It seems as though it is not Alabama, Georgia perhaps Texas and everyone else. If anything, it is Texas, and everyone else.
That said, I work so much that I am forced to listen to games. I finally watched the Florida game and learned not only is so much lost in understanding what goes on in a game by simply listening to it while you work, but also in watching or listening to a game you have invested emotions in.
I didn’t just watch the game by the way, I took notes on how every possession ended, and a little extra. After doing so, I believe I have a few finds to share.
Everyone knows we have OL woes, but it seems as though something started clicking in the last 3rd of the game. Sure, there were still some mistakes and breakdowns, but it was nothing like the first 2 3rds of the game. And while Nico definitely missed some passes, I don’t believe he was nearly as bad as things seemed—especially for a first year starter behind an OL that can certainly clean some of the things up and did in this game.
That being said, I believe that Lance Heard is simply in the wrong position. He is huge and he isn’t fast. You need to be faster on your feet to play tackle—especially weak side. This man belongs at guard. Unfortunately, there is no one on our team who can play this position well, so we are forced to play a guy who would be at least serviceable at guard as a tackle and his career and our team will suffer for this oversight, unless we find a fix or Heard finds a way to play well at a position where his physical makeup handicaps him.
As stated, a lot of what we saw can be cleaned up. Mainly getting hands on the inside of the pads. That includes both guard positions. But I believe there is still a glimmer of hope that our OL can and will improve. Someone on the Basillio show mentioned trying some of our DL guys out at that position, but I would imagine that has already been thought of, snd that learning curve would be steeper than the curve for our existing guards to improve.
With that issue at OL, no QB is going to play their best. Nico certainly hasn’t, but after watching him closely, I think it’s a matter of OL and us simply having higher expectations for him than were realistic—especially with this OL play. I didn’t find him rattled at all, but it did seem as though he was trying to do too much at times and may need to calm down some. He is only slightly off on the long ball, and I have seen every QB make some of the bad throws he made in this game that should have been easy throws. The overthrowing or slightly misplaced throws can be corrected, as he becomes more acclimated to the speed of Hueple’s offense and this level of football.
What I did like was the many nice throws he made, his use of his wheels and his demeanor throughout the game—sans when it looked like he was too “high” after converting the 4th around our 10. I think he tried to do too much and threw an interception on that play.
Another positive was that our receivers do seem to be finding some separation at times. Not as often as usual, but enough to be game changing if we can capitalize on those instances. Again, I think Nico corrects these things if not this year, next year. But this is this year, and I still don’t think he is nearly as bad as people are saying. Many very nice drives were killed by holds or sacks. After Nico got sacked 3 times in one possession, things changed.
There were a few breakdowns in our secondary, but MAN we look good on D across the board. Seems when we go zone, or struggle. I saw a lot of 3 LB formations this game, and a couple of times the LB didn’t drop to cover the space between the secondary and them and we ended up gashed for yardage. I think we figure that out as the season goes on. This is where Pili will be missed if he is out for the season. Still, we only had 11 offensive possessions the entire game, some of which were for short periods of time, so our defense was on the field for much of the game. Any defense would have breakdowns in that situation.
On that note, (pun intended), I am including my general observations of each drive with a mix of other random notes I took throughout the game below. I am not an XO guy, so again these notes are mostly general notes and focused around how each drive ended. I took these notes by chicken pecking as the game went on, so the punctuation, spelling etc. may leave something to be desired.
First Half
First drive
Nice drive with nice passes from Nico.
Refs stop clock to set sticks
Florida has time to regroup and forces a fumble in FG range on early downs.
Second drive
Joseph’s (OL) Hold after Iama run for first down to get us to 20. More solid play rub Nico reversed.
Third Drive
Another long run reversed by a hold on Heard (Second high on pass hold).
More solid play by Nico reversed.
(This note might be misplaced but Nico threw a dart to Braz for an incredible catch and Braz’ and crowd’s celebrations were grand.)
3 Sacks —> (Heard on second) Entire line on other 2
I realized quickly here that Heard is in the wrong position he should be a guard he is big but not agile and should not be a tackle
Fourth Drive
Ima was long on SW but had a very nice designed run for a 1st down. Nimrod ran the wrong route he was supposed to curl out, but ball was misplaced either way. This is the first drive killed due to someone other than our OL. This one was on Nico and I think he gets his long ball dialed in.
Fifth Drive
Can’t believe we went for it, Ima throws interception and erased JP’s play. think Iama was getting too high on emotions here after going for it on 4th and 1. After watching the conversation he was having with his receiver, I think we may have some receivers telling the QB hey look for me and as a Freshman he does instead of checks off like he usually does unless there is a designed play.
