Florida Blog
December 22, 2009
Reflections of the 2009 Season
By Naples GatorMy two biggest concerns starting the season were WR and injuries. (See earlier blogs) Little did I know that my two biggest fears would be combined into one. The highly touted WR Andre Debose, the heir apparent to Percy Harvin, was lost for the year and red-shirted. Juco transfer Carl Moore also went down. That left the Gators with Riley Cooper, Deonte Thompson and David Nelson. Thompson and Nelson never stepped up their game and that left Cooper with TE Aaron Hernandez to handle most of the receiving. Cooper and Hernandez had sensational years. Hernandez should be a star at the NFL level..It will be very interesting how many Juniors come back in 2010!
I also feel that we sorely missed the play calling of Dan Mullen, who left to take the head coaching position at Miss St. Steve Addazio, in my opinion, was not suited for play calling. Against the better teams there was a complete lack of imagination that was really spelled out in the SEC Championship game against Alabama, where Rainey and Demps had 2 carries for 17 yards, and Moody didn't carry the ball. On a brighter note DC Charlie Stromg had a great year, and finally his talent has been rewarded and Strong has landed the head coaching job at Louisville..Best of luck Charlie, we will miss you.
All in all it was a great year, with 12 straight wins, that extended the gators winning streak to 22 and had them ranked #1 for the entire regular season.The defense was outstanding and ranked #1 in the regular season. Spikes, Dunlap, and Haden all had great years. The incident with Dunlap right before the Bama game was a shame, but he will be back for the Sugar bowl game against Cinncinnati. What more can you say about Tim Tebow, who had one of the greatest careers in the history of college football.
Once again the Gators lost a game to the SEC West. It is a shame it came in the SEC Championship game.
I am sure that Tebow and Spikes will have the Gators ready to play on New Years day in New Orleans. Urban Meyer has a great record with 2 or more weeks to prepare and I don't think the Gators will suffer a letdown. A 13-1 season with a top 5 finish would be an outstanding year. Remember, the Gators lost 1 game in all of their Championship years , in 1996 2006 and 2008. This is the last game for Tebow and Spikes, thanks for all you have given us, in the last 4 years!
December 7, 2009
What Went Wrong
By: Naples GatorAt the beginning of the game I turned to my buddy and said, the Gators just don't look up for this game. He agreed.
Normally when teams get out rushed 251 yards to 88 they lose. Well this is exactly what happened. The strange question is why did the Gators panic and give up on running the ball? A funny stat is the Gators averaged 6.3 per carry and Bama 4.7, only they ran 53 times and the Gators ran only 14 times, and most of these were in the first 40 minutes.Early on Chris Rainey ran for 8 yards and never ran again. Jeff Demps ran early for 9 yards and never ran again. Moody had zero carries. So your 3 leading RB's had 2 carries for 17 yards. I mentioned a while back that I didn't think Steve Addazio was right in the OC spot.This game proved it to me. When teams throw 35 times and run 14 times it's usually not very pretty. I realize that late in the game the Gators had to pass, but I feel they gave up on the run, way to early.
Buddy Martin, made an interesting point in his column, which involved the number 22. The Gators winning streak ended at 22, Bama won it's 22nd SEC title (Thank you Bear) and Mark Ingram #22 may have leap-frogged Colt McCoy for the Heisman. If they didn't put 1 second back on the clock in the Texas game, McCoy would of been the goat, and Ingram would of been a shoe-in.
The Gators could look at the Carlos Dunlap suspension, as an excuse, but they were outplayed on both sides of the ball. This game may explain why Bama almost lost the week before to Auburn, as they certainly were looking ahead to the Gators.
Normally I would be bummed out after a crushing loss like this, but I have to look at the wonderful year, and the 22 straight wins. It is very hard to repeat as National Champions, and I only hope the Gators will re-group for the Sugar Bowl aginst undefeated Cincinnati. Urban Meyer has a great record when he has over 2 weeks to prepare, and I'm sure Tim Tebow will want to go out with a win. A big win over Cincy could vault the Gators from # 5 to 2 or 3. I can live with that.
December 1, 2009
Timmy's Last Game @ The Swamp
By: Naples GatorI had heard of Tim Tebow from watching the documentary of his senior year at Nease High school, so I made the trip to Gainesville to watch the blue/orange Spring game in 2006.Tebow was the QB of the second team, playing against the first team, led by senior QB Chris Leak. Tebow had only been in school for a few months. What I saw that afternoon amazed me. I saw a true freshman completely out play a starting QB of 3 years and lead the second team to victory. His performance reminded me of watching Wilt Chanberlain when he was in 10th grade. When I returned home I told a local sportscaster that I just seen a kid who should be the starting QB, for the Gators. This started a year or so debate between us on who should be the starting QB for the Gators. To compound the issue, my sportscaster friend would have on his show a national color commentator, and everytime I would call in and talk about Tebow he would tell me how wrong I was, he would say how funny his throwing motion was , and so on. At the start of his sophmore year in 2007 Tebow was the starter.When he lit it up in the first two games I called in again, and the commentator (who played in the NFL) said "Wait until he plays against Tennessee and the other SEC schools." Well, as they say, the rest is history. Tebow became the first sophomore in history to win the Heisman. In his junior year in 2008, he led the Gators to the National Championship. Now this commentator is on the bandwagon, singing the praises of Mr Timmy Tebow.
Last Saturday at the Swamp, was senior day, and the last player on the field was Tim Tebow. This was his last home game and over 90,000 fans came to say goodbye. Alot of them put on eye shadow, like Timmy has done since the loss last year to Ole Miss, when he made his famous speech. The Gators came in with 21 straight wins and were undefeated this year at 11-0 and ranked #1. Like in a Hollywood movie, Tebow went out and threw for 3 TD's and ran for 2 more, in leading the Gators to their 22nd straight win.
I don't know what will happen Saturday in the SEC Championship, but I just want to say,"Thank you Tim Tebow, for 4 of the greatest years of football I have ever seen." I didn't see Red Grange play, but I have seen Jim Brown, Herschel Walker, and Bo Jackson, and I think that Tim Tebow will go down as the greatest college player in the history of the game.
The only thing better than his football achievements , is how this young man leads his life. It is one thing to be a great athelete, it is another thing to be such a fine human being. Here is a young man who has been doing missionary work since he was a little boy, who visits prisons to talk to men behind bars, to try and help them. This is a young man that has changed the face of college football, forever.
Thank you Tim Tebow!
November 22, 2009
Spread It Around
By: Naples Gator
Earlier this year I called the Backfield, "The 4 Horseman" named after the legendary 4 Horseman of Notre Dame and immortalized, by Grantland Rice.. The Florida Gators do not have a Toby Gerhart or a Mark Ingram, but they do have, Jeff Demps, Chris Rainey, Emmanuel Moody, and Tim Tebow. The Gators do not have a 1,000 yard rusher, but the 4 have a combined 2161 yards, or nearly 200 yards a game.
For most of the year the passing game relied on 2 receivers Hernandez and Cooper. Yesterday by getting 9 receivers involved and spreading it around the Gators had 26 receptions for 363 yards, and this was without Hernandez catching a ball, due to the flu. This is a page out of what is happening with the running game..Cooper had 2 catches ( 1 TD) Thompson and Nelson who combined had only 24 catches in the first 10 games had 8 yesterday. Hines who had caught 9 in limited action , caught 4 yesterday, one a highlight real 20 yard TD, where he dragged a defender the last 8 yards over the goal line.
Yesterday , in the last 20 plus minutes we got a glimse of the future, with John Brantley coming in and throwing 3 TD passes to Hines, Williams and Hammond.. A coach like Urban Meyer doesn't win 21 straight games, in the tough SEC, without being able to correct problems.They came out and spread it all over the field. True it was a game against an over matched FIU,but it was a game to build on.
Next week is Florida St and then the SEC Championship against Alabama. Hopefully Moody and Hernandez will be 100%, but I hope we will see what happened yesterday, when the backs, receivers, and QB were all involved.I know we can't play everyone against FSU and Bama, but I do hope we can spread it around with whoever is in there.
November 15, 2009
God News Bad News
By: Naples Gator
The good news is the Gators went to South Carolina and won 24-14, for their 20th straight win, and are 10-0 and ranked #1. The defense stepped up big and with SC driving at the start of the 4th Quarter and with the Gators only up 17-14, the Gamecocks had 3rd and 2 and Justin Trattou came up with the play of the game, and intercepted a Garcia pass, on a ball that was tipped and bounced off the receivers face mask. Trattou put the Gators in great field position and they scored to go ahead 24-14. The play was at least a 10 point swing, as SC would of gone for a tying FG on 4th down.The play reminded me of the blocked FG in 2006 against SC at the Swamp, with Gators leading 17-16, and seconds left, Jarvis Moss blocked a game winning FG, that propelled the Gators into the SEC Championship against Arkansas and then the BCS Championship against the Ohio St
The Bad news is that Caleb Sturgis hooked 3 FG attempts and is also hooking his KO. I feel that they have to use Jonathan Phillips on FGs inside 45 yards. If you are consistantly hooking KO, you have to aim 10 yards to the right.What got Phillips benched this year is still a mystery to me. Let Sturgis KO, as he has the stronger leg, but have him start his kicks to the right
I know we are short at WR , but you can't throw most of your passes to 2 receivers (Cooper and Hernandez) It was nice to see Onarius Hines make a few receptions. Thompson and Nelson have fallen off the radar.
We really miss Dan Mullen calling plays and this may not be the best spot for OC Steve Addazio. I am confident that Meyer will address these problems.
With the S Cal loss to Stanford Urban Meyer is now the highest winning percentage coach in college football at 84.5%, going ahead of Pete Carroll!! Meyer is winning 85.7% at Florida, which is approaching Rockne territory!!
November 9, 2009
Coctail Party Hangover and Second Thoughts
By: Naples Gator
Last week the offense came back to life and put up 41 on Georgia, for an impressive 18th straight win. The week after the game produced a suspension of Brandon Spikes for one game, and a fine on coach Meyer, for criticizing a late hit on Tim Tebow, where no flag was thrown. With all this going on and playing Vandy, a team the Gators had beaten 18 straight times, produced a lackluster offensive performance.
Tim Tebow for the second straight week completed 75% of his passes to get his passing rating up to 157, which is # 9 in the country. The defense played well, without Spikes as Stamper and Doe stepped up and made up for the loss of Brandon , with a 27-3 win, for their 19th straight win. Tebow ran for one TD and passed for another. Aaron Hernandez also had a big game.
