This guy sucks, he shouldn’t be this. Face it. If not for Treon you don’t beat Georgia. You’re not 9-1. If it isn’t for the offensive line you’re not 9-1. Think about it. This offensive line is the same offensive line that dominated Ole Miss. I’m agreeing with you in the perspective that fans shouldn’t argue about it, but to be upset about the offense I’m okay with.
Nick: Okay. I get that. Be upset about the offense, and wish it was better, but don’t let that consume you.
Andrew: Don’t let that ruin the fun.
Nick: Yes. Don’t let that consume you, and don’t let that take away from the fun that this year should be having that you should be having watching this team. You can talk smack again. You can get on FSU Twitter. You can let Miami fans know what’s up. This is a year you should just be enjoying and enjoying more so than saying, I wish we did this better, or I wish Florida ran the ball more effectively. Just enjoy winning.
Andrew: You’re not going to get an argument from me. 100% you’re not going to get an argument from me. I 100% agree with that, expect for the fact that I understand that you can be upset about it. I want to rattle something off to you. I just pulled this up, because I was trying to make the argument for you. Alabama for the longest time was a team that did not win pretty with offense. They were going to beat your tail on defense, and they were going to play just good enough.
I’m going to rattle off a couple games in 2009, Alabama’s national title under Nick Saban. Against Arkansas they had 35 points. Mississippi State 22. South Carolina 20. The beat Tennessee 12-10 on a blocked punt. 26 points against Auburn, and only 32 against Florida. That was in the SEC championship game. It was not good offense, so I’m okay with that. I’m making your argument for you completely. My thing for Treon is he’s doing just enough to win the game. This offense this year will not look the same as it will next year. I fully believe that. Hell, this offense doesn’t look the same if Will Grier’s playing quarterback for Florida.
Nick: That’s true. We had a thread asking on the message board would the Gator’s record be the same if Will Grier was the quarterback. LSU, despite what happened yesterday, LSU’s a pretty good football team.
Andrew: That’s where I disagree. I think if Will Grier goes to LSU Florida wins by two touchdowns. I continue to believe that. LSU is an okay football team, but Treon Harris, and I’m not taking anything away from Treon Harris. Let me go back. I’m not trying to bash on Treon. Treon is what he is. Will Grier makes every throw in the book. Will Grier has those two two minute drives at the end of the game.
Nick: The throw he doesn’t make that’s in the book is the throw the ball away play.
Andrew: Let me ask you this. Two minute drill, do you trust Will Grier?
Nick: Oh my God, the two minute drill and the four minute drill Will Grier was cooking.
Andrew: Florida had two of those to win a ballgame at Death Valley.
Nick: Yeah.
Andrew: Let’s go to the game. We’re rants on, because I have another rant coming in a little while about Butchy up in Knoxville, and it’s coming. No doubt about it. It’s coming. The Gators yesterday, Treon, I’m bashing on the guy, 19 of 33, 256 yards, touchdown and two picks though. Kelvin Taylor gets his 100 yards rushing.
Nick: Fourth time in his career, third time this season.
Andrew: Overall the offense struggled for a good bit. Nick, you and I had this conversation about Treon a little bit. He throws the ball to the guy when he’s open. He doesn’t throw him open. I am wondering, Nick, and I am being very hard on Treon, and I’ll say it again. This is nothing personal. I like Treon. I think Treon is a good football player, maybe just not a good quarterback. I am wondering if Treon understands the playbook and knows what’s going on as far as where everybody’s going to be. He’s not reading the defense from the beginning to know, this ball should be open. I’m going to look here and throw him open. This guy is going to be covered, so I need to go to second guy here. I’m wondering if Treon knows. Do you agree or disagree?
Nick: I’m not sure. Part of what I say about Treon Harris, part of when I say he doesn’t throw guys open, he throws to open guys is the anticipation. It’s anticipating, pre-snap what are we doing? I’m reading cover three. My X should be open. Then knowing that, based on what the defense is showing you and what you’re reading the defense, knowing that the play we have called this will be effective, and I need to get that ball out in time. Now the play happens. It starts developing. He’s watching the X, watching the X, watching the X. X breaks, boom, first step he’s open, second step he creates separation. Third step now he’s really open. Okay, throw the ball.
