Florida Recap

Ogerzook master of the moral victory. The thing about moral victories, you still lost. The other team still celebrated on your field. Unless you gambled on the team you shouldn't celebrate. So get ready to send your complaints to our favorite Canadian.(Pictures from the Clarion Ledger)

THE GOOD

Seth Adams had another particularly nice day. Through for over 300 yards again. Going into the season I didn't expect him to through over three hundred yards in an SEC game. So there's obviously no complaints to his game. His one interception was late and was so far down the field it worked like a punt and didn't effect the outcome. Also had two more touchdowns.

Bruce Hall ran well and should get more carries. Even take some away from the Predator because at this point with the way defenses are stacking the line the Predator bruising and plodding style is hindering the offense more than it's helping. Requiring Seth Adams to do it all. In the game Don't Bring Me Down Bruce averaged 8.2 yards a carry to the Predators 3.4.

Burnell Mike Wallace had another big day and is showing to be a great deep threat. However Shay Hodge is the receiver that really stepped up huge in this game. He was the leading reciever in yards (81) and catches (7). He's got good hands and is becoming the go to guy when we need a first down. He had multiple big catches in the game and on his touchdown he simply timed the defender out of a pick for the score. That touchdown was a turning point in the game and was when the offense started getting the team relatively back into the game. And for that Shay gets the game ball.

THE BAD

Special teams weren't very special. The defenders are on average catching the ball around the 18 yard line. Needless to say we're not seeing a lot of touchbacks. The coverage is equally horrendous and leads to the other team starting in great field position every drive. This has lead to pour starts to the games and thus pour showings. Punting is not much better. And the fake punt in the fourth quarter was one of the worst attempts I've ever seen. Don't telegraph what you are going to do by lining up in some wacky formation. Either run a fake out of the punt formation or keep your offense on the field. Especially don't stay in said wacky formation after they call a timeout and explained to the defense what's coming.

Tackling is still atrocious. Cody Paul's competition, the little leaguers in California tackle better. Tebow averaged over 6 yards a carry and at least 4 yards of everyone of those carries had to be after contact. The coaching staff keeps making an excuse about how it will get better once we face a non-spread offense. If the Rebels keep tackling like this it won't matter what offense they face.

THE UGLY

Moral victories. Especially fake moral victories that gets everyone unduly worked up. This wasn't even a real moral victory like Alabama in '05 or well Alabama again in '06. A true moral victory occurs when you play the other team to the line all day and its a real battle. Not when they just fail to show up.

This was a classic case of a top team taking a weak off because they felt the game was going to win itself. Which it did. The gators played nearly as poor as they could and still beat Ole Miss with Seth Adams firing on all cylinders. They'd watched the Vandy tape and didn't think there was a possibility that they could loose to the Rebels. And they were right.

You want irrefutable proof that Florida came out uninspired? They had 127 penalty yards. Good teams do not have over a hundred penalty yards or 14 total penalties when they are playing focused football. This is what kept the game close. Along with some curious 3rd down calls by Florida* and an overly gambling defense looking for the highlight real instead of just trying to make the play.

So spare me if I don't buy the whole, "If we could just play like we did against Florida every game" argument.

*(Seriously. Tebow's running for 6 yards a carry. You need 3 for the first. You bring out 5 receivers. The middle of the field is wide open. Tebow's been struggling all day with the deep pass. Why throw it?)