GatorCountry.com brings you a new podcast as we have Ross Dellenger of The Advocate on the show to help us preview Florida Gators vs. LSU on Saturday.
Andrew Spivey and Nick de la Torre break down the game with Dellenger as we ask him the tough questions about the state of the Tigers program.
Andrew and Nick also discuss the latest injury news for Florida, plus how the Gators can get the offense going.
TRANSCRIPT:
Andrew: What’s up, Gator Country? Your man, Andrew Spivey, here with Nicholas de la Torre. Nicholas, LSU week. LSU, they may be bad, but it’s still LSU week, bud. It’s still LSU week.
Nick: Yeah. Players are saying the right things this week. Not taking the bait. Not talking about last year and is there any emotion that spills over from last year and this and that. No. It’s we’re focused on this team. It’s two completely different teams. They’re saying the right things, although they’re lying through their teeth, because there is definitely some emotion carrying over from last year.
Andrew: Exactly. It’ll be interesting to see. I tell people this, and I don’t think that people are listening to me, but LSU was overlooking Troy. They had guys sitting out in the game. Is LSU a good football team? Absolutely not. I think as bad as things looked on Saturday against Troy, absolutely not. But there’s disaster down in Baton Rouge.
Nick: Yeah. They’ve got some issues. We’re going to talk to Ross Dellenger from The Advocate about that. They’ve got a whole heap of issues. Starting with their head coach, how much money it would take to fire their head coach.
Andrew: Here’s the thing, Nick. Hold on. I hate to interrupt you, but now he’s telling the offensive coordinator what he can and can’t run. Oh, just a year ago you were the defensive line coach, and now you’re going to be telling Matt Canada, who is widely considered one of the smartest guys, not to run motions and shifts and all this other stuff? This is starting to turn into Will Muschamp.
Nick: It’s certainly, to me, it was a peculiar hire, and then when you look at the contract, I think it makes it even a worse hire.
Andrew: All I know is I want Coach O’s agent to be my agent, because if anybody can talk a team, first of all, can talk a team into hiring you. Second of all, talk a team into hiring you and then giving you a $12 million buyout. Man, that guy was smart.
Nick: Yeah. Props to his agent.
Andrew: That was some Jimmy Sexton move. That was some good stuff. I mean, that was like a Scott Boras move in baseball.
Nick: I don’t know what Joe Alleva was thinking. He probably wasn’t thinking, because that seems par for the course for Joe Alleva.
Andrew: There you go. You just said Joe Alleva and thinking in one sentence. That just threw off your whole argument there. Our good buddy, Ross, he does a great job over there in Baton Rouge covering the Tigers. We’ll talk to him. We’re going to ask him a few questions about the team. You know I’m going to ask him about O and his $12 million contract. Let’s just go on to Mr. Dellenger, and then we’ll come back, and we’ll talk injuries and all that good shnaz here in just a second.
All right, guys, we’re back with Ross. Ross, we appreciate you joining us for another year. It’s been fun. The rivalry is finally fun again, I think.
S3 Yeah. Definitely. It’s got a lot of intrigue to it. There’s no doubt. It’s just all, you got the baseball stuff, hurricane stuff last year, and it seems like there’s certainly a lot of storylines heading into this one.
Andrew: Before we brought you on the air, we jokingly said that it kind of seems that the two teams are a little bit the same. When we say that, that is there’s a lot of heat on Coach O over there in Baton Rouge, and rightfully so. There’s a lot of heat on Coach McElwain in Gainesville, and rightfully so in a lot of ways. I guess, first of all, how is the program in general, after the Troy loss? Is the team as bad as it looked, or is that just simply a trap game?
S3 Well, I think it was pretty bad. They realize here that they’re in a tough situation, and a bad situation. When you look at that game, yeah, LSU was without their starting running back, Derrius Guice, and a couple of key defensive linemen, but there’s no excuse for dropping a game at home against Troy. I mean, it’s something LSU hasn’t done like that, as far as a non-conference mid major team at home, in 17 years. It doesn’t happen very often around here, and when it happens there’s a lot of backlash. We’re seeing that. We’re seeing a lot of criticism going around and things like that. The team had a players only meeting after the game, and Ed Orgeron met with the offensive leaders Monday. They realize they’re in a pickle here, and they’ve got to start rallying everybody to try to get out of it.
