Mid week North Texas vs. Florida Gators podcast

Gator Country brings you a mid week North Texas vs. Florida Gators podcast as the guys look at some of the things the Mean Green do well.

Andrew Spivey and Nick de la Torre break down how the Gators will likely attack North Texas, plus update some injuries for the Gators heading into the game.

Andrew and Nick as promiseD, start to look at the Tennessee game in two weeks in Knoxville, Tennessee.

TRANSCRIPT:

Andrew:                 What’s up, Gator Country? Your man, Andrew Spivey, back with Nicholas de la Torre. Nicholas, Wednesday before North Texas, and, man, after last week, the Kentucky SEC game, finding it hard to get pumped for this North Texas game.

Nick:                         Yeah. You asked everyone to decide if we would talk about North Texas or Tennessee, and my mentions were flooded with Tennessee.

Andrew:                 Do you think it’s because they like hearing me talk about Tennessee, or they just don’t care about North Texas?

Nick:                         Yes. Both.

Andrew:                 Oh, Lordy, I’m not going to lie. My doctor probably hates me during Tennessee week, because my blood pressure probably jumps a few hundred good points during Tennessee week.

Nick:                         We’re looking a North Texas team that was 1-11 last year. 1-7 in conference. 0-7 on the road. They’re a team that’s coming into this game 1-1. They lost to SMU, 34-21, and then beat Bethune-Cookman last week, 41-20.

Andrew:                 I want to say this though. I was kind of looking over some of their states, and they played two crappy teams. Let’s not make it like they’re playing anybody good, but they’re running the ball pretty good, 206 yards a game right now, and then throwing the ball for 216 through the air. They’re a team that wants to run the ball. They’re definitely more of a run based offense more so than passing. They’re going to be a little bit more unbalanced, per say, but it will interesting to see if that’s they’re same game plan heading in next weekend. They do have two guys that get a bulk of the carries, Jeffrey Wilson and Willy Ivory. Jeffrey Wilson has got 29 carries for 171, and Ivory’s got 13 for 108. They’re going to try to pound the ball a little bit, but what’s crazy about it is they’ve got six running backs who have all got to carry.

Nick:                         Let’s stop this.

Andrew:                 No. I’m saying.

Nick:                         This is not a dangerous football team.

Andrew:                 I’m not. I’m just saying I’m giving you what this team is going to do. They’re going to try to run the ball against Florida. We’ll see.

Nick:                         They’re going to show up, and they’re going to take home a paycheck.

Andrew:                 What is that paycheck?

Nick:                         I’d have to go back and find out. UMass got like $1.5 million to show up and almost beat Florida. I think they’re going to get a six figure payday. I don’t think they break into the millions. They’re getting a six figure payday.

Andrew:                 Right. Exactly. It’ll be interesting to see. Like I said, I was just going through. Our job is to let everyone know what to look forward to. It looks like they’re running a two quarterback system too. So we’ll see that as well. Pretty much that’s it. Now, defensively the Gators should be able to go at their will. 215 yards per game they’re allowing on rushing, only 187 passing though.

Nick:                         Yeah. They’re a Conference USA team, and you look at them defensively as compared to other Conference USA teams, and it’s not great. People wanted us to skip a week. I guess we can go over them a little bit, but total defense in Conference USA they’re 9th, giving up over 400 yards a game against the two teams we just told you about, against Bethune-Cookman and SMU. Florida should have no problems moving the ball. North Texas does have, they’re giving up 187 passing, which is 6th in Conference USA, which is not great. Then the run defense is terrible, giving up 214.5 yards a game on the ground. Should be a good game for the Gators to kind of do what they did last week, run the ball, establish the run, and then hit some play action passes.

Andrew:                 Kind of give an update from Coach Mac on Monday.

