Greg: Florida’s problems with penalties should fall squarely on the shoulders of one man — coach Will Muschamp.
The Gators were among the 10 most penalized teams in the nation last year, drawing 7.7 flags per game. They picked up right where they left off in 2012, committing 14 penalties for 106 yards in Saturday’s win.
Muschamp says he’s exhausted every measure he knows, but he still deserves the blame for an effort that flat out isn’t good enough. Especially when, as he admits, UF’s penalty problems stem from issues of discipline.
Plain and simple, Muschamp needs to do a better job of regulating his players.
Joe: Pinning the problems of several on one person is a bit extreme. It’s up to the players — the people actually committing the penalties — to fix the problem.
Muschamp cannot hold Jordan Reed’s hand so he does not jump offsides, and he certainly is not responsible for Andre Debose going all Kimbo Slice on punter Brian Schmiedebusch after he ran out of bounds.
When Muschamp says he has exhausted every measure he knows, I believe him.
Besides, UF has a history of penalty problems. From 2007-2010, the Gators tallied 7.5 per contest.
Greg: The players know they shouldn’t commit penalties. That’s Football 101.
But until a coach drills it into their heads that penalties are unacceptable, the same mistakes will keep occuring.
Reed was called for two false starts on Saturday, and on Wednesday he said his punishment was 11 pushups. Eleven!
Reed also said the coaches have a new policy of stopping practice to make all 11 players do up-downs if someone jumps early, which is certainly a step in the right direction.
But until Muschamp starts actually pulling guys out of games as a result of the penalties, the message isn’t being sent strongly enough.
Last season, Muschamp said he couldn’t pull penalty-prone players because the team didn’t have the depth. But with Damien Jacobs, Dante Fowler Jr. and Jonathan Bullard new to the rotation, Muschamp has no excuses.
Until he starts punishing his players on gameday, he deserves the brunt of the blame.
Joe: Jaylen Watkins knows what’s up. On Tuesday, he described the Gators’ penalties problem as “errors on players, something they’ve got to control within themselves.”
James Wilson knows what’s up, too.
“We’ve got to be smarter about what we do,” he said.
Pulling players from games may prove effective, but what happens if Jeff Driskel causes a delay of game? Bring on Jacoby Brissett and a reborn quarterback controversy.
Besides, you’ve seen Muschamp on the sidelines. He’s not exactly a rational guy.
You’re right, Greg. The up-downs are a terrific step.
Eleven push-ups are 11 push-ups. It’s 11 more than Reed would have usually done. It’s 11 more than you and I have done combined in the last seven days.
The penalties problem boils down to maturity on the players’ part. Learn the game or get off the field.
Contact Greg Luca at gluca@alligator.org and Joe Morgan at joemorgan@alligator.org.