It was nice to see John Brantley get some playing time. He went 3-3. Coach Meyer had to pull Tebow off the field, but Tim was cheering John on. Why do they call it a gadget play, if it works every time? (the jump pass is 5-5 with 5 TD )
Bama beat LSU which sets up a showdown in Atlanta, for the SEC Championship. The winner will most likely be playing Texas for all the marbles.
It was great seeing Percy Harvin on the sidelines. Percy is having a great rookie season with the Vikings, and learning from one of the all time greats , Bret Favre. It looked like they tried to get Brandon James into the Harvin role. James showed flashes of Percy, but there is only one Percy.
They finally came up with a commercial more irritating than the Progressive insurance lady, the woman with the rollover minutes for AT&T!!
The Gators took advantage of a Stamper INT for a TD, with a short field and iced the game when the Vandy punter accidentally took a knee, at his own 14, and the Gators scored again to make it 27-3
Great true story football movie coming out 11/20 on Michael Orr, starring Sandra Bullock, "The Blind Side"
Well the Gators travel to South Carolina next week to face the ole ball coach, and I’m sure everyone remembers the 17-16 game in 2006, which almost cost the gators a shot at the Championship. I don't think coach Meyer will have to say much to get the team ready for this one! I know Brandon Spikes will be ready!!
November 3, 2009
Tebow and Meyer
By: Naples Gator
When I ran this by a sportscaster friend, he said maybe I should wait until the gators won another BCS Championship
In the history of sports, great teams, have always had a great coach and a great player. Red Auerbach had Bill Russell. John Wooden had Lew Alcindor and then Bill Walton. Phil Jackson had Michael Jordan, then Shaq and Kobe.I feel Urban Meyer and Tim Tebow could be moving into this elite category .In 31/2 years the Gators have won 2 BCS Championship and are on course for a 3rd. Meyer is winning at an 84% clip, and the gators have won 18 straight games, in a very tough SEC. Tim Tebow will go down as one of the greatest players in the history of college football.
I feel Urban Meyer could join Knute Rockne, Frank Leahy, Bud Wilkinson, Bear Bryant and all the other great college football coaches. Tim Tebow has just broken Herschel Walker’s rushing TD record and has joined a group of greats like Walker, Red Grange, Bo Jackson ,and Jim Brown . He also ranks up there with the great college QB of all time, Sammy Baugh, Roger Staubach, Tommie Frazier, and Danny Wuerffel
Growing up in Philadelphia I saw , in person, Joe Dimaggio hit a game winning HR against my whiz kids, I saw Willie Mays play in his first game against Robin Roberts. I saw Wilt Chamberlain in 10th grade beat my undefeated High School team. I saw Tim Tebow in his first spring game , and left feeling this is a special athelete.Urban meyer has coached an undefeated Utah team. He has won 2 of the last 3 BCS Championships
What happens against Alabama and a possible BCS showdown with Texas is anyone’s guess, but I just want to go on the record as saying that Meyer and Tebow have earned the right to be compared with the greatest coaching and player duos of all time.
Naples Gator
October 27, 2009
I COULD BE WRONG BUT
By Naples Gator
I could be wrong but, WR Deonte Thompson and David Nelson have played all of most every game (Thompson was injured for a game or 2) they have 14 receptions and 3 TD.. Omarius Hines, Cade Holliday, and Justin Williams have played a little over a quarter each in 2 games and have 15 receptions,with 2 TD I could be wrong but, maybe they along with Frankie Hammond Jr ( 1 reception ) should get some playing time !!
I could be wrong but, our 3 great RB Demps, Rainey , and Moody have 8 receptions and no TD. I could be wrong (with the way they rush Tebow ) but maybe a screen pass or 2 would slow down the rush and we could pile up some yards.with these short passes. I could be wrong , but I haven't seen a bubble screen much this year !
I could be wrong but, when you have a 29-13 lead with 4 minutes to go on your own 2 yard line, the only way you can lose the game is for the other team to get the ball.You don't need to score, you just need 1 or 2 first downs and the game is over. I could be wrong but, just ask Chris Rainey what happened in the last 4 minutes of the Championship game at Lakeland High School! They were up 14 points and Rainey ran 65 yards for a TD to go up 21, the other team scored 3 straight times , with the benefit of 2 on side kick recoveries. I could be wrong, but in that situation you don't need a TD you only needed 1 or 2 first downs and the game is over. Brian Westbrook of the Phila Eagles did a very smart thing., with a few minutes left the Eagles were up and had the ball at the other teams 12 yard line and Westbrook broke free and could of scored, but instead took a knee at the 1 yard line., for a first down. The Eagles took 3 knees and the game was over !! I could be wrong but, I really miss Dan Mullen, calling plays
I could be wrong but, in the last 3 years we used the jump pass 5 times for 5 TD. I could be wrong but, I haven't seen that play this year.I could be wrong but, couldn't the jump pass work from mid field when everyone is expecting Tebow up the gut !!( I was hoping last year against Ole Miss they would try it with 4th and 1, but with 10 men in the box we went with Tebow up the gut) I could be wrong but, we are having trouble scoring in the red zone, wouldn't a jump pass loosen up the defense.I once asked Buddy Ryan why the hadn't run the halfback pass near the goal line when it was successful 6 of 7 times for 6 TD.The next night Ryan ran the play on monday night football, against the Redskins. I could be wrong but, I think it went for a TD and the Eagles won !!
I could be wrong but, if I were Jonathan Phillips, I would really be pissed off.Well at least he finally started Law School and isn't kicking for Miami !!!
Naples Gator
October 24, 2009
WHAT'S GOING ON
By Naples Gator
My father had an expression, " They are crying with loaves of bread under their arms" This is exactly how I feel. How can I complain about a team that is 7-0, # 1 in the BCS and has won 16 straight games !
Last night felt like the movie" Groundhog Day" Where I am watching the same game over and over.It looked like the Tennessee, LSU, Arkansas games.In the first half the Gators are in the red zone time after time( 5 to be exact ) and score only 13 points. In the last minute of the half, with a 13-3 lead a pass gets tipped and Miss St runs it back 100 yards. Instead of being ahead 16-3 or 20-3 the score is 13-10 !!
Then Dustin Doe makes a great interception is walking into the end zone and he turns into Leon Lett and almost loses the clinching TD. Then with a 16 point lead with 4 minutes to go the Gators have the ball on their own 2 yard line and the new offensive co-ordinator Steve Addazio, decides to go for a play action bomb, Tebow's arm gets hit , and Miss St has another pick 6.!! Addazio has no imagination in the red-zone. What happened to the jump pass? Where is the spread option play? Steve they are all looking for Tebow up the gut !!
These 4 games are starting to turn into a nightmare. Do we only have 2 receivers, Riley Cooper and Aaron Hernandez? I mentioned before that place kicker Jonathan Phillips, lat year , was 78-79 on XP 12-13 on FG, delayed going to Miami law school, came back this year , missed 1 FG and was thrown under the bus.Caleb Sturgis his relacement has missed 3 FG, hooked an XP and sometimes looks like a golfer , who under pressure, hits duck hooks. !!
The injuries are starting to look like a Mash unit.Brandon Skikes missed almost all of another gane. OK I feel much better getting this off my chest.Urban Meyer is a great coach, Tim Tebow will go into the college Hall of fame, so I feel we will get back on track.
I feel like Allison Dubois on the show "Medium" I just want the Nightmares to stop !! Great the Georgia game is on Halloween, do we get a Trick or Treat!
Naple Gator
October 19, 2009
The Ole Ball Coach
By: Naples Gator
I asked Steve Spurrier at a Gator gathering years ago why he didn't use the lateral -pass to a WR and then throw it downfield , more often The play won an SEC championship against Alabama and won another big game. He replied you can only run that play a couple of times a year as they will expect it (After the Bama game in the early 90,s they ran it about 6 years later, result another TD and win ))
Well last night against Alabama , inside the 5 he tried a fade pass 3 straight times and it was defended each time. Then inside the 5 he tried it again, no luck.again.
So you can only use a gadget play , THAT WORKS, more than once every blue moon, but you can try a fade pass that isn't working 4 or 5 times in 2 possessions ?
This is the same Spurrier that said "I will never coach past 60 !) Last time I checked the Ole Ball coach was 64!!
His decision to leave Florida 9 years ago has to be a decision Im sure he regrets !! Last night I watched a frustrated Ole ball coach that has lost his old swagger.
Naples gator
October 14, 2009
Death Valley
By: Naples Gator
The pre game build-up to this game had everything you would want in a College football game.Undefeated National Champions, Florida, ranked #1, with 14 straight wins going into Death Valley playing #4 undefeated LSU who had won 32 straight Saturday night games. You had the ESPN game day crew there, and the game was Nationally Televised on CBS.To top it all off you had all the speculation , for two weeks, whether Tim Tebow would play, afyer his concussion..
Well Saturday afternoon Tebow was cleared to play, then you had to wait until game-time to see if Meyer would start him.The Gators on their first drive, starting at the 7 went almost the length of the field and kicked a FG for a 3-0 lead with Tebow at QB. In the second Quarter LSU had one of their few drives of the night stall at the Gator 1 yard line. Then the question was would Miles go for it like he did 2 years ago on 4 occassions.He decide to go for 3 and tie the game at 3 all.
Right before the half the gators had another long drive and Tebow hit Riley Cooper from the 24 on a nice play/action pass to take a 10-3 lead at the break
In the 3rd Quarter the gators went on a long drive that was helped by a face mask penalty on 3rd down in gator territory.Then deep in LSU territory Tebow tried to hit Hernandez, the pass was low and you could not tell if Hernandez caught it, or if it brushed the grass.Hernandez stetched the ball for the goal line , but the official rules the pass incomplete.Replays show that the official made the right call then Sturgis misses a short FG and the game remains 10-3.The way the gators were holding LSU offense , it seemed that a score there might seal the win.
Again the gators drove to the LSU 36 but on 4th down Meyer decide to punt. With the defense playing so well he passed on a 52 yard FG try,or going for it.
