Florida fires offensive coordinator Brent Pease

After enduring their first losing season since 1979, the Florida Gators had to make some changes. It wasn't head coach Will Muschamp being fired, he got the dreaded vote of confidence from athletic director Jeremy Foley.

The Gators ended up firing offensive coordinator Brent Pease and offensive line coach Tim Davis.

The Gators ended the season last in the SEC in points and yards and failed to score more than 20 points during seven straight losses to end the season. The team allowed 56 sacks under Davis.

During a season-ending 37-7 loss to Florida State, the Gators managed just three first downs during the first half and did not score until the fourth quarter as the Seminoles wore down Florida’s defense and pulled away for an easy win. A far cry from the high powered teams of Gators past.

Florida’s offensive woes led athletic director Jeremy Foley to address them prior to Saturday’s FSU game.

“I don't think it's any secret,” Foley told a media throng. “We've got to fix that side of the ball. I’m not being disrespectful to anybody, but you look at some of the games we've lost, we haven't scored many points. This year or last year or what have you, that has to get fixed.

“That's going to be Will's responsibility. I'll help him, support him, advise him, whatever have you. I will tell you if you ask him today, it's his biggest concern.”

The Gators spent most of the season without their first string quarterback Jeff Driskel, running back Matt Jones, receiver Andre Debose and three offensive tackles, Chaz Green, Tyler Moore and D.J. Humphries. Second team quarterback Tyler Murphy was also lost for the season with a sprained shoulder leaving the team with third stringer Skyler Mornhinweg.

Last week, Pease, who is under contract through the 2015 season, said he felt he deserved another chance based on the circumstances. He also sounded resigned to his fate.

Where Muschamp decides to go next for an offensive coordinator is anyone's guess. But he'll need someone that's going to devise a scheme to put points on the board and help win some games.

Can Will Muschamp survive after loss to Georgia Southern?

No lower-division team had ever beaten the Florida Gators, who won their previous seven games against Football Championship Subdivision teams by an average of 45 points.

That was until today when Georgia Southern marched into the swamp and shocked the Gators 26-20 for arguably the school's worse loss in team history. Florida, which paid Georgia Southern $550,000 for this game to be a punching bag was the team left on the canvas.

Even though Florida was depleted by injury and came into the game with a losing record this still goes down as an upset. The Eagles, which won their third consecutive game despite playing without 19 of 65 scholarship athletes, so this loss doesn't make any sense for Florida fans.

The question after this loss is can Gators coach Will Muschamp survive after what's sure to be a 4-8 season after the finale against in state rival Florida State. The Gators have already lost to a revived Miami team and look in danger to falling to the third best program in the state. If Central Florida can keep heir momentum the Gators could fall to number four.

Athletic director Jeremy Foley and school president Bernie Machen said last week Muschamp was safe, but that was before the worst loss in school history and before there were thousands of no-shows in The Swamp.

Muschamp did lead the Gators to the Sugar Bowl last season but the offense has been fairly dismal during his tenure. In all fairness, despite the injuries Muschamp has kept the Gators competitive. That might not be enough in today's landscape.

Muschamp has gone 7-6, 11-2, and currently sports a 4-7 record that will end the nation's longest bowl streak. Not exactly the win totals of Steve Spurrier, Urban Meyer, or even the ghost of Charley Pell This is a program that is used to winning big. There might not be enough support for Muschamp to weather this storm.

Jeremy Foley has a tough decision on his hands because this is the same coach that led the Gators to an 11-2 season a year ago. A lot of things have gone wrong this season, some totally out of Muschamp’s control. Had Muschamp won this game, Foley probably could have given Muschamp a pass even with a bad loss to Florida State. But now, with this embarrassment, there might be nothing left to do but cut ties.

Kevin Sumlin and Will Muschamp trading words

It's hard being the new kid on the block in anything. Unless there is a reputation of being the biggest bad ass in your old neighborhood there is always going to be someone that picks on you.

Texas A&M consider yourselves picked on. Last week Florida coach Will Muschamp decided to fire the first shot at newcomer Texas A&M. 

While he was at a gathering for the Florida faithful, Muschamp took a shot at College Station, the home of the Aggies and the 12th man. He poked fun at Aggieland and I'm sure the locals aren't too thrilled about it.

Muschamp last week had asked a gathering of Gators fans, “You ever been to College Station? It'll be the only time you go,” according to the Lakeland (Fla.) Ledger.

Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin didn't take too kindly too Muschamp's jab of his new home.

“He needs to worry about his own team,” Sumlin said Wednesday.

Guess who will be the Aggies' first SEC opponent. That's right, Florida.

That should add some spice to the conference kickoff