Steve Addazio's Stupidity, Not John Brantley, Is To Blame For 2010's Failure

Hey, Florida fans!!! Guess what time it is???

That’s right!!! Time to dive, bitch(es)!!!

On Florida’s first day of practice following the FSU game, what did the Gators do for nearly HALF OF THE PRACTICE???

Yep. The dive.

Anybody who ever plays or coaches football knows how a practice schedule is devised. You do a little of everything. You run some of your own plays, you run some plays you think the opponent will run, kick returns, punt returns, you do basic tackling, covering, blocking drill, etc. You do offensive and defensive skeleton: kick extra points, punts, and do basic technique drills.

That’s a lot of stuff to do in a few hours.

Think about just how much of that time Florida wasted. I know, Florida has until New Year’s Day to prepare for its bowl game but STILL. If you’re going to use half the practice to work on one thing, shouldn’t it be something innovative and not self destructive? And even if it isn’t new, shouldn’t it be something tricky, like a reverse or a flea-flicker?

The dive play for Florida has worn out its welcome. Granted, it can be very useful. There’s a time and place for every type of play. But that time is not on 3^rd and 8 with Jeffrey Demps, of all people. Rather, try it once every ten plays or so with Mack Brown or Mike Gillislee.

You know what? I honestly believe I could call a better game than Addazio.

I can hear my critics now.

He's 16 years old.

He's just a kid.

He doesn't know football.

Let's see him do any better at coaching than Addazio.

PLEASE. Somebody PLEASE give me a shot to do that. Before I do, though, could you do me a favor and let me know what sport I'm coaching? I mean, I could teach the players how to dive, if it's swimming. I could give John Brantley infield practice (especially hard ground balls with bad hops), if it's baseball. I could teach them the jump shot, if it's basketball. I could teach them how to stay on schedule, if they're doing construction work. But best of all, I could teach them how to take 3 and a half hour naps, if it's kindergarten. Just make sure I know that it's football, and I'll be good to go.

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I mean come on. Down 31-7 against FSU in the 4th quarter, and still running dive plays? Even the ABC announcers questioned the wisdom of that. One of them said, "Even if you execute the offense perfectly, you'll still kill too much time for a comeback. Who's responsible for this?"

Unfortunately for Florida, their offense is wholly run by Steve Addazio.                      

He's responsible for everything that's happened.

A popular belief among Gator fans is that John Brantley cannot throw, cannot read defenses and simply cannot manage a game of football.

Let's end that notion right here, right now.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FiIkdX3H20 

I know, not all of those plays were 80 yard TD passes. To the average football fan, he seems just OK. But to the dedicated fan, he's unbelievable. Whether it's forcing one into a tight and rapidly closing window, or leading a reciever downfield perfectly,or even throwing short bullets, you have to realize this kid's talent.

Only the real football fanatic will pick this up. Watch his swing passes. The swing has to be Top 5 on the list of most accurate throws in a QB's arsenal. The idea is to lead your running back perfectly. Not too far, so he has to dive to catch it. Not too short, forcing him to change direction or slow down. Rather, right where he can catch it in a spot where he's already running downhill, he's already accelerated to top speed. If done correctly, it's almost a guaranteed free 20 yard gain.

OK, they're not all perfect. But they're close enough so that they're still caught in stride. 

Still don't think he's any good? Why don't you take that up with everybody (the vast majority of the country) who selected him as the Gatorade National Player of the Year?

Look. The guy grew up a Gator fan. It’s in his blood to be a Gator. He’s been dreaming about playing quarterback for Florida since he was a kid. And unlike millions of others, he’s actually capable of doing an All-American job at it. Urban Meyer was willing to tweak the offense just to fit his style, because he can do some pretty amazing things when you tell him to throw the ball. Then Addazio stepped in and said, uh-uh, this is my offense and I said no. Look just how much he has struggled.

Oh and while I’m on the topic of Addazio overriding Meyer’s decisions with a horrible one, where the hell is Andre Debose? Anybody else remember Meyer saying that he was going to get Debose involved in the offense, or am I high and imagining that?

No, I’m not.

Addazio thought he was too fast and too explosive for opponents to handle, and so he benched him. Not because he was injured, he could have started against Miami Ohio. Rather, Debose has been AWOL on offense this season because Addazio convinced Meyer that he is a genius and that he knew what he was doing, Debose is needed more on special teams. His lone highlights have been on special teams- two kick return TD’s and narrowly missing on a third. Anybody want to guess what happened to Florida in those games? You got it! They lost all three!

You know why?

Because Addazio said “God damnit, I HATE speed!!! JESUS!!! That’s too much speed. That’s it, I can’t stand watching guys in orange and blue jerseys burning opponents” and... ensured fans that they wouldn't have to watch any more Gator speedsters burning opponents by running dives, and losing all three games.

What? You thought I was kidding?

Well… kind of. But I am not joking when I say that Addazio purposely benched him on offense because “he’s a special teams guy. We don’t need him on offense.”