(Have to say the sack on the gators during the following drive by Lott was brutal. We got out of that back and forth unscathed as FL bailed us out with illegal substitution to kill the half with 3 points.)
5 drives in 2 quarters wow. Both teams made mistakes first half, we made way more. We clean some of this up, and our chances of winning and margin of victory increase.
Second Half
6th Drive
starts off with another designed play that is effective, but no wonder Nico is staring down his receivers. Lots of designed plays to get the ball to specific people.
FL guy drops to ground stop tempo
FL got some rest and ate us up. Iama does look like he is trying to be too flashy. The way he threw that last ball to Sampson for a loss did remind me of JG a bit. Not sure what else was there. He doesn’t throw it he is sacked, but I think it was a designed play meant to go to Sampson. FL read it and stuffed us a 3rd time. Not his fault.
Nico rolls to weak side and checks off receivers and throws a beautiful pass across his body to Braz for 23 yards but then throws a poorly placed pass to TE for short gain.
Did I say already that Sampson is a stud? Multiple multiple purpose yards for big plays and TD. Serious after contact yds
7th drive following their interception by Freshman and after their starter got hurt
Fl makes a couple good open field ankle tackles no ones fault
Iama with a pass to noone but he was going down. Not his fault
FL guy goes down and stops tempo again
FG to tie game
8th
Ball tipped
Run stuffed again
Nico flushed no time to run incredible face plant dive but stepped out. Incredible effort, this drive ends because our O got eaten up.
We punt - pin them and they punt and we find a return guy in McCoy
9th drive
Short pass, then Sampson breaks one open TD
10th drive
Started at 7
Run stuffed
Run call? Great setup, for long pass next play.
Amazing deep pass and catch. Pass was about a foot too far outside. This drive ends due to pass barely misplaced. I believe Nico corrects this.
FL ties game (I think we went zone again and got gashed on 3rd and long for a TD. Glad they didn’t go for 2.)
11th drive
Not much time
Hope Squirrel was on this pass and catch, but what a catch
Nimrod got a laser in his hands from Nico and couldn’t handle it. Not really on Nico, but could have been softer. Nico blamed by announcers for a pass on the hards in stride
Nico did miss the next pass, but announcers blame the receivers. Something happened. Looks like at best one receiver messed up the other’s ability to catch.
We ran the football as a bad play call and ran out of time. We go to OT
(Perhaps best news is that OL had not committed a penalty for awhile until now.)
Final drive (OT)
Simple pass to TE I think they can get more yards out of that play in general
Sampson just churns out yards after contact like the champ he is.
Beautiful fake handoff to Sampson and pass play call and execution for short but important yardage to Thornton.
Sampson stuffed, second effort to get a TD is called back, but shouldn’t have been and then that stud finished the game.
Random notes:
We lost Simmons and Pili —> not good. Clear drop off in alignment when we lost Pili and we lost some energy after losing Simmons and all the short possessions left us gassed at end of 1st half. For them to get that takeaway… just scrappy.
McCoy looks like he has some wheels on sweep—should try that play more.
Other McCoy will put us in better position on punt returns than what came before him at that spot. Nice find in this game.
Seems we are good enough to play man. We get eaten up on zone.
Bishop serviceable as a freshman
Seems like we don’t use our TEs enough. They have good hands. That might open things up..
FL usually gave us their best as they always do. They played really hard. Made mistakes that make them look worse. Freshman QB is going to be good, but not sure how this game goes if Mertz stays in. Regardless, I will take this dub. We clean some things up, calm Nico down and we will play much much better. No answer on left tackle. That is a personnel issue. Heard has no business on the end and should be interior and would be more than serviceable there. His career will suffer due to career coaches not seeing what is obvious to anyone watching as will our team.
We played 3 LBs a bunch of times. At least and one big play in second half. But when we do that it looks like the particular LBs don’t know to drop when it is on them to do so . Left the middle of the field wide open. Might as well have played 2 on that play. But next play, one does on TL and the QB sneaks. BN should be an OC. He is impeccable there, but a boneheaded HC.
Gibson may be the best DB we have seen since I don’t know who.
>>>> Said by announcer that there is ONE team that is top 5 total offense total defense scoring offense and scoring defense. That is TENNESSEE
Not sure many of us are aware of what we are seeing in Sampson. Sampson should be the highest paid player at TN
Something good happened with our OL after the 3 sacks
I think we are going Milton deep with our long passes. Nico can throw but bring them in a little. Nico will get there.
Pearce looks smaller this year or not bigger at least but he always has seemed lean to me and he still brings the fire. May stay another one after this year with lower stats. Can he add some wait and keep his mojo?
Ekeler will be on his punt return coverage guys.
