Florida Gator Football Thoughts of the day: October 3, 2022

Franz Beard

A few thoughts to jump start your Monday morning:

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DEFENSIVE TACKLE IS AN ISSUE

In their 52-17 win over Eastern Washington Sunday afternoon at The Swamp, the Eagles ran 85 offensive plays to Florida’s 50 and dominated time of possessions, 36:28-23:32. A couple of weeks ago, South Florida ran 74 plays to Florida’s 48 and dominated the time of possession, 36:19-23:41. The Gators won that one, 31-28, but it’s a game they could have lost, particularly since they couldn’t get the Bulls off the field.

Points win games, not time of possession or most offensive plays, but at some point if the Gators (3-2, 0-2 SEC) can’t start getting third down stops – opponents are 34-68 on the season; Eastern Washington was 8-18 – it’s going to bite the Gators in a very bad way. Through five games, the Gators are allowing 421.4 yards per game. Kentucky, which ranks 13th out of 14 SEC teams in total offense, is the only team that managed fewer than 400 yards (272) against UF.

The secondary is quite young, but if you’re interested in pointing fingers somewhere, the defensive line, and in particular, defensive tackle is a good place to start. It’s very difficult to stop the run when there is a lack of depth at the tackles and the pass rush is suffering as well. Florida’s problems are the result of years of neglect on the recruiting trail. In the years since the 2010 recruiting class produced future pros Dominique Easley, Sharif Floyd and Leon Orr, the Gators have had too many seasons in which they either whiffed completely or brought in too many non-factors at the position.

Dan Mullen had serious issues recruiting defensive tackles. He inherited four from the last Jim McElwain recruiting class but he whiffed completely in 2018. In 2019, Mullen’s only DT was Jaelin Humphries, who has played in three games this year, but only five total since. In 2020, the Gators signed three – 5-star Gervon Dexter Sr., Jalen Lee and Lamar Goods. Dexter is Florida’s best D-lineman. Lee started two games and is in the rotation. Goods transferred out. For 2021, Mullen signed Desmond Watson, a 400-pound project who is starting at nose tackle, Chris Thomas Jr., who has been in two games in his career (one this year) and three one-and-done transfer DTs in Daquan Newkirk, Antonio Valentino and Tyrone Truesdell.

Billy Napier signed two in Chris McClellan, who has played in all five games, and Jamari Lyons, who has played in two. Clearly, Napier is playing from behind here. He knows and understands you don’t win in the line-of-scrimmage SEC without enough quality defensive tackles is by smoke and mirrors.

That’s probably what it’s going to take for the Gators to carve out wins especially the next six which are all against SEC foes. The goal this year is to figure out a way to win with whatever is available, recruit like crazy for the future, then bring in some transfer tackles who have more than one year of eligibility remaining.

Associated Press Top 25 poll: 1. Alabama 5-0; 2. Georgia 5-0; 3. Ohio State 5-0; 4. Michigan 5-0; 5. Clemson 5-0; 6. Southern California 5-0; 7. Oklahoma State 4-0; 8. Tennessee 4-0; 9. Ole Miss 5-0; 10. Penn State 5-0; 11. Utah 4-1; 12. Oregon 4-1; 13. Kentucky 4-1; 14. North Carolina State 4-1; 15. Wake Forest 4-1; 16. BYU 4-1; 17. TCU 4-0; 18. UCLA 5-0; 19. Kansas 5-0; 20. Kansas State 4-1; 21. Washington 4-1; 22. Syracuse 5-0; 23. Mississippi State 4-1; 24. Cincinnati 5-1; 25. LSU 4-1

AFCA Coaches Top 25 poll: 1. Alabama 5-0; 2. Georgia 5-0; 3. Ohio State 5-0; 4. Michigan 5-0; 5. Clemson 5-0; 6. Southern California 5-0; 7. Oklahoma State 4-0; 8. Tennessee 4-0; 9. Ole Miss 5-0; 10. Penn State 5-0; 11. Utah 4-1; 12. Oregon 4-1; 13. Kentucky 4-1; 14. North Carolina State 4-1; 15. Wake Forest 4-1; 16. BYU 4-1; 17. Kansas 5-0; 18. TCU 5-0; 19. UCLA 5-0; 20. Kansas State 4-1; 21. Syracuse 5-0; 22. Baylor 3-2; 23. Mississippi State 4-1; 24. Washington 4-1; 25. Arkansas 3-2

