What a wonderful way to end the regular season! Truth be told, I was a little nervous at the end of the first half when it seemed like Florida had been dominating yet only led 13-3. Then the third quarter came and my concerns were realized when Florida State scored 17 straight points. And, again, like last year, Florida State's touchdown drives came after Florida lapses. A poor punt and coverage led to a 25 yard touchdown drive followed by a Florida fumble that led to a 17 yard touchdown drive. And a field goal came when FSU started at the Florida 48 yard line. That's some third quarter!
Thankfully the good guys settled down and remembered that they were the better team and scored the next 24 points in the game. After having 39 plays (to FSU's 11) in the first half, Florida coaches had to be itching to get back on offense in the second half to continue wearing down the Seminoles defense. Without much time of possession in the third, when the fourth quarter rolled around, the offensive line took full advantage and did its domination thing. Even though FSU had the number one-ranked defense in all of college football, Coach Muschamp said it best going into halftime, "We feel like we've played against better defenses."
After a solid 37-20 win, my attention turned to the Notre Dame/USC game where a USC upset would have put the Gators into the national championship game. That didn't happen so I'm figuring that the Sugar Bowl will be the likely destination.
To begin the year I said UF's offense would be inconsistent due to the new offensive coordinator and a true sophomore starting quarterback. Unfortunately the part about being inconsistent was true. Jeff Driskel will have to take a lot fewer negative plays next year. I also said UF would only need to average 24-27 points per game to finish up with more than nine wins because the defense would be so good. Well, the offense ranked 76th in the country averaging 26.8 points per game and the defense was ranked third in allowing just 12.9 points per game. It's difficult to be disappointed with how close the team came to playing for a national championship. I think the team over achieved slightly this year as I figured them for 9-10 wins and they earned 11 wins. Next year we'll have to see fewer field goals and more touchdowns to achieve championship status. I hope the team and the coaches are ready for those expectations next year because it is their success this year that has raised the bar.
GO GATORS!
Just Joe
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Monday, November 19, 2012
Zipf's Law
A while back I was watching a sci-fi documentary that was discussing various scenarios for alien contact. I was struck by a rather obvious point that had never even crossed my mind.
So let's say the folks over at S.E.T.I. receive some sort of signal originating from deep space. The likelihood that the message will be received in one of the 6,900 or so languages that are currently spoken on earth seems highly unlikely. So what are the chances that we would be able to decode a message of a truly alien language? This documentary then considered the fact -- and here's the part I hadn't considered previously -- that scientists have been studying whale sounds for decades and still have no idea what is being communicated. (On a side note, have you seen where a beluga whale was making some "humanlike sounds?") Suddenly it didn't seem very likely that we would ever be able to decipher an alien language.
Then the documentary went on a bit of a tangent and asked the question "how do we know that whale sounds are language?" Maybe they are simply meaningless sounds that do not convey any information. Enter Zipf's Law. The law is actually a mathematical equation but here's the most simple explanation I could find:
So let's say the folks over at S.E.T.I. receive some sort of signal originating from deep space. The likelihood that the message will be received in one of the 6,900 or so languages that are currently spoken on earth seems highly unlikely. So what are the chances that we would be able to decode a message of a truly alien language? This documentary then considered the fact -- and here's the part I hadn't considered previously -- that scientists have been studying whale sounds for decades and still have no idea what is being communicated. (On a side note, have you seen where a beluga whale was making some "humanlike sounds?") Suddenly it didn't seem very likely that we would ever be able to decipher an alien language.
Then the documentary went on a bit of a tangent and asked the question "how do we know that whale sounds are language?" Maybe they are simply meaningless sounds that do not convey any information. Enter Zipf's Law. The law is actually a mathematical equation but here's the most simple explanation I could find:
"Zipf's law states that given some corpus of natural language utterances, the frequency of any word is inversely proportional to its rank in the frequency table. Thus the most frequent word will occur approximately twice as often as the second most frequent word, three times as often as the third most frequent word, etc. For example, in the Brown Corpus [of English], the word "the" is the most frequently occurring word, and by itself accounts for nearly 7% of all word occurrences (69,971 out of slightly over 1 million). True to Zipf's Law, the second-place word "of" accounts for slightly over 3.5% of words (36,411 occurrences), followed by "and" (28,852). Only 135 vocabulary items are needed to account for half the Brown Corpus."
The interesting part here is that every known human language follows this pattern. Scientists applied the equation to whale sounds to try and determine if whales do indeed have a language. As it turns out, the sound frequency frequencies do indeed follow the pattern that Zipf set forth! That seems to indicate that these are not simply random sounds, rather there is actual information being exchanged! Figuring out the information is a whole other matter but at least the tiniest of the first steps seems to be taken.
Here is a way cooler article that describes the theory of the experiment but with dolphins.
Just Joe
Florida Gators 2012 -- Week #12
Well, another uninspired, unimpressive, underwhelming victory for the good guys. At first glance 23-0 looks pretty good. But against a mediocre-at-best FCS Jacksonville State team... not so good. It seems like a minor miracle that Florida has achieved a 10-1 record while playing up -- and down -- to its level of competition.
Having said that, it astounds me that the Gators have any chance at all to be in the national title game. Sounds crazy, right? Well, the Gators currently sit at #4 in the BCS standings. Coming up this week, #1 Notre Dame goes to USC. Notre Dame SHOULD win this game as USC will be playing with their backup quarterback. There is the chance that Notre Dame will be caught looking ahead to the championship game so I don't think an upset here is totally out of the question. Should that upset take place Florida will move up to #3. #2 Alabama will be playing #3 Georgia in two weeks at the SEC Championship game, so one of them will lose and be gone. That puts Florida at #2. Being #2 is good enough at that point as it gets you into the title game. The best part about that will be all of the pissed off sportswriters and college football fans complaining about Florida, who didn't win their conference or even their division of the conference, getting a title shot. And in this scenario I presented, the title shot would come against either Alabama or as a rematch against Georgia. Either way the SEC would be guaranteed its 7th straight national title which will stick in my craw of those same sportswriters and fans. I giggle at the thought.
The one part of the scenario I have yet to mention is, of course, Florida's upcoming game against #10 Florida State. The game is in Tallahassee and Jeff Driskel is questionable at best. Brissett gives the Gators a better passing attack, but if the offensive line doesn't give him time it will be a long day. Last year I was certain the Seminoles would blow out the Gators. Although the score was 21-7, all 21 of FSU's points came off of turnovers: 1 interception return for touchdown, 1 interception returned to the Florida 20 yard line and 1 interception returned to the Florida 4 yard line. 95 yards of total offense is all that the Gator defense allowed. With a few successful trick plays I think Florida can score 16-17 points and I know that defense will be stout. How stout? Let's say 10-13 points stout. Gators win!
GO GATORS!
Just Joe
Having said that, it astounds me that the Gators have any chance at all to be in the national title game. Sounds crazy, right? Well, the Gators currently sit at #4 in the BCS standings. Coming up this week, #1 Notre Dame goes to USC. Notre Dame SHOULD win this game as USC will be playing with their backup quarterback. There is the chance that Notre Dame will be caught looking ahead to the championship game so I don't think an upset here is totally out of the question. Should that upset take place Florida will move up to #3. #2 Alabama will be playing #3 Georgia in two weeks at the SEC Championship game, so one of them will lose and be gone. That puts Florida at #2. Being #2 is good enough at that point as it gets you into the title game. The best part about that will be all of the pissed off sportswriters and college football fans complaining about Florida, who didn't win their conference or even their division of the conference, getting a title shot. And in this scenario I presented, the title shot would come against either Alabama or as a rematch against Georgia. Either way the SEC would be guaranteed its 7th straight national title which will stick in my craw of those same sportswriters and fans. I giggle at the thought.
The one part of the scenario I have yet to mention is, of course, Florida's upcoming game against #10 Florida State. The game is in Tallahassee and Jeff Driskel is questionable at best. Brissett gives the Gators a better passing attack, but if the offensive line doesn't give him time it will be a long day. Last year I was certain the Seminoles would blow out the Gators. Although the score was 21-7, all 21 of FSU's points came off of turnovers: 1 interception return for touchdown, 1 interception returned to the Florida 20 yard line and 1 interception returned to the Florida 4 yard line. 95 yards of total offense is all that the Gator defense allowed. With a few successful trick plays I think Florida can score 16-17 points and I know that defense will be stout. How stout? Let's say 10-13 points stout. Gators win!
GO GATORS!
Just Joe
Monday, November 12, 2012
Florida Gators 2012 -- Weeks #10 & #11
I was away on vacation last week and didn't get a chance to write about my impressions of the Missouri game. Luckily I can sum up the last two games with just one word, YUCK!
I was hoping to be able to chalk up the lackluster Missouri game to a letdown after the big loss the week before. But then that was followed up with an equally lackluster performance. Of course, in both games that defense was stellar. So I suppose my main criticism is of the offense. Special teams wise, the blocked punt return for a touchdown to win against Louisiana-Lafayette is probably the most unlikely ending to a football game I've ever seen. Unfortunately that was necessary to offset the punt block that the Gators allowed to be returned for a touchdown. I feel like that team was really beginning to pick it up and gain some momentum when that block was allowed.
