Dooley: Muschamp's unacceptable outcomes to fans led to the inevitable

[jbcarol]

Pat Dooley @pat_dooley  ·  4h 4 hours ago
Dooley: Unacceptable outcome: The smell of this performance is something the Gator fans in attendance won't be... http://bit.ly/1qT1Hu0

Before the season, there were a lot of people who thought Will Muschamp had to beat his alma mater to save his job.

But after what we witnessed Saturday night, I'm not sure the Georgia game will matter.

Let's put it this way — after Missouri's 42-13 thrashing of Florida, the Georgia Southern game from last year doesn't seem so bad.

The smell of this performance is something the Gator fans in attendance won't be able to get out of their clothes for awhile. It was a rotten milk and burnt hair poured into a used diaper and left in the sun for a month.

The facts are simple — Florida has lost 10 of its last 13 games, four out of it's last five SEC home games and has been dreadfully dull in doing so. Losing is never fun, but it's rare that it is this numbingly miserable.

Florida has been shut out in the first half of two of its last three games. On Saturday night, the Gators were dumpster-fire awful in two phases of the game (offense and special teams).

Florida lost to a team that was shut out at home last week, gained 20 yards in the second half Saturday night and had only seven first downs on the night. Florida turned it over six times to a team that came into the game with zero turnovers gained in SEC games.

Muschamp's insistence on sticking with Jeff Driskel has backfired so many times he's covered in gunpowder...

Pat Dooley is a columnist for the Gainesville Sun.

[jbcarol]

Kyle Tucker @KyleTucker_CJ  ·  7h 7 hours ago

Wait, so Florida gave up 119 yards and got blown out? Muschamp will make a helluva defensive coordinator.

Thomas Goldkamp @Goldkamp247  ·  7h 7 hours ago

This is not what you want to be on SportsCenter -

[jbcarol]

Zach Abolverdi @ZachAbolverdi  ·  6h 6 hours ago
#Gators AD Jeremy Foley in the closing moments of last night's game.

[jbcarol]

Joe Schad @schadjoe  ·  18h 18 hours ago
Friend texted a wild Florida thought: "Why can't we bring home Spurrier to finish his career and help us heal?"

[jbcarol]

Clay Travis @ClayTravisBGID  ·  20h 20 hours ago
A&M fans want Will Muschamp as defensive coordinator next year. Actually makes a lot of sense.

[jbcarol]

Seth Emerson @SethEmerson  ·  23h 23 hours ago
I will be in Jacksonville in two weeks. I'm not sure about Todd Gurley. I'm even less sure about Will Muschamp.

[jbcarol]

Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley said Monday that he would continue to evaluate the status of football coach Will Muschamp "as it plays out" over the season.

"At the beginning of the season, we said we would evaluate the season as it plays out," Foley said in a statement. "We will continue to do so. Our sole focus right now is supporting our coaching staff and players as they prepare for Georgia."

The statement comes on the heels of the Gators' embarrassing 42-13 homecoming loss to Missouri on Saturday.

The Gators have lost their past two games -- both home losses -- and fan discontent is at an all-time high under Muschamp, who is in his fourth season and was 4-8 a year ago.

Against Missouri, Florida committed six turnovers, including two that were returned for touchdowns, and allowed two special teams scores. Chants of "Fire Muschamp" started in the third quarter and could be heard throughout an emptying Florida Field the rest of the night.

The defeat was Florida's second straight on homecoming, the first time that's happened in Gainesville since 1947.

[Rzbakfromwaybak]

Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley said Monday that he would continue to evaluate the status of football coach Will Muschamp "as it plays out" over the season.

"At the beginning of the season, we said we would evaluate the season as it plays out," Foley said in a statement. "We will continue to do so. Our sole focus right now is supporting our coaching staff and players as they prepare for Georgia."

Translation:

"This sucks.  We are in the process of looking for a new coach behind the scenes, but are not going to fire our current coach till after the season is over.  We will pretend to support our current coach until then"

[jbcarol]

Influential booster staying out of Muschamp debate

Stumpy Harris is one of the University of Florida's biggest and most influential boosters, but the Orlando-based trial attorney and longtime Gator said he is staying out of the debate about whether athletic director Jeremy Foley should fire embattled football coach Will Muschamp.

"I have absolute confidence that Jeremy will manage the situation in such a way to help our program," Harris said Monday. "His passion is the Gators. He's going to do the right thing for the program.

"Some say do it (fire Muschamp) immediately. Others might say let's see how it goes the rest of the year. All I know is I will be there in Jacksonville a week from Saturday for the Georgia game, and I'll be at Vanderbilt the game after that."

