Bishop Media Sports Network
Ch-Ch-Changes
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The problem to be solved with the Florida Gator football team runs deeper than Dan Mullen’s hubris. Yes, please fire him (hiring Todd Grantham much less keeping Grantham for another year is a Nussemeier on staff levels of incompetence) but the administration just doesn’t get it.
Florida doesn’t need an X’s and O’s coach; they need a CEO type that knows what it takes to build a program. I have no doubt in my mind that Coach Mullen wants to be successful at Florida, but it takes a lot more than wanting it, especially at Florida.
Someone who “gets it” is Kirby Smart. He sacrifices so much time with his family and so much of his free time to recruit. Kirby demands so much from his assistants, you ask yourself, why the hell would anyone do that?
How do you recruit so hard, you rival Nick Saban in relentlessness and even beat him on the trail consistently? What drives a person to do something that makes many normal men insane?
Well, Kirby is a Georgia alum who spent his playing days being consistently clobbered by Steve Spurrier coached Florida teams. It’s almost like his very identity revolves around Georgia Football. He is Mr. UGA!
Kirby was born and raised in the South and knows the culture. I think that’s why a lot of recruits gravitate to him.
Would you ascribe the same “X factor” about Dan Mullen? This is what recruits think: Some dorky Northeasterner who talks too fast and isn’t funny or relatable, and who thinks Publix cakes and some tastefully Jordan sneakers can woo recruits on their official visits.
Mullen has been quoted as saying “I want guys who want to be Gators”, but at this point as a program when you have the likes of Kentucky and Missouri out-recruiting you. You have to wonder if the brand has lost its’ sheen after the lost decade.
In order to compete with the Elite (hell to even remain relevant in the SEC East) in the present day, you HAVE TO GO ALL IN. There is no half-ass in the current recruiting landscape. The push to become a top 5 public university is great but all these young men have dreams to play in the NFL.
Mullen has some of the top attributes I would seek in a head coach. He can game plan and coach offense, quarterbacks and call plays, but he has to reflect on just about every other part of the program at this point and make some really big changes.
I do believe there will be some significant staff changes this offseason. Todd Grantham being gone is all but a foregone conclusion.
The following coaches have their contract set to expire after the recruiting cycle ends February 8th: John Hevesy, Billy Gonzales, Tim Brester, Greg Knoz and David Turner.
Change is coming Gator fans, but you are not fixing the roster issues overnight and simply replacing coaches is not a guaranteed fix.
“If you don’t recruit, there’s no coach that can out-coach recruiting, I don’t care who you are.” Kirby Smart definitely understands how to build a program.
Brunswick High Pirates Coach’s Show w Sean Pender November 3
Frederica Academy Knights Coach’s Show w Brandon Derrick November 3
MCA Buccaneers Coach’s Show w Bradley Warren November 2
The Playoff Picture
By: Jason Bishop
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Well, here we go. The last week of the high school football regular season is upon us.
The playoffs will start in two weeks and as always southeast Georgia will be well represented. But who will be playing where?
Brunswick High Pirates: The Pirates will travel to Springfield Friday night to take on the Effingham Rebels in what amounts to a region championship game.
BHS is the last unbeaten team in 6A and comes in at 9-0 on the season and undefeated in the region. Effingham’s only region loss is to Richmond Hill.
If the Pirates knock off the Rebels, BHS will lock up a #1 seed and will most likely be hosting Tucker. However, if Effingham upsets the Pirates, then Effingham would be region champion and BHS would likely host Lovejoy as a #2 seed.
Ware County Gators: The Gators are 7-1 on the season and undefeated in their region. Ware holds wins over Coffee, Veterans and Warner Robins; thus, they have locked up the region no matter the outcome of the Wayne County game Friday night.
The Gators will most likely host Banneker out of region 3-5A in the first round.
MCA Buccaneers: MCA is 4-4-1 on the year and currently holds the #3 seed in 3-1A Public.
The Bucs will head up to Millen Friday night with the #3 seed on the line against Jenkins County. The winner of that game will get the #3 seed and the loser will end up with #4 seed.
A #3 seed means a road trip to Mitchell County, a very winnable game. However, a #4 seed means a date with the Pelham Hornets, a much tougher game.
Glynn Academy Red Terrors: The Red Terrors are 3-5-1 on the season and are in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time in the Rocky Hidalgo era.
Glynn’s only chance to get into the playoffs is to beat Statesboro Friday night at Glynn County Stadium.
If the Red Terrors succeed at knocking off the Blue Devils, they will earn a #4 seed and they would face Langston Hughes, the #1 seed from region 4.
Langston Hughes knocked Glynn out of the playoffs last year in the second round, 35-0.
Camden County Wildcats: The Wildcats have struggled closing games in the second half of the season. Camden has locked up the #4 seed in their region with a 4-6 record.
The Wildcats lost the last 5 games of the season. In fairness, Camden could have very easily won 4 of those games.
The Wildcats will head up to Atlanta to play the #1 seed in region 3, North Cobb.
Camden is a very dangerous #4 seed.
Charlton County Indians: The Indians nipped Lanier County last week by one point, earning the #4 seed from region 2-1A Public.
Charlton will take on Atkinson County Friday Night to close out their regular season, looking for a 7-3 regular season.
After that the Indians will take to the road in the first round of the playoffs to take Montgomery County, the #1 seed from 4-1A Public.
Frederica Academy Knights: The Knights currently are 4-5 on the season and hold the #2 position in GISA 2-3A. Frederica will head up to Dublin Friday night to take on Trinity Christian.
If the Knights win over Trinity, they will finish #2 in the region, however GISA uses a different ranking system than GHSA.
