Florida, as we know, hired Curt Roper as offensive coordinator to bring a more up-tempo attack to Gainesville, something that’s pretty much virgin territory for a Will Muschamp team. Roper is at least honest about needing time to make a successful transition.
“I think there’s an adjustment period,” Roper agreed. “I don’t think it’s something where the first practice they know what we’re talking about necessarily. Over time I think they’ll get to the point where they enjoy it. The skill players enjoy it probably more than the offensive linemen in the sense that sometimes it’s hard to stay in a stance. Part of tempo offenses is getting lined up quickly. That’s the whole key to it. If you get lined up quickly, that means you can snap the ball quickly. If you don’t get lined up quickly, then the defense knows you’re not going to snap the football.”
“Well to get lined up quickly that means the offensive linemen have to get lined up quickly, and they’re in a difficult stance sometimes. So it’s a challenge for those guys. It’s a little bit more of an adjustment. The skill players love it because they don’t have to run back to a huddle and then run out, so it actually conserves their energy. It’s actually a good adjustment for the skill players. The linemen it’s the biggest change for because they’re in a stance.”
You wonder how quickly he can change the mindset of his players. You wonder how sold Boom really is on the change. And you wonder how much the Gators’ injury situation will affect the time it takes to get the new offense rolling.
The good news is that Roper has the luxury of three tune up games to get things figured out before going to Tuscaloosa. Maybe by then he’ll have turned Jeff Driskel into the next Johnny Manziel.