Later the gators kicked a FG for a 13-3 lead, held LSU on a 4th down try from their own 40 and went on to win 13-3
Brandon Spikes led the defense.in holding LSU to 162 yards ( 66 rushing and 96 passing) LSU was limited to under 4 yards a play.The gators had 327 yards with 193 rushing and 134 passing .Tebow went 11-16-1 INT and 1 TD
This game reminded me of the Tennesse game where the gators just couldn't put the game away.It seemed like the gators should of won easier by 13-17 at least.It also showed how much they need a WR to step up so they have more balance on offense.Thompson played, caught 2 passes and was not a factor, Nelson had no catches and 8 of the 11 receptions were by Hernandez and Cooper.I feel Meyer will have to work in some of the young receivers like Hines, Hammond, Lawrence and Holliday.There are 7 games before a possible show down with Alabama for the SEC Championship. The gators cannot be one dementional against a Bama, or a Texas.Meyer is great at figuring things out and I feel he will address this problem and find a solution.
It was great to see the leader Tebow back and healthy.They will continue to evaluate him.It was nice to see Meyer get his first win at LSU after tough loses in 2005 and 2007
Next up Arkansas at the Swamp
October 5, 2009
Bye Week
By: Green 'N Scaly
Lots for the Gators to look at over their first bye week.
Good things such as a nice performance vs UK, punt block, interceptions, solid running game and a stingy defense giving up just 7 a game.
Bad things such as still no passing game to speak of and lots of penalties.
And crazy things like Tim Tebow's concussion and the mad publicity afterwards.
Pretty sure that the doctors will be the ones deciding Tebows availability vs LSU. Most likely it will be backup John Brantley at QB in Baton Rouge.
Brantley will do just fine. He is a big time athlete from a big time Gator football family. Unfortunately he will (most likely) be making his debut on a huge, unfriendly stage in Baton Rouge and on National TV.
Complicating that situation further is the Gators conservative run/option offense under Tebow being forced to adapt somewhat to Brantley, who is more of a natural pocket passer.
Under these circumstances in the past (Chris Leak) there were some ugly offensive performances and some that were not so bad. Urban and OC Addazio have had 2 wks to prepare for LSU and in the past that has usually worked to the Gators advantage.
Hold on to your hats Gator fans, for at least the next couple of games it could be a bumpy ride!
October 1, 2009
The Truth about Concussions
By: Naples Gator
After Tim Tebow suffered a concussion my thought was will he play against LSU , in two weeks. Tebow is 6 ft 3 weighs 245 and he is like a linebacker playing QB. All the reports coming in were negative and I thought with a bye week , no problem, this strapping young stud will be ready for the big showdown in Baton Rogue. Then on tuesday night I watched "Real Sports" with Bryant Gumbel and the first segment was on concussions involving high school football players.What I saw was shocking., thousands of players each year suffer concussions, and a few end up paralyzed. They pointed out that the big problem is not with the first concussion, but the second one. Many players don't tell their coaches about the headaches and play before they are healed.I know Tim is getting the very best treatment at the University of Florida and they won't let him play until all the headaches are gone, but this show made me aware of something I knew nothing about.The most important thing now is not to rush him back , before he is ready.!! Another factor is this was about High School football, and players who's brains are not as well formed as college football players.!
If you have HBO I urge tou to watch this segment.The show aired 9/15/09 They repeat it quite often , or you can watch it if you get "On demand".Or google real sports with Bryant Gumbel concussions. and you can see part of the segment
We are very fortunate to have a fine back up QB, in John Brantley, who has performed very well in the three games he has played.Don't get me wrong, I want Tebow to play, but not until he is ready.Brantley has a QB rating of 182,which puts him ahead of Tebow and in the top 5, in the country. So let's put Tim's health first and not rush him back before he is completely ready.
All of us in Gator nation wish Tim a speedy recovery.
September 27, 2009
Superman Hurt
By: Naples Gator
The big news in the 41-7 win at kentucky of course is the injury to Tim Tebow. It is the one thing you dread, and seeing the replay time after time, made it worse !
There are a few things that I don't understand. With the Gators scoring 31 first quarter points to go up 31-0 and Kentucky unable to move the ball why was Tebow still in the game late in the 3rd quarter? Meyer says "they fully trust Brantley", who has a 182 QB rating and would be in the top 5, if he had a few more attempts.Coaches always say things like that, but they don't act like they say. When Tebow was a freshman, no matter how great he played , they stuck with Leak, who wasn't suited to the spread.. On top of that Tebow was flown up friday night on a private jet with a respitory problem, so there was all the reason in the world to get him out early !
Another thing is at WR.They show no trust in underclassmen like Hines, Holliday, Williams ,Hammond, and Lawrence, even though they have played well in the first 2 games. With Deonte Thompson missing the last 2 games they have gone with Cooper, and Nelson and plugged in a RB like James, Rainey or Demps at WR when they are RB. It seems to me there is a big lack of confidence to the above mentioned back-ups.
The bottom line is there was a lack of confidence with Tebow in 2006, and a lack of confidence this year with Brantley and the young WR. If Tebow can't recover in 2 weeks Meyer will be forced to insert Brantley
Coaches are paranoid that if they pull a player like Tebow,the momentum may shift, but what Meyer misses here is that this years defense maybe the best in the history of the NCAA.. They are giving up 7 points a game, and that is with 3 routs in 4 games. Kentucky couldn't do anything against this great defense !!
Tebow , with all his grit, will probably be ready for LSU, and the same with Thompson, One of the first things Tebow asked Meyer,"was did I fumble" Meyer says "He is one tough cat" I feel Tebow will be ready in 2 weeks for LSU !!
Naples Gator
September 26, 2009
Road Game
By: Green 'N Scaly
The Gators will face the Kentucky Wildcats this Saturday night in Lexington in their first road game of the season. I think they are probably relieved to go for a little road trip in order to change up the energy around the team.
What they will see from Kentucky will be a balanced offense with some legitimate SEC talent. UK's defense should offer up a challenge to UF's worrisome WR corp but also a chance for the Gator OL to establish themselves as a force away from home.
A few not-so-great trends from prior seasons that re-emerged vs Tennessee were an over reliance on the run game featuring Tebow (24 carries), generally conservative play calling and a lack of confidence in the WRs. Running Tebow that many times is probably not a good idea if you want him to stay healthy for the entire season. Considering what Timmy means to this team you definitely WANT HIM TO STAY HEALTHY FOR THE ENTIRE SEASON.
Many of the Gator players appear to have caught the flu this week. Its a great thing to have the outstanding depth as they do for a number of reasons but the flu situation really highlights this point. The Defense should be fine. The Offense is a work in progress and will likely continue to be so for the next few games.
Many fans and media are wondering about the Gators in light of their performance vs Ut. Are they a legit Number 1 team or will they take a fall at some point? So far from what I have seen they are a legitimate top tier team. Number 1? That remains to be seen. They will be measured against additional quality opponents this week and in the LSU game on Oct 10. The bye week prior to the LSU game looms large. LSU faces a decent Georgia team in Athens on Oct 3rd. Advantage Gators!
September 25, 2009
Superman SICK
By: Naples Gator
Tebow , Wright , and Haden are reported ill with a respitory condition, but all hope to play today against Kentucky
Last week Hernandez, Demps and Cunningham played despite being sick.
Meyer said there have been 35 players ill the last 3 weeks.
Florida Recap
BY: Jason Nafziger
The defense of the National Championship began with crushing wins
over Charleston Southern and Troy. SEC rival Tennessee proved a little
tougher, but Florida still came away with a nice 10-point win.
Stats so far: Florida ranks 1st with 7.06 yards per rush attempt and 14th
with 9 yards per passing attempt. Overall, they have averaged 47 points and
536.7 yards on offense per game. Defensively, they are 34th with 3.03 yards
allowed per rush attempt and 5th with 4.2 yards allowed per pass attempt.
Overall, they have allowed 7.3 points and 224 yards per game.
Coming up: The Gators travel to Kentucky before a crucial road trip to LSU.
Sneaky Arkansas awaits their return. As with the entire season, anything
less than perfection is a disappointment.
Jason Nafziger writes about Pro and College Football at
http://onfootball.wordpress.com
September 20, 2009
Where Have All The Wide-Outs Gone
By: Naples Gator
My 2 concerns coming into the season were
1-Injuries
2-Wide receivers
Percy Harvin left for the NFL early and Louis Murphy like wise through graduation.That left us with Deonte Thompson, David Nelson, and Riley Cooper.Along with Andre Debose,and Carl Moore at WR. Well Debose the true freshman, who was going to replace Percy was lost for the year. Then Carl Moore was injured and hasn't played yet. Last week after catching his 2nd TD Thompson pulled a hamstring and didn't play Saturday.He was on the sidelines, in street clothes That left us with Cooper and Nelson with Brandon James plugged into the 3rd WR slot..So the injuries have left a big hole at WR.Why Omarius Hines, Cade Holliday , Frankie Hammond Jr or Justin Williams didn't see action is a mystery to me.In the first 2 games these 4 had 16 receptions and 2 TD ( I realize it was against 2 weaker teams , but they are true WR )
Hopefully Deonte Thompson will be healed next week for the game at Kentucky.Brandon Spikes, Aaron Hernandez and Jefferey Demps played but weren't 100%.The bye week before the trip to LSU, should really help get a few of these guys back to near 100%
So my 2 biggest concerns were rolled into 1 on Saturday and seemed to put a crimp into the passing game. We beat Tennessee 23-13, but the score was a little misleading as the Gators were ahead 23-6 and just about to put the game away on a Tebow run for a first down, when Tim fumbled , which turned into a 14 point turn-around, as the Vols marched the length of the field to make it 23-13, which ended up the final score..The drive was helped with a stupid taunting penalty. In fairness on the next possession the Vols weren't flagged for the same infraction.!!
The Gators actually scored 5 of the first 6 times they had the ball , but instead of having 35 points they only had 23 because the Vols held them to 3 Field goals and only 2 TD. The 7th drive which was mentioned above was the Tebow fumble. So a game that could of been 30-6.or higher ended up 23-13. .Without the Tebow fumble it could of been 6 scores in 7 possessions !!
