Palmetto Proving Grounds

Slim to none this happens. Could we, maybe. But truth is SOS wants to win ball games, and it's obvious over the last two years, winning time of possession is more important than yards. If we grind out yardage and chew clock, and have more points when the clock hits zero, SOS will be a happy coach regardless of yardage.

I certainly think it's possible. Think of all the ugly games last year with Fla, Auburn(ints), and the ugliest of all, Tenn.We still averaged 373.5 p/game after all that.It will take Lattimore being healthy for the entire season though.

We averaged 373 last year, so I would say yes.

Depends on the success we have passing it. Really, there was no part of last season where we ever threw it particularly well, though Shaw's last two games were a step in the right direction. He improved a lot over his starts, I thought.

No doubt that Spurrier will spend the beginning of the year trying to determine whether he can throw the ball more. If he can, he will. If not, he will use last season's blue print assuming that the defense can keep teams down.

FWIW I don't see how we don't unless Connor regresses. Our running game should be better and more stable, which makes passing easier. While our WR are inexperienced, with all the speed we have, it's hard to imagine we won't have one or two explosive plays a game from them. Ace, Byrd, Ellington, Roland, etc...I think we will be fine even if it ends up being WR by committee and we may even get someone different step up weekly. I say 410/game and 30pts.

I think its well within reach. With our strong running game to fall back on, we should be able to do a bunch of quick slants, double moves with the WRs, and once we get the TEs involved - I honestly thing this will be the best offense Spurrier has had here. IF he can make the right calls. Need good runs on first down, then make smart plays from there. Too often in the past (thought not recently), we've gone incompletion, incompletion, incompletion, punt. If we mix it up, use the talent that we have in a smart way - we'll rack up the yards in a hurry.

That comes out to 373/game. I think we can improve our O by 27 yards a game.

I agree with you basically but there are exceptions. In SOS's first year or two here, with Blake Mitchell at QB we were usually way behind in time of posession but still won ball games. The difference was that we moved the ball downfield and scored quickly in relatively few plays much of the time.

We've simply not had a QB since that had the kind of vertical passing game that Blake did.

If we rush for 250 a game, yes. Otherwise, just don't see this receiving corps being productive enough to get us there.

Dingdingdingdingding!

Winner to the king. (somewhat obscure Tombstone reference... sorry )

The key to our passing game (and the potential success of the WR's, IMO) will be the short passes to the backs & TE's. If they're as big a part of our game plans as they were against Kentucky last year, the WR's will find themselves open more and their opportunities will go up. Balance is the key. If we can have a productive run game and have the threat of passes to backs/TE's, then we'll have to get a lot more zone coverages that should open up holes for the WR's to sit in. We've had a hard time against man defenses for a couple of years from time to time and I don't see that getting better this year. But with balance on the ground comes more zone so the defenders don't have their backs to the play. Plus Buster, Latt & Miles can all be mismatches for LB's. So... more zone. More zone, more opportunities for our WR's, IMO. We have a smart QB who loves to study the game. I think he may have the opportunity to adjust his game given the situation and get all the players involved based upon what the defense gives us.