Lamm at Large

The Gators' game at South Carolina this Saturday could be their most important game of the season. It's practically a must-win and not just because it's the next game.   If Florida is to have a reasonable chance of getting a bowl bid, it has to beat the Gamecocks. The Gators will be underdogs in four of its last five games. The juggernaut is playing Georgia in Jacksonville, traveling to […]

Offense draws bigger television audiences. Offense causes fans to leap out of their seats. Offense causes fans to paint their faces and scream.   Defense wins games and championships.   And that's why I give the Jaguars a good chance to make the playoffs after watching their performance against the high-scoring Buffalo Bills, a 25-20 victory. In two games against the AFC's two juggernauts, Kansas City and Buffalo, the Jaguars […]

Wanted by the Jaguars and almost every other NFL team: Offensive linemen.   Job description: Must be 6-3 or taller; must weigh 300 pounds or more; must have nimble and quick feet; speed is optional.   Know how many such people in the United States -- and other parts of the world for that matter -- meet those standards? Me neither but I know there aren't many.   Throw in […]

So why has the Jaguars' highly-regarded offense sputtered so badly in the first quarter of the season?   Most point to the offensive line. It has forced QB Trevor Lawrence to throw quickly and miss seeing open receivers. It has clogged running lanes.   The solution is to have more mobile QBs who have designed running plays. Look around the NFL and you'll see the days of dropback passers such […]

Any Gator football fan old enough to drink alcohol -- legally -- must be in shock. Losing to Kentucky three straight years isn't possible, isn't it?   In their eyes, they own the Wildcats. The Gators not only defeated Kentucky for 30 straight years, they dominated them. Two examples: for 12 years under Coach Steve Spurrier, the Gators outscored the 'Cats 565-221; for four years behind quarterback Tim Tebow, 175-56. […]

I've heard several sports journalists say this would be the year for the College Football Playoff to expand to 12 teams, not next year as planned. Indeed, there appears to be at least 12 national championship-caliber teams after one-third of the season.   But keep in mind many of those teams have padded their records and statistics beating up on a bunch of teams looking for a payday. Now we're […]

Until the 1970s few paid much attention to the Ryder Cup. Then the European team added players from all over Europe -- at Jack Nicklaus' suggestion -- and the competition amped up thanks to golfers such as Spain's Seve Ballesteros and Germany's Bernard Langer.   But it wasn't until the 90s before the popularity of the Cup surged and made it one of the world's major sporting events. Like millions […]

Yes, I was surprised, not shocked, that the Texans defeated the Jaguars. This is the NFL.   Yes, I was shocked, not surprised, by how easily the Texans won at The Bank.   It wasn't just an upset. It was a 37-17 beatdown. The Texans came to town with a banged secondary and missing four offensive linemen. Still, they got up 17-0 and the Jaguars never challenged.   The Jaguars […]

I've been stewing on something since last Thursday night. It was the Eagles-Viking game in the second half and the Eagles, who eventually won 34-28, were up by 14. D'Andre Swift was carrying Philadelphia's offensive load. He finished the night with 28 carries for 175 yards. QB Jalen Hurts only threw 17 passes, 4 to Devonta Smith for 131 yards. So what was all-star wideout A.J. Brown doing on the […]