Florida - Kentucky Preview

Finally Tennessee week has come and gone. Now we can finally be rid of that ass clown Lane Kiffin, right? Well, maybe not. Laney is still running his mouth over in Knoxville. I'm starting to think there may be a hint of jealousy on some of Kiffin's comments lately. I think I've dedicated enough space on this blog to this douche bag so I will now turn my attention to where it belongs: The Florida Gators' next opponent.

The Kentucky Wildcats are coming into this affair with a 2-0 record. The Wildcats have knocked off semi-rival Miami(OH) at a neutral site, as well as an actual rival in Louisville. Two things that Kentucky does well: run the football and rush the quarterback. Two things they don't do well: pass the ball and beat the Gators.

Kentucky is the only SEC East team that the Gators have not lost to since 1990. The winning streak even dates back further than that. In fact, the last time Kentucky beat Florida, Billy Gillespie only had 2 DUI's.

There has been a surprising amount of talk coming from Lexington this week. This article does a good job of explaining why Kentucky has a significant hatred for us Gators. Some of the comments suggest that the Wildcat fans are hoping for an upset. Good luck with that.


5 Keys to the Game

1. Throw the deep ball - Last week against Tennessee, the Gators passing attack did not attack down field once all game long. I don't care what Urban says about the flu or the other team's game plan, there is no excuse for that lack of productivity. There is too much talent and way too much speed to take a shot down field at least a handful of times a game. Kentucky gets after the QB so throwing the deep ball can help slow the rush a bit.



2. Avoid Trevard Lindley - If and when the Gators feel like attacking down field, they need to make sure it is to the opposite side of the field of Trevard Lindley. Lindley is a monster at CB. He is probably the lone player in the Wildcat secondary that could crack the Orange and Blue's two deep. He's even touted by some as the first CB taken in next year's draft.


3, Stop the run - As I've said previously, Kentucky runs the ball very well. It will be imperative that the Gators are able to establish a good defense against the run on Saturday. Against the Vols last week, Monterio Hardesty and Bryce Brown pretty much gashed the Gators' D all game long. If the Wildcats can't run the ball, Rich Brooks and company will be in for a very long day.


4. Give the freakin' ball to Moody - Manny got nice with it the only time he touched the ball against the Vols. Going to Moody early in the game showed that Meyer still has confidence in the USC transfer despite his fumble against Troy the previous week. You know what would be an even better way of showing you still have confidence in the guy? Give him the ball 10-15 times against Kentucky!


5. Pack plenty of hand sanitizer - Our recent struggles with the flu coupled with the overall dirtiness of Kentucky should equal a bus load of hand sanitizer for the Gators. We don't need to lose anyone else to illness.








5 Gators that need to step up



1. Aaron Hernandez - I'm starting to get a little tired of this whole "Aaron Hernandez is the greatest thing to hit the field not named Tebow since the forward pass." I like Hernandez and I know that he has the potential to be one of the best to ever wear the Orange and Blue. Lately, however, Hernandez has resembled Markell Thompson more closely than CI.


2. Jeff Demps - We saw how much the Gators offense can struggle when Demps isn't 100 percent. The funny thing is, Demps was one of the few bright spots on the offensive side of the ball despite his illness. It would be nice for Demps to have a repeat performance of last season's game vs. Kentucky


3. Brandon Spikes - Like Hernandez, Spikes has not played up to his capabilities fully this season. Some of that has to do with the Gator's weaker schedule as well as Spikes' own health issues. However, Spikes should be the main presence for the Gators when he's on the field, no matter what condition. That has not been the case thus far. There have been times when I wouldn't see Spikes for several series because he simply did not stand out.


4. Carlos Dunlap - Dunlap was just named to the Ted Hendricks Top Defensive End Award list on Wednesday. Time for Los to take a step in the direction of taking the award home.


5. Jaye Howard - Howard is someone who has been impressing me all season long. I hope that continues this week as Howard will be vital in the Gators' effort to stop the Kentucky rushing attack. Let's just hope that if he does stop the run, he won't get penalized for excessive celebration, deserving or not.

Here's some highlights from last season's thrilling, fight to the finish victory. It was also Mr. Two-Bits' last game.




Apparently Kentucky fans feel that Monte Kiffin showed them the way. They have seen the light. Sort of.


