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

Florida - Charleston Southern Preview

Yes. This is a preview of a football game that features a 73 point underdog. The CSU Buccaneers come into Gainesville as the largest underdog since..... well ever.

It's gonna be hard for the Gators to get incredibly jacked up for a game that Urban Meyer has already called ridiculous. The fact that they haven't hit someone in a different color in nearly 8 months should help a little. But you get the feeling this will be the Orange and Blue Debut Part Deux.

The fact that this game doesn't matter to anyone outside of Gator Nation doesn't matter to me. I've been dying for some college football, and especially some Gator football. Saturday can't get here soon enough.

Here are my thoughts on this monumental clash between two titans for the collegiate gridiron.


5 Keys to the Game

1. Show Up - No real strategy needed. the Gators just need to make sure they get off the buses, make the Gator Walk, get dressed and be on the field by the 7 o'clock kickoff. If they do that, they win.

2. Avoid Injuries - The last thing the Gators need is to have a major contributor get injured during this horrible excuse for a game. I might boycott the season if someone major were to go down in a heap against the Bucs. In fact, I hope Meyer treats this game like the string of 4th NFL preseason games coming up this weekend. Let the starters play for a series or two at the most. Then, hopefully up 14-0, put the reserves in and don't look back.

3. Protect the Ball - I know. I know. There's no way the Gators lose to Charleston Southern even if they turn the ball over 37 times. Still, you don't want to develop bad habits. A couple of fumbles in this game could lose to a lack of discipline in some games that might actually matter later in the season. Of course, this wasn't the case after the Ole Miss loss last season, but you never know...

4. Give Brantley Plenty of Reps - I want to see John Brantley in the game for at LEAST 3 full quarters. Give him a chance to run the offense for an extended period of time. Let him throw for 6 or 7 touchdowns to build his confidence up. This could help when Meyer decides to throw Brantley in the fire in Baton Rouge later in the year.

5. Give Moody the Damn Ball! - I told you I was gonna keep screaming this until the coaching staff actually listened. Besides, Moody does his best work against FCS teams. Just look at last year's Citadel game. He looked like an All-American!





5 Players That Need To Step Up

1. Emmanuel Moody - I already mentioned Manny's superstar like status when facing FCS opponents. The introduction of the I-Formation should only help his ability to dominate lesser opponents. Time for Manny to go for 250+ with 4 tds.

2. John Brantley - Brantley should be the star of the game Saturday. He will see the bulk of the action at QB, if all goes well. If all goes too well, he may even be spelled by Jordan Reed late in the game. Still, Brantley should have the best game of his career. Something that he can build on throughout the season.

3. Mike Gillislee - I'm real anxious to see what this guy can do. I've heard so much about him leading up to the season. I'm ready to see what he's all about. Granted, whatever he does against Charleston Southern can't be taken too seriously. But at least it will give us more to go on than just practice.


4. Jonathan Phillips - Phillips' leg should see plenty of action this Saturday. He might even be able to mix in some field goals with the 20 or so PATs he'll be attempting. This will be a good chance for Johnny to get a head start on the comp for the Lou Groza award.

5. Jon Bostic - Bostic is another freshman that I can't wait to see in action on Florida Field. He should get plenty of playing time once the starters take to the bench early in the game. From what I hear, Bostic may even be mixed in some with the starting unit. Either way, this will be his first chance to shine.




No Florida v. Charleston Southern highlights exist for obvious reasons. Instead, here' a nice highlight reel re-capping Florida's 2008 season.



Here's what they're saying about this historic contest.

My Prediction

Florida - 76

Charleston Southern - 9