Florida vs Alabama any early thoughts or concerns?

Moro Creek

All-SEC
Jan 21, 2014
1,828
658
137
Equine country
Florida is a very good football team if their front line players are healthy. They are pretty banged up right now and they have very little reserve strength. Mac will fix that but for this game, their chances for an upset are slim. Loss of their best QB does not help either. We will wear them down and take over the game in the second half.
 

G8RNGA

3rd Team
Dec 6, 2014
242
0
0
I have some concerns!

Seriously, as has been mentioned, Florida has a respectable defense but without an effective offense, the defense alone will not win the game.

The main problem for Florida's offense is at the QB position. Treon looked lost last night and unless he can somehow get some degree of MOJO back, it's going to be a long night again for Florida's defense.

Also factor in Florida has no reliable FG kicker.

It's Bama's game to lose, essentially.
Agree. It was painful to watch it live. The record setting fans packed the stands and were loud in the start. We roared when they called out Treon's name - more in hope of giving him confidence. By the end of the 3rd quarter fans began to trickle out and that gave way to a flood with 5 or so minutes left. Most stayed hoping we'd get a defensive TD and spark something.

In fairness, he was recruited to UF by Roper to play in a spread offense and he is lost in a conventional offense unable to read defenses, check down, or throw the ball with any authority beyond 2 yards. Kelvin Taylor played his heart out with his dad recognized on the field during one of the commercial breaks. The o-line held up for 3-5 sec per play - really all you can ask for. The WRs were open. Unfortunately, it's the wrong offense for the QB.

You guys will win. Our defense will give it an effort. They are banged up, but this game is important. It's not that our offense won't also put in an effort, they just don't have the leader capable of winning the game unless Alabama's defense falls asleep at the wheel.

It will be fun to see these two teams take the field in a meeting that marks the 7th time since 1992. We belong playing one another in this setting and I hope it's the beginning to many more!
 

JustinT256

1st Team
Sep 21, 2015
427
0
0
Dayton, Ohio
Agree. It was painful to watch it live. The record setting fans packed the stands and were loud in the start. We roared when they called out Treon's name - more in hope of giving him confidence. By the end of the 3rd quarter fans began to trickle out and that gave way to a flood with 5 or so minutes left. Most stayed hoping we'd get a defensive TD and spark something.

In fairness, he was recruited to UF by Roper to play in a spread offense and he is lost in a conventional offense unable to read defenses, check down, or throw the ball with any authority beyond 2 yards. Kelvin Taylor played his heart out with his dad recognized on the field during one of the commercial breaks. The o-line held up for 3-5 sec per play - really all you can ask for. The WRs were open. Unfortunately, it's the wrong offense for the QB.

You guys will win. Our defense will give it an effort. They are banged up, but this game is important. It's not that our offense won't also put in an effort, they just don't have the leader capable of winning the game unless Alabama's defense falls asleep at the wheel.

It will be fun to see these two teams take the field in a meeting that marks the 7th time since 1992. We belong playing one another in this setting and I hope it's the beginning to many more!
I could not agree more.
 

dvldog

Hall of Fame
Sep 20, 2005
6,568
344
107
72
Virginia
I think we win but going forward we appear to be too one dimensional on offense.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Ole Man Dan

Hall of Fame
Apr 21, 2008
8,959
3,392
187
Gadsden, Al.
From watching the Fl. QB, he reacts poorly to pressure. Throws may be up for grabs.
Run was abandoned when stopped near the line of scrimmage.
We need to pressure their QB early and often.
Nuss was too predictable when he coached for us, I didn't see anything to contradict that opinion when they played FSU.

The best thing Florida has going for them is their Defense.
I look for Florida to stack the box to try to stop Henry.
I hope their plan is to sell out and try to stop our running game.
Jake Coker will have opportunities to hurt em in this game, that loosens up the run...

WE AREN'T A 17 PT. FAVORITE BY ACCIDENT.
I think we are bigger, stronger, better coached to say the least.
 
Last edited:
Florida gives up 110+ yard rushing on defense. That's a top run defense and they give up that many yards a game? Fournette got almost 200 on them, 180 to be exact. I believe we have a better run offense than them and we can actually pass so I expect Kiffin to mixed it up for them. We have a better offense than Free Shoes U too and they scored 27. Another thing about their offense. The reason I beleive they scored 28 on LSU is because Harris was new to them and LSU really didn't have any tape. Guess who has tape?
 

bama579

Hall of Fame
Jan 15, 2005
5,413
885
137
The Chukker or Archibalds
This may be a game for rbs other than Henry to get some work. If the swamp lizards were more of an offensive threat, would not say that. I we will be in good enough field position for enough of the game to be less concerned than usual with ball security issues from Harris and Scarbrough.

Reeally wish Drake were healed enough to get some real game reps, but he'll probably be fine for the playoff games.
 

fralo4tide

1st Team
Jun 4, 2009
930
24
37
Pensacola, FL
I just hope that we have plenty of trick plays in order to give us a chance. Maybe our lineman can turn their backs to the D-line for a few seconds and then whip around real quick and set their feet, or we could have Jake Coker fake the handoff to Henry, run to the sideline, fake a pass to Ridley outside, turn back around and throw it to O.J. across the field.

Oh, by the way, how is the sprinkler system in the GA dome? Is it easy to get access to it during the week?
 