Since I'm short on time I'll simply say that I'm looking for a much more cohesive offensive unit against Jacksonville State, even with Brissett likely getting the start. I've been pretty disappointed in the play calling and would love to see Florida get back to the power running game instead of the run and shoot style. With all of the injuries on the offensive line, I think it will simplify things and allow the Gators to establish their size dominance. I'm hoping for a score in the vicinity of 31-6.
GO GATORS!
Just Joe
I was hoping to be able to chalk up the lackluster Missouri game to a letdown after the big loss the week before. But then that was followed up with an equally lackluster performance. Of course, in both games that defense was stellar. So I suppose my main criticism is of the offense. Special teams wise, the blocked punt return for a touchdown to win against Louisiana-Lafayette is probably the most unlikely ending to a football game I've ever seen. Unfortunately that was necessary to offset the punt block that the Gators allowed to be returned for a touchdown. I feel like that team was really beginning to pick it up and gain some momentum when that block was allowed.
Since I'm short on time I'll simply say that I'm looking for a much more cohesive offensive unit against Jacksonville State, even with Brissett likely getting the start. I've been pretty disappointed in the play calling and would love to see Florida get back to the power running game instead of the run and shoot style. With all of the injuries on the offensive line, I think it will simplify things and allow the Gators to establish their size dominance. I'm hoping for a score in the vicinity of 31-6.
GO GATORS!
Just Joe
Monday, October 29, 2012
Florida Gators 2012 -- Week # 9
I quote the great Charles Brown when I say, "AAUGH!" I, too, feel like the football was pulled out from under me. But I'll try to keep a positive spin on this.
Let's start with how amazingly the defense played. To be put in a situation where your back is against the wall time after time after time after time after time after time -- was that 6? -- and allow only 17 points is truly amazing. After Florida turnovers, Georgia had starting positions of UF 20, UF 44, UF 25, UF 26 and UGA 20. The turnover missing from that list was the interception at the end of the half. The turnovers that didn't lead to points ended up in awful field position for Florida which made it all the tougher to get into a rhythm.
As for the offense, I would simply repeat that Charlie Brown quote. The Gators seemingly made more mistakes in this game than in the previous seven games combined. In fact, coming into this game Florida had turned the ball over only four times total, so six turnovers in this game really does amount to more mistakes than in the previous games combined. The interception at the end of the half cost the team points as did the final fumble into the end zone with just minutes left. Don't get me wrong, Georgia played a fine game on defense but Jeff Driskel's holding onto the ball too long in the pocket led to one interception while the other came while throwing the ball late, across his body, while rolling out; that's 3 no-nos on one play. On top of that, there were two fumbles on handoffs! Not even forced fumbles, just poor execution.
Special teams were solid. 3/3 on FGs. No spectacular returns but no mistakes really either.
Looking ahead, I don't know much about Missouri except they earned their first SEC win last week at home against Kentucky. I wouldn't expect Missouri to score many points at the Swamp but I WOULD expect the Gators to come out looking much sharper on offense. How about something like 27-10? If the coaches are still angry from this past week, expect a few of the special plays to find their way into the game plan. If not, they may be saved for Florida State. Also, we are huge Ole Miss fans this week and/or Auburn fans the week after. If Florida beats Missouri and showed Georgia lose to one of those two teams, the Gators will be headed to Atlanta for the championship game!
GO GATORS!
Just Joe
Let's start with how amazingly the defense played. To be put in a situation where your back is against the wall time after time after time after time after time after time -- was that 6? -- and allow only 17 points is truly amazing. After Florida turnovers, Georgia had starting positions of UF 20, UF 44, UF 25, UF 26 and UGA 20. The turnover missing from that list was the interception at the end of the half. The turnovers that didn't lead to points ended up in awful field position for Florida which made it all the tougher to get into a rhythm.
As for the offense, I would simply repeat that Charlie Brown quote. The Gators seemingly made more mistakes in this game than in the previous seven games combined. In fact, coming into this game Florida had turned the ball over only four times total, so six turnovers in this game really does amount to more mistakes than in the previous games combined. The interception at the end of the half cost the team points as did the final fumble into the end zone with just minutes left. Don't get me wrong, Georgia played a fine game on defense but Jeff Driskel's holding onto the ball too long in the pocket led to one interception while the other came while throwing the ball late, across his body, while rolling out; that's 3 no-nos on one play. On top of that, there were two fumbles on handoffs! Not even forced fumbles, just poor execution.
Special teams were solid. 3/3 on FGs. No spectacular returns but no mistakes really either.
Looking ahead, I don't know much about Missouri except they earned their first SEC win last week at home against Kentucky. I wouldn't expect Missouri to score many points at the Swamp but I WOULD expect the Gators to come out looking much sharper on offense. How about something like 27-10? If the coaches are still angry from this past week, expect a few of the special plays to find their way into the game plan. If not, they may be saved for Florida State. Also, we are huge Ole Miss fans this week and/or Auburn fans the week after. If Florida beats Missouri and showed Georgia lose to one of those two teams, the Gators will be headed to Atlanta for the championship game!
GO GATORS!
Just Joe
Friday, October 26, 2012
Mac OS 10.8 - Mountain Lion
Okay, so this is more of a test blog than anything.
A couple of weeks ago my mom asked me to update her iPad so that she could update some of her apps. So I plugged her iPad into the ol' Mac and found out that my iTunes needed to be updated in order to update the iPad in order to update her apps. I had trouble updating the iTunes far enough and it turned out I had to update my entire operating system (from Leopard to Snow Leopard, at least) in order to update iTunes in order to update the iPad in order to update the apps. Luckily, I have this awesome friend who was able to lend me her Snow Leopard disc which then allowed me to do all of the updating I had to do.
Unfortunately, the upgrade left one of my more prized applications (MacSpeech Dictate) in the dust. After doing some "search engining" I was able to find a very simple fix -- or some may call it a "hack." I followed these simple instructions and was able to open the program but for some reason my microphone was no longer being recognized by the program. So I did a quick audio recording in QuickTime that was successful so I knew my computer was recognizing the microphone and that the program must have been the problem. I use MacSpeech Dictate quite often so it appeared I was going to have to spring for the $150 newest version of the program.
After some quick research I found out that the newest version of the program needed an even newer operating system than the one I just upgraded to! Monetarily, not a big deal. Just $20. The big deal was another program I was afraid of losing, Final Cut Express. I did more researching and found out that I should be okay to upgrade my operating system even further -- to Mountain Lion. If Final Cut Express didn't work with Mountain Lion, and if I still wanted a good video editing program, I would have to shell out $300 or Final Cut Pro X! Anyway, it seemed like I would be safe for another upgrade and so I upgraded...
It seems like Final Cut Express is working fine. Then on a whim I thought, "What if I try that same fix for MacSpeech Dictate again, this time making the upper limit 10.9?" I gave it a try. It opened up with one difference; this time the microphone was working!! So here I am "typing" a blog with my old MacSpeech Dictate program on my fully updated Mac operating system. I do have one minor complaint, so far, and that is my mouse isn't fully functional. I have a trackball style mouse with four buttons. One of them was my "click and hold" button. Basically, just click the button once and it acted as if it were clicking and holding; quite useful for quadriplegic. Anyway, that button isn't working. I suppose I can live with that for a little while but I smell a mouse update in my near future.
Just Joe
A couple of weeks ago my mom asked me to update her iPad so that she could update some of her apps. So I plugged her iPad into the ol' Mac and found out that my iTunes needed to be updated in order to update the iPad in order to update her apps. I had trouble updating the iTunes far enough and it turned out I had to update my entire operating system (from Leopard to Snow Leopard, at least) in order to update iTunes in order to update the iPad in order to update the apps. Luckily, I have this awesome friend who was able to lend me her Snow Leopard disc which then allowed me to do all of the updating I had to do.
Unfortunately, the upgrade left one of my more prized applications (MacSpeech Dictate) in the dust. After doing some "search engining" I was able to find a very simple fix -- or some may call it a "hack." I followed these simple instructions and was able to open the program but for some reason my microphone was no longer being recognized by the program. So I did a quick audio recording in QuickTime that was successful so I knew my computer was recognizing the microphone and that the program must have been the problem. I use MacSpeech Dictate quite often so it appeared I was going to have to spring for the $150 newest version of the program.
After some quick research I found out that the newest version of the program needed an even newer operating system than the one I just upgraded to! Monetarily, not a big deal. Just $20. The big deal was another program I was afraid of losing, Final Cut Express. I did more researching and found out that I should be okay to upgrade my operating system even further -- to Mountain Lion. If Final Cut Express didn't work with Mountain Lion, and if I still wanted a good video editing program, I would have to shell out $300 or Final Cut Pro X! Anyway, it seemed like I would be safe for another upgrade and so I upgraded...
It seems like Final Cut Express is working fine. Then on a whim I thought, "What if I try that same fix for MacSpeech Dictate again, this time making the upper limit 10.9?" I gave it a try. It opened up with one difference; this time the microphone was working!! So here I am "typing" a blog with my old MacSpeech Dictate program on my fully updated Mac operating system. I do have one minor complaint, so far, and that is my mouse isn't fully functional. I have a trackball style mouse with four buttons. One of them was my "click and hold" button. Basically, just click the button once and it acted as if it were clicking and holding; quite useful for quadriplegic. Anyway, that button isn't working. I suppose I can live with that for a little while but I smell a mouse update in my near future.
