Northside Sink Pirates
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Brunswick High Pirates 2017 football season came to a heartbreaking end last night a 24-21 loss to Northside Warner Robins.
The Pirates drove 67 yards in 2 minutes and had their heart broken on the north end zone goal line with 16 seconds left as BHS threw an interception to end Sean Pender’s first season at BHS with a 7-3 record.
Northside will move on and play Tucker in the second round.
Pirate Report Card
Offense: B. It is playoff football against a traditional football power in the state of Georgia, and this group took it to Northside most of the night.
Passing game was very good and Pender said all week that BHS was going to have to throw it all night against the Northside defense who was very good against the run.
Offensive line was awesome all night in pass protection.
Shaq Robinson had a rushing and receiving TD. DJ Whitfield had his best game as a Pirate with 12 catches for 165 yards.
We come now to Jamarius Stevens, who had a great playoff game as he passed for 304 yards and a score. He rushed for 105 and a score. I will miss this kid and he will go down as one of my favorite Pirate QB’s of all time.
Pender told me on Friday night that if BHS scored 28 points they would move on to Tucker and said red zone offense would be the key. He was correct as BHS only got points on three out of six trips into the red zone.
A fumble on the first series that setup the short field for the Eagles first score and the season ending pick kept this grade from being an A.
Great playoff effort by the BHS offense.
Defense: B. This group played its guts out against a running football team. The Northside veer got some yards and the one pass Northside completed all night long was for a TD, but this unit flew around and made some plays.
Tevin Small played a great game at LB. Kam Futch, the captain of this defense, played his heart out.
BHS stopped the fullback in the veer all night long and contained the QB for the most part. The pitch guy made a few runs but the defense put up a very solid football effort against a brand name in Georgia High School football.
Very proud of the effort of this group.
Special Teams: C-. You can’t give up an 85 kickoff return for a TD in a playoff game against a team like Northside where points are at a premium.
BHS did some good things with Jaylen Jackson on punt returns, and only punted one time in the contest.
This area was one of the most improved aspects of BHS football in 2017.
Coaching: B+. Solid game plan. Pender showed confidence in his offense by going for it on fourth down from the two on the first drive.
The clock management was solid on the two minute offense at the end of the game. Team played inspired football all night long and great adjustments were made at the half.
Overall: B. BHS went toe to toe with Northside and came up 3 points short.
Nothing to hang your head about in reality. But, the reality is that this loss stings and will hurt for a long time because BHS was a better football team than Northside.
Sometimes in team sports the better team does not win and that is just life and you learn from it.
Frederica Falls
By: Alex Mathis
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
This was a heavyweight title fight. Two of the best teams in GISA went toe to toe the entire 48 minutes and unfortunately the Knights ended up with the short end of the stick.
The Knights saw their season end in the semifinals against the Valwood Valiants by the score of 14-10.
Frederica led the entire game until the final 25 seconds. Afterwards, an emotional Coach Brandon Derrick told his team that he was proud of them.
He was proud of all the work that they have put in since May and up to this point. He was proud of how they fought through adversity and proved so many people wrong.
He told his Knights to remember the feeling of defeat because this is the feeling that will drive this team next year. The Knights get to match up against the Valiants week 1 next year.
Frederica’s offense was outstanding this season. The offensive line helped pave the way to nearly 350 yards a game.
Jaylin Simpson rushed for over 900 yards and Isaiah Jackson rushed for over 650 yards.
The Knights had a lot of success on the ground throughout the season. Frederica was able to have some success in the air as well as Simpson threw for over 800 yards during the season. These stats include missing two games because of Hurricane Irma.
Jashawn Sheffield led the Knights in the receiving category. He had over 500 yards on the year. Rett Thompson and Trace Dorminy also did a great job helping lead the way for rushers.
Frederica’s defense had its ups and downs during the season but seemed to peak at the right time. The Knights greatest outing came in the final game against the Valiants.
The Knights held the Valiants scoreless for 46 minutes. Valwood is a team that normally averages close to 40 points a game.
Frederica’s defense was led by stud linebacker Harry Veal. Veal was as physical as it gets all season long.
Deke Jernigan was also able to make a major impact from the linebacker position. Jernigan and Veal are a duo that will be a force to reckon with next year.
Santana Clark, Trace Dorminy, Jashawn Sheffield, and Rett Thompson also played great at the outside linebacker position during the season.
Cameron Gardner, Tyler Pierce, and Cole Hinson did a great job on the defensive line this season. They all made timely plays during the season.
