Gators Own The Night

You know what the say. "Vanderbilt always plays us tough." Still, you would expect the Gators to have put on a little better of a show under the lights vs. the Dores. Tebow may have played one of his worst games in the Orange and Blue, despite what the stats say. Superman just looked a little lost out there last night. The running game was stagnant out there for most of the game. the Gators dd finally do a good job of limiting Chris Rainey's carries for once.

If anything, the game provided a good tune up for the home stretch for the Gators. The offense was a little vanilla, but that may be because Urb doesn't really feel the need to expand the playbook. Despite the lack of offensive ingenuity, the Gators did rack up just under 400 total yards.

The defense was stellar once again. Ryan Stamper and Dustin Doe filled in for Brandon Spikes quite nicely. The secondary was as dominant as it has been all season long. Janoris Jenkins and Joe Haden absolutely shut down Vandy's passing "attack." If I have one complaint about the defense, it was the lack of penetration in the backfield. Florida was held sackless, and they gave up quite a few long runs to Warren Norman.

In honor of the annoying ass Vanderbilt fan that sat behind me at the game. Here are the stats:

Passing

Tim Tebow 15-20 208 yds 1 td
John Brantley 3-3 19 yds

Rushing

Jeff Demps 7 rushes 57 yds 1 td
Emanuel Moody 8 rushes 34 yds
Tim Tebow 16 rushes 27 yds 1 td
Brandon James 2 rushes 18 yds
Chris Rainey 4 rushes 12 yds

Receiving

Aaron Hernandez 7 recs 120 yds
Brandon James 4 recs 44 yds
David Nelson 3 recs 28 yds 1 td
Deonte Thompson 1 rec 16 yds

Field Goals

Caleb Sturgis 2/2 long - 45 yds

Tackles

Dustin Doe 11 tckls
Ryan Stamper 6 tckls
Carlos Dunlap 5 tckls
Ahmad Black 5 tckls
Jon Bostic 5 tckls

Interceptions

Ryan Stamper 1 int


Player of The Game

Ryan Stamper - Linebacker, Interception Machine

Is there any linebacker in the nation that's better at finding the ball in the air and picking it off? Well, yeah. But Brandon Spikes sat this game out, and A.J. Jones didn't register an int. So the honor is Stamper's for now. Stamper was also one of the few players, along with Dustin Doe, to get consistent pressure on the Vanderbilt offense. It was nice to see Stamper really step up in the absence of Spikes. The linebacker unit will be back at full strength next week. That's bad news for Stephen Garcia.

Florida-Vanderbilt Preview

It's time for the annual grudge match between two hated rivals. Vandy's coming to town!!! The past few years, the Dores have managed to make it to the Florida game with a decent shot at making a bowl. That's not the case this year. Bobby Johnson's bunch have stumbled and fumbled their way to a 2-7 mark.

I really don't have much to say about this game. I hope the Gators are more fired up and ready to play than I am to watch it. I've already begun the countdown to South Carolina.


5 Keys to the Game

1. Play With Emotion - The Gators certainly need to play with more emotion than I have for doing this preview. If Florida comes out flat, they will struggle against yet another inferior SEC opponent. This shouldn't happen. Florida can see the finish line and they should be willing to do all that they can to reach that line undefeated.

2. Score Touchdowns in the Red Zone - Getting a little success in the red zone during this game could go a long way in determining how the Gators will finish the season. I like Caleb Sturgis and all, but I only want to see him on the field to kick extra points and kick-offs after touchdowns.

3. Pad Tebow's Stats - Tebow is still in the race for this year's Heisman. I'm never one to call for an individual to pad his stats. However, securing his second Heisman Trophy would pretty much seal Tebow's fate as one of the greatest college football players of all time. What better chance to pad your Heisman stats than against a Vandy team that just gave up 50+ points to Georgia Tech?

4. Don't Give Rainey The Ball - For one, he's coming off an injury. No need to risk further damaging it before the South Carolina game. For two, Rainey seems to always stall the offense when he's in the game. Florida will be driving down field, ripping off 5 yards a play. Then the ball would go to Rainey. Stuffed at the line. Happens all the freakin' time.

5. No Eye Gouging - This shouldn't be a problem as Brandon Spikes has now officially taken himself out of the entire game this week.


5 Players That Need To Step Up

1. Brandon Hicks - Hicks will probably get the starting nod on Saturday with Spikes out of the line-up. Believe it or not, there shouldn't be too much of a drop in production. Hicks could easily be the best linebacker on every other team in the conference. He's that damn good.

2. Brandon James - I'm still waiting on Brandon James to do something in the return game. We haven't seen anything that exciting since the Charleston Southern game. He should get some opportunity against this Vandy squad. I also think James should get more touches coming out of the backfield. We've completely gone away from that this season.

3. David Nelson - In order for Tebow to pad his passing stats, he's gonna need someone other than Riley Cooper and Aaron Hernandez to step up. I'm tired of talking about Deonte Thompson, so I'm gonna turn my attention to Mr. Nelson. He should have a big day against a very weak Vanderbilt secondary.

4. Emmanuel Moody - With Rainey dinged up and Manny running better and better each week, there's really no reason why he shouldn't get the bulk of the carries this week. Moody had himself a good day last year against a much better Vandy defense. I expect him to break the 100 yard mark for the first time this season.

5. Duke Lemmens - Duke has really been stepping his game up these past few weeks. If he continues to play this well, he will just be another dangerous weapon in Florida's front 7 defensively. Cunningham, Trattou, Dunlap and Marsh should get some rest this week, so expect Lemmens to come up big.

Here's some highlights from last year's Gators victory over the Dores.




Here's some Vandy fan's take on Meyer calling out the refs for the no-call on the late hit to Tebow last week.

I know, it's hard to believer for me too. There actually is such a thing as Vanderbilt fans.



My Prediction:

Florida - 55

Vanderbilt - 12

"Eye" Gate

The entire college football world is talking about Brandon Spikes this week. Not because he' the best linebacker in the country, or the leader of one of the best defenses in the nation. Instead they are talking about his eye gouging of Georgia running back Washaun Ealey.

I've been listening to all kinds of differing opinions this week, and I thought it was time for me to share my own.