Now you’ve been starring at that guy so long the safety creeps over. The cornerback has time to catch up. Incomplete pass. Pass batted down. Pass intercepted. Whereas you need to be throwing that ball before the receiver makes that break, and you’re throwing it to a spot rather than to a man. That’s where I think that maybe he doesn’t understand either the playbook and what Florida’s trying to accomplish, or doesn’t understand the defense quite as well and how what they’re doing offensively is trying to attack that particular defense in that particular play.
Andrew: Right. The thing for me is this, and again I’m not trying to call someone out, but Treon did not have the most timing on Saturday as well. Martez Ivey probably played his worst football game, I would probably say in his football career. It was a bad game for Ivey at the offensive line. I’m not sure what it was. I’m not sure if his knee was bothering him, and he hadn’t put in the work this week, or what it was. Martez played one of his worst games ever I would say.
Nick: Yeah. Listen, he was a phenomenal player in high school and probably never got beat, or rarely got beat, in high school. Now he’s a freshman and playing a new position. He’s going to get beat some. It just seemed like he had been doing well for a while, and all of the getting beat kind of just fell onto his lap yesterday.
Andrew: That’s exactly right. Again, a win’s a win. Somehow or another the Gators put up 404 yards, but maybe the biggest thing, Nick, and you and I talked about this before we came on, Gators had 39 minutes and 56 seconds, basically 40 minutes time of possession. That’s good for this defense in a good way, because the defense gets tired. They were down defensive line, but…
Nick: Jalen Tabor said, “We get bored.”
Andrew: I understand he gets bored, but the defense still gets tired. They were down defensive linemen yesterday. Perfect solution to the problem is your offense controls it. I don’t have it right in front of me, but I know back to back the first two scoring drives of the game Florida had a 6 minute and a 7 minute scoring drive back to back. It was dominating. It was like 3rd and 2, 3rd and 3. It was dominating. They were in control, but it almost like you were playing PlayStation, and you were playing that top dog, and you were like, I don’t want to give him the ball back, so I’m going to run this clock out. That’s exactly what Florida was doing yesterday, on Saturday, was running the clock out to hold possession. 40 minutes to 20 minutes in the game. That’s crazy.
Nick: I asked Jim McElwain about it, and I said, was that the game plan going in? To me it became very apparent within the first drive, second drive, Florida is actively in no rush, in no rush at all, to get a play off. They’re trying to milk the clock here, limit possessions. I ask him, and he said, “It’s not just this game.” He said, “If you look at it on the entire season that’s when we play our best, when we’re able to slow things down on offense and give our defense a chance to rest.”
Andrew: Nothing wrong with that. Nothing wrong with that at all. I mean, you look at it, and you say, is it pretty? It depends on what you call pretty. This day and age it’s you got to score two minutes, or it’s not pretty. I like to see a methodical drive where you just wear them down, and the defense is huffing and puffing. You’re winning games. Of course, Florida would like to do that more on the ground, but at the end of the day, 24-14, the Gators win. They’re 9-1. Everything’s good in Gainesville.
Nick: Everything is good. They moved up in the Coaches poll. We’re doing this before the AP poll comes out. I expect them to move up in the AP poll as well, probably to the 8th spot, 7th, 8th. All that stuff really doesn’t matter, the polls and stuff. Florida’s put themselves in a position with the way they’ve played this year to control their own destiny. If they win they will be one of the last four teams playing football, and if they don’t win they’ll be in a good bowl game. Another thing I wanted to address real quick is the fact that LSU lost again doesn’t clinch that Florida will be in the Sugar Bowl. It helps, but it doesn’t clinch it. The way they do it the College Football Playoff committee, their sole purpose is to get those top four teams. After those four teams the committee’s just looking to make good matchups in the bowl games. They’re looking at who’s going to travel.
Andrew: Hold on. They’re looking to make money.
Nick: They’re looking to make good matchups, because at better matchup sells more TV, more ads on TV. You’re looking at fan bases traveling. It’s all about money. When I say matchup they’re not going to put up two teams who aren’t going to travel and aren’t going to get good ratings but it’s going to be a good football game. They don’t care about that. That wouldn’t make money.
Andrew: The Sugar Bowl could place LSU versus Tulane in the Sugar Bowl, they would do it.
Nick: They could. What they do is the committee is looking to create the best matchup in the bowl games in light of these considerations. They’re going to use geography as a consideration for the pairings. They’re going to avoid any rematches from the season, and then they’re going to take into account how the teams travel. It’s kind of a question that I have. Would you rather have, if you’re the Sugar Bowl, would you rather have LSU in your bowl game, or would you rather have Florida?
