I am surprised to be saying this, but UF has one of the better SEC wins. Not many top 10 wins for the conference thus far this year. I don't know how free CMS has let the Cats run this season. But UF is better than I thought they would be.
I have a gut feeling we roll the Gators!
- Thread starter The-Hack
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I don't know if we will win or not but a lot of people are putting stock in the Gator's win over UT. IMHO that is fool's gold. The Tennessee team they beat at home is nothing like last year's.
Anything can happen on "a given Saturday" but I believe the UK program is ahead of Florida's right now.
Anything can happen on "a given Saturday" but I believe the UK program is ahead of Florida's right now.
Florida just has Tennessee's number. Similar to how Tennessee just has Kentucky's number. It was definitely a good win, and should cause us to hit pause on the "Florida is hot garbage" takes. But I don't know if it full acquits Florida as contending team.
The talent gap just isn't there like it has been in years past. Either team can win this based on how they perform and adjust on Saturday. In our 3 wins against Florida none of the games have been clean. So I am encouraged that we can win this one without playing a clean game.... which has been a consistent theme for these team so far this season.
I'll be happy with a 1 point win. Just win.
This is gonna a low scoring fist fight. 24-17, 20-13 type game, this two teams are very similar and close, I can see it going either way
We beat UF last year in the Swamp with the worst O-line we have had in several years and no CROD who was the key player in our offense. That doesn't mean we win this year but thinking back to that win, Coach White absolutely humbled the Gator offense and Anthony Richardson who was coming off of a huge game running and throwing against Utah. Now we have a much more potent offense, a better line, numerous offensive threats and a much better OC.
The CATS have a chance to make a statement in this game and I think they will.
The CATS have a chance to make a statement in this game and I think they will.
If we don't let them short pass us to death I like our chances. Our DL's size and going three deep should be able to hold their own. Only other thing, can we run the ball?
Vandy's WRs were a good test for our surprisingly good corners. Let's see how Philips and Hairston manage.
Roll Florida with SEC Nation watching and we roll into Athens with a shiny new poll spot and an outside chance at Gameday showing up.
One before the other, though. I'd be happy beating Florida by 1 as long as we show improvement. Receivers give us crisp, consistent routes; defense finally hitting home on their 5-6 missed TFLs per game; the OLine serving up more pancakes than a Denny's on Sunday morning... something.
Not saying they are or are not a contender, just that they have a win over a top 10 team. Not sure another SEC team can make that claim. But they also have a loss against a top 10 team and didn't look good this past weekend. I think the team that commits the least mistakes wins.
This is a totally different UF team with Mertz. AR was a mediocre QB throwing the ball and once he was rattled his game went downhill. His upside was that he was a threat to run and had to be accounted for which White planned for. While Mertz is not a big threat in the run game he is more accurate and has a 77% completion rate. The good news for us is that our corners are playing lights out and our LBs can handle the under game. I look for another White classic of bend and not break and forcing them into a couple of errors. I think if we can put up 24-27 and get some pressure on Mertz that we win a low scoring game based on our defense.
I think we are better than UF and should win a close one at home.
But the rink and dunk, 10 yard or less, take the easy throw offense is the one that has given us issues in the past in the stoops era
Piersall can get anywhere he wants on the field. He will be a challenge for our DB's, especially if Napier can get him matched up with a safety...
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we dont have a true power back. advantage florida for no other reason than when Stoops reaches back into his instincts and tries to go run game, we wont do it well. we have to pass well and early and force florida to go panic-offense late...and leave it up to DBs to put the bow on top. Id also like to see the offense eat up more clock. I keep saying it because its true...there is not a worse time manager at the end of the first half than stoops. I just dont get it.
UF WR Ricky Pearsall has big time talent, he's as good as any WR in the SEC and is very capable of chunk plays.
I would submit that we have multiple ways of converting 3rd downs now that include receivers, TEs, and RBs both running and receiving, not just one RB. You don't have the 2 yard pile driver but you do have ways to convert not just 3rd and short but 3rd and 5, 6 or 7 efficiently. As a whole this offense is more efficient and more potent than the Gran offenses.
