I understand that Boom may feel like he has no other choice, given the state of Driskel’s health, but this doesn’t strike me as a great move for a quarterback who’s used to running as part of his game.
Florida quarterback Jeff Driskel said Friday he won’t take a hit on the football field until the season opener on Aug. 31 against Toledo, after having his appendix removed last week and missing the first six practices of camp.
But he feels like everything is getting back to normal.
Sure he does.
It will be worth watching the Gators’ turnover numbers early on. That was a big factor in their success last year. But expecting a quarterback who won’t feel any hitting until the season starts to play flawlessly is a gamble of sorts.
Kind of reminds me of when Georgia stopped live tackling in practice due to injuries (2008 I think). We all remember how well that turned out.
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Big Ben played for the Steelers about 11 days after his laparoscopic appendectomy. While minimally invasive they are still poking a hole in the muscle wall. Re-injury to that muscle could result in a hernia. I don’t imagine getting sacked would do him any good.
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I don’t think this is a big deal. QBs typically are not hit in practice anyway are they? Don’t they wear those special jerseys that signify no contact?
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I agree that he wasn’t going to get hit very much anyway, but I think it still matters. He is their only option at QB and his current condition is so far from game ready they don’t see him being able to take a hit for weeks.
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They have 2 other qb’s on the roster, 3 walk ons plus a freshman they intend to redshirt. I guess that is why that passing O ranked 114 in the nation last year. Injured qb, new wr’s and an O line that isn’t that healthy. Ouch.
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I really hate that for them
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+1
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🙂
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If it’s not a big deal, why even make an issue of it in the first place?
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Thank you Counselor!
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That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. I think we all know how difficult it is to recover from serious illnesses and injuries.
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qb’s are almost always non-contact
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“Quarterbacks should wear dresses.”
Jack Lambert
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Interesting read and take on the reasons for the vanishing MLB.
http://www.mcmillenandwife.com/lambert_man_of_steel.html
“After the ’78 hit he spent 20 minutes in Pete Rozelle’s office. Lambert explained he had crossed both arms in front of him to soften the blow. The hit was still late, Rozelle said. [Ed. Note: This was the hit that spawned Lambert’s famous “Quarterbacks should wear dresses” quote during a Monday Night interview with Howard Cosell the following week.] “
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They are like pitchers…prima donnas. Although, I love me some QB’s and Pitchers.
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Driskell certainly seemed “sure” of plenty and packed full of A “knowledge” per the schemes! Just how sure he can be with a Sr. WR now gone for the season and nearly no definitive RB comes off as whistling past the graveyard to me. Also, the mighty Rockets o’ Toledo in Game 1 are no slouch. They come from Ohio (where there are football players), like Bowling Green which was in the game last year right till the end.
I continue to see a trainwreck of a 2014 for da Gatah.
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I think it will be fun to watch Petrino roll into Knoxvegas after possibly upsetting Kentucky (took them to overtime last year /s him) and show Butch a few pass routes. Now that would be funny.
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Great point. I forgot Petrino was at W Kentucky. I’m sure Willie Martinez has a plan to stop him.
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If I had dinero to spare, I just might go WKU straight up in that Lexington match.
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+1 🙂
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I think the contact issue with Driskell is less significant than the reps. He looked so lost last year, even through the bowl game.
The best part of the article was Boom’s tough love lesson of sitting his undeniable MLB starter for a week of fall camp and reconsidering his suspension to not include the Miami game. Big balls, Boom. Huge.
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It won’t affect Driskell to go awhile without being hit. The kids been playing football most of his life and he wil instinctivley protect the ball and himself on runs. We can all hope for the Gators to have butterfingers, and I would like to see them fumble everytime they touch the ball…but this isn’t going to cause it. Best plan is to plan on besting them even when they bring their A Game.
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Their offense needs to improve dramatically. How will they accomplish that with their staring RB out and their starting QB missing practice and dodging contact?
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Although, in the selfish interest of swaying Mr. L. Carter, here is hoping for a Gaytor implosion that results in a large number of losses.
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If Florida has a poor season and Muschump gets the ax, does anyone believe that Bobby Petrino will be #1 on Foley’s speed dial?
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That is an interesting theory. The Media could tout it as a return to the halcyon days of the SOS regime; and it seems that the UF scene has little regard in soft-pedaling moral/legal shortcomings.
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No, because Florida always has a good defense, and Petrino could care less about defense.
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