Life comes at Matt Hayes fast.

Shot.

Because while this game against the Tide is important, it’s not the biggest potential game between the teams. The Gators could play Alabama again in December with much more on the line.

If Richardson is what the Florida staff believes he can be, the Gators can beat Georgia, LSU and Kentucky and win the SEC East Division.

Chaser.

It’s time to reevaluate the idea that Florida’s Dan Mullen is 1 of the 10 best coaches in college football.

You’ve heard it all by now, those same regurgitated talking points that have fortified the résumé of a coach who has never won a conference championship, yet is held in the same high regard as those with national titles.

A great football mind. A quarterback guru. The best play-caller in college football. A coach the NFL wants.

“There’s so much that goes into hiring a coach, but at the top of the list is, can you recruit and can you win games that matter?” a Power 5 AD told me Sunday. “I’m not sure what any of that other stuff means.”

Maybe we can help.

The great football mind is 2-6 in his past 8 games against Power 5 teams.

The quarterback guru has been playing the wrong quarterback for the past 2 games, and further mismanagement could cost Florida a generational talent (more on that later).

The best play-caller in college football had 6 points in the first half against an LSU defense that was missing 6 – yes, 6! – starters before one of those young replacement cornerbacks blew a Hail Mary coverage and gifted the Gators a touchdown.

Then again, if you never had Dan Mullen ranked as one of the ten best coaches in college football, you don’t have to spend any effort on reevaluation.

51 Comments

Filed under Gators, Gators..., Media Punditry/Foibles

51 responses to “Life comes at Matt Hayes fast.

  1. biggusrickus

    “You’ve heard it all by now, those same regurgitated talking points that have fortified the résumé of a coach who has never won a conference championship, yet is held in the same high regard as those with national titles.”

    Yeah, we heard that from Matt Hayes. I mean, I don’t read his stuff because he’s terrible. I’m just assuming.

    Liked by 4 people

  2. beatarmy92

    The next original thought Matt Hayes has will be his first. As Will Hunting tells Mr Harvard that he’s “unoriginal.”

    Liked by 1 person

  3. ASEF

    Yeah, Mullen turned a (wrong) corner in that LSU game.

    If he’s a really good coach, he’ll refocus his players and have them ready to play a great game against Georgia. Which still won’t be enough, but they’ll make Georgia win it versus shooting themselves in the foot over and over again.

    But Georgia might blow their doors off if they can’t pass without turning the ball over, and getting their doors blown off might cement post-Spurrier Gainseville killing off yet another coach.

    Liked by 3 people

    • Derek

      Will we be facing a cornered animal or a team ready to quit?

      My guess is both. If we give them any hope, it may be a 60 minute game. If we extinguish their hope early, they’ll lay down.

      Liked by 13 people

      • godawgs1701

        If Georgia jumps out in first-quarter-cover mode when Florida will not have anything for them in the second half. If they don’t? Going to be a game.

        Liked by 3 people

        • iusedtopostasmikecooley

          I think Florida will fight like hell for about half a quarter and then they just won’t be able to keep up anymore. There’s just to large of a gap between these two teams and dick headedness and a desire to ruin our season isn’t going to bridge it. I think somewhere mid way through the first quarter Florida is going to see they don’t belong on the same field as this team and they are going to check out. I think they’ve about quit on Sideshow Dan and the beating they are going to be taking in that game will push them over the edge. Georgia needs to light this Richardson guy up and make him taste a lot of pain early. I’m not sold on how great he supposedly is. But I think they have him believing he is. Show him how wrong he is early and Florida is going to fold their tent and quit. Then the fun really starts. FTMF.

          Liked by 3 people

      • Down Island Way

        You can’t spell quit without FU…#FTMF

        Liked by 1 person

      • Harold Miller

        Almost like 2017, but not quite. That team had quit on McElwain already. This team isn’t there yet, but we could push them over the edge. Plus, while I don’t think much of Mullen, he is a better coach than McElwain.

        Liked by 1 person

      • ericstrattonrushchairmandamngladtomeetyou

        ^This!!

        Like

  4. godawgs1701

    Matt Hayes is absolutely every bit as credible in my eyes as Mike Bianchi.

    Liked by 6 people

  5. What really concerns me is that Matt Hayes thinks that UGA must start JT Daniels when he is healthy.

    Based on Hayes’s track record, doesn’t that mean we should probably pull JT’s scholarship immediately?

    Liked by 1 person

    • biggusrickus

      A broken clock is right twice a day.

      Liked by 3 people

    • Derek

      That particular observation is so elementary that it shouldn’t really be debatable.

      If JT is healthy, you play him, period.

      Like

      • I agree, Derek. The only reason I’d reconsider my position is that it’s so obvious that even Matt Hayes agrees.

        Liked by 1 person

        • I agree also. Look, Stetson is noticeably and dramatically better than last year, but I can show you 3 or 4 throws that SBIV just flat out missed because its not in his game from Saturday.

          Yes, the running is the dynamic that JT does not have, but I go with the arm.

          Like

          • Derek

            The difference to me is this:

            With JT we can choose to be run first and still p/u first downs from the pocket on 3rd and 7 plus. We can also choose to be pass first and let the passing game loosen up the run game.

            With Stetson, if the running game gets stuffed or struggles the offense gets constipated. He can’t throw throws those dimes on third and distance like JT can.