Most of the recent UK-FL games have been competitive, closely contested, and won by the team that controlled the line of scrimmage in the 2nd half. Both UF and UK are better teams than they were in 2022. UF's defense is notably improved. We don't have a Benny Snell, a Lynn Bowden, or a Bunchy Stallings on this team, but our current defense is better than our 2018 defense was. At home and undefeated, our guys have a psychological advantage over a team we beat in their own stadium a year ago. That psychological advantage will last until one team pushes the other off the line of scrimmage. Mike Tyson says everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth. We need a better game out of Leary, but we should pull this game out at home if we are well prepared and play a clean game.
The first key to converting on 3rd down is to be in manageable yardage. The next key is good OL play. Eddie Gran had better OLs than this one, but this OL is better than 2022. I just wish the Horseman was healthy.
Copying this from another thread:
-i know its hard for some people, but folks need to let go of the past...this ain't 10 years ago, UK has the better team right now. The distant past literally means nothing in regards to this year's match up.
-last year it was the "big" Utah win that made Florida "a problem"...until uk *handled* them at the swamp. This year folks are looking at the UT win as a big statement for Florida. UT isn't the same team w/o Hooker and the NFL receiving corps.
-cats could get beaten by UF...anything is possible. But again, UK has the better team/program right now.
-UK by 10-14 points.
-i know its hard for some people, but folks need to let go of the past...this ain't 10 years ago, UK has the better team right now. The distant past literally means nothing in regards to this year's match up.
-last year it was the "big" Utah win that made Florida "a problem"...until uk *handled* them at the swamp. This year folks are looking at the UT win as a big statement for Florida. UT isn't the same team w/o Hooker and the NFL receiving corps.
-cats could get beaten by UF...anything is possible. But again, UK has the better team/program right now.
-UK by 10-14 points.
Pearsall vs Utah & Knoxville: 14 catches, 135 yds, under 10 avg per catch, no tds
That's true but you're not always in a manageable 3rd down. My point is we have a more efficient offense for converting 3rd downs now because we have many different ways of achieving it not just one. For the last 3 years of Gran we ranked 66, 69 and 93rd nationally in 3rd down conversations at around 38%, under the two years Coen has been here we've ranked 14th and 5th at over 50% 3rd down conversations. Point being you don't necessarily need a pile driving back to be efficient, in fact I would argue a pro style offense is naturally more effective than a ground and pound.
The factor that has hurt TN more than anything is the loss of Tillman and Hyatt. I felt they were the most effective pair of receivers in the country last year. Tillman is an incredible athlete with great size, and Hyatt already has the skills of an NFL veteran. Not disrespecting Hendon Hooker, but those receivers made him better. Their defense was never that good, and stats show that was true. Now Tillman, Hyatt, and Hooker are gone. I know TN's current receivers are capable, but not the threat they were in 2022. TN is still a good team, but Heupel's offensive schemes have been aired and studied on film now. In Lexington, the UK-TN game should be competitive. If FL can beat them, we can. I have seen where many talking heads in the media began their analyses of UK's season by ruling out any chance for us to beat GA, AL, or TN. That is their theory for the 9-3 ceiling. And maybe it ends up that way. Or not. I certainly don't accept the premise though.
No, you don't need a pile driving back, although our backs are very capable when the blocking is executed properly. The most important difference between Gran and Coen is that Gran is as old school as it gets while Coen is an OC with NFL experience who wants balance and pressure against the defense all over the field. To say it differently, Gran was a master of managing the point of attack, while Coen runs an offense that seeks to spread the field and prevent the defense from having any idea where the point of attack will be. Eventually, I suspect Leary will be successful in this offense, although he is struggling a little bit right now.
Was just getting ready to say the same thing. Our soft spot are the quick short throws as we tend to play zone. Rogers and Miss St cut us up with that two years ago. But this years DB room seems to have a few more guys that are ball hawks and dont mind breaking on those better than in the past so we'll see.
I think the key is how Eli manages their big noseguard. He has to at least hold his own. And we have to attack the edges this game and not continually try to force the inside run if its not there. Make that bid guy run sideways, our OLine guys are athletic and can move so get them out there.
Man, I'd be ecstatic if we win by that margin. Just have a feeling this game will be a classic Mark Stoops loaf-pincher and will be decided by 4 points or less.
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