Skip to Content, Navigation, or Footer.
We inform. You decide.
Friday, March 29, 2024
NEWS  |  CAMPUS

Johnson’s Journal: Muschamp completely invested in Driskel at quarterback

<p>Game capatins Andre Debose (4), Jeff Driskel (6) and Neiron Ball (11) walk out the players tunnel prior to kickoff between UF and UK on Sept. 15, 2014 evening in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.</p>

Game capatins Andre Debose (4), Jeff Driskel (6) and Neiron Ball (11) walk out the players tunnel prior to kickoff between UF and UK on Sept. 15, 2014 evening in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

Woody and Buzz, peanut butter and jelly, macaroni and cheese. Each is so synonymous with the other that it’s tough to think of one without its counterpart.

Add Jeff Driskel and Will Muschamp to that list, because that’s where that relationship seems to be going.

It’s different than just the standard coach-player bond.

Perhaps Muschamp knows the stakes; he knows how much his reputation rides on the arm of No. 6 and because of that, he so vociferously defends a player he didn’t even recruit.

Maybe it’s just Muschamp orchestrating a different kind of defense — not one to stymie opponents but one to block the blitz of negativity from fans and media alike (including this newspaper).

Muschamp marginalized the amount of fans who have fallen out of favor with Driskel, referring to the number as "a few" which is frankly not true in my mind and maybe in his too despite what he said publicly.

Muschamp is taking bullets, deflecting negativity, trying to lessen its impact and mitigate its effect on his signal caller and the team at large. That’s what coaches do, that’s what fathers do.

And oftentimes you’ll hear coaches say they toe the line between those two roles with their student-athletes.

The pressure and the vitriol are occupational hazards of the job of quarterbacking at the University of Florida, and for his part, Driskel said Monday he doesn’t need his coach to come to his defense — he is a big boy and he can handle it.

He said he was "grown" and even laughed off his plight by joking about how thankful he was that Monday was the start of a new week.

There is nothing wrong with defending your players. It’s what coaches are supposed to do.

Nothing good comes from publicly blasting a 21-year-old in the media no matter how poorly he played in his last game.

Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Alligator delivered to your inbox

Keep in mind, Muschamp has also admitted Driskel must get better — he’s not just ignoring how Driskel has played up until this point.

I do find one small thing has changed about how the Gators plan to use freshman Treon Harris amidst all the calling from people — myself included — for him to be the starter. Florida could have been playing the 2001 Miami Hurricanes or the 1985 Chicago Bears and Harris was going into that game in the second quarter of that opener come hell or high-water.

But that won’t be the case Saturday, just like it wasn’t against Kentucky or Alabama.

Harris will play if the situation dictates and Muschamp made it clear the Gators won’t be trying a Spurrier-esque two-quarterback rotation. Driskel is the guy — he’s Muschamp’s guy — and he’ll play most of the game.

The enduring question is can the Gators get into a situation where Muschamp finds it logical to put Harris in the game with Jeff Driskel starting at quarterback?

And will it still serve as an opportunity for Harris to receive snaps in which he can affect the outcome of the game (non-garbage time situations)?

This is the chicken-egg situation Florida’s quarterback conundrum finds itself in.

Offensive coordinator Kurt Roper said Tuesday Harris isn’t ready mentally because of his age, so now both coach and coordinator are in lockstep defending their guy.

Roper did defer to the head man, though, when he said that Muschamp makes the ultimate call in regards to a quarterback change and also said Driskel gives them the best chance to win.

Roper also said only eight of Driskel’s 37 third-down drop backs that failed were the redshirt junior’s fault.

Whether they believe it or not, the party line is Jeff Driskel gives this team the best chance to win.

I’m not sure if that’s the case on the field, and my reservations come from not seeing Harris given the opportunity and full reigns over the offense.

I also think the crux of the unrest stems from the fact that Muschamp keeps repeating the "Driskel gives us the best chance to win" line as a plea to Gators fans to trust him, to trust his judgment and his coaching acumen.

The problem is, I don’t think they do.

Follow Richard Johnson on Twitter @RagjUF 

Game capatins Andre Debose (4), Jeff Driskel (6) and Neiron Ball (11) walk out the players tunnel prior to kickoff between UF and UK on Sept. 15, 2014 evening in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

Support your local paper
Donate Today
The Independent Florida Alligator has been independent of the university since 1971, your donation today could help #SaveStudentNewsrooms. Please consider giving today.

Powered by SNworks Solutions by The State News
All Content © 2024 The Independent Florida Alligator and Campus Communications, Inc.