Just Joe
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Florida Gators 2012 -- Week # 8
Once again my one word reaction to the game is "Wow!" Who saw a 44-11 beatdown of "The Ol' Ball Coach"'s Gamecocks?! The defense was its typically stout self, the special teams dominated (minus one play) and once the offense turned it on, the rout was on.
Let's begin this week talking about the special teams. Recovering fumbles on a punt at SC's 29 and a kickoff at their 1, set up two short TD drives in the first half. And that was after the defense recovered a fumble on SC's first play from scrimmage at the 2-yard line. Sharif Floyd blocked a FG attempt and Kyle Christy dominated once again from the punter position. It was nice to hear Christy finally get some love from announcers. The one mishap on ST came after the Gators' 4th TD, which came in the 3rd quarter. The PAT was blocked and returned for a 2-point conversion. A small thing in this game.
First half offense was quite hot 'n cold. The Gators racked up 32 yards for their 3 first half TDs. Props for turning those TOs into 7s but all other first half drives netted -5 yards! UF's first 1st down came with about 3:30 left in the 2nd quarter. All-American DE Jadeveon Clowney was wreaking havoc on the O-line. Enter halftime and the various adjustments made by the coaches. Without any turnovers until late in the 4th, the Gators managed 164 total yards and 23 points in the second half! I barely recognized the offense. Play calling was creative -- Boise State-esque -- and Burton took quite a few snaps at wildcat QB. I am guaranteeing that Burton will throw from the wildcat this week vs. Georgia. And what a shame that Omarius Hines' spectacular catch was called back. Here's another angle.
The defense... ahhhh, the defense! Simply dominating. In a move quite familiar to UF fans, Spurrier pulled his starting QB after halftime due to ineffectiveness. Shaw's reliever didn't stand a chance either. Combined, the QBs completed just 17 of 40 attempts. Add 36 rushing yards, 3 of 14 on 3rd down, 4 TOs and you have a recipe for futility. The only downer was SC's first drive that was helped along by TWO 15-yard personal fouls.
This week is "The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party" (3:30 PM, CBS). Florida's longest running rival should give the Gators a good test even though (10) Georgia hasn't had much success against UF since 1990 (UF leads 18-4). UGA has plenty of playmakers and a balanced offense ranked 30th nationally in both rushing yards and passing yards while averaging 39.6 points per game. On defense they rank 50th in points allowed per game (24.1). Having said that, unless the Gators make an inordinate number of big mistakes, I can't see UGA beating UF. Georgia's only loss so far, was a 35-7 beating @ South Carolina. With a win clinching the SEC East for the Gators, look for a score in the vicinity of 30-17 for the good guys.
GO GATORS!
Just Joe
Let's begin this week talking about the special teams. Recovering fumbles on a punt at SC's 29 and a kickoff at their 1, set up two short TD drives in the first half. And that was after the defense recovered a fumble on SC's first play from scrimmage at the 2-yard line. Sharif Floyd blocked a FG attempt and Kyle Christy dominated once again from the punter position. It was nice to hear Christy finally get some love from announcers. The one mishap on ST came after the Gators' 4th TD, which came in the 3rd quarter. The PAT was blocked and returned for a 2-point conversion. A small thing in this game.
First half offense was quite hot 'n cold. The Gators racked up 32 yards for their 3 first half TDs. Props for turning those TOs into 7s but all other first half drives netted -5 yards! UF's first 1st down came with about 3:30 left in the 2nd quarter. All-American DE Jadeveon Clowney was wreaking havoc on the O-line. Enter halftime and the various adjustments made by the coaches. Without any turnovers until late in the 4th, the Gators managed 164 total yards and 23 points in the second half! I barely recognized the offense. Play calling was creative -- Boise State-esque -- and Burton took quite a few snaps at wildcat QB. I am guaranteeing that Burton will throw from the wildcat this week vs. Georgia. And what a shame that Omarius Hines' spectacular catch was called back. Here's another angle.
The defense... ahhhh, the defense! Simply dominating. In a move quite familiar to UF fans, Spurrier pulled his starting QB after halftime due to ineffectiveness. Shaw's reliever didn't stand a chance either. Combined, the QBs completed just 17 of 40 attempts. Add 36 rushing yards, 3 of 14 on 3rd down, 4 TOs and you have a recipe for futility. The only downer was SC's first drive that was helped along by TWO 15-yard personal fouls.
This week is "The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party" (3:30 PM, CBS). Florida's longest running rival should give the Gators a good test even though (10) Georgia hasn't had much success against UF since 1990 (UF leads 18-4). UGA has plenty of playmakers and a balanced offense ranked 30th nationally in both rushing yards and passing yards while averaging 39.6 points per game. On defense they rank 50th in points allowed per game (24.1). Having said that, unless the Gators make an inordinate number of big mistakes, I can't see UGA beating UF. Georgia's only loss so far, was a 35-7 beating @ South Carolina. With a win clinching the SEC East for the Gators, look for a score in the vicinity of 30-17 for the good guys.
GO GATORS!
Just Joe
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Florida Gators 2012 -- Week # 7
Although the final score, 31-17, was close to my prediction, 31-13, the game at Vandy went nothing like I had hoped. I had envisioned a dominating offensive line running the ball often with some effective play action passing leading to a few 10-15 play drives culminating in 2-3 Mike Gillislee rushing TDs. Of course, I hadn't predicted the injuries that were to plague the Gators including playing the game without 3 O-line starters and 2 front 7 starters on the defensive side.
Offense: In the first half, the Gators did manage two long scoring drives (11 plays, 91 yards, TD and 12 plays, 82 yards, FG) but their other four drives in the half went 4 plays, 3 plays, 5 plays and 3 plays with 0 points. The second half offense transformed into a big play style with a 54-yard Solomon Patton run on a fake punt leading to a TD and a 1 play drive that was a 70-yard QB keeper for a TD. (I did not agree with the Fake call but Coach Muschamp has more testicular fortitude than I!) The Gators also settled for two FGs after starting at the Vandy 14 after a fumble recovery and the Vandy 37 after a 62-yard KO return by Andre Debose. Given the injuries and conservative play calling in the 4th quarter, 31 points was... ok.
Defense: In the first half, aside from a second drive TD that was keyed by a flukish looking 37-yard pass (Vandy QB Jordan Rodgers was hit as he threw up a duck that was hauled in), the Gators' defense was getting off the field very well, as evidenced by Vandy's mere 12:31 of possession. Come the second half, Vanderbilt discovered their running game, mixed in some well timed passes and pushed the Gators around for TWO 15 play drives and an 11 play drive. The first 15 play drive ended in a blocked FG. The second ended on downs with over a minute left in the game. And the 11 play drive ended in Vandy's second half touchdown. The Commodores' ended up commanding the ball for a whopping 20:32 in the half!
Special Teams: These guys really shined and may have been the difference in the game! I already mentioned Debose's KO return and the blocked field goal attempt. On top of that, the kicking team converted all attempts; 3 field goals, 1 PAT and even ran a successful PAT play that turned 1 point into 2.
Looking Ahead: #7 South Carolina (and the Ol' Ball Coach) will be coming to town as the teams will be playing what could be the SEC East decider (3:30 PM, CBS). Their star RB, Marcus Lattimore, is gimpy with an injured hip and may not play. On the Florida side, all 5 of the starters who missed the last game will suit up and likely start.
Last year's game against USC was a line of scrimmage battle that USC won, 17-12. USC ran the ball 52 times! That will need to be held in check as LSU was 2 games ago. To complicate matters, the Gamecocks' QB is every bit as mobile as Jeff Driskel. A containment type pass rush and playing disciplined gap control will be essential. If the UF defense can duplicate it's LSU effort, look for a 17-16 victory.
Looking WAY Ahead: Florida's 6th victory matched last year's regular season win total and made them bowl eligible. A win this week will go a very long way in determining what kind of bowl game the Gators will earn.
GO GATORS!
Just Joe
Offense: In the first half, the Gators did manage two long scoring drives (11 plays, 91 yards, TD and 12 plays, 82 yards, FG) but their other four drives in the half went 4 plays, 3 plays, 5 plays and 3 plays with 0 points. The second half offense transformed into a big play style with a 54-yard Solomon Patton run on a fake punt leading to a TD and a 1 play drive that was a 70-yard QB keeper for a TD. (I did not agree with the Fake call but Coach Muschamp has more testicular fortitude than I!) The Gators also settled for two FGs after starting at the Vandy 14 after a fumble recovery and the Vandy 37 after a 62-yard KO return by Andre Debose. Given the injuries and conservative play calling in the 4th quarter, 31 points was... ok.
Defense: In the first half, aside from a second drive TD that was keyed by a flukish looking 37-yard pass (Vandy QB Jordan Rodgers was hit as he threw up a duck that was hauled in), the Gators' defense was getting off the field very well, as evidenced by Vandy's mere 12:31 of possession. Come the second half, Vanderbilt discovered their running game, mixed in some well timed passes and pushed the Gators around for TWO 15 play drives and an 11 play drive. The first 15 play drive ended in a blocked FG. The second ended on downs with over a minute left in the game. And the 11 play drive ended in Vandy's second half touchdown. The Commodores' ended up commanding the ball for a whopping 20:32 in the half!
Special Teams: These guys really shined and may have been the difference in the game! I already mentioned Debose's KO return and the blocked field goal attempt. On top of that, the kicking team converted all attempts; 3 field goals, 1 PAT and even ran a successful PAT play that turned 1 point into 2.