While I think intentionally trying to mame someone is reprehensibly wrong, I think Spikes is being unfairly singled out here. Eye gouging, crotch grabbing, gut punching, spitting, biting and pinching all take place in a typical dog-pile. Spikes was just dumb enough to get caught this time. All the people out there calling for a 3 game suspension should take a step back and look at their own program for a second. I'm sure if you ask anyone on any team, they will tell you it happens all the time.

I don't believe 2 wrongs make a right, but if you watch the game film, early in the first quarter Spikes had his helmet ripped off. While he was helmetless, a Georgia player intentionally head butted him. Who out there would not be pissed off if this were to happen to you. Now, Spikes should have handled that situation right then and there instead of stewing on the sidelines for 2 quarters plotting his revenge. That's where I think Spikes is wrong in all of this.

The other part of this that is getting Florida criticized is the half game suspension for Spikes. I agree with everyone out there. This suspension is a joke. I think it would be in Florida's best interest to suspend Spikes for the whole game. For one, it's Vanderbilt and Spikes is not necessarily needed to win the game. Plus, Meyer could have averted all this extra criticism from the media and Gator Haters.

Now, everyone calling for Spikes' head should read some of Ealey's comments about the incident. If you're too lazy to click on the link, Ealey is basically saying that all that stuff was happening on both sides of the ball on Saturday. Ealey also said that he didn't think Spikes should be suspended, mainly because he didn't even come close to his eyes. I have to give some props to Ealey on this one. He's showing a lot of class coming out to defend Spikes.

For the other side of the argument, take a look at Pat Forde's usually unbiased and well-written Forde-Yard Dash. My favorite part of the article was a comment left by one of the readers:

"Pat Forde, you're an idiot. I wish Brandon Spikes would gouge my eyes out so I wouldn't have to read any more of your articles. ESPN should suspend you for stupidity."

That is just classic.

One thing that is being overlooked in "Eye" Gate was this blatant no-cal against Nick Williams. They don't get much worse than this.



Watching all this drama unfold does remind me of one thing:



That was one of the worst things I've seen in a football game, mainly because it caused serious injury to Earnest Graham. There are Seminole fans to this day that deny Dockett did anything wrong that day.

It All Comes Together

Finally the offense decided to show up for a game. After weeks of hitting the snooze button and missing the game, Florida's offense went off against a reeling Georgia defense. The 41-17 win makes the Gators 17-3 in the last two decades of The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party.

The Gators overcame all kinds of motivational ploys from the "Motivational Master" Mark Richt. The Dawgs stormed the field with black domes in the hopes of psyching themselves up. It didn't work. Then, after UGA's first score, Richt had the boys get together and jump around on their sideline. That didn't work either. What did work was Florida's offense and defense.

Tim Tebow looked like his old self in throwing and rushing for two touchdowns each. He broke Herschel Walker's all-time SEC rushing touchdown mark against Walker's old team. Riley Cooper went Cris Carter on Georgia's secondary. His second touchdown catch was a thing of beauty. Jeff Demps and Emmanuel Moody both ran the ball effectively. Even Mike Gillislee broke off a big run before pulling his hammy.

The defense was stellar once again. Linebacker A.J. Jones picked off two Joe Cox passes. The first pick was a tip-drill to himself that might have been the play of the game. Ryan Stamper got himself a tip-drill int late in the game as well. However, it was Brandon Spikes that was able to convert his int into a touchdown. He quietly walked into the endzone after picking off Cox's backup Logan Gray at the 5 yard line.

The only sour point of the game for the Gators were the injuries. As I mention earlier Mike Gillislee pulled his hamstring on a long run late in the game. Chris Rainey was taken off the field after re-injuring his left shoulder. Tim Tebow, Aaron Hernandez and Brandon Spikes were also dinged up during the contest.

Stat time!

Passing

Tim Tebow 15-21 164 yards 2 tds

Rushing

Tim Tebow 18 rushes 85 yards 2 tds
Mike Gillislee 3 rushes 57 yards
Jeff Demps 5 rushes 31 yards
Emmanuel Moody 7 rushes 26 yards


Receiving

Riley Cooper 4 recs 78 yards 2 tds
Aaron Hernandez 3 recs 29 yards
David Nelson 3 recs 26 yards
Deonte Thompson 3 recs 17 yards


Field Goals

Caleb Sturgis 2/2 Long-56

Tackles

Brandon Spikes 10
Ahmad Black 8
Will Hill 6

Sacks


A.J. Jones 1
Carlos Dunlap 1
Jermaine Cunningham 1

Interceptions

A.J. Jones 2
Brandon Spikes 1
Ryan Stamper 1



Player of The Game

Tim Tebow - Quarterback, SEC Rushing TD King

You know that's gotta sting for Georgia fans. Tim Tebow broke Herschel Walker's record against his old team. Not only that, but Tebow did it on a long run. Something that Tebow has been criticized for the lack of. Tebow's passing also greatly improved this game. With the exception of a few screen passes, Tebow placed the ball exactly where it needed to be on each throw. He now joins the long list of Gator quarterbacks to leave Gainesville with a winning record against UGA.

Florida-Georgia Preview

This year's edition of the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party seems to be creeping up a bit quieter than recent years. No this isn't a clash of two of the nation's top 10 teams this season, and no Florida isn't seeking revenge for a showboating ass-whooping from a previous edition of the cocktail party.

All that being said, the Florida-Georgia game is always special, and this installment should be no different. The Gator players and coaches are still hollering about Georgia storming the field in Jacksonville 2 years ago. Personally, I think that's already been avenged with last year's thrashing. I truly believe the Gators are just doing this to rile themselves up. I don't know if that says the Georgia program is so down this year that Florida needs extra motivation to get up for it, or if it says that Florida needs to do something to wake their offense up out of the doldrums.

No matter what the records are of these two teams, or how bad a certain unit is playing, you'll still hear plenty of name calling and jort/red trouser bashing amongst the fans.


5 Keys to the game.


1. Establish a deep threat - Georgia's defense is incredibly horrendous thus far. They have made Ryan Mallett and Jonathan Crompton look like future NFL Hall of Famers. It seems that no matter who Georgia is playing, the opposing team's quarterback is in store for a huge day. That will only be the case this Saturday if the Gators finally decide to throw the ball deep. Something they haven't done since the last play of the first quarter against Kentucky.



