Alligator Army - Florida vs. LSU: Gators win war of attritionChampionship Mode: It's when we thrive.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/46671/ali_army_fave.png2012-10-11T14:11:01-04:00http://www.alligatorarmy.com/rss/stream/32075032012-10-11T14:11:01-04:002012-10-11T14:11:01-04:00Florida vs. LSU: Reviewing 25 predictions
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<figcaption>Sam Greenwood - Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Remember when I predicted that Jeff Driskel would account for two touchdowns against LSU?</p> <p><i>Five days after Florida's win over LSU, we look back at what we thought would happen!</i></p>
<li>Jeff Driskel will lead Florida to at least six first quarter points.<br><b>Wrong. </b>The Gators didn't score until the second half.</li>
<li>Driskel will be responsible for a play of at least 40 yards in the game.<br><b>Wrong. </b>Florida didn't have a play longer than Driskel's run for 17 yards, though.</li>
<li>Driskel will be responsible for at least two touchdowns.<br><b>Wrong. </b>Nope.</li>
<li>Mike Gillislee will run for at least 70 yards.<br><b>Right. </b>Gilly more than doubled that number, tallying 146 rushing yards, two short of his career high.</li>
<li>Gillislee will average under five yards per carry.<br><b>Right. </b>It took him 34 carries to get his yards, and he finished with a 4.3 yards per carry average, his worst per-game average when getting double-digit carries and his worst when getting six or more carries since facing LSU in 2010.</li>
<li>Florida's leading receiver will not be Jordan Reed.<br><b>Wrong. </b>Reed led Florida in both receptions and receiving yardage.</li>
<li>Florida will have at least one passing touchdown in the game.<br><b>Wrong. </b>Florida had zero passing touchdowns.</li>
<li>Frankie Hammond, Jr. will make at least one big play.<br><b>Wrong. </b>Hammond had one catch for -3 yards, and fumbled on it, and I'm not gonna call that a "big play," even though it was one for LSU.</li>
<li>Florida will commit at least one offensive turnover.<br><b>Right. </b>Hammond and Driskel both fumbled.</li>
<li>Gary Danielson will say something so annoying that someone will yell at him in the comments of this thread.<br><b>Right. </b>I still haven't watched the entire game back, but he apparently said something about Gillislee not being able to carry Florida at the beginning of the second half, which is hilarious.</li>
<li>Florida's defensive line will make its presence felt in the first quarter.<br><b>Right. </b>After giving up a field goal on the opening drive, the Gators forced two consecutive three-and-outs in the first quarter.</li>
<li>Dominique Easley will record at least two tackles for loss and sacks combined.<br><b>Wrong. </b>In fact, GatorZone's box score lists him with no tackles whatsoever.</li>
<li>Lerentee McCray will record at least one sack.<br><b>Right. </b>McCray broke through on the second defensive series.</li>
<li>Florida's linebacking corps will not be substantially boosted by Jelani Jenkins' return.<br><b>Wrong. </b>Jenkins was listed with zero tackles, but did block two Tigers by throwing himself headlong into them on Jaylen Watkins' interception.</li>
<li>Florida will struggle with LSU's running game; the Tigers will rush for at least 120 yards.<br><b>Wrong. </b>So, so, so very wrong: Florida allowed 42 rushing yards, and just 1.7 yards per carry.</li>
<li>The Florida secondary will play well, but be responsible for at least two penalties.<br><b>Right. </b>Louchiez Purifoy and Matt Elam were both flagged for penalties on the first drive of the second half, but with two forced turnovers and just one deep pass allowed, there's no way the secondary's play can be judged as bad.</li>
<li>A Florida defensive back will record an interception.<br><b>Right. </b>Thank you, Jaylen Watkins.</li>
<li>Florida will hold LSU under 40 percent on third-down conversions.<br><b>Right. </b>If not for a screen pass that gained 20 yards on third and 18 on LSU's penultimate possession, Florida would have blanked the Tigers on third down. As it was, Florida allowed one conversion on 13 attempts, its best third-down performance since notching the same numbers in 2011 against Auburn.</li>
<li>Florida will yield no more than four red-zone possessions.<br><b>Right. </b>Florida allowed two to LSU: The first came on the first drive of the game, and turned into a red zone possession after LSU got to the Florida 19 on third and 10, making the only snap of that drive within the red zone a field goal attempt; the second came on Driskel's fumble. On three non-kick snaps on that drive, Florida gave up three yards.</li>
<li>Caleb Sturgis will make at least one field goal.<br><b>Wrong. </b>This was the first time Caleb Sturgis has not made a field goal since Florida's game against Florida State in 2011.</li>
<li>Andre Debose will not return more than three kicks/punts combined.<br><b>Right. </b>Debose returned three kicks, but fair caught a number of punts, and is credited with just three returns in the official box score.</li>
