NOTE FROM THE EDITOR: Whoops, I made the mistake of opening an old file rather than the current one! My sincere apologies (at least it was a blast from the past…). Here’s the correct, current edition. -Ray
by David Parker
Thoughts of the Week – UK Week (09-14-19)
If it’s true that nothing of value is ever easy, then Florida football must be the most valuable commodity in college sports. Because they go full Tina Turner: they nevah, evah do nothin’ nice and easy. Especially when it comes to playing the Kentucky Wildcats. But there is comfort in knowing that the recent struggles with the bluegrass pain in the as I was saying, this isn’t your father’s Kentucky football program.
It’s hard to get our minds around this because of the many decades of hard wiring, but Kentucky is a legitimate top tier SEC team now. It wasn’t just Benny Snell. They’ve got legit top tier SEC players at all position groups. I don’t mean the top shelf, like Alabama of now, or Florida of old – just the upper quarter of the SEC. A real threat to anyone they play. And we were playing with a ton of guys down or out with injury, and that was before the ejections started.
It’s hard to understand how we were even in a position to win the game at the end. But we were, and we won. Because that’s what winning programs do. And we are a winning program again. It shocked so many people that the game turned around so incredibly in the fourth quarter, but that’s what usually happens to winning programs. And as good as Kentucky is, they have not been at the party long enough to know where the VIP room is. They still do things to lose games, so the other team can win games.
To wit, Kentucky’s play calling on offense really helped our defense out a lot in the fourth quarter. They literally took their own quarterback out of his rhythm by trying to shorten the game, instead of doing what was dominating us all game long. It’s not like they were beating us by making risky throws that could easily be turned into game-changing pick-6’s. And ironically, by changing their attack, they led themselves into long throws that did result in 2 critical interceptions. Interceptions that likely would not have happened if they had stuck to the short and intermediate passing plan that staked them to their commanding lead.
And the Wildcats defense changed what they were doing, backing off the receivers and daring the new quarterback to beat them. Would Trask still have been as successful had they not gone to a softer cushion on our receivers? We will never know. We just know that this is what other teams do when they face winning programs.
I think of it like this: it reminds me of something a great old UF writer said once about Steve Spurrier’s Gators of the 1990s (and change): he said Spurrier’s Gators won 80% of their games before they even took the field because the other team didn’t really think they could win. And I would extend that to say that neither did the opposing coaches, and they would always inadvertently do things because of this that helped facilitate the Gator victories. Along with that goes the old adage that the winning programs do what it takes to win; the losing programs simply do not. Florida did the former, like it’s done so often in the past. Kentucky did the latter, as it has done so often in the past. As much as things have changed at Kentucky, some things still remain the same.
It’s All About Calibration
And it may be time to recalibrate 2019 expectations. The most optimistic projections for the Gators this year carried certain caveats, such as the offensive line gelling to SEC-level competence before the Auburn game, Feleipe Franks continuing to improve from the level with which he finished 2018, and that another year in the strength and conditioning program would bring us closer to a competitive physical presence that was lost under the “work out if you feel like it, the weight room is over there” S&C program of the three years prior to Dan Mullen’s tenure.
But the most important caveat to a great 2019 Gator season was that this team – especially at key positions – stays healthy. We couldn’t afford to lose any of our key players for significant periods of time. Well, we are only 3 games into the season, and we’re already sprinting the other direction. We’ve got so many starters and key reserves injured right now that Mullen has hired Alan Alda and Loretta Swit as special consultants. And Saturday night, the Gators lost the most key player for the most significant period of time: the starting quarterback for the season.
If we get a lot of our health back before the Auburn game, and the tandem of Kyle Trask and Emory Jones can match or adequately substitute for the production of Feleipe Franks at quarterback, then all those other caveats can come into play and we might yet have a great year. But odds are not strongly on our side there. So dial back your expectations meter accordingly until further notice.
Dan the Man
MAN, I really love Dan Mullen.