Frederica’s secondary struggled at times during the season but finished the season well.
The injury to Patrick Brunson really changed the way Coach Burkett’s secondary looked.
Jaylin Simpson had to move to safety and JT Elliott had to move there as well. They were able to make a lot of plays during the season. The cornerback position was played by a lot of players including Avery Cobb, Josh Meadows, Jashawn Sheffield, Jackson Wetzler, and Isaiah Jackson.
The Knights finished their season 7-4(Missed two games due to hurricane). Frederica’s schedule does not get any easier next season.
They start the season off with Valwood and they also have Charlton County and possibly Brantley County on their schedule next year.
Coach Derrick knows how to get the best out of his players and next year will be no different.
The Knights will be hungrier next year. If you are a part of the Frederica family, you surely have a bad taste in your mouth after the way things ended last night.
The Knights lost that game themselves and will use their disappointment to fuel them next season.
Terrors Tame Wildcats
By: Christian Goeckel
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
For the second time in two seasons, Glynn Academy welcomed the defending 6A State Champion to Glynn County Stadium. And for the second year in a row, they systematically dismantled that team.
Behind an unforgiving defensive performance, Glynn took down defending champ Valdosta 27-3.
This was the most complete performance, 1st quarter all the way through the 4th, of the season. At no point did Valdosta even sniff a chance of victory.
Offensively, Glynn attacked Valdosta the exact same way they do every other team; hard, downhill dives, and a triple option to get the ball to the boundaries.
The factor that was different in this game was Randon Jernigan.
Throughout the season, good teams have been able to smother the triple option attack. Not in this game.
Jernigan ran the option game as smoothly and aggressively as he has all year, including breaking an eighty-yard touchdown run on a keeper. It really seems like this portion of the offense is really finding itself at the right time.
A couple of recurring concerns do linger for the offense. Low snaps cost the Terrors yards twice and a fumble gave Valdosta a short field and their only points of the game.
Those kinds of mistakes can hurt you in the regular season, but they’re fatal in the knockout format of the playoffs.
Another concern must be the passing game. Granted, they didn’t need to throw, but when he was asked to Jernigan couldn’t complete the ball. The fact remains though, Jernigan is deadly running the ball. Anything you get past that is a bonus.
Defensively, Glynn pass rushers consistently used Valdosta’s quarterbacks like cheap piñatas. This defense has a ton of team speed, and that was more than obvious in this one.
On Valdosta’s first play from scrimmage the quarterback threw a bomb to a seemingly wide-open receiver only to watch Marvin Dallas cover 10 yards and come close to picking the ball off.
It was going to be that kind of night. Hunter Hall had his best game of the year. The senior inside linebacker didn’t miss a play or a tackle, and sealed the game with an interception.
Valdosta had absolutely no answer for Glynn’s pass rush. Every time a quarterback would drop, someone was hitting him before he could get rid of the ball.
This was absolutely the best performance of the year from the defense. The one time they were challenged (Valdosta received a short field after a fumble by Glynn) the defense pushed Valdosta back and forced the Wildcats to kick a long field goal.
All night, they forced Valdosta to be one dimensional, throwing the football, and then pinned their ears back and got after the quarterback.
This is a unit that this team can lean on moving deeper into the playoffs, and they’re peaking at exactly the right time.
On special teams, the Terrors had a very good night. The ball was kicked out of the endzone on kick offs, Glynn was able to pin Valdosta deep a couple of times on punts and besides one punt, they did a great job of keeping the ball out of Valdosta’s danger men’s hands.
2-2 on field goals was clutch and will be huge moving forward.
Speaking of moving forward, Glynn will next host Heritage High School out of Conyers.
The Patriots enter this match up as the number 3 seed in region 3 6A, and are coming off a big win over Stephenson 20-7.
Heritage enters the contest against Glynn at 7-4 on the year, and will be looking to pull a huge upset.
That means we need you to get out to Glynn County Stadium and support this team who has put its’ collective body and soul on the line and are playing some dang good football.
This team is turning into something special. Don’t miss your chance to see it.
Survival Saturday
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
We have several heavyweight matchups taking place in Week 11 of the college football season.
Games like #12 Washington vs. #21 Stanford and #11 Oklahoma State vs. #15 Iowa State are on the backburner. Let’s look at some of the marquee matchups.