It is interesting that Meyer replaced PK Jonathan Phillips with Caleb Sturgis, who delivered with 3 FG in 3 attempts
The third drive was halted with a rare Tebow interception by all-american Eric Berry.You have to give the Vols and Lane Kiffin credit as they had a good game plan to limit the Gators possessions way down which they did, and to protect a shaky QB in Jonathan Crompton with mostly short passes and ball control. Kiffin's father Monty, the wily old NFL defensive co-ordinator also had a good game plan to bottle up Tebow and the Gators
Once again the team that runs the ball for more yardage usually wins this game the Gators outrushed the Vols 208 to 117. Tebow had 76 yards in 24 carries.and 1 rushing TD, his streak of 30 straight games with a passing TD was halted. Riley Cooper dropped a sure TD pass and Brandon James was crushed in the end zone on another possible TD pass.Demps had 4 carries for 31 yards and a TD. Rainey went 9-64 and Moody went 3-33
Brandon James gave the Gators great field position with 3 KO returns for 97 yards. On the opening KO he returned it 50 yards, with another 15 tacked on with a face mask penalty, to give the Gators the ball on the tennessee 30, which lead to a FG and a 3-0 lead.When the Gators score first, under Meyer they are 34-1 !! The gators 13 game winning streak ,is the longest in school history.With Utah falling ,it is the longest in the country.
Well the big payback to Kiffin really never happened and the 30 point favorites came away with a 10 point victory. On a day where USC lost 16-13 at Washington, this could of beem a lot worse.This game had a similar feel to last years loss to Ole Miss. You rarely see Tebow with 2 TO in 1 game.Maybe this game will produce another Tebow speech ( I will never play harder, etc ) and I will have another Tebow T shirt !!
Naples Gator
September 16, 2009
A Harder Edge
By: Green 'N Scaly
Urban Meyer's quote this week is that its "all about the players". This was given specifically in an effort to defuse any tension (real or perceived) between himself and Lane Kiffin.
Seems like the terse "No Comment" from most players tells the story of what is really on the Gators mind this week. Playtime is basically over. The intensity is being racheted up. The upstart from Tennessee must be taken out!
This is already a "Rivalry Game" for Florida. That means extra effort, extra attention to detail, pull out all the stops, full blown intensity for 60 minutes. And of course, No more Mister Nice Guy! That would be the same Mister Nice Guy that annhilated the first 2 opponents by a combined 118-9.
Due to Kiffin's comments though, this is now a "Rivalry Game" with a harder edge. So far the Gators have dominated on both sides of the ball. But they have played a ton of backups. They have called off the Big Dogs early and put it on cruise control.
Not this week.
Florida's Big Blue Wall OL will lean on Tennessee's front 7 and wear them down with intent. I expect the Gator Offense to be sharp but by around the middle of the 3rd Quarter I expect them to begin to move the ball at will on Tennessee. If the starters play the full 60 it may indeed be UGLY.
The spread is in the 28-30 range but I could easily see 60-70 pts separating the out manned Vols by the end. Their QB is weak. Their offense well intentioned but unprepared for the Urban onslaught. The Vols and All-American Eric Berry will be in for a learning experience this Saturday. Mostly they will learn about speed, athleticism and execution.
They may also learn a thing or two about keeping their mouth shut and not antagonizing their rivals.
September 15, 2009
Paybacks Are a B!
By: Naples Gator
When Lane Kiffin was named coach of the Vols, he finished his press conference saying that he would sing "Rocky Top", after they beat the Gators. If that wasn't enough he then accused Urban Meyer of cheating, by texting a recruit while he was visiting Tennessee. ( This is not illegal) To finish the hat trick he then saoid he would put up Billboards in Florida.
Meyer said that Kiffin's comments fired him up, he vowed Saturday that the game would not be about the coaches.What he didn't say is that when Mark Richt had his players run on the field in 2007, after Georgia scored, Meyer circled the game on the calendar and last year the gators rolled over georgia 49-10. You can bet that Meyer will have the Gators sky high for this game, despite the fact that Vegas has Florida as 281/2 point favorites.If the gators get ahead big they will not stop. Even if Brantley replaces tebow in the 4th Quarter the Gators will go all out
In the locker room the players have all picked up on this.James Wilson who was recruited by Kiffin when he was at USC said '"His comments hit a nerve" When Tebow heard of Kiffin's smack talk, he said, "Don't call out my coach, I don't like anybody talking about coach Meyer, I will have his back on this one" Well it looks like Tebow might give one of his team speeches in the locker room, before the game.It is one thing to anger Meyer, because he can't play, you don't want to give Superman any ammunition like this.I don't think the gators will be taking a knee at the end of this game.!!
September 13, 2009
Rain Rain Go Away Little Timmy Wants to Play
By: Naples Gator
It started with a downpour sloppy play, turnovers and at the beginning of the second quarter Florida only had a 7-3 lead.Then in the second quarter Timmy Tebow decided he had enough and for the first time this year started running the ball and hitting people. He said later" I get more energized when I hit someone".. The Gators then scored on 4 straight possessions, and had a 35-3 halftime lead.When Timmy gets worked up , watch out. They played a clip of his halftime rant to the team in last years championship game against Oklahoma.I don't think anyone in the locker room wanted to come in after the game and hear the wrath of Tebow.For such a religious kid he sure can get worked up and I think these kids would go through a wall for him
Tebow played 3 Quarters and wound up 15-24 4 TD 237 yards and ran 13-71 and 1 TD.So in 2 games Tebow has played about 5 quarters and has a QB rating of 198 second in the country. John Brantley who has played the other 3 quarters also looked sharp 10-12 1 TD 135 yards.Brantley has a QB rating of 187. Brantley could probably start for most teams and coming into the season Phil Steele had him rated the #33 QB !!
Riley Cooper had another big game with 5 receptions 87 yards and a TD.. TE Aaron Hernandez also caught 4 for 39 and set up the first TD with a big play.The gators finished with 291 rushing and 375 passing in the 56-3 win over an outmatched Troy team
Some Observations
1-The gators had a punt return for a TD by James called back with an illegal block in the back. This happens way to often and has to be corrected
2-Deonte Thompson and David Nelson only have 5 catches in 2 games. Thompson who dropped a sure TD last week dropped his first pass, but made ammends by catching a 6 yard TD for the gators first TD. He later caught another 33 yard TD pass.Thompson and Nelson have to step it up.Omarius Hines has caught 7 passes in the first 2 games in limited action. A sleeper maybe Doc Holliday who has caught 4 passes 1 for a TD. . Doc reminds me of Fred McGriff
3-Emmanuel Moody had 1 12 yard run , fumbled, and Meyer didn't play him again.Moody had some fumbling issues last year so I hope Meyer doesn't keep him in the doghouse. He is too good a back
4-Gators cannot fumble 6 times in a game (3 TO) and keep making stupid blocking mistakes on special teams.
5-The defense has only allowed 9 points on 3 FG. An average of 4.5
6-Well balanced offense averaging 314.5 passing and 327.5 rushing for 642 yards a game 59 points a game
7-12 game winning streak ,the longest in Gator history
Next- Tennessee game or" Paybacks are a bitch"
Naples Gator
September 9, 2009
Mercy, Mercy, There Is No Percy
By: Naples Gator
It is now official WR true freshman Andre Debose is out for the year with a hamstring injury , that will require surgery. Debose will be red-shirted, so the player that was supposed to replace Percy Harvin is lost. Coach Meyer said "It's by committee now" The gators will use Brandon James, Jeffery Demps, and TJ Lawrence in the slot. Omarius Hines a red-shirt freshman, who caught 3 passes last week will also see more action.Meyer said "it will be a case of mixing and matching".Also Justin Williams played well at WR. Hines, Lawrence,Hammond and Williams will be seeing more playing time with Cooper, Thompson and Nelson.
At TE Aaron Hernandez has All-American possibilities, the only problem is there is no one to back him up. Desmond Parks is just not ready. Next year the gators have 2 TE prospects, but for now it's Hernandez and back up by committee.
As I mentioned before it looks like we will see more running this year. Thankfully RB Emmanuel Moody is healthy , so we will see a lot of Demps, Rainey, and Moody and Tebow when necessary.
Great stat--- Chris Rainey had 1 carry for 76 yards and a TD. Meyer didn't realize he only had the 1 carry, but didn't want to take the chance of injury after the game was decided.I made an error when I said that Riley Cooper escorted Rainey on the TD run. It was James on the 85 yard KO return.
The main strength of the gators is depth at most every position.' with TE the exception.Banzai
By: Naples Gator
In the Championship game last year Meyer was so impressed with Oklahoma's hurry up offense that this year the gators installed the hurry up offense and they call it "The Banzia package" Meyer is not shy from taking ideas from other programs. He copied the spread formation early on at Bowling Green after watching Northwestern and W Virginia having success with this wide open offense.He jokes when they played Northwestern both teams scored over 40 points as they both couldn't stop the spread.
Another tribute to how flexible Meyer is was in 2006 he realized his spread option offense wasn't suited to Chris Leak, a pocket passer., so Meyer changed his offensive philosophy to suit Leak and the gators went 13-1 and won the National Championship.In 2007 with Leak gone he went back to the spread with Tebow and the gators went from 29.7 points a game to 42.5 and Tebow won the Heisman.In the last 2 years with Tebow running the spread the gators have averaged 43 points a game. I still feel that if he had started Tebow in 2006 the gators would of won easier and put up numbers like the 2008 Championship team.
This week the Trojans come into the Swamp, not USC but Troy
Naples Gator
September 7, 2009
Hard to Say
By: Green 'N Scaly
The Gators come off a big victory vs. an outmanned Charleston Southern team and its hard to say exactly what we learned from the game, which was actually more of a glorified scrimmage.
A few random thoughts...
No major injuries. Vanilla zone defense played throughout. Many Second and Third teamers saw action. Some clarity gained at WR. Backup QB John Brantley played well. Depth apparent on OL and DL. Freshman MLB Jon Bostic is a future star. Special teams need work though FINALLY (after 10 yr drought) a KO was returned for TD.
Defensive depth was clearly a highlight of this game. While Spikes/Stamper and the first string LBs looked great, their backups were flying around making plays and blowing up short to medium plays that looked to have some decent execution. Several players were held out - Marsh, Janoris Jenkins, Doe and not missed.
Tim Tebow was very good. Some might say better than his WRs at times. UF tailbacks Demps and Rainey are so fast that for opposing LBs - blinking is not an option. The second tier of rsFrosh WRs Hines, Hammond and Lawrence all seemed to have speed, moves and hands. I was continually looking down at my roster sheet to see which 6'3"ish WR with a number in the low 80s just caught the ball.
No turnovers. Though there were some dropped passes.
Three different tailbacks scored TDs.
New coaches integrated well.
Big hitting Safety Major Wright had a very pretty interception.
Overall a nice night for the home team. Next week will likely bring a step up in competition with Troy State coming in. Several other SEC schools performed well with the notable exception of UGA which did not. Tennessee in a couple weeks will provide the first real challenge for this team. Urban will unleash the hounds vs. the Vols. He's a Catholic so I'm sure he forgives BUT HE DOES NOT FORGET.