<li>Kyle Christy will have at least one punt net more than 50 yards.<br><b>Right. </b>Christy's first two punts netted 51 and 61 yards, respectively.</li>
<li>Florida will trail in both halves.<br><b>Right. </b>A halftime deficit was a good way to make this happen.</li>
<li>Florida will win, 27-23.<br><b>Wrong. </b>I was not even close on the score.</li>
<li>I'm going to have a lot of fun singing "We Are The Boys," no matter what.<br><b>Right. </b>Hell yes, I did.</li>
<p><b>Last Week:</b> 14-for-25, 56 percent.</p>
<p><b>Season To Date:</b> 63-for-125, 50.4 percent.</p>
https://www.alligatorarmy.com/2012/10/11/3489384/florida-vs-lsu-reviewing-25-predictionsAndy Hutchins2012-10-11T10:00:17-04:002012-10-11T10:00:17-04:00Jeff Dillman, grit merchant
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<p>This team can be summed up in a word: grit.</p> <p>Much like the 2011 Alabama-LSU game, Saturday's contest between Florida and LSU, particularly the first half, could easily have been mistaken for a showcase of lackluster offenses, when in fact it was a face-off of two tough defenses. A six-point LSU advantage loomed almost as large as the lead in the 2010 Mississippi State game, a 10-0 halftime deficit that seemed (and was) insurmountable: One breakthrough, and Florida would have the lead, yet even when we got that breakthrough, the uneasiness remained. No matter how perfectly the Gators played, one blown coverage (hello, Odell Beckham) could scuttle the whole ship.</p>
<p>I'm only about the hundredth person this hour to credit the Jeff Dillman toughness infusion. Announcers noted in the Tennessee game that in the second quarter, Florida was playing second-string lineman. That rotation paid dividends later, measured in freshness and ferocity. That mental and physical toughness helped the Gators out-muscle an LSU line that's not hurting for talent itself. This will continue to pay off late in the season, as well as late in games.</p>
<p>This inspired, reinvigorating season marches, not plods, onward. Whispers of "Heisman for <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/78461/mike-gillislee" class="sbn-auto-link">Mike Gillislee</a>" and "title contender" are <a href="http://www.alligatorarmy.com/2012/10/8/3474792/florida-vs-lsu-2012-the-gatorest-day-fnb-gators-meaning" target="_blank">out there</a>, but let's not spoil the fun by dreaming too big too soon, since the schedule still has tilts with South Carolina, Georgia, Florida State, and (provided the Gators win the East) probably Alabama.</p>
<p>Let's slay half those dragons, then maybe we'll start The Conversation. Until then, it ain't always pretty, but boy, it sure is satisfying. Thank Dillman, who's given these Gators grit and their opponents grimaces, for that.</p>
https://www.alligatorarmy.com/2012/10/11/3476354/florida-vs-lsu-jeff-dillman-conditioningswampchomp72012-10-09T10:30:10-04:002012-10-09T10:30:10-04:00Gillislee's career day
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<p>Mike Gillislee's finest day against LSU was the difference for the Gators against the Tigers. </p> <p>Who would have thought that it would be against the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/lsu-tigers" class="sbn-auto-link">LSU Tigers</a> that running back <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/78461/mike-gillislee" class="sbn-auto-link">Mike Gillislee</a> would have had his finest day?</p>
<p>Admittedly, when an offense <a target="_blank" href="http://www.gatorzone.com/football/boxscore.php?gameid=10632#GAME.IND">runs the ball 58 times and only passes 12 times</a>, it adds up. Gillislee was the beneficiary of 34 of those carries and he took full advantage of them. Gillislee ended up with 146 yards and two touchdowns, toting the rock an average of 4.3 yards per carry.</p>
<p>While the yards per carry number isn't great, it's very acceptable against defensive front like the Tigers'. I'm not sure if he'll be able to end up with the same total numbers against other top defensive fronts like Florida State or South Carolina, but hey, he got the job done.</p>
<p>And no, I don't buy for a second the notion that has been put forward that the only reason why Gillislee and the rest of the Gators rushing attack, which was largely non-existent, was only successful because of some injuries to the LSU defense.</p>
<p>You could see the Gators running game getting into a groove before all the injuries. It was just a matter of time before the Gators' will was going to prevail. It was inevitable.</p>
<p>And it wasn't going to be stopped.</p>
<p></p>
<p><b>Play No. 1: Gillislee's first 12 yard touchdown run</b></p>
<p>Yes, this is the play that was covered so well (surprisingly, I'm not being sarcastic) on ESPN by their "analysts."</p>
<p align="center"><a target="_blank" href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1517733/UFLSU10.PNG"><img src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1517733/UFLSU10_medium.PNG" class="photo" alt="Uflsu10_medium"></a> <br id="1349745176975"></p>