SEC football

No. 1 Alabama (5-0, 2-0 SEC): Big Bad Bama was in trouble. Heisman Trophy QB Bryce Young was probably numbed up on the sideline after suffering what is described as a sprained AC joint, and Arkansas had closed a 28-7 deficit to 28-23. Third and 15 at the Bama 20? No problem. Backup QB Jalen Milroe just fired up the afterjets, blew by everyone for a 77-yard run that set up a TD. Later in the quarter Jahmyr Gibbs broke off TD runs of 72 and 76 yards to ensure that all was right in the universe again. Next week: vs. Texas A&M (3-2, 1-1 SEC)

Arkansas (3-2, 1-2 SEC): Prior to losing to Alabama, the Hogs had given up only 397 rushing yards in four games. Against Alabama, they gave up 317 including three runs of 70 or more yards. Next week: at No. 23 Mississippi State (4-1, 1-1 SEC)

Auburn (3-2, 1-1 SEC): Bryan Harsin is still the head coach despite blowing a 17-0 lead and then losing to LSU, 21-17. Harsin is a big name on the Left Coast. With Arizona State and Colorado jobs open, he could be a hot name if Auburn pink slips him. His buyout is a mere $18 million. Next week: at No. 2 Georgia (5-0, 2-0 SEC)

No. 2 Georgia (5-0, 2-0 SEC): For the second straight week the Bulldogs under-performed against an inferior opponent. In their 26-22 win over Missouri, Georgia turned the ball over twice, scored only two touchdowns and had to settle for four field goals. After giving up only 10 points in their first three games, the Bulldogs have allowed 44 in the last two. Next week: vs. Auburn (3-1, 1-1 SEC)

No. 13 Kentucky (4-1, 1-1 SEC): Will Levis was called for intentional grounding in the end zone, which resulted in a safety, and he fumbled the ball away on the Wildcats’ last two drives, the first at the Ole Miss 19, the second at the Ole Miss 25. Next week: vs. South Carolina (3-2, 0-2 SEC)

No. 25 LSU (4-1, 2-0 SEC): Quarterback Jayden Daniels, who left the win over Auburn and didn’t return after a knee-to-knee collision, suffered no structural damage Next week: vs. No. 8 Tennessee (4-0, 1-0 SEC)

No. 23 Mississippi State (4-1, 1-1 SEC): There were three big stories in the Bulldogs 42-24 win over the then 17th-ranked Aggies – (1) Will Rogers threw for 329 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions; (2) 144 rushing yards, second highest total for an MSU game since Mike Leach became head coach; and (3) the defense forced four turnovers, scoring on a blocked field goal and a pick six. Next week: vs. Arkansas (3-2, 1-2 SEC)

Missouri (1-4, 0-2 SEC): The Tigers managed to convert only 3-13 on third down against Georgia, plus they committed seven penalties for -66 yards, prompting HBC Eli Drinkwitz to state, “We’re self-inflicted wounds away from winning that game.” Next week: at FLORIDA (3-2, 0-2 SEC)

No. 9 Ole Miss (5-0, 1-0 SEC): The Ole Miss defense forced fumbles that ended Kentucky’s final two drives to save a 22-19 win that kept the Rebels undefeated. Ole Miss held Kentucky to 108 yards on the ground and 2.9 per carry ... Next week: at Vanderbilt (3-2, 0-1 SEC)

South Carolina (3-2, 0-2 SEC): Offensive line coach Greg Adkins has stepped away from the team for what HBC Shane Beamer says is a “minor medical procedure.” While he’s away from the team, offensive analyst Lonnie Teasley will coach the O-line. Next week: at No. 13 Kentucky (4-1, 1-1 SEC)

