By Dawn Robinette
They said it was going to be “just another scrimmage-type practice.”
They said there were so many injuries, there wouldn’t be enough players to divide into two teams.
They seemed to intimate that no one should bother attending a ho-hum practice on a hot April day.
Yet an estimated 53,000 Gator faithful showed up, starved for a glimpse of the new era, a Will Muschamp-led Florida football team. Having been shut out of spring practice, many were eager to see what changes the new coaching staff had made. Eager to see the freshmen phenoms. Eager to see what progress John Brantley has made under Charlie Weis’ tutelage. Just eager for some Gator football.
Here’s a few observations:
There were a lot of starters missing due to injuries. This game was an opportunity for the freshmen to shine, for walk-ons to make a name for themselves. And as with all spring games, some new names became part of the Gator vocabulary. Christian Provancha, a walk-on quarterback, threw the game-winning touchdown pass for the Blue team. We may never hear his name again, but at least he’ll have a great story to tell his children and grandchildren.
Tyler Murphy shined as the new kid at quarterback. He had great pocket presence, footwork and running ability. While mostly accurate with his arm, he seemed to have to throw his whole body into his passes to get them down the field. Jeff Driskel showed some quickness with his feet, but his passing needs work. After the game, as many questions remained for the quarterbacks as before the game.
At times, the offense looked eerily similar to the 2010 team, dropping catchable passes, throwing incomplete passes, running it up the middle for little or no gain. The offense’s halftime stats were pathetic.
The defense was aggressive, quick and agile, breaking up passes and disrupting receivers’ route running. The DBs and safeties look to be a strength of this team.
Special teams look to be very good. The punts were high and straight down the field. It was refreshing to see kickoffs going straight down the field. Say goodbye to the old philosophy of kicking the ball to the corners, which would usually go out of bounds, resulting in the opponent getting the ball at the 40 yard line. Kick it out of the end zone and make the other team start at the 20.
The coaching staff looked engaged and enthusiastic. It will take some time for Gator fans to get to know them all by sight. One needed a photo scorecard for all the new faces on the sidelines. That didn’t include the four media members who served as honorary coaches– an interesting move by the athletic department. You know the saying, “keep your friends close, your enemies closer.” With all the criticism from the media last year, this was either an attempt to appease those shut out of spring practice, or a pre-emptive olive branch to those covering the team in 2011. It remains to be seen whether the strategy will work.
The halftime unveiling of the statues of the three Heisman Trophy winning quarterbacks (Spurrier, Wuerffel, and Tebow) was a highlight of the day. It provided a way for the fans to show appreciation for their contributions to Gator football, a feel-good moment in a day with as many questions as answers.
In the end, Blue won the game 13-10 over Orange. No real winners. No real losers. No serious injuries. Lots to work on for the team, lots to discuss and debate by the fans and media until the next time the Gators take the field.
Now, it’s just 21 weeks till real Gator football. Let’s hope for an uneventful summer with Gators staying out of the headlines and in the weight room and film room. No news in the off season is certainly good news.
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