Thoughts of the day: August 31, 2022

A few thoughts to jump start your Wednesday morning:

GETTING TO 4D

Since day one when he took over the Florida football program as its fourth head coach since 2011, Billy Napier has emphasized the concept that better people make better football players. There is no substitute for character in the Napier assessment of a football player.

Monday, punter Jeremy Crashaw put into words what Napier’s commitment to character means to him: “If you can show up, if you can have integrity, if you can stand up to your own word outside of here. You say, yeah, I’ll help you. I’ll do this, I’ll do that. Outside of football, you can bring it in here. You already got that characteristic in here. I believe that I try to be the best man that I can be every day, and I hope that translates into football. I hope a lot of people can see that, but I definitely strive to be a good man all around.”

Once he secures a commitment to character, Napier’s next task is getting players to commit to his 4-dimension concept. Here is how he described it back in the spring: “The first dimension is what you’re supposed to do. The second dimension is you know what every player in your position room is supposed to do. So you play Z-receiver, you know what the H and the X have to do. You play left guard, you know what all five linemen are supposed to do on the play. Third dimension is you understand all 11 players on offense, defense or in special teams, and then a 4-dimensional player which is really rare – he understands all 11 on his side of the ball and he knows and can comprehend and discuss what the 11 people on the other side of the ball are doing.”

At the Monday press conference, tight end Dante Zanders mentioned quarterback Anthony Richardson as a 4D type. Asked if he’s reached the 4D level, Zanders replied candidly, “Me, personally, I’m not at the 4D. I understand what my job is. I understand like the other roles are around me. But still – there’s still things to always improve on. Even if you reach your peak, there’s still things to improve on.”

Linebacker Amari Burney said he’s closing in on 4D.

“Right now I would say I’m not a 4D player yet. I’m working my way up there. I’m 3D right now. 1D is just like getting lined up, knowing your position. 2D is kind of helping the other guys get lined up. 3D is knowing the people in front of you, and 4D is just knowing everything that’s going on on the field, even with the offense running.”

UF Volleyball: Gators drop 5-set match to Stanford

Mary Wise was smiling. Not what you would expect after the 13th-ranked Gators (3-1) lost a winnable 5-set match to 12th-ranked Stanford (29-31, 22-25, 25-16, 25-22, 10-15) before a crowd of 3,814 at the O-Dome. She knew the Gators could have won, actually should have won, but considering the youth of her team added with the number of injuries that have prevented a full team practice most of the preseason, Wise was beaming.

“Imagine when we have actually six players on the court practicing,” Wise said.

The first set got away from the Gators and cost them the match. UF had seven set points but just couldn’t put the Cardinal away before falling 31-29. The Gators lost set two to fall behind 2-0 before rallying to take the third and fourth sets to send to the match to the decisive fifth set.

Bre Hall finished the night with a career best 10 blocks. Merritt Beason had 13 kills while Marina Markova had 12. Freshman setter Alexis Stucky finished with 45 assists.

The Gators travel to Minneapolis Sunday to face 4th-ranked Minnesota.

SEC football

#1 Alabama (0-0): All eyes are on an Alabama offensive line that gave up 41 sacks last year. Prior to the season opener with Utah State the revamped O-line looks like LT Tyler Sheen, LG Kendall Randolph, C Darrion Dalcourt, RG Emil Ekiyor and RT JC Latham.

#19 Arkansas (0-0): Cincinnati HBC Luke Fickell isn’t going to release the name if his starting QB until game time Saturday.

Auburn (0-0): Center Nick Brahms, who had started 33 consecutive games and was a preseason All-SEC is retiring from football due to a slow-healing knee injury … With the retirement of Brahms, the Auburn O-line looks like LT Kilian Zierer, LG Brandon Council, C Tate Johnson, RG Keiondre Jones or Kameron Stutts, and RT Austin Troxell.

#3 Georgia (0-0): Kenny McIntosh, who has gained 725 yards in three seasons as a backup, will be the starting running back when the Bulldogs open the season with Oregon. “I have always thought that Kenny was explosive and had great vision and was one of our best runners,” HBC Kirby Smart said.

#20 Kentucky (0-0): Here is a shocker for you. Kentucky’s 4-game winning streak is the best in the Southeastern Conference … Despite the fact he’s suspended for what is expected to be multiple games for a DUI arrest during the summer months, running back Chris Rodriguez is one of UK’s team captains. Linebacker Jordan Wright, who will miss at least the first game for disciplinary reasons, will also serve as one of the Kentucky captains.

LSU (0-0): Former Notre Dame HBC Lou Holtz fired a shot across the bow of former Notre Dame and now LSU head coach Brian Kelly. “I wrote Brian Kelly maybe eight positive letters during his time at Notre Dame and I go to the mailbox every day hoping I’m going to find an answer,” Holtz said. “He never responded to one of them.” Kelly was recently accused of lying to the parents of QB Phil Jurkovic, who was at Notre Dame before transferring to BC.

Mississippi State (0-0): The Bulldogs, who open their season at home against Memphis, have won their last five season openers.

Missouri (0-0): Brady Cook will get the start at QB against Louisiana Tech in the season opener, but a lot of people think before too long Southern Miss/Mississippi State transfer Jack Abraham will take over the job.