No. 8 Tennessee (4-0, 1-0 SEC): Wide receiver Cedric Tillman had what is called “tightrope” surgery on his injured ankle last week with the hope of getting him back to the UT lineup much sooner. The procedure uses high strength sutures rather than screws in an effort to promote quicker healing. Next week: at No. 25 LSU (4-1, 2-0 SEC)

Texas A&M (3-2, 1-1 SEC): After a blowout loss to Mississippi State in which the Aggies turned the ball over four times and had a field goal blocked, Paul Finebaum said of HBC Jimbo Fisher, “You take Jameis Winston out of this guy’s arsenal and he may not be a head coach right now.” Next week: at No. 1 Alabama (5-0, 2-0 SEC)

Vanderbilt (3-2, 0-1 SEC): The Commodores only SEC game to date was a 55-3 loss to No. 1 Alabama. The next two games are against No. 9 Ole Miss and (at) No. 2 Georgia. Next week: vs. Ole Miss (5-0, 1-0 SEC)

Our SEC orphans in the Big 12

Oklahoma (3-2, 0-2 Big 12): Quarterback Dillon Gabriel is questionable for the Texas game after taking a shot to the head while he was sliding in the loss to TCU. Next week: vs. Texas (3-2, 1-1 Big 12) in Dallas

Texas (3-2, 1-1 Big 12): The Longhorns got through their win over West Virginia without needing Quinn Ewers. Hudson Card completed 21-27 passes for 303 yards and three touchdowns against the Mountaineers. Ewers is expected to be ready to go Saturday against Oklahoma. Next game: vs. Oklahoma (3-2, 0-2 Big 12) in Dallas

Countdown to Firing Day: Sunday night update

Colorado (0-5, 0-2 Pac-12): Head coach Karl Dorrell joined the Extinct Species List Sunday when he was fired along with defensive coordinator Chris Wilson after the Buffaloes were hammered by Arizona, 43-20. Offensive coordinator Mike Sanford will serve as the interim.

Wisconsin (2-3, 0-2 Big Ten): The Badgers parted ways with Paul Chryst, whose eight years in Madison produced a 67-26 record, three Big Ten West championships and one trip to the Rose Bowl. A year ago the Badgers went 9-4 with a win over Arizona State in the Las Vegas Bowl. Named as interim coach was defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard.

ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: Next Saturday night, Texas A&M will face off with No. 1 Alabama in what the summer promised to be the single most anticipated college football game of the season. Jimbo beat Nick Saban last year in College Station and then called Nick all sorts of nasty things all because Nick had the temerity to say what just about everyone in the free world knows: That the Aggies 2022 recruiting class that some are calling generational was bought and paid for by deep pocketed boosters. Nick never said the Aggies cheated, just said the class was bought and paid for. Which it was thanks to NIL (now it’s legal) money.

Jimbo went ballistic. Nick tried to walk things back because SEC commish Greg Sankey insisted. The media frothed at the mouth. We had ourselves an instant classic. Except now it isn’t a classic. The Aggies have lost two games, one to Appalachian State, of all people, and the other a cowbell special in Starkville in which Mike Leach blew Texas A&M’s doors off.

Alabama, meanwhile is good and getting better. Did you see what they did in the fourth quarter against Arkansas when Nick finally unleashed Jahmyr Gibbs on the Hogs? Gibbs had 172 yards in Bama’s first four games. He had 148 and two touchdowns on two fourth quarter carries Saturday, finishing the night with 206 yards on 18 carries.

The folks in Vegas who make the point spreads were impressed, so much so that even with the possibility that Jalen Milroe will start at QB instead of Heisman Trophy QB Bryce Young (injured shoulder) Alabama is a 24.5-point favorite.

Two things to watch out for when this non-classic classic is played: (1) Will Nick pour it on if he gets the chance to let Jimbo know it’s not nice to say nasty things about the former boss; and (2) will Aggie billionaire boosters, when faced with yet another season of three or more losses, start pooling money to buy out Jimbo’s fully guaranteed $94.95 million contract?