My Prediction

Florida - 34

Kentucky - 14

Gator Running Backs: A Study in Genetic Freakiness

It has become a tradition in Gainesville every year to wonder aloud who will be the feature running back. In the past this question came about out of general concern. No real running back ever stood up to take over the helm. Not since C-4 graced the Swamp with his glorious presence had the Gators had a running back that they could turn to in dire situations. This year, the problem is a little different.

Last season, the Gators had an explosion of awesome out of the backfield. Chris Rainey, Jeff Demps and Percy Harvin provided defensive coordinators with fits. Coming into the 2009 season the Gators face an enviable problem. They have too many talented running backs. Who's gonna be the premiere back? Who will lose a lot of carries and disappear from the mix? Here's my completely accurate take on the situation.

Jeff Demps

Needless to say, Jeffrey Demps is the fastest of the Gator backs. This fact seems to get all of Gator Nation riled up and more excited than a redneck at Daytona. Every time I have the audacity to tell someone that Demps is just not a complete back yet, I get met with a lot of yelling and profane language. I think Demps will be the starter, and deservedly so. However, I think there are a few other backs on our roster that are just better all around. Of course, I won't care too much about all around play when Demps is breaking one loose against the Vols for a 75 yard touchdown run.




Chris Rainey

Rainey is one of those backs that I feel is a better all-around player than Demps. He has the speed, the elusiveness and he is a bit bigger than Demps. He does have a tendency to dance around too much, but I have the feeling Running Backs Coach Kenny Carter will get that straightened out this season. If Rainey can cut back on the amount of times he's dropped for a loss, his playing time could skyrocket.




Here's a little peak at what the two are capable of.




Emmanuel Moody
Moody is my personal favorite of the bunch. I still have not seen Moody go down on first contact. Unfortunately for Moody, and the Gators, he can't stay healthy. He was oft-injured last season, but when he played, he played great. Manny has already established himself in Gator lore. The supposed reasoning behind Urb calling those last minute timeouts against UGA was to get Manny more totes. He can add to his mystique by going off for 275 yards and 7 td's against against LSU in Tiger Stadium. The LSU fans will then rush the field, pushing their own players out of the way, to get to Moody and carry him off the field on their shoulders.

Eye candy.




Brandon James
Everyone knows about B. James as a kick returner, but he is a capable threat coming out of the backfield as well. Out of all the true Gator running backs, James is the most polished receiver. He an take a quick slant from Tebow and turn it into a huge gain. I don't know if James will see too much time in the backfield. But his carries will definitely increase with the departure of Harvin.




Highlights of James, including the greatest run back I have ever seen with my beautiful blue eyes.



Andre Debose
Debose is the one man on the roster capable of replacing Percy Harvin. That might not be this year though. He'll probably line up more at receiver this season. But look for him to take a lot of snaps in the "Percy" position.





Do I dare? Yes, I do...



Christopher Scott and Vincent Brown

These are two guys that will get some carries in blowouts this season. Scott has been impressing coaches all Spring, but I just don't see him overtaking the players listed above him. Brown got some playing time last season, and I see him getting about the same this year.

Don't forget about these guys coming out of the backfield either!

SEC Championship Preview

I feel like a kid again. I have so many memories of watching Florida and Alabama playing each other for the SEC Championship. Back in those days I wasn't the awe-inspiring die hard Gator fan that I am today. I would route for my Gators, but it wasn't the end of the world if they lost. All I cared about was that for three hours, I got to see the Gators play. Plus, I was up past my bedtime!

Now, of course, things are different. I am a deranged Gator fan that watches every second of every game three times. Now, a Gators loss really does feel like the end of the world. Whenever the Orange and Blue fall, I shut myself off from everybody until the next game.

And I hate 'Bama now. I hate Nick Saban. I hate their stupid chants. I hate their boring uniforms. I hate the fact that their mascot is a god damn elephant. Granted my hatred for the Tide is not as large as my hatred for Georgia, Tennessee or Florida State, but it's pretty close. The only good thing about Bama is that the SEC Championship always seems better when it's Florida v. Alabama. This year should be no different.



5 Keys to a Gator victory

1. Stop Alabama's running game.

You know Nick Saban is going to try to eat as much clock as possible. The only way to slow down this Gator attack is to keep them off the field. It seems that in the past, when the Gators have fallen in big time games, it was mainly due to their inability to stop the running game. Mark Ingram, Glenn Coffee and Terry Grant don't need to become Travis Henry, Warrick Dunn and Jamaal Lewis reincarnated on Saturday. If the Gators can stop Bama's rushing attack early, they should be able to cruise to a victory. However, that is a very big IF.




