Sounds like Boom’s found his guy to rearrange the deck chairs on the Titanic resurrect the moribund Florida offense.
Roper has served as Duke’s offensive coordinator since 2008. This year, the Blue Devils ranked 68th nationally in total offense, averaging 408.1 yards per game. The Blue Devils averaged 31.6 points per game.
In 2012, Roper helped direct the Blue Devils to a school single-season record of 410 points and 31.5 points per game, the fifth-highest total in school history.
Roper has extensive history in the SEC. He got his coaching start at Tennessee while serving as a graduate assistant from 1996-98 and then followed current Duke head coach David Cutcliffe to Ole Miss, where he spent six years coaching quarterbacks and was the passing game coordinator during his final three seasons.
In 2005, Roper served as Kentucky’s quarterbacks coach before serving as running backs coach at Tennessee in 2006 and 2007.
Tennessee, Ole Miss, Kentucky and Duke may not sound like much, until you consider they all look a long way up from this:
Pease’s dismissal came on the heels of an injury-riddled season in which Florida ranked last in the SEC in total offense (316.7 yards per game) and scoring (18.8) during a 4-8 season. It was the first time since 1979 that the Gators suffered a losing season and the first time in 22 years that they failed to make a bowl game.
Florida scored 30 or more points just twice during the 2013 season, tying for 112th nationally in scoring offense. The Gators also ranked 113th nationally in total offense.
What do you figure the over/under is on the number of years Roper has guaranteed on his contract?
Get The Picture 
As a Duke alum, who has been watching Duke football for a while, this is an interesting hire. Formation & personnel wise, it fits what UF has on hand. The short, not too many progressions, passing game fits Driskel’s abilities too. My biggest criticism of Roper has been he doesn’t really have much other than that. He has not adjusted well to teams that have pressing athletes that can jam & disrupt other than running swing passes over & over. Granted, that could be talent based though. All in all, this should be very interesting to watch.
Also, Cutt is EXTREMELY involved in the running of the O. Will be fascinating watching Roper fly totally solo. Not much time for a learning curve.
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If the guy learned from Cutt he could be since Cutt used to give UGA fits. Hopefully, he doesn’t have the wheel route in his repertoire.
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Interesting and informative post. Thanks.
It’s a little hard to imagine Roper throwing it downfield at Florida, at least next year. Driskell doesn’t do that very well, though its hard to tell how much is reading, decision making, presence, and all the other things.
In the SEC you really need the threat of throwing it downfield. And it could be he Roper could coach Driskell up enough to at least be a threat, since he’s done it, just not with any consistency at all.
But he has a really good QB coming in, and I’ll be surprised if he doesn’t start the first game. That’s how good he looked at the Elite 11 event. So Driskell may just be a backup.
Chances are, by the time Georgia plays Florida, the new guy will be comfortable in the Roper’s offense, and will have made somewhat of a name for himself.
Whatever happens, it’s gonna be interesting.
~~~
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Over/Under on Roper’s contract=1. Duh. 🙂
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I’m not asking how many years he’ll be in Gainesville. I’m asking how many years he’ll be paid by UF.
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1, or else they won’t hire him. Foley isn’t going to get tied up with a multi-year contract for an assistant coach when the HC is going to get canned next year. The decision to fire Boom has already been made. The FU brass wants Boom to absorb the losses for the difficult schedule next season–then they’ll cut him loose and hire the “savior.” Odds are Boom will get the ax before the season is over. Just look at the schedule.
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Pretty sure that number would be three, no one is leaving a secure job to walk into the iffy situation FU has become at this point. They aren’t near as worried about a couple of million dollars as they are another down year and an unhappy fan base. Next year will be another tough one for them (good for us) regardless of what Roper can bring to the table as the cupboards are not stocked and the schedule is rougher for them. Driskell is still an anchor, the running game is below average, and the receivers they need aren’t on board. Add in them picking up Bama from the West and a visit to both Tallahassee and Knoxville, I think 6 wins for them is the O/U next year. Certain losses against LSU, UGA, FSU, and Bama. Possible losses to Mizzou, Vandy, TN, and SC. If they go 5-7, or worse, not sure they have enough goodwill to withstand the fans revolt, especially if they get dominated in those losses.
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If anybody’s dumb enough to walk into that situation without a multi-year deal, I wouldn’t want to hire him in the first place.
And Foley’s all in on Boom, anyway.
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All in? Didn’t Foley endorse the Zooker the year before firing him mid-season? Just sayin.”
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UF will win at least 9 games in 2014. Maybe more.
That roster has talent, but they lack a QB. Still, they’re way more fundamentally sound than the Dawgs. If we don’t clean up special teams and defense, one of those wins will end our streak.
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Have you seen UF’s 2014 schedule? The Gators pull Alabama and LSU from the West.
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That makes me laugh
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Here’s FU’s 2014 schedule with wins and losses: Idaho (W); E.Mich (W); Kentucky (W); at Bama (L); at UT (probable L); LSU (L); Mizzou (L); WLOCP (L); at Vandy (probable L); South Carolina (L); E.Ky (W); at FSU (L). That’s only 4 sure wins, 6 sure losses and 2 probable losses.Looks like 4-8, 5-7 or at best 6-6 in Gainesville next season.
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Thanks for sorting that out! Now they only need to play twice next year to sort out those probables. Of your 6 definite losses, 4 are 50/50 games (incl ours) and I’m not so sure Bama has a QB either. And who knows what kind of team FSU will have next Thanksgiving? Or who will be coaching them.
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Damn,
You’re pretty much a Disney Gator
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+1
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Which says a lot about his character using “dawg” in his handle. If you are ashamed of your affiliation with your program, you might need another team. Must be a post-1990 gator and doesn’t realize this is closer to their historical level of performance than most will care to admit.
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“Scrambledbrains” would be more appropo.
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Auburn went from 3-9 to 12-1 so predicting wins and losses now is like picking a wife from a prison, all bad choices.
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Exactly, Mizzou and Auburn were both awful last year. You seem to also assume all teams will be healthy – we know how that can work out.
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I would say UF will be dangerously thin at the QB position next season, before any losses to injury and such.
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I guess Roper has seen enough to know when it’s time to take a chance. Probably gets a few years pay in 1 season from fu. If he does well, it opens doors for a head coaching job. But you’d think he’d be in line for the duke job, since cuttcliffe isn’t all that young.
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Scary though. I remember the last Duke vet they hired…
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LOL. Good one.
~~~
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Maybe they should have hired Ted Roof instead of Corch.
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