Nick:                         Coach Mac on Monday is playing the typical coach, kind of like Nick Saban said last week, Western Kentucky is the kind of team that will come in and beat you if you’re not ready for them. To me, I didn’t really get a good answer. I asked players on Saturday, I said, “What was the difference between Week 1 and Week 2, because Week 1 you guys looked terrible. Week 2 you dominate Kentucky?” That meaning you have to prepare Monday through Friday, through walkthroughs Friday in a manner that a champion would, and it doesn’t matter, a champion team it doesn’t matter who you’re playing, you come out, and you play yourself. You try to be better than you were the day before, and that’s what they all said. Then I come back with, “That’s easy to do when you’re getting ready for an SEC opponent, even if that SEC opponent is Kentucky, how do you avoid that upset or avoid that human nature with North Texas coming in?” All we’re getting we set the standard this week, and now we know what we need to do. So we’ll see. It’s human nature to not get up for this team, and nothing against Florida. That’s just you get up for big opponents, big lights, big camera. There’s more excitement around that game. It’s tougher to get up to play the mean green of North Texas.

Andrew:                 Yeah. Injury updates. No really, besides Tyrie Cleveland is out with the hamstring. No timetable for him, and then Coach Mac said he’s worried, or nervous, about Antonio Callaway. Nick, you and I think we’re in agreement. We saw him after the game. He looked perfectly fine. Coach Mac says he don’t want to be cautious against North Texas, but he’s being cautious against North Texas with 81.

Nick:                         That would go against everything he’s saying though.

Andrew:                 Okay. So do you believe he’s really hurt? He’s hurt, but do you believe it was Tennessee he wouldn’t play?

Nick:                         That’s going against what the team standard is. I’m just asking, are we selling fool’s gold? What are we selling here? What are we talking about here? We just said, every opponent is the same, doesn’t matter. We actually got the first faceless, nameless, faceless, of the Jim McElwain era this week.

Andrew:                 Oh, brother. Here we go. Let’s talk though for a second about the quarterback situation. I know you’re going to have a story on this. We had a couple people, Nick, last year, one of them being Greg McElroy, the other being Garrett Grayson. Both quarterbacks who played for a national champion. Excuse me, Greg McElroy played for a national champion at Alabama. They both said Mac is harder after a win than he is after a loss, and I think that was very telling this week with his comments about Luke Del Rio. It was kind of what he did last year to Will Grier. I think that it’s a good thing. Now, some people don’t like that he’s harder on him. Where are you with that?

Nick:                         I think if you go back, and you look at the first time I really noticed it was probably the Ole Miss game, because that was probably Will Grier’s best game. To me, after the game Jim McElwain was, to put it nicely, Jim McElwain was mean, or down, hard, very unnecessarily hard on Will Grier, who we thought just had a great game. Flash forward to every other start Treon Harris made over the last half of the season, and it was we need to play better around him. You’re looking at it, and you’re like, the quarterback’s a gigantic problem. What do you mean you need to play better around him? That caused you and I to ask former players. You talked to Garrett Grayson. We both talked to McElroy, and it really was the same story from them. That was when we lost a game we were going to get coddled. We were going to get hugged, make sure that our confidence didn’t sink. When we were playing well, when we had a good game, he was there to give us a little ego check, make sure that we weren’t getting too high, drinking our own Kool-Aid too much.

Andrew:                 Right.

Nick:                         That’s what’s going on with Del Rio right now.

Andrew:                 Right. I think that’s kind of where it is. Treon Harris had zero confidence, so saying anything bad about him brings that confidence even lower. Grier had confidence. Here’s my thing, and I had this conversation with someone the other day. They were like, he’s kind of hard, and I’m like, he’s a quarterback; he can take it. That’s McElwain’s position, and they know how McElwain is. I don’t think he’s being too hard on it. I think he has every good intention on just helping Luke become better, all of his quarterbacks, and can you really argue with the success he’s had at the quarterback position doing it the way he has?

Nick:                         Yeah, but my question is do you think, I think Del Rio might be better equipped to handle it. To me, I feel like Will Grier kind of needed a little bit of that pat on the back. I think if you look at both of them are coach’s sons at different levels, I think Luke Del Rio is better equipped for that, and it comes from something he said on Monday. The reporter that asked McElwain about Del Rio’s good game, and McElwain kind of went off about his interception, about his missed passes, he brought that up again to Luke, and Luke said, “That’s what I signed up for. That’s why I’m here. That kind of coaching and that attitude is why I came to Florida.”

Andrew:                 Right.

Nick:                         To be coached by Jim McElwain. Me, I would have said, “No way, man. I had a damn good game. Tell me I had a good game.”

