SB Nation - Ahmad Black

Alligator Army All-Decade Team: Safeties

mlmintampa — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 20:30:19 -0000

You know this is an outstanding group when two of the guys have highlight videos.

Lito Sheppard (1999-2001): 2000 First Team AP, Coaches, Football Writers, Sporting News All-American. 2000 and 2001 First Team AP, Coaches All-SEC. 87 total tackles, 13 passes defended, 8 interceptions. 1031 return yards, 2 touchdowns.

Todd Johnson (1999-2002): Had five interceptions and 102 total tackles as a sophomore in 2000. 286 total tackles, 14 passes defended, 9 interceptions.

Guss Scott (2000-03): Was on the field for an astounding 3427 plays in his career, playing special teams as well as starting on defense. 310 total yards, 7.5 sacks, 25 passes defended, 4 interceptions.

Reggie Nelson (2005-06): 75 percent of the world is covered by water. The rest is covered by Reggie Nelson. 2006 First Team AP, Walter Camp, Football Writers All-American. 2006 Tatum Award (outstanding defensive back). 2006 First Team AP, Coaches All-SEC. Six interceptions in 2006. 97 total tackles, 6 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, 12 passes defended (11 in 2006), 7 interceptions (6 in 2006).

Tony Joiner (2004-07): Team captain, Tebow roommate, tow truck avenger. 156 total tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 13 passes defended, 5 interceptions.

Ahmad Black (2007-09): Unknown as a backup freshman corner, Black became a star as a ballhawking sophomore safety. 98 total tackles, 8 passes defended, 8 interceptions, 2 returned for touchdowns.

Major Wright (2007-09): Following in the footsteps of Reggie F. Nelson, The Major prefers to knock people out. 135 total tackles, 9 passes defended, 4 forced fumbles, 8 interceptions, 1 returned for touchdown.

Florida safety Ahmad Black likely jumping to NFL

Mocking Dan — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 02:31:42 -0000

More photos » by John Raoux - AP

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The father of Florida junior strong safety Ahmad Black said his son is likely to enter the NFL Draft following the Sugar Bowl.

Talking to Robbie Andreu of the Gainesville Sun, Bruce Black said with 90 percent certainty that his son would go pro. The reason for it stems from Gators coach Urban Meyer not starting Black the first game of the season.

"I would let Ahmad stay if they would show him some respect," Bruce Black said. "I don’t think coach Urban Meyer respects my son."

Yikes.

Black finished second in tackles for the Gators with 65. He also had 2.5 tackles for a loss, a sack and an interception.

At 5-foot-9 and 185 pounds, Black lacks the size typically required of a front line safety prospect. Black didn't start the first game of the season in favor of sophomore Will Hill, a player with first-round potential. Black looks to be a fourth-round player, at best.

But Bruce Black wasn't only talking about his son turning pro. He also said it was likely that offensive linemen Maurkice and Mike Pouncey will leave Florida early. So would junior running back Chris Rainey.

Alabama & Florida Common Opponents: Tennessee

Year2 — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 17:24:12 -0000

As a part of SEC Championship Game week, we're taking a look at Alabama's and Florida's common opponents in alphabetical order. In closing: Tennessee.

	Alabama	Florida
Game Number	8	3
Score	12-10	23-13
Passing Yards	120	115
Rushing Yards	136	208
Total Yards	256	323
Passing All.	265	93
Rushing All.	76	117
Total Defense	341	210
3rd Downs	5-14	8-13
3rd Down Def.	6-15	5-12
Turnover Margin	Even	Even

Alabama lined up against Tennessee as probably a tired team, as it was the Tide's eighth consecutive game and came the week before Bama's bye. It was a day for those who love kickers, as the teams combined for eight field goal attempts. Leigh Tiffin made all of his while Daniel Lincoln started just one of three, allowing Bama to build a safe-looking 12-3 lead. The Tide looked like it was simply going to run the clock out when the unthinkable happened: Mark Ingram fumbled, setting up the Vols 43 yards from pay dirt. Jonathan Crompton went 4 for 4 for 42 yards on the ensuring drive that pulled UT within 2. After recovering the onside kick, Tennessee played for a field goal but the try was blocked by Terrence Cody.