September 7, 2009
Quotable Quotes
By: Naples Gator
These are some of the Quotes from Urban Meyer,and Tim Tebow who are turning into legends right before our eyes!!
Meyer quotes
" 7 Wins comes from talent. You start mixing in a little discipline, your up to 8 or 9 wins.Somehow if you can develop a little leadership on your team, that's when you start having great things happen to your program" (thankfully Tebow, Spiles, and Cooper decided to return)
" The game plan was so vanilla, Ben and Jerry could make them their flavor of the month" from franz Beard
" I liked our preperation for the game. Very impressive. We had a great thursday practice followed by what we call the best fridays in football. It was great to see some of our young receivers making plays"
TIP OF THE ICEBERG
After unveiling their new Hurry up offense, Meyer called it " The tip of the Iceberg" " So much of what we do offensively is the result of what our defensive coaches, and other defensive coaches feel is hard to defend"
The hurry up offense was taken from Oklahoma after last years Championship game.
Tebow quote a RUDY moment
When red-shirt junior QB Andrew Blaylock, a career scout team QB was rewarded by being put in at the end of the game, Tebow kept yelling " Don't be scared one-four" ( Blaylock wears #14 on his jersey) After Blaylock ran up the middle for 9 yards, the sidelines erupted in cheers and laughter. Then after the final play Tebow and a few teamates ran to congratulate him
Before the game Tim Tebow wheeled in 7 year old Boomer Hornbeck, who has cerebral palsey.This was set up by Urban Meyer's secretary. Nancy Scarborough, as Boomer corresponded with Tebow. Tim introduced Boomer to the other players, and Commented "That was fun" and "That was so cool" Meyer said" He is a special young guy" , of Boomer. Meyer added "That's just typical Tim "
Great coaches have great players!!. Rockne had Gipp and the 4 Horseman, Auerbach had Russell. Jackson had Shaq and Kobe and Lombardi had Starr and Hornung and Taylor. Wooden had Walton and Alcindor( later Kareem) Meyer and Tebow will join these these legends.
Naples Gator
September 6, 2009
The Little Sisters of the Poor
By: Naples Gator
People ask , why do division 1 schools, like Florida play Division 3 schools like Charleston Southern. Well when you have to play top 25 schools in the SEC, like Georgia, Tennessee, LSU, Alabama, and then have to play a western school in the SEC for the SEC championship, having a cupcake to start the season isn't such a bad idea. The cupcake schools get $450,000 which really helps their Athletic programs..
That said the #1 ranked Gators came out and put on a clinic, scoring 6 times out of their first 7 possessions.The only thing that prevented it from being 7 for 7 was that Deonte Thompson dropped a sure TD pass, on the gators second possession.Before the first half ended All everything Tim Tebow was 10-15-1 TD pass for 188 yards (12.5 YPA) and a 194 rating good enough to rank #10 in the country.Supernan's rating would of been much higher without the aformentioned drop of a 67 yard pass and another drop on a sure TD by Brandon James. Another 26 yard gain was ruled a lateral, so Tebow could of been 13-16 with 3 TD passes 0 picks and over 250 yards , in less than a half. His rating would of been off the charts.Tim only ran 2 times , 1 for a TD. Tebow could end up with highest passer rating , in the history of college football, and that doesn't include running stats.He most certainly will go down as one of the geatest QB , in college football history, if not the greatest !!!
My one concern coming into the game was who would step it up at WR. That was answered on the first drive when Riley Cooper hauled in a 67 yard completion. Cooper would end up with 5 receptions for 105 yards, all in the first half. TE Aaron Hernandez also had 4 catches for 78 yards and a TD, in the first half.The only letdown at WR was Thompson not catching a pass and David Nelson with 1 reception for 3 yards.I feel Thompson and Nelson will step it up.The loss of Andre Debose certainly hurts, and injured Carl Moore DNP.
It was interesting how Meyer deployed the running backs. On the first possession he used Jeffery Demps, who carried twice and scored the first TD with a 9 yard run.On the 3rd time with the ball Chris Rainey, on his 1 carry of the night , broke loose for a 76 yard TD run, that was high-lighted by WR Riley Cooper leading a convoy that allowed Rainey to score untouched. So not only did the pro- baseball player Cooper, lead in receptions, he came from out of no where to escort Rainey into the end-zone.The next series Emmanuel Moody was the RB.This trio of Demps, Rainey , and Moody would carry 15 times for 251 yards, an average of 16.7 and 3 TD. In the game the RB carried 33 times for 369 yards and 5 TD's.
Brandon James made ammends for his dropped TD by taking his only KO return 85 yards for the first KO TD since 1999. On the only other KO return TJ Lawrence gained
46 yards, so on 2 KO returns the Gatots gained 131 yards for a 65.5 yard average. James had promised earlier in the week he would return a kick-off for a TD. !!
Back-up QB John Brantley performed very well fot the remaing half plus, completing 8-12 passes for 67 yards and 2 TD and showed some running skill with 40 yards in 6 carries. On one 23 yard scamper, Tebow ran down the side*lines to give Brantley a little high 5 chest bump, of approval.The 2 QB combined for 18-27-3 TD and 255 yards.For the game the gators gained 624 yards from scrimage.
The Gators defense only allowed 95 yards rushing a 3.5 yard ave and 228 passing with a 4.7 YPA. All in all it was a very workman like effort in a 62-3 win .The whole team was into the game , which is a great tribute to coach Urban Meyer and his staff.
Naples Gator
September 3, 2009
4-6 Seconds As Hard As You Go
By: Green 'N Scaly
Urban seems calm and confident on Wednesday afternoon. Most of the injured are back practicing and he mentions that the depth (and his confidence) are helped by the minimal injury report.
I'm pretty sure another thing bolstering Urban's confidence is his trust in Tebow. Tim has one class this fall and is basically a full time football player. That has got to portend bad things for the Gator's opponents this season.
You've had 3 versions of Tebow so far. As a freshman spot player he was called on to strictly run the ball. As a sophmore he carried the team and won the Heisman with his arm and feet. As a Junior he led the team to SEC and National Championships through force of will and his ability to guide a multifaceted attack. So, what will Tebow 4.0 bring??? Perfection is one possibility that comes to mind and if it was anyone else I wouldn't even mention the possibility, but Timmy? If he sets his mind on a perfect season who is to say he will not accomplish it.
As Phil Steele says - you look for a weakness in this team and (other than depth at WR/TE) there is none. Special teams should excel. Last year was something like +22 in turnovers and you can expect that trend to continue. I know that Phil thinks there is some luck involved in turnover margin but it can be coached and is coached by this staff. If you are a skill player and lay the ball down in practice you will not play. It is a simple and straightforward policy but it cuts down on turnovers, believe me.
On the other hand, blocking punts is Special Teams Coach Meyer's forte'. They basically overload a certain part of the line with speed and let them go. Simple but effective. There are huge rewards for those that block punts and the special teams are treated like royalty within the team. We've often seen Special Teams make the difference in games when the Spread Offense is not clicking. Expect to see them do so again this season.
Four to six seconds as hard as you go. You hear these words from Urban most every time they show a locker room - pre-game or at halftime. He repeated them Wednesday after practice. Simple but effective. Break the world down into bite sized chunks. The type of chunks that 18-20 yr olds with talent love to devour!
August 30, 2009
My 2 big concerns coming into the fall season
By: Naples Gator
1-Injuries
2-WR
Well the heir to Percy Harvin at WR. highly touted freshman Andre Debose, has sufferred an uncommon hamstring injury. If you recall Harvin had injuries all through High School and his electric career at Florida. Coack Meyer isn't sure how long Andre will be out as they are doing extensive tests. There is a possibility That he may have to be red-shirted, but this will be decided later
What this means is that someone will have to step up at WR to fill the void if Andre is a no go this season.At this time the depth chart is as follows at WR
Deonte Thompson
Riley Cooper- glad he delayed Baseball to play his senior year
David Nelson
Frankie Hammond and Carl Moore will have to step it up. Also speedsters Brandon James, Jeffery Demps, and maybe Chris Rainey will probably see some action as a slot receiver..
Another scenario is TE Aaron Hernandez could be used a lot more as a throwing target. Last year the gators were going to use some tight end packages with Hernandez and Cornelius Ingram, but CI was injured and the plan was shelved.
What I invision is more running and a little less passing. In 2008 it was 52% rushing yards and 48% passing
This year it could be 60% rushing and 40% passing. I hope RB Emmanuel Moody can stay healthy as that would free up Demps and Rainey to be used in the slot
Another big plus is the defense maybe the best in the history of Florida football
I hope that Andre Debose will have a speedy recovery.
Naples Gator
August 29, 2009
Game Week
By: Green 'N Scaly
Game week is finally here! Woo Hoo!!!
Coach Meyer doesn't seem real happy about where the team stands right now. But is any head coach ever real happy before his team's first game?
Meyer expects full participation starting Monday from all the walking wounded (except Andre Debose(hamstring) and Carl Moore(back)). Debose may require surgery which will set him back a month at the least. Urban seems anxious to get LB Brandon Hicks back especially for his punt team duties.
On offense they will be paring back the plays this week and that will allow for greater focus on execution. Jeff Demps appears to be the starting Tailback while Riley Cooper, Deonte Thompson and David Nelson are the likely WR starters. Coach looks forward to seeing what Thompson will bring in terms of consistency. The guy has athletic talent and skills - he just needs to do it LIVE now.
One area of offensive concern is at Tight End where All-American Aaron Hernandez is first team and there really is nobody to back him up. Coach mentioned FB Pridemore and DE Trattou in goal line situations.
Defense appears solid. They honestly do not want other teams to score, ever.
Last year's Gator D gave up like 12 pts a game and apparently that was too much for these guys, who swear they will do better. Gulp. If I was an Offensive Coordinator I'm not sure who I would try to pick on back there. If you play smashmouth you quickly run into a big strength of the team which is LB.
If you want to throw the ball around well the cornerbacks and safeties are basically all ball hawks. Safety Major Wright is a guy that definitely brings the pain. Ahmad Black is deceptive and has sticky hands. Corners Haden and Jenkins are probably the best corners we've seen since 1st Round NFL pick Lito Sheppard. Nickelbacker Will Hill may be the best of all the DBs and the true sophmore is not starting.
