Florida-Mississippi St. Preview

The worst thing that could have possibly happened to Mississippi St. last week was a close call for the Gators. All that means is that the Orange and Blue will be nice and alert for their Saturday Night match up with the Bulldogs.

There are a ton of story lines heading into this ball game. Urban Meyer and long time assistant Dan Mullen will meet as opponents for the first time. Mullen has done a great job making Miss. St. more athletic than usual, but he still doesn't quite have the players necessary to run the offense that he wants. Tyson Lee is definitely not fooling anyone into thinking he's a great QB.

The Gators have historically struggled in the state of Mississippi. Even when S.O.S. roamed the sidelines, Florida had trouble with the cow bells of Starkville. We all know what took place under the Zooker in the Magnolia State. I guess as Gator fans, we all owe a debt of gratitude to the Maroon and White. Even Urb has struggled in David Banner country. He barely snuck out a victory against a very bad Ole Miss team back in 2006 in Oxford.

One thing I do like about this Mississippi St. is Anthony Dixon. Going back to last year, Dixon has been my favorite non-Gator in the nation. His hard running style is finally starting to gain him the attention that he deserves. His defender-destroying touchdown run two weeks ago was a thing of beauty. I hope he continues his success. Just not this week....


5 Keys to the Game

1. Give Moody the ball! - I know this has become a running joke on this blog. I state that the Gators need to get Manny more touches. It's usually the last key I mention every week. However, this week I really man it. We have got to get Emmanuel Moody more touches! This is even more important due to the fact that Chris Rainey couldn't run his way out of a paper bag with a lead blocker right now. Give 21 the rock!

2. Make the most of Red Zone opportunities - One thing that was lost in last week's close call vs. Arkansas was the fact that Florida basically moved the ball at will. Even though Tebow found his way under a defensive linemen more times than Paris Hilton, he was still able to move his team up and down the field. That is, until they reached the end zone. Then, per usual, the Gators would proceed so shit all over themselves as they fumbled the ball away. They have got to get that problem fixed if they want to remain unblemished.

3. Avoid Turnovers - This is the area that almost did in the Gators last week. If you look back to all of the Gators' losses and close calls under Urb the common thread is turnovers. Avoid turnovers and Florida will win. It's as simple as that.

4. Tackle - Seems pretty straightforward. Last Saturday was the first time I've seen the Gators' D miss that many tackles since 2007. Dennis Johnson looked like the reincarnation of Earl Campbell the way he was shedding Florida defenders. If the D thought they had their hands full with Johnson, just wait until they meet Mr. Dixon running the football. Speaking of...


5. Contain Anthony Dixon - If the Gators tackle the way they did against Arkansas, Dixon could go for 200 yards Saturday Night. If Florida can hold Dixon to an average performance, the Bulldogs will not be able to rely on Tyson Lee and the passing game. It would be a long day for Mississippi St.


5 Players That Need to Step Up.

1. Emmanuel Moody - I've already discussed why Manny deserves to get more carries. If, by some miracle, the Gator coaching staff does get Moody more touches, he'll have to prove that he won't screw up like earlier in the season.

2. Chris Rainey - To this point in the season, Chris Rainey has done little to warrant his role as a feature back on this team. This could be sour grapes on my part because he's keeping Moody on the bench, but it seems like everytime Rainey touches the ball it's a 2 yard gain at best. His stats don't prove my theory, but we have to take in the fact that his numbers are bloated by some big runs against Charleston Southern and Troy.

3.Brandon James - I'm calling for James to step up both in the return game as well as within the offense. Outside of Riley Cooper and Aaron Hernandez, the Gators have nothing in the form of a receiving threat. I'm letting Deonte Thompson off the hook this week and focusing on the Gators' third and fourth receiving options. By the way, whatever happened to the world's most dangerous kick-off return man? He's gone missing for the last 8 months.

4. Major Wright - Since I've been focusing on tackling on the defensive side of the ball, it's only fitting that the worst tackler of all, Major Wright, represents the defense on this list. Don't get me wrong, I love me some Major Wright. If he could get this whole tackling thing down, he could be something special. Wright's presence will be crucial in helping the Gators' D stop the run.

5. David Nelson - You can pretty much apply everything I said about B. James in thepassing game to David Nelson. Except the fact that Nelson actually is a wide receiver. We're just pass the halfway point, time for Nelson to make his usual late season surge.


What Florida should worry about....





This is actually a pretty funny thread poking fun at the Gators over at Six Pack Speak. I encourage you to check it out.


