Brissett gets his shot
There is one thing you can say about this Florida team. It is predictable. In fact, you pretty much know what’s going to happen every week. The offense is going to come out in the first half and look like it’s never going to score. The defense and special teams are going to be strong and keep the Gators in the game. Then, somehow, in the second half the offense comes up with just enough plays for the Gators to win yet again.
It’s not always pretty, but it’s hard to argue with the results. The Gators a 9-1 and ranked No. 7 in the country and sixth in the BCS Standings.
I thought that predictable mold would be shattered last week against what had been a pretty lousy Louisiana-Lafayette defense. I thought the Gators would break out of their offensive funk and treat themselves and their fans to a nice, relaxing romp in The Swamp. But, of course, it didn’t happen.
This week it’s going to happen. And not just because the Gators are facing a defense that is even more porous than Louisiana’s. I just have a feeling Jacoby Brissett starting at quarterback in place of the injured Jeff Driskel is going to provide the kind of spark the offense has so desperately needed.
Brissett is not the runner Driskel is, so you can put away those designed quarterback runs this week. What Brissett does do well is see the entire field and make quick reads in the passing game. I just have a feeling that with Brissett under center, Brent Pease is going to expand the downfield passing game and the Gators are going to have success throwing the ball. That, in turn, is going to create some opportunities in the running game with tailback Mike Gillislee, who has been running into eight-man defensive fronts week after week.
So, I’m predicting a spark from Brissett and a relaxing, feel-good game for the Gators. And it comes at the perfect time — the week before Florida has to go to Tallahassee (I have some positive early vibes about that game, too, but more on that next week).
Prediction: Florida 41, Jacksonville State 10
Robbie Andreu has been The Sun’s college football beat writer since 1993. He covered every game of the Steve Spurrier coaching era. The only game he’s missed since he has been in Gainesville is the 2006 Florida State game in Tallahassee. He happily stayed home for that one because of the imminent birth of his second child. Before coming to The Sun in March of 1993, Andreu worked for the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel for 10 years, covering a variety of sports, including the Miami Dolphins, the Miami Hurricanes, professional golf and baseball (playoffs and World Series). He also worked in Clearwater and Bradenton. He graduated from UF in 1977.
From your lips to the football gods’ ears.
by 76gator
SEC title #24 still on the way still.
Undefeated seasons: Alabama 13 – Florida 1 (in 1911 LOL)
Ten win seasons: Alabama 32 – Florida 12
Head to Head: Alabama 23- Florida 14
SEC Championships: Alabama 23 – Florida 8
“I don’t always drink tears, but when I do, I prefer Tim Tebow tears”
by Roll Tide
Wow, a bamuh fan who knows how to use Google. Must’ve earned an academic scholarship with those skills…
by cggater
Oh yeah, Roll Tide coming in with some bigtime info! I know all the Roll Tide fans out there are proud of you! I am curious though how you were able to get your comment in at 8:29!? I thought the library in TTown closed at 8! You know Roll Tide, you are correct, you guys do have bunch of titles! That is awesome, but other than 1992, 2009, and 2011 you would have to be like 89 years old to have enjoyed the other ones! Well I’m gonna let you go Roll Tide, I know your mom has got your bath water running and your army men set up for you! Have a great night, and RTR baby!!!
by Brandon
Uh, I do not see how the Gators can “expand the downfield passing game” simply by having Brissett as the QB. Don’t we still have mediocre, at best, wide receivers? Talk about no ball skills and hard hands, sheesh. Also, our vaunted tight ends Reed and C. Burton and T. Burton have not had break out years either. So, I look for more of the same, ho-hum play by the O-line, running backs doing the best they can, and receivers not getting out of their breaks, not adjusting to the ball, and still having bad hands. Thank heavens for our D and special teams! But, we will win the game. When do the new recruits get here?
Note to Roll Tide: Gig ‘em!
Go Gators, beat the Game cocks!
by Rooferman
Roll Tide – well, there won’t be a NC this year, even though, Tide fans thought they had this one in the bag!, Nough said! WA HA HA HA HA! I bet you were the one that burnt your trailer down!
by GI-Gator
Hey Roll Tide…..And the Texas A&M score is……..OH and the gators beat them!!!! Go gators.
by bob
Roll Tide has a lot of gall to come here bragging after his team couldn’t defeat a team at home that we defeated on the road. UF is 7-1 in the SEC just like Bama is this year and just like Bama was last year. Except our loss wasn’t at home like both of bama’s were.
The sad thing is I’ll be rooting for bama to win the SEC title game, even though Roll Tide makes me not want to.
UF hasn’t give up more than 20 points all year. Bama gave up that much just in the 1st quarter alone to the aggies.
UF is the only team in the nation to defeat 3 top ten BCS teams. Three times as many as bama has beaten.