Uh, hello? Maybe you could use him for both?

Take everything I just said into account. Who’s fault is it?

Here's where Addazio comes in. Before the year started, Urban Meyer clearly stated that Florida would tweak its offense just to fit Brantley's style, meaning it would be a passing offense. Has anybody seen that? Is running the option Brantley's style? Is running dives Brantley's style? How about throwing Mr. Gatorade Player of the Year under the bus completely and using Burton and Reed?

I haven't seen an adjustment either. But I do know why there hasn't been one.

Steve Addazio pulled Urban Meyer aside right after the spring game and told him that he wasn't satisfied with the offense, and wanted to go back to the spread offense that Tim Tebow rode to an incredible career. It would be better, Addazio assured Meyer. After all, I am your offensive coordinator. Perhaps as part of his new less-stress routine, Meyer agreed.

Addazio's right about one thing. It is better for the other team.

Defense that Tim Tebow and Chris Leak tormented once upon a time teed off on Brantley's 'spread' in 2010, dropping the Gators offense into depths previously only reached by German submarines.

I'll be honest. I loved that spread offense. All you need is a guy suited to run it. Maybe that guy is Jordan Reed? I don't know, he's a human bulldozer, may be even faster than Tebow, and can throw. Oh no, Mr. President Master King Addazio, I'm not telling you what to do. I wouldn't DARE do that. I'm just suggesting that, well, I don't mean to disrespect you, but.... you may be the single dumbest coach in existence.

I know people say that when they're pissed off. You're the worst, I hate you, I wish you were dead... it goes on and on. But someone please inform me of a team with so much talent that has performed so poorly. I mean, look at a team's (preferably college, it's easier to compare) roster. Check all the players, how highly they were rated, etc. Now tell me how they did. Anybody who wants to, take me up on that and leave it in the comments box.

Here's my suggestion for 2011. Have two offenses. Create a small package for Trey Burton, not a whole new offense, but a red zone or a third and short package. Here's how they should look:

Brantley Offense

1st and 10/ 2nd and 7+/3rd and 5+ runs:

 Dive, sweep, counter, draw, off tackle, misdirection/cutback. All suitable for Demps, Rainey, Gillislee and Mack Brown. All can be run out of either I formation or shotgun (mix it up)).

1st and 10/2nd and 7+/3rd and 5+ plays: pass:

-Hail Mary (once or twice a half)

 -Thompson/Debose/Reed 25 yard slant, 5 yard swing for either Rainey, Demps, or Debose as safety valve/extra option

-15 yard hitch and go deep ball for any reciever while the rest run quick hitches as safety valves on different sides of the field

-15 yard out route for any reciever while the rest go deep to serve as decoys

-10 yard "sure catch" for possession reciever

-Lateral to Reed. Options: 1) back to Brantley, 2) Reed keeps as if it's a screen, 3)Reed catches and hands off to Rainey/Demps/Debose heading back in Brantley's direction

-Possession reciever deep slant, playmaking recievers also deep slants but as decoys

-Flea-flicker

-Playmaking reciever 30 yard sideline slant, tight end 7 yard hitch as safety valve, other recievers block.

2nd and 3-6/3rd and 2-4 runs

Brown dive, Demps/Rainey/Debose sweep/counter

2nd and 3-6/3rd and 2-4 passes

-10 yard out pattern to Thompson, Rainey 2 yard screen as safety valve, deep corner route to 2nd playmaking reciever, the rest block.

-2 playmaking recievers 30 yard corner routes, 2 possesssion recievers 5 yard out patterns as safety valves

-Playmaking reciever reverse (option to pass if necessary)

-Bubble screen immediately thrown to playmaking reciever,  the rest block

-Playmaking reciever 10 yard middle slant, Demps/Rainey/Debose screen as safety valve, possession reciever screen as safety valve.

-Possession reciever 8 yard crossing pattern, Demps/Rainey/Debose screen as safety valve, the rest block

-2 Possession recievers cross over the middle, one of them 5 yards, the other one 15 yards

2nd/3rd/4th and less than 3 runs:

Dive to Brown, sweep/counter to Demps, Rainey, Gillislee and Debose

2nd/3rd/4th and less than 3 passes

-5 yard out pattern to possession reciever, 10 yard out pattern on other side to playmaking reciever

-Hitch and go route for playmaking reciever, 15 yard slant

-30 yard post for playmaking reciever, 5 yard swing to possession reciever as safety valve

Now, doesn't that look more like an offense more suited for Brantley? Fewer running plays, and more chances for him to show off his Gatorade National High School Player of the Year Award? It sure does to me.

The Jordan Reed offense will be the same spread that Tebow ran- triple-options, quarterback dives/draws, mixed in with some throws.

Give Burton a red-zone/third and short package.

This year's offensive ineptitude disgusts me. How can an offense with so much talent be so bad???

Simple. Steve Addazio.