Looking Ahead: #7 South Carolina (and the Ol' Ball Coach) will be coming to town as the teams will be playing what could be the SEC East decider (3:30 PM, CBS). Their star RB, Marcus Lattimore, is gimpy with an injured hip and may not play. On the Florida side, all 5 of the starters who missed the last game will suit up and likely start.
Last year's game against USC was a line of scrimmage battle that USC won, 17-12. USC ran the ball 52 times! That will need to be held in check as LSU was 2 games ago. To complicate matters, the Gamecocks' QB is every bit as mobile as Jeff Driskel. A containment type pass rush and playing disciplined gap control will be essential. If the UF defense can duplicate it's LSU effort, look for a 17-16 victory.
Looking WAY Ahead: Florida's 6th victory matched last year's regular season win total and made them bowl eligible. A win this week will go a very long way in determining what kind of bowl game the Gators will earn.
GO GATORS!
Just Joe
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Florida Gators 2012 -- Week #6
I am astounded at the leap forward the Gators took after the bye week in beating LSU 14-6 in The Swamp. The score may not sound very impressive but after allowing a long opening drive that yielded a field goal, the Gators defense was smothering. The offense struggled early but managed enough points to get the win.
In the first half, QB Jeff Driskel seemed to regress by taking sack after sack even when having plenty of time to, as my cousin texted me, "THROW THE BALL AWAY!!!!!" The Gators did well in possessing the ball in the first half (17:05 to 12:55) but had no points to show for it. LSU's second scoring chance came at the end of the half after Driskel had another chance to throw a ball away but after escaping the pocket, fumbled the ball over to the Tigers at the FL 7 yard line. The Gators defense stood tall and made a huge stop, holding LSU to just 3 points. A TD there would have been a blow to morale; big difference being a TD away from the lead and being 2 scores from a tie. By the way, I think it says alot about how LSU felt about UF's run defense that LSU attempted 2 passes in that series. 4 three-and outs can have that effect. In the past, 2 runs get them in the end zone.
In the second half, the story was the offensive line, RB Mike Gillislee's tough running and... DEFENSE! Let's start with the offense. The Gators attempted only 4 passes in the entire 2nd half. The final attempt came in the second series and set up a 12-yard TD run for Gillislee with over 5 minutes remaing in the 3rd quarter. With a 7-6 lead, Florida ran the ball on the next 25 plays... consecutively... in a row... back-to-back!!! With those 25 rushes spread over three series, it's amazing that LSU had the ball for even 9:50. Early in the 4th Gillislee ended all scoring when he ran for another 12-yard TD to put the Gators up by 8.
Second half defense allowed very short drives that ended in punts except for what was indubitably the play of the game. LSU was trying to answer UF's first score when they completed a beautiful pass play to Odell Beckham good for 56 yards. Enter Gators safety Matt Elam who chased down Beckham and stripped the ball from the receiver as he was making the tackle! The Gators took over inside their own 20 but LSU's last, credible gasp was thwarted. (See the play here, at 1:34.)
A few quick stats:
Total plays LSU 50 UF 70!
Run plays LSU 25 UF 58!!!
3rd downs LSU 1/13 UF 7/14
No recap would be complete without mentioning the outstanding punting performance put on by Kyle Christy. Particularly in the first half when field position was hard to come by, Christy either flipped field position or pinned the Tigers inside their own 10. I'm sure his game will be overlooked by most, but in a defensive battle, punting can be the difference.
I am also compelled to mention the early, dumb penalties that the Gators still seem prone to. (I know, I know, "...penalties to which the Gators still seem prone.")
After a HUGE win like this, my first thought is "it's awesome to be back in the national spotlight." Who doesn't love having their favorite team discussed by the national "talking heads" of TV and radio? You know, aside from coaches. My second thought is, "Don't listen to the hype. Don't let up." And "don't get cocky." OK, that's 3 thoughts but they are simultaneous. At Vandy this week shouldn't pose many problems but even as fans we shouldn't get caught looking ahead 2 weeks to the showdown with (3) South Carolina. I'd like to see the Gators dominate the line of scrimmage again and this time run some play action. Did you here the commentator call for it during the Gators' run fest on LSU? For the record, I called for it, well, hoped for it BEFORE the game last week. I also mentioned three ways to keep from being ball controlled. The Gators were successful in all three. Week #4 But who's counting?
I'm thinking 31-13 this week.
GO GATORS!
Just Joe
In the first half, QB Jeff Driskel seemed to regress by taking sack after sack even when having plenty of time to, as my cousin texted me, "THROW THE BALL AWAY!!!!!" The Gators did well in possessing the ball in the first half (17:05 to 12:55) but had no points to show for it. LSU's second scoring chance came at the end of the half after Driskel had another chance to throw a ball away but after escaping the pocket, fumbled the ball over to the Tigers at the FL 7 yard line. The Gators defense stood tall and made a huge stop, holding LSU to just 3 points. A TD there would have been a blow to morale; big difference being a TD away from the lead and being 2 scores from a tie. By the way, I think it says alot about how LSU felt about UF's run defense that LSU attempted 2 passes in that series. 4 three-and outs can have that effect. In the past, 2 runs get them in the end zone.
In the second half, the story was the offensive line, RB Mike Gillislee's tough running and... DEFENSE! Let's start with the offense. The Gators attempted only 4 passes in the entire 2nd half. The final attempt came in the second series and set up a 12-yard TD run for Gillislee with over 5 minutes remaing in the 3rd quarter. With a 7-6 lead, Florida ran the ball on the next 25 plays... consecutively... in a row... back-to-back!!! With those 25 rushes spread over three series, it's amazing that LSU had the ball for even 9:50. Early in the 4th Gillislee ended all scoring when he ran for another 12-yard TD to put the Gators up by 8.
Second half defense allowed very short drives that ended in punts except for what was indubitably the play of the game. LSU was trying to answer UF's first score when they completed a beautiful pass play to Odell Beckham good for 56 yards. Enter Gators safety Matt Elam who chased down Beckham and stripped the ball from the receiver as he was making the tackle! The Gators took over inside their own 20 but LSU's last, credible gasp was thwarted. (See the play here, at 1:34.)
A few quick stats:
Total plays LSU 50 UF 70!
Run plays LSU 25 UF 58!!!
3rd downs LSU 1/13 UF 7/14
No recap would be complete without mentioning the outstanding punting performance put on by Kyle Christy. Particularly in the first half when field position was hard to come by, Christy either flipped field position or pinned the Tigers inside their own 10. I'm sure his game will be overlooked by most, but in a defensive battle, punting can be the difference.
I am also compelled to mention the early, dumb penalties that the Gators still seem prone to. (I know, I know, "...penalties to which the Gators still seem prone.")
After a HUGE win like this, my first thought is "it's awesome to be back in the national spotlight." Who doesn't love having their favorite team discussed by the national "talking heads" of TV and radio? You know, aside from coaches. My second thought is, "Don't listen to the hype. Don't let up." And "don't get cocky." OK, that's 3 thoughts but they are simultaneous. At Vandy this week shouldn't pose many problems but even as fans we shouldn't get caught looking ahead 2 weeks to the showdown with (3) South Carolina. I'd like to see the Gators dominate the line of scrimmage again and this time run some play action. Did you here the commentator call for it during the Gators' run fest on LSU? For the record, I called for it, well, hoped for it BEFORE the game last week. I also mentioned three ways to keep from being ball controlled. The Gators were successful in all three. Week #4 But who's counting?
I'm thinking 31-13 this week.
GO GATORS!
Just Joe
Friday, October 5, 2012
Florida Gators 2012 -- Week #4
Ok, I realize I'm way late on this one but the good news is that means I don't remember any details.
It is VERY difficult to complain about a 38-0 shutout of an SEC East team so I'll only point out that it was another slow start, just 3-0 after the 1st quarter. Recovering from a slow start against better and better teams will be increasingly difficult. I was happy to see Gillislee split time with the other RBs so he could rest his groin injury a bit. I was also glad to see a stout defense against Kentucky's terrible backup QB (3 more INTs). I might have liked to see Brissett a bit more but that's just me.
Tomorrow's game vs. (4)LSU (3:30 pm, CBS) should be a doozy! It's going to come down to the DL and whether or not it can hold up to LSU's rushing attack. In last year's 41-11 drubbing, LSU rushed 49 times and averaged 4.9 yards/rush! LSU will want to run the ball 50 times again but that can't be allowed to happen if the Gators stand a chance. How does one limit an opponent's rushing attempts? The best way is to keep the ball on offense (keeping the opp. offense off the field) and to score 7s instead of 3s (putting the opp. in a defecit where needing points quickly is a must). Another way to limit rushes is simply not allow yardage on those plays. Easy, right? :-)
So with some luck, the Gators will run the ball enough to make play action effective, then convert every 3rd down chance. Full disclosure, I never pick against the Gators so if they ARE to win, I see a score like, 17-16.
Just Joe
It is VERY difficult to complain about a 38-0 shutout of an SEC East team so I'll only point out that it was another slow start, just 3-0 after the 1st quarter. Recovering from a slow start against better and better teams will be increasingly difficult. I was happy to see Gillislee split time with the other RBs so he could rest his groin injury a bit. I was also glad to see a stout defense against Kentucky's terrible backup QB (3 more INTs). I might have liked to see Brissett a bit more but that's just me.