            I’m not saying we’re fucked with Stetson. Its just that the margin for error becomes narrower and we can’t afford to get into a track meet. If our run gets stuffed and the other team doesn’t have to load the box to neutralize the run, we’re in a fight.

            With JT we can do whatever we want and we can win a shootout if we have to.

            If I knew that none of the teams in our way could get to 20+ points I wouldn’t much worry about the JT/Stetson question. I’m just not sold that our defensive backfield can’t be challenged by the right qb/wr combo.

            Liked by 3 people

    • Munsoning

      Matt Hayes might say it, but there’s no way he thinks it. Not enough brain power to generate thoughts.

      Liked by 1 person

    • iusedtopostasmikecooley

      He’s George Castanza. Do the opposite.

      Like

  6. Corch Irvin Meyers, Former Jags Corch (2021)

    I should ask him for licensing fees for using some of the same talking points I’ve been using about Cousin Eddie for YEARS!!!

    Liked by 1 person

  7. practicaldawg

    For 13 years, Mullen has somehow convinced the media that being a good play caller at Florida under Corch and then at Mississippi State is the same as being a good HC. Maybe this is the year the media finally acknowledges that there is more to the HC job than calling plays. He’s a terrible recruiter, and it was his decision to hire and retain Grantham. There is also an intangible aspect to being HC where you need to motivate your team week to week. He plays down or up based on the opponent.

    Liked by 4 people

    • Russ

      There’s also that unspoken rule that you don’t embarrass your employer by inciting a fight on the field, calling the fans to pack the stadium during a pandemic, or being served notice of NCAA infractions.

      Liked by 1 person

  8. siskey

    How can anyone say that Richardson is a generational QB? What does that mean? Who are examples and how can you say that a guy who has played in 4-5 games (two of which were gimmes) is a generational QB?

    Like

  9. PTC DAWG

    2-6 includes Vandy…..

    Liked by 1 person

  10. akascuba

    When an FU coach loses homeboy Matt Hayes the ship is sinking fast.

    Liked by 3 people

  11. whb209

    Please let Dan stay at UF. I do not want to see Lane and his mouth every damn year. If LSU does not hire Lane, Florida will.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Gaskilldawg

      After what happened Saturday night in Neyland Lane may not want to take a HC job with an SEC East school and go through that every odd numbered year

      Like

  12. W Cobb Dawg

    Give the freshman his first start at the Cocktail party, and against the nation’s best D. No pressure there.

    Liked by 4 people

    • originaluglydawg

      Maybe he’ll walk out at halftime and announce his intentions to transfer to UGA. He’s already sort of put Mullen on notice that he’s considering the portal (by refusing to say he’s not. He didn’t say, “I love it here, blah, blah,blah as required to refute such a question). So Sideshow has to play him and stick with him even if he’s having an awful game. This is what everyone has pointed to..it will be his big coming out as UF’s future star. Dan is painted into a corner.

      Like

      • originaluglydawg

        Not serious at all about the “coming out at halftime and announcing a xfer to UGA..just hyperbole to describe the situation at UF.

        Like

  13. Texas Dawg

    I can’t believe the media is turning on the SMARTEST GREATEST COACH ALIVE (according to Mullen) with the second greatest coach alive as his DC (I got that on good authority from Grantham). If all those incompetent idiots around them would just execute their brilliant plans then all would be fine.

    Liked by 4 people

    • Tex, let’s just give him more time…he’ll get the ship righted, just give dopey the dipshit clown more time…won’t hear me bellyaching if they keep Mullen and Grantham, the dynamic duo down there…but the varnish is wearing off this shiny turd, fast

      Liked by 1 person

      • Texas Dawg

        Personally I feel they should get as long as they want to get it right. Sooner or later they will start having tons of 5 star recruits from around Lake Oconee that will be able to put the Geniuses’ plan in action.

        Liked by 3 people

  14. stumpypepys2

    You’re lucky you don’t live in the Jacksonville area where we have to listen to Hayes on the radio at noon every day. Tiresome!

    Like

  15. D as in Dawg

    What the what? The Portal Master is the Mortal Bastard? Say it ain’t so. Welcome back to earth, pal. Gomer wants to take you water skiing.

    Liked by 5 people

  16. Castleberry

    If Mullen starts Jones and loses – his seat will go incinerator hot overnight. And the likelihood of a Richardson transfer goes exponentially higher.

    And, it’s been evident from watching UF this year that Richardson doesn’t have command of the full offense yet. He’s got a QB run heavy package with some RPOs. I’m just some guy who reads a blog, and betting that Lanning and CKS will have a solid plan to shut that $hit down.

    Liked by 6 people

  17. Munsoning

    So Mullen went from most underrated CFB coach to most overrated in a couple of weeks? Man, it’s almost as though sportswriters like Hayes do nothing but dispense lazy narratives and hot takes.

    Liked by 8 people

  18. Sometimes when I’m feeling down I’ll go to the Youtubes and dial up a great moment when the Dawgs crushed someone’s spirits….

    Liked by 2 people

  19. Matt Hayes criticizing people for pumping Mullen up too much? Good lord, if ever there was a situation that called for the “We’re all trying to figure out who did this” hot-dog guy meme from I Think You Should Leave, it’s this one.

    Like