<p align="center">(Photo courtesy of the <a target="_blank" href="http://%20http://www.secondemand.com/#%21/view/video/null/10-06-2012-LSU-vs-Florida-Football-Highlights">SEC Digital Network</a>)</p>
<p align="left">Gillislee is going to take the hand off and run through the right side of the offensive line. As pointed out in the recap that was widely available on TV, notice the amount of offensive lineman in use on the play. Yeah, there is indeed an extra one. There are seven blockers in on the play.</p>
<p align="left">Now, count the number of LSU defenders in on the line. It's a numbers game.</p>
<p align="center"><a target="_blank" href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1517781/UFLSU11.PNG"><img src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1517781/UFLSU11_medium.PNG" class="photo" alt="Uflsu11_medium"></a> <br id="1349745635710"></p>
<p align="center">(Photo courtesy of the <a target="_blank" href="http://%20http://www.secondemand.com/#%21/view/video/null/10-06-2012-LSU-vs-Florida-Football-Highlights">SEC Digital Network</a>)</p>
<p align="left">Right after Gillislee gets the ball, notice the number of blockers and defenders that are free. There are three Gators (yellow circles) and three Tigers (green circles).</p>
<p align="center"><a target="_blank" href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1517797/UFLSU12.PNG"><img src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1517797/UFLSU12_medium.PNG" class="photo" alt="Uflsu12_medium"></a> <br id="1349745846834"></p>
<p align="center">(Photo courtesy of the <a target="_blank" href="http://%20http://www.secondemand.com/#%21/view/video/null/10-06-2012-LSU-vs-Florida-Football-Highlights">SEC Digital Network</a>)</p>
<p align="left">As Gillislee is in the middle of the hole, note the wall of blockers. While it looks crowded, there isn't a LSU defender that really has a shot at making the play.</p>
<p align="left">Great blocking by the Gators offensive line.</p>
<p align="center"><a target="_blank" href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1517805/UFLSU13.PNG"><img src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1517805/UFLSU13_medium.PNG" class="photo" alt="Uflsu13_medium"></a> <br id="1349746023919"></p>
<p align="center">(Photo courtesy of the <a target="_blank" href="http://%20http://www.secondemand.com/#%21/view/video/null/10-06-2012-LSU-vs-Florida-Football-Highlights">SEC Digital Network</a>)</p>
<p align="left">Look at that! That's impressive, I don't care who you're a fan of.</p>
<p align="left"><b>Play No. 2: Gillislee's second 12 yard touchdown run</b></p>
<p align="center"><a target="_blank" href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1517853/UFLSU14.PNG"><img src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1517853/UFLSU14_medium.PNG" class="photo" alt="Uflsu14_medium"></a> <br id="1349746726852"></p>
<p align="center">(Photo courtesy of the <a target="_blank" href="http://%20http://www.secondemand.com/#%21/view/video/null/10-06-2012-LSU-vs-Florida-Football-Highlights">SEC Digital Network</a>)</p>
<p align="left">Same play (sort of), same result. Have you ever noticed that roughly 85% of the Gators' running plays this season have been to the right side? Yeah, I hadn't either until about halfway through the second quarter. Well, I mean I had an idea, just never really thought about it.</p>
<p align="center"><a target="_blank" href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1517909/UFLSU15.PNG"><img src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1517909/UFLSU15_medium.PNG" class="photo" alt="Uflsu15_medium"></a> <br id="1349747419346"></p>
<p align="center">(Photo courtesy of the <a target="_blank" href="http://%20http://www.secondemand.com/#%21/view/video/null/10-06-2012-LSU-vs-Florida-Football-Highlights">SEC Digital Network</a>)</p>
<p align="left">As Gillislee gets the ball, you can see the running lane open up. Another outstanding job by the offensive line on this play.</p>
<p align="left">Speaking of the offensive line, they deserve some major props for the job they did against the LSU defense. Sure they had a few lapses and LSU ended up with like five sacks, but still. The Tigers' defense is one of the top defenses in college football.</p>
<p align="left">If the Gators offensive line performs like this against South Carolina, Georgia and Florida State later on in the year, this team could end up being special.</p>
<p align="left">But I digress, back to the action:</p>
<p align="center"><a target="_blank" href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1517949/UFLSU16.PNG"><img src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1517949/UFLSU16_medium.PNG" class="photo" alt="Uflsu16_medium"></a> <br id="1349747688164"></p>
<p align="center">(Photo courtesy of the <a target="_blank" href="http://%20http://www.secondemand.com/#%21/view/video/null/10-06-2012-LSU-vs-Florida-Football-Highlights">SEC Digital Network</a>)</p>
<p align="left">After Gillislee gets to the second level, there are only two players with a shot at getting to him before he reaches the goal line.</p>