#1 Georgia at #14 Auburn: So, the Dawgs are 9-0 for the first time since Herschel Walker was on campus (1982). They have an embarrassment of riches at running back with Nick Chubb, Sony Michel and D’andre Swift.
True freshman quarterback Jake Fromm has that ‘it’ factor and he made Georgia fans forget all about Jacob Eason.
The defense has been stellar ranking fourth in the nation in total defense, only giving up 254 yards per game.
Auburn looks like they finally found their stride on offense. The last time the Tigers were really explosive was 2013.
Baylor transfer quarterback Jarrett Stidham received a lot of hype to before the season began. He struggled initially but he looks more comfortable running Gus Malzahn’s offense. He’s also able to rely on the power running of Kerryon Johnson. Auburn is also exceptional on defense, ranking 14th nationally in total D.
Fromm went on the road and played well in Knoxville in front of over 100,000 fans but the Vols are terrible. I think playing a good team in front of 87,451 screaming fans might cause him to make freshman mistakes. I give the edge to War Eagle.
#3 Notre Dame at #10 Miami: It’s crazy to think undefeated Miami (8-0) is only ranked tenth. They have had some luck on their side against Florida State and Georgia Tech. They are coming off of a 28-10 win against #13 Virginia Tech so their confidence is high.
The Fighting Irish are thirteenth in total offense. Quarterback Brandon Wimbush is a good runner and he’s improved his passing game.
RB Josh Adams has rushed for nearly 1,200 yards and averages 8.7 yards per carry. I think this will be a close game but Notre Dame should win.
#5 Oklahoma vs. #8 TCU: Both teams have one loss. The only chance the Big 12 has to make the college football playoff is for one of these teams to win out. The Sooners are led by Heisman frontrunner, quarterback Baker Mayfield.
The offense is clicking, coming off of a 62-52 win over in-state rival Oklahoma State. That’s also alarming that the defense gave up so many points. They’ve looked bad since the Ohio State game.
Both teams lost to the Iowa State and you know the Cyclones aren’t a great team. That tells me they both lack focus.
I think the Horned Frogs are a more complete team. TCU is sixth in total D and Oklahoma is 87th. That’s going to cost them against a good team like TCU.
#2 Alabama at #16 Mississippi State: The Bulldogs looked like contenders at the beginning of the season. They had a blowout win against LSU and we didn’t know the Tigers were overrated at the time.
Then Georgia and Auburn blew them out in consecutive weeks. Miss State is on a four game winning streak.
The Crimson Tide get to play with a chip on their shoulder after being demoted to number two.
They rank second in defense and 17th in total offense. They’re the most complete team in the nation. Mississippi State has shown that they can’t compete with elite SEC teams so this will be another bad loss.
Who’s In….Over Georgia?
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
At this point in the season it is almost a foregone conclusion that Alabama and Georgia will meet up not only for the SEC Championship title game, but will enter that game as the first and second ranked teams in college football.
If that scenario were to play out obviously the winner would make it to the playoffs. The more interesting topic to me is would a 1-loss SEC runner-up make it too?
There are probably about 20 different hypothetical outcomes, but for this purpose I’ll go ahead and put Oklahoma in the playoffs (wins out including Big XII championship) and Alabama. (No disrespect to Georgia who could easily win the SEC, but it’s easier to go over scenarios for one SEC team as opposed to two, and as of today I personally think Alabama is the better team).
So, with two teams already in the playoff picture, who are some of the other teams Georgia would be contending with.
Wisconsin– It would be hard on paper to leave out an undefeated Big Ten champion, if that’s what ends up happening. However, I don’t think the Badgers are very good and their best win will be against,ultimately, a 3 loss Ohio State team.
Regardless of what the committee does, you can’t convince me they are better than Georgia.
Clemson– If the Tigers were to win out and take the ACC crown, they’re in no matter what. Defending champs, conference champs, impressive resumé, only 1 loss; there’s no way the committee will keep them out.
Another loss though, and I don’t see how they make it.
Miami- I haven’t thought all that much of the Hurricanes throughout the season, but if they were to win out that would include victories over Virginia Tech, Notre Dame, and Clemson.
Hard to put Georgia in over Miami if that were take place. (On a side note, if Miami made it in over Georgia what’s the over/under on the amount time elapsed before a video of Mark Richt urinating in a stuffed Uga goes viral?)
Notre Dame- The Fighting Irish are really the wild card here.
If they were to win out, it would include a victory over Miami, essentially knocking out the Hurricanes.
