Orange and Blue Hue » 27-3 Over Vandy? We’ll Take It

27-3 Over Vandy? We’ll Take It

It was, once again, not the prettiest of wins, but it was a decisive one. Vandy played hard and picked up a few yards, but never got a shot at more than 3 points.

While the offense showed some of the same drive-killing tendencies it has all year, and the 375 combined yards Tebow & Co. put up was rather a low total against a team of Vandy’s caliber, Tebow’s stats are surprisingly good. Little Timmy completed 15 of 20 for 208 yards and 1 TD, plus ran for another 27 and a rushing TD. His rushing totals would be much higher if he hadn’t been sacked four times. Florida’s pass protection, plus Tebow’s willingness to hold onto the ball for many seconds after it should be launched downfield, were both contributing factors.

Still, UF converted only 4 of 13 3rd downs, and shot themselves in the foot with 9 penalties for a loss of 68 yards. Tebow’s lone TD pass sanguinely bounced off of Riley Cooper’s hands and into David Nelson’s open arms in the end zone — last time that occurred, the Bulldogs of Mississippi State ran it back for six. But hey, we’ll take it.

Let’s sum up the questions with which Gator Nation is tormenting itself:

1) “Why isn’t this offense playing better when we have All-World players?”

2) “Why is Tim Tebow holding on to the ball so long, and looking so hesitant in the pocket?”

3) “If Florida can’t wipe inferior squads off the map, how will they beat teams like Alabama or Texas?”

4) “Why does a 9-0 record and a 19-game school-record winning streak feel so ‘bleah’?”

Now, take the first three of those questions, scrunch them up into a tight little ball of paper, and throw that negativity blob into the trash.

Yes, the offense has issues, and yes, we’d all like to see this unit ring up pinball scores like they did in years past.

Will this offense suddenly explode at this point? Unlikely. What we see is basically what we’ve got. Offensive line play rarely shows dramatic improvement throughout a season, and that’s probably the weakest link on this unit — not the receiver corps. No, I fully expect Florida to continue grinding out close wins against good competition, and slowly pull away from weaker teams like Vandy.

So, I’ve got a suggestion for you: forget about it. Because the answer to 1-3 is: “It doesn’t matter.” Because our defense is that good. Because Caleb Sturgis is starting to fulfill the promise and potential he brought to the Gators’ kicking game. Because we still have the best player in the history of college football lining up under center. Because we have a tough, physical, grind-you-to-dust rushing attack. Because our players expect to own the 4th quarter, and have excelled each and every time the crowd stops swaying to ‘We Are the Boys’. Because we have the best coaches in the business, coaches who have already adjusted our scheme and gameplanning to accentuate Florida’s strengths and minimize its weaknesses.

Because, at the end of the day, Florida is still the best team in the country, warts and all. Which team has clearly proven that they deserve #1 instead of Florida? I’d be happy to acknowledge it if it were true. But if you think Florida’s offensive woes are troubling, it’s far worse at ‘Bama. Texas? Sure, they’re good, and Colt McCoy is a great quarterback, but the college football institution learned a lesson about the value of wins against Big 12 defenses vs. their SEC counterparts at the conclusion of the 2008 season.

Florida is undefeated in the nation’s toughest conference, has survived everything from flu, to off-field distractions, to on-field distractions, and has secured a berth in Atlanta.

There’s a lot to be happy about, folks.

We have to let this offensive ennui we’ve collectively endured reach its nadir and then disappear. This is our team. Our team is not perfect. Our team will not reach the offensive heights they did in ‘08. If you’ll recall, our ‘06 team is one of the greatest in Florida history, and that was a team that was far more troubled offensively than this one. Defense wins championships, ladies and gentlemen.

By playing tough. By playing with discipline. By squeezing the life out of our opponents. This is how our team wins games. And I fully expect them to win five more.

The answer to the fourth question? “It’s all in your mind.” So get your mind right, Gator Nation.

17 Comments so far
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Florida has won three national championships since the last time it held Vandy to a figgie or less. As bad as the Dores often are, they have a real knack for dragging more talented teams down into the mud and forcing them to win ugly.

“We’ll Take It” indeed. Excellent post GP.

Bravo. What else is there to say?

Good post, though, a little too ‘the sky really isn’t falling’ white washing going on. We may be able to beat Bama if they stay one dimensional with their running BUT their QB looked very sharp against LSU in the second half. Texas, or whoever we play in the BCSC, will be multi-dimensional on offense and will bring a good D (at least as good as the ones played in our squeeker games). We have to be confident that our offense can score 30 against anyone. Right now we can’t score 30 against MSU or Vandy!

Not so fast… Florida was down to “kill the clock” operations against both Vandy and MSU. Another 7 in each game was not only possible, but probable, if needed. Meyer elected to run the ball half-heartedly four times in the redzone, rather than embarrass his opponent.

Beating Arkansas by 3 at home was somewhat more of a concern to me. But show me any title contender that hasn’t had issues this year.

i think it is pathetic to open a gator blog and find comments like “we can’t score 30 against MSU or Vandy”. Call Steve Spurier and Ron Zook and ask them about how easy a win was on their last trip to MSU with a ranked Gator team. I believe we were embarrassed by 30 points in both games. I am sick and tired of “gator nation” making excuses for our gators 9-0 record and 19-0 winning streak. The only reason any UF fan could be complaining is that UF isn’t covering the spread, if that is your case, quit betting on UF and get behind the gators.i don’t care who you are, you are not going to bring your “A” game every week. UF coaches are not going to game plan and pull out all the stops for vandy, and FIU. and our boys’ intensity is not going to be the same either, however our competition plays much harder vs UF than they would vs anyone else. freakin’ UT is 5-4 and their fans are acting like they are 9-0. quit acting like a bunch of wussies!!!! quit whining ’cause we are winning. ’nuff said

one more thing, everywhere UF goes the home team sets attendance records so our boys aren’t just playing against U? best effort, they are also playing in awful environments. enjoy it while it lasts, UM will get sick of these rediculous expectations just like SS and he’ll be gone too. and we’ll have idiots like you to thank for it.