<p align="center"><a target="_blank" href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1517965/UFLSU17.PNG"><img src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1517965/UFLSU17_medium.PNG" class="photo" alt="Uflsu17_medium"></a> <br id="1349747868017"></p>
<p align="center">(Photo courtesy of the <a target="_blank" href="http://%20http://www.secondemand.com/#%21/view/video/null/10-06-2012-LSU-vs-Florida-Football-Highlights">SEC Digital Network</a>)</p>
<p>But speed will always prevail. Every time. No matter the situation. As we Gators fans are very much accustomed to.</p>
<p>Head coach Will Muschamp wasn't lying when he said that the Gators were going to be a smash mouth, run first football team. The game against LSU proved it.</p>
https://www.alligatorarmy.com/2012/10/9/3468410/florida-gators-lsu-2012-video-breakdown-mike-gillisleeFlaGators2012-10-09T09:01:54-04:002012-10-09T09:01:54-04:00"God's play" lifted Gators
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<p>Florida has a secret weapon, and Brent Pease used it well against LSU.</p> <p><i>Chomping At Bits comes stocked with the best <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/florida-gators">Florida Gators</a> links and news we can find. Got a link we should check out? Email us at <a href="mailto:alligatorarmy@gmail.com">AlligatorArmy@gmail.com</a>, subject line CAB.</i></p>
<p><b>Gators run "God's play" to perfection:</b> It's nice to have a go-to like that. (<a target="_blank" href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/andy_staples/10/06/florida-lsu-week-6/index.html?xid=sbnation">Andy Staples, SI.com</a>)</p>
<p><b>Florida beat LSU at its own game:</b> Out-toughing a Les Miles team is difficult. (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.sportsonearth.com/article/39545792">Tommy Tomlinson, Sports on Earth</a>)</p>
<p><b>Relying on Gilly is paying off:</b> Otherwise, this column's basically the same as the two above it. (<a target="_blank" href="http://sports.yahoo.com/news/ncaaf--will-muschamp-earns-first-signature-florida-win-with-smashmouth-victory-over-lsu.html">Pat Forde, Yahoo! Sports</a>)</p>
<p><b>How far Florida has come:</b> There was no game in which Florida dominated physically in 2011. And now it seems like all the Gators do. (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.foxsportsflorida.com/10/06/12/Gators-show-how-far-theyve-come-against-/landing_gators.html?blockID=801135&feedID=3720">Scott Carter, FOX Sports Florida</a>)</p>
<p><b>Josh Evans and the mother he lost:</b> A sad story, but one that might have a happy ending. (<a target="_blank" href="http://m.nypost.com/p/sports/college/football/gator_burden_c2lQj6xE2xmLlngqxjBmKL">Lenn Robbins, <i>New York Post</i></a>)</p>
<p><b>Patriots adopted no-huddle speed from Oregon:</b> I link this because I watched the Patriots run the ball down the Broncos' throat, and a no-huddle running game is something I would not be shocked to see Florida deploy at some point. (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2012/10/08/patriots-huddle-relies-power-one/nHTapuVnBOwfFlffwTrN6J/story.html">Greg A. Bedard, <i>The Boston Globe</i></a>)</p>
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https://www.alligatorarmy.com/2012/10/9/3478104/florida-gators-offense-2012-gods-play-brent-peaseAndy Hutchins2012-10-08T18:16:45-04:002012-10-08T18:16:45-04:00Easley: "I like seeing people bow down to me"
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<p>Dominique Easley is an insane murderbear, but he's Florida insane murderbear, and Gators fans love him for it.</p> <p>On a team full of large, determined, hard-hitting human beings, there's no question that Dominique Easley is the most psychopathic Florida Gators defender. But Easley sounding like Bane off the field when talking to reporters like <a href="https://twitter.com/MsAmyCampbell/status/255357820919246848" target="new">FOX Sports Next's Amy Campbell</a> after Florida's win over LSU makes him a lovable psychopath, one any fan wants on his or her team.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/cRgJUSUmRJ4" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p>Here's a transcript of that interview:</p>
<blockquote>I mean, the whole game of football to me is about breaking a man's will in front of him. I like seeing people bow down to me, that's my thing. Third quarter, them boys was huffin' and puffin', eyes ... I was lookin' in people's eyes that were scared. So that, that's what we want, we wanna take somebody's will. That's what we like, we like to take people's will. Not just win the game, take their will, make them remember this night.</blockquote>
<p>On whether he knew it was over in the third quarter:</p>
<blockquote>I knew it was over but I knew we still had more business. And we wasn't gonna let off until that clock said zero-zero-zero.</blockquote>
<p>On returning after missing the Kentucky game:</p>
<blockquote>Oh, I made a promise I wasn't gonna miss this game. I made a promise. I don't lose to teams and come back and not win. I don't like that.</blockquote>
<p>On whether the win was gratifying:</p>