It would also leave them tied with Georgia, leading to the question, “What do you value more, head to head or overall strength of schedule?”
If you’re a Bulldog fan, you’re going to say head to head, as you should. If you’re a Notre Dame fan, it’s overall strength of schedule. And while it’s not completely an apples to apples comparison, it is worth mentioning that last year, when it came down to OSU and PSU, the commute went in favor of Ohio State’s overall schedule instead of Penn State’s victory over the Buckeyes.
As I mentioned above there are plenty of other scenarios that could play out over the next few makes, making what I just wrote entirely obsolete.
Regardless, here’s the point I’m trying to make: In the last few years, you could argue that a one loss, SEC runner up was deserving of making the playoffs because of the conference’s overall strength.
Ironically, the one year it may come to fruition, the one year where the two best teams in college football could possibly reside within the SEC, is the one year that the conference’s lack of overall strength may be what keeps it from happening.
Trade Temp on Matt Kemp
By: TJ Hartnett
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Despite having no General Manager in place after the scandal that sent John Coppolella packing, the offseason has arrived and the Braves need to start planning for the 2018 season.
John Hart will be assuming the GM duties until a replacement is hired and assuming he keeps his job, he’s got a few things on his to-do list.
Now the nice thing for Hart or whoever takes over is that the Braves have a lot of pieces to play with.
No, they didn’t have a winning season, but they have young talent, a new ballpark, and a deep farm system to take advantage of during the offseason.
There are a few moves that the front office should make to improve the club if not to contention, then at least to .500 or just above.
One thing should be at the top of the list. The first thing to do is trade Matt Kemp.
Notice that I didn’t say “trade a corner outfielder?” Do not trade Nick Markakis. Trade Matt Kemp. It’s obvious that Ronald Acuna is going to be manning a corner outfield spot come first pitch next year, the question has been which corner?
Nick Markakis’s position in right field seems the obvious choice, given that he provided more value on the field in 2017 than Kemp did, plus he’s only got one year of $11 million left on his contract. He’ll be easier to move, that’s doubtless, but they should move Kemp instead.
It’s a tall order, especially if they hope to get anything of value in return for him. To that I say this: get what you can. Trade this veteran outfielder with some pop in his bat for a single A backup infielder if you have to and eat the contract if it comes to that. Beyond that, swallow the millions he’s owed and release him, if that’s the only option.
Kemp’s arrival in 2016 invigorated the offense and prior to getting hurt in 2017 he looked like he was hungry for a comeback player of the year award. All that dissipated upon his return. Even if he can return to some form, he’s an injury risk. He’s past his prime and Acuna is waiting.
Markakis, on the other hand, provides consistency. He’s not tearing the cover off the ball or making incredible plays in right, but he’s steady and that’s not nothing.
Markakis is past his prime too, but he’s aged much more gracefully than Kemp. At the very least is worth the money he’s being paid.
He plays hard and plays well and while he’s apparently the quiet-leader-type that the Braves annoyingly have only ever had, the young players certainly can learn from a guy who shows up and does his job day in and day out.
Again, these are all reasons that make him easier to trade but if the Braves truly want to improve their on-field product next season, Kemp’s salary will need to be sacrificed.
Acuna needs a position, under no circumstances should the Braves begin 2018 with both Kemp and Markakis patrolling the outfield.
However, that does not mean that the guy who is easier to trade should be the guy who gets a new uniform. Kemp is much more likely to get hurt and then the Braves will have to find someone to replace him anyway. Instead, give him a fresh start elsewhere. Even if it means releasing him and taking the monetary hit.
The Braves are still a few steps away from contending but they’ll no doubt want to see improvement next year.
Ronald Acuna is the future and nothing is going to prevent him from starting the season in Atlanta; but if the Braves want the best they can get, then he’ll be batting in a lineup with Nick Markakis in it.
Pirates Blast Osborne
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The playoff bound BHS Pirates scored on every offensive possession and beat a winless Osborne squad 68-14 on senior night at Glynn County Stadium.
With the Effingham win over Richmond Hill last night, the Pirates enter the state playoffs as the number two seed from Region 2 and will host Northside Warner Robins next Saturday night at 7PM at Glynn County Stadium.
The Pirates do capture a share of its first region title since 2009, and make the playoffs for the first time since 2014.
In region 2 the seeding will be Glynn, BHS, Effingham, and Richmond Hill.
Sean Pender won his 100th career game last night and was honored post game by his players and supporters.