He’s such a straight shooter, and such a great developer, and when he speaks, you know why his players go all out for him. In his on-field interview after the game, talking about how they prepare each player for their roles, and specifically how Kyle Trask has worked his way to this position, spoke volumes about the coach and the man. That oration about Kyle’s story was just great – he got choked up and almost shed some tears. His love for his players is palpable, and the integrity with which he coaches and develops the young men in his charge is evident in moments like this. And I don’t just mean during this interview. I mean in this game. A team doesn’t win this game without that integrity, or without that huge respect and love for their coach.
Conditional Finishes
It was clear Saturday night that the Gators still have a ways to go in the size and strength department. After the 3 years of tapioca pudding S&C program under Jim McElwain, that was to be expected. Another year and we will be there, or very close. But while we may not be as physically strong as the top cohort of the SEC, our team’s conditioning might just be among the tops in the conference and nation.
Much has been made of how the Gators were being physically dominated Saturday night, especially in the trenches, and then “miraculously” won the fourth quarter 19-0. Well we have been doing that all year. And not just the 4th quarter: the second half of games have really showed Florida’s superior conditioning this year.
In the second half:
We outscored Miami 17-7
We outscored UTM 28-0
We outscored UK 22-7 (should’ve been 24-7, but for the two 2-pt conversion attempts that failed)
Total: outscoring the opponents 67-14 in the second half, 40-7 in the fourth quarter.
Considering two of those opponents were Power 5 teams that led the Gators in the second half, these are meaningful metrics. Surely there are multiple factors at play here, but one cannot overlook conditioning as a key impact on the Gators’ 7-game winning streak dating back to last year.
Tennessee Week!
Perception is that we should trounce Tennessee. Perhaps reality is, too. But from where I sit, there are no easy wins left on our schedule other than Towson. Not until our offensive line proves it can play several levels higher than they have thus far. However, we have many things going for us against Tennessee that we didn’t have in the struggling wins against Miami and Kentucky.
Firstly, we will be at home. Miami was a neutral site and very different kind of venue, and Kentucky of course was in Lexington, in a packed house that was real-SEC level of electric. As I said: Kentucky is a legit SEC program now, and their fans are, too. Remember, these are the most rabid SEC basketball fans, and among the most rabid in the country – they are capable of the same thing in football if they are simply given a reason to be. Head Coach Mark Stoops has given them that reason.
The confines of Gainesville and the Swamp will be a nice boost. The fact that Tennessee is a lesser team than Miami, and a much lesser team than Kentucky, will also help. Both Miami and Kentucky are far better coached than Tennessee. They are both in much better physical condition, as well. Tennessee has, like FSU, lost all its energy, strength and ability to compete late in games thus far this year. As I mentioned earlier, Florida meanwhile has continued the 2018 trend under Mullen and Strength & Conditioning Coach Nick Savage of playing much stronger in the second half and especially in the fourth quarter than their competition. It is probably not going to provide any distinct advantage against teams like Georgia, LSU, and Auburn, who all have great conditioning programs as well, but this has proven to be a major weakness for Tennessee under head coach Jeremy Pruitt.
Having Kyle Trask starting at quarterback along with packages for Emory Jones – who I believe will get a couple series in this game – is also going to be an advantage because Tennessee will have scant little film to go on to prepare for either of them. The Trask package will not be significantly different from the Franks package, but he has different tendencies, different strengths and weaknesses, and Tennessee has very little basis for knowing any of them.
And Florida likely will have a number of players back on the field that were not there for much or all of the Kentucky game due to injury.
Franks-ly Speaking
I won’t hit on the myriad tragic storylines of losing Franks, or Franks losing this year of his playing career. By now, they have been replayed a thousand times over. I will just say a few words about how it has impacted the future of Florida’s quarterback situation.
It’s become slightly less cloudy than moors in An American Werewolf in London.
The expectation was that Franks was NFL-draft-bound after this year, and Kyle and Emory would battle it out for the starting spot next year, expecting whichever of them loses that battle would transfer before the season started.