Nick: Nick Saban lost to Louisiana Monroe. Maybe Coach O is just the next Saban. You should take your run from the first year.
S3 That’s right. In Saban’s first year at LSU he lost to UAB at homecoming. That was the last time LSU has lost a non-conference home game was 2000 in Saban’s first year to UAB. Maybe you can see the glass half full there.
Nick: Calm down, Baton Rouge. Coach O and Saban are taking very similar paths.
Andrew: Ross, there was, I guess it was a report, wanted to kind of get your thoughts on this. Was the report true that Orgeron and Canada had some changing of the words, and Orgeron kind of telling him what to do and not to do, and maybe even someone else calling some plays? Is that report true? Have you heard?
S3 I haven’t seen the report, but I’ll tell you. Ed Orgeron got up on the podium yesterday and admitted that he meddled in the offense. He forced a change in the offense, and LSU basically played with a different offense in the first half against Troy. That was pretty obvious. It was a different offense. In the second half, again, Ed Orgeron admitted yesterday in the news conference that at half time Canada wanted to change back, and they changed back to Canada’s offense.
I’ll give him that. Orgeron pretty much got up there and he owned that. He kind of was honest about what he did, and it sounds like he’s now given full control back to Matt Canada, after kind of intervening and inserting himself last week.
Andrew: The obvious question going into this game is Derrius Guice. Do you expect him to play? I mean, I know it’s only Tuesday. We’re taping this on Tuesday. Would you expect him to play in Gainesville on Saturday?
S3 Gosh, I don’t. I’m wary to say one way or the other. It’s just been so weird with him this year. It kind of is like the situation with Leonard Fournette last season. Fournette hurt his ankle in camp, and it lingered throughout the year. I believe Derrius suffered an injury in camp, and I believe it was probably his knee, which he reinjured, or appeared to reinjure, against Mississippi State. He probably shouldn’t have played, honestly, a couple weeks ago against Syracuse, but he did. He only played the first half. He missed the whole second half. You’re talking about a guy who, he even missed the second half of three other games this year.
He dressed out for the game last week against Troy, and he appeared to be playing and available, and then he never played. He just stood on the sideline in his jersey. I will tell you this. He did not practice all last week. He was at practice Monday. That’s a good sign moving forward.
Andrew: Okay.
Nick: What is the dropoff to Darrel Williams? Just in terms of player. What are you not getting on the field that Guice brings when Williams is taking those reps for him?
S3 You might not see Williams on Saturday either. He hurt his ankle late in the Troy game, and he did not practice on Monday. Ed Orgeron had said that his status, he said he thought after the game that he would be fine, but that’s pretty much all he said. The LSU radio broadcast did report that he had some kind of ankle injury. So him not being at practice Monday, probably a little concerning. We’ll see more throughout the week.
Darrel is a different back, obviously. He’s a year older than Derrius. He’s kind of been the long-time backup here. First to Leonard Fournette, now to Derrius Guice. He’s a little bigger probably. He’s more the in between tackles kind of guy. He lost a bunch of weight over the off season, probably 10, 12, 15 pounds. So they can use him in a variety of ways. They have been able to throw him the ball a lot. They’ve been able to get him out wide. He’s a versatile back as well. Probably just not to the versatility level of Derrius.
Andrew: I guess, you obviously have the quarterback situation as well, and that’s something Florida’s had to deal with. Now they no longer have the option. It’s Feleipe Franks’s job. What’s kind of the quarterback situation? Etling played a little bit in the game, and then Myles Brennen came back and played, and then Etling came back in. Was that just a situation of Etling being banged up, or was that let’s see what Myles Brennen can do for a period of time?