Pirate Report Card:
Offense: A+. How could it have been better?
The offense scored 9 TD’s. Jamarius Stevens passed for 6 TD’s and ran for another. 62-0 at the half and a running clock midway through second quarter.
At one point in contest the offense scored 5 TD’s in 8 offensive plays in first half. Total and complete domination.
Alonzo Brown set a single season school record for receiving yards.
The offensive line dominated once again. The BHS offense closed the regular season as the highest scoring offense in their classification at 44.7 points per game.
Defense: A. The ninth graders game up two TD’s late. The starting defense only allowed two first downs all night.
Special Teams: A. Jaylen Jackson had a punt return for a TD and the kick coverage was fantastic all night long.
Coaching: A. Pirates took care of business against an outmatched team. Pender played everyone in a Pirate uniform.
Overall: A. Nice way to close out the regular season and enter the playoffs with a 7-2 record.
Up Next: Northside Warner Robins. Pirates will have to put on their big boy pants when the Eagles roll into town.
The Pirates are in a tough bracket but in the second season you have to beat who they line up in front of you.
Glynn Academy Wins Share Of Region Title
By: Christian Goeckel
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Cancel those charter buses, dust off those red jerseys and tell Southern Soul to load up the concession stands.
We have playoff football in Glynn County Stadium. With a 45-14 win over Bradwell Institute, Glynn clinched a spot in the playoffs and thanks to a 40-26 Effingham win over Richmond Hill, they secured the number 1 seed in the region.
Glynn, Richmond Hill, and Brunswick all entered the week tied at the top of the region. Brunswick had already secured at least a share of the title and faced non-region Osbourne on Friday.
That meant one of four could happen on Friday night:
- Both teams, which were favored, could win, leaving everyone to discuss the brutal three way tie.
- Both teams could lose, giving the region solely to Brunswick.
- Richmond Hill could win, while Glynn falls. That would give Brunswick the 1 seed.
- What actually happened. Glynn took care of business, while Richmond Hill dropped their second region game in a row.
They would never admit thinking about it, but Glynn came into Friday night’s contest fully aware of all those possibilities above… well maybe not 2 and 3, Coach Rock never thinks about losing.
The Terrors have been consistently growing this year and have really started to find their stride. The Richmond Hill game withstanding, this team has been executing in all facets of the game much better than the team we saw fall to Benedictine to start the season.
Caine Crews has been a spark plug on offense for the Terrors. Originally, slated to start the year on defense, Crews has had to slide over to the running back position due to a rash of injuries.
He’s taken to it just like you’d expect a coach’s son to. With a big kickoff return to set up a score on Glynn’s first drive, Crews’ impact was felt from the jump.
Another huge sign for the offense was Nolan Grant coming along. Grant plunged into the endzone from 19 out to extend Glynn’s first half lead to 24-0. If both of the Grants can stay healthy, Glynn will have a formidable and fresh running back arsenal
The offense has really started to gel, putting up over 25 points in 5 out of the last 6 games, but what has carried this team is the defense.
Defensively, this team is good.. Really good. Since the start of the Brunswick game, featuring one of the best offenses in the region, Glynn’s defense has shined.
Big offense after big offense has rolled into town, only to leave with a fraction of the points they are used to scoring.
This is the perfect formula for winning playoff games: Run the ball. Check. Play nasty shutdown defense in the secondary. Check.
Moving to the playoffs, Glynn’s region 2-6A will matchup with 1-6A. That places 1 seed Glynn at home against 4 seed Valdosta.
Don’t let Valdosta’s record or seeding fool you, this is a good team. Much like Glynn, they have found their stride at the right time, finishing up the regular season with a 51-20 drubbing of Houston County.
This will be an absolute battle in Glynn County Stadium on Friday Night, but dang it’s nice to be able to watch the region champs come run out of that red smoke.
Low Flying Hawks
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
We’re possibly one game away from crowning a new World Series champion. The NFL is at the midway point in their season and the college football regular season is about one month from being over. There’s so much going on in the sports world right now that basketball might get overlooked.
My hometown Atlanta Hawks may not be doing well on the surface. They are 1-6, which is tied with Dallas for the worst record in the league. That means they rank dead last in the Eastern Conference.
The Hawks average 99.6 points per game while opponents average 107.6. Not surprisingly, their lone win came on opening night against the Mavericks 117-111.
You may remember Atlanta let their starting frontcourt from last season go in the offseason. Paul Millsap and Al Horford left as free agents and they traded center Dwight Howard to Charlotte.
