Tampa, Florida					Thursday, September 09, 2010

Gators Need a Coach to Protect Leads
Monday, October 11, 2004
TAMPA—It grows more clear with virtually every game that Ron Zook has the desperate need for another key assistant—or co-head coach, as you see it. He simply must have an associate who can coach the science of keeping a lead. That became more apparent this weekend past when his puzzling Gator football team gave up yet another lead and another game that seemed to most of us a win. The Zookmen allowed Louisiana State, also a bit of a puzzlement, to come from a halftime trailing position of 21-14 at the half and then a 21-17 impending loss to a 24-21 win. Such losses have come to be the hallmark of the Zook Times at Florida, surely well chronicled for the head coach seems almost always in the act of writing down whatever he is writing down as disaster unfolds before him. The loss surely dropped the Gators out of the Southeastern Conference race, again, to an unimpressive 3-2 record overall and an eliminating 2-2 disappointment in the SEC, so far, with time to finish even far worse. This was the fifth time so far in the Zook Reign that the Gators have blown major leads to lose—LSU and Tennessee this year, Miami, Mississippi and Florida State last year. It also is the sixth home game (in the no longer intimidating Swamp) lost to Zook-head coached Gators. His successor, Steve Spurrier (remember him) lost five at home in 12 seasons. Now, while a key post seems now so needed at Florida with Zook as the man in charge, it would be most difficult to further pinpoint this special need. These Gators of today’s tradition, have lost to rallies because they could not hold the lead all right, but in that undoing, they have lost to rallies because they could not keep the ball away from the opposition late in games, thus because of defense, as well as because they could not score more late themselves because of their own offense, or because of poor Gator special teams play. They have managed to miss field goals, and punt inadequately, such as this Saturday night past in the loss to LSU. A good punt late from their very good punter, would have helped so very much Saturday—making the late LSU rally for the winning touchdown harder to come by. So the new coaching associate recommended here must be wise in matters of solid defense, aggressive offense for first downs and clock consummation but in matters of special teams as well. After this yet-another-blown-victory, Zook declared lack of ball possession was a key. Sure was. As was lack of offense, and on the field leadership, not to mention sideline leadership. That asserts plainly that the coaching of these Gators these days is undeservedly poor—particularly late with a lead. And heck, forget not Arkansas of two weeks ago when the Gators came so close to completely blowing a 38-7 lead. Thus emerges the memories of the Miami, FSU, Miami and the Outback Bowl game, of a year ago. Few misdeeds	are more inexplicable and puzzling to alums who buy the expensive seats that to see the Gators blow leads to the hated Prevent Defense, and/or inabilities to make a first down or two late in a game that would save the day for the players who clearly do their best with the bidding they have. I mean, take that 24-21 loss to former national champ LSU Saturday at Gainesville. When it was on the line, the Gator defense sagged, after blocking a Tiger field goal attempt a bit earlier to give their fans life, allowed the late march to the Gator red zone. With third and five, and crowd alive, and perhaps their players, too, LSU quarterback Marcus Randall rolled to his right and hit a receiver named Joseph Addai who slipped into the end zone for the wining touchdown. Addai seemed in the grasp for a moment, but he was not and the LSU Tigers had their winning score at 24-21 and the Gators had another defeat. Gator quarterback sensation Chris Leak had a solid game but not his best, and was unable to scramble, by a yard, for the needed, perhaps game ending first down in the last Florida possession. Gator tough-guy running back Ciatrick Fason had 92 rushing yards and another solid game, but, well, again, proper decisions on the sidelines did seem to matter most in deciding this outcome—winning, more divergent calls on the LSU sideline, and less deceptive and effective ones from Zook and Company. Now, can’t finish such a review without declaring LSU played the yards throughout and probably deserved the win, playing so well in the Gator Swamp. Florida again played as it has recently—Okay, but not with the dash and daring deserved and so very lacking when it was so vital to make a first down or two more, to produce the big defensive play to stop, hit the big punt in critical times—well, do what winning teams do. Zook in trouble? Well, probably, but for the moment only. Got a new University of Florida president, you know, and he’s not likely to sanction such actions now, and, all will say, well, a two-loss season wouldn’t be that bad. But a two-loss season seems an improbable prospect these days, unless Zook can find that genius to coach teams to protect leads. His immediate boss, Jeremy Foley, is not a man likely to rush to judgment that contradicts the decision he made in favor of a friend he chose for the job and surely feels his choice was indeed the right one. Florida folks are vocal and surely a bit disenchanted, but likely will wait this crisis out a bit more—a bit more. A truth just may be that this is not a top-notch Gator team, nor one that can be coached by its present tutors to the strong season so expected out of Gainesville these days. I mean, Auburn, Georgia and Florida State have yet to be played by this squad that has so far been coached to a 3-2 record. Only thing is, there may not be that many more opportunities to protect leads against strong clubs. ##
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