My Prediction:

Florida - 34


Mississippi St. - 6

CFB 365 Top 25

There was a lot of shake up in this week's poll. The top 5 looks decidedly different from last week. You might notice one big change at the top of the poll...


1. Alabama Crimson Tide - Bama wrestles the number 1 spot away from Florida this week. This is the first week that the Orange and Blue do no sit atop my rankings. I know it's pretty simple, but I made my decision based on the two team's games vs. Arkansas. The Tide dominated the Hogs earlier in the season, while Florida struggled mightily against Arkansas.



2. Florida Gators - Florida didn't fall to number 2 simply because they struggled this week. After all, Arkansas was a ranked team in my poll last week. The fact that Alabama has dominated everyone placed before them like sacrificial lambs helped in the move.





3. Texas Longhorns - The Horns stand pat at the number 3 spot this week. Their win over Oklahoma isn't impressive as it has been in the past, but a win in the Red River Shootout is always impressive. Colt McCoy is just about out of the Heisman race.





4. Cincinnati Bearcats - Cincy jumps up into the top 5 this week. A few teams in front of them either struggled or lost outright, while the Bearcats were able to hand USF their first loss of the season. On the road. With a back up QB. Brian Kelly's team is for real.





5. USC Trojans - I still don't know if the Trojans are all that great yet. The Ohio St. win doesn't look too impressive now. And I haven't been impressed with Notre Dame all season long. I still think SC is a good team with a possible future Heisman candidate in Matt Barkley at the helm.




6. Boise St. Broncos - Boise St. slides out of the top 5 this week despite remaining undefeated. The Broncos struggled mightily against Tulsa on Wednesday night. It should be smooth and unimpressive sailing the rest of the way.





7. LSU Tigers - The Tigers enjoyed a bye week this week. Their schedule is really about to pick up real soon.







8. Miami(FL) Hurricanes - The Canes continued their tear through the Sunshine State on Saturday Night. Miami slowly put UCF out of its misery. That's FSU, FAMU and UCF. The Canes still have to play USF and Florida's School For The Blind.





9. Iowa Hawkeyes - The Hawkeyes are starting to look like the clear favorites in the Big Eleven. Their only real threat is Penn St. and Iowa is already ahead in the head to head battle in that one. They do have a big game next week in East Lansing. MSU is starting to finally put it together.




10. Oregon Ducks - The Ducks enjoyed a nice break from running through PAC-10 opponents this week. Only a bye week could slow down Oregon's attack.






11. TCU Horned Frogs - It took TCU a half to get things going against Colorado St. Once hey did, they couldn't be stopped. The Frogs demolished the struggling Rams in a warm up before next week's showdown against BYU.





12. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets - Ga Tech moves up a lot after their impressive win over Virginia Tech. The ACC is starting to slide back into mediocrity. Hopefully, for them, Georgia Tech and Miami can both keep up their winning ways.





13. Penn St. Nittany Lions - Penn St. won a traditional Big Eleven game in traditional Big Eleven weather. The Fighting JoePa's knocked off the Minnesota Golden Gophers in a freezing rain storm. Darryl Clark is starting to look more and more like the best QB in the conference.





14. Oklahoma St. Cowboys - The Cowboys finally looked impressive in knocking off Missouri at home this week. Zac Robinson and Co. looked like they really didn't miss Dez Bryant's presence on the field. We'll see how long that lasts...





15. BYU Cougars - BYU had their hands full vs. Brady Hoke's San Diego St. team on Saturday Night. Struggling against a perennial loser like that is not the way the Cougars wanted to go into the TCU game. Good news for BYU; The game is in Provo.





16. Virginia Tech Hokies - Virginia Tech fall all the way from number 4 to the 16 spot this week. The Hokies were simply outclassed by Georgia Tech in Atlanta. Hopefully for the Hokies, Ryan Williams' injury isn't that serious. They'll need his running threat if they still hope to pull off an ACC Championship game bid.




17. West Virginia Mountaineers - West Virginia's offense looked horrid against Marshall this week. They still came away with the win, though. Much like Texas' win over OU, this rivalry win is still a good one.






18. Utah Utes - Utah took down hapless UNLV this week. The Utes look to benefit from the TCU-BYU tilt. They should jump ahead the loser of that game in the Mountain West standings.






19. Pittsburgh Panthers - Pitt has constantly been one of the first teams left off of my weekly poll. They finally cracked the top 25 this week after another Big East victory over Louisville. I'm sure Dave Wannstedt will find some way to screw this up.





20. Houston Cougars - Houston jumps back into my top 25 this week. Couple their dominating performance over Tulane with nearly everyone in last week's poll falling flat on their faces, and you see why Houston is back in.