That shows on the court because in the most recent 117-106 loss to Milwaukee they were outrebounded by 12. Point guard Dennis Schroder is playing well, scoring 21 points against the Bucks.
”They came out with energy. We didn’t match it in the first five minutes,” Schroder said. ”In the second half we did a better job defending Antetokounmpo, but we’ve got to play for 48 minutes and be better.”
Schroder is averaging 22 points and 6.8 assists per game so he’s really the only good player on the roster. Rookie small forward Taurean Prince might develop into a good player. So far, he averages 13.3 ppg and 5.4 rebounds per game.
I think we can look at this season positively, which might sound crazy. There are only two ways to get a superstar in the NBA and that’s through the draft or free agency.
Historically marquee players have not signed with the Hawks in free agency so that leaves only one-way to improve. Teams need a top five pick to have the opportunity to get a legit playmaker.
I felt Atlanta has been at a crossroads for quite some time. They made the playoffs every year since the 2007-08 season. In 2014-15, they had the best record in the league (60-22) and had the top seed in the East. They broke a 48-year streak of not advancing past the second round of the playoffs and made it to the Conference Finals. The Cleveland Cavaliers swept them in 2014-15 and 2015-16.
It seems like they were content to be an above average regular season team. Then when they face elite teams in the postseason, they got obliterated. I like the approach this year because it looks like the franchise has learned from Philadelphia.
They have been tanking the last 4-5 seasons to get the highest draft pick each year. They made the slogan ‘Trust the Process’ famous and it seems like it’s paying off now with talented players like Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons and Markelle Fultz on their roster.
I hope they can sustain the current pace and finish the season with the worst record. If that leads to the top pick in the 2018 draft it will be worth it.
Ironically, Atlanta’s next game is November 1st against the 76ers so they get to see how well this strategy works in person. My guess is Philly will win easily.
McElwain Chomped
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
When does a 22-12 overall record, with two division titles and conference championship appearances, not warrant you being able to finish out your third year as head coach?
Apparently when you’re Jim McElwain and you’re the head coach of the Florida Gators.
It’s been a strange tenure for the sea animal loving, former Gator football coach. What started out with all the bombast in aplomb you would expect in a Florida Gator head football coaching hire, it ended with a resounding thud, similar to that of a shark flopping around on the boat.
So, why did something that started out with so much promise and so abruptly? Oh, let me count the ways.
For starters, if you’re going to speak rhapsodic about how great of a quarterback coach you are you better be able to back it up. Essentially, running off the one halfway decent quarterback you had in Will Grier, leaving what seem to be a bunch of Les Miles rejects to run your team, isn’t exactly the best way to back up your claim.
And look, I know that in today’s political climate it’s nothing to hear someone in our government make some outlandish statements and not be held accountable whenever their accusations turn out to be false.
But, considering that most of America cares more about who their football head coaches are as opposed to who is running our country, if you are going to say that you’re an offense of genius you had better be able to prove it.
Secondly, if there’s any team within the SEC that expects you to put points on the board, it’s Florida. When McElwain was hired, almost three years ago, I wrote that Florida fans would rather score 40 points and lose, than score 14 and win.
That may be a bit of an exaggeration on my part, but not by much. If the Gators were one of the best offensive teams in the country, they would have fired Defensive Coordinator, Randy Shannon (who is now the interim coach) and McElwain would still have his job, despite the next reason I’m about to mention.
The theme of this article has been all about accountability and backing up what you say. So, with that in mind, when you say you and your family are receiving death threats, but don’t meet with administration to address those accusations, you’d be better believe you’ve lost all credibility.
When you take into account everything that has happened over the last year- the shark picture, difficulties at quarterback, an inept offense, death threat fiasco- there really isn’t any way you can justify McElwain keeping his job. I’m not normally in favor of a coach losing his job mid-season, but this decision was pretty inevitable.
The question now is, “Where do the Gators go from here”? I like Randy Shannon, but he’s definitely not the answer. Florida is a great enough job to get a big name, but I’m not sure there’s anyone out there they would be interested in.
Plus, bringing in a splashy name hasn’t exactly been the Florida way. (Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer didn’t carry the cache they do now when they arrived in Gainesville).
As for McElwain, it may take him a while to overcome this; specifically the death threat debacle.
Bill Parcells once famously said that “You are what your record says you are”. I bet if you asked Jim McElwain that question today, he’d have a different opinion.