[jbcarol]

AL.com sports @aldotcomSports  ·  3h 3 hours ago
Would Steve Spurrier consider going back to Fla? @KevinScarbinsky & @TheMike Herndon debate  | http://AL.com  http://ow.ly/DbDCk

[DeltaBoy]

And we don't have them on the schedule this year.  :razorback:

[Calling All Hogs]

Muschamp is Florida's Gene Chizik without the NC.

[jbcarol]

Brett McMurphy @McMurphyESPN  ·  44 minutes ago
Billy Donovan on Muschamp replacing Meyer at UF: "Will walked into very challenging situation. Everybody knew that" http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/11756833/working-tail-off ...

Donovan, who appeared Friday on the ESPNU College Basketball podcast with Andy Katz and Seth Greenberg. "I think he built in a style of play his first year, and I think he saw a huge jump in his second year. Last year what happened, and I give Will a lot of credit, I don't think enough people have talked about this, people look at their record a year ago and how difficult and challenging it was. As a head coach, he never, ever made one excuse for his players or for himself with the amount of injuries they had. It was totally impossible to overcome the level and the talent of the players that he had.

"And I will tell you this: I am a huge Will Muschamp fan. I really respect him as a man. I respect the way he goes to work every day, and the way he's tried to deal and address his team. Certainly in these situations, they are always challenging. But as a man, he is a great guy and I think he's an outstanding football coach. I don't know enough about the X's and O's in football to probably pass an opinion on that. But I do know Will Muschamp is a man, and there's nobody rooting harder for him than I am because he's all about the right things."

Florida has a bye week before facing No. 9 Georgia (6-1, 4-1 SEC) on Nov. 1 in Jacksonville

[jbcarol]

SEC Network @SECNetwork  ·  25 minutes ago
"They have the #3 defense in the SEC, but offensively I don't think they have an identity or a leader." - @TimTebow on Florida  #SECNation

[jbcarol]

Jeff Barlis ‏@JeffBarlisESPN

Florida has had 6 WRs coaches in 6 years. "There's no consistency," said ex-UF coordinator Brent Pease. http://es.pn/1svKpTs

[jbcarol]

Seth Emerson @SethEmerson

Question to Richt from fan on radio show: "Georgia brought in Will Muschamp as a player. Why don't we send him out as a coach?"
8:49 PM - 27 Oct 2014

[jbcarol]

Marc Weiszer @marcweiszer  ·  1 hour ago
#UGA OC Mike Bobo on the heat Florida coach and good friend Will Muschamp is taking: "Nobody made us be a coach. We chose this profession."

[jbcarol]

Michael Bonner @MikeBBonner  ·  36 minutes ago

Mullen on hearing his name tossed around at other schools: I laugh it all off. I don't pay a whole lot of attention to that stuff.

[jbcarol]

Edgar Thompson @osgators  ·  Oct 28

#Gators coach Will Muschamp is persona non grata in Gator Nation, yet remains beloved by his players: http://bit.ly/1wC6wh9

[jbcarol]

Mike Bianchi @BianchiWrites  ·  3 hours ago

My daughter says she wants to dress up as something really scary on Halloween so I told her to go as #Gators offensive playbook!

[jbcarol]

Kevin Brockway @gatorhoops  ·  5 hours ago
ESPN's Desmond Howard coming down hard on Florida football not developing players offensively "to me, that's where you earn your check."

Howard said it's a "cop out" to say Florida doesn't have talent offensively "I live in Florida, you can trip over 4-stars to get to 5-stars"

[jbcarol]

Pat Dooley @pat_dooley  ·  5h 5 hours ago
Stop me if you've heard this one before -- Florida has 13 yards of offense so far.

[jbcarol]

Kevin Brockway @gatorhoops  ·  3h 3 hours ago
Muschamp on win v Georgia " there's nothing like being in a victorious locker room."

[jbcarol]

ESPN SEC @ESPN_SEC  ·  9 hours ago
Muschamp turns it around with win vs. UGA http://es.pn/1sZkp2X

It was the first time Muschamp had tasted victory in eight tries in the series -- four losses as a safety for Georgia and three losses as coach of the Gators.

Saturday, as the clock ticked down on Florida's surprising 38-20 win against the No. 11 Bulldogs and the sunset turned the sky into a mix of burnt orange and darkening blue, Muschamp's thoughts turned to his father, Larry, who passed away in May.

"I'm just really happy," he said choking back obviously deep emotions. "Wish my father was here."