2. Protect the ball - Georgia will be feeding off some huge emotion this weekend. Their season will certainly be salvaged in a big way if they were to knock off the Gators somehow. The best way for the Dawgs to accomplish this is to force some turnovers. Giving the ball up is also the best way to give a struggling defense some serious confidence. The ball needs to stay off the turf for the Gators to control this game.


3. Control emotions - Controlling emotions goes a long way in determining if the Gators ca hold on to the ball or not. This is something that I am always worried about heading into a rivalry game. The Gators have been outstanding in these instances during the Urban Meyer regime. If you remember, their only loss to one of Florida's "Big 3" rivals was to UGA.


4.Protect Tebow - This is definitely something that the offensive line has not been doing lately. What would it take for Steve Addazio to shift a tight end over to help protect Tebow's blind side? Hopefully not a loss. That could be on the way if the line continues to struggle.


5. Save your timeouts - If the Gators truly are still pissed at Mark Richt and Co. for that celebration, Meyer should make sure that he has some extra timeouts at the end of the game to "Give Moody more quality carries."


5 Players That Need to Step Up

1. Tim Tebow - Tebow has struggled mightily against Geogria (2007) and looked brilliant against Georgia (2008). I can't remember the last Gator QB to leave Gainesville with a losing record vs. Georgia as a starter. Tebow will be 1-2 if the Gators lose on Saturday.


2. Deonte Thompson - Thompson went M.I.A. again last week. I think he should change his nickname to Nessie. No one can really prove that he exists, but every once in a while he'll pop his head up and cause all kinds of commotion.


3. Emmanuel Moody - Moody is continuing to establish himself as the Gators best runner out of the backfield. Demps will be sore with a sprained neck and Rainey will have to be relieved at some point. I would like to see Moody get some carries out of the I-Formation against the Dawgs' D. It worked the whole 1 time we ran it last week.


4. Brandon Spikes - Spikes set the tone during last season's Georgia game by clobbering Knowshon Moreno as he tried to break through the line. Brandon should be well rested after sitting out last week's game with a sore groin. I feel bad for Richard Samuel.


5. Dustin Doe - Even though Spikes grabbed the highlights last season, perhaps Florida's best linebacker in that Game was Dustin Doe. Doe was all over the place last season in Jacksonville. If he doesn't get arrested by Saturday, he should continue to build on last week's stellar performance. Showboating aside...


Here's some highlights of last year's 49-10 victory.



Here's what they're saying about the game over at Dawgs Sports.

I like the second comment. The only way Georgia can beat us is if the Florida bus driver drives us to the wrong stadium. Good Stuff!

My Prediction

Florida - 27


Georgia - 17

Q&A With Catfish and Cornbread

In honor of the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party, me and the boys from Catfish and Cornbread got together and put together a little Q&A for your enjoyment.

JJ and Bop are both contributors to Catfish and Cornbread which is wholly dedicated to their first passion: University of Georgia Athletics.

I hope you enjoy the interview, and please check out my portion of the interview at their site.

CFB365: A real simple question to start things off. What is up with Georgia's defense this season?

JJ: Its a combination of coaching, attitude, and players - in that order. You really don't have enough space available on this blog to explain all the problems, primarily pertaining to coaching and attitude.

Bop: It is embarrassing and pathetic. We have completely lost our identity and our swagger. The talent is still in town, but the fundamentals and hustle are gone. The players are honestly not getting the coaching they deserve. Blown coverages and missed tackles are a common theme. We gave up 30 points once in the first half of Richt's tenure in Athens (to the BCS Champion LSU team in the SEC title game). Now we give up 30 points a game almost every week.

CFB365: After the Tennessee game, Mark Richt joined the growing ranks of SEC coaches that have had to deal with Lane Kiffin's big 'ol mouth. His statements about Georgia weren't as inflammatory as his remarks about Florida, South Carolina and Alabama, but they were controversial nonetheless. As a Georgia fan, what's your take on Kiffin and the Vols?

JJ: This will be unpopular with most Georgia and Florida fans, but I actually admire what Kiffin is doing. I think most of that lies in the fact that as a Georgia fan, I wish our own head coach was a little more "out there" with the program, especially when UGA doesn't have a product on the field that can speak for itself positively. Tennessee is likely to finish 6-6 at best this season, but they'll be the most publicized 6-6 team in the history of college football, and Kiffin will recruit like a madman because of it. If he doesn't win eventually, he'll be fired regardless of how much he runs his mouth.

Bop: I just refuse to ever have any respect for a coach that recruits and signs a kid that was an accessory to rape. It blows my mind that kid got a scholarship. I'm all for second chances, but not in that situation. T. Kyle King over on Dawgsports.com said it best: Lane Kiffin has a famous father, a hot wife and a career record of 8-18 (.308). He has no quarterback prospects for the forseeable future and he doesn't have the luxtury of playing a Willie Martinez defense more than once a season.

CFB365: Richard Samuel only has 200 more rushing yards than Caleb King on twice as many carries this season, with 80 of those yards coming on one run. Why is Samuel still getting the bulk of the carries over King?

JJ: Two reasons: Samuel had a monster August (albeit working out against the UGA defense), and King spent the majority of the same month in a green jersey and hasn't really gotten healthy since. Most UGA fans really expected Samuel to have a great season, but all he's proven so far is that he still needs alot more experience to be an SEC caliber back. King is probably the most polished ball carrier on the roster, but he's been hobbled by just about every injury imaginable since early in his senior season of high school.

Bop: Honestly, it started out because of a preseason injury to Caleb. Samuel locked the position down by the time the opener came around. Then a broken jaw in the LSU game caused King to miss more time. Caleb came back and scored a couple against Vandy, but no one really knows who will get the most carries in any given game. The true freshman Washan Ealey is as good a guess as anyone.

CFB365: Speaking of the running game, did you honestly think that Georgia would miss Knowshon Moreno this much? I've always been used to the Dawgs reloading at the running back position, but that doesn't seem to be the case this season. Is this more to blame on the backs or the O-line?

JJ: A perfect storm of events. King being hurt, Samuel not living up to expectations, some ridiculously strange substitution patterns by the offensive coaching staff, and an extremely disappointing offensive line, have all played a part. But it is probably the offensive line that has been the biggest issue. Even losing its most talented piece (Trinton Sturdivant) doesn't excuse how poor they've been so far.