21. Texas Tech Red Raiders - Tech is back in my poll after a few weeks hiatus. They have now put up over 60 points in consecutive Big XII games. Tech's only two losses this season were close games against two good teams, Texas and Houston.





22. South Carolina Gamecocks - The Gamecocks hold on in the top 25 barely after falling to Alabama this week. Carolina actually looked like they could compete with Bama at times on Saturday Night. I said, "looked like."





23. Michigan Wolverines - Michigan makes their first appearance in my top 25 this week. I really don't care if the Wolverines would have put 100 on Delaware St. They only crack the top 25 because of other team's incompetence.





24. Kansas Jayhawks - Kansas completely shit all over themselves against Colorado on Saturday Night. I should take them out of the top 25 altogether, but I know that Todd Reesing, Dezmon Briscoe and Kerry Meier are a good trio and they will bounce back.





25. Ohio St. Buckeyes - I really was close to completely dropping OSU from my rankings altogether. However, there really aren't any other viable options here. The Buckeyes barely held off Arizona, Central Michigan, South Florida and Oregon St.

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

Weekly Picks

No special intro. Well except for that intro. On to the picks!

Arkansas St. @ UL-Monroe
Boise St. @ Tulsa
Cincinnati @ South Florida
Pittsburgh @ Rutgers
Oklahoma v. Texas
Ohio St. @ Purdue
Iowa @ Wisconsin
Louisville @ Connecticut
Northwestern @ Michigan St.
Delaware St. @ Michigan
Wake Forest @ Clemson
Bowling Green @ Ball St.
Georgia @ Vanderbilt
Mississippi St. @ Middle Tennessee St.
Army @ Temple
Miami(OH) @ Ohio
Wyoming @ Air Force
Nevada @ Utah St.
Arkansas @ Florida
USC @ Notre Dame
Minnesota @ Penn St.
Texas Tech @ Nebraska
Houston @ Tulane
California @ UCLA
NC State @ Boston College
Rice @ East Carolina
Marshall @ West Virginia
Akron @ Buffalo
Central Michigan @ Western Michigan
Colorado St. @ TCU
Virginia @ Maryland
Kent St. @ Eastern Michigan
Hawaii @ Idaho
Virginia Tech @ Georgia Tech
BYU @ San Diego St.
Stanford @ Arizona
New Mexico St. @ Louisiana Tech
Kansas @ Colorado
Baylor @ Iowa St.
Illinois @ Indiana
UL-Lafayette @ Western Kentucky
UAB @ Ole Miss
Troy @ FIU
Texas A&M @ Kansas St.
Memphis @ Southern Miss
Northern Illinois @ Toledo
Miami(FL) @ UCF
Kentucky @ Auburn
South Carolina @ Alabama
FAU @ North Texas
Navy @ SMU
Missouri @ Oklahoma St.
Utah @ UNLV
San Jose St. @ Fresno St.
Washington @ Arizona St.

CFB 365 Top 25

There's considerably more shake-up in the poll this week than in previous weeks. The top ten has been shaken up a bit and there are 5 new teams in the top 25 overall.

1. Florida Gators - The Gators won a throwback SEC contest Saturday against LSU. The Florida D is finally starting to show why they have been considered by some to be among the greatest of all time. Homecoming tune-up next week vs. Arkansas is prime for a trap game.





2. Alabama Crimson Tide - Bama leapfrogs Texas this week because of another dominating performance. The Tide are starting to pull away from the rest of the SEC West. It looks like their could be a re-match in the SEC title game this season.





3. Texas Longhorns - The Longhorns drop a spot after struggling for 3 quarters vs. lowly Colorado. Colt McCoy and the offense were able to pull away late, but the Buffs should have never been in the game in the first place.





4. Virginia Tech Hokies - Virginia Tech reclaimed their spot as the best one loss team in America this week. They completely dominated a very good Boston College team. Their play makes you realize just how good Alabama really is.





5. Boise St. Broncos - I continue my tradition of punishing teams for having a bye week. I promise this isn't on purpose, but when Va Tech has such a good outing and Boise St. is sitting at home watching the tube, they're gonna get leapfrogged every time.





6. Ohio St. Buckeyes - Ohio St. looked really impressive against Wisconsin on Saturday. That may have been the most complete game that the Buckeyes have played all season long. They better get ready for their monumental showdown next week against Purdue.





7. Cincinnati Bearcats - Breaking from CFB 365 tradition, the Bearcats actually move up a spot during a bye week. They'll have a great chance to prove themselves this Thursday as they travel to Tampa to face the undefeated South Florida Bulls.