S3 Well, Ed Orgeron claims, Myles Brennen has played in the last two games in the 3rd quarter. He’s been inserted. Danny’s started every game, but Myles has come in. Orgeron claims that it’s all about getting Myles Brennen reps in preparation, if he has to go in in an SEC game, if Danny Etling gets hurt. He says it’s all about preparing him, and that there’s no plan to play him in an SEC game. He did not play at Mississippi State, for instance.
I think, honestly, guys, I think LSU wanted to use him in non-conference play when they were up by a significant margin, and just give him some game reps. What’s happened is Danny got a little banged up late in the 2nd quarter, and they put Myles in down 17-0 in the 3rd quarter. He’s been a freshman. He’s a really talented kid. He’s a smart kid. He’s got a really live arm, but he’s a freshman. He made a couple of mistakes. He’s thrown two interceptions. One was probably the receiver’s fault, but he’s made mistakes here and there.
He’s a guy that a lot of people around here would like to see as LSU’s starter, instead of Danny Etling. That doesn’t seem like it’s going to happen. That’s not the plan, at least. What Ed Orgeron said Monday is that Danny Etling will hopefully take, he hopes, will go all four quarters, just like he did at Mississippi State.
Andrew: Okay.
Nick: How much of that, getting him in against non-conference, is kind of like what we’re dealing with here at Florida, where Luke Del Rio goes in and is named the starter, and now he’s hurt? How much of that was just getting Myles ready to play if they needed him to?
S3 That’s exactly what Ed Orgeron said it was. I don’t know how much to believe that. Part of me thinks that that was part of the plan, but I believe that there are people that want to see Myles, coaches and even Ed Orgeron, that want to see Myles get in and play. You don’t turn the page on this season, obviously, but you do look to the future, and he’s the future. Danny Etling’s a senior. There a lot of people that would rather see him just out there. Ed Orgeron said it’s all about just preparing him in case you’ve got to go in. I mean, Danny’s taken some pretty hard licks this year. He had back surgery in April. The chances of him being injured this year and missing time are fairly high.
Andrew: Heading into this game, Nick and I said this, and that is throw the records out the books. This should be a good football game between two teams that have their weaknesses, and also have their strengths. Usually this LSU-Florida game is won on the ground. Is that where you see this game going as well? How do you think LSU’s defense is different than what Troy showed them? Because Troy was able to run the ball against LSU.
S3 Right. Yes. That’s where the injury stuff comes in. If LSU can get back Rashard Lawrence, defensive end. Ed Orgeron calls Rashard the best defender on the team. If they can back Ed Alexander, the big nose tackle, basically LSU’s biggest lineman, they will be a little bit different up front. Troy probably wouldn’t have run for what they did with those two guys in the game. If they can get them back, and it looks good for both of them. I think Ed Orgeron said in his Monday news conference that they think they can get some help from them this week, is how he put it.
They were both at practice Monday. They missed last game. They’ve missed actually the last two games, a couple of them. Rashard Lawrence missed three of the first five overall. They’re a different team with those guys in there. I think that you’re going to see, if they do return, that it’ll be a little better in between the tackles for LSU, but still they’ve got some issues at linebacker, and they’ve got some issues at outside linebacker too.
Andrew: Is that where you see this game coming down to is who runs the ball well, as usual?
S3 Oh, sure. That’s what it seems. That’s kind of what it always is with Florida and LSU, just like with Alabama and LSU. It seems like it’s always who’s going to run the ball better, who’s going to win the trench battle. I know Florida wants to run the ball right down the throat kind of thing, and LSU’s offense is not the Les Miles offense. They do want to run the ball, but they’re going to do it in different ways. Whoever has the most rushing yards, I imagine will win this one.
Nick: We’ve asked some of the guys, and I’m sure they’re trying to avoid bulletin board material, but Florida players so far this week are saying that there’s no spillover emotion, that there’s no spillover feelings from everything that happened last year. Have you guys talked to the LSU players about that? Certainly ending up on the other side, and losing that game after all the buildup. Do you think that there is carryover from last year to this year?
