Thoughts of the Day: September 7, 2021

A few thoughts to jump start your Tuesday morning: THE FILM DOESN’T LIE AND OTHER QUARTERBACK STUFF Everybody who saw Anthony Richardson Saturday night remembers the two spectacular plays he made in Florida’s 35-14 win over Florida Atlantic. The traffic around Ben Hill Griffin Stadium was still jammed up when Richardson’s 73-yard sprint to the end zone and the phenomenal leap over an FAU defender had gone viral, creating the perception that Dan Mullen has a brewing quarterback controversy on his hands.

Mullen doesn’t exactly share the sentiment. He knows what a fabulous talent Richardson is, but by no means has he given up on Emory Jones, especially since he’s had a chance to review the film.

“You go watch the film, he [Richardson] made spectacular but missed some very, very simple checks within the game plan,” Mullen said Monday. “It’s just that comfort, and then that comfort of being able to execute it within a game, so obviously you can make that time work however you need to make it work sometimes. But it’s the best when you can let guys learn it the right way and build a really solid foundation.”

Translation: Anthony Richardson is still learning the things that Emory Jones knows by heart. There may come a time when a change is a necessity, but it won’t be until Richardson can get the Gators out of a bad play and into a good one as well as other things that come only with time and repetition.

So for now, commit these words to memory: The film doesn’t lie.

THE NUMBERS SAY THE O-LINE DID A GOOD JOB BUT IMPROVEMENT IS REQUIRED

Against Florida Atlantic, the Gators finished with 553 total yards (400 rushing, 153 passing) on 81 snaps, an average of 6.83 yards per play. The Gators averaged 8.7 yards per carry but only 4.4 per pass attempt. In 35 pass attempts, the UF offensive line didn’t allow a single sack or quarterback hurry.

Mullen felt the O-line did “a solid job” but added, “You see some really good things they did and they missed a couple things here and there that we'll get corrected."

INJURY UPDATE Regarding injuries, Mullen said, “We don't have any injuries coming out of the game, which is very fortunate. Hoping to get, you know, Lamar Goods back this week on the defensive line. Jalen Lee is going to be questionable, we're not sure, he'll be right there on the edge of being ready for this game on the defensive line. So you know, having four interior D-linemen out, that was tricky in game one so hopefully we get two of them back this week. Jaelin Humphries and Chris Thomas will both be another week or two, so, that way. Who else you got? Kamar Wilcoxson is going to miss the year, he had a knee surgery so he's going to miss the rest of the season.”

OVER, UNDER, AROUND AND THROUGH THE SEC Alabama (1-0): Linebacker Christopher Allen, who was a second team All-SEC selection last year, will undergo surgery for a foot fracture suffered in Alabama’s 44-13 win over Miami. Allen is expected to miss the remainder of the season.

Arkansas (1-0): Arkansas fans have let it be known they weren’t happy with the play of quarterback KJ Jefferson, but HBC Sam Pittman let it be known he isn’t hearing a word they’re saying. “KJ probably took a lot of heat, and everybody’s got their opinion, but the one that matters is mine,” Pittman said Monday. “He’s our quarterback, and he’s going to be a heck of a quarterback for us.” In the Razorbacks’ 38-17 win over Rice, Jefferson was 12-24 passing for 128 yards and a TD, plus he ran nine times for 89 yards and another TD.

Auburn (1-0): Wide receiver Tar’Varish Dawson Jr. and nickel LaDarius Tennison missed the blowout win over Akron due to disciplinary reasons. HBC Bryan Harsin wouldn’t confirm if they will return for Saturday’s game with Alabama State. The status of corner Jaylin Simpson, who left the Akron game due to injury, is still up in the air.

Georgia (1-0): Starting right guard Tate Ratledge is done for the season after suffering a Lisfranc fracture in his foot during the Clemson game. Warren Ericson will take over at guard, which means redshirt freshman Sedric Van Pran will be the starter at center.

Kentucky (1-0): The season opening win over Louisiana-Monroe marked the first time Kentucky has had a 300-yard passer (Will Levis had 367), a 100-yard rusher (Chris Rodriguez had 125) and two 100-yard receivers (Josh Ali had 136, Wan’Dale Robinson had 125) in the same game since 2006.

LSU (0-1): Paul Finebaum saw problems, problems and more problems for LSU in the Tigers’ 38-27 loss to UCLA. Speaking on a radio show hosted by Greg McElroy and Cole Cubelic Monday morning, Finebaum said, “I saw the defense look clueless at times. I saw 2 new coordinators who underwhelmed me. And I saw a head coach who sometimes has trouble with his mouth getting in the way of reality and I think that’s exactly what happened. LSU’s got some really challenging games.”

Mississippi State (1-0): In explaining why Mississippi State suddenly woke up in the fourth quarter to rally from 20 points down for a 35-34 win over Louisiana Tech, HBC Mike Leach said, “In this case, nobody had a dental appointment or a study hall so we decided we were finally just going to play football and do the best we could. It’s kind of explosive on all sides of the ball when you do that.”