UF: Most SEC championship game wins all time. Bama: most SEC championship losses all time.
by John
When was Bama’s last losing season??? When was the last time UF had a losing season??? LOLOL UF has remained a consistent winning football program while Bama has not. Don’t get me started about Basketball either. Go Gators!!
by Jason
I LOVED McCryin’s tears after the LSU and Texas A&M games.
by #GatorFan
Take it easy guys! Sure Roll Tide is both ignorant and obnoxious, but didn’t your mom teach you not to pick on girls? Roll Tide is just some ditzy, empty headed ‘Bama sorority girl, it is not really her fault.
Go Gators!
by Rooferman
@Roll Tide…nice job stopping Johnny Football last week. One team did stop him, Oh that would be US
by Gatorrick
The Tide cheated until modern times because there was no deterrent to paying enough players that your third string was top 10 talent. That is why the movie Forest Gump had Forest Gump attend Alabama. Simple, just like roll troll on here.
by brr-bon phil
I wonder if Roll Tide realizes that the only reason Bama will be in the SEC title game, is UF. If it wasn’t for UF defeating Texas A&M, something bama couldn’t do, it would be Texas A&M in the SEC title game and not bama. So Roll Tide needs to thank UF and be glad the gators don’t suck.
by John
our O stinks!
semis will beat us by 30+
by robg8r
GI Gator…”Roll Tide – well, there won’t be a NC this year, even though, Tide fans thought they had this one in the bag!, Nough said! WA HA HA HA HA!”
LOL…not done yet.
And I’ll take McCarron’s victory tears over Tebow’s losing tears any day.
Florida wouldn’t score on a Chinese Prostitute…
Bama vs ND or Florida/FSU winner? Hopefully Florida and their weak ass offense.
by Roll Tide
Roll Tide, you make GOOD ‘Bama fans’ look like morons! Quite sad! As I know some real sincere, and pleasant Tide folks, and you are not one of them! GATORS WIN 2 N.C.s in Football and Basketball in the SAME YEAR (2006); do that and call us then! Otherwise, bow out as gracefully as a moron can!
by gatorgi70x7 (Greg Ines)
Noteable Alabama graduates: The Dueling Banjoists, Joe Namath trying to kiss Suzy Kolber on national TV, and Forest Gump running through the tunnel with the football.
by Brr-bon Phil
Gators march on to the national Championshiop game!
The Gators are 10-1 now and 4th in the BCS Standings!
Here’s how they get to the big dance:
The Irish lose to SC and drop out of the hunt.
Bama beats Ga.in the SEC Champiomship game. Ga drops out.
Gators beat #10 ranked FSU 27-21.
Gators move up from #4 to #2.
On strength of schedule (#1 in US) Gators play Bama in the BCS Championship game.
Gators beat Bama on D: 21-17
by Lakeland GatorNaught
Ig UGA beat Bama, would we play them in this scenario? I’d like to have another nat’l champ revenge game like 52 – 20!
by Brr-bon Phil
UF will most likely lose to fsu on the road because of the horrible offensive gameplanning we’ve seen. But lucky for Bama that UF had enough offense to beat A&M! Otherwise no SEC title game for the tide! UF has the most impressive resume of any team in the nation this year with three top ten victories. UF also has the most impressive loss of any team with 1 loss. UF beat the teams that beat Bama and Georgia. FSU’s loss was to an unranked team. UF’s loss was to a top 3 team by 1 score in a game where if UF just had 5 turnovers instead of 6, would have won.
by John
Stanford and Baylor definitely bailed Bama out. They’ve had tremendous luck the last two years, losing home games and still having a clear path to the NC. Notre dame is not very good, awful pitt had them beat if they just kick a short field goal.
by John
RT is right, we can’t score on anyone or maybe Pease has been sandbagging the whole time waiting for fsu. Early in the year a different story but timing is everything.
by Truth Hurts
The JD designed runs have added up to 350 net yards. We act like this guy has run for over 1,000 yards this season. I was just reading where backup QB for San Fran who started against the bears, ran for like 1,200 yards and threw for over 2,000 yards and ran for a 1,000 yards a season for 3 straight years. This 350 net yards and an balky passing game at the end of a soph season is nothing a team should want to take into Tallabama Florgia this weekend. i do hope Muschamp gives up on his boy and play the players with the tools that give he Gators a chance. I am tired of being held hostage to JD because he can gain us 350 yard over 10 games. Hell Rod Frazier could give us that much on half the carries. Lets just get this ruse over with and move Jeff to TE where his only slim possible chance at the next level.
by gatorsidney
Anyway if ND lose it will be a GA/Bama vs Gators NC…let’s do what we hate doing Gator fans lol let’s root for USC to win against ND! I seriously think ANY SEC team could show up ND in the NC so let’s hope “luck” is on our side. Looking like the 06 shake up, for real. Go Gators!
by Tally Gator
We are going to surprise FSU, then put them to sleep somewhere around the third quarter and win 5 – 3. People at the stadium will have to wake up and go find ot that we won on a safety.
by brr-bon phil
Thank you to the fans who blogged about anything other than Alabama. If we don’t respond to the idiot Bama fan he gets no thrill out of reading your replies. The Bama fan wins when we respond. Stupid is as stupid does!!!
by Instagator