Bop: Yeah, Knowshon was just special. OLine was our supposed strength this season, but they have probably been the biggest dissapointment all year (besides the total lack of anything close to competitive defense). I did think we would miss Knowshon more than say Stafford, but I , like you, expected us to reload a bit quicker than has happened. If the line gets back to being a force, I would expect a better performance out of one of our backs than we've seen so far this year. I'm just hoping it happens in Jacksonville or Atlanta.

CFB365:What's your assessment of Joe Cox's play up to this point? What do you want to see him improve on?

JJ: Cox has been about as good as could be expected coming into the year. Most UGA fans would say that they expected him to be a better game-manager (i.e. throw less interceptions), but those same UGA fans probably didn't expect that he'd be throwing the ball as much as he did either. With a decent running game and a half-decent defense, Cox would have been alot more effective. There really isn't much more you can ask of the kid under the circumstances.

Bop: He's an acurate passer who's best part of his game is his deep ball. I think Joe is a good quarterback and a great Dawg, he just probably lacks in overall talent from the quarterbacks we've had since we had to play walk-on Cory Phillips or since the days of Mike Bobo. Really, I'm not sure he is going to improve much more. He's capable of dropping 300 on anyone. Getting the ball to our TE's and throwing as many in the direction of AJ Green is ideal.

CFB365: Tim Tebow will almost certainly break Herschel Walker's SEC TD rushing record within the next few weeks. I won't ask your thoughts on the record, but I would like to know: As a Dawg fan, what is your perception of Tebow? Overhyped? Overrated? Product of the media?

JJ: I think any player that has as much exposure as Tebow does is probably overhyped. I wouldn't call him overrated....during his 3+ seasons in Gainesville, Florida has been the premier national program, and he is the unquestioned leader of the team. In this age of ESPN, the hype is understandable. I just wish one of the esteemed SEC officials would throw a flag on him one time when he puts on his chest pounding, hands in the air show after a first down that he seems to do at least once per game. Let's just say we've seen UGA players call much less attention to themselves this season and receive extremely damaging penalties for it.

Bop: He's overhyped, but so was Georgia great David Pollack. My brother hit the nail on the head during Tebow's heisman year. He said "Florida has their David Pollack, the problem for everyone else is that their Pollack plays quarterback." He's not a product of the media and he's not overrated, in my opinion, because the sumbitch produces. And he wins. Of course if ole lady luck shines on the Red & Black this weekend, his record against Georgia could end up being 1-2.

CFB365:I've frequented a few Georgia message boards recently, and I was surprised to see so many fans putting a little heat to Mark Richt's seat. Is the patience running thin for Richt in Athens?

JJ: I think what you're seeing is the vocal minority. 90% of UGA fans would never even want to think of getting rid of Richt, regardless of what happens the rest of the year. That said, there are quite a few fans that are getting a little anxious to see him make some changes to his staff, some of whom believe it would have been a no-brainer to make those changes before this season. This coming offseason is going to be different than anything Richt has gone through thus far, and how he handles it will determine the rest of his career in Athens.

Bop: Yes it is. His loyalty to assistant coaches has always been admired. It has helped Georgia year in and year out in the recruiting wars. The problem now is that our coaches are getting taken to the woodshed on Saturday afternoons. The Tennessee debacle was probably the nail in the coffin for Defensive Coordinator Willie Martinez. Almost every quarterback we have played has shattered their previous career high in passing yards against us. We made one of the worst quarterbacks in league history (Crompton) look like a frontrunner for the heisman. Either heads will have to roll come winter or Richt's seat will be blazing hot. My God, we lost to Lane Kiffin.

CFB365: One thing Florida and Georgia have in common this season is bad officiating by Marc Curles and his crew. In Florida's case, it helped. In Georgia's case, not so much. As someone who has been on the wrong side of the bad calls, do you think the punishment (suspension until Nov. 14) is good enough for these refs?

JJ: Personally, I think Curles should have been fired and the rest of his crew suspended for the remainder of the season. The personal foul penalty on AJ Green was bad enough, but for the head referee to blow a personal foul penalty the following week in a game that close, just proves that he isn't a quality enough official to be working at the highest level of college football. The questionable interference calls (or non-calls), I can live with. Stuff like that happens in every game. You just cannot throw that flag against the Arkansas D-lineman without knowing absolutely for certain that it was the right call. The fact that other members of his crew didn't try to correct him makes them all culpable.

Bop: I just wish we could find a way to have full time refs. We are the SEC, we should have the best of the best. Problem is, we probably have the worst. And what's worse is it's beginning to look fixed. Not saying it is...it just looks that way. When the head of officials in the SEC is a Tech grad and you add the history with Al Ford (Gator grad) and the Jasper 'fumble' in Atlanta in '99, it's a recipe for doubt and anger. Just know this, after the AJ Green celebration penalty against LSU, if Tebow does anything remotely celabratory after a first down, the boo birds will be out in full force. It won't be directed towards Florida or Tebow, but venom will spew towards the refs from the Georgia faithful after that LSU game.

CFB365: Georgia seems to be the only team in the conference that is willing to travel out of the South to play a non-conference opponent. This is a good bragging point for Georgia fans, but a loss to a team like Oklahoma St. can really cause some damage. In a college football landscape where the SEC is seen as being so dominant that these cross-national road games are nor necessary for a strength of schedule argument, do you feel that Georgia should take it easy in the future?

JJ: I don't think one home and home every 2 years with a out of conference BCS team (other than natural rivals like Georgia Tech for Georgia and FSU for Florida) is too much to ask for any team. That gives you one tough road game every other year. That would give an SEC team 2 tough OOC games and 2 cupcakes.

Bop: Nah, I like it. Actually, I love it. It's good for the Georgia brand and keeps us in the national spotlight when others are playing I-AA's. The Arizona State game last year, the Oklahoma State game this year and in '07, the Boise State game a few years ago were all as good as it got on those Saturday's. We go to Colorado next season and have Oregon and our old rival Clemson back on the slate in the future. I'd love a Michigan or Texas matchup in the future also.

CFB365:I really hate that corny Lou Holtz locker room speech segment that ESPN shoves down our throats every week. So its only right that I ask you to participate in a little role play. Pretend you are Mark Richt. What are you telling your team in the locker room before they head out onto the field?

JJ: I'd tell them that despite everything bad that has happened this year, all the public criticism and ridicule, the Dawgs have a chance to salvage the entire season, maybe even the entire program this weekend. If this UGA team has any heart, any pride in the uniform they are privileged enough to wear, those words should be plenty of motivation.