Florida fans don’t live that close, and might fly in, stay in hotels, go to your casinos. They will be on Bourbon Street, for three, four days. If I’m an LSU fan maybe I just drive up the day of the game and drive back. Maybe I only get a hotel room for that night. Drive up the day of the game. Go to the game. Stay in a hotel that night, and then drive back home. That’s a question. LSU losing does not guarantee that Florida will be in the Sugar Bowl. Florida, if they win out and lose to Alabama in the SEC Championship game they’ll be in a good bowl game.
Andrew: Yeah. They will be. Let’s go to the defense real quick. I have a couple things that I’m going to throw out at you. Florida this year, defensively in the nation 5th in the nation, 280 yards per game. 4th in scoring defense, only giving up a cool 14.5 points a game. Back to the offense, that means Florida only has to score 15 to win a game. Not bad. Rushing and passing the Gators are only 10th in the country in that. This Gator defense is getting really good, and yesterday, Saturday, was a team effort. Guys like Nick Washington, guys like Justus Reed, Jordan Sherit, even Daniel McMillian, all part of the game and all a part of stats in the game. It was an overall dominating game for the most part for Florida defensively.
Nick: Yeah. Until the little lapse there at the end of the 4th quarter Florida was just suffocating South Carolina. There was nothing the Gamecocks could do. Just completely dominating them. Not only is Florida’s offense hanging out on the field, setting up shop and camping out on the field, but then South Carolina comes in and it’s just 3 and out or maybe they get one 1st down. Just off the field really quick. Florida only had three 3 and outs on the day. The offense was able to move the ball. The defense comes in, takes care of business, and it’s fun. I thought this defense would take a step back losing some guys, some big name guys, but they’re playing at or above the level of the 2012 defense that carried Florida to an 11-2 record.
Andrew: Real quick, this is the last thing I’m going to say about the defense, but Antonio Morrison, he wanted South Carolina to remember him. He drove poor Pharoh Cooper to the ground to end the game, like he was putting a statement, a nail in the coffin of remember #3.
Nick: We talked about this. I watched that play, and hats off to Quincy Wilson, because we talked about this last week, I think, maybe two weeks ago, when we were talking about the Miami play. It’s just like, stop running. Everyone stop running to the ball. This isn’t youth soccer where everyone follows the ball. Stay in your lane. Quincy Wilson, when you get that pitch, took a step back. Instead of going and engaging a receiver and getting blocked and being taken out of the play, took a step back and was like, there’s not going to be any tomfoolery happening around here on this field right now. I’m going to put myself in position to make a play in case they keep lateralling it. Antonio Morrison erased any question about that, but Quincy did take a step back so Miami, the ghost of the Miami return couldn’t happen to Florida.
Andrew: Definitely. Real quick, game ball for me, Jordan Cronkrite, big game for him, 24 yards rushing and a touchdown. Also had the long 41 yard catch for a touchdown as well. I’m going to say it now. Jordan Cronkrite may be the Gator’s best short yardage running back because of the pad level he runs with. I think Scarlett ends up being a better back than Cronkrite. I think, now. Scarlett had kind of regressed this year a little bit, and Cronkrite has progressed, but I like Cronkrite running low to the ground, low in gravity where when he gets hit he’s falling forward. He’s not falling backwards. I like that about him. He just played a grown man game against Chris Lammons. He’s was like, boy, I’m taking the ball. I’m taking my candy, and I’m going home. I’m going to the end zone. Touchdown. Cronkrite game ball for me.
Nick: That makes sense. I don’t think Jordan Scarlett has regressed this year, but Cronkrite, to go up and just take a ball from Chris Lammons, who is a cornerback, and Jordan Cronkrite is a very good player in his own right, not a receiver. Not somebody that goes up for balls like that. To go up and just rip the ball out of somebody else’s hands and say, I want this more than you do, and then score a touchdown, I’m wondering how Chris Lammons ever had a scholarship offer to the University of Florida playing like that.
Andrew: Don’t get me started, Nicholas. T Rob, Will Muschamp, the bozo clown still runs their nasty head around the world today. Nicholas, let’s hit our three players, or do you want to go with the Butch rant first?
Nick: Let’s get the Butch rant over.
Andrew: Are you sure?
Nick: Tennessee is bowling.
Andrew: 24-0.
Nick: Tennessee is bowling two years in a row.
Andrew: 24-0, Tennessee, and he runs the clock out at the end of the half, because he doesn’t trust his offense.
