- You don't have to listen to me to think the kids are alright. Pat Dooley takes a similar line, while aiming blame at the coaches for calling predictable plays and asking John Brantley to run an option when he doesn't have the body for it. Dooley notes that this was one game and there is still plenty of football left.
- As for Trey Burton's ill-fated jump pass, Steve Addazio said he called the play. That's nice to take some responsibility for that. Instead of, oh I don't know, taking the blame for putting your freshman H-back in a position where he is asked to run two draws and then a personal play action. And do it against one of the best defenses in college football. And to do it when Alabama saw it coming the whole time. It's not like Florida doesn't have a junior quarterback who can throw, or three running backs. That would be silly to use those guys at least once in three plays from the two-yard line.
- And yes, the game could have been far different if UF scored. Good teams make opponents pay for their mistakes.
- As for the Tide, they clearly are a better team. The Tuscaloosa News calls it a KO, even though it was probably two 10-8 rounds and Bama jabbing to keep winning on the scorecards. On their first drive, Florida was Shane Mosley knocking Floyd Mayweather into the ropes, then losing every round after.
- The Gators defense, at least the front seven, was much better in the second half. There were times when UF looked to have the Tide bottled up, and Greg McElroy would scramble for a first down. Or Mark Ingram would fall forward for six yards. (It is impossible for Ingram to have gains of less than five yards.) You have to make those stops. Julio Jones was locked up for only 19 yards, but there isn't much throwing to do when you lead 24-3 at the half. I can't be angry at the defense because UF had four turnovers, including two inside Bama's five-yard line. It doesn't matter how good your defense is, you don't win games with four turnovers.
- There is no associated link for this, but, Sweet Jesus, Addazio has to be fired. This is two years of his leadership and the Gators still can't convert inside the red zone. Did he really think the same stuff that worked against Kentucky would work against Alabama? Not only that, in those two years, the offensive line play has suffered. I'm not saying Addazio is a bad coach, just an awful offensive coordinator. He can go back to being the line coach and Urban Meyer or Scot Loeffler can be coordinator and call the plays. I get that the players have to execute, but this is college football, not the NFL. Coaches also have to execute. Players need to be in spots where they can succeed. Burton getting three plays on the goal line against Bama doesn't work. Running the option with Brantley doesn't work. Sending Moody on sweeps doesn't work. And Addazio doesn't work when he is getting outcoached and outsmarted on every damn series. (Alabama's biggest weakness was their secondary. So what did UF do? 32 pass attempts and 31 rushing attempts. This was with losing for 3/4ths of the game. Like I said earlier, it would be silly to ask Brantley to make plays.) Fans like to think we're all experts. But we would like it if our coaches at least acted like experts. The level of incompetence is stunning. If Addazio remains as offensive coordinator, Florida will continue to lose to teams with a similar talent level. Because all things being equal, Addazio cannot beat any defensive coordinator who is worth a damn.
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