Tomorrow's game vs. (4)LSU (3:30 pm, CBS) should be a doozy! It's going to come down to the DL and whether or not it can hold up to LSU's rushing attack. In last year's 41-11 drubbing, LSU rushed 49 times and averaged 4.9 yards/rush! LSU will want to run the ball 50 times again but that can't be allowed to happen if the Gators stand a chance. How does one limit an opponent's rushing attempts? The best way is to keep the ball on offense (keeping the opp. offense off the field) and to score 7s instead of 3s (putting the opp. in a defecit where needing points quickly is a must). Another way to limit rushes is simply not allow yardage on those plays. Easy, right? :-)
So with some luck, the Gators will run the ball enough to make play action effective, then convert every 3rd down chance. Full disclosure, I never pick against the Gators so if they ARE to win, I see a score like, 17-16.
Just Joe
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Florida Gators 2012 -- Week #3
Once again, a tale of 2 halves ended well for the Gators. Make that "ended very well" for the Gators.
The first half was, again, the worse of the halves. The defense came out committing way too many penalties, allowing way too many yards and probably giving up too many points (although this was a very capable offense they were facing)! On offense, 10 points should have been 14 and the only touchdown came on a short field after an interception.
After getting down 20-13 midway through the third quarter, I feel like Will Muschamp became a little desperate in unnecessarily and unsuccessfully faking a punt. From that point on however, it was great to see big plays return to the offense! The one play, 80 yard drive/run by Burton surprised me. I didn't think Burton had that kind of speed. Then there were two other 3 play drives that led to touchdowns in the second half. One was concluded by a 75 yard catch and run by Frankie Hammond Jr. and the other by a perfectly placed, 23 yard pass to Jordan Reed. The impressive part of the latter play was the throw by Jeff Driskel which was released very early due to heavy pressure... and a crunching hit.
Jeff Driskel showed amazing improvement during this game. I think he may have grown up before our very eyes; anticipating throws, staying in the pocket as long as possible and taking off when needed can all fall under the category of much improved decision-making. Factor in that this was the second of back-to-back road starts in the SEC, at the third largest stadium in the country (102,000+) and it's hard not to be thoroughly impressed with the quarterback's performance.
The Gators held the ball six minutes longer than the Volunteers which is quite impressive when considering those lightning quick scoring drives. Of course, I shudder to think how the game might have ended without those same quick scoring drives.
Did I mention that the defense continued its pattern of essentially shutting down opponents in the second half? Tennessee only mustered 6 points (missed PAT) which came on the first drive. I can't help but wonder why the defense doesn't come out playing so dominantly? It's probably one or more of 3 things: 1. Quality depth allows coaches to rotate players throughout the first half, keeping star players fresh for later on, 2. Strength and conditioning which is another route to having energy filled players in the second half and 3. Coaching adjustments during halftime. Number one is easy to see during the game. Number three can be seen if you're football IQ is way higher than mine. Number two might be wishful thinking but it does make me wonder.
Next week should be interesting. Hosting the 1-2 Kentucky Wildcats (SECNetwork, 12:00 PM) doesn't seem to be a threatening game, especially considering that 25 game win streak Florida currently holds over Kentucky. I do have a feeling that if Florida can get out to an early lead while the defense holds Kentucky down that the coaches may work on a few things to get ready for the next game which is against #2 LSU. For that reason I don't see the score getting out of hand. Maybe something like 30-10. Let's just hope the coaches and players aren't looking past Kentucky the way I am!
Just Joe
The first half was, again, the worse of the halves. The defense came out committing way too many penalties, allowing way too many yards and probably giving up too many points (although this was a very capable offense they were facing)! On offense, 10 points should have been 14 and the only touchdown came on a short field after an interception.
After getting down 20-13 midway through the third quarter, I feel like Will Muschamp became a little desperate in unnecessarily and unsuccessfully faking a punt. From that point on however, it was great to see big plays return to the offense! The one play, 80 yard drive/run by Burton surprised me. I didn't think Burton had that kind of speed. Then there were two other 3 play drives that led to touchdowns in the second half. One was concluded by a 75 yard catch and run by Frankie Hammond Jr. and the other by a perfectly placed, 23 yard pass to Jordan Reed. The impressive part of the latter play was the throw by Jeff Driskel which was released very early due to heavy pressure... and a crunching hit.
Jeff Driskel showed amazing improvement during this game. I think he may have grown up before our very eyes; anticipating throws, staying in the pocket as long as possible and taking off when needed can all fall under the category of much improved decision-making. Factor in that this was the second of back-to-back road starts in the SEC, at the third largest stadium in the country (102,000+) and it's hard not to be thoroughly impressed with the quarterback's performance.
The Gators held the ball six minutes longer than the Volunteers which is quite impressive when considering those lightning quick scoring drives. Of course, I shudder to think how the game might have ended without those same quick scoring drives.
Did I mention that the defense continued its pattern of essentially shutting down opponents in the second half? Tennessee only mustered 6 points (missed PAT) which came on the first drive. I can't help but wonder why the defense doesn't come out playing so dominantly? It's probably one or more of 3 things: 1. Quality depth allows coaches to rotate players throughout the first half, keeping star players fresh for later on, 2. Strength and conditioning which is another route to having energy filled players in the second half and 3. Coaching adjustments during halftime. Number one is easy to see during the game. Number three can be seen if you're football IQ is way higher than mine. Number two might be wishful thinking but it does make me wonder.
Next week should be interesting. Hosting the 1-2 Kentucky Wildcats (SECNetwork, 12:00 PM) doesn't seem to be a threatening game, especially considering that 25 game win streak Florida currently holds over Kentucky. I do have a feeling that if Florida can get out to an early lead while the defense holds Kentucky down that the coaches may work on a few things to get ready for the next game which is against #2 LSU. For that reason I don't see the score getting out of hand. Maybe something like 30-10. Let's just hope the coaches and players aren't looking past Kentucky the way I am!
Just Joe
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Florida Gators 2012 -- Week #2
This will be relatively short since it is Wednesday and my memory can barely be relied on as I'm already looking forward to the next road test @Tennessee (6:00 PM ESPN).
I feel that the offense actually looked a little better in scoring fewer points this week. The offensive line was a little more consistent on run plays which allowed for a few dominating, time-consuming drives. Initially Texas A&M came out on fire, ready to prove they belong in the SEC. The Aggies' first drive (which would have been a 3-and-out but for a personal foul penalty) went 14 plays over 4:26 and 66 yards for a field goal. The Gators, led by the offensive line, answered with a 13 play, 6:43 drive that covered 75 yards and led to a touchdown! Nine of those plays were rushes. I believe that is the kind of powerful football Coach Muschamp is looking for on offense.
The problem then became the defense. Texas A&M's answer to the Gators answer was a 13 play, 5:12 drive that went 81 yards for a touchdown! The defense was simply picked apart by a very athletic redshirt freshman quarterback, Johnny Manziel. That guy is going to cause some serious problems for some teams. Especially ones who are too aggressive in their pass rush (see First Half versus the Gators). After a quick 5 play drive for the Gators, which saw 3 sacks, they punted back to Texas A&M who, in turn, shredded the defense for 10 plays in just 3:31 for 79 yards and another touchdown. 17-7 and not looking very good.
At this point, points of some kind were essential for the Gators. The team did respond with a 9 play drive for just over five minutes, 37 yards and a field goal. After three drives for each team, the score was 17-10, Texas A&M, I with just 1:49 left in the half. Again, the freshman quarterback was impressive with a 9 play drive that luckily ended with time expiring for the half. There was a key sack in the series by backup linebacker Michael Taylor that pushed Texas A&M back to the Gators' 41 yard line.
Halftime was essential for making defensive adjustments to contain Johnny Manziel. It also felt essential that Florida put some points on the board with their first drive since it felt like a shoot out was coming and they were lucky to be down only one score.
Florida came out and did get 3 points after yet another 10 play drive. After that, the story really became the defense. Texas A&M had 6 drives in the second half. 4 of the first 5 were 3 plays and out for a grand total of 21 yards. The other drive went 4 plays for 6 yards. A&M's final drive went 7 plays but only 22 yards. That's right, 49 yards of second-half offense! Florida's offense wasn't much better after that opening drive field goal, but they were able to put together a quick 4 play drive that took 1:14 and covered 62 yards for a touchdown. That drive was highlighted by a 39 yard pass to Omarius Hines that took the ball from the Gators own 43 yard line deep into Aggies' territory at the 18. That touchdown put the Gators on top, 20-17, with 14:19 left in the game and as I mentioned, the defense made that lead stick.
This was definitely a battle worthy of a conference matchup. Texas A&M took their best shot in the first half which, in some years past might have broken a Gators team. But I do believe some of the toughness that the head coach is trying to instill is actually sticking.
This week might be an even tougher matchup on the road against a would-be rival (if Tennessee had won more games in the past two decades or so), Tennessee. They're young quarterback, Tyler Bray, is the real deal. The defense will have to be both, strong against the run and strong -- possibly stronger -- against the pass. I think Tennessee will score into the 20s which means I'd like to see the Gators get into the 30s. Something like 31-23 ought to suffice. I know, I know... "what makes you think the Gators can score 31 points?" I feel like the coaching staff will expect to NEED more points this week so they may open up a little more aggressively on offense with some play action passing. Fingers crossed!
