Once again, I agree with Bianchi, except for bayoneting the wounded. I will say that this team shows promise. But, time is running our before delivery is required. I see the Tennessee game as crucial to that continued team development with hope of a bowl bid and a decent season.
If we lose to UT it may be time for some bayoneting. A. Leon Polhill, Gator "I was gratified to be able to answer promptly, and I did. I said I didn't know." - Mark Twain On Sunday, September 21, 2014 4:28 PM, John Bowers <[email protected]> wrote: > > >(Mike Bianchi's's favorite quote: "The job of a sports columnist is to observe >the battle from the mountain top and then ride down and bayonet the wounded.") > >Forget Will Muschamp, Jeff Driskel is on the hot seat > >TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Alabama quarterback Blake Sims, in his fourth collegiate >start, threw for 445 yards and four touchdowns. >Florida quarterback Jeff Driskel, in his 18th collegiate start, threw for 93 >yards and two interceptions. >And there you have the story of the game. >Good night, everybody. >Oh, what's that? >You mean I need to write about 18 more paragraphs to fill out the rest of this >column? >Sigh. >Well, then, I will defer to University of Florida legend Emmitt Smith, who >tweeted during Alabama's 42-21 methodical dismantling of the Gators Saturday: >"Put Jeff Driskel on the bench, please. I have seen enough." >With all due respect to Emmitt, Driskel is not going to get benched — at least >not yet — but there does come a time when a starting quarterback who's been in >a program for four years needs to start making big plays in big games. For >whatever reason — whether it's staying healthy, a revolving door of offensive >coordinators and a penchant for inaccurate throws in key situations — Driskel, >the redshirt junior from Oviedo's Hagerty High School, has not made nearly >enough of those big plays. >Sims, who was brought to Alabama to play defensive back and was moved to >running back before he finally got a chance to play quarterback, was >absolutely phenomenal in leading his team to 645-200 edge in total offense >Saturday. >Meanwhile, Driskel, the former prep All-American and the No. 1-ranked high >school quarterback in the country, played one of his worst games. And now he >takes his place on the hot seat right next to his head coach Will Muschamp. >Obviously, there are still a lot of games to be played, but Muschamp's team >must play better in the coming weeks if he is to keep his job. Florida >athletic director Jeremy Foley told me last week that Muschamp "doesn't have >to win "X-number of games", but did say, "We need to be better. We need to be >moving in the right direction. The goals for Gator football are to be in the >hunt, to be a factor, to be relevant." >It's hard to say after two SEC games that the Gators are moving in the right >direction. The Gators scored just three points in the first half and then >needed three overtimes to beat perennial SEC doormat Kentucky at home last >week. >Then on Saturday, Muschamp's vaunted defense killed itself with busted >coverage early in the game, got steamrolled late in the game and gave up more >yards than any defense in Gator history has ever given up. On a day when >Alabama commemorated the 50-year anniversary of their Joe Namath-quarterbacked >1964 national championship team, Florida's dee made Sims look like the second >coming of Broadway Joe. >In contrast, new UF coordinator Kurt Roper's offense looked as un-proficient >as the previous units choreographed by former offensive coordinator Brent >Pease and Charlie Weis. Muschamp chose to implement Roper's up-tempo, >no-huddle system because he felt it was a perfect fit for Driskel's skill set. >Driskel, who was rated as the No. 1-ranked dual-threat quarterback in the >country in high school, was recruited by former UF coach Urban Meyer to become >the next Tim Tebow – a big, fast, physical quarterback who could riddle >defenses with his arm and his legs. >But Driskel's career has followed more in the footsteps of Tebow's successor, >John Brantley, whose career faded into obscurity at the end of the Meyer era. >Ironically, Driskel's first significant action as a collegian came against >Alabama back in 2011 after Brantley went down late in the first half with an >injury. That was three offensive coordinators and a broken leg ago. >You'd like to say Driskel has grown up as a quarterback in that time, but it >was difficult to tell on Saturday when he completed only 9 of 28 passes and >converted 2 of 13 third downs. >Muschamp said he thought about inserting true freshman backup quarterback >Treon Harris on Saturday, but thought better of it. >"Jeff gives us the best opportunity right now," Muschamp said. "For us to to >win a football game like that, Jeff Driskel needs to play. Moving forward, we >have to play better at that position and a lot of other positions. We'll >evaluate that." >Said Driskel: "We didn't make the plays when they were there and they did make >the plays. I didn't get it done; we didn't get it done." >Four years into Driskel's college career, he desperately needs to start >getting it done soon. >The clock is ticking. >[email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at BianchiWrites. Listen to his >radio show every weekday from 6 to 9 a.m. on 740-AM. > -- >-- >GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! >1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions >2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions >2008 National Football Champions | >Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), >Tim Tebow (2007) - Visit our website at www.gatornet.us >--- >You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >"GatorNews" group. >To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >email to [email protected]. >For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > > > -- -- GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions 2008 National Football Champions | Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), Tim Tebow (2007) - Visit our website at www.gatornet.us --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "GatorTalk" group. 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