Bop: I'd tell them that I want to see everyone celebrate after our first score....

Gators Finally Win in Starkville

It wasn't pretty, but the Gators left Starkville, Mississippi Saturday night with a 29-19 victory over the pesky Mississippi St. Bulldogs. With the win, this Gators squad becomes the first UF team to make it through the SEC West schedule unblemished in 11 years.

Once again the Gators offense was nothing to write home about. In fact, Florida's offense accounted for as many Mississippi St. touchdowns (2) as Florida touchdowns. True Freshman safety Johnthan Banks picked off Tebow two times and ran both picks back for touchdowns. The first pick 6 was a memorable 100 yard interception return for a TD. Also, the Gators once again managed to screw up nearly every red zone opportunity against the Bulldogs. They'll need to correct that problem in a hurry if they want to get the win in the WLOCP next weekend.

The good things to take from the game; Florida played much better defense than last week. The Gators' D stymied the Bulldogs all night long, only giving up 2 field goals and returning an int for a touchdown themselves. The Gators held on to the ball. Their might have been two interceptions, but there were no fumbles. That's definitely an improvement from last week.

Here's the stats:


Passing

Tim Tebow 12-22 127 yards 2 ints


Rushing

Chris Rainey 12 rushes 90 yards 1 td
Tim Tebow 22 rushes 88 yards 1 td
Emmanuel Moody 5 rushes 32 yards
Brandon James 2 rushes 28 yards
Jeff Demps 5 rushes 13 yards


Receiving

Riley Cooper 4 recs 63 yards
Aaron Hernandez 5 recs 32 yards
Deonte Thompson 1 rec 19 yards

Field Goals

Caleb Sturgis 3/4 Long- 27


Tackles

Ryan Stamper 13 tckls
Joe Haden 7 tckls
Dustin Doe 6 tckls
Carlos Dunlap 5 tckls


Interceptions

Dustin Doe 1 int
A.J. Jones 1 int
Major Wright 1 int


Sacks

Carlos Dunlap 3 sacks
Jermaine Cunningham 1 sack


Player of the Game

Carlos Dunlap - Defensive End, Sack Master

I could have easily selected Chris Rainey as the player of the game after his stellar performance on the ground. However, on a night when the defense once again played superb, it's only fitting that the player of the game is a defensive player. Carlos Dunlap and the defensive line made life miserable for Tyson Lee and Anthony Dixon. Dunlap recorded 3 of Florida's 4 sacks on the evening. His unstoppable rush also played a huge role in the Gators' ability to stuff Anthony Dixon all night long. Dixon came into the game as MSU's all-time leading rusher.He left as the latest victim of a Charlie Strong defense. The most impressive thing about Dunlap's and the defense's performance is the fact that they did it without Brandon Spikes and 3 defensive linemen.

Whew

I can't recall how many times I thought about the Ole Miss game from last season during yesterday's tilt vs. the Razorbacks. It was a lot though. I thought about that game every single time the Gators fumbled, were forced to settle for 3 and when Arkansas' Greg Childs crossed the goal line late in the fourth.

I actually thought about my game review. I thought about how I would describe this game as being exactly like the Ole Miss game, ending with a loss. However, the Gators' D got a stop when they needed to, Tim Tebow drove the ball down the field when he needed to and Caleb Sturgis nailed the game winning field goal when he was called upon.

You know what they like to say: "A win is a win is a win. Especially in the SEC." I tend to agree with that. I never underestimated the Arkansas team, despite my score prediction. I actually had Arkansas ranked in my top 25. I do think, however, that the Gators underestimated the Arkansas Razorbacks. Meyer said after the game that the team was extremely confident heading into Saturday. He made sure to comment that it was not overconfidence, but just plain old "swagger." I have to disagree with Urb. The Gators did not play with any fire during the entire first half and nearly woke up too late to pull out the victory.

All of the signs pointed to an Arkansas upset. The two starting DT's for Florida did not suit up. Brandon Spikes was injured on the first defensive drive of the game. Riley Cooper was battling a hip pointer for a little over a half. The Gators coughed up the ball every time they reached the red zone. Despite this, the Gators were still able to pull out the victory. We can all breathe a little easier this morning.

Time for some stats!

Passing

Tim Tebow 17-26 255 yards 1 td

Rushing

Tim Tebow 27 rushes 69 yards
Jeff Demps 9 rushes 54 yards 1 td
Emmanuel Moody 3 rushes 7 yards
Chris Rainey 6 rushes 6 yards


Receiving

Aaron Hernandez 7 recs 97 yards
Riley Cooper 6 recs 58 yards
Deonte Thompson 1 rec 77 yards 1 td

Tackles

Joe Haden 6
Jermaine Cunningham 6
Ahmad Black 6
Will Hill 6
Omar Hunter 6


Sacks

Jermaine Cunningham 2
Joe Haden 1
A.J. Jones 1

Field Goals

Caleb Sturgis 3/4 Long-51


Player of The Game

Caleb Sturgis - The Garbage Picking, Field Goal Kicking Florida Gator


Maybe I should make a weekly trip to Gainesville to kick a slumping player in the balls. After my trip last week to give Sturgis' nads a swift, Shawn Michaelsesque superkick, all he did was go out and kick the game winner straight through the uprights. That's not why I'm giving Caleb player of the game honors, though. His 51 yarder earlier in the game was a bit more impressive for me. I knew he had the leg for it, but he has never shown great accuracy. Until now. Also, the way he quited the entire Gators sideline after his game winning boot was phenomenal (you must use your Jim Rome voice to read that last sentence.) Congrats Sturgis, and ice those nuts!

Florida v. Arkansas Preview

The immovable object v. The unstoppable force.

That would be the great debate heading into this game between Florida's elite D and Arkansas' new-found prolific offense. However, we have already seen what happens to Arkansas' offense when they run into a solid defense. Just pop in a video tape of their game vs Alabama from a few weeks ago. Just a warning: Hide the kids, because it gets ugly.

So Florida's D is a huge key to victory this week. It's not all about the defense though. It is imperative for the Gators to have a strong showing on offense simply for the fact that it will help build confidence on that side of the ball heading into the home stretch.

The atmosphere in Gainesville will be amazing this week. This is the last homecoming of Tim Tebow and Brandon Spikes' playing career. Perhaps the best offensive and defensive players to ever wear the Orange and Blue will put on a show.

