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Is Billy Napier a Good Play Caller?

Discussion in 'RayGator's Swamp Gas' started by doctorg8r, Jul 26, 2025 at 8:42 AM.

  1. Gators244

    Gators244 GC Legend

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    Using Tom Brady as an example like he’s the only guy with a record of a good passing game is like using Bill Gates as the example like he is only guy good with money. You don’t need Tom Brady for a good passing game. Heupel’s offense was better with Joe Milton than Billy’s was with Mertz or AR. I think that says something.
     
  2. Wanne15

    Wanne15 GC Hall of Fame

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    Name any toop qb ever and its the same story. If he doesn't play, they dont win in the playoffs. In the nfl, if you dont have a top ten qb, you have little chance of success unless you have an alltime historic defense. College is no different. Bilivhek got fired for sucking until he got Brady and now hes the goat? Great coaches almost always have great qbs, it goes hand in hand.
     
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  3. Gators244

    Gators244 GC Legend

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    Greg McElroy
    A.J McCarron
    Tim Tebow
    Vince Young
    Troy Smith
    RG3
    Stetson Bennett
    Just off the top of my head of QB’s that didn’t make it in the NFL at all, and had successful college campaigns because of good coaches and scheme. Jalen Hurts just won a championship by playing within a great scheme. What you’re saying isn’t based on reality or Pat Mahomes, Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, Tom Brady, Payton Manning, and Drew Brees would have every Super Bowl and National championship ever.
     
  4. Wanne15

    Wanne15 GC Hall of Fame

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    They for the most part were elite college qbs like Danny. Those guys you mentioned do have almost every super bowl too. Bamas qbs won on dominant defenses and dominant running games but against someone like burrow , they had no chance..
     
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  5. Gators244

    Gators244 GC Legend

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    That wasn’t the perimeters you gave though. The point is you don’t need a NFL Super Bowl caliber QB to have good offense. You just need good players a good scheme and good play calling. We are or have so far been far away on 2/3. That’s the only point. Not that QB’s aren’t important.
     
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  6. Wanne15

    Wanne15 GC Hall of Fame

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    We wont win a national championship without elite qb play. Saban didnt outscheme anyone, he stacked vastly superior talent and won with some good game managers at qb. Later, he had to get ol boy at ol miss to bring in the high flying passing game. SOS was a great coach almost always but only won once. Danny, freddy, hilliard, green, and anthony and all of the sudden 52-20. I dont think Bowden was just a better coach. Then Tebow and we did it again. Great wbs dont make hreat coaches, they just make em win.
     
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  7. doctorg8r

    doctorg8r GC Hall of Fame

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    And I hope you're spot on!!!
     
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  8. doctorg8r

    doctorg8r GC Hall of Fame

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    The reason I shared this graph is that it shows our offense isn't that much different from every other college team. What it doesn't show is that we are far more successful on first and second downs, and we are very inefficient on third down. We have a really bad stat on third down conversions. Why is that so? Do we practice making third down conversions? Another bad stat is red zone scoring. Again, how much practice occurs with red zone effiency? I bet the answer is lower than we might think.
     
  9. gainesvillegreen44

    gainesvillegreen44 GC Legend

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    Gurantee … like bet every penny - Shane 1000% has a problem with Cbn playcalling. He just HATES gator fans always complaining so he shuts it down by going waaaay Over the top with the “if you think the offense is a problem, you’re an idiot “ type stuff. But off the air during the game gurantee he’s going full visor toss.
     
  10. AgingGator

    AgingGator GC Hall of Fame

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    A raw freshman QB, one good lineman, and one good receiver do it a passing game make. His offensive line that year was mediocre to poor, depending on who was healthy.

    Again, as I originally said; we will see this year. Schemes are built aren’t the talent you have. We didn’t have the talent along the oline to give AR or Mertz the 2-3 seconds to step into a deep throw. And we didn’t have a receiver corps in aggregate that worried any DC.
     
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  11. AgingGator

    AgingGator GC Hall of Fame

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    While I agree with your premise, I would point out two things;

    if we play anyone other than THAT Nebraska team, and if we hadn’t forgotten how to tackle against Tennessee than the HBC would have had three.
     
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  12. Gators244

    Gators244 GC Legend

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    We lost to Vandy. Was Vandy more talented? Or is it possible we might have a play calling and scheme issue?
     
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  13. Wanne15

    Wanne15 GC Hall of Fame

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    He was good and definitely had some close calls to getting more. He just never had the lopsided talent advantage in his favor.
     
    Last edited: Jul 26, 2025 at 9:38 PM
  14. Wanne15

    Wanne15 GC Hall of Fame

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    Bama lost to vandy too, shit happens. Our program was in disaray to say the least. Hopefully we look like the team from the second half of last year with a more polished qb thats not fighting health issues.
     
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  15. MarineG8R

    MarineG8R GC Hall of Fame

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    [​IMG]
     
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  16. WC53

    WC53 GC Hall of Fame

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    Our offensive pace matches the pressers ;)
     
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  17. UF24ou14

    UF24ou14 GC Hall of Fame

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    Anthony Richards was a high school WR playing QB. Didn't have the natural instincts to play QB at a high level, and still doesn't.
     
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  18. CHFG8R

    CHFG8R GC Hall of Fame

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    I guess, but the double-wing action seemed to clog everything up. And, IDK, it just looked sloppy. But the idea that it was there to force defenders to hesitate makes sense. I remember watching other teams and noticing a crispness that was lacking for us. Again, IDK, maybe it's just me.
     
  19. CHFG8R

    CHFG8R GC Hall of Fame

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    SOS was second to none in that regards. I'd argue Mullen was our 2nd best playcaller, and like Spurrier just had a natural feel for it.

    Back to motion. Mullen's motion made sense (and defenses would react to it) whereas Billy's seems like motion for motion's sake. And, a lot of times, the defense doesn't really make that many adjustments at all. Almost like they know where it will eventually end up and just make slight adjustments.
     
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  20. steveGator52

    steveGator52 GC Legend

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    I think Napier is rigid with his scheme, and to this point hasn’t modified it to fit the talent he has. He was forcing AR to do things he wasn’t comfortable with, and it showed. An elite QB can make throws into tight windows, but an elite OC can scheme an offense that opens those windows wider and makes it easier on the QB.

    I think the present passing scheme requires excellent QB play to work, because the available windows are small, requiring perfect ball placement and timing. I understand Napier thinks the passing scheme is good because it can theoretically work against man and zone, but it requires nearly perfect QB play to work with very few easy throws.