Now the potential scenarios have multiplied like a pack of tribbles. And there are so many contingencies. If Trask blows up as the starter. If he struggles or falters. If Emory is called on and steps up to the next level. How long until Franks is ready to practice again, let alone compete I earnest for his job again? Is he NFL-draft-bound after this year, injury and all? If Emory does not surge ahead of Trask this year, or if Franks comes back and is named the starter in 2020, does Jones follow the Trask route and stick around to wait his turn?
One thing about Florida football: it is never, ever boring.
Chomps from the GC Staff & Columnists —
ANDREW SPIVEY
Florida will host a Tennessee commit this weekend in OL James Robinson. John Hevesy and the coaching staff are desperately trying to add early impact guys in the 2020 class.
While Kyle Trask isn’t the leader that Feleipe Franks was, the players respect and believe in Trask. All reports so far are that Trask has handled this week of practice well.
NICK DE LA TORRE
What’s the best thing about being 3-0? The opportunity to go 4-0.
Welcome to the Kyle Trask era. I’m sure most on the board remember how highly I spoke of Trask when he came in. I always thought he would win the starting quarterback job over Feleipe Franks but it never panned out that way. He has earned my respect for the way he’s stayed mentally in it, prepared as if he were the starter and that work ethic and preparation showed on Saturday when he was put into a position, trailing on the road. He’s very similar to Franks and the offense will not change. He’s a willing runner and he has no fear or trepidation when it comes to lowering his shoulder and getting tough yards.
As for Emory Jones I’m told to expect to see him in some capacity. I’ve been told this before this year and it hasn’t really panned out, so take it for what it’s worth.
On the injury front Jabari Zuniga was at practice Monday and Tuesday in a walking boot and didn’t participate. CJ Henderson was at both practices as well but wasn’t a full participant. I think Henderson is close to being ready and will be a late week decision, possibly game time decision. Right now it looks like Zuniga will miss the Tennessee game. Jeawon Taylor is also dealing with his shoulder again. He’s back in a non-contact jersey. That means Brad Stewart and Shawn Davis (with Stiner missing the 1st half because he was ejected for targeting) will need to step up this week.
DAVID WUNDERLICH
When Feleipe Franks throws a pick, it’s generally for one of two reasons: the ball sails on him or he’s trying to be a hero instead of making the mundane play. The former will happen to strong armed quarterbacks, and so will the latter if they trust their arms too much.
Kyle Trask has an fine arm but not the cannon Franks does. As you saw against Kentucky, he’s much faster in his decision making based on pre-snap reads. I’m reasonably certain it’s because he doesn’t have a rocket arm. He can’t sit back and shop around as much as Franks does because he can’t fit the ball into tight windows when receivers are improvising downfield.
The upshot is that Trask has thrown the ball directly to defenders a couple times in the past two games. He will trust his pre-snap read, and it looks great as long as his read is correct. If a defender is disguising something and drops into the throwing lane, Trask will be at risk for simple interceptions.
There’s a trade off there, and Mullen has said he has tried to coach the hero plays out of Franks. If he could do that, there ceiling for him is much higher than for Trask because of Franks’s arm strength and better running ability. I think that’s why Franks started ahead of Trask, and if Trask does fire a pick or two directly to defenders, you’ll see it too.
ERIC FAWCETT
Big Florida football weekends make for big basketball recruiting weekends and this one will be no different as Coach White and his staff are bringing in some important prospects like AJ Hoggard, Matt Murrell, and PJ Hall. The name you might recognize is PJ Hall who is the top target on UF’s board. He’s a physical but skilled forward who would revolutionize the Gators’ front court and he might just be on commitment watch this weekend. The Gators have been considered the leader for quite some time here and Hall said in the past he really wanted to commit before his senior year of high school started. Obviously that ship has sailed but it shows he’s probably someone who wants to make a decision sooner than later and hey, maybe this will be the weekend. Assisting the Gators’ staff in the recruitment is PJ’s sister Thayer who is a star on Florida’s volleyball team. I’d love the brother-sister connection in Gainesville!
That’s all, folks!
We’ll send you off with our photo of the week below. Until then, see you in your inbox next Wednesday. : )
All the best,
Your friends at Gator Country
…where it’s GREAT to be a FLORIDA GATOR!