Well said pLANEolG8rB8, but I don’t think that the posters you are referring to here, are anywhere close to being the majority of The Gator Nation. As you alluded, they are mostly the same children who convinced Spurrier to move on, as no matter what he did — including winning the first national championship (not to mention our first legal conference title, and controling it from that point on — he was not going to satisify their childish whims.

There’s also a lot of Canes/Noles/Dawgs/Vols/Tigers/et-al in Gator clothing here, because…..well…..where else can they go and what else can they do?!

Hell, we had someone here on Sunday, who stated that Florida was “overated.” After shruging off his apparent short changed education (probably a Cane), my response; “By who? The AP Poll voters? The USA Today Poll voters? The BCS computers? That’s a hell of a stretch for a conspiracy. I submit Pat, the only overrating being done here, is your opinion of your own intellect,” has drawn no reply, as yet.

Thanks Bull Gator, someone once said: why do they call it common sense when it’s so uncommon? I am sick of these “seam to be” UF fans’ unrealistic expectations. If winning isn’t enough they should get back down the road where they came from. GO GATORS

The other thing that always comes to my mind when I start to get concerned about the team’s future games or I hear other so-called fans ripping on coaches and players, is that second NCAA title run by the best college basketball team ever assembled.

Those boys often had very ugly wins, with lots of fans complaining because they couldn’t put teams away early on. Yet, in spite of the whining and the fact that every team they played brought their best effort, the team won that second national championship. They played with their guts and oftentimes were not having fun, but they kept on playing and took every win in whatever fashion they could. End result - UF wins that title and is deservedly considered one of the best all-around teams ever. Ask THEM if it was worth it.

Go Gators!

awesome comments terig8r, i’ll hold on to that thought from here on out, thanks, GO GATORS

I join the consunsus here as well; I don’t give a shit HOW ugly it was - a “W” is a “W” as far as I’m concerned.

You know, we weren’t erxactly going RUTS on our opponents back in 2006 either - in spite of all the whining going back then, we managed to win a NC.

This year’s team is no different; our kids find a way to win, are relentless in their effort, and persevere. If Coach Meyer and his staff weren’t as organized and efficient as they are, no way would we be 9-0 with a 19-game winning streak at this point in time.

These kids are the real deal, and the proof is in the pudding.

GO GATORS!!!!!!!!

Exceptionally well put terig8r, I wish I had thought of that. Indeed, I’m somewhat ashamed I didn’t, as should the rest of The Gator Nation.

It occurred to me last night, after reviewing this post; I have to believe that most of these “unsatisfied” Gators, are neither students nor alumni, but are the so-called “bandwagon” fans that jumped onboard during the Spurrier years, likely left during the Zook years, and are back aboard with Meyer’s two national titles. They only follow wins. Nothing more.

Let me rephrase that last sentence. They only follow “flashy” wins that make the ESPN news shows. They have no conception whatsoever of all of those “Wait until next year” days, and, knowing the nature of these so-called “fans,” they never will. They’ll jump ship before admitting to backing a team that isn’t winning by 50, and will only be satisfied — albeit begrudgingly — if our kids win a second consecutive national championship.

They may pretend to be Gators, I call them “fair weather” Gators, but they’ll never be a part of the Gator Nation. That has to be earned!

For those of us who took a “grin and bear it” stance during the Zook years and are old enough to remember 0-10-1 back in 1979, the Meyer years are like Nirvana. We won’t take anything fro granted, nor are we griping about a 9-0 record with a 19-game winning streak.

True fans literally belive “in all kinds of weather, we’ll all stick together for F-L-O-R-I-D-A. All the whiners need to stop and smell the roses.

BULL GATOR, that ain’t about right…that is right!!! GO GATORS

Very well stated OTG, I totally concur.

I AM old enough to remember that 0-10-1 season, and, sadly, quite a few more — the alternative notwithstanding. Sometimes those days were not easy to handle, but, at the risk of sounding trite; “Once a Gator, ALWAYS a Gator.” And that’s what sets the Nation, apart from all the rest!

I was fortunate, in that I was a scholarship player and had my education paid for. And aside from the feeling of comradeship and unity that one acquires in a situation like that, it also left me with a feeling of a debt that I owe the University. So you see, I couldn’t be anything but a Gator; win, lose or otherwise.

And to those who have been through the “lean times,” and can truly understand, I am thoroughly enjoying these past 10 years, no matter what all of the “bandwagon,” “fair weather,” fans whine about; no matter what the “haters” may have to say about us — and I’m positive that some of them are the “bandwagon, “fair-weather” I refer to above; and no matter what our opposition has to say about us not being “good winners,” not deserving of our titles, rankings, recognition, I can only say; “Eat your hearts out!” We were a long time getting here, and we are going to enjoy every minute of the ride, every bit as much as you did when you were here.

And if that’s a problem for you…..get over it! We are on the top right now, and until you can knock us off, on the field, not by your mouth, we are better then you, as you pointed out to us many, many times in the past!

“Once a Gator, ALWAYS a Gator!”

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