Andrew:                 Right. And I’m with you. I don’t know. I don’t have a problem with it. I don’t know have a problem with it at all. I think it’s what it’s about. It’s about making the quarterback the best. Here’s the thing, and you and I said this on Sunday, Monday, did Luke play a perfect game? No. He really didn’t. Is there room for improvement? Yeah. Absolutely, so let’s go. I’m cool with it.

Nick:                         I was saying it during the game. A couple of those passes that he threw should be interceptions. So to me, yeah, he could have a better game.

Andrew:                 Right. Exactly. Couple other things from that were they’re going to continue to still play all the tailbacks. I think you and I agree that all of them have kind of really earned it. I think you maybe see Cronkrite be more of a 3rd down back, but, yeah, they still earned it for this game at least. I don’t think we can talk about really limiting anything until Tennessee week.

Nick:                         You think that they haven’t really showed anything offensively yet?

Andrew:                 No, I’m saying I don’t know if we can talk about them limited the backs as far as getting…

Nick:                         If they all keep running like this I don’t think you’ll see any limit other than Mark Herndon’s not carrying the ball against Tennessee, LSU. That’s not happening.

Andrew:                 But he hasn’t really carried the ball this year though.

Nick:                         He’s still getting in. If they’re all playing well, I think you’ll go into a game plan of these four are all going to play, and then if you get into the game where one of them is obviously or clearly running hot, then you’ll see that will be the determining factor of taking carries away or how the carries get shaken up, but if all the guys are running they way they are now, I don’t see you going into a week and not having all four of them in the game plan somehow. Does that make sense? You’re not paring it down before the game. You’re letting the play of the guys pare it down during the game.

Andrew:                 Right. You’re letting the play dictate. Here’s my thing too, and it’s kind of what we talked about on Monday, and that is you’re starting to see that Thompson is more of your short yardage guy, and that Scarlett and Perine are your guys that can do a little bit of everything. So does it get to a point where that’s kind of where things are, like you kind of just have different packages, that kind of stuff, for it? Maybe so. We’ll see. I expect them all to play this week. As we just said, North Texas is atrocious against the run, so keep them going. Let the hot hand go.

Nick:                         Yeah. That’ll be interesting to see. I like how Perine responded last week. I thought Mark Thompson ran the ball hard, and it’s just a lot. You got to run the ball what? Like 60 times a game probably to get the guys enough carries, that they want. Every week there’ll probably be someone that says, I thought so-and-so could have gotten more carries last week. I think Jordan Scarlett could have gotten more carries last week, but every week I’ll probably be able to say that about somebody.

Andrew:                 Yeah. Nick, let’s start our first week, it’s Wednesday, and the NFL season’s underway. We said we were going to start doing a small segment called Gator Made recapping the Gators in the NFL. First week, 15 Gators started in the league, and 23 players were on the roster, and that’s not even including the other…

Nick:                         No, 35 players on active rosters.

Andrew:                 No, I’m talking about that were just, excuse me, you’re right. 23 got in the game this past week. That’s my bad. I messed that up. 23 got in the game this week.

Nick:                         You look at, run through it. DJ Humphries was a starter on Monday night for the Cardinals. Keanu Neal was injured, but Brian Poole started.

Andrew:                 Yeah. Pretty cool that a guy that is undrafted is starting in the league.

Nick:                         I remember watching a little inside clip from the preseason, and Brian Poole had just made a play and was talking to someone on the sideline, and they said to him, “It doesn’t matter. You’re already here. You’re on the team.” Even in that fourth game he was like, I haven’t made it yet.

Andrew:                 That’s kind of how Brian always is though, kind of that way. Pretty cool to see to see Brandon Spikes get back. He got back in the game.

Nick:                         Back in Buffalo.

Andrew:                 Back in Buffalo.

Nick:                         He was with Mike Gillislee and Lerentee McCray. McCray was a Super Bowl champion last year in Denver, now in Buffalo.

Andrew:                 He’s having to deal with the Ryan brothers. Then my guy, Nick, Jon Jon Bullard didn’t get to start this week, but got in, and I know he had a quarterback hurry and a couple tackles. So that was big for him, and then Carlos Dunlap up in Cincinnati had another big game. That guy is a walking big game playmaker.

