Pat Dooley’s ‘Back 9’ Nov 1st

The Back Nine comes at you with something that is becoming a little too familiar — starting a week with a Gator loss in the rear-view mirror. It’s not fun.

  1. So, there are many ways to look at a result that was inevitable. Dan Mullen took a chunk of the blame for his team not playing at a high level and I think the game showed him he doesn’t have enough high-level players. But to say you don’t have enough high-level players is to say you have not done a good job. The question I keep getting asked is this – what does Florida do to correct this problem? The answer is a difficult one. Your head coach has been a mediocre recruiter and it didn’t help that he had a show-cause against him to keep him off the road during the bye week. But more than anything, the roster is the big problem for Florida football.
  2. This is the issue – when your team finds multiple ways to lose games, you have a massive problem. And it starts with the head coach. Florida has played some awful offense. Florida has been a turnover machine. The defense has had some miserable games and possessions. The special teams are embarrassingly bad. So, what do you do? Mullen acted like a coach who knows that there are problems he needs to fix after the game, but there is only one solution. GET BETTER PLAYERS!! And that’s not something you can just wish for. It takes a lot of work and special people to recruit well. And in some cases, you have to be willing to push the envelope to the edge.
  3. If Georgia, which is winning games easily with a mediocre offense, doesn’t win it all this year it may be another 40 years. The defense reminded me so much of an NFL defense. Balls of muscle who get everywhere in a hurry – that’s what NFL defenses look like. The Bulldogs aren’t losing a game during the rest of the season (four unranked teams to finish), but we all know how difficult it is to win after that. The thing is that Georgia could lose to Alabama in the SEC title game and still get into the playoffs.
  4. So, where are we with the quarterback situation. I liked my idea of waiting a week to start Richardson so he might be able to build some confidence for next season and get Gator fans back on the bus. But against the best defense in the nation, Richardson was certainly exposed for his youth. Not only were there the three game-deciding turnovers, he averaged 2.2 yards a rush and 4.1 yards for each pass attempt.  Still, I’d finish the season with Richardson as my starter to see what he can do. There are going to be fans who will insist Richardson would be great right now if they had given him more time in other games, but I don’t see it. He was good against a terrible defense in LSU. He was not good against an elite defense. Let’s see what he does these last four games.
  5. Coming into this season, we knew Florida had a small margin for error. We knew this could be an average team if it made too many mistakes. Florida has 16 turnovers in eight games. Only seven teams have more. Those teams have a combined record of 17-40. And being ranked 92nd in penalties probably isn’t helping either. Florida’s 493 yards in penalties can put a real crimp in your plan of attack. This is a team that lacks discipline in so many ways.
  6. Even in years when Florida is not very good, college football still is much better than the NFL if only because of what you are offered as a TV fan. One NFL game at 1 p.m. – Falcons vs. Panthers. By 1 p.m. the day before we had so much drama we could barely stand it. The NFL is king – and I am a big believer that Fantasy Football and gambling are part of the reason – but I will always be a college football guy first.
  7. It was looking good for The Picks until FSU gave me one of the worst bad beats ever with a fumble on a scramble play that ended up with the ball in the end zone and me with a push. Really? Alright, so I ended up with a 3-2-1 record and 30-27-3 for the season. Don’t tell my wife that I’m pretend gambling.

* Florida is a 19-point favorite over South Carolina on the road and the Gators must be giving oddsmakers fits. You never know if Florida is going to score a lot or a very little so the over/unders are total guesses. (I would have bet the under of 51 last week). Maybe Mullen gets through to his team this week and South Carolina has been really bad all year, so take the Gators and the points and give the boys a little confidence.

* LSU is getting 25 points at Alabama, which seems about right. I think the Tigers will play hard for their fearless leader, so take all of those points and be happy they were offered.

* Texas A&M is at home and only giving six to Auburn. I know Bo Nix is playing well (finally), but Kyle Field is the kind of place that is perfect for a meltdown. Take the Aggies and Gig ‘Em.

* Liberty is getting 15.5 in the Hugh Freeze Bowl against Ole Miss. That’s a lot of points for an explosive offense, but I think the Rebels cover.

* Wake Forest may be unbeaten, but they are 3.5-point underdogs at North Carolina. Stay away from this pick, but since I have to choose, I will take the Heels.

