It started with a tweet.
A snapshot of a barely filled student section 10 minutes before kickoff turned into a national story. Outlets such as USA Today and Yahoo! Sports picked up the tweet, and the perception was created that Florida’s students would rather stay home than attend their school’s homecoming football game.
ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt said Monday on his nationally syndicated radio show that the Gators played in a half-filled stadium.
By the time Vanderbilt drilled a 31-yard field goal with 7:56 remaining in the first quarter on its opening drive, the student section on the east side of Ben Hill Griffin stadium was three-fourths full and still growing.
Before kickoff, social media sounded the apathy alarm and turned coach Will Muschamp’s hot seat even hotter.
Unfortunately, it may be more than losses that spark changes in Florida’s football program. I call it a deceptive perception.
These rushes to judgment began in the dog days of summer.
Antonio Morrison immediately became news following his second arrest of the summer, in which he allegedly barked at a police dog. The Daily Mail, a tabloid newspaper in the United Kingdom, ran an online story about the incident. Turns out the sophomore shouldn’t have been arrested at all, according to the state of Florida.
Damage already done.
How about the suspension for Jay-nard Bostwick that never was? Several publications reported the freshman defensive tackle had been suspended along with four other Gators for the season opener against Toledo on Aug. 31. Muschamp spent Friday night and Saturday morning clearing up confusion with Bostwick’s family. Not something a coach expects to deal with prior to a season opener.
Remember the debut of Tyler Murphy? Through three games, he looked like he could cure cancer, solve world hunger and save a Florida offense decimated by injuries.
Tim Tebow, the closest person to a religious deity in Gainesville, couldn’t even do that.
Fast forward to Saturday against Vanderbilt when Florida ran an option to the short side of the field on first-and-goal from the 1-yard line. It was a questionable call that made The Swamp have a conniption. Even more fury surrounded Brent Pease, who has come under fire for Florida’s poor offensive showing much of the season.
What about Muschamp not being capable of coaching this team? That might be the most misconstrued perception of all.
There may be changes made after the season, but going on a third head coach in five seasons would put Florida’s recruiting on life support.
Truth is, center Jon Harrison and right guard Jon Halapio are the only preseason starters still playing along the offensive line. Expecting Murphy, a solid, yet unproven, talent to suddenly turn the season around isn’t fair.
Losing starting quarterback Jeff Driskel and NFL-bound defensive lineman Dominique Easley to season-ending injuries devastated the team’s talent level and its psyche. Pease may not turn out to be the guru this offense needs, but he hasn’t had a healthy enough team to prove otherwise.
A 4-5 record isn’t acceptable, but with as many injuries as the Gators have had, it’s understandable.
Snap judgments have made the Gators a team with troublemakers off the field, a team with an incompetent coaching staff and a team whose fans were so fed up that they wouldn’t show up to their homecoming game.
In the eyes of many, each loss turns these deceptive perceptions into disappointing realities.
Needing two wins against No. 10 South Carolina, Georgia Southern and No. 2 Florida State, Florida may miss out on its first bowl game since 1990 and its first losing season since 1979.
When watching the remaining three regular season games, remember one thing: Everything isn’t always what it seems.
Follow Adam Pincus on Twitter @adamDpincus.
Florida coach Will Muschamp gazes at the Missouri crowd and reflects after the No. 22 Gators' 36-17 loss to the No. 14 Tigers on Oct. 19 in Faurot Field in Columbia, Mo.