Just Joe
I feel that the offense actually looked a little better in scoring fewer points this week. The offensive line was a little more consistent on run plays which allowed for a few dominating, time-consuming drives. Initially Texas A&M came out on fire, ready to prove they belong in the SEC. The Aggies' first drive (which would have been a 3-and-out but for a personal foul penalty) went 14 plays over 4:26 and 66 yards for a field goal. The Gators, led by the offensive line, answered with a 13 play, 6:43 drive that covered 75 yards and led to a touchdown! Nine of those plays were rushes. I believe that is the kind of powerful football Coach Muschamp is looking for on offense.
The problem then became the defense. Texas A&M's answer to the Gators answer was a 13 play, 5:12 drive that went 81 yards for a touchdown! The defense was simply picked apart by a very athletic redshirt freshman quarterback, Johnny Manziel. That guy is going to cause some serious problems for some teams. Especially ones who are too aggressive in their pass rush (see First Half versus the Gators). After a quick 5 play drive for the Gators, which saw 3 sacks, they punted back to Texas A&M who, in turn, shredded the defense for 10 plays in just 3:31 for 79 yards and another touchdown. 17-7 and not looking very good.
At this point, points of some kind were essential for the Gators. The team did respond with a 9 play drive for just over five minutes, 37 yards and a field goal. After three drives for each team, the score was 17-10, Texas A&M, I with just 1:49 left in the half. Again, the freshman quarterback was impressive with a 9 play drive that luckily ended with time expiring for the half. There was a key sack in the series by backup linebacker Michael Taylor that pushed Texas A&M back to the Gators' 41 yard line.
Halftime was essential for making defensive adjustments to contain Johnny Manziel. It also felt essential that Florida put some points on the board with their first drive since it felt like a shoot out was coming and they were lucky to be down only one score.
Florida came out and did get 3 points after yet another 10 play drive. After that, the story really became the defense. Texas A&M had 6 drives in the second half. 4 of the first 5 were 3 plays and out for a grand total of 21 yards. The other drive went 4 plays for 6 yards. A&M's final drive went 7 plays but only 22 yards. That's right, 49 yards of second-half offense! Florida's offense wasn't much better after that opening drive field goal, but they were able to put together a quick 4 play drive that took 1:14 and covered 62 yards for a touchdown. That drive was highlighted by a 39 yard pass to Omarius Hines that took the ball from the Gators own 43 yard line deep into Aggies' territory at the 18. That touchdown put the Gators on top, 20-17, with 14:19 left in the game and as I mentioned, the defense made that lead stick.
This was definitely a battle worthy of a conference matchup. Texas A&M took their best shot in the first half which, in some years past might have broken a Gators team. But I do believe some of the toughness that the head coach is trying to instill is actually sticking.
This week might be an even tougher matchup on the road against a would-be rival (if Tennessee had won more games in the past two decades or so), Tennessee. They're young quarterback, Tyler Bray, is the real deal. The defense will have to be both, strong against the run and strong -- possibly stronger -- against the pass. I think Tennessee will score into the 20s which means I'd like to see the Gators get into the 30s. Something like 31-23 ought to suffice. I know, I know... "what makes you think the Gators can score 31 points?" I feel like the coaching staff will expect to NEED more points this week so they may open up a little more aggressively on offense with some play action passing. Fingers crossed!
Just Joe
Sunday, September 2, 2012
Florida Gators 2012 -- Week #1
So obviously I was trying to be optimistic when I predicted 9 wins. But it was ugly yesterday. Had Bowling Green not flat out missed 2 short field goals, you're looking at a seven-point game. The hardest part to determine is how much of this was Muschamp trying to keep schemes up his sleeve and how much of this was total crap.
Other than the second offensive series which went 13 plays (11 of which were running plays) and covered 85 yards in over six minutes, the offensive line run blocked inconsistently. To be a little fair, they saw plenty of 8 and even 9 guys in the box playing run defense. Which begs the question, where were the play action passes? Were the Gators holding that back to spring on Texas A&M next week? Were the Gators running the ball against nine guys to instill toughness? Or was it simple bone headedness? I'd like to think they were holding back but in a game that close nothing can be held back.
27 points isn't much against an overmatched Bowling Green State University but it did fall into the 24-27 point range I said the Gators would need to average throughout the year to pile up wins. Will that same offense be able to put up those points against conference teams? Not if they play the same way. Aside from extra pre-snap motion, the play calling seemed identical to last year; plenty of running plays and passes to the outside of 5 yards or less. Are you telling me that with 9 guys playing up that Jordan Reed couldn't get open deep over the middle? Sheesh. And where was Trey Burton? Mr. Do Everything who has played quarterback, running back, tight end, h-back, fullback -- am I missing any? -- had the ball in his hands twice? Sheesh.
The defense I could plainly see was keeping things simple. I didn't notice a single crazy blitz or coverage. There were about 4 drives during the game when they were picked apart. The most concerning part to me were the times that the defense was gashed in the running game. It can happen from time to time in a game, but it was a little too common during those drives. On the bright side, the defense had several 3 and outs (or is it 3s and out?). There was a stretch in the second quarter where the cornerbacks really tightened up coverage and broke up several passes. They were also exposed at times on slant passes so I would expect to see plenty of those run against the Gators this year.
2 play calls in particular that bugged me. The pooch punt by Driskel was unnecessary and turned out to be terribly executed and on the last drive, 1st & 10, naked bootleg by Driskel. That bootleg could have been used at any other time in the game and it would've been a great call. But after simply pounding the rock all game, why show the bootleg when the game is over? I'd rather have used it when the game was in doubt or not at all. Probably nitpicking but that's what people who have never played usually do.
Here's to hoping that next week is much improved! It'll be the Gators first taste of College Station. What's worse is that Texas A&M's first game was postponed so there isn't any film to watch. Not a huge deal except their new offensive coordinator is in his first year coming over from the prolific Houston passing offense. It would be nice to see a few of their reps. Of course, the flip side is that they haven't run any game reps and may not be sharp. Welcoming the Aggies to the SEC by winning 27-14 will look much more impressive and probably leave Gator Nation a little more comfortable.
Just Joe
*********************EDIT*****************************
I should have mentioned that even with the offensive line's struggles, Mike Gillislee was outstanding, carrying the ball a career-high 24 times for a career-high 148 yards and 2 touchdowns!
I also should have mentioned the poor tackling on defense. In fact cornerback Loucheiz Purifoy's best tackle was on punt returner Andre Debose... that is Gators punt returner, Andre Debose!
Other than the second offensive series which went 13 plays (11 of which were running plays) and covered 85 yards in over six minutes, the offensive line run blocked inconsistently. To be a little fair, they saw plenty of 8 and even 9 guys in the box playing run defense. Which begs the question, where were the play action passes? Were the Gators holding that back to spring on Texas A&M next week? Were the Gators running the ball against nine guys to instill toughness? Or was it simple bone headedness? I'd like to think they were holding back but in a game that close nothing can be held back.
27 points isn't much against an overmatched Bowling Green State University but it did fall into the 24-27 point range I said the Gators would need to average throughout the year to pile up wins. Will that same offense be able to put up those points against conference teams? Not if they play the same way. Aside from extra pre-snap motion, the play calling seemed identical to last year; plenty of running plays and passes to the outside of 5 yards or less. Are you telling me that with 9 guys playing up that Jordan Reed couldn't get open deep over the middle? Sheesh. And where was Trey Burton? Mr. Do Everything who has played quarterback, running back, tight end, h-back, fullback -- am I missing any? -- had the ball in his hands twice? Sheesh.
The defense I could plainly see was keeping things simple. I didn't notice a single crazy blitz or coverage. There were about 4 drives during the game when they were picked apart. The most concerning part to me were the times that the defense was gashed in the running game. It can happen from time to time in a game, but it was a little too common during those drives. On the bright side, the defense had several 3 and outs (or is it 3s and out?). There was a stretch in the second quarter where the cornerbacks really tightened up coverage and broke up several passes. They were also exposed at times on slant passes so I would expect to see plenty of those run against the Gators this year.
2 play calls in particular that bugged me. The pooch punt by Driskel was unnecessary and turned out to be terribly executed and on the last drive, 1st & 10, naked bootleg by Driskel. That bootleg could have been used at any other time in the game and it would've been a great call. But after simply pounding the rock all game, why show the bootleg when the game is over? I'd rather have used it when the game was in doubt or not at all. Probably nitpicking but that's what people who have never played usually do.
Here's to hoping that next week is much improved! It'll be the Gators first taste of College Station. What's worse is that Texas A&M's first game was postponed so there isn't any film to watch. Not a huge deal except their new offensive coordinator is in his first year coming over from the prolific Houston passing offense. It would be nice to see a few of their reps. Of course, the flip side is that they haven't run any game reps and may not be sharp. Welcoming the Aggies to the SEC by winning 27-14 will look much more impressive and probably leave Gator Nation a little more comfortable.
Just Joe
*********************EDIT*****************************
I should have mentioned that even with the offensive line's struggles, Mike Gillislee was outstanding, carrying the ball a career-high 24 times for a career-high 148 yards and 2 touchdowns!
I also should have mentioned the poor tackling on defense. In fact cornerback Loucheiz Purifoy's best tackle was on punt returner Andre Debose... that is Gators punt returner, Andre Debose!
Friday, August 31, 2012
2012 Florida Gators Outlook
Okay, here is the speedy version...
