Gators Get Locked In Miami Vice
Hurricanes were better than advertised. The jury is still out on Florida
By CARLTON REESE
GatorBaitMedia.com Columnist
Losing to Miami was always in the cards, even a tolerable scenario though disappointing, not terribly shocking. But this, this sort of embarrassment with a cadre of filthy ‘Canes fans strutting down University Avenue as though they had anything to do with the drubbing that took place just an hour earlier, this did not fall within the range of tolerable.
The Miami Hurricanes were not simply as good as the “experts” claimed. No, they were much better. The speed, the talent level, the strength, the swagger and the poise no one has seen at Miami in 20 years – this looked very, very different. Perhaps this team rolls through the Atlantic Coast Conference and is a top-3 team heading to the national playoff (based on what Clemson, Virginia Tech and Florida State have shown, Miami can sleepwalk to that title).
In that case, perhaps everyone will look back at what happened opening week in The Swamp as a harbinger for Miami’s future and less of a conclusion of what Florida is.
That stated, a 41-17 home loss to Miami was not a good look for Florida and a worst-case scenario for coach Billy Napier, who it’s fair to say is “embattled” at this early juncture of the season. Losing a close, competitive game to Miami would have in no way been a moral victory, but would have at least kept the buzz surrounding the program in a more positive tone.
What everyone sees now is an enormous gap between Miami and Florida, which means the gap between Georgia and Florida must be the Grand Canyon. Such are the sentiments that come immediately after such an ugly opener -- the small sample size yields numbers that skew reality to a degree. This notion comforting? Didn’t think so.
Everyone knew before this game, that one coach would emerge through the other side with a vote of confidence while the other would face the brunt of criticism and be forced to endure a few more degrees on that hot seat. Right now, it’s Mario Cristobal returning home to a hero’s welcome while Napier casts his phone into Lake Alice.
At one point, an obviously sad and disappointed Napier walked the sideline, looking up at the stadium scoreboard – it was a flashback to Ron Zook absent the pen, pad and furious note taking. This notion discomforting? Thought so.
Dissecting this game is nearly pointless. Miami was just much better, more prepared and ready to rise to the occasion. This seemed pretty clear on the ‘Canes’ opening possession when the interior pile seemed a mudslide in the direction of the Gator defense. The destruction up front combined with some ridiculous personal fouls that kept Miami drives alive spelled a long afternoon ahead.
A loss this lopsided means patience wears thin much more quickly and makes that daunting schedule even more scary than previously thought. Based on what everyone saw in The Swamp Saturday, it looks like one more top-10 opponent is on the slate than was originally thought.
There are two questions to be asked: 1. Is Miami as good as we saw? 2. Is Florida as bad as we saw? For the former, there is little doubt the answer is a resounding yes. This is the closest Miami has looked like the Miami we all remember in a long time. As for the latter, it’s way too early to bury the Gators.
Florida has a lot of experience and some good talent that can beat some good teams on its schedule. Insert cliché here about mature teams responding to adversity.
As Gator fans wake up Sunday morning, the sky seems to have fallen not because of the loss but because of the style of loss. Humiliation was not in the cards. Some fans are no doubt screaming for the head of Billy Napier while the increasingly-lower percentage of rational Florida fans still believe this team has potential to win more games than it loses. That’s strong faith at this point, mind you.
The medicine goes down in a rout of Samford next week – not a nailbiter, but a rout the same way Auburn and Arkansas beat up on FCS teams this week. It won’t prove a thing, but it will feel good. In this manner, style points DO count, just as they counted against Miami. Then, it’s virtually a must-win situation at home in Week 3 against Texas A&M.
The Gators are a bit like Lefty Grove facing the 1927 New York Yankees: a good team facing a Murderer’s Row schedule. Well, Earle Combs just led off with a home run against you and now you have Mark Koenig up with Ruth and Gehrig waiting their turns. Stewing over how tough it is, solves nothing.
Let’s face it, we all knew Miami was good, but nobody thought they were this good. The Florida Gators certainly didn’t know – where was the film to go on, really? Even the experts who liked Miami had them barely in the top 20, which seemed kind of a stretch. Now, it seems a stretch to not have that team solidly in the top 10 or better.
There is no need to pull the rip cord on this Florida team, despite the intolerable result Saturday. It’s a good team, but not a great team which is what Miami is. It hurts to say it, but those transients came through in a big way and all the Miami love was truly grounded in reality. Unlike Florida’s schedule, Miami’s is softer than a newborn’s bottom and two losses seem unlikely – congratulations.
As for Florida, Gator fans must all remember 1987. Remember that day in the Orange Bowl when the Gators only needed 14 more safeties to have beaten Miami in the opener? After falling 31-4, the Gators took care of Tulsa then went on the road to face Alabama which was supposed to tear them apart. Instead, a freshman named Emmitt Smith ran all over the Tide and the Gators seemed a completely different team than the one Miami drubbed. It’s time for another freshman to do the same – this time it could be D.J. Lagway carving up Texas A&M and reviving the season. Sometimes it’s nice when history repeats itself.
An intolerable result? Yes. A march to the gallows? Settle down, Robespierre, there’s too much football left to play.
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