Is Florida Going Backwards?

by Nico Alvarez

It has become a common question for The University of Florida football program over the last – I’d rather not put a number on it – years. 

As someone who lived through the Muschamp and McElwain eras in the stands every Saturday, it’s saying something that I haven’t felt this low in a long time. To put all of that in perspective, I was in the stands with another handful of masochists when Georgia Southern handed us a fat L after only attempting 3 passes, and completing a whopping 0 of them. I know what you’re thinking. The answer is yes, this is the same game where two Gator offensive lineman blocked each other for about 5 yards.  

When Dan Mullen walked through the doors in Gainesville, there was a whole lot to be excited about. A man with a history in Gainesville, now taking the reins and making his mark on a program that seemed to be on life support. And he did a damn fine job of doing it. After three straight New Year’s Six bowl game appearances, two of which being wins, and almost shocking the world in the 2020 SEC Championship game, it seemed like we were on the cusp. 

Little did we know we were on the cusp of another coming disappointment. Into 2021 we go to find yet another HBC possibly on the hot seat. A second straight loss to basically LSU’s B team and another Kentucky loss, and we’re no closer to the top tier than we were when Dan got hired. 

I know what you’re thinking: “Nico, it can totally be worse.” Sure. But can it though? 

After the loss to LSU, the Gators have now lost 6 out of their last 8 games versus Power 5 opponents. What’s more, Dan is now 6-7 versus the AP Top 25 and 0-6 in one score games in 2020 & 2021.

Dan is now 0-2 against Saban, 0-1 against Jimbo, 1-2 against Kirby (and soon to be 1-3 if you’re a betting man), 1-3 against Coach O, and a mighty 2-2 against Mark Stoops. If I showed you that on a blind resume, I’d venture to say that it would take you more than a couple guesses to get that one right. No amount of Jordans can make that look good.

What makes matters even worse is Dan’s lackadaisical demeanor throughout it all – carrying himself as if he’s a passenger riding shotgun and not behind the wheel of the car. But where to start. Coy and misleading at best in pressers? Sure. I see that and raise you an unwillingness to budge when it comes to things like Todd Grantham’s continued struggles. On that Grantham note, I understand not wanting to throw your buddy under the bus and drag him for the world to see – but a little accountability would go a long way with a fan base that is sometimes more invested in their team than any rational person should be. I could go on and on with similar situations, but the one that takes the cake is the quarterback situation this year. There, yet again, Dan leads with his heart followed closely by that hard head of his. I can appreciate his love for Emory – his first hand-picked recruit to sign with the program. And I love him too, as any pragmatic UF fan should. However, I also have a set of eyes. The offense is simply more explosive with AR15. The playbook opens up more. It’s just more exciting. Yet week after week, game after game, Dan is noncommittal on the issue – something that has become the norm rather than the exception. 

Beating the upper echelon of the SEC is tough, even tougher when you mix in the rest of the schedule. But when push comes to shove, that’s exactly what you signed up for. You signed up to come here and win, knowing the expectations. To live up to, as he puts it, “The Gator Standard.” I can stomach losing or at least being competitive against Bama or that team up there in the Peach State. What’s inexcusable is losing to far inferior teams in increasingly mind boggling ways. We just come up with new ways to lose every week.

I can’t keep beating him down though. Dan has broken records during his four years in Alachua County! He has done something during his tenure that no other coach as far back as Ron Zook has done. Lose to Kentucky twice. Hell, even Muschamp and Zook himself went undefeated against UK. 

It’s gotten to the point where I’m not sure which era I prefer: The Muschamp era where we couldn’t beat the big dogs but beat who we were supposed to, or the Mullen era where I’m more petrified to play the likes of Vandy than I am an A&M or Bama. Yes, that was half in jest…but only half. 

Stepping off my armchair head coach soapbox, I’m not sitting in the front row of the “Fire Mullen” bus. However, there are far more questions going unanswered rather than answered – and as it stands, you’d be a fool worthy of a “bless your heart” to think this program is going in the right direction. Pair that with a head coach that acts as if nothing is wrong (and thinks that we the fan base are the crazy ones for thinking as such) and you have a bubbling cauldron of frustrated players, a fanbase becoming all too acquainted with the surrender cobra pose, and no set plan on how to get out of the quicksand. 

As for Saturday, I’ll be firing up cocktails and using it as bubble wrap as I close my eyes and pray about what’s going to happen in Jacksonville. The Florida Gators have a saying: In All Kinds of Weather. Well, a lot of us are sitting here wondering when the weather’s going to clear up and stay that way.

Until then, as always: Go Gators, Beat Georgia. 

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