#21 Ole Miss (0-0): Southern Cal transfer Jaxson Dart doesn’t know if he or Luke Altmeyer will start at quarterback against Troy Saturday. Dart says he’s not worried, just “focusing on the things you can control.” Altmeyer meanwhile says he has a good relationship with Dart: “We’re honestly great friends.”

South Carolina (0-0): Wide receiver Corey Rucker is the only Gamecock questionable for the season opener with Georgia State … South Carolina is partnering with Everett Sports Management to form an in-house NIL firm that will give Gamecock athletes free access to put deals together.

Tennessee (0-0): The starting left tackle for Saturday’s opener with Ball State could be Florida transfer Gerald Mincey (6-6, 337), who is listed on the depth chart as the No. 1 along with Jeremiah Crawford

#6 Texas A&M (0-0): Despite numerous injuries that caused players to miss time during August camp, Jimbo Fisher said, “Not that I know of right now” when asked if any players may miss the season opener with Sam Houston because of injury.

Vanderbilt (1-0): Effective with Saturday’s game with Elon, Vanderbilt Stadium changes names to FirstBank Stadium. Maybe Vandy can convince the bank to donate a few million dollars to transform the stadium into an SEC-worthy facility.

Our SEC orphans in the Big 12

#9 Oklahoma (0-0): Speaking of UCF transfer quarterback Dillon Gabriel, HBC Brent Venables said, “[He] has great pocket presence and awareness, can extend plays.”

Texas (0-0): Seriously, HBC Steve Sarkisian said this about Louisiana-Monroe, which is coached by Little Terry Bowden, “It’s a big challenge on the defensive side of the ball with a lot of playmakers coming back.” Texas is a mere 37.5-point favorite.

They play football in other places beside the SEC

Florida State (1-0): Linebacker Amari Gainer, who has averaged 64 tackles a season in the previous three years, probably won’t be available Saturday against LSU due to an injury suffered in the season opener against Duquesne.

UNLV (1-0): Whenever a UNLV player comes up with a turnover, he gets to play the slot machine on the sideline behind the bench. I’m not making this up.

#5 Notre Dame (0-0): Is it a sign of disrespect or reality that the Irish are ranked 5th nationally yet they are 17.5-point underdogs for their Saturday opener with 2nd ranked Ohio State?

ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: Since the college football season kicks off in earnest Thursday night, it’s a midweek version of Countdown to Firing Day.

On Life Support

Scott Frost, Nebraska: The onside kick with a 28-17 lead over Northwestern probably seemed like a good idea at the moment. Like so many of Frost’s brilliant ideas since 2018, it turned out to be a dumb and dumber idea. He’s 15-30 since he took over with 21 losses by nine or fewer points. Nobody but nobody snatches defeat from the jaws of victory quite like Scott Frost.

Geoff Collins, Georgia Tech: He never should have left Shirley Temple, where he was 15-10 in two seasons. At the North Avenue Trade School he’s 9-25, about to be 9-26 since Climpson is the season opener on Labor Day. If he loses to the Fighting Kerwin Bells of Western Carolina the following Saturday he may be cleaning out his office on Sunday.

Scot Loeffler, Bowling Green: Lefty is a Peter Principle kind of coach. He has risen beyond his capability twice. He is a good QB coach who was not a good coordinator for the Fighting Addazios at Boston College. Yet somehow he was promoted again beyond his capability to be the HBC at Bowling Green. He has paycheck losses to UCLA (this week) and Mississippi State in the month of September. If he survives into October it’s only because they really don’t have enough money to buy out the rest of his contract.

Dino Babers, Syracuse: He was good in D1AA at Eastern Illinois and at Bowling Green. Despite 16 returning starters things are looking grim. Buzzards are circling the antiquated stadium formerly known as the Carrier Dome.

Neal Brown, West Virginia: Win seven games and he is still endangered. He needs three wins in September but that’s going to be very difficult with roadies at Pitt and Virginia Tech.

Bryan Harsin, Auburn: The AD who hired him turns out the lights in his office the final time this evening, leaving Harsin unprotected and at the mercy of the alums and boosters who thought he was a bad hire to begin with. Harsin is actually a good coach. Maybe the smartest thing he could do is have his agent begin negotiating a buyout because anything short of 10 wins that include a win over Alabama won’t please the people who write the big checks.

Endangered Species List

Herm Edwards, Arizona State: He’s got some serious NCAA violations hanging over his head. Will the administration stick with him if he wins?

Willie Taggart, Florida Atlantic: The Owls are off to a 1-0 start. That’s one down and six to go for Taggart to be gainfully employed next year at FAU.

Jake Spavital, Texas State: He doubled the win total (from two to four) last year. He needs to win six this year to remain gainfully employed.

Seth Littrell, North Texas: He started the season with a win over UTEP but now he’s got to deal with SMU. A win would temporarily calm the folks who want a change.

Steve Sarkisian, Texas: There is a real balancing act going on at Texas. If Sark underperforms the alums would probably pony up whatever it would take to buy him out, but would buying him out cause Arch Manning to decide to go to Alabama?

Mike Norvell, Florida State: Wins over Duqesne won’t save his job. Seven more wins would, though.