<blockquote>It was gratifying when I seen that will, that will get lost. They bent over, they bent over for us.</blockquote>
<p>On an early LSU personal foul:</p>
<blockquote>I knew they had something out for me. Ay, come get me. When I come get you, you better be ready. ("Did that get you going even more?") Yeah. I love when people do that, 'cause I'ma come after you. I'ma come after you the whole game.</blockquote>
<p>The interview with Jonotthan Harrison after that is important, too, because he notes that "We want to be known as a running team," but there's nothing quite like listening to Easley, Florida's insane murderbear, talk about taking wills.</p>
https://www.alligatorarmy.com/2012/10/8/3475806/dominique-easley-florida-lsu-2012-postgame-interview-video-quotesAndy Hutchins2012-10-08T16:47:03-04:002012-10-08T16:47:03-04:00Will Muschamp is why Florida never breaks
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<figcaption>Sam Greenwood - Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Eight more points from the weekend in college football, including an explanation of "Florida never breaks" and an argument that this Saturday was the best ever for Gators fans.</p> <p>On Saturday night, moments after Florida State fell to N.C. State to shatter the Seminoles' dreams of an unbeaten and national championship season, I tweeted this:</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center">
<p>Florida beats No. 4 LSU at home. No. 3 Florida State loses. No. 5 Georgia gets stomped. Today was <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23TheGatorestDay">#TheGatorestDay</a>.</p>
— Alligator Army (@AlligatorArmy) <a data-datetime="2012-10-07T03:39:40+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/AlligatorArmy/status/254788055834177536">October 7, 2012</a>
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<p>I talked to friends and read feedback on Twitter, and I'm pretty sure calling Saturday #TheGatorestDay is true in a way that even the days of national championship victories aren't. Florida was home, and Gainesville had been aching to throw a welcome home party to celebrate its relevance. Florida's win came before the Georgia and Florida State losses, giving fans a chance to get back to tailgates or well and proper soused before absorbing those results. Gators fans came into this season worried that there would be an Alabama-Florida State or Georgia-Florida State title game, and now that looks like an impossibility; similarly, Florida looked like a team that was destined for the margins in September, and after its opener, but now stands tall as a national championship contender.</p>
<p>There may be more important and seismic days for the Gators (I think of the Saturday of the SEC Championship Game in 2006), but I truly think that never before in Florida history have so many things gone right for Gators <i>fans</i>, who are just about peerless when it comes to talking shit, on a single day. Thus: We all just lived through #TheGatorestDay.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://cdn0.sbnation.com/images/blog/star-divide.v59c7267.jpg" alt="Star-divide"></p>
<p>There's a hashtag that pops up from time to time from Florida players after games: #FNB. It almost never gets explained, but it stands for <a target="new" href="http://forum.gatorsports.com/viewtopic.php?t=21365&p=396386">"Florida never breaks,"</a> and it's the perfect motto for a team that takes its character from its hard-working coaches.</p>
<p>Will Muschamp preached his interest in making Florida a "blue-collar" team again and again last year, and when it didn't happen, he called his team "soft" and sounded like a guy who needed to pass several kidney stones in every interview. Google "Will Muschamp soft" today, and all you're going to get is <a target="new" href="https://www.google.com/search?q=will+muschamp+soft">a bunch of columns affirming that Muschamp's Gators are decidedly not</a>, evidence that Florida has at least changed the national perception about its program.</p>
<p>I've been crediting Jeff Dillman, who has made Florida stronger almost to a man, for that, and Brent Pease, who is up to the task of building a dominant SEC offense, for that, but I've barely written <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/16498/tim-davis" class="sbn-auto-link">Tim Davis</a>' name here, and there's just not a lot of praise out there for an offensive line that now has the ability to take over games. The common thread between those three coaches is that Muschamp hired them this offseason, correcting the biggest mistakes he made in his first year — hiring Charlie Weis and Frank Verducci, and retaining Mickey Marotti — by learning from them and doing better with his do-overs.</p>