S3 Oh yeah. We’ve only talked to a couple of players this week, but it’s funny, Ed Orgeron mentioned it, kind of unprompted, on Monday. He said that we have to behave ourselves, or something, in this one. Obviously referring to that pre-game scuffle last year between the two teams. I think he’s probably talked to his team about their behavior and being disciplined and things like that. After the Troy game, we talked a little bit to some LSU players. There’s still fire here for that game.
I’m sure Derrius Guice, for instance, wants to play pretty badly, because obviously fumbling, running the wrong way on the goal line, and fumbling, and then not getting in. There’s certainly still some fire here with some players and coaches, I’m sure, and then all the way up to administrators that were the whole hurricane stuff. This game is being treated, it seems, almost like how LSU would treat Alabama.
Andrew: Last thing I kind of want to ask you before we get you off is O has the problems there. First off, how in the world do you get a $12 million buyout, if you’re Coach O, and, second of all, what are people saying? Are they still in on O, or is it, O, you’re out of here?
S3 Well, there’s a difference. The fanbase is kind of split, just like when they hired him the fanbase was really split. The people who were from Louisiana wanted to see a Louisiana guy, and coach for his flagship school, dream job and all that. You had people who were hoping Joe Alleva and the search committee would find a coach with a better win-loss record as a head coach. Obviously, Ed going 10-25 at Ole Miss is something that people did not take well here when he was hired.
As far as the buyout, it’s kind of a mystery. When we first reported the amount of the buyout, I remember there was shock. There was some shock in March when we first reported about it. It was like, why the heck? Ed Orgeron would have crawled across hot coals to get this job. There was no bargaining chip.
I’ll tell you this, if I had to guess, during the bargaining and things, Ed is a big recruiter. Everything’s about recruiting with him. I have a feeling that recruiting, and the need to recruit, and the stability, and at least the optics of stability, was something that came up and potentially a part of that whole buyout.
Nick: Do you remember your initial reaction when you saw that buyout?
S3 You know, I mean, I was a little surprised, but I really wasn’t that surprised, just because nowadays in college football it’s becoming more and more regular, especially for a coach in his first year. The average buyout for a coach in his very first year is probably around that, honestly. Now, Ed Orgeron, just because of his track record, is a little different. I mean, I was a little surprised. I’m just kind of getting used to the whole college football, the big money, and all these big buyouts and things like that. It’s kind of the norm.
Andrew: I guess that’s the thing. People laugh all the time, but if O finishes the year on a hot streak, and someone gives him an extension, it’s for recruiting. It’s nothing more than recruiting. Everything’s done in recruiting. Nick has a favorite line, your coach better have a contract for four years, or they’re going to be negative recruited against.
S3 Right. I’m sure Ed Orgeron used that to get that buyout, and to get his contract. It’s five years. It’s not four years. I’m sure he used all that. Recruiting is always big with Ed. He’s known as this great recruiter. It’s something that he prides himself in. I’m sure he used that in negotiation.
Andrew: Exactly. Real quick, before we get you out of here, last thing. How do you see this game playing out? Do you see this being a 4th quarter game? Do you see LSU coming back and getting that win? How do you see this game being played out?
S3 This team is, in a way, in disarray so much, especially on offense. It’s just hard for me to see them winning a game. I certainly expect it to be close. The spread came out, opened at five, and it’s down to three and a half, which is fairly shocking. The bookies know something, I guess, that we don’t know. I expect it to be much higher than that. At the same time, just in my personal feelings, I expect it to be a close game. There you go. I would think that it would come down to the 4th quarter, and I would expect that Florida playing at home, and LSU in somewhat shambles, will not, in the end might not be able to come through with it.
Andrew: I agree with you. I told Nick that, that you can throw that Troy game out the window. This is going to be a good football game. It always is a good football game. I don’t think LSU is as bad as they showed against Troy. Do I think they’re a great team? I think they still are trying to figure things out, but I don’t think they’re near as bad as they showed against Troy.
S3 Yeah. We’ll see. Big test this weekend. It’s going to be interesting to watch.
