(07-27-2021, 09:55 AM)Race Bannon Wrote:

(07-26-2021, 10:40 PM)JagFan81 Wrote: If we take out Lawrence and put Timmy in for a play, isnt it kinda obvious its going to be a gadget play or a run?

That's sort of how Tebow got to be a fan favorite in the very beginning.  Some people think "Oh, people like Timmy because he's a Christian."  Or "they just like him because he got to be the quarterback in a very productive offense and was handed his success."

But I'm in my 50's -- I watched the whole thing from the very beginning (Gator grad).  It all started because Tebow would come in lined up in shotgun in short yardage situations.  He would exhort the crowd (drove haters nuts).  Every single man, woman, and child in the stadium, and watching at home (fans and opponents) knew his number was called for a run.  AND HE WOULD STILL PICK UP THE FIRST (or touchdown). 

He's just really, really good at that one thing.  Plus a direct snap run creates and extra blocker so it's an inherent advantage anyway -- the defense would be thinking the same thing if an RB was put in the wildcat, but it still creates a numbers advantage. 

The thing about Tebow playing TE is there could conceivably be other reasons for him to be on the field, and they shift to the wildcat.  So the defense cannot automatically assume the gadget/wildcat is on just because Tebow is on the field.  You could shift the formation to it.  But for that to work, he has to competently do some sort of job at TE when his number is not called (which remains to be seen).