Florida faced off against Tennessee after winning two easy blowouts over Charleston Southern and Troy, but strangely not healthy for that early in the season. Deonte Thompson missed the game with a bad hamstring, while Jeff Demps and Aaron Hernandez were slowed by a flu-like bug that was beginning to sweep through the team. As a result, Urban Meyer put all the offensive burden on Tim Tebow, who passed or ran on 43 of Florida's 63 plays. UF was cruising up 23-6 when Tebow fumbled in the shadow of Tennessee's goal line. UT turned that into points, but an Ahmad Black interception with about two minutes to go sealed Florida's win.

I called the Alabama-Tennessee game boring at the time, and received a bit of flak for it. True, I don't appreciate defensive struggles as much as some folks do. In any event, this would have been a much different game had Lincoln made his field goals throughout. Cody actually blocked the final two of Lincoln's four attempts, and he didn't even leave the ground on the last one. That's a sure sign of a guy kicking it too low. Anyway, Tennessee wouldn't have had the chance to win it at the end without the first fumble of Ingram's career. Nick Saban said it best: "You're controlling a game, even though you may say it's winning ugly. We're still ahead 12-3 and totally controlling the game with 3 minutes, 29 seconds and the ball. That's how fragile a season can be."

Florida's game with Tennessee looked like it was going the way of the 2008 game. Tebow was about ready to put the Gators up 31-6 at the time of his fumble, a shade off of last year's 30-6 final score. Tennessee, and especially Crompton, was clearly not comfortable yet in its new offense, opting to go for a low risk, game-shortening strategy of heavy running. Florida's defense was ready for it, allowing just one drive of more than 50 yards and only three points that didn't come off of turnovers. We didn't know it at the time, but this game revealed what would become Meyer's strategy all season long: get a lead, play it conservative, and let the defense win games. It's worked out well so far.

Hard as it is to deny a moment that will forever be remembered in Daniel Moore's brush strokes, Florida had the better game against Tennessee. Bama was outgained by nearly 100 yards and needed heroics at the end to pull out the win. Florida allowed some points late that ultimately were cosmetic, making the score look better for the Vols, but the Gators outgained UT by more than 110 yards. Florida-Tennessee might have played out differently later in the season once the Lane Kiffin offense was fully operational and Crompton had regained his confidence. On the third week of the season, it was not to be for the Knoxville contingent.

Better performance: Florida.

See also: Arkansas, FIU, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi State, South Carolina.

Florida Preview

Richard Pittman — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 11:08:38 -0000

More photos » by John Raoux - AP

2 months ago: FILE - In this Sept. 12, 2009 file photo, Florida quarterback John Brantley warms up prior to an NCAA college football game against Troy in Gainesville, Fla. Florida quarterback Tim Tebow isn't cleared to play next week at LSU, the top-ranked Gators would turn the offense over to John Brantley. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

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I'm going to just come out and say it. We don't need to win this game. A win would be a big boon to the team's psyche. It would put us firmly in the media spotlight and make people talk about us as a true national championship contender, but we in no way, shape, or form need to win this game. Win or lose, we control our destiny in the SEC West race. We will win the West if we win out after Florida, and we probably need to win out regardless of what happens this week. We are generally expected to lose, and our press reports suck out loud already, so unless we get blown out we aren't going to suffer in the media. All that combines to tell me that this is probably the least important game on our schedule.

On the other hand, a win sure would be great. A loss represents only a lost opportunity for a win, rather than a genuinely damaging result for the team. It's rare you can say that about a game, but this is one of those. We can come out and play a game against a good opponent with really no pressure on us to actually win. That's what the win against Georgia did for us. It gave us license to go into the Florida game loose, playing like a team with nothing to lose and everything to gain, because this time it is true.

Also, we hate to make predictions here, but let me break from type just for one paragraph. I predict that Tim Tebow is not playing against us. Everything I know about concussions, and everything I saw about the hit Tebow took against Kentucky tells me that it is simply unrealistic for him to even think about returning this week. Next week is probably unlikely as well. I wouldn't expect him back before the October 24 game against Mississippi State. Any sooner than that, and Tebow would risk doing substantial, permanent damage to his brain. Nothing in the world is worth that.