Good luck opposing offenses!!! The Gator D has size, strength, depth and experience at every position. Very likely this will go down as the best defense ever at UF. When you come to the Swamp bring low expectations and extra stretchers. You will need both of them.
(One side note: Coach Meyer was on the radio this week with Colin Cowherd. He talked specifically about the out of conference schedule. Obviously the first game opposition (Charleston Southern) is more than a bit of a stretch. He acknowledged that fact and did not dance around it. Said we have to play OOC teams that do not want a home and home due to financial concerns. Needless to say I'm pretty sure Charleston Southern will not be on the schedule in the future.)
August 28, 2009
Who's on First
By: Naples Gator
Most coaches usually tell players that all positions are open. In reality they usually have 95% penciled in. This year Meyer said the place-kicking job is between Phillips and Sturgis and is 50-50. Last year Phillips only missed 1 PAT and 1 FG. He also postponed going to Miami law school, to kick for the gators. This year he enrolled in law school at Florida.If you think that he isn't going to be the PK I have some swamp land to sell you !! (As of this posting Meyer says he hasn't decided yet, come on Oscar,the guy delayed Law school a year and switched going to Miami,plus Sturgis has 3 years of elgibility)
* injury (most not serious )
Here is who I feel will get the most playing time on opening day
QB- Tim Tebow Back up John Brantley, will probably play most of the second half .Meyer says that Brantley has earned the right to play more, and just not in mop up roles
RB- Jeffery Demps Backed up by Chris Rainey and Emmanuel Moody *( Moody has to overcome nagging injuries) could almost be RB by committee like 2008.A lot depends on Moody staying healthy. Might also see joe Haden in Wildcat formation
TE- Aaron Hernandez
WR-Deonte Thompson Backed up by Brandon James, Andre Debose * (James and Debose will try to fill Percy Harvin's shoes)
Riley Cooper
David Nelson
Carl Moore ( if healthy ) * In the first game you could see Frankie Hammond (Someone has to step up to replace Murphy and Harvin)This is the one position where I have some doubts !
C-Sam Robey
OL-Maurikce Pouncey * might see Xavier Nixon and Jon Harrison (True frshman, they should play special teams)
Mike Pouncey
Carl Johnson
Marcus Gilbert
Matt Patchan *
K Jonathan Phillips Carl Sturgis will probably be red shirted
These are the offensive players I feel will get the most playing time
Naples Gator
August 27, 2009
Don't Ask Don't Tell
By: Naples Gator
After a week of no contact Superman Tim Tebow is back in practice after having lower back stiffness. Tim said he probably was overworking," like I do everything."
He said it is time to ease up a little bit. He had surgery in January to remove a bone spur and reduce chronic inflamation
Meyer said , " I don't ask anymore about his health", because he he's not going to tell me
Dorian Munroe will be out about 4-5 weeks, but could be back for the LSU game 10/10. He reinjured his knee, the same one that caused him to miss last season. Munroe was pushing SS will Hill, and would of seen a lot of playing time with Hill, Black and Major Wright
Naple Gator
August 24, 2009
Superman's Back
By: Naples Gator
When Urban Meyer came to Florida 5 years ago , he took over a team that was 23-15 under Ron Zook. He noticed in the locker room, freshman had a separate room, and were treated like second class citizens.Meyer stresses team unity and he quickly put an end to this treatment. Zook was 23-15 and lost many games he should of won.In 4 years Meyer has gone 44-9 and won 2 BCS Championships. The upperclassmen mentor the freshman, and when the freshman become sophomores they do the same with the incoming freshman. One freshman, under Meyer got up in front of the team and thanked all the players that helped him.Meyer said that he wasn't putting down the previous coaching staff.
How about Percy Harvin getting to play with Brett Favre! He goes from Tebow, who will go down as one of the greatest college QB of all time, to playing with Favre, who has to be one of the top 10 QB in NFL history.Good luck Percy we will miss you !! Favre 1 completion was to Percy
The Gators received 58 out of 60 votes in the AP preseason poll. This is the largest percentage in the history of the poll. Texas received the other 2 first place votes.. #1 pre-season favorites have finished #1 about half the time.
Tim Tebow has a sore lower back, and was held out of contact in practice last week. Meyer down played it saying Tim is 100%, he just wanted to give back-up QB John Braniley some reps. It will be interesting how this plays out , in the last week of practice, before the home opener on September 5th.. 2 a days are now over
Naples Gator
August 21, 2009
No Respect
By: Naples GatorMel Kiper Jr just came out with his draft picks for 2010. The good news is that he had 3 QB in his top 11 . The bad news is he didn't list Tim Tebow.!!
1- Sam Bradford Oklahoma
7- Jevan Snead Mississippi
11-Colt McCoy Texas
Mel said he wasn't sure if Tebow would be a first round pick, or a 2nd or 3rd round pick. He mentioned that they don't know if Tebow will be a QB a TE or an H back.He said that they won't know about where he fits until the Senior Bowl in Mobile.My thought is that Tim could be a great fit for a team like New England, and a great coach like Bill Belichek. Belichek is close with Urban Meyer and if Tim were still available maybe NE would take a chance on him . Brady is getting older and Tebow would need a few years of seasoning, but he could be used like he was as a freshman, as a change of pace wildcat back. It will be interesting what new QB coach Scott Loeffler will do with Tebow this year in pro sets.Loeffler doesn't share Kiper's belief that Tebow can't be an NFL QB. He sites his work ethic and points out that Tim is a film room junkie, and he is also making his throwing motion more compact. Loeffler has worked with Tom Brady at Michigan, and he didn't turn out badly.!!
Carlos Dunlap was listed by Kiper as a # 3 pick. It would be interesting if Dunlap, Spikes , and Tebow all were drafted in the first round. With CB Joe Haden you have 4 potential All Americans. I also feel Aaron Hernandez will make a great pro TE
LB Dustin Doe has resolved some off the field issues and should be back on the practice field shortly..
Naples Gator
Two Weeks to Go
by Green N. Scaly
Gator practice is closed to the public right now and other than some short video on the team site and minimal post practice q&a there is very little information to go on right now.
My general impression is that camp is kicking everyone's ass but of course the freshmen are getting the worst of it. OL Jonathan Harrison and RB Mike Gillislee are a couple of true frosh that have made strides showing the toughness that Meyer likes and earning freshman helmet stripe removal.
I expect the top 3 receivers to be Jr TE Aaron Hernandez, 6'5" David Nelson and RS Soph speedster Deonte Thompson. Both Nelson and Hernandez emerged late last season with BIG plays while Thompson, in his 3rd campaign with the Gators, is finally starting to show the consistency and leadership necessary to do damage on the field. Video of Thompson reveals an unstuffable guy at the line that has learned to control the speed and mesh it with the hands and other mental aspects of the game. This is the guy the Gators need to be a playmaker and downfield threat and fill some of the void left by Harvin's departure. By the looks of it, Deonte is up to the challenge.
Elsewhere we see the annual struggle on the Offensive Line. Seems like there are always questions as to who and where but to be honest I am not too worried. When you have guys like Carl Johnson and the Pouncey twins you have about 1000 lbs of body mass with attitude to build around. Throw in a madman like Patchan and another stud in Gilbert (son of a secret service agent) and well I'm pretty sure despite the coach's fretting they will come together, gel and dominate.
Defensively the strength is definitely in the linebacking corps and at End. Spikes, Stamper and Dunlap. Those three right there are outstanding All American types that are ready to dominate. One improvement for Dunlap in particular is his mental game. Seems like 3 years is what it takes to step out from the crowd in the Meyer system. Three years to learn the system, get comfortable mentally, build the strength and tenacity, earn the trust of the coaches and then DOMINATE. Dunlap wants the Gators single season sack record held by current Chi Bear Alex Brown and he may get it. He IS a monster.
A couple quick words about special teams. Speed. OK one word. Look for Gator kick coverage and punt block teams to dominate again. Meyer coaches them up himself and word is that they are fighting tooth and nail to get on the teams. Guys like nickelbacker Will Hill and freshman fellow Jerseyite Josh Evans will cause some pain. Word to opposing players - KEEP YOUR HEAD UP!!! And if you see a blur go by you on returns that was probably star punt returner Brandon James.
Some good news personnel wise will be the return of senior linebacker Dustin Doe, adding more depth to an already deep position. Doe has had legal issues - he was nabbed several times driving on a suspended license - but appears to be ready to rejoin the team in the next few days.
August 19, 2009
Andre Debose is Adamant that He is His “Own” Man
Matthew Melon (Soularchives.blogspot.com)
With Percy Harvin off to the NFL, The Florida Gators lose their X-factor. There is no denying that Harvin was electrifying on the field when he had the ball in his hand, and he was the ultimate decoy as well, reminds me of Randy Moss when he did his stint in Minnesota and now on the New England Patriots. Players of this caliber have to be accounted for whenever they are on the field, and you can bet that defensive coordinators have spent many nights constructing and wiping out game plans for these superstars.
Urban Meyer is no slouch when it comes to recruiting and he brought in his version of Percy Harvin, everyone please welcome Andre Debose. When it comes to speed, Meyer has built a team of track stars that have speed to burn: from Chris Rainey to Jeffrey Demps to Deonte Thompson to Joe Haden, just one word “speed.”
True Freshman Debose will try to make everyone forget about Harvin. After a hot summer practice, Debose was corralled by reporters about his status of being a Gator and what he felt about the pressure of living up to the legacy left by Harvin.
Debose made it clear to the press in attendance that he cannot worry about pressure from the Florida fans and press alike. He recounts his father telling him, “My dad always told me to be my own man.” And he says that he lives by those words and is confident in his ability to be that playmaker and be known for his own skills. Debose did admit that he sees some of himself in Harvin but is determined to make a name for himself while he is at Florida.
Debose gleefully spoke about how the workouts and practice are intense. He mentions David Nelson, who serves as a mentor to the young receivers, and he is glad for the support and guidance. It is evident that this kid wants to learn the offense and be the best he can be. Not being around in the spring and arriving in the summer, Debose watched film of the Gators and came prepared. However, a hamstring injury slowed his progress throughout the summer but vows that he is almost recovered from the sore hammy.
With the help from Wide Receivers’ Coach Billy Gonzalezs, Debose has no choice but to be excellent. Gonzales demands excellence and he has given Debose a pep talk or two about his concentration on the field. Meyer has amassed a good staff that will take Debose and the other talented offensive and defensive players to new heights. One member of the press told Debose that Deonte Thompson deemed himself the fastest on the team. Debose said once his sore hamstring is healed he will lay to rest that dispute as he will challenge Thompson and Rainey for the title as the fastest man on the Florida Gator squad.