Nick:                         Yeah. Took a weird picture with the Cincinnati Bengals for their color rush. I’m sure that wasn’t his idea, but weird picture. Also, Deonte Thompson was in there with Chicago, and Jeff Driskel was inactive. He’s QB3. NFL teams only dress two quarterbacks, whoever’s the third quarterback doesn’t dress. Joe Hayden, obviously, with Cleveland. Chaz Green played as a reserve. He had started a couple games last year in Dallas. Actually, no, he was starting in preseason before the injury.

Andrew:                 Yeah, he was. Then there are a couple of those guys that are very close with you and I, Nick. Max Garcia being one of those.

Nick:                         Starting at center for the defending Super Bowl champions.

Andrew:                 Then also our good buddy down in Jacksonville, Dante Fowler. First game in the league after being drafted high.

Nick:                         What is that nickname you just gave him?

Andrew:                 I said our buddy, Dante Fowler.

Nick:                         I thought you called him Donnie Jacksonville. I was like, what?

Andrew:                 I said Danted in Jacksonville.

Nick:                         I heard Donnie Jacksonville. I was like, when did Andrew decide that was his nickname?

Andrew:                 Who knows? It may stick; it may not. Dominic Easley out in Los Angles there. Nick, the one guy though, and we’re just kind of jumping around here. If you want to see all the list go to Gator Zone. They got it all up there. The guy that I was impressed to see starting and look so good was Trenton Brown with the 49ers on Monday Night Football. He’s really transformed his body. Nick, you and I got to see him several times, and he’s a big old boy, nicest guy in the world. I really am glad to see Trenton Brown succeed in the league.

Nick:                         Yeah. Good guy. I was talking to a friend who I was watching the game with, and he asked, “Did he start at Florida?” I was like, “Yeah, he was one of those rare junior college kids that has three to play two,” three years to play two. The plan was really I think to redshirt in 2013, his first year.

Andrew:                 Yeah. That was kind of the deal, and then he ended up having to play.

Nick:                         Everyone gets hurt. 2013 he ends up having to play. Plays just two years, and then he’s out of there, but Trent’s a good guy. It’s good to see him getting the start out there. That was a really tough football game to watch.

Andrew:                 It was tough for my fantasy team, who was really hoping for a good game from Mr. Gurley. I guess that’s what I get for trusting them damn Bulldogs.

Nick:                         We’ll finish it up with Washington. Quinten Dunbar still playing as a reserve at cornerback. Matt Jones started, just seven carries for 24 yards, 9 yard reception, and Jordan Reed, on my fantasy team, started the game, 7 catches for 64 yards. I think he had three, he got targeted four times on the very first drive. Three catches on the first drive, so good game for him. I don’t think any Gators got in the end zone though.

Andrew:                 No. How did you do this week there, Nick?

Nick:                         I’m in two leagues, and then our Gator Country league. I didn’t even check our Gator Country league, because you made it on Yahoo, and I can’t remember my password.

Andrew:                 That’s not cool. How did you do in the other leagues?

Nick:                         My two leagues who I’ve been, it’s a bunch of friends all the way from high school, two big wins.

Andrew:                 I had two disappointing losses. In the Gator Country league I lose by like a tenth of a point. No, don’t even know how that’s happening. Then in my league with some family get beat by 10 points, because Todd Gurley does zero, zero. Really bad week.

Nick:                         Great week for me. Won by 60 in one league, and won by 40 in another. We are rolling along.

Andrew:                 Rolling along. That’s all that matters. Alright, Nick, what do you want to go to next, my friend?

Nick:                         A reminder, I guess this will be out Wednesday, but a reminder, the Repeat After Us, ESPN’s documentary about the back to back basketball championships at Florida, will be on tonight. That is Tuesday, September 13th. That will air at 9:00. I’m sure you’ll be able to catch it Wednesday or a repeat.

Andrew:                 I’m sure it will be repeating all the time. How cool was that to see those guys back though? That was cool for me, really cool to see.

Nick:                         Why couldn’t we get a Jokim in a Mr. Two Bits shirt?

Andrew:                 Why couldn’t we get an Andrew Spivey one on one with Jokim? We could have had fun talking about Tennessee.

Nick:                         You should have done that. You should have found him.

Andrew:                 I should have. So I see Jokim. I go to the 2014 All Star game in New Orleans, and Jokim’s there. I was very fortunate enough to get some practice tickets to go to the practice. I am with my sister at the time, and she is young. She’s 20, and Jokim Noah starts making a move on my sister. Maybe I should have brought my sister.