Andrew: You got it. Ross, tell everyone where they can find you, and we’ll get you out of here. Hope to have you on next year.
S3 You can go to TheAdvocate.com. Follow me on Twitter @RossDellenger.
Andrew: There you go. Ross, we appreciate it. We’ll talk to you soon.
Nick: Thanks so much, Ross.
S3 Thanks, y’all.
Andrew: All right, guys. We’re back. Good stuff from Ross. Man, Nick, haven’t heard a somber Ross in a while. I think this season might be taking a toll on our good buddy.
Nick: Yeah. You know how it is when you’re covering a team when there’s so much negativity. People always are saying, “We like it,” or stuff like that, but when you’re covering a team that there’s so much negativity, and the negativity last year about Les Miles and all that. It gets tough. It starts to wear on you.
Andrew: It sucks the fun out of it. Let’s just be honest with you. It sucks the fun out of it.
Nick: Yeah. When everything you’re dealing with is people yelling at you about somebody else, it does suck the fun out of it. We have pretty cool jobs. We never complain about that, but covering bad football teams is not fun.
Andrew: Exactly. I continue to think about this. I just continue to say that I think it’s going to be a good game. I do. I think that we can laugh and say they got beat by Troy, but it wouldn’t surprise me at all to see LSU come in and look decent. After a players only meeting, all the news about Canada getting the offense back to running it his way, all that kind of stuff, wouldn’t surprise me at all to see them come in with a little fire. They know their coach’s back is against the wall. Yeah. Got to come in and play, and play hard.
Here’s the thing. That Troy game can be easily forgotten, if you’re LSU, if you come in and get a win over Florida.
Nick: Certainly. You kind of called it yesterday. Whoever your Baton Rouge source is, they called it, because Ross said that Orgeron started meddling with Canada, and the play calls or personnel, stuff like that. All will be forgiven, I think, about Troy, if you go down to Gainesville and get a win down there.
To me, I want to ask you. When you say it’s going to be a good game, do you mean it’ll be a close game, or good football?
Andrew: It’s never going to be good football. Here’s the deal. Let me rephrase that.
Nick: I guess my question is do you mean it’s going to be a close game or a good game?
Andrew: I think it has the potential of being both. I do think that offense is going to be ugly in the game. I think it’ll be a close game. I guess that’s a better way to say it. It’ll be a close game. I know some people say, “It’s going to be a blowout.” I don’t see that. I don’t see that being at all, because of the fact that, again, I think LSU is better than what they showed against Troy. I still don’t think they’re a good football team, by any means whatsoever. I think it all depends on how Florida comes out. Does Florida come out saying, “This team just lost to Troy,” or does Florida come out and say, “This is still the LSU Tigers, a team that was ranked top 25 in the country and everything else.” How do they come out and react, I guess is the best way to say it.
Nick: I think you avoid that whole this is a team that lost to Troy. I think you avoid that, because it’s LSU. Now, if it was a Missouri, a team that you didn’t really have that kind of history with, you didn’t have that bad blood with, sure. Missouri’s still a conference opponent and a team that you play every year, but there’s not that same bad blood like there is with LSU. I think that probably, at least in my mind, should keep you away from that feeling of they lost to Troy, this is a bad team.
Andrew: Yeah. You’d think it would. Then, at the end of the day, those are still the guys that disrespected you, whether you want to think about it or not. Those are still the guys that disrespected you last year. That moron of a Joe Alleva is still that moron that called you scared. I mean, just call it what it is. That’s still that moron up there. You got to go with that.
Florida’s going to be without Tyrie Cleveland, most likely. I know people say he tweeted he’s good. Yes, he did. The difference is this. Goolsby didn’t have an injury. Mac was challenging him. Duke Dawson had a concussion. Nobody can predict whether concussion protocol is going to be.
Nick: Mac has no control over that.
Andrew: What Tyrie Cleveland’s dealing with is a high ankle sprain. Okay. That’s not magically getting better overnight, unless the Good Lord just touches it and says it’s gone, and it’s better. You know what I’m saying? That’s what it is. Again, I think he’ll be out this week.