<p>Muschamp could have panicked at the end of last year, sitting at 6-6 with a coaching staff that he had some problems with, and he could have certainly fired a coach or two had he wanted to. But he didn't, and things worked out: Weis' decision to leave for Kansas and Marotti's move to Ohio State to reunite with Urban Meyer (he is now an <a target="new" href="http://www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/121511aaa.htmlhttp://www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/121511aaa.html">assistant athletic director for football sports performance</a> at The Ohio State University, in case you thought people didn't care about titles) made his life a lot easier, and he fired Verducci very quietly before nailing all three of his next hires.</p>
<p>After two years of mediocrity and a <a target="new" href="http://aol.sportingnews.com/ncaa-football/story/2012-04-09/urban-meyer-florida-ohio-state-ncaa-violation-recruiting-drugs-program-will-musc">report of a "broken" program</a>, Florida never breaks. Will Muschamp doesn't, either.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://cdn0.sbnation.com/images/blog/star-divide.v59c7267.jpg" alt="Star-divide"></p>
<p>The flip side of "Florida never breaks" is that Florida is designed to break everyone else. Spencer Hall's phrase is "I have never seen a gameplan so designed solely in thrall to the notion of obliterating an opponent for obliterating them's sake" at <a target="new" href="http://www.everydayshouldbesaturday.com/2012/10/8/3474234/homeric-tendencies-lsu">EDSBS</a>, and Florida ran the ball so far down LSU's throat that the Tigers were probably checking their toilets for pieces of pigskin. Florida ran the ball on its last 23 non-Victory snaps, and on 33 of 37 non-Victory second-half plays.</p>
<p>Do you care that the Gators are now a run-first team far removed from the Fun 'n Gun? I suspect that as long as Florida keeps winning, most won't.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://cdn0.sbnation.com/images/blog/star-divide.v59c7267.jpg" alt="Star-divide"></p>
<p>The Swamp was electric throughout the game, as good as it's been in my time at Florida, which is entirely post-'Cock Block. I have heard it very loud for <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/10166/tim-tebow" class="sbn-auto-link">Tim Tebow</a> in his first big game against Tennessee in 2007, very loud for Lane Kiffin's debut in Hogtown in 2009, very loud for Tebow's farewell in 2009, very loud for attempts at punching up at Alabama and Florida State in 2011. (2010 was a year I spent working virtually every Saturday, which was dumb.) This game was on par with those, and I expect that this was only the second-loudest I will hear it this year: South Carolina's coming to town in two weeks for a de facto SEC East Championship Game.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://cdn0.sbnation.com/images/blog/star-divide.v59c7267.jpg" alt="Star-divide"></p>
<p>The best sequence of the game was the one that led to Matt Elam's incredible forced fumble: <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/78461/mike-gillislee" class="sbn-auto-link">Mike Gillislee</a> scores the touchdown to make the score 7-6, Elam stops <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/131961/kenny-hilliard" class="sbn-auto-link">Kenny Hilliard</a> for a gain of three yards on first down, and, on the play immediately before the fumble, Jon Bostic "breaks up" a Zach Mettenberger pass — which is to say the ball lands on him as he's falling to ground. I suspect that was a pretty clear incomplete pass on TV, but for me, and for hundreds of people around me in the part of the student section that was right next to that play, it looked like an interception, and so we celebrated as such until about the moment of the next LSU snap ... which left us all aghast, as Mettenberger launched the ball (with Gators all over him, and without a chance to step into it) to Odell Beckham, who was running free. I saw that play from the worst possible vantage point, and so Elam's strip didn't look like a fumble to me, but when The Swamp saw the replay, it was pretty clear that it was.</p>
<p>And when it was announced as a fumble, The Swamp went <i><a target="new" href="http://twitter.yfrog.com/5mt74ytcnykkmtsfdbgyafdwz">bananas</a></i>.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://cdn0.sbnation.com/images/blog/star-divide.v59c7267.jpg" alt="Star-divide"></p>
<p>There's an argument to be made that this Florida win over LSU is the best one in college football this year — I examined <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2012/10/7/3468542/college-football-week-6-florida-south-carolina-west-virginia-big-wins" target="new">the art of big wins in college football</a> over at the mothership on Sunday — but I don't think there's an argument to be made that a team other than Florida has the best pair of wins. Florida's win over LSU was impressive for its style and for the Gators' persistence in breaking a team that loves to break teams; Florida's win over Texas A&M was impressive for that, and for its comeback, and for its context as the earliest road game Florida's played in almost a decade and the first SEC game the Aggies played, and for the fact that Texas A&M looks like a top-20 team at least.</p>