8. USC Trojans - USC also moves up a spot this week, mainly because of LSU's loss. USC now prepares itself for what is annually the most overblown mismatch of the college football season: US v. Notre Dame.






9. LSU Tigers - LSU slides a bit this week, but they remain in the top 10. They were able to hang with number 1 Florida for the entire game. If only they had a QB, this would be a really good team. Charles Scott can't carry the offense all by himself.





10. Miami(FL) Hurricanes - The Canes stand pat at number 10 this week. Defeating 1-aa FAMU is just as good as a bye week. Jacory Harris remains in Heisman contention for now. Next week the Canes face another in-state "power" in the form of the UCF Knights.





11. Oregon Ducks - The Ducks moved up a few spots with another impressive conference win over UCLA. The fact that Oregon was able to hold off the Bruins with a backup QB only shows how good this team really is.





12. Kansas Jayhawks - Kansas stays at number 12 after needing every last minute to knock off Iowa St. at home on Saturday. A close game against the Cyclones won't impress anyone, and next week won't be any more impressive as the Jayhawks travel to Boulder to take on the Colorado Buffaloes.




13. Iowa Hawkeyes - Iowa held off a stubborn Michigan team to remain unbeaten. Iowa's offense may have had their best game of the season, but the defense needs to play better if they wish to make it through the Big Eleven season undefeated.





14. TCU Horned Frogs - I'm still not too impressed with Gary Patterson's team this season. Their defense is among the best in the nation, but they will need to find more offense if they want to really challenge for a BCS bid.





15. Penn St. Nittany Lions - Penn St. had no trouble in taking down 1-aa Eastern Illinois on Saturday. The game was a nice break from Big Eleven play for the Fighting JoePa's. Now they mus hope for Iowa to lose at least two conference games if they want to make it back to the Rose Bowl.




16. South Carolina Gamecocks - Steve Spurrier's bunch found themselves in a dog fight against Kentucky on Saturday. Any win in the SEC is a good won. Even a 2 point victory at home over Kentucky...






17. Oklahoma St. Cowboys - Much like South Carolina, Oklahoma St. barely held off a much inferior conference opponent this week. OSU needed all of their offensive weapons to finally pull away from Texas A&M on the road. State needs to play better if they hope to beat either Oklahoma or Texas this season.





18. BYU Cougars - BYU knocked off UNLV late Saturday night. Ho hum....







19. Nebraska Cornhuskers - The Huskers jump back into my top 25 after defeating Mizzou on Thursday night. The defense is close to earning back their Blackshirt status. They may have to hold Texas Tech to under 50 points to get them back completely though.





20. Oklahoma Sooners - The Sooners actually struggled for about a half against the Baylor Bears this week. Eventually they were able to pull away under the leadership of newly returned Sam Bradford. Maybe they should have waited a week to get a little more pub. It seems like Bradford's return was completely overshadowed by Tebow coming back to the field.




21. South Florida Bulls - The Bulls jump a bunch of spots up to number 21. This is mainly due to the fact of nearly every team in front of them losing. USF must now get ready for their Thursday night showdown vs. Cincinnati.





22. West Virginia Mountaineers - Noel Devine is quietly creeping up on Jahvid Best for the title go best running back in the nation. He should get much more recognition if the Mountaineers continue their stellar play.





23. Utah Utes - The Utes climb back into my top 25 after knocking off Colorado St. this week. Utah has performed well all season long, save for their trip to Eugene. Then again, no visiting team has played well in Eugene this season.





24. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets - Georgia Tech is another team making a re-appearance in my top 25. I'm not overly impressed with the Yellow Jackets' slim victory at Florida St., but nearly everybody in the 20-25 spots from last week's poll lost. I gotta rank somebody.





25. Arkansas Razorbacks - The final spot in this week's poll was a tough choice. First, I had Ole Miss ranked. Their only two losses were to South Carolina and Alabama. Both good teams, but they hadn't beaten anybody. Then, I ranked Pittsburgh number 21. The Panthers had the best record of all the teams I was considering, but like Ole Miss, Pitt hadn't really beaten anybody. Also, the only team that Pitt lost to just got beat by Duke. The final choice, and the one that stuck, was the Arkansas Razorbacks. The Hogs have now dominated Texas A&M and Auburn in consecutive weeks. Their only two losses are to Georgia and Alabama. Both Bama and UGA are top notch SEC schools. Also, Ryan Mallett and Michael Smith are two of the top offensive play makers in the conference.