5 Keys to the game

1. Put pressure on Ryan Mallett - The Gators finally place some major pressure on an opposing QB last week. That could have been a product of what may be one of the worse offensive lines in the SEC. This week, the Gators need to prove that they can apply that same kind of pressure against a good offensive line. Mallett is huge, and getting pressure on him may be the best way to force some errant throws.


2. Don't give Arkansas a short field - Ryan Mallett and RB Michael Smith make this Arkansas team very dangerous offensively. They're the main reasons why the Hogs have snuck into my top 25. Giving the Razorbacks a short field via either a turnover (highly unlikely) or a great return (even more unlikely) is almost guaranteed points, even against the best of defenses.

3. Establish a deep threat - This isn't as importamt to this game as much as it is to the rest of the season. Deonte Thompson should be completely healthy for the first time since the Troy game. Frankie Hammond and Justin Williams need to be ready to play, especially now that we know Carl Moore won't be back this season. Yeah getting the ball to Riley Cooper and Aaron Hernandez is nice, but I wanna see some bombs!

4. Give John Brantley some playing time - We still have not seen Brantley in a ball game that was still in doubt as promised by the coaching staff during the Spring. This is one of those tweener games that would be perfect to get Brantley some early reps. We should never be in danger of losing to Arkansas, but we can still get away with calling it a tough conference game against a very formidable opponent.

5. I gotta have more Moody - The latest out of Gainesville this week is that Moody is finally to take some reps away from Jeff Demps and Chris Rainey. I've had no problem with Demps getting the bulk of the carries. He's a bonafide superstar. However, Rainey really hasn't shown the progress that I would have liked to seen out of him this year. On the flip side, despite some early fumbles, Moody has been straight blowing people up and breaking off huge runs on a consistent basis. Time for Moody to seriously tote the rock.


5 Players that need to step up

1. Deonte Thompson - As I mentioned earlier, Thompson is finally completely healthy. This is critical to the Florida passing game this week. Thompson provides a second deep threat to go along with Riley Cooper, and hopefully this will force David Nelson to the bench a little bit more.

2. Carlos Dunlap - I know Carlos Dunlap wants to lead this team in sacks very badly. He needs to step up if he wants to fend off Brandon Spikes for that distinction. Dunlap is a key to Florida's pass rush. Also, he will have to find the difficult balance of providing enough pressure on Ryan Mallett while continuing to stay at home to help hem in Michael Smith.


3. Jaye Howard - Howard is another pivotal figure in Florida's pass defense. More importantly is his role in the run defense. Howard can help clog up the middle to free up Florida's tenacious linebacker corps.

4. Tim Tebow - I'm a little too lazy to do my own research, but I'm pretty sure this is the first time I've mentioned the G.O.A.T. in this category. I am definitely not calling out Tebow here. I would just like to see a little more passing mixed in with our offense. Maybe even see Tebow notch 20+ completions?

5. Dustin Doe - Before Dustin Doe decided to get arrested for nearly anything and everything this off season he was slated as the starting linebacker opposite Brandon Spikes and A.J. Jones. Since he's been relegated to the bench, he's now fallen behind Spikes, Jones, Brandon Hicks and Lorenzo Edwards. I've even seen Major Wright make more plays from the linebacker position this season than Doe. This is a perfect game for Doe to get back on the field and make some plays, so if anybody finds the Dustin Doe from last season's Georgia game, please show him the way to the Swamp on Saturday.


Here's some highlights from last season's win over Arkansas. As you may remember, this was the first game of the Gators' current winning streak.



Here's what the Hog faithful are saying about the game. Somebody actually has the Hogs scoring 45 on the Gators! There's a difference between believing in your team and just being plan crazy.


My Prediction:

Florida - 38

Arkansas - 13

Title "Defense"

The big news came just hours before the game. Tim Tebow would be the starting QB for the Florida Gators in Death Valley. While the news was good, it may not have been the most important part of the Gators' victory last night. The biggest story for this Gators team is the fact that their defense is very, very good.

This defensive unit still has only allowed 2 touchdowns all season long. I'm not sure if too many people around the nation can comprehend that fact. As Urban Meyer likes to say, this unit is a "grown man's defense." The offense uncharacteristically sputtered late in a few drives and left at least 10 points on the field. They need not worry, as the defense was there to pick them up.

Brandon Spikes was all over the field for the first time this season. Joe Haden seemingly broke up every pass that headed his way, including a late second quarter interception. Ahmad Black turned into Major Wright and delivered some bone jarring hits. The defensive line was amazing. Carlos Dunlap, Jermaine Cunningham, Justin Trattou and even Terron Sanders all had great games against the very solid rushing attack of the LSU Tigers.

There were some bright spots on offense as well. The O-Line, led by the Pouncey Twins, played perhaps their best game of the season. They allowed the Gator rushing attack to gut the very stout front seven of LSU. Aaron Hernandez played a very solid game at the TE position. He even came within inches of saving Tebow and hauling in a third quarter TD pass. Emmanuel Moody finally showed why this particularly blog has a total no-homo man crush on the guy. He never went down on first or even second contact and averaged 7 yards a carry.

I have to cut the outline short now. I just arrived in Gainesville to kick Caleb Sturgis in the nuts as promised. Although for different reasons.

Here's the stats of the classic SEC-style victory of the Gators.

Passing

Tim Tebow 11-16 134 yards 1 td 1 int

Rushing

Jeff Demps 16 rushes 86 yards
Emmanuel Moody 6 rushes 42 yards
Tim Tebow 17 rushes 38 yards
Aaron Hernandez 1 rush 16 yards
Chris Rainey 4 rushes 11 yards

Receiving

Aaron Hernandez 6 recs 70 yards
Riley Cooper 2 recs 31 yards 1 td
Deonte Thompson 2 recs 11 yards
Brandon James 1 rec 20 yards

Field Goals

Caleb Sturgis 2/3 Long-32 yards

Tackles

Brandon Spikes 11
A.J. Jones 10
Ryan Stamper 9

Sacks

Brandon Spikes 2.5
Jermaine Cunningham 1
Justin Trattou 1
Carlos Dunlap 0.5

Interceptions

Joe Haden 1


Player of The Game


Brandon Spikes - Linebacker, The Predator

Spikes played easily what was his best game of the year. Now that I think about it, it was about LSU week when Spikes really started playing out of his mind last season. Perhaps this is a sign of things to come. All I know is you can pretty much pencil him in as All-American 1st team at the LB position. I hope Spikes formally introduces Ryan Mallett to the Swamp and SEC play next week.