<p>After triggering three straight blowouts, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/134696/johnny-manziel" class="sbn-auto-link">Johnny Manziel</a> engineered one of the best comebacks we'll see this year in A&M's first SEC road game, rescuing them from a 27-17 deficit at Ole Miss with less than 10 minutes to go on two absurd drives. You can <a target="_blank" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7PYh_YDTDU&hd=1">watch the big plays on those drives</a>, but this works for shorthand: Manziel led the Aggies to two touchdowns on drives that took nine total plays to cover 127 yards, and he completed a pass for a first down on third and 19, ran 29 yards for a touchdown, and threw a gorgeous pass for the game-winner on them. I sincerely think Manziel's one of the top 15 quarterbacks in college football right now, and I think more and more that Florida dodged a bullet by seeing him in his first start.</p>
<p>But what if Florida <i>didn't </i>dodge a bullet, and instead showed the world the blueprint for shutting the indomitable Johnny Football down? And that blueprint's something no other team's been able to follow since? Well, that's even more impressive, isn't it?</p>
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<p>Florida fans are used to Heisman contenders: Tim Tebow was one for three straight years, and Cam Newton was ours, dammit, before he won his. I don't think Gillislee's going to be one, though I would love to be wrong.</p>
<p>Certainly, I don't think he's going to <i>win </i>the Heisman: To win the Heisman as a running back, in the last 25 years, a running back has needed to be the primary offensive option of the nation's best team and/or a number-compiler. <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/35170/mark-ingram" class="sbn-auto-link">Mark Ingram</a> and Reggie Bush were in the former category; Ron Dayne and <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/3855/ricky-williams" class="sbn-auto-link">Ricky Williams</a> were in the latter. Eddie George basically mixed both (he set school records, and Ohio State was a top-five team all year), as did Rashaan Salaam, who topped 2,000 yards. <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/164309/barry-sanders" class="sbn-auto-link">Barry Sanders</a>' 1988 season was the best by a collegiate running back in history.</p>
<p>Gillislee could still be the best offensive player on the best team in America, though that's going to depend on other Gators making Florida the best team in America, but he's just not going to get the numbers to be a Heisman contender without that.</p>
<p>Gillislee's got 548 rushing yards, which is excellent and over 100 yards per game, but well off a 2,000-yard pace, and only good for third in the SEC behind Georgia's Todd Gurley and South Carolina's Marcus Lattimore. He should be able to at least keep his current pace for the rest of the season, and especially in November, when Florida gets Missouri, Louisiana, and Jacksonville State at home. But he's not a receiving threat, with just two catches for 14 yards on the year, and he's not scoring an unreasonable number of touchdowns as a runner (his seven tie him for 19th nationally).</p>
<p>Could Gillislee get to New York if Florida ends up 11-1 or 12-0 and he's around 1,400 yards? Absolutely. But his Heisman chances depend on his team's numbers under W and L more than anything else.</p>
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<p>This week's game against Vanderbilt is already getting cast as a trap game for Florida, and it should be: The Gators doesn't lost to Vandy, and have every reason to look ahead to South Carolina in two weeks. But the best ways to make sure Florida comes out ready to play Vandy this year are really simple: All Will Muschamp has to do is show film of last year's Vanderbilt game, far closer than it ever should have been, and have the team plane stop in (or fly over) Atlanta on the way to Nashville so that he can tell his players "If you win this Saturday, then you can pave the road to Atlanta to play for an SEC title."</p>
<p>With wins in the next two weekends, Florida would be 6-0 in the SEC and the only unbeaten in the SEC East. The Gators can't formally clinch the division with a win in that game — even if Georgia loses to Kentucky, and South Carolina to LSU, the Gators could get to 6-0 and yet still finish at 6-2 and tied with both teams in the East — but beating Vandy and then beating South Carolina would give the Gators a chance to clinch a weekend in the ATL by beating Georgia.</p>
<p>But Florida has to win at Vandy first.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Star-divide" src="http://cdn0.sbnation.com/images/blog/star-divide.v59c7267.jpg"></p>
<p><i>The Difference is borrowed from Rob Mahoney's feature of the same name at <a href="http://www.thetwomangame.com/" target="new">The Two-Man Game</a>, his thoughtful Dallas Mavericks, which makes a number of points equivalent to the margin of victory about the game just played. Here at Alligator Army, it will make that number of points about the weekend in Gator Nation and in college football, and run Mondays.</i></p>