This means one thing when it comes to previewing Florida. We know very little about what we're going to see when Florida has the ball. It would be incorrect to say that Florida has been a one-man offense; they have good players sprinkled throughout their offensive lineup, but everything about the Florida offense for the last 2 1/2 years has revolved around Tim Tebow. Tim Tebow throws. Tim Tebow runs. Tim Tebow executes the option. Everything is either Tim Tebow taking the ball himself, or Tim Tebow deciding what to do with it. The plays in which Tim Tebow is called upon to simply give the ball to someone else without having to make a decision about it first has probably accounted for less than 25% of Florida's plays in meaningful situations since Tebow became their starting quarterback. Since the loss of Percy Harvin to the NFL, it has probably been more. If he is really out, and I would be shocked if he isn't, the entire character of the Florida offense will have to change to accommodate a quarterback with a completely different skill-set.

What of John Brantley? He has completed 73% of his passes this year, with a 7.73 yard average per attempt, 4 touchdowns, 0 interceptions, and 44 yards rushing in 10 attempts. Certainly admirable statistics for a backup quarterback, but most of those stats were accumulated against Charleston Southern and Troy. It is not like he has faced an opponent on the level of an LSU yet. What's more, he will have to do it with a receiver corps that is coming under fire for not making enough plays, even with Tim Tebow throwing to them.

To take nothing away from John Brantley, who is a promising young quarterback in his own right, the Tebow-less Florida offense is an offense that can be stopped if we play up to our ability, especially if we can discover a pass rush. There is not a traditional running back, as pint sized speedsters Jeffrey Demps and Chris Rainey are 1st and 3rd on the team in rushing yards, respectively, with Tebow sandwiched between them. Tebow is their power back, a role that would have to be taken up by Emmanuel Moody, which will make Florida's offense highly dependent on personnel groupings and rob Florida of the unpredictability that they have used to advantage in the past.

Let's be clear. The Florida offense without Tim Tebow is still dangerous. There is still a very good offensive line there, and fast running backs, and Aaron Hernandez, and Riley Cooper, but Tim Tebow is not called arguably the best college football player in a generation because he's so easily replaced. So you can throw Florida's #1 rated scoring offense and #1 rated total offense out the window and officially say that we don't know how good this offense will be.

The defense, however? Tim Tebow had no effect on that defense, at least not directly, and it's the #1 rated scoring defense and #1 rated total defense too. Then again, they've done it against arguably the weakest competition any SEC team has faced so far. Charleston Southern, Troy, a Tennessee team that appeared only interested in beating the point spread, and Kentucky. That is far from a murderer's row to start the season, and I feel OK saying that LSU is a lot better than any of those teams, despite our well-documented problems.

But make no mistake, there are some outstanding players on that defense, starting with middle linebacker Brandon Spikes. Of course, we remember him from his interceptions last year. Their secondary, which was so young two years ago, is now filled with fully developed NFL prospects like Joe Haden, Janoris Jenkins, and Ahmad Black, which has led to the Gators having the #1 pass defense and the #1 pass efficiency defense in the conference.

If there is a weakness there, you can consider that, like LSU, Florida is not getting the sacks on the quarterback. We're giving them up, and Florida's not getting them, so something has to break there. Then again, Florida is getting almost twice as many sacks per game as we are: 1.75 per game vs. 1 per game.

So strangely enough, the #1 team in the country and defending national champion comes to Baton Rouge as a bit of a mystery. We don't officially know if their All-American quarterback is playing, though we can make an educated guess that he isn't. Without him, we're not sure what kind of a team they bring onto the field when they have the ball. On defense, they are certainly very good, but it's hard to say with any confidence that they are great. We will have to see, but whatever happens, the season continues on with full confidence. I could not have said the same thing last week.