Nick:                         Jokim Noah’s going to Jokim Noah.

Andrew:                 Lordy. My favorite though might have been Mr. Humphrey.

Nick:                         Lee?

Andrew:                 Yes. He gave hope for people like myself who just are not very athletic.

Nick:                         How dare you? Lee for three rang out all March, and Lee is athletic.

Andrew:                 He looks, Nick, does he not look just like he shouldn’t belong with those guys? He’s like a little old guy, and the rest of those are monsters. Lee’s just like the little man of the bunch.

Nick:                         Yeah, he’s a little sprighter than the rest of them.

Andrew:                 A little? Okay. That’s being nice. Nick, is it time?

Nick:                         I have a question for you.

Andrew:                 Okay.

Nick:                         How do you feel about winning a game in Week 2 of the regular season and having a team covered in confetti and handed a trophy and t-shirts and hats, celebrating their Week 2 win?

Andrew:                 Only one team could do that, Nick. Only one team could do that, the preseason champs. So that is now how many rings they get? They got a ring for winning the preseason national championship. They got a ring for winning the Media Day championship. So now they got a ring for the Bristol championship? So they got three rings already, and they’ve yet to win one meaningful ring.

Nick:                         Does that mean, do we end the season? Is it over?

Andrew:                 It’s so stupid. It’s like those moronic morons of their fan base is touting that stuff. Like it’s cool that you got a Bristol win. First of all, all those fans that went to the game are probably pissed off asking for their money back, because those seats were atrocious, but it’s embarrassing. Do you really think Mac gives his team, or let me ask you this, does Nick Saban let his team get trophies for that stuff?

Nick:                         Florida, Jarrad Davis told us at Media Days that Florida declined to get, Jim McElwain asked them if they wanted a ring for being SEC East champions, because that’s available. It’s something that a lot of teams will do, and I get that. You won your division. That’s a goal every year. The team turned it down, and said, “No. We didn’t win the SEC Championship; we don’t want those rings.”

Andrew:                 I admire them for that, because it’s one of those things where I mean, sure you won your conference, but at the end of the day was that your goal? No.

Nick:                         It’s one of the goals.

Andrew:                 Sure. You have to reach that goal to reach your end goal, but no. It’s just stupid. It just really goes, nobody else could pull that off except for Tennessee. Only the idiotic people of that stupid fan base and coaching staff could pull of something stupid like that. Butch Jones is a moron who when he gets fired he’s going to say, “I did win a bunch of championships.” “Which ones, Butch?” “Back in Birmingham they named me the national championship. Bleacher Report named me the national championship.” Josh Dobbs might got to the Heisman and think he’s deserving of the Heisman because of the hype he gets.

Nick:                         I feel like, maybe it’s just me, but I feel like their fans have kind of backed off a little bit.

Andrew:                 Yeah. I was reading a message board yesterday. Someone asked me to send me a link and asked me to read it, and one of the fans said, “I hope Florida’s defense is not that good, because they’re going to whip our ass in Knoxville if they are.” I’m sitting here thinking, there’s bright people in Knoxville?

Nick:                         I feel like the fans have kind of jumped off a little bit of that.

Andrew:                 Here’s the thing, Nick.

Nick:                         It seems like there’s not as much huffing and puffing and this is our year kind of stuff.

Andrew:                 Do you watch that team? 94 yards passing.

Nick:                         Not great.

Andrew:                 Treon Harris did more than that, boss. Treon Harris does more than that. The team is not very good. Nick, I really wish we could fast forward past this week. I really am looking forward to that trip to Knoxville. I just really am. I so pumped for that.

Nick:                         I will be eating good that week. It is a good barbeque town. What areas can Tennessee move the ball on Florida? They’ll have running success?

Andrew:                 Some. Because if you’re Florida your game plan is to go in there and say, please, Josh, beat me with the throwing the ball, and we’ll be okay with it. You tell Anzalone, you spy homeboy Dobbs without the eyebrows all day long.

Nick:                         Come on, now.

Andrew:                 Have you not seen the joke? I saw this joke the other day, and I really have to bring it up, Nick. We’re talking here. They said, do you know why fans say Josh Dobbs plays out of this world? Do you know, Nick?

