T1B

Ouch! Tough week for UF. They lose to Scuba Steve, lose their top QB commitment (Snead) to Texas, Tebow looks like he's leaning to 'Bama, and Sam Young (likely) and Wenger (possibly) could be headed to Notre Dame. I'm sure not the kind of start Urban had in mind.

MIKE FREEMAN

Mike Freeman is a sports columnist for the Florida Times-Union. His column usually appears on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.

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Last modified Sun., November 13, 2005 - 02:11 AM
Originally created Sunday, November 13, 2005


'Ol Coach gives Boy Wonder a whupping




By DAVID BAUERLEINBy MIKE FREEMAN, The Times-Union


COLUMBIA, S.C. -- All week Steve Spurrier acted with great contriteness and passivity when speaking to the media about his old team, the Gators. It was the same when dealing with his South Carolina players. Spurrier was so frustratingly humble it was as if he had been kidnapped and replaced by some hubris-draining doppelganger.


There was quote after quote of bovine manure spilling from Spurrier about how this game to him was just like any other on the schedule. He was trying to convince everyone he had morphed from Steve Superior to Steve Submissive.

Yeah, OK Steve, gotcha, and the men that date Halle Berry only like her for that grand personality.

"I don't think the players bought it," said South Carolina's Chris Tucker. "I know I didn't."

Was he just as meek when around the Gamecocks assistant coaches? Or did Spurrier show his true personality in meetings with the staff when the cameras were away and offer any sort of guaranteed victory over the Gators?

"I don't remember a guarantee per se," said John Thompson, Carolina's co-defensive coordinator. "All coaches are confident before games. No coach ever thinks he is going to lose. I don't know if I'd say he ever guaranteed we'd beat Florida. But I will say Steve was very confident. He was very, very confident."

What is clear is that in one fell swoop Spur Dude, with his win, made two unmistakable statements.

That he is back.

And that Urban Meyer may not be the brilliant head coach many of us thought he was.

Maybe he is not Urban Meyer.

But Urban Zook.

Because the chomping sound you hear is a certain columnist eating crow and that smacking noise is Meyer getting spanked silly by Spur Dude.

Yup, Spurrier took Boy Wonder over his knee and paddled him good.

What a disaster for the Gators.

What an unmitigated, humiliating mess.

Maybe the worst non-bowl loss in Florida's history.

Somewhere Ron Zook is laughing his tail off. He is smirking in the faces of Gators fans that ran him out of town. He is falling off his chair, chuckling so hard his belly aches, remembering being fired by Jeremy Foley, the athletic director. "Hey Jeremy," the Zooker might laugh, "at least I never lost to South Carolina."

No Florida coach had.

Since 1939.

What is most concerning for Meyer is not that he was so drastically outcoached, it is how Spurrier outcoached him. Spurrier did not rely on gimmickry or a game plan that flung 85 passes all over the field. He utilized a tough running game and stout defense -- the basic food groups of football -- to devour a far more talented Gator team.

Thus if Spurrier, with his roster of slow-footed overachievers, can cook Meyer now, what will happen in several years when Spurrier actually recruits some talent?

To say that Spurrier is winning with smoke and mirrors would be an insult to the smoke and mirrors.

"It's more fun [winning] when your team is not a dominating team," said Spurrier. "It's neat the way our guys are winning. We are defying logic."

Hate to say it, but count me in now as a Spur Dude worshiper.

Because I have not seen coaching this skilled since I was around Joe Gibbs or Bill Parcells.

Now come the questions about the current Gators head coach.

Is he Urban Meyer?

Or Urban Zook?

mike.freemanjacksonville.com, (904) 359-4377

Zook never lost to USC...but he did lose to MSU...

Good read.

buckeye_in_sc wrote:Zook never lost to USC...but he did lose to MSU...

So did Spurrier

Guess Zook shouldn't have gotten all the blame. At what point does Chris Leak looked at as overrated. He has 13 losses as a starter.

I told you Killian that it was a blessing in disguise that Meyer turned down ND and you had to settle for Charlie Weis. I'll take a guy that was the OC of 3 Super Bowl winning teams over someone that led a mid-major to a BCS bowl anyday of the week and twice on Sundays.

I'm not saying Meyer isn't going to be a good coach, but he would have gotten his ass handed to him at ND. There is no way some WAC head coach could take over at ND and win. They needed a football coach, not a pretty boy that can recruit.

That said, Gator fans need to be patient. This ain't Utah anymore. There's no such thing as a big game in the WAC. He needs to learn how to prepare his teams for big games. And I'm sure he will. But it will take time. Next year, assuming Leak comes back, I think Florida can contend for a national title.

As for Leak being overrated, that's simply not true. He's not having a great year, but he has a ton of talent. He'll be a better NFL QB than he is in college. I think he'll have a big year next year after having 1 year experience in Meyer's system. Sometimes QB's struggle the first year after they change a system. It happens.

And rack the fuck out of the 'Ol Ball Coach.

I said it back then. I constantly said on scobode that Meyer should be plan B for both ND and UF. ND went after him and missed out, and when Weis was hired, my argument was that while UF may have gotten the better head coach (Meyer had that experience, Weis didn't), ND got the better staff. I think that Leak may get picked up in the middle rounds next year, but his size will also be a detriment when being considered by the NFL. That could be offset by him being mobile, but this offense is proving that he doesn't move very well.

My guess is that you won't truly see how Meyer and his offesne will do until Portis is the QB in Meyer's third year. Then all the excuse making wil be out the window. Meyer will have his QB, that's been in his system for 2 full years, and a good portion of the starters will be his recruits.

BTW- Here's the latest article on the Snead front...

Per Yahoo sports.

Looks like Mack's gonna get another National Championship Recruiting ring.