OFFENSE
Quarterbacks -- 2 sophomores with starts last year are battling it out to start this year. One is said to be a slightly better passer and the other is more athletic. The battle still isn't settled and both guys will see meaningful snaps in the opener. I think the saying goes "if you have two quarterbacks, you don't have one." If either guy can give a consistently average performance, that should be good enough to win some games. See DEFENSE.
Running Backs -- For the first time in four years, the Gators will not have someone named Demps or Rainey at running back. Mike Gillislee is the starter and should be solid. He has shown some big play ability although it was mostly in mop up duty. If he quits putting the ball on the ground, the Gators should be okay here. Depth may be an issue.
Wide Receivers -- Yikes! Normally a kid coming in as an early entry in January and winning a starting spot by the end of spring practice says a lot about that incoming freshmen. Unfortunately it also says a lot about the rest of the receiving corps. Just yikes!
Offensive Line -- If you're going to have a strength on offense, it might as well be the offensive line. A good offense of line will make all of the other positions look better on offense. There have been a lot of injuries on the line but there is good depth and a lot of experience so here's hoping.
DEFENSE
Secondary -- Very deep with young talent. I think you'll see quite a few more plays made this year after having a full year in Muschamp's scheme.
Linebackers -- Have some injuries here. But with some experienced guys holding down positions, they should look pretty good. I think you will see them be more aggressive and instinctual and less calculated and thoughtful... which is a good thing. Hopefully the aggression will lead to more turnovers, especially if Jenkins can hold on to a few more of those 6 interceptions he dropped last year.
Defensive Line -- This is where our boys need to play like men. 3-4 defenses are predicated on having beasts in the front to keep offensive linemen off of the linebackers on running plays while getting pressure on the quarterback on passing plays (which aids the secondary greatly). Similar to offense, if you're going to have a strength on defense, it might as well be along the line.
Overall -- The defense was nearly great last year. With this being the head coach's specialty, and having a full year under the belt, I expect the defense to be outstanding! They should keep the Gators in every game. That's why I think an average offense, just scoring 24-27 points per game, could lead to 9+ wins. The points would have to be scored at the right time in the right games, but I think 9 wins is realistic. Unfortunately, with a new offensive coordinator bringing in a lot of new shifts and motion to the offense, I expect some inconsistency.
Just Joe
OFFENSE
Quarterbacks -- 2 sophomores with starts last year are battling it out to start this year. One is said to be a slightly better passer and the other is more athletic. The battle still isn't settled and both guys will see meaningful snaps in the opener. I think the saying goes "if you have two quarterbacks, you don't have one." If either guy can give a consistently average performance, that should be good enough to win some games. See DEFENSE.
Running Backs -- For the first time in four years, the Gators will not have someone named Demps or Rainey at running back. Mike Gillislee is the starter and should be solid. He has shown some big play ability although it was mostly in mop up duty. If he quits putting the ball on the ground, the Gators should be okay here. Depth may be an issue.
Wide Receivers -- Yikes! Normally a kid coming in as an early entry in January and winning a starting spot by the end of spring practice says a lot about that incoming freshmen. Unfortunately it also says a lot about the rest of the receiving corps. Just yikes!
Offensive Line -- If you're going to have a strength on offense, it might as well be the offensive line. A good offense of line will make all of the other positions look better on offense. There have been a lot of injuries on the line but there is good depth and a lot of experience so here's hoping.
DEFENSE
Secondary -- Very deep with young talent. I think you'll see quite a few more plays made this year after having a full year in Muschamp's scheme.
Linebackers -- Have some injuries here. But with some experienced guys holding down positions, they should look pretty good. I think you will see them be more aggressive and instinctual and less calculated and thoughtful... which is a good thing. Hopefully the aggression will lead to more turnovers, especially if Jenkins can hold on to a few more of those 6 interceptions he dropped last year.
Defensive Line -- This is where our boys need to play like men. 3-4 defenses are predicated on having beasts in the front to keep offensive linemen off of the linebackers on running plays while getting pressure on the quarterback on passing plays (which aids the secondary greatly). Similar to offense, if you're going to have a strength on defense, it might as well be along the line.
Overall -- The defense was nearly great last year. With this being the head coach's specialty, and having a full year under the belt, I expect the defense to be outstanding! They should keep the Gators in every game. That's why I think an average offense, just scoring 24-27 points per game, could lead to 9+ wins. The points would have to be scored at the right time in the right games, but I think 9 wins is realistic. Unfortunately, with a new offensive coordinator bringing in a lot of new shifts and motion to the offense, I expect some inconsistency.
Just Joe
Friday, June 29, 2012
Monday, June 25, 2012
UEFA EURO 2012
Back on June 8, the countries of Europe began competing for the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Championship. That's "soccer" to us ignorant Americans. Just yesterday Italy beat England in penalty kicks to advance on to the semi final match against Germany, which is being played in Poland.
Soooo... Italy and Germany are meeting up... in Poland! I wonder if the Pols are as nervous as I am for them?
Just Joe
Soooo... Italy and Germany are meeting up... in Poland! I wonder if the Pols are as nervous as I am for them?
Just Joe
Monday, June 18, 2012
Evolution (of Skin Color)
Human beings are so remarkable that it's difficult to put into words. I could go 1000 different ways with a statement like that, but this time I'm referring to the complexity of our physiology and how it came about.
Dr. Nina Jablonski is an anthropologist who teaches at Penn State University. She wanted to delve into the evolution of skin color. The prevailing convention at the time she started was that dark skin occurred in areas with lots of sun exposure in order to prevent skin cancer. Although the cause of dark skin seemed right, the reasoning didn't. Skin cancer is normally found in people who are beyond ideal reproduction ages, so in a sense, the body isn't even aware of skin cancer before it passes its DNA onto the next generation. Since evolution occurs through the passing down of helpful gene traits, whichever traits seem beneficial up until reproduction are passed along while traits that develop after reproduction aren't really taken into consideration for passing along. (Example: Let's say longer limbs are beneficial to the aged but a hindrance to the young. Because the young'ns are the ones reproducing, limbs will be shorter. Over simplified, yes. But you get the point.)
Dr. Jablonski dug a little deeper and found that there are 2 types of radiation in sunlight, UVA and UVB. Turns out that UVA radiation is what causes melanomas. But Dr. Jablonski figured it had to effect something up to or during the time of pregnancy otherwise cancer-causing UVA exposure would not affect reproduction. Further tests and evaluations proved her correct as UVA penetrates through skin and destroys folates in the bloodstream. The big deal here is that folates are key in maintaining healthy reproductive cells. Therefore, too much UVA exposure before reproducing could mean reproducing either won't happen or could happen with birth defects. So how did the human body adapt to ensure future generations? Yep, by darkening the skin and filtering out more of the sun's light.
Not fascinating enough? Well, the story continues. If keeping out as much UVA as possible is good, why doesn't everyone just have dark skin? The answer turns out to be UVB!
UVB radiation is actually a good thing (in moderation) because, get this, it reacts with a cholesterol in human skin to create vitamin D! And vitamin D is important because it aids in the absorption of calcium into bones and such. Apparently back in 1900s England there was an epidemic of rickets which was eventually determined to be a result of vitamin D deficiencies and led to laws being created mandating that bread be fortified with vitamin D. Back to the story now, as darker skinned humans began migrating to northerly climates with less sun exposure, too much of the UVB radiation was kept out of the bloodstream (likely leading to skeletal problems) so the human body adapted once again by lightening skin color.
There you have it, an incomplete, tip of the iceberg, generalization on the evolution of skin color.
Just Joe
Dr. Nina Jablonski is an anthropologist who teaches at Penn State University. She wanted to delve into the evolution of skin color. The prevailing convention at the time she started was that dark skin occurred in areas with lots of sun exposure in order to prevent skin cancer. Although the cause of dark skin seemed right, the reasoning didn't. Skin cancer is normally found in people who are beyond ideal reproduction ages, so in a sense, the body isn't even aware of skin cancer before it passes its DNA onto the next generation. Since evolution occurs through the passing down of helpful gene traits, whichever traits seem beneficial up until reproduction are passed along while traits that develop after reproduction aren't really taken into consideration for passing along. (Example: Let's say longer limbs are beneficial to the aged but a hindrance to the young. Because the young'ns are the ones reproducing, limbs will be shorter. Over simplified, yes. But you get the point.)
Dr. Jablonski dug a little deeper and found that there are 2 types of radiation in sunlight, UVA and UVB. Turns out that UVA radiation is what causes melanomas. But Dr. Jablonski figured it had to effect something up to or during the time of pregnancy otherwise cancer-causing UVA exposure would not affect reproduction. Further tests and evaluations proved her correct as UVA penetrates through skin and destroys folates in the bloodstream. The big deal here is that folates are key in maintaining healthy reproductive cells. Therefore, too much UVA exposure before reproducing could mean reproducing either won't happen or could happen with birth defects. So how did the human body adapt to ensure future generations? Yep, by darkening the skin and filtering out more of the sun's light.
Not fascinating enough? Well, the story continues. If keeping out as much UVA as possible is good, why doesn't everyone just have dark skin? The answer turns out to be UVB!