Florida Gators Fall Practice Begins: Day One (August 6th),
the Defense
Matthew Melon (Soularchives.blogspot.com)
On a bizarre note, it has been confirmed that Brandon Spikes has been 18 pounds overweight since the spring; it was speculated that he wanted this weight gain to play at the line more, but also stated that he does not feel comfortable playing at his normal position at this weight.
Janoris Jenkins has went the opposite route of his teammate Spikes. Jenkins has slimmed down and is working diligently on his speed and quickness. He is determined to prove his worth as a player. He had a good practice where he frustrated John Brantley by picking off one of his passes and breaking on others.
Jermaine Cunningham seems to have gained some weight but still looks quick and powerful. Cunningham will be a force to reckon with and the anchor for this defensive line.
At the end of practice, pass rushing drills were performed by Spikes, Lerentee McCray, and Brendan Beal. Beal and McCray got some much needed work on their pass rushing skills. The staff has talked about Beal playing the Fox End position at Florida. However, McCray is the most intriguing prospect that weighs 235 pounds and could be best suited for the Fox End position on the line of scrimmage. We will have to take a look at this development once the season starts.
August 18, 2009
First Scrimmage
By: Naples Gator
Saturday was the Gators first scrimmage and it gave the coaches a good time to look at a lot of the younger players. A few lost their stripes., including RB Mike Gillespie and OL Jon Harrisson. Gillespie will probably be on special teams.QB Jordan Reed also had his stripes removed, based on him taking down a DL, in Meyer's" Circle of fire" drill.
Looking good were RB Chris Rainey who is now a solid 180 lbs. Meyer is happy because when Rainey was at 156 lbs he wasn't able to block very well.RB E Moody saw his first action and played well .. Demps has been named the #1 RB , with Rainey and Moody behind him. Moody is still not 100%
TE Aaron Hernandez has unique abilities and presents many match-up problems.Aaron was committed to go to Conneticut, and play with his brother, but his father died suddenly, and Aaron decided to get away and became a Gator.I really feel he will have a break-out year.Meyer doesn't use tight ends that much, but with a young receiver core, I feel this will change in 2009.
Deonte Thompson WR, is trying to be the leader of the receiver group. Louis Murphy, is being missed by Meyer, and he wants someone to step up to replace him. It is impossible to replace Percy Harvin. Demps, James , and Debose are working out at Percy's old position
I am sorry to report there are at least 8 injuries, DE Justin Trattou, WR Carl Moore, LB Brandon Hicks and Jon Bostic, OL Matt Patchan and Maurkice Pouncey.and James Wilson Lets hope that there are no serious injuries.Because of all the injuries on OL this is the weakest position right now.Let's hope Pouncey, and Patchan are back soon. All of these injuries drive me crazy !! It appears that LB Dustin Doe , will be back on the field, he has had some off the field issues
I see more running, less scoring, and a stronger defense.Less 50 point games, but holding teams to 10 or less. In 2008 it was 43.6-12.9, this year I could see 38.5- 9.5. Without the explosive Harvin, who is impossible to replace, I don't see how the gators can average over 40 points a game.The only way this could happen, if there is a big increase on 3 and outs,created bt the defense !!
I look at coaches like John Gagliardi at St Johns in Minnesota, a division 3 school. Gagliardi is the winningest coach in college football history (461 -125 ), and the first active coach enshrined in the College Football hall of fame. Gags doesn't allow hitting or tackling in practice, and stresses execution.He calls it the no,s. No hitting, no whistles. Some say that this is division 3 ,and that it won't work in division 1, but another unique coach Mike Leach of Texas Tech, uses some of Gagliardi's philosophy.
Less than 3 weeks to the first game.
Naples Gator
August 17, 2009
Florida Gators Fall Practice Begins: Day One (August 6th) of open practice to the public.
Matthew Melon (Soularchives.blogspot.com)
Offense:
Quarterback
Tim Tebow has looked better throwing the deep ball. It is really evident that new QB coach Scott Loeffler is working on Tebow’s mechanics. Tebow’s long throws are tighter and have less air on them. The two-time National Championship winner and Heisman trophy winner has shown that he is going through more of his check downs when the first and second receiver are not available.
The staff is looking at adding the slant pass to their offensive game plan to work in conjunction with the speed at the wide receiver position.
John Brantley did not look spectacular like he did in the spring in this first practice. He had some interceptions on the day, but there is no doubt that the staff has confidence in him if Tebow goes down. Brantley showed his toughness and live arm in spring practice and not to mention good mobility at the quarterback position.
Wide Receivers:
Riley Cooper returned to fall practice after playing baseball throughout the summer. His conditioning for baseball has caused him to come in a lot slimmer and fitter. It is noticeable that he worked on his speed and quickness and that will benefit this fast receiving core.
On the whole, none of the receivers stood out. There were bad drops by Aaron Hernandez and Deonte Thompson. David Nelson looked decent catching the ball. And of note, Carl Moore did not attend.
Running Backs:
Even though the running backs were not in pads, Emmanuel Moody was absent with a sprained ankle. It is speculated that the staff would like to see more toughness from this kid when it comes to playing through injuries.
On display was Chris Rainey making catches out of the backfield, and Jeffrey Demps was in attendance as well. In the next practice, we should get more of a sense of how the running backs will fair this season when the pads come on.
Offensive Line:
The Gators might have the best offensive line in the nation come this fall. There is no denying the immergence of Sam Robey, out of the spring, at the center position. You also have Jason Wilson, who has battled with injuries for two years, competiting for the left guard or left tackle position. And Matt Patchan who is also vying for a position whether it is left tackle or left guard. With the two Pouncey brothers healthy, this line could be a dominating force. If the injury bug hits them, they can plug any player in and not miss a beat.
7-on-7 Drill:
Riley Cooper looked smooth snagging passes. Deonte Thompson showed his quickness and toughness trying to elude and fight for the ball from the defender. Aaron Hernandez continued to show that his size and speed will wreak havoc on opposing defenses this fall, and David Nelson continued to show that his use of his body to shield defenders will make him an excellent target in the red zone. Tebow will have two options in the red zone with Hernandez and Nelson.
On defense, you saw Janoris Jenkins baiting and picking off John Brantley. Also there were pass break ups from Wondy-Pierre Louis, Joe Haden, and playmaker Will Hill.
August 15, 2009
By: Naples Gator
Urban Meyer's Florida Gators are ranked #1 in most , if not all pre-season polls. Just think in 2001 when Meyer took his first head coaching job at Bowlimg Green they were ranked 114 out of 116, in the pre-season. He feels it is an honor to be ranked #1 in pre-season this year.
Meyer is winning at an 83% clip 83-17 overall and 44-9 at Florida, both percentages are 83%
The reason Joe Haden has been singled out to be used in the Wildcat formation, is #1 he has 4.3 speed and #2 he played QB in high school, in Maryland ,where he was all-state, and set some Maryland passing records ,throwing for over 7,000 yards.. So unlike Harvin , and most wildcat players don't be surprised if you see Haden throw out of the wildcat .When you think about it with Tebow back there, with the ability to run , pass, or run the option, it is a version of the Wildcat , when they are running the basis spread-option, anyway
Emmanuel Moody saw his first practice and will soon be at full speed. I feel with smaller speedsters Demps and Rainey, Moody is the big back, you need, when you want to pound the ball.
Saturday (8/15) will be the first full scale scrimage , using 37 plays.
August 13, 2009
Linebacker U
By: Naples Gator
Penn St has long been known as linebacker U. This year the Gators list at least 10 LB with great ability. The LB are lead by All-American canidate Brandon Spikes. He is backed up at MLB by Jon Bostic, a true freshman and Brendan Beal, a red shirt freshman, who sat out last year due to injury. A big surprise at MLB is Jon Bostic, a true freshman, who enrolled early and had the benefit of Spring practice. Bostic didn't play LB in high school until his senior year and is now listed as Spikes backup.
They list outstanding OL in Ryan Stamper, AJ Jones, and Brandon Hicks. Dustin Doe may miss a few games for some off the field issues, but he has outstanding ability
Stamper is one of 4 left from Meyer's original recruiting class. Even though he is only 22, they call him the old man. He has a double major in Criminology and Sociology, and will graduate in December !!
The LB corps is rated #1 in the SEC , and Phil Steele has them rated #2 in the country behind, who else, Penn St
Spikes, Stamper, and Doe are seniors, but with the depth at LB, the Gators should be in great shape, at this position for some time
Naples Gator
August 11, 2009
Superman/Kryptonite
By: Naples Gator
Most Superman fans know that his one weakness, beside Lois Lane, is kryptonite.Fans of Tim Tebow have been looking for his flaw, it turns out his one flaw is cracking his knuckles.
Tebow, who was home schooled in High School ,is set to graduate in December and only has one course left to take, which will probably be a cupcake seminar, similar to Matt Leinart taking ballroom dancing.Not one to sit around Tebow told Meyer that he will be spending more time in the football offices than the gator head coach.!!
This summer WR David Nelson would cringe everytime Tebow would call him ,early in the morning ,to practice,.If he didn't pick up, Tebow would start texting him. Last year Nelson had 12 catches, 5 of them TD. It will be interesting if all this practice will allow Nelson to have a break-out Sr year !!
When back-up QB John Brantley was asked about his summer workouts were like with Tebow, he said they were "Intense" He said it is Tebow's last go round, and that Tim wants to be the best he can be.!!
Naples Gator
August 9, 2009
A Gator Update
By: Green N. Scaly
Much has been made of the Gators pre-season Number One ranking(s). The whole ranking mania, along with the Tebow phenomena, is to at least this Gator fan, just a bit overblown. Are the Florida Gators the defending BCS champions? Sure. Are they the unbeatable juggernaut that is so completely dominant at all positions and in all aspects of the game that no team can compare? Please, don't be ridiculous!In the era of 85 college football scholarships there has been and continues to be a tremendous amount of parity amongst the FBS teams. Florida does have tremendous skill and experience at several key positions on the field. The Gators, like all other FBS teams, DO have some questions at other positions.
Obvious positions of strength on offense include QB (Tebow) and OL (3 or 4 starters return along with significant depth). The ability to control a game and dominate an opponent starts up front and clearly, Urban Meyer gets that. He has made recruiting and developing Offensive Linemen a priority during his UF tenure and he has been extremely successful at bringing in the beef. When you are in a position such as the Gators where big, solid HS All-America types cannot get on the field, well you have to feel pretty good about your OL situation.