BamaHoosier

All-American
Jan 17, 2011
3,614
620
132
Noblesville Indiana
We just need to jump out to an early lead. Florida isn't built to play from behind, which is what FSU proved this weekend. Harris is inconsistent at best, and we need to exploit his mistakes with turnovers. If we can take away their ability to run early, and force them into long yardage situations, our D should have a feeding frenzy. I'm usually not the big prediction/homer type. But I could see this as the biggest blowout in the SECCG since Auburn laid waste to USCe in 2010.
 

81usaf92

TideFans Legend
Apr 26, 2008
35,295
31,347
187
South Alabama
I've felt ever since the uf/ut game that Florida is still 2 to 3 years away if things go right even though they won. If butch jones had a lick of sense then we would be playing Tennessee. I think most of Florida's splendor is overhyped and has come to light the last 4 weeks. Mac is a good coach but I just don't see Florida beating us. I think when it's all said and done our trip to jhs is going seem tougher than our return to the dome. I would've felt more nervous playing Tennessee again over playing Florida with or without will Grier.
 

Bazza

TideFans Legend
Oct 1, 2011
35,485
21,089
187
New Smyrna Beach, Florida
FYI: On the SEC Network, they have been airing both pressers from Coaches Saban and McElwain giving praise to each other's team and program. It's very cool to listen to these two zen masters.....and McElwain is so much better at pressers than Champ ever was.

Mac's comment about Henry that he reminded him of that train movie where it couldn't be stopped and was going to crash into a city - that was funny. Then Maria came on afterwards and said she was pretty sure Denzel was in that one....lol.

Looking forward to our game - good to be back in Atlanta.
 

rgw

Suspended
Sep 15, 2003
20,852
1,351
232
Tuscaloosa
The beauty of playing Florida is if you score one TD that is all you need. I have ZERO concern about this game.
Not if you score a TD for them too.


Limiting turnovers and causing turnovers is gonna be the key to this game.
 

B1GTide

TideFans Legend
Apr 13, 2012
45,481
46,794
187
Not if you score a TD for them too.


Limiting turnovers and causing turnovers is gonna be the key to this game.
Yep - This is a game in which the game plan will be simple - have your defense put pressure on the other team, play for field position and capitalize on their mistakes. Both teams go in with this plan. Alabama's advantage is that they will not be out of the game if FL scores early, but if Alabama puts 14 points on the board early in the game FL is done. Not because they can't score 14 points, but because the pressure will be too much for their offense. We saw that in the FSU game.
 

rgw

Suspended
Sep 15, 2003
20,852
1,351
232
Tuscaloosa
I really think this game plays out a lot like the Auburn game except I don't see DH for 5+ every touch being as much of a sure thing against their front. McElwain is gonna have some things to steal points. He was a master of this while at Alabama and I expect that he'll try one or two plays to steal 7 points. The big thing that hurts him is that their kicker is a liability while ours just came off a career game and has honestly been money since October. They're gonna have to be more aggressive and I think that will lead to more turnovers and missed scoring opportunities if they can get into the fringe scoring range area (40 and in) then bog down.


I think we win but it will be a barfight. They've been getting embarrassed for while winning then finally in a loss last week. Unless McElwain has just flat out lost this team - who may not totally jive with his personality and drive yet - I really expect them to come out and try to earn back some of the respect they lost lately. Ultimately, if we protect the football and stay within our offense then I think we will win but with Coker you just never know.
 

peariver

1st Team
Jan 31, 2009
897
2
35
SW Georgia
My honest thoughts about this game is Thank God I have two tickets to this game and I don't have to listen to Verne and Gary this Saturday and after we win this game the rest of our games are on another network.

Roll Tide Bama big time in this one.
 

JustNeedMe81

Hall of Fame
Sep 30, 2011
14,893
6,165
187
42
Huntsville, Al
The players understand what they have to do win the championship. I think the key to winning the game against Florida is limiting the turnovers. Coker has got lot better at that lately. On Offense, We have to get receivers to step up like they did against Tennessee... make plays. No dropped balls. OL has to continue to get better at Pass protection and I thought we improved against Auburn.. and we need to build on that. Henry needs to do what he normally do. Just hurt people.

Defense- just dominate.

I anticpate us pulling away within 2nd quarters and running away with it... but we won't beat them so bad because of coaches mutual respect for each other.

Defense is good, but I got a feeling that Coker/Henry will have a big game... Expect secondary to step up big.
 

TIDE-HSV

Senior Administrator
Staff member
Oct 13, 1999
84,487
39,557
437
Huntsville, AL,USA
This is exactly right. It was clear from the first snap that you approach at the LOS was very different in the Auburn game than in any other game this season. You were not pushing the pocket back in the QB's face. Instead you were spreading out and minimizing the effectiveness of the read option plays by forcing every run back to the middle of the field. It led to a few decent runs for them in the first half, but it kept them from breaking anything outside (the way that they score).

It was a masterful defensive game plan by a coaching staff that has now seen enough of this offense to know how to stop it.
This was more or less what I was going to post. We essentially used the "mush rush" to contain their tricks. In the second half, we decided to attack the QB and it worked. I'm wondering what we do with Harris, who is even worse than JJ. I'd bet we go after him from the first snap...
 

Matt0424

All-American
Jan 16, 2010
3,909
0
55
Hoover, Al
Unless we turn the ball over, the Gators just don't have the offense. I don't want to sound like this is being taken lightly, but it's just really lopsided on paper.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk
 

Latest threads

TideFans.shop : 2024 Madness!

TideFans.shop - Get YOUR Bama Gear HERE!”></a>
<br />

<!--/ END TideFans.shop & item link \-->
<p style= Purchases made through our TideFans.shop and Amazon.com links may result in a commission being paid to TideFans.