Pat Dooley’s Six Pack: Instant reactions to Florida’s blunder in the Swamp
I don’t want to get morbid here, but it feels like Florida wore black to its own postseason funeral.
The Gators lost to a team that had never won in Gainesville, lost to a team with no SEC wins this season and lost to a team at home for only the second time under Billy Napier.
Add it all together and you get a team that is now 5-4 overall with three games on the horizon that don’t look winnable.
Yeah, everyone needs to be patient. But it’s wearing thin.
The Gators fell 39-36 to a team that came into the game with the last-place offense in the SEC. Well, Arkansas WAS last. After gaining 481 yards against what used to be a pretty good Gator defense, the Razorbacks will probably escape the cellar.
The Dooley Six Pack takes a quick look at Florida’s loss to Arkansas on Saturday.
They are young and the fans are restless
There were boos. And there is going to be plenty of noise in the system. Florida has lost four games and it doesn’t feel like there are any wins on the horizon. This feels less like rebuilding and more like waiting for the low point to finally come.
The Gators needed this game badly, not only for Napier but to try to build some momentum going forward.
Breaking news: It did not start well
The first drive of the game was everything Florida was afraid it might be. Arkansas only needed seven plays under new coordinator Kenny Guiton to go 75 yards. And then, Ricky Pearsall was stripped and it was returned for a score by the Razorbacks’ Jaylon Braxton.
We’ve seen this team start poorly on the road, but at home with the fancy new uniforms?
It felt like both coaches should have been happy
The first half should have made Sam Pittman happy because he was in a tie game on the road in a place where his team had never won. Napier had to be happy to be tied after falling behind 14-0 in a must-win game. But, boy, both coaches had plenty of things to work on after a lackluster second quarter.
What’s the deal with the third quarter?
And yet, it was another lackluster third quarter for the Gators, who must be distracted by a video game during halftime speeches. The Gators followed up a 45-yard second quarter with a 49-yard third quarter. If not for the fumble recovery and the quick strike to Pearsall, the game might have gotten ugly.
There are going to be a lot of complaints
Because there was a weird lack of time management and some of the play calls were as beige as you can get. But the bottom line is that Florida lost because it missed a kick. It was in position to lose because the defense played so poorly.
In the last three games, Florida has allowed 477.3 yards per game. That’s not good.
We knew the Hogs were dangerous
Yes, I am sure Pittman is proud of himself for elevating Kenny Guiton into the role of playcaller. And yes, Florida missed Shemar James (and will for the rest of the season).
I think a lot of the defense going sour is that Florida plays so many games and they may just be worn down. Too many defenders not getting off blocks is a major sign of that.
Read more
Everything Billy Napier said after Florida’s Week 10 loss to Arkansas
Twitter reactions to Florida football’s overtime loss to Arkansas
Five takeaways from Florida’s overtime loss to Arkansas Razorbacks
Good, Bad and Ugly: Gators Wire’s quick takes on devastating Arkansas loss
PHOTOS: Highlights from Florida football’s loss vs. Arkansas
Twitter reacts to crucial Jordan Castell interception against Arkansas
PHOTOS: A look at Florida football’s Gator Walk ahead of Arkansas game
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