Offensive skill positions are a different story though. The Gators certainly have speed aplenty. But some of their skill players and particularly the RBs are undersized and have had a habit of getting nicked up. Will they be able to stand up to the rigors of another tough SEC campaign? Also when it comes to nitty gritty crunch time and there is no Percy Harvin - what will the Gators do then? Tim Tebow cannot do it all, despite what some in the media might think!
It's fair to say that a big TE with speed, size and sure hands would be a luxury for any team. Aaron Hernandez fits that bill nicely for the Gators and will be counted on to lead this team. Three other big receivers will also be in the spotlight - Cooper, Nelson and Moore - though they have been more complimentary in the past, now they will get their big shot. Is this group lights out dominant? No. There will be plenty of room for younger players with little to no experience to show their quality in practice and earn significant playing time!
Defense is another story altogether for the Gators. Florida, along with many of it's SEC brethren has made a living with tremendous defenses in the past. Last season they beat strong Alabama and Oklahoma teams down the stretch with 4th Quarter defensive strength (and a guy named Tebow). This year they return all 11 starters and most backups from that nationally Top 5 defensive unit. Should we expect them to be dominant on defense in '09? Unfortunately for those on the Gators schedule - that answer is a resounding Yes!
The biggest defensive improvements last year came from the biggest question marks - DL and Secondary. Look for those units to continue improve in '09, particularly due to added depth. If there is a weakness with the Gator Defense it could be that they have had and continue to have some injury concerns in at DT. Younger guys could be counted on to provide depth here but there is no lack of quality in highly touted newbies such as Hunter and Brown.
Linebacker is stacked with playmakers and you have to appreciate the veterans Spikes and Stamper leading the charge. The secondary is also deep, particularly at safety where again, as with the OL, HS All-America types cannot get on the field. Many of these guys will show up on special teams where less experienced Gator DBs strive to earn playing time in the regular rotation.
When looking at the Gators and trying to identify weaknesses one must also look at coaches. There are a couple new coaches this year - QB and Tight Ends and a new Offensive Coordinator in Coach Addazio, who was elevated from OL. Will these changes affect team chemistry, performance or play calling? Time will tell my friends.
Overall if you are a Gator fan you have tremendous reason for optimism. You also likely have at least some amount of caution and apprehension. The SEC gauntlet is not for the faint of heart and it can tear through a team's depth chart like a big hungry lineman through a training table buffet. Florida's schedule sets up nicely though with a big mid-season road game at LSU presenting the most obvious red flag. This game along with other league road tilts will tell us much about this team's character as they strive for another Big Season. Could the Gators go undefeated this year? Possibly, however that type of outcome is never overly likely for any SEC team.
THE WIZZARD OF WESTWOOD
By: Naples Gator
Last year I had a big concern with all the pre-season injuries, so I sent an EM to Coach Meyer. It was from The legendary Coach John Wooden, in his book "The Essential Wooden" Under how hard to push, Wooden said, While the two-hour practice at UCLA was demanding it was not mindlessly so. My intent was to maximize improvement , including conditioning, but not to push so hard that injuries or illness resulted. I never received a reply from coach Meyer
Imagine my surprise a few days ago when I read Robbie Andreu's column, in the Gainesville Sun, on 8/4/2009. The article was "What to watch for in fall practice". In it he quotes Meyer saying to his coaches, "The coaches need to be aware of when it's time to pull back a little to give the players a chance to make it to the season without a lot of major injuries.
There is an old saying, "Just because the message may not be received, it doesn't mean it's not worth sending.
Phil AKA Naples Gator
August 7, 2009
Defense wins Championships
By: Naples Gator
Carlos Dunlap DE who was voted the MVP defensive player of the Championship game vs Oklahoma wants this Gator defensive team to be the best in the history of College football. My feeling is he could be right. In the 2 Championship years the 2006 defense allowed 13.5 PPG and the 2008 team allowed 12.9 !! Even though the 2007 team averaged 42.5 PPG they allowed 25.5. An early season test, to the defense, could come in week 2 against Troy, in 2007 the Gators scored 59, but gave up 31, to Troy !! This game could be a good barometer of just how good the defense will be. I feel the first team defense could allow less than 10 PPG. If the backups are as good as I think, this indeed could be a special year .
Freshman WR Andre Debose was surrounded by reporters as he came off the field on the first day of practice.Debose doesn’t like to be compared to Harvin. His father taught him to be his own man. Reports after practice is Meyer is putting in a Wildcat package featuring pre-season All American CB Joe Haden.
With WR Riley Cooper in the fold Tim Tebow will have his roomie back. Cooper was a little rusty. After hitting .182 in 13 games I think he made the right decision. A theme that repeats itself from Cooper to Dunlap to Spikes is that this team senses something special in the way of a dynasty.Even Meyer was very pleased with the attitude of this team.. It is very hard to repeat in College football, especially with only 2 teams playing for the Championship. This team has a good shot at it !!
The Junction Boys
By: Naples Gator
Sent 8/26 - Well the first day of fall practce was supposed to start at 610AM, but with Urban Meyer wanting to avoid complacency, practice started before 6, and under the lights The team was raring to go at 545 AM.About 200 fans showed up , and that increased to 400-500 .Meyer said this will be the toughest practices since he arrived and said there will be 2 a days.. This has been one of the most anticipated seasons in Gator history. Superman Tim Tebow showed up sporting a Lincolnesque beard. He said the chemistry is the best this year than in any of the 4 years he has been there.The team leaders Tebow and Spikes led the team in the summer in working out. Spikes said he is glad to be back and " Make history" Spikes and Will Hill (S) stood out on defense along with Ryan Stamper LB. On offense WR D Thompson and David Nelson looked sharp. The goal of the team , led by Tebow , is to be the first undefeated team in Gator history !
The oft injured RB E Moody and WR C Moore didn't practice due to injury. S Ahmed Black sat out
practice , there was no explanation. Dustin Doe LB wasn't there due to a suspension , but J Jenkins CB was there following an altercation at a bar, and said he has learned from the experience.
Talk of using Demps RB, to fill the void left by Percy Harvin. Demps is a canidate for the Doak Walker award. They want to take a long look and see if true fresman WR Andre Debose has some of Harvin's skills. Tim Tebow is up for the Unitas award.
On a lighter note Urban Meyer with his new 6 year deal has made the Drew Copeland song " A little like heaven ", his theme song. He even made his children memorize the words.The song refers to Gainesville. This makes me think Meyer could be here for a long time.The 2010 recruits have 9 placed in the ESPNU top 150. This could shape up to be one of the top classes.When Meyer arrived he found the football complex lacking , so he pushed for and got a $28 million Football complex that is one of the best in the country !
This may not be "The Bear ", in the desert with the junction boys, but it looks like some tough days are ahead
Phil
August 6, 2009
The Four Horsemen
By: Naples Gator
Urban Meyer’s goal is to have an offense that runs for 250 yards and passes for 250 yards per game.. In the 2008 Championship season the Gators passed for 214 yards a game and ran for an outstanding 231 yards per game. This was accomplished without having a back that ran for over 700 yards. This year the Gators have 4 backs, including Tebow that ran for 2347 yards. The 3 running backs all averaged over 7 yards per carry.Emmanuel Moody was injured alot in 2008 but still averaged 7.2 yards per carry.At 6 ft 210 lbs Moody if healthy, could be the lead runner and the speedsters Chris Rainey, and Jeffery Demps (who both averaged 7.8 per carry) could make this again a running back by committee. With fall practice starting Thursday 8/6 it is too early as to who will be the starting back But with Tebow that gives the Gators 4 outstanding runners.The only thing missing is the departure of Percy Harvin who averaged 9.4 a carry, mostly out of the wildcat formation.
I mentioned I have some reservations about the WR group, but I feel the running game should be just fine with these four. Brandon James the great KO and PR might be used more this year in the backfield, to replace Harvin (This is just my opinion)
I mentioned that Tebow almost signed with Alabama. Mike Shula, then the Bama coach, spent most of the last day before signing with Tebow and Meyer commented to one of his recruiters, “ Do you think it will be a big deal if we don’t get Tebow” and the recruiter said, “ If we don’t get him it will set the program back 10 years “.I don’t think without Tebow there would be any championships, let alone 3 in 4 years. When I saw Tebow in his first spring game I came away saying, this kid should start.!! I had a running argument with 2 sportscasters, for over a year telling me I was crazy.. After this year Tebow may go down as one of the greatest college players, EVER !!
Fall practice is upon us, and I just hope we can get through this period, without too many injuries. That is my only beef with Meyer, the intensity of practices, that has cost us 20 preseason injuries the last 2 years
Training camp begins !!
Phil
August 5, 2009
The Hat Trick
By: Naples Gator
It was great to see AD Jeremy Foley give Urban Meyer a 6 year $24 million contract extension and raise. This may put to rest, once and for all, all the talk about Meyer going to Notre Dame.
2009 the Gators have a great shot at 3 BCS Championships in 4 years. The fact that Tim Tebow and MLB Brandon Spikes, came back for their senior year, is probably the biggest news. Tebow and Spikes have been joined at the hip, since they were both heavily recruited by Alabama. If Tebow went to Bama, there was a big chance that Spikes would of followed him. The same holds true that if Tim would of turned pro in 2009 Spikes probably would of followed suit.. It is hard to imagine a National Championship, without the leaders on offense and defense.
Going into 2009 the Gators only lost a few players on offense. One that will be hard, if not impossible to replace, will be Percy Harvin. It will be interesting to see in the next month how highly touted freshman WR Andre Debose performs, he is the heir apparent to Harvin. While I am on the subject of WR I don’t understand all the rumors of WR Riley Cooper signing a baseball contract. Last year he struck out almost half the time and only hit .260.I feel in 2009 TE Aaron Hernandez will really step it up. In 2008 they were going to put in a 2 TE package with Hernandez and CI, but Ingram got hurt and the plan was shelved. Meyer usually uses the TE for blocking, but with losing Harvin, CI, and Louis Murphy, this philosophy may change... WR is the only position I feel may cause concern. Deonte Thompson, David Nelson, Carl Moore, and the before mention Riley Cooper, will have to step it up.
Next time I will discuss the RB situation
After this was written it became official that WR Riley Cooper WILL RETURN!