2009 Alligator Army Season Preview

mlmintampa — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 14:29:12 -0000

by Phil Sandlin - AP

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It seems like anything and everything has been discussed about the Gators and the most anticipated season in the 103 years of Florida football. Here are some storylines that haven't made it to the papers and you should keep in mind as the Gators get set to give us (hopefully) 14 heart attacks followed by euphoria.

Who are the surprise players?

Every championship team has one or two guys who have a career season, seemingly out of nowhere. I don't mean 2008 Brandon Spikes, but 2008 Ahmad Black and Carlos Dunlap qualify. In 2006, it was Jarvis Moss, who went from sickly under Zook to a monster under Meyer.

We may be jinxing them, but our picks in 2009 are Deonte Thompson and Frankie Hammond. Thompson has spent part of his time in Gainesville bitter about being buried on the depth chart, nearly transferring to Miami. With a chance to finally get regular touches, Thompson can fill the void left by Lou Murphy and Percy Harvin leaving. As for Hammond, one of those freakishly athletic kids, it's a matter of grasping the nuances of the offense. For all the talk about the spread being so exciting, the passing game is based on running precision routes and understanding where the defense is. If Riley Cooper still doesn't get this (too often he takes the fly option and not an inside route), we shouldn't be surprised if Hammond has some growing pains. But anyone who saw Hammond this spring knows he has the ability to be a standout for the Gators.

Root for Notre Dame (and Jacksonville and Cincinnati and...)

This comes courtesy of Brother Louis;

Me: I can't wait for the Notre Dame game. If they can't stop Navy, how are they gonna stop the Pistol?

Lou: No, you have to root for Notre Dame this year. Otherwise they'll fire Weis and try to get Meyer.

Yes, while Nevada defeating the Irish would be hilarious on so many levels, Florida fans need to root for Notre Dame. The longer Weis stays at ND, the less likely it is that they hit up Pope Benedict for the $6 million it would take to lure Meyer (or any high profile BCS coach) to South Bend. Of course, as long as Meyer wins, there is the chance of a NFL team offering him boat loads of money. While that is less likely, at least now, it's not impossible (see: Spurrier, Steve). But the nature of coaching has changed as two of college football's most successful coaches, Pete Carroll and Nick Saban, were NFL failures. I doubt that Meyer believes he'd be a failure in the pros, but perhaps he already looks at the pros as not for him. (And just to note, there is nothing that says Jacksonville or Cincinnati would fire their coaches or try for Meyer, but those two have geographical connections to Meyer.)

Is this the year SEC pride backfires?

Since 2003, when LSU won the BCS and USC won the AP title, SEC fans have defended the honor of their school and their conference. LSU's shared title pales in comparison to Auburn getting screwed the next season when the loser of the 2003 BCS Championship got a second chance in 2004 over Aubie. After a down 2005 (Georgia was upset by West Virginia in the displaced Sugar Bowl and the SEC was 3-3 in bowls), the SEC has won three consecutive BCS Championships. In addition, the SEC went 6-3, 7-2, 6-2 in bowl games in those years. No BCS Conference can match that record. In terms of losses, only the Pac 10 (12-2) and Big East (12-4) are better.

We saw a glimpse in 2008 of what could happen this season if we have a group of one-loss teams. Let's say Florida, Oklahoma, Texas, USC all lose one game on the road or at a neutral site. (This problem is further complicated with an undefeated mid-major or Big Ten team). If you think it is impossible for Florida to be left out after a loss to LSU or Georgia, you probably thought it was impossible for Tebow to get the most Heisman first-place votes and manage to finish third in the voting. There will be voters who will drop Florida further than normal with one loss and those were the voters who left Tebow off their ballots. Of course, if the National Championship game is Pac 10-Big Ten, I'd expect the SEC to secede from college football and start a super league with the Big 12 and Big East. They leave the ACC out because anyone who goes to an ACC school is trash or an elitist bastard.

(By the way, Alabama fans have already brought out the "S-E-C! S-E-C!" chant three times this morning in Atlanta.)

This is on you too.

