WHAT GATORS SHOULD KNOW TODAY…

Like  most Gators. SNL contributed to the angst over everything even tangentially related to the this year’s Gator team (and even the future of the football program in general) over the past week.

The (in retrospect) inevitable manifestation of this “noise,” which was anything but positive, was a Gator team that pressed for the better part of 3 quarters Saturday and appeared to most to be without emotion.  Which, in the scheme of things, is a  bit of a travesty considering that college football, even major college football, should be “fun” for players, fans, and coaches not named Saban.  The lack of enthusiasm was epitomized in the 3rd quarter when Tebow, who is typically more enthusiastic during a game than a 12-year old girl crank-calling boys at a slumber party, stoically walked off the field after throwing a laser to Harvin in the end zone.

It was at this precise moment that SNL realized that all the negativity (which is well-chronicled in Dooley’s column today), however well-intentioned, has clearly infiltrated the Gator lockerroom.  So, the theme this week for SNL, at least it relates to the Gators, is “positivity.”  SNL has already rearranged the furniture for a more feng shui aura and approached the hippies next door about some of that stinky lettuce they use as a condiment.

In addition, in a pre-emptive attempt to stave off the faction of Gators who will find a way to spin yesterday’s 31-point road win into an unmitigated disaster, SNL will “re-frame” the mindset of its readers who, like SNL, looked at the Hawgs games against two consecutive top-5 opponents as an indictment of Arkansas’ ability to play competitive football. 

 Since most Gator fans want to use Arkansas’ games against the ‘Bama and the Horns as the basis for comparison, SNL offers the following as a soothing balm:  

1.  Against 2nd-ranked ‘Bama, Arkansas compiled 19 first downs (5 more than ‘Bama) and 301 total yards.  It was the 4-interceptions (2 returned for TD) that made this game a blowout. 

2.  5th-ranked Texas rushed for 220 yards and passed for 201 against Arkansas en route to a 52-10 victory.

3.  Florida put up 514 yards of offense (236 passing and 278 rushing), far more than either ‘Bama or the Horns, and allowed only 60 more yards than ‘Bama’s heralded defensive unit.

4.  Florida gave up 221 yards passing yesterday, ‘Bama allowed 217.

5.  Florida, often rushing only 3, sacked the Hawg QB 4 times, ‘Bama managed only 2.

The inescapable conclusion is that Florida’s effort yesterday is on par with that of Top-5 behemoths, ‘Bama and Texas.  And, Arkansas is a team that is on the verge of being good.  The ‘Hawgs have one of the best and most innovative offensive coaches in football (who, incidentally, would be Florida’s coach if Pope Urban had accepted the Notre Dame job), a senior quarterback and very good tailback. 

Naturally, the prophets of Gator doom who masquerade as “hardcore fans” will continue to question the spread offense, Florida’s lack of a dominating defense, and Mullen’s ability to gameplan.  However, in the aggregate, yesterday’s blowout win provided Gators fans with more reasons for optimism than not, and those that would tell you different should be seen for what they are, which isn’t much.

-So Sayeth the Shepherd