The most likely scenario is the Knights end up with #5 seed and a first round bye in the playoffs.
Frederica Academy Knights Coach’s Show w Brandon Derrick October 27
Brunswick High Pirates Coach’s Show w Sean Pender October 27
And The Winner Is…..
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Following an off week, the Florida Gators are set to take on the No. 1 ranked Georgia Bulldogs in Jacksonville.
The gators re coming off an embarrassing loss to LSU. The Bulldogs enter this weekend game undefeated. The Gators open this week as a 14-point underdog.
The context that makes this year’s World’s Largest Cocktail Party so compelling is that Florida can put up points and move the ball. The Gators are ranked No. 5 nationally in yards per play, better than any team Georgia has faced or will face this season.
With Mullen refusing to commit to promising redshirt freshman Anthony Richardson, the Gators need a Superman performance from their quarterback.
Georgia’s defense is built in the trenches and Jordan Davis, Jalen Carter, Devonte Wyatt, Travon Walker and Nolan Smith are the main pieces in this dominating front.
These guys not only win on-on-one blocks; they are absolute menaces to opposing offenses. Georgia loves to substitute and play situational defense and does a great job at maximizing their talent while rotating and keeping players fresh.
The Bulldogs are great at creating pressure to make quarterbacks think they are bringing more than they are and forcing sacks and turnovers. Georgia loves to stunt and play games with their defensive lineman.
What is Florida’s identity on offense? Who knows, the first three weeks of the season, the Gators were a top rushing team in the country. The last few weeks, Florida has looked completely different trying to throw the ball around the field.
Richardson seems to spark the Gators offense and they respond when he’s in the game. He gives them the best chance to win. Mullen needs to accept the younger player is better and needs to play.
Mullen will need to dial up a great game plan to exploit Georgia’s aggressive front-7. The best way to score on the Bulldogs is to get to the back end of their defense, but does Florida have the QB, OL and skill players to test them.
No doubt the Gator’s defense spent the entire bye week working on playing the counter better. LSU ate their lunch with it. That makes me believe that Georgia will have to see if the Gators can stop the run.
Look for Zamir White, Kendall Milton and James Cook to rake up big runs against the undisciplined Gators front-7. Georgia’s running game will set up play action passes. Brock Bowers will create big play opportunities with size and speed.
Kirby Smart has owned Dan Mullen in their careers (3-1) as head coaches. He owns Mullen when it comes to recruiting. Smart will own Mullen on Saturday.
My Prediction: Georgia 45 Florida 20
The Big Letdown
By: Jeff Doke
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
When I was a freshman at Young Harris College, I was introduced to a south Florida-based parrot head musician named Del Suggs. The chorus of one of his songs said “when everything’s coming up roses, I get suspicious.”
Boy howdy, does that sentiment ring true right now.
As any lifelong Dawg fan will gladly tell you – whether you want to hear it or not – we’ve been through a lot over the years: Second & 26. Half a hundred between the hedges. No, make that the entire Steve Spurrier run.
The Dawgs have been close (or should have been close) so many times since 1980 that many of us have developed a healthy sense of skepticism. Can you blame us though? We survived Jim Donnan *AND* Mark Richt.
This year feels different, though. Undefeated through seven games. Undefeated in the SEC with our backup quarterback and a decimated receiver corp. A defense that has allowed only 4 touchdowns all year…and it would have been three if Mark Stoops’ bookie hadn’t gotten that call through. Georgia, no matter how badly we don’t want to say it out loud, looks unstoppable.
This year’s Georgia/Florida game shouldn’t be a trap game. So why is it making me so nervous?
The 2021 Floriduh Gaturs are not a good football team. Neither QB has proved to be outstanding, although both were described as such in the preseason.
Yes, they almost took Bama to overtime, but I’m standing by my belief that this year’s Bama is a paper tiger.
Dan Mulllen has already gotten a third L to supplement the two Ls you can’t spell his name without. Not only are they not at their usual spot in the top 2 spots of the SEC East, they’re in 4th, behind Tennessee AND KENTUCKY.
Let that sink in. Florida is behind Kentucky. In FOOTBALL.
I’m pretty sure this is mentioned somewhere in Revelations, I’m just scared to look.
I’m nervous about this game because records and rankings absolutely do not matter in this matchup. Let’s take a look at the last few times a highly ranked UGA team has gone up against an unranked Florida squad.
2017 – #3 Georgia 42 – Florida 7. Okay, this one worked out the way we thought, but just wait.
2014 – Florida 38 – #9 Georgia 20. I’m not sure, but I think this was the year Fred Taylor’s kid decided he had some of his old man’s talent. Not sure, I’ve blocked this game from my memory.
2002 – Florida 20 – #5 Georgia 13. Ron Zook’s first year as coach (yeah, I forgot him, too), and a team led by a QB most famous for almost breaking his fool neck headbutting a cement wall on national television.
If we were to flip the script, the last time an unranked Georgia squad beat a ranked Florida team was 1989.
Thirty-two years ago. When George Bush was still in office. The first one, that is.
This is why I am hesitant to embrace hope this year, much less this week. Weird stuff happens at the WLOCP.
True, the 2021 Bulldogs have started to be mentioned in “best of all time” discussions, and rightfully so. JT Daniels is trending towards playing, and let’s be honest, it won’t be a heartbreak if he doesn’t – you’d like to see the Mailman get some payback for last year too, yeah?
My mind says “we’ve got this.” My heart says “ease up off the gas there, pablo.”
My cardiology nurse, however, says “please stop watching Georgia football.” I should probably listen to her, considering she’s my wife.
Camden County Wildcats Coach’s Show w Jeff Herron October 27