https://www.alligatorarmy.com/2012/10/8/3474792/florida-vs-lsu-2012-the-gatorest-day-fnb-gators-meaningAndy Hutchins2012-10-08T09:01:10-04:002012-10-08T09:01:10-04:00Video: Florida-LSU highlights
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<figcaption>Sam Greenwood - Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Not over Florida win over LSU? Neither are we.</p> <p>I am not ready to move on from Florida's win over LSU, and so here are a bunch of highlights from the game.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Ej0kpExEB6Y" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p>This set's from <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/volcom228369" target="new">volcom228369</a>, and the song, which has some naughty words that are unsuitable for work, is Get Money Gang's "Wild Out (Remix)." If you need your football highlights set to guitars, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFBDd1-E928" target="new">there's a rock version</a>, too.</p>
<p>I would like to point one thing out: At about the 1:00 mark, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/78463/jelani-jenkins">Jelani Jenkins</a>, who was playing with a massive cast on his arm, lays out to block two Tigers on an interception return. That dude has heart.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Lqyjzgp6yCY" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p>The official SEC highlights are boring.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/5xTKm8Ul8Cc" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p>This video makes you sit through about 90 seconds of Florida not winning games against LSU, and also "Love The Way You Lie," which is as bad as it ever was.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/4ZkkOnVjAuY" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p>Oh, man, the defense. This defense is just so, so good right now. If <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/111911/matt-elam">Matt Elam</a> never plays a game this good again, at least he will have played this game and I will always remember it.</p>
<p>And, finally, Elam tells Odell Beckham to <a href="http://throwtheflagblog.com/2012/10/06/an-lsu-defender-taunted-a-uf-defender-with-an-you-cant-see-me-gesture-gif/#.UHKDjk2ClyU" target="new">go to sleep</a>.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1512877/Taunt.gif" target="_blank"><img width="75%" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1512877/Taunt.gif"></a></p>
<p>Of course, the ODB in this game being a Tiger <i>kinda</i> messes with <a href="http://www.alligatorarmy.com/2012/10/6/3466610/florida-lsu-2012-score-stats-recap" target="new">my Wu metaphor</a>, but I'll go with it.</p>
https://www.alligatorarmy.com/2012/10/8/3472554/florida-gators-vs-lsu-2012-highlights-videoAndy Hutchins2012-10-07T13:38:37-04:002012-10-07T13:38:37-04:00Driskel serves up Twitter justice
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<figcaption>Sam Greenwood - Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Social media is fantastic, especially when Florida quarterback Jeff Driskel is using it to complain about poor service after the Gators' biggest win in years.</p> <p>One thing I like about <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/131897/jeff-driskel">Jeff Driskel</a> is that he seems to get Twitter: he's happy to be on it, but not always on it, and he posts things like pictures of his crew scooting which are generally harmless. But Driskel using Twitter like most New Yorkers do — to blast a restaurant for providing poor service — is just hilarious.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center">
<p>I would recommend not going to @<a href="https://twitter.com/oogardengrille">oogardengrille</a> today. Sat there for over an hour and never got my food. <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23headedtoswamp">#headedtoswamp</a></p>
— Jeff Driskel (@jeffdriskel) <a data-datetime="2012-10-07T17:20:38+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/jeffdriskel/status/254994657723957249">October 7, 2012</a>
</blockquote>
<p>Never mind that Driskel's probably right to complain about not getting food for <i>an hour</i> — even at <a target="new" href="http://gardengrille.squarespace.com/">O!O Garden Grille</a>, which is not exactly quick-service food, and for a Sunday brunch, not exactly the quietest part of the week, an hour is a <i>long</i> time to wait for food: the Gators quarterback who leads LSU to its biggest post-<a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/10166/tim-tebow">Tim Tebow</a> win can't get served within an hour at a Gainesville restaurant?</p>
<p>Does this story gets funnier if Driskel was with <a target="new" href="https://twitter.com/TarinMoses/status/254724305122906112">his girlfriend Tarin Moses</a>, who just happens to be Florida's head cheerleader? With his family? Driskel doesn't quite have the fade in his arsenal on the field, but he definitely made sure O!O caught one today.</p>
https://www.alligatorarmy.com/2012/10/7/3469206/jeff-driskel-gainesville-restaurant-no-service-twitterAndy Hutchins