2. Improve kick-off coverage.

The Gators kick off team has been porous at best lately. This is a frustrating aspect of the team to me. Our special teams dominate in every way possible EXCEPT for kick off coverage. Last week, the lone bright spot for the Seminoles was the play of kick returner Michael Ray Garvin. Even the Citadel put together a couple of decent returns against the Gators. I can tell you one thing, Alabama's Javier Arenas is on a whole other level when it comes to the return game. The Gators are going to have to step it up big time if they want to slow down my fellow Robinson High School grad.





3. Win the field position battle.

This goes hand in hand with my previous two points. Alabama's whole game plan relies heavily on winning the field position battle. If they can establish the run this may be a lost cause. Also, the Gators will definitely need to improve their kick off coverage if they want to take this one. Luckily for Florida, they have the best punter in the league to reverse the field position if need be. It wouldn't hurt if Brandon James could return to early season form either.







4. Play Percy Harvin.

I don't care if Percy Harvin really is hurt. Florida needs to dress him and play him. I figure there are three different levels in which Percy could be hurt. The Gators can find a way to play him at all three levels.

Level one- Not hurt at all. Percy is as good as usual. The head coaching staff finds a way to get him the ball whenever possible.

Level two- Bothered by the injury, but not severe. At this level, the Gators could still find ways to get Percy the ball. Just put extra tape on his ankle and run him on a sweep, or a go route.

Level three- Pretty damn hurt. Florida could still use Harvin at this level. He would be the ultimate decoy. As long as Percy is on the field, the Alabama defenders will be forced to focus on him.



5. Get Demps and Rainey the ball in space.

This could be a huge factor if Harvin falls into the level three category above. I know 'Bama has athletes on D. But there's no way they have anybody that can stop Demps or Rainey in the flats on a consistent basis. Rainey has perfected the spin and change direction move, and Demps is simply just faster than everybody. Run a couple screens or even reverses to get these guys out in the flats one on one with some d-linemen and linebackers. And don't give up if it doesn't work at first.





5 Gator players that need to step up

1.Chas Henry- I bet you though you'd never see a punter on this list. Henry may be the most underrated player on the Gators squad. His ability to reverse bad field position when need be will be huge on Saturday.

2. Tim Tebow- I just wanna see Tebow run across the middle and bulldoze Rashad Johnson like he did Jamie Robinson last week. It's funny how much vitriol is being spewed Tebow's way by the Tide faithful. Jealous much?

3. Chris Rainey- I think that out of the trio of Rainey, Demps and Harvin, Alabama may be the must unprepared for Rainey. I look for Chris to get the bulk of the carries (Sorry Manny....).

4. Javier Estopinan. It's gonna fall on the interior of the d-line to stop the 'Bama rushing attack. Unfortunately for the Gators, the injury bug has bit this position as of late. On the bright side, the last time I picked a DT in this segment(Terron Sanders) he went on to have a monster game.

5. Brandon Spikes- All-Everything linebacker Brandon Spikes will be their to clean up anything that gets beyond the line of scrimmage. Mr. Spikes has also become a threat in the interception department this season. JPW better keep his eyes on him.


Here's a glimpse at what the two teams have done against common opponents this season.

Alabama......Florida
Arkansas W 49-14...... W 38-7
Georgia W 41-30...... W 49-10
Kentucky W 17-14...... W 63-5
Ole Miss W 24-20...... L 31-30
Tennessee W 29-9....... W 30-6
LSU W 27-21...... W 51-21


Here's a video from the last time the Gators made an appearance in ATL.




Check out what's being said about the game at a Tide forum. It's funny how it's been hijacked by people rooting for Florida.



Time for my prediction. I was pretty damn close last week. Just needed a late Caleb Sturgis field goal. Where's Randy Shannon when you need him?

Florida 38

Alabama 24

That's what I'm talking about!

The Gators absolutely dominated LSU last night. The Tigers came in ranked number 3 in the country and left the Swamp with bruised arses. The only bad thing about last night was the fact that professional douche jockey, Ricky Jean-Francois was not in town to witness the beatdown. The Gators were so impressive that they have climbed back into the top 5 of the ESPN poll. We'll have to wait and see where they'll land in the much more important CFB 365 power poll.