Florida-LSU Preview

After a much needed bye week the Gators are ready to get back into action on Saturday night. As you all know the LSU Tigers will be awaiting Florida at what will be a very hostile Tiger Stadium. Of course the question that is on everybody's mind right now is: Will Tebow play?

Personally, I think Tebow is going to play. I'm not expecting a vintage Tebow out there though. I think the coaching staff will finally deliver on it' promise to play Johnny Brantley during meaningful minutes. We also could finally see some wildcat this week. Anything to take some of the load off of Tebow would be great.

The one thing that really concerns me in this game is the fact that LSU has been battle tested this season. If this game were to be close, LSU has the advantage because they have already played in, and won, close games this season. Granted their close games were against teams with not nearly the same amount of talent as the Gators, but it still helps to have been there before.

Now on to the good stuff. Or should I say, the better stuff?

5 Keys to the Game


1. Stop Charles Scott - Jordan Jefferson and the LSU passing "attack" has no chance whatsoever to move the ball against the Gators' D. I feel very confident in that statement. The only way the Tiger offense can successfully move the ball against Florida will be through the run. The main threat in the Tigers rushing attack: Charles Scott. Stop Scott and you have a cake walk.


2. Maintain Composure - Saturday night at Tiger Stadium is truly something to behold. That is as long as you're not the opposing team. If LSU jumps out early and the fans start going crazy, it will be real easy for a team to lose it's composure. The Gators will need to keep their cool in this hostile atmosphere.

3. Protect the QB - Whoever the QB is, the Gators O-Line needs to protect him. This could probably be best down by making sure everyone on the opposite side of the ball is accounted for before the snap. You know, that way a DE doesn't have a free shot at the QB while the DT gets double teamed. The LSU defense is infinite times better than any defense the Gators have faced all season.


4. Avoid Turnovers - One sure way to ignite an already raucous LSU crowd is to turn the ball over. This is more of a concern when Brantley is in the game as he is not as fluid with the triple option read plays as Tebow is. Also, protecting the ball eliminates any short field scenarios for a struggling LSU offense.


5. Win Field Position Battle - Speaking of short field scenarios. Giving a struggling offense a short field to work with is like giving a struggling jump shooter a pair of free throws in basketball. It's unnecessary and its something that you don't want to do. Make the Tiger offense go 70-80 yards every time they touch the ball. And don't pick up any excessive celebration penalties!


5 Players That Need to Step Up


1. John Brantley - As I mentioned earlier, even if Tebow plays, Brantley will have a much larger role in this contest than any other game he's been a part of at Florida. He needs to be ready to go. Once he's in the game, he needs to be confident enough to make some plays. I believe Johnny is better than Jordan Jefferson. He'll get the chance to prove it.


2. Aaron Hernandez - A young QB's best friend is his tight end. He's usually sure handed, runs good routes and is a great check-down target. Hernandez is all of the above. He will be pivotal to Brantley's success. Hernandez is also becoming a favorite target of Timmy. So look for him to produce while G.O.A.T. is in there as well. If you believe what you hear from the UF coaching staff, we could also see some of Hernandez in the Wildcat. I feel sorry for opposing defenses...


3. Brandon James - I've already mentioned the crowd noise and atmosphere a few times. One good way to shut up even the rowdiest of fans; run a kick or punt back for a TD. BJ is perfectly capable of doing this as we all know. Also, if Deonte Thompson still isn't 100%, James will once again convert to the nation's tiniest slot receiver.


4. Caleb Sturgis - Sturgis will be important for two reasons. 1. His kick-offs can help the Gators win the position battle. 2. The game may come down to a field goal. Plus, If I see one more kick-off go out of bounds I may drive to Gainesville and wait for the team to return. Then, while Caleb is walking to class on Monday, I'll jump from behind the fries at Turlington and kick him straight in the God Damn nuts!


5. Major Wright - Wright will have to really assert himself in the run defense Saturday night. With no passing threat, Wright should be able to cheat up and attack the line to help slow Charles Scott, Keiland Williams, Trindon Holliday, Kevin Faulk, LaBrandon Toefield, and whoever else LSU has to tote the rock.





Here's some highlights from last year's romping



I'll leave it to you guys to find the highlights from the last time the Gators were in Baton Rouge. Just type in Jacob Hester becomes a man in any search engine.

Here's what the LSU faithful are saying about the game.

My Prediction:

Florida - 27


LSU - 16

Baby Gators: Trey Burton

If you check ESPN's current 2010 recruiting ranks, you'll see something quite familiar by now. The Gators are seated atop the polls. The class that Meyer is bringing in is superb once again. Since there's a by week this week, I figured now would be a good time to take a look into our bright future.

First up is Trey Burton. Burton is a 6'3 204 pound "athlete" out of Venice High in Florida. I put athlete in quotations because I really can't see this kid playing any other position but QB. Yea he's big and elusive, but the man has got an arm. This is something that can readily be seen when watching one of his highlight reels.

Speaking of highlight reels, here's a highlight tape of Trey Burton from last season.



I really hope he stays with the number 22 and stays at QB. How great would it be to see a throwback like Burton rocking a number 22 while slinging the ball all over the place. He'd definitely look better than this guy.

Which Side Are You On?

There are two types of people in this world, Beatles people and Elvis people. - Mia, Pulp Fiction 1994.

Good 'ol Coke snortin' Mia was up to something when she uttered those words to a bloated John Travolta in one of the greatest movies ever made. 15 years later, this quote needs to be ammended somewhat. You see, nowadays there are still only two kinds of people in the world: Those who like and respect Tebow, and douchebags.

With Tebow's recent injury, the divide has become clearer than ever between the two camps. I have always known of the strong anti-Tebow movement in the country today. I have always been kind enough to respectfully disagree with their position on the matter and move on in the past. However, these people have become ever more vocal after Tebow's injury which is what makes their group known collectively as the douchebags.

These baggers are quick to point out that Tebow is a product of a system, is a mediocre QB, only scores from the 1 yard line, is surrounded by NFL talent at every position, has an uncanny relationship with Coach Urb, is shoved down our throats by the media conglomerate. As I said, in the past I just shrugged these comments off. Now, I guess you can call me kind of jaded. I'm a little fed up with these morons. They always seem to forget the actual stats and performances that point to Tebow's greatness.

