TWO BITS: Meyer on changes, RBs on SEC carries

By Adam Silverstein
December 21, 2009

1 » Though OGGOA is still 50-50 on whether or not former wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator Billy Gonzales was asked to leave or simply took a new job, Florida Gators head coach Urban Meyer insists it was the latter. “I think sometimes guys, when you’ve been with them so long, people encourage them to move on,” Meyer said. “I wish it wasn’t at a rival. He’s a good coach. Every year he’s had job opportunities. I don’ think [the split] was unhappy. I just think it’s professional growth. I can see that. I have no animosity.”

2 » As a unit they only totaled three rushing plays in the 2009 SEC Championship game, but running backs Jeff Demps and Chris Rainey are not dwelling on the lack of opportunity. “I didn’t get frustrated,” Demps said. “I don’t think any of the backs got frustrated. There are no ball hogs on this team.” Even so, it remains curious that one of the best rushing teams in the country barely ran the ball in their biggest game of the season. RB coach Kenny Carter said the Gators became pass-first after its early drives were not successful and the team was put in a hole. “You’d like to have a couple of things happen early to set the tone, but we don’t get caught up in that,” Carter said.

10 Comments

  1. Aligator says:

    being a ball hog is one thing, using your talent to it’s capacity is another. Addozzio did not use his talent in the biggest game of his young OC tender.

  2. O-town Gator says:

    Aligator, don’t just point the finger at the coaches. These kids can only have their hands held for so long, and then “school’s out.” If they don’t execute properly after they’ve been taught and taught, that isn’t solely the coaches’ fault. Our guys didn’t have the right attitude that night, and that was the primary reason we lost.

  3. Thomas says:

    This is what happens when you hire an OC who sucked as the OC at Indiana. Addazio is a very good OL coach who is not smart or talented enough to be an OC.

  4. Aligator says:

    i know they had a certain attitude, but three carries the whole night when we are one of the top ruching teams in the country?? come on … Thomas, you are correct, God knows why Urban drank the Kool-
    Aide!

  5. Drew 4 Orange and Blue says:

    So it appears he was encouraged to leave instead of being ask…same difference….I trust Meyer’s judgment…now as far as OC let’s hope Meyer realizes he needs a change…..it wasn’t just the Bama game….we all saw it coming all year…this offense just never looked like it should have…when you have solid returning O-line….NFL caliber TE….Heisman winning QB…stable of solid RB’s and capable WR’s there is just not reason to see the average numbers we saw this year and I think the crazy lack of running against Bama was because they were desparate to find a way to score against the best defense we faced all year

  6. You know, a lot of people are concentrating on the offensive failures during that game…but the offense did not lose Florida the game – the defense did. The offense had two additional opportunities to score touchdowns, one of which Tebow through away with an end zone interception. The offense moved the ball decently well against a tough defense, but the Gators’ defense couldn’t stop the Tide offense – and that is why the score was so lopsided and why Florida was out of the game so early. Game was within 2 and the defense let up the huge play to Ingram to put Alabama back up 9 (after the score). No matter how well the offense played, the Gators could not have won the game with the defensive performance they put forth.

  7. Drew 4 Orange and Blue says:

    Sure the defense laid an egg and clearly they were not ready to play but they had one bad game vs the offense which struggled on and off all year…if the offense would have come out and made some plays and put some points on the board momentum could certainly have changed and the defense might have responded….especially to start the second half when we could have actually driven the field and taken a lead despite the terrible first half…instead we go three and out and the game was over

  8. No one is saying the offense is without fault during the season…but what the offense did up until the SEC Championship game does not matter – the previous 12 games were all wins. When the offense did put points on the board and try to keep the game close, Alabama just drove right back down the field and responded with a score. They put together short drives and long drives, completely dominating the Florida defense. You cannot just dismiss the defense’s struggles with “sure the defense laid an egg” and then rail on the offense for losing the game. That is not putting the fault on the right shoulders. That is all.

  9. Drew 4 Orange and Blue says:

    First of all I stated the defense did not show up to play but the discussion was around our OC since our former OC that won two NC’s is not hear any longer and our offense went south…sure losing Harvin and Murphy hurt but they still did not produce to the level most of us expected and certainly did not improve as the season went on….and just to put the entire loss on the defense when the offense rushed for 88 yards is not fair either.

  10. I did not put the whole loss on the defense, but that is where it started. If you had to dish out portions of blame, the majority of it goes to that unit. Not rushing the ball early was the fault of the coaches, but once they were down two touchdowns, you have to pass the ball. Losing Harvin and Murphy hurt significantly more than losing Mullen.

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