Missouri (1-0): In their 34-24 win over Central Michigan, the Tigers converted only 1-11 on third down. “We stunk at it and our play designs,” HBC Eli Drinkwitz said Monday. “It’s on me.”

Ole Miss (1-0): Matt Corral made his own Heisman statement against Louisville, throwing for 381 yards and a TD and running for 55 and one more in the Rebels’ 43-24 win.

South Carolina (1-0): Even with Zeb Noland throwing four touchdown passes just two weeks after he hung up his grad assistant whistle to become the Gamecocks’ QB, HBC Shane Beamer isn’t ready to name a starting quarterback for Saturday’s road game at East Carolina.

Tennessee (1-0): HBC Josh Heupel says QB Joe Milton’s subpar performance against Bowling Green wasn’t totally his fault. “Everybody played a part in it,” Heupel said. “The quarterback having his eyes in the right spot and delivering the ball. Wide receivers understanding what we’re asking them to do and being able to read coverages and sit in the right zone. Finishing [the play[ with a throw and catch [with] accuracy and catching the football. Then a couple of busted protections that we need to clean up so we can sit in the pocket and deliver it.”

Texas A&M (1-0): HBC Jimbo Fisher says redshirt freshman QB Haynes King was unfazed by three interceptions he threw against Kent State. “A lot of times young guys, when they throw picks they don’t want to go back in the middle of the field. They don’t want to go back in that maze. It doesn’t bother him. He’s a competitor.”

Vanderbilt (0-1): Vanderbilt outgained East Tennessee State in Saturday’s 23-3 loss, but the Commodores turned it over three times and ETSU didn’t commit a single turnover.

WHERE THEY RANKED IN HIGH SCHOOL: D-LINE 2010 1. Ronald Powell (Moreno Valley, CA), Florida; 2. Dominique Easley (Staten Island, NY), Florida; Jackson Jeffcoat (Plano, TX), Texas; 4. Sharrif Floyd (Philadelphia, PA), Florida; 5. Owamagbe Odighizua (Portland, OR), UCLA; 6. William Gholston (Detroit, MI), Michigan State; 7. Reggie Wilson (Fort Worth, TX), Texas; 8. George Uko (Chino, CA), Southern Cal; 9. Chris Martin (Aurora, CO), Florida; 10. Corey Lemonier (Hialeah, FL), Auburn

2011 1. Jadaveon Clowney (Rock Hill, SC), South Carolina; 2. Anthony Johnson (New Orleans, LA), LSU; 3. Aaron Lynch (Cape Coral, FL), Notre Dame; 4. Timmy Jernigan (Lake City, FL), Florida State; 5. Ray Drew (Thomasville, GA), Georgia; 6. Anthony Chickillo (Tampa, FL), Miami; 7. Stephon Tuitt (Monroe, GA), Notre Dame; 8. Greg Townsend Jr. (Beverly Hills, CA), Southern Cal; 9. Xazvier Dickson (Griffin, GA), Alabama; 10. Desmond Jackson (Houston, TX), Texas

2012 1. Mario Edwards (Denton, TX), Florida State; 2. Noah Spence (Harrisburg, PA), Ohio State; 3. Malcolm Brown (Brenham, TX), Texas; 4. Eddie Goldman (Washington, DC), Florida State; 5. Jonathan Bullard (Shelby, NC), Florida; 6. Adolphus Washington (Cincinnati, OH), Ohio State; 7. Darius Hamilton (Ramsey, NJ), Rutgers; 8. Ellis McCarthy (Monrovia, CA), UCLA; 9. Chris Casher (Mobile, AL), Florida State; 10. Jordan Jenkins (Hamilton, GA), Georgia

2013 1. Robert Nkemdiche (Loganville, GA), Ole Miss; 2. Eddie Vanderdoes (Auburn, CA), UCLA; 3. Kenny Bigelow (Bear, DE), Southern Cal; 4. Montravius Adams (Vienna, GA), Auburn; 5. Chris Jones (Houston, MS), Mississippi State; 6. Carl Lawson (Alpharetta, GA), Auburn; 7. DeMarcus Walker (Jacksonville, FL), Florida State; 8. Joey Bosa (Fort Lauderdale, FL), Ohio State; 9. Dee Liner (Muscle Shoals, AL), Alabama; 10. Al-Quadin Muhammad (Ramsey, NJ), Miami

2014 1. Myles Garrett (Arlington, TX), Texas A&M; 2. Da’Shawn Hand (Woodbridge, VA), Alabama; 3. Andrew Brown (Chesapeake, VA), Virginia; 4. Lorenzo Carter (Norcross, GA), Georgia; 5. Chad Thomas (Miami, FL), Miami; 6. Solomon Thomas (Coppell, TX), Stanford; 7. Malik McDowell (Detroit, MI), Michigan State; 8. Gerald Willis (New Orleans, LA), Florida; 9. Travonte Valentine (Palm Bay, FL), LSU; 10. Derrick Roberson (San Antonio, TX), Texas