Tebow seems to have reverted back to his old self. The fire and intensity that looked to be missing thus far this season, was evidently back last night. Tebow hopped, Gator chomped, and ran over defenders all night long. Harvin was great once again, and the rest of the receiving corps was incredibly solid. Perhaps the most impressive aspect of last night's victory was the Gators' running game. Jeff Demps and Chris Rainey ran wild through the vaunted Tiger defense. Even much maligned Ketsahn Moore scored a touchdown.

If Florida's run game was impressive, their ability to stop LSU's was phenomenal. Brandon Spikes, Janoris Jenkins and Joe Haden were all over the field. Spikes picked off two Jarrett Lee ducks and returned one for a score. I'm getting more and more comfortable with Janoris Jenkins as the starting corner opposite Joe Haden. If anything, Jenkins' play has actually cast a shadow over Haden. Even that asshole Lundquist noticed that Haden was having some trouble covering LSU's receivers.

This was obviously a great football game. The Gators put together the best all-around performance I have seen in recent years. They were dominant in all phases of the game. Perhaps this game will shut up those dumb asses that call themselves Gator fans that have been calling for Dan Mullen's job.

Here's the stats:

Florida Passing
Tim Tebow 14-21 210 yards 2 tds


Florida Rushing
Jeff Demps 10 129 yards 1 td
Chris Rainey 11 66 yards
Kestahn Moore 4 23 yards 1 td
Tim Tebow 12 22 yards 1 td
Percy Harvin 2 13 yards
Brandon James 2 12 yards


Florida Receiving
Percy Harvin 6 recs 112 yards 2 tds
Louis Murphy 1 rec 37 yards
Deonte Thompson 2 recs 26 yards
Riley Cooper 2 recs 19 yards
Jeff Demps 1 rec 11 yards
Aaron Hernandez 2 recs 5 yards


Florida Punting
Chas Henry 2 59 yards



Florida Punt Returns
Brandon James 2 47 yards


Florida Kick Returns
Brandon James 2 53 yards
Javier Estopinan 1 8 yards


Florida Interceptions
Brandon Spikes 2


Florida Field Goals
Jonathan Phillips 3/3


Florida Tackles
Janoris Jenkins 9
Major Wright 7
Joe Haden 6
Brandon Spikes 5
Lawrence Marsh 4
A.J. Jones 4
Jacques Rickerson 3
Justin Trattou 3
Terron Sanders 3
Ahmad Black 3
Duke Lemmens 2
Markihe Anderson 2
Justin Williams 2
Will Hill 2
Jermaine Cunningham 2
6 others with 1

Florida Sacks
Janoris Jenkins 1
Duke Lemmens 1
Jermaine Cunningham 1


Player of the game.


Jeff Demps - Running Back, Lightning in a Thimble

In such a great win, there's always plenty of candidates for player of the game. This game was no different. There were several Gator players deserving of player of the game honors. Percy Harvin was amazing once again, Tim Tebow put his name back in the Heisman race, and Brandon Spikes and Janoris Jenkins led the dominant Gator D. There's one man, however that stole the show. That man was human blur, Jeff Demps. Demps ran for 100 yards in back-to-back SEC games. And since I overlooked him last week in favor of running mate Chris Rainey, it's only fair that I recognize him this week. One thing that impressed me the most about Demps was his poise and intelligence during the post game interviews. It's nice to know the future of Gator football is in good hands with this guy.

The Most Frustrating 31 Point Win Ever.

The Gators stumbled their way to a 38-7 victory over Arkansas on Saturday. The first half was almost unbearable to watch. There was a period when the Gators were flagged on 6 straight plays. Florida is used to being a heavy penalized team, but yesterday was just ridiculous. If not for a Michael Smith muffed punt return, the game could have easily been tied at the half. Even with that fumble, the Gators needed a Jeff Demps 36 yard touchdown run on first and 30 after two more Gator penalties.

Tim Tebow had a solid showing, despite his first interception in 204 pass attempts. Timmy distributed the ball better than he has all year. On the drive following his interception, Tebow put together the best drive of this short season, going 7 for 7 and hitting Harvin for a touchdown.