UVB radiation is actually a good thing (in moderation) because, get this, it reacts with a cholesterol in human skin to create vitamin D! And vitamin D is important because it aids in the absorption of calcium into bones and such. Apparently back in 1900s England there was an epidemic of rickets which was eventually determined to be a result of vitamin D deficiencies and led to laws being created mandating that bread be fortified with vitamin D. Back to the story now, as darker skinned humans began migrating to northerly climates with less sun exposure, too much of the UVB radiation was kept out of the bloodstream (likely leading to skeletal problems) so the human body adapted once again by lightening skin color.
There you have it, an incomplete, tip of the iceberg, generalization on the evolution of skin color.
Just Joe
Thursday, May 10, 2012
JFK
It's quote time again! Another one of my favorite quotes comes from JFK's inaugural address: "Ask not..."
I think I was drawn to it because, having heard replays as a kid, it made me consider the greater good and being part of something that was bigger than myself. Basically I fell for the patriotic brainwashing that was so prevalent from World War II through the 80s. You know, all of the "Us vs. Them" stuff. Come to think of it, it still goes on plenty but I suppose as an adult one tends to see through it a bit more easily. Anyway, I still dig the quote for the same reasons but the greater good in my mind now goes way beyond the United States.
The other night I was watching a show called "10 Things You Don't Know About." As you might gather from the title, each episode contains 10 "facts" about a person/topic that aren't well known. This particular episode was about JFK. The first fact they mentioned was that JFK was a slacker type in school. He attended the prestigious Choate Boarding School in Connecticut during the mid-1930s, where headmaster George St. John once delivered a speech to JFK and his fellow students saying, "The youth who loves his alma mater will always ask not 'What can she do for me', but 'What can I do for her?'" As the host of the show said, "I guess JFK was paying attention."
I had to shake my head and chuckle. It reminded me very much of my "Be like Water" blog where I found out that Bruce Lee wasn't the first to utter the particular saying I hold so dear. Then I came to the conclusion that everything that's going to be said has probably already been said, it's just a matter of finding it. I guess that's why people read so many books. :-P
Just Joe
I think I was drawn to it because, having heard replays as a kid, it made me consider the greater good and being part of something that was bigger than myself. Basically I fell for the patriotic brainwashing that was so prevalent from World War II through the 80s. You know, all of the "Us vs. Them" stuff. Come to think of it, it still goes on plenty but I suppose as an adult one tends to see through it a bit more easily. Anyway, I still dig the quote for the same reasons but the greater good in my mind now goes way beyond the United States.
*****************************************************
I had to shake my head and chuckle. It reminded me very much of my "Be like Water" blog where I found out that Bruce Lee wasn't the first to utter the particular saying I hold so dear. Then I came to the conclusion that everything that's going to be said has probably already been said, it's just a matter of finding it. I guess that's why people read so many books. :-P
Just Joe
Friday, May 4, 2012
Martian Sunset
Well, I don't really have much to say but I came across this picture the other day. It was taken by a Mars rover and it's a picture of a sunset from Mars.
I suppose the first thing I noticed is how tiny the sun is -- well, looks. Sometimes you tend to forget the types of distances were dealing with when we talk about the planets. Sure, everyone knows that Earth is 93,000,000 miles away from the sun (on average). But Mars averages another 47,000,000 miles away from the sun making it look much, much smaller.
The next thing I noticed is the color. Sunsets on Mars tend to have a bluish hue due to the atmosphere. It almost makes me feel the frigidity.
I hope the picture sparks your imagination and wonderment as it does for me.
Just Joe
Monday, April 16, 2012
Hippie Me
I saw the most beautiful "lecture" I've ever seen! It's given by a psychiatrist named Jill Bolte Taylor at TED. She recounts her experiences and thoughts she had during a stroke. My machismo doesn't want me to tell you this, but I was nearly moved to tears. It's an 18:42 clip but you can probably start at 4:00 if you need to save a few minutes.
(Sorry, Google won't let me embed non-YouTube videos.)
Jill Bolte Taylor
Just Joe
(Sorry, Google won't let me embed non-YouTube videos.)
Jill Bolte Taylor
Just Joe
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Palindromes
Language has never been one of my favorite subjects but from the very moment I learned of palindromes, I was fascinated. I think maybe it's the symmetry that I find so alluring. It's almost like math but with letters instead of numbers.
I looked at a list of palindromes and picked out some of my favorites. These are my favorites from the first half of the list:
A car, a man, a maraca.
Just Joe
Language has never been one of my favorite subjects but from the very moment I learned of palindromes, I was fascinated. I think maybe it's the symmetry that I find so alluring. It's almost like math but with letters instead of numbers.
I looked at a list of palindromes and picked out some of my favorites. These are my favorites from the first half of the list:
A car, a man, a maraca.
A man, a plan, a canal: Panama.
A man, a plan, a cat, a ham, a yak, a yam, a hat, a canal-Panama!
A Santa at Nasa.
A slut nixes sex in Tulsa.
A Toyota’s a Toyota.
Amy, must I jujitsu my ma?
As I pee, sir, I see Pisa!
Are Mac ‘n’ Oliver ever evil on camera?
Bombard a drab mob.
Bar an arab.
Campus motto: Bottoms up Mac.
Dammit, I’m mad!
Delia saw I was ailed.
Dennis and Edna sinned.
Devil never even lived.
Did Hannah see bees? Hannah did.
Did I draw Della too tall, Edward? I did?
Do geese see God?
Doc, note, I Dissent. A fast never prevents a fatness. I diet on cod.
Dog doo? Good God!
Dr. Awkward
Drab as a fool, aloof as a bard.
Drawn, I sit; serene rest is inward.
Dubya won? No way, bud.
Ed, I hung a gnu hide!
Egad! An adage!
Elba Kramer saw I was remarkable.
Eva, can I stab bats in a cave?
Eve damned Eden. Mad Eve!
Evil olive
Evil rats on no star live.
Ew! Eat a ewe?
Flee to me, remote elf.
Gnu dung.
I prefer pi.
I roamed under it as a tired, nude Maori.
I’m a fool; aloof am I.
In words, alas, drown I.
Is it I? It is I!
Lager, sir, is regal.
Late metal.
Lisa Bonet ate no basil.
Lived on Decaf; faced no Devil.
Lonely Tylenol.
Just Joe
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Trade deal eases EU-US beef war over hormones
I came across this article on the BBC website regarding one of my favorite foods, beef. So, Europe was worried about the hormones (6 in particular) the United States used to inject into cows. Since the US no longer uses those hormones Europe is now cool with our beef. I can't be the only one thinking, "Okay, so those 6 hormones aren't used anymore... so which ones ARE?" Sheesh.
It just makes me think how in Europe if something might cause cancer, it is banned until further research. In the US, if something might cause cancer it's fair game until it is PROVEN to cause cancer. I'm not saying that these hormones have anything to do with cancer, rather just pointing out a difference in philosophy. But I digress:
It just makes me think how in Europe if something might cause cancer, it is banned until further research. In the US, if something might cause cancer it's fair game until it is PROVEN to cause cancer. I'm not saying that these hormones have anything to do with cancer, rather just pointing out a difference in philosophy. But I digress:
The European Parliament has backed a deal that will increase EU imports of beef from the US and Canada and help European food exporters.
A row over growth hormones used on North American cattle ranches led to a trade war lasting more than 20 years.
The new deal sets an annual EU quota of 48,200 tonnes for high-quality North American beef from cattle that have not been treated with growth hormones.
North America will lift import tariffs on a range of European farm produce.
An EU ban on hormone-treated meat and meat products remains in place, even though the World Trade Organization (WTO) ruled in 1997 that it was illegal.
The EU ban, dating back to 1988, was based on concerns about the addition of six hormones to more than 90% of American beef.
But now, US farmers are no longer using the hormones, according to Robert Sturdy MEP, a UK Conservative and Vice-President of the European Parliament's Trade Committee.
Mr Sturdy, a farmer himself, said the trade deal would be especially important for the European dairy sector, "which has had a difficult time".
Unique cheeses like Stilton and Roquefort, protected by EU country of origin rules, are popular among Americans yet "basically it has been impossible to export these specialist products", he told the BBC.
He described the beef deal as "a first tentative step to getting better trade relations with the US and Canada". "Now is the time to open up markets, with food prices going up and shortages across the world," he added.
US bans EU beefMeanwhile, the EU is urging the US to lift a 15-year-old ban on imports of EU beef. It was imposed because of US concerns about mad-cow disease (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, or BSE).
Last week a US agriculture department agency recommended that the ban be lifted.
The EU Agriculture Commissioner, Dacian Ciolos, says the ban breaks the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) rules, which categorise both the US and EU as "controlled risk".
The US beef deal backed by the European Parliament was signed by EU foreign policy chief Baroness Ashton and the US government in May 2009.
The parliament's Agriculture Committee says its impact on the EU beef market "should be small" because the hormone-free North American beef corresponds to only 0.36% of the EU total beef and veal market.
In May 2011 the US agreed to suspend all of its retaliatory sanctions on EU produce.
The high US tariffs, slapped on produce such as pork, chocolate, cheeses, jams and fresh truffles, have cost EU exporters more than $250m annually (£159m; 191m euros).
According to the agriculture committee, Italy will gain the most from the US lifting of sanctions (more than $99m), followed by Poland ($25m), Greece and the Republic of Ireland ($24m each).
"I hope this will lead to a definitive resolution of the dispute on hormone-treated beef in the WTO," Commissioner Ciolos said.
The new quota for US and Canadian beef will take effect by August. Of the total 48,200 tonnes Canada will account for 3,200 tonnes.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)