Nick:                         No. Sure don’t. I don’t know.

Andrew:                 It’s because he’s not from this world. So he has to play out of this world, because he’s not from this world. Anyway, back to Joshua Dobbs. If you’re Florida, do you not go in there saying, please beat me through the air, Josh, if you’re going to win, beat me through the air?.

Nick:                         100%. I go man defense. I probably go man defense, man on the outside with one safety over top, and say, go ahead and beat me.

Andrew:                 Try.

Nick:                         You’re going need to pass. If I’m Florida, and it’s what teams did to Florida last year. It was, we’re going stop the run. If you’re going to beat us it’s going to be because Treon Harris is beating us with his arm. If I’m Florida, I’m saying, I’m going up to Tennessee, and the only way we are coming back with a loss is if Josh Dobbs beats us through the air. He’s not going to beat us by running the ball himself. They’re not going to beat us by Jalen Hurd running the ball. Florida will lose to Tennessee if Josh Dobbs beats them through the air, and right now I don’t know if that’s possible.

Andrew:                 Where are you throwing it to?

Nick:                         Josh Dobbs, right now on the season, is 26 of 48. That’s a 54.2% completion percentage. He’s only thrown for 283 yards. He’s thrown for 4 touchdowns, 2 interceptions. That’s 5.9 yards per attempt.

Andrew:                 That sucks.

Nick:                         I don’t understand. It’s what we said. We said that the hype, I think a lot of it was sports writers projecting where or how much better players would be, and that kind of goes into off season hype. It’s like we’ve said about Florida players, who we probably know more about Florida players than a national writer does, because it’s what we’re doing every day. It’s like we’ve said with some players on the team, I’ve seen enough. That’s what he is. There’s no light bulb turning on. That’s what he is, and that’s okay.

Andrew:                 Here’s my thing.

Nick:                         Josh Dobbs is not a quarterback. He doesn’t throw the football.

Andrew:                 Even though, but even their local writers believe the hype. Even their local writers believe that crap that they were going to be better. It’s not, their line is bad, Nick. Their line is bad, and now they’re looking like they’re going to be without two defensive starters in this game. I mean, this should be a better Florida offense in this game than it was last year. I’m just saying. I mean, do I hate Tennessee? Yes. 1000% percent. I’m being honest in saying that I don’t get the hype. I don’t get the hype. I don’t get that this team is better. Remember, that’s a bad Virginia Tech football team, and that was a bad App State team. They didn’t take a step forward like Florida did. They didn’t take a step forward like other teams did. I don’t know. To me they’re just a bad football team.

Nick:                         I don’t know if they’re a bad football team.

Andrew:                 They’re not good.

Nick:                         I think they’re good. They just can’t throw the ball. They’re a one dimensional team football team.

Andrew:                 When does one dimensional football teams win anything?

Nick:                         Georgia Southern beat Florida in 2013. Pretty one dimensional team.

Andrew:                 Did they win the East? Did they win their division?

Nick:                         Yeah. I just don’t see it. I don’t see it with Tennessee. I am glad, after two scares, I was really hoping for an undefeated matchup when we got up to Tennessee. Just for selfish reasons. I wanted Florida and Tennessee both to be 3-0. Tennessee almost had the hiccup in Week 1. They were down 14-0 in Week 2. I know you did not share in that cheering on Tennessee with me, but I think if Florida and Tennessee both avoid disasters this week, going into that next week 3-0 and 3-0, I’m excited about that.

Andrew:                 I’m getting, looking at this on our message board right now, and our good friend, Barrett, says he doesn’t believe Josh Dobbs needs to be a better passer for Tennessee to win the East. Whatever you’re taking, boss, get off of it. Josh Dobbs doesn’t throw the ball. If Josh Dobbs throws the ball for 90 yards against Florida, Florida wins by two touchdowns.

Nick:                         I don’t know if he can throw for more than that.

Andrew:                 I mean, I’m saying. What is he going to do? Because he’s not, do you trust Dobbs throwing against Tabor or Quincy?

Nick:                         Excuse me?

Andrew:                 Do you trust Dobbs throwing against 6 and 31?

Nick:                         Excuse you? Absolutely not.

Andrew:                 Exactly. So where are you throwing against?

Nick:                         Behind the line of scrimmage.