The major bright spot of the day was the Florida running game. Speedster Jeff Demps ran for two scores, while Rainey had his first 100 yard rushing game as a Gator. Rainey pulled off the best touchdown run of the year late in the third quarter. It was nice to have a running game outside of Harvin with the absence of Emmanuel Moody.

Here's the stats from the game:

FLORIDA PASSING
Tim Tebow 17-26 217 yards 2 tds 1 int
John Brantley II 2-3 19 yards

FLORIDA RUSHING
Chris Rainey 10 103 yards 1 td
Jeff Demps 7 103 yards 2 tds
Percy Harvin 6 37 yards
Tim Tebow 12 32 yards
Brandon James 2 4 yards

FLORIDA RECEIVING
Louis Murphy 5 70 yards
Carl Moore 2 39 yards
Percy Harvin 3 37 yards 1 td
Deonte Thompson 2 29 yards
Brandon James 3 24 yards 1 td
Aaron Hernandez 2 15 yards
Riley Cooper 1 15 yards
Jeff Demps 1 7 yards

FLORIDA INTERCEPTIONS
Joe Haden 1 24 yards

FLORIDA KICK RETURNS
Brandon James 2 48 yards

FLORIDA PUNT RETURNS
Brandon James 2 25 yards

FLORIDA KICKING
Jonathan Phillips 1/1

FLORIDA PUNTING
Chas Henry 3 46.o avg

Player of the Game

Chris Rainey - Running Back

Even though Jeff Demps had the same amount of rushing yards and 2 touchdowns compared to Rainey's one, I gotta go with Chris on this one. His touchdown run is probably the most electrifying play of the year for the Gators this season. Also, Demps' second touchdown run came in the closing minutes anyway. Hopefully this is the first of many 100 yard rushing games for the former Lakeland Dreadnaught.








The Gators are going to have to play 6079679 times better to beat LSU next week. The Tigers are too good of a football team for Florida to overcome so many penalties and miscues .

Where's Moody

Where the hell is this guy:

I was all kinds of pumped up when Sir Emmanuel Moody announced he was transferring to the greatest institution known to man.

"Finally," I thought, "We have a dangerous back that will take some of the load off of Tebow and Harvin." Whenever I attended a Gator game last year, I made sure to spot Moody on the sideline. I would elbow my annoyed girlfriend and say, "That guy right there is the answer."

Not since C-4 donned a Gator jersey had I been so excited about a Gator running back. Deshawn Wynn was ok, but I always felt that his power running style didn't fit in with our offense. And don't get me started on Kestahn Moore.

Heading in to week 1 and our momentous showdown against the Hawaii Warriors I was jacked to see this Gator offense in action. I wasn't disappointed. Jeff Demps, Chris Rainey and Brandon James had tremendous games at the running back position. Our rushing attack was stellar, and we didn't even need Tebow to help out. All of this excitement was somewhat diluted by the fact that I didn't get to see Mr. Moody do his thang.

2 carries?!?! Are you serious?!?!?! 2 carries?!?!?! I couldn't believe that Urban Meyer found a way to get the ball in the hands of every running back on his squad EXCEPT for Moody. I heard all kinds of reports after the game that Moody was a little dinged up and Meyer was a little hesitant to use him. However, I also heard that Moody was still struggling to pick up the offense. I have to say I believe the latter a little more than the former.

Week 2 came, and went. This time Moody didn't tote the pill even once! Granted our offense struggled all night against a very good and speedy Miami Hurricane defense. But we're talking about a guy who won PAC-10 Freshman of the year two years ago. Instead of giving him a chance, Meyer and Dan Mullen decided to give the ball to Kestahn Moore. Why we still hand the ball off to Moore is way beyond me.

This week the Gators will travel to Knoxville to take on Tennessee. While I don't expect a blowout on par with last season's whoop-ass, I do expect the Gators to win comfortably. That is, unless we hand the ball off to Kestahn over 5 times.

Moody transferred to Florida to escape the extremely crowded backfield at USC. With the likes of Chris Rainey, Jeff Demps, Brandon James, Mon Williams and even Kestahn Moore, our backfield is a little crowded too. However, I know Moody is a more talented back than all of these guys. He may not have the speed of Demps, the elusiveness of Rainey or the shittiness of Moore, but he IS a better all-around back.

I hope to see, at the very least, more than 2 carries for Moody this week. I guess we'll see what happens.