Nick: That’s tough. People were asking me yesterday who replaces him. I can give you names of people who replace him. I don’t know if you have another deep threat. When you look at what Tyrie Cleveland brings, that size. He’s physical. He’s, I think, a better route runner than he might get credit for. Those 50/50 balls. I love that Feleipe Franks does it. I think he does it a little more than Luke Del Rio, but he gives his playmakers chances and says, “He’s covered, but it’s only one guy, and I like my guy over the guy that’s covering him, so I’m going to throw it up and see if Cleve can make a play.” I don’t know who gives you that explosive blow the top off the defense kind of element to your offense that Tyrie Cleveland does.
Andrew: Exactly. That’s what I was going to say. I think it’s one of those where if you need a jump ball in the end zone, who are you going to? You’re going to Tyrie Cleveland.
Nick: Moral Stephens?
Andrew: I said it. You guys can laugh, and you guys can troll the shit out of me on Twitter. Moral Stephens is your best tight end right now. I mean, @ me. At least he tries, Nick.
Nick: You just asked. You just asked for a whole mess on Wednesday on Twitter. You just told them to @ you.
Andrew: Can you disagree with me?
Nick: Everyone @ him.
Andrew: No. I’m asking you. Can you disagree with me?
Nick: He’s probably playing the best right now.
Andrew: Okay. That’s all that I ask for is that. You just be honest with me. I mean, at least he gives energy. The other two don’t give energy. Kemore’s hurt right now.
Nick: Is he still hurt?
Andrew: I think so.
Nick: He’s running around. You think just playing hurt?
Andrew: Yeah. I think he is. You got to remember too, and that is he’s still a freshman. He lost a lot of valuable time.
Nick: That’s such a huge thing. Poor freshmen. They’re not robots. You get hurt like he did, and you said, “Then he should be in his playbook.” It’s still an 18-year-old kid who had plans and everything. Now in his mind everything changes. Young kids can be emotional. When you’re that age, everything is the best that it’s ever been, or it’s the worst it’s ever been. There’s no middle area. You get hurt, and I’m not saying he didn’t get into his playbook, but it’s easy to get discouraged when you get hurt, and then missing those reps going through it at full speed and being out there with the guys. It definitely sets you back.
Andrew: Exactly. Outside of that, looks like Florida will be healthy. Luke Del Rio tweeted that he made it out of surgery. I know you and I are glad to hear that. Best of luck to him in his recovery. Hope that he comes back and is strong. Whatever he decides to do. Luke Del Rio’s a good man. Luke Del Rio’s a good person.
Nick: Yeah. Let’s touch on the quarterback situation now. Feleipe Franks is your starter. Malik Zaire will be second string, and then you really don’t want to have Jake Allen play. You want Jake Allen to redshirt. If you get into a situation where Zaire or Franks get hurt, I think you play Allen, because in my opinion the offense is already somewhat limited when you go from Del Rio to Franks.
If you go into Toney, he’s not somebody that’s going to be doing what Luke Del Rio does and looking through progressions and making calls and checks in the line. You’re putting a lot on his plate right now, just asking him to play three different positions that aren’t quarterback. To me, everyone says, “He jumps in in the wildcat and gains six yards, just do that.” Well, that’s cool, man. When he’s the quarterback for 60 snaps a game, you’re not gaining six yards a carry, when they know what you’re doing 60 times a game.
I know he’s thrown the ball, and he can throw the ball. He’s a completely different wildcat quarterback than say, Brandon Powell, but in my opinion he’s not ready to be a quarterback in the SEC and play these teams and run an offense that isn’t severely handicapped.
Andrew: I agree with you. I think you just pray that Feleipe stays healthy, and that if he doesn’t Malik stays healthy. I guess, how do you feel the confidence is around Feleipe after talking to people on Monday?
Nick: I think something that stood out to me was after the game, I think it might have been either Jawaan Taylor or TJ McCoy, said getting better with his cadence. To me, it was still why is that a thing? You know what I mean? Why, after being in the program, he’s been here almost two years, why are we struggling with play calls and cadence at the line and in the huddle? At least, the comment was that it’s better, not that it still sucked.