Andrew:                 Exactly. So they’re going to throw to Jalen Hurd, and like I said, Alex Anzalone makes a lot of money in that Tennessee game, because he’s a guy that can go lateral with Josh Dobbs.

Nick:                         That was the issue last year. Antonio Morrison, for as good as he is, not the same kind of athlete.

Andrew:                 I mean, Alex Anzalone was a running back in high school.

Nick:                         Last year Dobbs carried the ball 18 times for 136 yards against Florida. Passing last year against Florida he was 10 of 17 for 83 yards.

Andrew:                 Oh my God, I didn’t even realize how bad that was.

Nick:                         He also caught the pass, and at half time I remember tweeting it, at half time Dobbs was Tennessee’s leading rusher, passer, and receiver, which is always what you want your quarterback to be at half time.

Andrew:                 Oh gosh. Those guys…Boss, I don’t know. I really don’t. I’m saving some emotion for next week.

Nick:                         Here’s another thing. Last week against Virginia Tech, 3rd down efficiency, 3 of 13.

Andrew:                 Yeah. That’s what I’m saying, Nick. I don’t know.

Nick:                         Florida is allowing opponents to convert 30.43% of their 3rd down conversions. That’s 36th in the country. Tennessee just 13.

Andrew:                 Let me ask you this though, and I’m trying to think back to that Tennessee game. Didn’t they have two trick plays that scored?

Nick:                         Yeah. Against Florida, yeah. Two trick plays that scored. One was the pass to Dobbs. That was a double pass. I think that was either Marcell Harris or Nick Washington that got burnt on that one. We’ll have to go back and watch that game again.

Andrew:                 Yeah. I’m just trying to remember. I’m just looking through. I was on Twitter just kind of looking at some of the Tennessee stuff. Supposedly the Knoxville radio today said all Tennessee needs to do is score 20, and they win. They beat Florida.

Nick:                         No. Maybe I was wrong about saying people were done drinking the Kool-Aid.

Andrew:                 These ass clowns, they crazy. They crazy up there, son. God bless. I really cannot wait. I cannot wait. Knoxville becomes a better town when I set foot there.

Nick:                         When was the last time you were in Knoxville?

Andrew:                 I was in Knoxville like six years ago with my grandpa. My grandpa has family up there. I’ve never attended a game in Neyland.

Nick:                         Very cool stadium.

Andrew:                 As they say on Blind Side, they had those dead bodies up there. So hopefully none of them come back to get me.

Nick:                         I still don’t remember. You think that’s hilarious. I still can’t remember it, even when you said it right now.

Andrew:                 Think it’s so funny, them clowns up there. I wish they could bring like Spurrier back, let Spurrier and Phillip sit in midfield, and Spurrier be like, “Remember when I kicked your ass?” “What year?” “Just about every year there, Phillip.” Nick, give the game plan for the rest of the week.

Nick:                         Game plan, we got a couple weeks before it, but you and I will be eating at Calhoun’s on the River, at least once while we’re in town.

Andrew:                 Okay.

Nick:                         I also want to go to the Brown Bag for lunch, but I’m going to need, we’re going to need some suggestions of somewhere to eat in and around Knoxville. Where to get some good food. Rest of the week, we have practice today, Tuesday, talk to players Tuesday. Wednesday it will be an assistant coach, Jim McElwain and practice. Thursday, Friday doing our thing. Friday get a chance to watch the Houston Cougars again, or Thursday they’ll be playing. They’ll be playing at Cincinnati, excited about that. This a great week for college football games.

Andrew:                 It is. It really is.

Nick:                         Florida State/Louisville that’s a noon kickoff, which means you and I get to watch that before the Florida game.

Andrew:                 Hold on, Nick. I want to ask you about that. Derwin James goes down. Here’s the thing. I hate Florida State too, but I was a Derwin James fan. That sucks, but Jimbo, what the hell are you doing?

Nick:                         Derwin James is the player that lets you play the style of defense you would like to against Lamar Jackson, because what you do is you say, Derwin, you’re spying Lamar. Now the other 10, now you’re playing 10 on 10 again.

Andrew:                 Now you’re playing with a bunch of donks in the DBs.

Nick:                         The reason quarterback runs are so successful is normally when you’re scheming up a defense that’s the one unaccounted for player. You don’t account for the quarterback.