Nick: Butch Jones elected to punt instead of kicking a 52 yard field goal or going for it in the first quarter against North Texas. He played a field position game against North Texas.
Andrew: Then ran the clock out at the end of the 2nd quarter, because he didn’t trust. This is supposed to be the national champions if you talk to Tennessee fans. They’re supposed to be going to Atlanta. They’re supposed to be over here. Instead you see Twitter rolling with, we’re bowl eligible. The Gators were bowl eligible at the beginning of October. Brick by brick, buddy. It ain’t working. Your brick masonry sucks. It’s not working, Butch. It’s not working. It’s time. It’s like Georgia on Saturday, celebrating beating Auburn, because why? They have a chance now to be 9-3. The season can be great for them. Tennessee’s going bowling. Georgia’s 9-3, everything’s perfect in the world. The Gators are going to Atlanta. Only thing now is the Gators need a national championship, and then everything will be great in the world, because Tennessee will still be bowling, probably losing the Outback Bowl to Eastern Washington Mississippi. Georgia will be 9-3 and go beat some rinky-dink Iowa team in the Outback Bowl. They’ll win 10 wins, and it’s we’re the best 10 win team in the country.
Nick: How dare you. The mighty Iowa Hawkeyes remain undefeated.
Andrew: Who cares? Kirk Ferentz is like 90. I remember Kirk Ferentz being a rumor for the Florida job when Spurrier retired, whatever. Give me a break. Georgia and Tennessee though really are, they’re the most laughable people in the world. Nick, I follow several recruiting people, and I follow a young lady for Auburn, Alli Davison or something like that. She’s an Auburn grad, and she made the perfect point for me yesterday. She was taking a poll on Twitter, and she said, “Would you rather win a national championship and the next year go 6-6, or would you rather be 10-3 and know you’re never winning the national championship?” It’s the point I made the other day. I ask it again. Georgia, you’re celebrating a chance to be 9-3 this year. Why? Are you expectations so low that you don’t think you can win a SEC championship game and a national championship? It’s okay to be 9-3. I don’t understand it, Nick. If I’m a Georgia fan I’m giving them permission to be pissed off. It’s embarrassing.
Nick: Yeah. I brought it up for this reason. A football team like the University of Georgia is a brand. As a brand, if I’m running a company, am I happy with my brand being very good every year? Not the best. We’re not going to win any awards, but we’re going to sell a lot, and we’ll be financially stable. Am I okay with that? Yeah. As a fan, as someone who wants to win championships, as someone who should want to win championships as a coach, as a fan, am I happy with that? No. Absolutely not. That was the only argument that I made is that keep Mark Richt, and you know you’re going to win 8, 9, maybe 10 games. You might win 11, lose in the SEC championship, but you’re going to be good every year. That was my only argument. From a brand, as from selling tickets, selling bulldogs, little stuffed puppies.
Andrew: Is the brand good though? That’s my question to you. How do you recruit?
Nick: The brand is good. The University of Georgia football brand is good. It will never be the University of Florida, the University of Alabama. It will never be those championship levels. It’s a good brand that’s marketable, and one that you can sell, but it’s not in that upper echelon, and until you win something it’s not going to be.
Andrew: This is my thing. As bad as Will Muschamp was, he was one game away from being in a national championship game in 2013, and Florida could still sell to kids Will Muschamp has a chance to take you to a national championship, because Florida doesn’t accept being 10-3, 9-3, every year. How do you recruit? If I am a recruit, how do you tell me Mark Richt goes into your home and says, “Come play for a 9-3 team. Never worry about being the best.” To me, Nick, maybe I’m off track here. Maybe I’m just completely off track. To me settling for second was never accepted. Settling for second was the first loser. How is that okay?
Nick: I don’t know. I got nothing for you.
Andrew: If I told you right now, Nick, you will never in your life win a championship, would you be okay with that? Would you say it’s okay? Not telling me what team it is, but if I said, “Nick, you’ll have a good career. You’ll never win a championship.” Would you be okay with that?
Nick: Am I going to the Hall of Fame? I mean, it’s all about me.
Andrew: Sure. You ask Dan Marino right now, and I say that because he’s a Dolphins fan. He says all the time his biggest regret is he never won a Super Bowl.
Nick: Went to one. Lost it. Devastating.