2015 1. Trenton Thompson (Albany, GA), Georgia; 2. Byron Cowart (Seffner, FL), Auburn; 3. Kahlil McKenzie (Concord, CA), Tennessee; 4. CeCe Jefferson (Glen St. Mary, FL), Florida; 5. Josh Sweat (Chesapeake, VA), Florida State; 6. Terry Beckner Jr. (East St. Louis, IL), Missouri; 7. Daylon Mack (Gladwater, TX), Texas A&M; 8. Keisan Lucier-South (Orange, CA), UCLA; 9. Canton Kaumatule (Honolulu, HI), Oregon; 10. Rasheem Green (Gardena, CA), Southern Cal

2016 1. Rashan Gary (Paramus, NJ), Michigan; 2. Dexter Lawrence (Wake Forest, NC), Clemson; 3. Ed Oliver (Houston, TX), Houston; 4. Nick Bosa (Fort Lauderdale, FL), Ohio State; 5. Derrick Brown (Buford, GA), Auburn; 6. Oluwole Betiku Jr. (Gardena, CA), Southern Cal; 7. Jeffery Simmons (Macon, MS), Mississippi State; 8. McTelvin Agim (Hope, AR), Arkansas; 9. Rashard Lawrence (Monroe, LA), LSU; 10. Benito Jones (Waynesboro, MS), Ole Miss

2017 1. Jaelan Phillips (Redlands, CA), UCLA; 2. Marvin Wilson (Bellaire, TX), Florida State; 3. Chase Young (Hyattsville, MD), Ohio State; 4. Joshua Kaindoh (Bradenton, FL), Florida State; 5. Aubrey Solomon (Leesburg, GA), Michigan; 6. A.J. Epenesa (Edwardsville, IL), Iowa; 7. LaBryan Ray (Madison, AL), Alabama; 8. K’Lavon Chaisson (Houston, TX), LSU; 9. Jay Tufele (South Jordan, UT), Southern Cal; 10. Tyler Shelvin (Lafayette, LA), LSU

2018 1. Xavier Thomas (Bradenton, FL), Clemson; 2. Eyabi Anoma (Baltimore, MD), Alabama; 3. Micah Parsons (Harrisburg, PA), Penn State; 4. KJ Henry (Clemmons, NC), Clemson; 5. Taron Vincent (Bradenton, FL), Ohio State; 6. Brenton Cox Jr. (Stockbridge, GA), Georgia; 7. Tyreke Smith (Cleveland, OH), Ohio State; 8. Nesta Jade Silvera (Fort Lauderdale, FL), Miami; 9. Tommy Togiai (Pocatello, ID), Ohio State

2019 1. Nolan Smith (Bradenton, FL), Georgia; 2. Kayvon Thibodeaux (Thousand Oaks, CA), Oregon; 3. Antonio Alfano (Colonia, NJ), Alabama; 4. Zacch Pickens (Anderson, SC), South Carolina; 5. Zach Harrison (Lewis Center, OH), Ohio State; 6. DeMarvin Leal (Converse, TX), Texas A&M; 7. Travon Walker (Thomaston, GA), Georgia; 8. Chris Hinton (Norcross, GA), Michigan; 9. Ishmael Sopsher (Amite, LA), Alabama; 10. Drake Jackson (Corona, CA), Southern Cal

2020 1. Bryan Breese (Damascus, MD), Clemson; 2. Myles Murphy (Powder Springs, GA), Clemson; 3. Jordan Burch (Columbia, SC), South Carolina; 4. Gervon Dexter (Lake Wales, FL), Florida; 5. Will Anderson (Hampton, GA), Alabama; 6. Jalen Carter (Apopka, FL), Georgia; 7. Chris Braswell (Baltimore, MD), Alabama; 8. Sav’ell Smalls (Burien, WA), Washington; 9. Demonte Capehart (Hartsville, SC), Clemson; 10. Jaquelin Roy (Baton Rouge, LA), LSU

2021 1. Korey Foreman (Corona, CA), Southern Cal; 2. J.T. Tuimoloau (Sammamish, WA), Ohio State; 3. Jack Sawyer (Pickering, OH), Ohio State; 4. Dallas Turner (Fort Lauderdale, FL), Alabama; 5. Leonard Taylor (Miami, FL), Miami; 6. Maason Smith (Houma, LA), LSU; 7. Shemar Turner (DeSoto, TX), Texas A&M; 8. Damon Payne (Belleville, MI), Alabama; 9. Keeshawn Silver (Rocky Mount, NC), North Carolina; 10. Clayton Smith (Texarkana, TX), Oklahoma

ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: In the last few days much has been made of this “alliance” between the Big Ten, ACC and Pac-12. Supposedly, it will counter the dominance of the Southeastern Conference and it will lead to a united front to stop expansion of the College Football Playoff to 12 teams. Judging by what we saw from the ACC and Pac-12 this past weekend, neither the ACC nor Pac-12 will have a team that cracks the final four this year which means it’s entirely possible the SEC will have half of the field. These leagues desperately need a expansion to 12 teams because it might prove to be the only way they can get one of their teams in the playoff.