Andrew:                 Right.

Nick:                         Against Louisville you obviously have to. Your get out of jail free card was just taken away.

Andrew:                 Yup. I’m going to go ahead and say it. Nick, I’m going upset on Friday. When we do predictions, I’m going upset.

Nick:                         I’ll save my pick for then, but I might also be with you on that one.

Andrew:                 We need some buy or sell for this week, guys. Nick and I are struggling with North Texas. Sorry for that. Give us some buy or sell. It’s whatever. Send us a buy or sell for this week, anything you want us to talk about on Friday. We’re ready for Tennessee.

Nick:                         Let me run through a couple things.

Andrew:                 Hold on. I got to say something else about Tennessee.

Nick:                         You’re so long winded.

Andrew:                 Shut up. Knoxville, if there’s a Gator club doing anything game day, let Nick and I know. We want to experience game day in Knoxville.

Nick:                         Yeah, man. Game day Knoxville is working for us. There’s no time for Gator club. It’s 3:30 kickoff.

Andrew:                 Anything in the morning.

Nick:                         It’s a 3:30 kickoff. I’m not waking up early. You can go.

Andrew:                 I will go.

Nick:                         Rest of the week, the Miami Hurricanes traveling up to Appalachian State. We’ll see what the Canes do on the road there. You’ve also got #1 Alabama at Ole Miss. Alabama is a 10 point favorite on the road. They’ve lost two years in a row to Ole Miss. Lane Kiffin just got an ass chewing. Nick Saban made sure that that wasn’t misstated as an argument. That was just an ass chewing, according to him. Bunch of good games. LSU/Mississippi State is interesting. Texas A&M/Auburn. Michigan State, #12 Michigan State at 18 Notre Dame is a great game. Missouri hosting Georgia. Missouri scored 40 last week. Playing Eastern Michigan might do that for a lot of teams, but let’s see what they got for Georgia on the road. You remember last year, that’s a tough place to travel to. Ohio State at Oklahoma, another game I’m ready to watch, but I can’t, because that’s at the same time as Florida/North Texas.

Andrew:                 As Nick said, we’ll have stuff the rest of the week. Another podcast coming on Friday. Some more cool recruiting stuff as well, and we’ll have some basketball updates from visitors from this past weekend. Let us know if you want anything on the podcast Friday, got any suggestions or anything like that. If you’re not a member of Gator Country yet, let one of us know. Nick, tell us how they can let us know, and we’ll get out of here and see everyone on Friday.

Nick:                         Let us know. Hit us up on Twitter if you want to join Gator Country. That is also at www.GatorCountry.com for all your Florida Gators news. On Instagram, The GatorCountry. Facebook, Gator Country. Twitter, @GatorCountry. I am @NickdelaTorreGC. He’s @AndrewSpiveyGC. You can also find us on iTunes. Just hit the search button, the little search button down there. Search Gator Country. It’ll pop up. Subscribe there. Never miss an episode. Never miss a podcast. It will just give you a notification. Also, everybody, I know you’re asking me. Pretty much every day I’m getting asked, when’s the next podcast? Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Also, subscribe on iTunes, and you’ll get a notification every time a new one comes out. You don’t need to ask.

Andrew:                 Yeah. Monday, Wednesday, Friday, every week guys. Most of the time 5AM, unless something crazy happens, and we don’t get it up in time, but usually 5AM is the time. We know there’s a lot of knockoff podcasts out there trying to copy Nick and I, we appreciate you guys sticking with us, and let us know how we can get better. We always appreciate a comment on iTunes for that. Nick, I’m getting out of here with some hate Vols, because Butch Jones does suck. Go Braves, and chomp, chomp.

Nick:                         You stay classy, Gator Country.

Andrew Spivey
Andrew always knew he wanted to be involved with sports in some capacity. He began by coaching high school football for six years before deciding to pursue a career in journalism. While coaching, he was a part of two state semifinal teams in the state of Alabama. Given his past coaching experience, he figured covering recruiting would be a perfect fit. He began his career as an intern for Rivals.com, covering University of Florida football recruiting. After interning with Rivals for six months, he joined the Gator Country family as a recruiting analyst. Andrew enjoys spending his free time on the golf course and watching his beloved Atlanta Braves. Follow him on Twitter at @AndrewSpiveyGC.