I'm not much of a fan of extended metaphors.
They’re contrived. They’re cheesy. Often times, they have to be stretched and molded in weird shapes and forms to make any sense.
But indulge me for a moment while I use one to make a point.
Have you seen ‘The Dark Knight’?
(Of course you have. It is an excellent film full of excellent acting and has an excellent plot. Anyway, that is neither here nor there.)
Think back to the scene when Harvey Dent stands in front of hundreds of reporters, cops and politicians to respond to a recent wave of crime in Gotham caused by the Joker.
Using logic and reasoning, Dent attempts to assure the crowd that a sound long-term plan would be more prudent than a drastic short-term measure.
As Dent is speaking, someone in the crowd yells, “Things are worse than ever!” to the delight of much of the audience, which is begging for a quick fix — no matter how costly it may be — to come to fruition.
Well, Will Muschamp has become Gainesville’s version of Dent this season.
With fans clamoring for a change — you know, because things are worse than ever — Muschamp has used (mostly) sound reasoning and logic to combat his antagonists during one of the more dreadful seasons in recent Florida football history.
Perhaps things are worse than ever.
Florida’s offense is last in the Southeastern Conference and 111th in the nation in scoring. Its defense, which was dominant during the first half of the season, has failed to overcome the loss of several critical players due to injury.
Because of that, the Gators sit at 4-6. They can’t win the SEC Eastern Division, and it would take something resembling a miracle for them to even become bowl eligible considering they need two wins in their final two games — one coming against powerhouse Florida State.
But there is hope amid the anguish, and it comes in the form of a rapidly developing nucleus of young difference-makers on each side of the ball.
Early this season, Vernon Hargreaves III burst onto the scene.
The freshman cornerback grabbed three interceptions in his first four collegiate games and played so well that I anointed him Florida’s best (healthy) defensive player after a win against Kentucky.
I stand by that statement today, even if Hargreaves has yet to pick off another pass.
Recently, other freshmen have shown tremendous upside as well.
Jarrad Davis, a special teams ace for much of the season, recently began seeing more time at linebacker for the Gators and looks to have the makings of a dependable player for years to come.
Even Florida’s much-maligned offense is producing talent.
Kelvin Taylor rushed for a pair of touchdowns in a loss to South Carolina and looks perfectly capable of stuntin’ like his daddy. Ahmad Fulwood has yet to break out the way Taylor has, but if he continues to develop, he should be another dependable option for several years.
Also, I’m unwilling to give up on a guy with as much raw talent as Demarcus Robinson. I firmly believe he will come around. And there are others — Octavius Jackson and Alex Anzalone to name a few.
So, despite a downtrodden season, there is reason for the Gators to be hopeful.
Because as Dent would say, “The night is darkest just before the dawn.”
Follow Phillip Heilman on Twitter @phillip_heilman.
By adding three-star prospect Deiondre Porter out of Tampa Jefferson High, coach Will Muschamp now has 22 commits in his 2014 class. The class is currently ranked seventh in the country, according to Rivals.com.