I decided to search around the internet and gather the comment I could find both good and bad from all of Florida's rival fan bases in response to Tebow's injury. There are representatives from Tennessee, LSU, Georgia, Ohio St., Florida St. and many more.

For your convenience, I've separated them into two groups. Also, I decided not to post the thousands of redundant posts by the douchebag contingent that went along the lines of, "The Gaytors suck! Teblow got what he deserved! Gayturds are going down! Urban Crier sucks Teblow's cock!." There was a surprising amount of these posts.....

The Good


Gator fans, I feel for you. I'm not a big fan of any team from Florida but this kid is an absolute class act. Hope he gets well soon. - zorich88 espn.com (Notre Dame fan)


Why is everyone bashing Tebow on here? he has done more for college football than (Pat) White and (Vince) Young combined...he plays with more heart than anyone out there...he doesn't trash talk before the game...even though he's the only one that has really earned the rite as a player...no one in the game has done what he has both professionally and domestically...hes a good guy. - keenan1990 espn.com (allegiance unknown)


Im a Bama fan but I will say that Tebow has class (more players in NCAA should have such class). I hope that he recovers quickly. - CapnB SI.com


As much as I dislike him as the Gator QB, I think he's a fine young man with good Christian values. - Cooleyvol volnation.com


When I saw him laying there, obviously knocked out cold, I was extremely concerned for Tebow. I know everyone outside of Gator Nation gets sick and tired of hearing about "superman", there is NOWAY that any of us (at least the REAL college football fans) wish him any kind of injury. Tebow is a great human being and one of the best college players of all time. - BuckeyeVols volnation.com


Gator fans, here's to a quick recovery to one of the most passionate and best leaders to ever play the game of football. As a note, I have come to admire and at the same time despise Timmy. You admire his leadership qualities and determination, but at the same time want to see him lose if hes not on your team...Some of you need to do a little soul searching if you are wishing death or injury because of a football game. - Nole55 rivals.com


I don't know why, but I have the tendency to not like very many really good players form other teams. However, Tebow is a guy that almost makes you like him with his style of play, attitude, and the way he acts off the field as well. - tiger_rag rivals.vom


I'm no Tebow fan, but how can ANYONE hate him? I repset him, greatly, and I wish him a swift recovery. - Seven Heismans rivals.com (USC fan)


...As a side note, even with the ineptitude our team displayed I did take some satisfaction in knowing that I witnessed seeing arguably the best college football player in a long, long time. - Sam K wildcatnation.com


...NOTHING about sports should have fans so whipped up into hatred for the other team that they want a guy seriously injured...especially a class act like Tim Tebow. We need more not fewer Tim Tebows in this world. - Dr. H Lecter wildcatnation.com


Now time for the douchebags. You're warned before you read this can get vulgar and pretty idiotic....


He will go down as the most overrated qb in college football history. If hes the greatest qb ever then why won't he be the 1st player drafted in april? Because he's not a qb, he's a system player. - lazarre11 espn.com (village idiot)


This isn't 1950!!! He's not Ghandi!!! This is 2009 and in these days there will never, and i mean NEVER have one person go to other countries and make a "change" or "difference". If Tebow wants to do something good, do it in this country, not in some third world country where no one gives a flying fuuuuck about the USA! Tebow=loser! - jsanders78 espn.com (avid isolationist)


i pray he's gone for the season - ga82 SI.com (The smartest Georgia fan in the world)


Thats what having a Douche bag of a coach will get ya...can't believe Timmy t went down...thought he was superman! - bigorange#1 volnation.com (Secret identity of Lane Kiffin)


This just adds to the drama! Of course he was already sick, right? Someone change his feminine hygiene product in the ambulance and move on... - DawgnLA dawgs.com (funniest man alive)


I'm glad Tebow wasnt paralyzed or severly hurt. I do, however, hope he plays again, and here is why. I am not sold on his abilities at quarterback. He has the best supporting cast in college football. Who knows how many athletes could step in his spot and achieve similar results. For sure, the director of propaganda at UF deseves a pat on the back....Besides, he wears jean shorts! BubmcUGA dawgs.com (World-renowned Fashionista)


A sensible Tebow thread is still a Tebow thread Love him or Hate him ESPN will hype someone else you will be forced to move on. I am so glad ESPN has chosen Barkley to be the next Tebow hoever deserving/undeserving he maybe so that the Gators can get a taste of what the rest of the country is going thru for the next 3 years. - Trojanlaker rivals.com (Stuck in 2002)


I cheered when he got hit. I cheered when he went down. I high fived numerous people when he didn't get up. And I'm still cheering on the inside today. I'm sick and tired of St. Tebow...You are darn right I cheered. I'd do it again, and again, and again, if I had the chance. -Copland wildcatnation.com (Karma's next victim)


Gay as frick and not his kid. Tebow is $$$$$ in Urban's eyes. it was more like a broker watching his stock dro. fricking douche gator fags. - jfortenberrylsu tigerdroppings.com (LSU intellectual)


You Gaytor fans are delusional. Wait till next year when Tebow is gone. RedShirt tigerdrtopings.com (displaced Buffalo Bills fan)


Tebow should go back to playing with kids weiners as a missonary because he's a pansie -
Jon Logan facebook.com (Jealous that he's not circumcized)


boo fucking hoo tebow is hurt big deal I wish the fag was crippled so everyone would snap outta their little fantasy of him being just the "greatest person in the world" fuck him and hope he gets fucked up in the NFL....GO FSU - Bret Yelvington facebook.com (Upset his team can't beat USF)


tebow isnt the greatest player of all time. oh and 4 all the UF fans on here, you dont win chamionships, in fact u dont even have a history before spurrios. ur not even the best in fla. u have 3. miami has 5. in fact you rank 21st for championships, congrats on your 4 years of success. keep drinking your tebow kool-aid. you guys suck. - Adam Indermuehle facebook.com (The bestest math man in the world! Congrats Adam)


For what it's worth, there were more good comments on the message boards than bad ones. Except for Georgia forums. Dawg fans were overwhelmingly on the douche side. LSU fans were probably the next worse. Kentucky, and surprisingly, Tennessee fans were probably the most respectful.