Andrew: You ask the greats, and they say, “I never won the big one.” You know what I’m saying? It’s all about winning the big one. You are nothing if you don’t win the big one. Period. Your legacy is defined by how many rings you have on your finger, whether you score 30 points a game, 20 points a game, whether you’re 50-0 or not, it’s how many rings. I’m a Braves fan. Best team in the 90s. I’m okay with that. I’m not accepting it, because guess what? The Yankees, your damn Marlins, can brag over me, because we haven’t won, and you guys have multiple. I’m not okay with that. For the bottom of me I really can’t understand the thinking of Georgia fans that it’s okay to suck.
Nick: What you’re saying is, live on the podcast right now, is that the Atlanta Braves are the Georgia Bulldogs of major league baseball.
Andrew: No. I said of the 90s.
Nick: The Atlanta Braves are the Mark Richt of major league baseball.
Andrew: In the 90s they were. Here’s the thing. Bobby Cox always gave them the opportunity to go. They were playing for it. The Bulldogs weren’t. They’re never going to be playing for it, because they don’t have the guy to do it. They don’t have the guy to do it. Back to this, Nicholas.
Nick: Speaking of guys that do it, let’s get into our three picks of the week, because I know my boy Johnny Townsend is giving me a W this weekend.
Andrew: That’s fine. I’ll give you Johnny Townsend.
Nick: Johnny Townsend, four punts for 186 yards. That’s a 46.5 yard average. Had one booming punt at 57, two punts over 50. Dropped one inside the 20. Georgia, Sean Kelly, as always I’m an advocate of punters are people too, Sean Kelly, his 280 punting yards were more than South Carolina managed on offense at 201 yards. Good for you, Sean Kelly. Way to punt that football.
Andrew: -9 in the 3rd quarter for the Carolina Gamecocks. Kelvin Taylor, that’s a W, Nicholas. He put the game, the dagger in the hearts of the Gamecocks.
Nick: Absolutely.
Andrew: 105 yards and a touchdown. Taylor made. Nicholas, real quick, I was close in my prediction that every one of my guys would have all the scores. If it wasn’t for Cronkrite’s run I would have had it.
Nick: I think we’re going to disagree on one. You had Alex McAllister, obviously…
Andrew: That’s a scratch.
Nick: I’m not going to say no. He got injured very early in the game.
Andrew: Does Austin Hardin replace McAllister?
Nick: We can do that. I’ll say you said two kicks for Austin Hardin, and he only got one. He didn’t miss any. Every time Austin Hardin was called on he converted. I’m giving you a win.
Andrew: Let me say this about Hardin real quick. I know this is getting off guard a little bit. I notice something, and someone else said this to me on Twitter yesterday. Austin looks like he’s now trying to just kick the ball instead of pound the ball. That may sound kind of cliché, but there’s a difference in just making the kick and trying to look spectacular making the kick. I think Hardin is now just worrying about making it instead of kicking it out of the stadium through the goal posts.
Nick: Yeah. It’s so much of kicking is mental.
Andrew: It’s all mental.
Nick: I think a lot of that kind of lift the weight off his shoulders, until he messes up again. Then here we go. You also picked Treon Harris.
Andrew: Let’s go to your second player, because I’m 2-0, and you’re 1-0. Who’s your second player? Jarrad Davis.
Nick: Jarrad Davis my second player. Jarrad Davis had a good game. Three tackles, all of them were solo. Had a monster hit on Perry Orth. I don’t know why he didn’t throw the ball. Nothing spectacular, but he didn’t really get beat.
Andrew: I’m saying no.
Nick: The leading tackler was Keanu Neal, who had 5.
Andrew: Jarrad Davis did his job.
Nick: Jarrad Davis is in that next group.
Andrew: How about I give you a half a point, and we’ll be good.
Nick: I’ll take half. He did his job. He didn’t make a spectacular play, but there’s nothing…
Andrew: I’m coming from a half a point in my next one. I’m just going to let you know. I’m coming, and we’re going to argue, and if some bozo on Twitter hits me with this question I’m just telling you right now, you will be blocked. So don’t start. You know who you are. I don’t want to hear it. 19 of 33, 256 yards, a touchdown, and two picks. Okay. Two picks. I understand. Two shitty picks.
Nick: Should have been three picks and no touchdowns.
Andrew: Shoulda, coulda, woulda. Bull crap, whatever. In the stat book, one touchdown, two picks, 256 yards, but at the end of the day he got the Gators the win, and he did not cost them the game.
Nick: A win is not a quarterback stat.
Andrew: It is a quarterback stat.
Nick: That is a team stat, not a quarterback stat.
Andrew: Who gets credit for it?
