GatorZone.com Mailbag: You ask, I answer
Friday, October 22, 2010 | Men's Basketball, Football, Volleyball, Scott Carter
The mood around Gator Nation this week was tense. I received a few e-mails that would make my mom blush if she read them.
Gator fans are so used to winning – and winning BIG – that a three-game losing streak can seem like three consecutive losing seasons.
As fans, boosters and media speculated endlessly about what suddenly ails the football team, the Gators returned to practice. Florida has a bye week before facing Georgia in Jacksonville on Oct. 30.
Despite losses to Alabama, LSU and Mississippi State, the Gators still control their own destiny in making a third consecutive trip to Atlanta for the SEC Championship Game.
To get there, they'll have to win their final three SEC games (Georgia, South Carolina, at Vanderbilt.). But first, coaches and players stressed this week that they must play better.
“We're just trying to execute the plays we've got,'' quarterback John Brantley said. “We've got really good plays, and we're going to keep trying to run our plays and plays we know well. We've just got to execute them.”
In a few days we'll get to see what tweaks to the offense Gators coach Urban Meyer and his staff made during the bye week. Until then, here is the second edition of the GatorZone.com Mailbag:
Q: Does anyone know for sure if Trey Burton is going to be included more consistently in the offense? – Carolyn
A: Burton's role in the offense has progressed over the past several games. Burton's breakout game came against Kentucky when he scored a school-record six touchdowns while being used mostly out of the wildcat formation.
Whether Burton will be used more at quarterback against Georgia is a popular question this week. I think it's entirely possible that he'll continue to get more snaps, but at the same time, I can also see Burton being used more at receiver if the Gators go to more of a pass-first approach against the Bulldogs with John Brantley at the controls. He has shown he is a dependable receiver and is tied with Carl Moore for second on the team with 20 receptions.
Q: How can Florida remain in a spread offense and run the option with a quarterback who is no threat in the option? -- Sergio
A: I think we can all agree – and Brantley has said it himself this season – that he is not going to remind anyone of Tommie Frazier when running the option. However, offensive coordinator Steve Addazio pointed out recently that the Gators are averaging more than five yards a play in the limited number of options they run with Brantley.
I don't know what the average is after the past couple of games. Will we continue to see Brantley run the option? Is running the option with only Burton at quarterback part of the offensive tweaks? Those are questions we won't know the answer to until the Georgia game.
Q: What do you think are the major changes that need to happen for UF to make it to the SEC Championship Game? – Kyle
A: First, the Gators need to get healthy, and I am primarily referring to running backs Jeff Demps, Mike Gillislee and Emmanuel Moody. Coach Meyer talked this week about the lack of big plays in the running game and how that has stifled the rest of the offense.
Next, the Gators need to get back on track in the turnover battle. Early in the season, they were easily winning this segment. In the last three games, they have not. Finally, the defense has to get opposing offenses off the field quicker. This is something senior Ahmad Black talked about this week. While the offense has taken the brunt of the criticism, the bend-but-don't-break defense can help the cause by limiting the number of plays the other team runs.
Q: What is Matt Elam's status for the Georgia game? -- David
A: Elam suffered a concussion in the loss to LSU and played sparingly in the Mississippi State game. He was not back to full-speed in practice as of earlier this week, but he will most likely play against Georgia barring a setback in practice.
Q: Do you think offensive coordinator Steve Addazio's job is in danger? – Mark
A: I have no indication that is the case. Being an offensive coordinator of a high-profile team like Florida is one of the toughest jobs in sports. If the offense isn't clicking like the 49ers of Joe Montana's era, the offensive coordinator is usually the guy who gets blamed.
Addazio addressed the offense getting booed recently and said you've got to have “thick skin'' in his job. I'm sure there is no one who wants the offense to perform at a high level on each snap more than Addazio.
Q: Is the UF volleyball team favored to win the NCAA title? – Larry
A: The Gators are currently ranked No. 1 in the nation and will certainly enter the postseason as a serious contender unless they collapse down the stretch. Since that seems very unlikely, I can see Florida and No. 2 Stanford as the favorites entering the tournament. And you can never count out three-time defending champion Penn State. The Nittany Lions have struggled recently, but they have the experience of knowing what it takes to win the tournament.
Q: I have a question about our offense. Why aren't we playing to Brantley's strengths and throwing the ball more? -- Janet
A: Brantley threw a career-high 39 passes against Mississippi State and has attempted 30 or more passes in four of Florida's seven games. So the passing game has certainly been a part of the offense.
I think most fans expect to see more downfield throws. Will we see more of that against Georgia? Again, that's only something Coach Meyer and his staff can answer at this point. There are a lot of factors beyond the quarterback that goes into the passing game, highlighted by the offensive line, running game and receivers.
Q: Why is Brantley lining up at receiver? -- Bill
A: Sometimes Brantley lines up at receiver when Burton or Jordan Reed is at quarterback in the wildcat formation.
Q: What can you tell me about incoming freshman Patric Young on the men's basketball team? – Shawn
A: Young is a 6-foot-9, 245-pound power forward from Jacksonville. He was a McDonald's high school All-American and considered the gem of Billy Donovan's 2010 recruiting class.
Based on what his teammates said at last week's media day, Young is a very physical force inside who is going to be a defensive force immediately. The Gators open the preseason at home on Thursday.
Q: What is the latest on Andre Debose's injury? – Gary
A: Coach Meyer said on Wednesday that Debose is not practicing this week due to what he termed a “severe'' ankle sprain. Meyer is hopeful that Debose can return to practice next week and possibly return for the Georgia game.