[jbcarol]

ESPN SEC @ESPN_SEC  ·  13 hours ago
Florida to the SEC Championship Game? It's not nearly as crazy as you think http://es.pn/1ttq1aN

[jbcarol]

Pat Dooley @pat_dooley  ·  7 hours ago
Dooley: One to remember for Muschamp: The smile was wide and the mood was light. It was light years from the n... http://bit.ly/1uaX0Sy

There was only one thing missing for Will Muschamp.

"I wish my father was here," the Florida coach said. "I thought about that late in the game."

Larry Muschamp died in May without ever seeing his son enjoy a victory in the Florida-Georgia game.

He would have loved the way it finally happened for him on a chilly and windy Saturday night at EverBank Field.

Florida used a trick play to light a spark and then started punching...

The spark was a fake field goal that Mike McNeely ran in from 21 yards out. McNeely isn't the regular holder on field goals, so I naturally asked Muschamp if he was concerned that Georgia might notice the change and be ready for a fake.

"There was discussion this week," Muschamp said. "A lot."

That's the thing. It worked and it gave a team leaking confidence the jolt it needed. And once Florida took the lead on the next possession, it had Florida right where the Gators wanted the Bulldogs.

Playing from behind, Georgia panicked. They ran Chubb only five times after the Gators took the lead.

And Florida kept pounding.

I know Larry Muschamp would have enjoyed it.

But not as much as his son.

[jbcarol]

David Jones ‏@DaveJonesSports  6 hours ago
Jones: Were we wrong about Muschamp? http://on.flatoday.com/1tQAhtG  via @Florida_Today

Just a few days, if not hours, ago we were all speculating who will be the next head coach of the University of Florida football team? We all stuck our toe in the water and it was smoking hot. Painful as it was to imagine Will Muschamp remaining as the Gators head coach for anyone who stuck around in the 42-13 blowout loss to Missouri to watch the best coaching candidate for 2015?

It could be Muschamp.

Seriously.

Recruiting has fallen apart. The team seemed to be a mess just a few days ago. It was, logic would tell you, time for a break and someone new. But the truth is continuity is best for anyone involved for any college program . . . if they can make it through the dark times. Muschamp is by no means there yet. But it would be better for any program to keep what they have if they can be successful with it. Change takes time and even more adjustments...

[jbcarol]

MrSEC @MrSEC  ·  20 hours ago

Fair question -- How many Florida fans were truly happy that their Gators and head coach Will Muschamp pulled off... http://fb.me/1tS6smE1E

[jbcarol]

Robbie Andreu @RobbieAndreu  · 

Max Garcia said the Gators are focusing on trying to end the season with a five-game winning streak.

"They completely embarrassed us last year," Garcia said of Vanderbilt. "They embarrassed us at The Swamp."

Max Garcia choking up talking about Mike McNeely. "If we had a whole team of McNeelys we'd be a national championship team," he said. [McNeely is the holder who ran in the TD on a fake FG and reported for his job at Publix on Sunday.]

Muschamp on last year's game: we've traveled down that road of being outrushed and having four turnovers.

"We have all the confidence in the world in Treon throwing the football," Muschamp said.

[jbcarol]

Willie Smith @willie_t_smith  ·  8h 8 hours ago
Spurrier on Muschamp: "It looks like he's turned the corner down there. Hopefully they'll continue that after Saturday." #Gamecocks

[jbcarol]

Pat Dooley @pat_dooley  ·  1 hour ago
For some reason florida can't play defense in the first quarter

[jbcarol]

Edgar Thompson @osgators  ·  2 hours ago
"I'm going to coach this football team and get ready for the next one. I'll let your guys speculate," Boom on questions about job security.

[jbcarol]

Pat Dooley @pat_dooley  ·  15 hours ago
Dooley: Time has come for Muschamp: It's difficult to make sense of this train wreck of a season right now. Fl... http://bit.ly/1q5yHEO

[DeltaBoy]

The Chimp is gone.

[jbcarol]

Brent Zwerneman @BrentZwerneman  ·  22 hours ago

Remember what Sumlin told me about Muschamp's 2012 crack about Aggieland?: "He needs to worry about his own team." True Dat, apparently.

[jbcarol]

Ian Rapoport @RapSheet  ·  20 minutes ago

Please, can someone in Internet land do this for @NFL coach hiring season?? #FloridaBingo




Hugh Freeze has already come thru with "Sexton raise" and "Family is happy here" spaces.

[jbcarol]

Pat Dooley @pat_dooley  ·  Nov 17
I'm starting to keep a list of coaches who will not be UF's next coach. Guarantee someone has list just like it saying these are candidates.

[jbcarol]

Pat Dooley @pat_dooley  ·  Nov 17
I'm starting to keep a list of coaches who will not be UF's next coach. Guarantee someone has list just like it saying these are candidates.