Andrew: Yeah. That’s true. I think Ross had a good point too, Nick, and that is that this game’s going to be decided in the running game. Florida’s got to run the ball. It just is what T.I. is. You got to run the ball. You can’t allow Feleipe to have to sit back there 30, 40 times a game and be back there trying to throw the ball and trying to win the game with just his arm. You’ve got to be able to run the ball in this game. LSU should be healthy. Should be a better run defense than it showed last week.
Nick: Yeah. I think the biggest thing for me is, yes, I agree with you. Florida needs to run the ball. The biggest thing for me is the tackling. Going off of just a gut feeling, I think Derrius Guice plays. You got to be able to tackle. You can’t give a team like LSU, that wants to pound the ball, you can’t give them. Don’t let that 2-yard run turn into an 8-yard run. Don’t let an 8-yard run turn into a 28-yard run, because of missed tackles. That, to me, continues to be a problem with this team is their scoring defense is fine. Florida’s not giving up a ton of points.
It’s almost that bend but don’t break, but I think we’ve said it, and I’ve said it. Florida’s offense has probably hindered the defense at times this season, more than the actual offense that the defense is going against. They do it to themselves sometimes by missed tackles, missed assignments, stuff like that, where you’re allowing the other team to extend drives, or you’re extending drives for the other team. You’re the reason you’re staying out there longer than you need to on defense. I think you really need to start fixing that, clearing that up.
Andrew: I agree. Mac kind of called out Chauncey a little bit in saying he thinks he’ll get better. He kind of said that they need to improve. Yeah. So that’s that, Nick. Anything else you want to add to this talk? I think it’s pretty cut and dried. Feleipe’s got to play well. Your running game’s got to play well, and you got to tackle.
Nick: 1, 2, 3. All easy, right?
Andrew: If it was easy, we’d all be champions.
Nick: Of life?
Andrew: Yeah. Of life. For real. What a disaster. What a disaster, my friends in Knoxville. Homeboy’s got his recruits out here tweeting about how they’re 100% in. Bro, those guys are no more 100% in than a man in the moon. Those guys are dipping at the end of the season if Butch’s back.
Nick: Goodness. The problem with that is, I think Butch is only $6 million. He gets $2 million a year in his buyout for the rest of his contract. Then you’re getting rid of the coaching staff, and that’s anywhere between $11-$13 million with all their contracts that I looked up this week. That’s a big price to pay to get rid of Butch.
Andrew: Yeah. Well, how much do you value winning? Florida’s going to have a big recruiting weekend as well. Most of their commits will be in town, including Matt Corral, the no commit on Twitter profile Matt Corral. He’ll be here. Jacob Copeland, Jamar Chase. A lot of the big names are coming in. Still trying to get a lot of the targets confirmed as coming in, but should still be a big weekend for Florida this weekend. It’ll be interesting to kind of see how the atmosphere is. Should be a great atmosphere.
All right, Nick, we’ll get out. We’ll see everyone on Friday for our prediction podcast. We’ll have plenty of stuff. We’re taping this on Tuesday, so that means you guys are going to be seeing a lot on Tuesday and Wednesday of basketball media days. That’s there. That’s getting kicked off, and we’ll have plenty of stuff. Anyway, tell everyone where they can find us, and we’ll get out of here.
Nick: www.GatorCountry.com for all your Florida Gator news. The podcast is there in audio and transcript form. You can also find it on iTunes. Subscribe. Never miss a podcast. Get notification on your phone every time it publishes. Follow us on social media. @GatorCountry on Facebook and Twitter. @TheGatorCountry on Instagram. You can follow me, @NickdelaTorreGC, and he’s @AndrewSpiveyGC.
Andrew: There you go. Again, if you haven’t joined us yet, come check us out. Ask one of us. We’ll get you that coupon code. As always, chomp, chomp. Go Braves.
Nick: You stay classy, Gator Country.