Tampa, Florida					Monday, September 06, 2010

Embarrassment at Starkville
Sunday, October 24, 2004
TAMPA—Okay, the phone calls began early—minutes after the Florida Gators of these black Saturdays sank to an even lower level—a 38-31 defeat embarrassment at a place so properly named for such lackluster effort—Starkville, Mississippi. That’s the home place of the Mississippi State Maroon/Bulldogs, so long a patsie of Florida football teams, indeed about any other team in the Southeastern Conference, other than Kentucky and Vanderbilt. It’s a homeplace of catfish farms and cotton fields, and once the home of those annoying cowbells the Mississippi State fans used to shake from start to finish of all games played at home, until the Southeastern Conference banned their use. This Saturday Starkville became the burying place of the Gator Nation Pride with that 38-31 beating of the heavily favored Gators. These problem Gators of these days were 21 point picks but were flat outplayed, outcoached, out-toughed, outhustled, outsmarted, outeverythinged Saturday in a game that shamed Gators everywhere. The beating, the flailing on national television before what appeared to be about a half-empty stadium got the calls coming early to me. The first said, “it’s time---today, not tomorrow—today. It’s time to start formally the petition for Ron Zook to go.’’ The caller is a booster. And he meant it and he will start the petition. I reminded I’d suggested some time back the defensive coordinator—Charley Strong—was simply not getting the job done. But, neither is the offense lately. Like Saturday, when offense was again so needed to save another Saturday. Now, some on the special teams—two punts were dropped—and State return man ran one back for a breakout touchdown in this Embarrassment at Starkville—need help, too. But, it truly has been the defense that has been consistently embarrassing, consistently bad, unable to protect any kind of a lead. Let’s see, how many tackles did middle linebacker make Saturday against the “national champion’’ contending Mississippi Staters—19, wasn’t it? One man? Yipes. Thirty eight points allowed? Yipes. To Mississippi State? Yipes. And, then for whatever reason the wonderful young Gator quarterback threw himself a game-losing interception late, for the severalth time, could not rally his offensive unit again to preserve a win. That is Chris Leake. He was on his way to becoming the Most Valuable Player of this M-State game when he became the leader of the loss because the interception he threw set up the Maroon winning touchdown. The Gators seemed on their way to an important win when Leak threw a pass that was awful. And, as then a commentator noted, three more Leak passes would have been for touchdowns, except for being under thrown, or overthrown.. Too bad, this is a fine man and athlete. He will be great, before it’s over for him at Zookland. He won’t make mistakes like those he has been making late in recent games. And, by the way, after this latest embarrassment of these modern Gators, Zook said at this press conference at Starkville, into the camera, “I am at a loss to explain what happened here today.’’ Well, for one thing his staff was badly outcoached, particularly the defensive professors. And if he doesn’t know, who does? So, that first phone call was saying the head coach needs to be replaced, “now, not later, not tomorrow. Now.’’ The truth is, Zook might help his own cause—not just winning—by shaking up this staff himself, starting with the defensive coordinator. Know this, the flak from this embarrassment at Starkville won’t go away this week. It was as	awful at Starkville. It was—well, an embarrassment. This team is now 4-3 and 2-3 in the SEC. Just like old days. Just like the Wait ‘Til Next Year Days. This is as it was when those who cared checked the SEC standings not to see how near the Gators were to a championship, but did they have a better record than—you got it—Mississippi State. Brady Ackerman, an analyst who pulls no punches, said linebacker Crowder has to be the only man on defense who can be assured he’ll start next Saturday in Jacksonville when the Gators play Georgia—a team with whom Florida has had its way in recent years. But, he already has predicted a Georgia win this weekend. Why not? And, even Zook is with it enough to say when he reviews the tapes, of the Embarrassment at Starkville, he will certainly see some who did not play well enough this Saturday to keep a starting position at Jacksonville. Why, Mississippi State ran the ball for 251 yards against a Florida team coached by Charley Strong. One player noted when Georgia players study the tape of the Embarrassment at Starkville, they’ll figure they can surely run against Florida and will expect to win. Which, surely is what Florida figured to do at Mississippi State. Oh, those phone calls. By far most said the head coach needed to change defensive coordinators, but plenty more said the Gator Nation was head to Small Nation status at this rate under its present leader, Head Coach Zook, Some said Zook should not be dismissed now, but put on notice. I don ‘t think that is necessary. He has put himself on notice with his results as head coach, with the Embarrassment at Starkville, an exclamation point to that edict. This team simply cannot protect a lead for young Leak and his Offensive Associates. Then, the offense can’t generate enough late scoring to overtake that lead the defense could not seize again. The Gators of 2004 are an incomplete team. And throughout the Mississippi State upset TV commentators and radiomen all kept harping on how much better the Gator talent was. And yet, this was/is the first head coaching season of M-State Head Coach Sylvester Croom. The Gators have yet to face, among others, Georgia and Florida State. A losing season is a prospect. There is major unrest in the Gator Nation. It will only grow. Would Athletic Director Jeremy Foley make a change of head coach at mid-season? Not likely. Zook is his man. Would Zook change defensive coordinators with the season ongoing? Probably not, but it would be popular. Might save his job. Might save the season. This team has just been lousy defensively, and offensively more and more as the season has worn on, in late innings. And, of course, all who call point out Steve Spurrier, a savior at Florida in the past as a player then a head coach, is sitting this season out. And, he is. We talked on the phone the other day. He is most interested right now at being certain his wideout/defensive back son Scotty is happy at his choice of colleges, probably, likely to be the University of South Florida here, then make plans of his own for his future. Would he return to Florida? Logic says no. But, believe me, his romance with his alma mater has never wavered or wane. He flat loves Florida, the state, Florida the university. He absolutely does. And it is not phoney in anyway. Would he consider a return? Well, don’t know. But, if I were the president of Florida, I’d give it a shot. The president, not anyone else. Especially after this Embarrassment at Starkville. ##
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