Bo Mattingly @SportsTalkwBo  ·  4 hours ago
.@pat_dooley of the Gainesville Sun: Guys who aren't going to be the UF coach - Lane Kiffin, Rich Rod, Dana Holgorsen, Jim McElwain & Dan Mullen.

[jbcarol]

SEC Network @SECNetwork  ·  21 minutes ago

Florida's Dante Fowler Jr. tweeted this will be his final season with the #Gators: http://es.pn/11qBLzo 

[jbcarol]

David Morrison @DavidCMorrison  ·  43 minutes ago
.@JoeWalljasper suggests a modest proposal for who should replace Will Muschamp at Florida: Will Muschamp- http://bit.ly/1v7Tyrl .

With a truly terrible slate of games this week in the Southeastern Conference, most of the football discussion has been speculation about whom Florida will tab as the replacement for ousted Coach Will Muschamp.

The job is one of the most coveted in college football.

I have found the perfect candidate to replace Will Muschamp.

Will Muschamp.

[jbcarol]

ESPN SEC @ESPN_SEC  ·  2 hours ago
Muschamp could break coordinator bank http://es.pn/12hfohn

Remember when the SEC used to be a defensive league?

In certain quarters, it still is. But there are more than a few teams in this league, proud of its black-and-blue heritage, in desperate need of a defensive facelift.

It's the reason former Florida coach Will Muschamp could break the bank when it comes to a defensive coordinator's salary.

Only two days have passed since Muschamp coached his final game with the Gators, and already he's being tied to defensive coordinator jobs that are open and some that aren't open.

Going into this season, there were already two SEC defensive coordinators making more than $1 million per year. Alabama's Kirby Smart was at $1.35 million and LSU's John Chavis at $1.3 million. It was money well spent. Chavis' Tigers finished first in the SEC in total defense, and Smart's Crimson Tide were third. They both ranked in the top 10 nationally as well in scoring defense...

Muschamp is in a position where he can afford to wait and see what is out there, if he so chooses. Wherever he lands, don't be surprised if he gets a deal that pays him in excess of $1.5 million annually...

[jbcarol]

Brandon Marcello @bmarcello  ·  40 minutes ago
Will Muschamp 'should have been' more involved with Florida's offense http://ow.ly/KgTB7 

[jbcarol]

 David Jones @DaveJonesSports  ·  22h 22 hours ago

Will Muschamp is full of it. He left the #Gators with a great big mess: http://tinyurl.com/keewj56

And the truth about a Gators program that was so bad that Will Muschamp is now the defensive coordinator at Auburn and Jim McElwain now sits in his old office?

Muschamp probably needs to shut up. And McElwain, well, he probably can cut with the jokes. If you've watched the mess that stumbled around Florida Field the past two years, neither is really that cute.

The day Muschamp was fired, he declared the next coach had no excuses.

"They've got a deep and talented roster, so don't let that new guy tell you he ain't got any players," Muschamp said. "I can tell you that right now. There are some good football players in that locker room."

Which begs to ask? Then you are basically admitting the talent was there for Florida to win, it's just that you should never be a head coach? If it's not the players, after all, who's to blame? The media?

Of course McElwain was about as dumb in declaring: "I believe I can win with my dog Claribelle."

Soon after came reality. Spring camp. Oops.

Florida is so thin at offensive line, with just seven scholarship players, the Gators almost had to change the format of Saturday's spring game. McElwain said depth issues were "probably the reason we're here."

And earth to McElwain, even Claribelle would probably run away in fear if she saw the Alabama defensive front coming after her with that completely unproven O-line he has right now. None of the five first-teamers in Saturday's contest has ever started an SEC game.

Muschamp responded, because he sounds more and more like a child who just can't let it go: "(McElwain) said he could coach a dog and win. Heck, (does) he like the dog better than his players?"

Earth to Muschamp, Claribelle probably has more speed than some of the so-called "skill" position players he left behind.

Poor offense absolutely destroyed the Muschamp tenure at UF. That is why McElwain is here. And after watching Saturday's spring game, there were some signs of potential improvement, which you are foolish to declare until an SEC defense stands on the opposite side in the fall. Treon Harris has a year under his belt. Will Grier redshirted and matured. That's the quarterback battle...

[jbcarol]

 Matt Porter @mattyports  ·  14h 14 hours ago

Florida, which finished 96th, 115th and 104th in total offense the last three seasons, has so far produced *seven* offensive draft picks.

[jbcarol]

 Chris Low @ClowESPN  ·  3h 3 hours ago

Chris Low retweeted Stewart Mandel

So much for the Gators not having any talent on offense the last couple of years.