  1. It would have been nice for the Braves to win at home Sunday night, but there was too much jinxing Saturday night for my taste. Every question was like, “When you win the whole thing tomorrow night, what will that feel like?” The Braves have not won anything until the umps walk off the field and Atlanta has won one more game. We’re 27 outs away. It won’t be easy in Houston.
  2. This is a strange week in that I am wrapping up my speaking tour with a visit to the Savannah Quarterback Club. I won’t know what to do with myself, (although the weekly visits to give scouting reports to the Gainesville QB Club will continue, of course). By the end of the month, I’ll have done 25 speeches so thank goodness for my music. This is the start of the Savannah playlist:

* ”No Love in LA” by Palaye Royale.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qePhiiz7dtc

* ”Beggin’ “ by Maneskin.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnPnRRzly-k

* And for an old one, but not really that old, “Steady, As She Goes” by the Raconteurs. I hadn’t heard it for a while.

About Pat Dooley

Check Also

Orange & Blue Sports Network

Catch the student-led broadcasts from the College of Journalism and Communications right here.

LIVE THREAD: National Signing Day

Here’s an updated thread of all the recruits who picked the Gator hat today! RB …

AFC Divisional Round Preview: Pittsburgh Steelers

During last weekend’s NFL Wild Card round, the Steelers made a statement by handing the Dolphins a …

Houston Looking For an Upset in Foxborough

The saying has always been “it’s hard to beat a good team twice,” and in …

Blue Jackets vs. Lightning Tonight

The Columbus Blue Jackets and the Tampa Bay Lightning will be facing each other once …

Possible Additions to McElwain’s Recruiting Class Visiting this Weekend

With National Signing Day less than three weeks away, the Gators are hosting several talented …

Florida Gymnastics Prepares for Season Opener

GAINESVILLE, FL – The Florida Gator gymnastics team will kick off their season this Sunday …

Surprised Gators Promote Randy Shannon To Defensive Coordinator? You Shouldn’t Be

Florida’s head coach, Jim McElwain, announced Friday morning that Randy Shannon would be making the …

Quarterbacks in Spotlight for NFL Wild Card Weekend

The NFL Wild Card kicks off Saturday and the quarterback situations could not be any more different. On …

College Football Playoff Shakes Up Schedule

The College Football Playoff was a success in its first year. Yet, that doesn’t stop …

Michael Jordan Speaks out about Shootings, Police Officers

NBA great Michael Jordan opened up about his thoughts about shootings of African-Americans and the …

Treon Harris to Transfer

With the college football season approaching, the Florida Gators have announced that former starting QB …

USA Basketball Wins Second Exhibition Game

Just a few short days after their big win over Argentina, team USA won its …

Charlotte Is No Longer The Home Of The 2017 NBA All-Star Game

The House Bill 2 came between Charlotte, North Carolina and the 2017 All-Star Game. The …

Tampa Bay Rays Continue Series Against Oakland

The Tampa Bay Rays are continuing their three-game winning streak. The Rays defeated the Oakland …

MLB Preview Tonight

It’s summer time—the best time to go to a baseball game and experience the atmosphere. …

Braves Begin Series With Rockies

The Atlanta Braves (33-62) open up a four-game road series with the Rockies (43-51) tonight …

Marlins To Close Out Series With The Phillies

The Miami Marlins are in the middle of a crucial ten game span against NL East …

Rays Crush Rockies 11-3, Face A’s Next

In the midst of a terrible season that has seen the Tampa Bay Rays (37-57) …

American League Second Half Outlook

The second half of the baseball season is in full swing which translates to? Pennant races. Teams …

National League Evening Preview

Tonight is a busy night for the National League in the MLB. Starting with the …

Big 12 Looks To Expand

Following a Tuesday meeting between Big 12 presidents, Oklahoma president David Boren announced that the …

LSU Looks To Capitalize On Its Opportunity

The Louisiana State University Tigers will enter the 2016 college football season with high expectations, …

Muschamp Helps Close Out SEC Media Days 2016

It wasn’t Will Muschamps first SEC Media Days experience, but 2016 marked the first time …

Phil Mickelson Leads British Open After First Day

The 145th annual 2016 British Open is underway at Royal Troon Golf Club in Scotland. The …

Missouri’s Football Crisis: Rebuilding A Program

On the final day of SEC Media Days, Barry Odom took the stand as Missouri’s head …

Second Half Of MLB Season Begins

The All-Star Break is a good time for teams to rest up and reform themselves …

British Open Underway

The 145th Open Championship is already underway at the Royal Troon Golf Club in Scotland. Welcome …

Newberry Softball Caps Week With Third Run-Rule Win In A Row

By Hannah Getman and Adam Edelin  The Newberry High School softball team beat the Eastside …