Daily Archives: October 8, 2021

October 8, 2021 · 12:13 PM

“… that time, when seat count is all anyone cared about.”

Florida is moving forward on plans to renovate Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.  Here comes your future, Gator fans:

Stricklin has noted that in doing further renovations to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, seating capacity is likely to reduced. While that will shrink the number of fans at games, it should create a more comfortable experience while increasing demand and allowing Florida more pricing power control on tickets and booster fees.  [Emphasis added.]

Florida has packed the Swamp for all three games in the 2021 season, drawing a crowd of 86,840 for the season opener against Florida Atlantic, 90,887 for Alabama and 88,478 for Tennessee.

Still, upgrades are necessary.

“There was a time when, probably when the north endzone was done in the early ‘90s was part of that time, when seat count is all anyone cared about,” Stricklin said in 2018. “Just cram as many people as possible in there. Obviously that is not, when you talk to people who do facilities and stadiums theses days, that’s not as important as quality and making sure you’re creating an environment that people want to come and participate in.

“The days of fans being OK sitting three hours on really a piece of aluminum I think are gone. So we’ve got to find ways to upgrade the overall quality.”

That quality ain’t gonna pay for itself, peeps.  Less is more.

And I bet it won’t just happen in Gainesville, either.

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36 Comments

Filed under Gators, Gators..., It's Just Bidness

October 8, 2021 · 8:30 AM

On the edge

Jake Rowe compares position groups for tomorrow’s game and doesn’t find a single one where Auburn has the advantage.  Final tally:  Georgia 5, Push 4.  Now that doesn’t fully paint the picture, as it’s a comparison of units as opposed to how the teams will actually face off, but, still, it adds up to a talent advantage for the visitors.

Looking at that, I’ve got two questions about Auburn’s game plan tomorrow.  One is on offense, where Harsin knows what he’s up against, but still wants to test Georgia’s run defense.

“You’re going to have to win some of those one-on-one matchups,” Harsin said. “They do have very good depth, they’re very good up front. You still have to scheme for that, so you just can’t give up on that because they have good players, and they have depth. You’re going to scheme, you’re going to have a plan and then you’re going to work on the things that you have to do that week in order to make that play or that plan you have with your offense successful.”

“Everybody wants to try to run the football, and so you still want to be able to run it,” Harsin said. “You’ve got to be able to handle those guys up front. We’ve got to do a great job at O-line, tight ends being able to get up to those linebackers as well so you can run it. So that just in itself is a challenge.”

Run the damned ball, Bobo.  Seriously, I get why Harsin’s saying that.  Auburn’s basically averaging about the same yardage per run play as it is per pass attempt.  He can’t just abandon that.  (Of course, that’s the same thinking Sam Pittman had the week before, and look where that got him.)

On defense, Derek Mason’s got a choice.  Does he sit back in coverage and make Georgia nibble down the field, or does he challenge the Dawgs’ offensive line, play man coverage and make Stetson Bennett beat him over the top?  It’s a pick your poison scenario.  Arkansas tried the former and Monken took the run all game long.  UAB went the latter route and Bennett had a career game.

My personal feeling is that, given the talent disadvantage, Harsin knows he’s got to gamble and force the action somewhat, so I expect Auburn to be more aggressive on defense than Arky was.  I do think he wants some traction from his running game, but even on offense, I expect he’ll want to take his share of shots and trick plays.

65 Comments

Filed under Auburn's Cast of Thousands, Georgia Football, Strategery And Mechanics

October 8, 2021 · 8:00 AM

TFW you can’t do any better than Dan Mullen

Melt this shit down and inject it directly into my veins:

I have bad news for fans calling for Dan Mullen’s head. All his potential replacements stink.

… Which brings us to Mullen. He is far from Mr. Perfect, as we saw in the Gators’ latest misadventure.

Losing to Kentucky wasn’t the affront to decency a lot of fans think. Mark Stoops has built a respectable program, and I guarantee no visiting team will ever again win 16 straight in Lexington.

That said, Florida had more talent. A well-prepared team doesn’t commit 15 penalties. Daring Dan went ultra-conservative.

He shirked off criticism, noting how the Gators dominated the stat sheet. That showed a lingering lack of self-awareness that should have ended after last year’s “Pack the Swamp” and Missouri meltdowns.

It’s fair for fans to be upset about all that, to question Mullen’s recruiting prowess and wonder if the program is hitting a ceiling. What’s missing with many fans is a sense of perspective. I realize that’s also a Constitutional right, but let’s try to be real for a minute.

UF was an overturned jalopy with its wheels spinning in the air in 2017. Mullen quickly lifted it out of that ditch and built a sleek scoring machine that raced to three consecutive New Year’s Six bowls.

He was widely considered an offensive guru until about 9:23 p.m. last Saturday, when he magically turned into Will Muschamp and certain segments of Gator Nation developed a case of Mullen Madness.

Anybody got a vaccine?

In a rational world, Mullen has earned a healthy dose of tolerance.

Stay rational, Gainesville.  Please.

57 Comments

Filed under Gators, Gators...

October 8, 2021 · 7:30 AM

All you ever do is bring me down.

You know, there’s a common reason why all those offenses Georgia’s played in their first five games aren’t particularly stout, statistically speaking.

I expect the national punditry to have the same take on Auburn after Saturday.

33 Comments

Filed under Georgia Football, Stats Geek!

October 8, 2021 · 7:00 AM

Embracing the suck… er, chaos

So, according to Bryan Harsin, Auburn’s offensive game plan this week will be to let Bo Nix be even more Bo Nixian.

“Scramble drill, that’s from Day 1, that’s something that we’ve installed even back in spring,” Harsin said. “You know that’s going to happen not just because it’s Bo Nix; because of any quarterback in the country is going to have to scramble, so you want to have some type of answer. His ability to scramble, we saw it. He’s very elusive and did a great job in that game. Again, that’s not how the play’s drawn up, but there’s going to be things that guys are going to do in games where they go and make plays, and that’s exactly what he did.”

“You look at him, and the guy can make plays and he did,” Harsin said. “That’s not how you want to draw everything up. There is that ability, so you continue to work those things. They happen in practice, and then hopefully we can continue to capitalize on some of those plays in games. But (we) want to put the plan together where he can go out there and just operate, play quarterback and then when things do break down, be able to go make some really good decisions and some plays if that’s possible and continue that moving forward.”

I mean, the guy’s got a 104.03 passer rating against P5 defenses.  What could go wrong?

Kirby said Nix is “playing the best he ever has right now”.  I first took that as doing an impression of Vince Dooley talking about long snappah, but, sadly, upon reflection, Smart may have mean that sincerely.  And he’s not wrong.

29 Comments

Filed under Auburn's Cast of Thousands, Strategery And Mechanics

October 8, 2021 · 6:30 AM

“Defense so good it breaks the axis”

Have some Dawg porn this morning:

That’s what you get when your defense scores as many points as it gives up.  Hoo wah!

19 Comments

Filed under Georgia Football, Stats Geek!

October 8, 2021 · 6:00 AM

Nick Saban doesn’t have time for Jimbo Fisher’s bravado.

Shot.

Chaser.

Yeah, I don’t think this is gonna be Jimbo’s year.

26 Comments

Filed under Nick Saban Rules