Nick: The team gets a win.
Andrew: No. No. No. When you see quarterbacks it’ll say they are such and such in their career starts, right or wrong?
Nick: That’s wrong. That is. It’s lazy people in the media.
Andrew: Is it right or wrong?
Nick: It’s wrong. Wins are not a quarterback stat. That’s a team stat.
Andrew: Why is pitching a stat in baseball?
Nick: It’s completely different.
Andrew: No it’s not.
Nick: What are you saying? It’s completely different.
Andrew: No, it’s not. If a pitcher throws a complete game, one hitter, and that team wins 1-0, because he gets walked and three errors bring him in, that pitcher gets a loss. How?
Nick: He shouldn’t have walked that guy.
Andrew: Let me ask you this. Jarrett Stidham for Baylor, does a great game yesterday, gets a loss.
Nick: Baylor loses. He didn’t lose that game. Baylor lost the football game.
Andrew: I will agree with you. You’re not taking a full point from me. I’m getting a half a point here. I won’t take a full point, because two picks suck. He scored a touchdown, 256 yards, and at the end of the day he got the W in South Carolina. Period. He did.
Nick: Treon Harris had a good football game. He played a good football game yesterday, as a quarterback. He played a good football game.
Andrew: He played an okay football game. He did his job. I gave you points, a half a point for Jarrad Davis, because he did his job. He got the win. When you bring your quarterback out you give him one job, get a win. Agree or disagree?
Nick: Disagree. We’ll bring Bud Elliott on our podcast before the FSU game. He also, like me, has strong feelings that wins and losses are not quarterback stats.
Andrew: I want you to go ask Jim McElwain tomorrow, Monday morning, what the #1 job for Treon Harris is. That’s it. That’s what I want you to go ask him. I guarantee you, I will bet you $100 his answer is to go out there and win the game. Period. He might say his second thing is to play mistake free football. That might be a second thing.
Nick: Failed.
Andrew: His first thing is going to be play to win the game.
Nick: Failed.
Andrew: He won the game, 24-14.
Nick: I’ll give you half a point, just so we can close this out.
Andrew: Antonio Morrison’s your last guy. I won’t argue with you.
Nick: I take a win there again. Antonio Morrison, that last hit of the game was crushing. Three tackles, played his game. It’s kind of a safe pick to pick Antonio Morrison and Jarrad Davis. Florida’s defense is so good, and they’re so integral in the defense that you can almost get a win every week if you pick one of those two guys. I just could not pick Florida’s offense after the performance against Vanderbilt. I couldn’t pick anybody on offense. The closest I got was picking Johnny Townsend, and he’s still kind of a defensive player as a punter.
Andrew: At the end of the day I’ll take the 2.5-2 victory.
Nick: You did not get 2.5. You got 1.5. I don’t know if you get a victory. We subbed in Austin Hardin for you.
Andrew: Whatever. It’s 2.5-2.5. It’s a tie.
Nick: I would say we tied this week.
Andrew: That’s fine. We’ll tie this week. Quick look ahead though. Gators NC and AT&T, whatever, whoever, NCAT&T, Gators versus them in basketball Monday night. Gators did get a win against Navy. Check us out then. Gators back at home against FAU. That means some visitors on campus this week.
Nick: A Driskel will be back in Gainesville this week. Jeff’s little brother is the backup quarterback for FAU.
Andrew: Might be good he’s the backup.
Nick: He was the starter earlier in the year, but not anymore.
Andrew: What’s surprising there? Nicholas, say your few magic words. Get us off of here. I need to take some blood pressure medicine after all this.
Nick: @NickdelaTorreGC on Twitter. @AndrewSpiveyGC on Twitter. @GatorCountry on Twitter, and follow us on Instagram, TheGatorCountry. As always, another great weekend of Gator football. Looking forward to Florida’s doing a salute to service presentation at the FAU game this week, so don’t miss that. There might be another flyover. They had one two weeks ago. As always, a lot of good stuff planned throughout the week. Follow us there. Www.GatorCountry.com for all your Gator news. As always, before Andrew ruins it, you stay classy, Gator fans.
Andrew: That’s right. Butch and Mark, I gave you the rant, and as my buddy, Max Starks, says, you’re not a good football coach. As always, go Braves.
I’m loving this year and have no complaints, just an observation: as the first half of the year progressed, Grier got better each game. Treon has not shown improvement game to game. I still think he can beat FSU, although doubt he can do anything against Bama’s D.