The beauty of college football is that the fans can impact the game. Any SEC fan will tell you how true this is. Just as the Gators cannot get content, the fans cannot either. The bull's eye is on our backs too. Do not sit down at games (at least on the student side) and do not assume anything. The only thing you can assume is that every team, including Charleston Southern, will play the game of their lives against UF. The outcome of the Gators' season may not be as important as healthcare reform or job creation, but none of those things will make you as happy as Timmy Tebow with a crystal ball and a bouquet of roses in January. You can help with that. Use Championship Mode responsibly and have a great season.

The Road To Pasadena: Wright-Hill-Black

mlmintampa — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 11:08:32 -0000

Our look at the men who need to lead the Gators to the BCS National Championship Game begins with the three-headed monster in the Gators defensive backfield; sophomore Will Hill, juniors Ahmad Black and The Major Wright.

In the greatest performance ever by a Gator defense, it was Wright's hit and Black's game-saving interception against Oklahoma that will forever stand out in the minds of Florida fans. Yet, neither is guaranteed of their starting job as 2009 begins. The emergence of Hill in fall camp has put Wright on notice, while Dorian Munroe had been breathing down Black's neck until Munroe's injury. Florida's wealth will ultimately put at least one of these game changers on the bench.

Black went from playing in four games as a freshman to being tied with the national lead in interceptions with seven. That type of growth can induce pain as well, as Urban Meyer's cryptic line about Black's non-football issues can make you wonder where the junior's head is at. Black has the ability to repeat his 2008 campaign, but the second year is harder since he is no longer a surprise. If Black wants to continue being a ball-hawking DB, he has to be able to perform as a star.

If you remember when Will Hill declared he would go to Florida, it seemed as if Florida had their torch carrier following Reggie Nelson. But after being used as a typical freshman; 2 picks, 29 tackles, 19 assists in 13 games, Hill has shown the talent that made him so highly recruited as a high school senior. With The Major out due to a concussion, Hill has filled the void, with teammates calling him the best defender in camp.

Wright's hit against Manny Johnson may have set the tone in the Oklahoma game, but it was his interception shortly before halftime that kept the game 7-7. Had Oklahoma taken a 14-7 lead, who knows what would have happened in the second half? But you can't live on one game, which is why The Major has been pushed to improve. Wright understands this;

"There's always room for me to get better,'' Wright said. "I just try to work on everything that people critique me on. I do more to get better."

Like with Black, Wright can't assume automatic improvement. His awareness that being a head hunter can backfire is good, as it is impossible to expect corners Joe Haden and Janoris Jenkins will be able to lock down everyone. As good as Haden and Jenkins are, they are not All-Americans, while Wright, Hill and Black have that extra level that puts them at the top of the class. If Florida's line struggles to get in the backfield, the secondary will have to lead, and it is this triumvirate that will do it.

A Few Gators Like Rubbing Salt In The Wound

dishingoutdimes — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 18:38:48 -0000

More photos » by Donna McWilliam - AP

Who could take a shot at this lovable guy? Apparently, the Florida Gators. (AP Photo/Donna McWilliam)

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I'm sure, by now, that you have all heard of Florida Gators linebacker Brandon Spikes claiming that OU is a dirty team. This came out over the past month. In case you haven't here's some quotes from a Tim Griffin ESPN Big 12 Blog Post:

Spikes told the Orlando Sentinel that he thinks the Sooners are a dirty team. When the Sentinel asked Spikes about the dirtiest players on his own team, Spikes instead mentioned his experiences with the Gators' opponent in the BCS national title game. "Compared to Oklahoma, you won't find anyone [as dirty]," Spikes told the Sentinel.

Very interesting. Especially since stuff like this happened:

By the way, Mr. Tebow received a taunting penalty for that. The Gators thought the Sooners were a bit mouthy, but it certainly seems like it was a two way street. I don't blame either team for getting up for the game and doing a bit of talking. That makes it more interesting! But talking trash doesn't mean a team is "dirty". But if Mr. Spikes wants to talk about being "dirty", he should look in the mirror after throwing a punch following a legal block:

I bring all of this up because another Gator player started talking about the Sooners recently, and all of that is after the jump! (click link below)

Florida safety Ahmad Black recalled his 4th quarter interception off Sam Bradford:

He said he got a lot of enjoyment out of seeing the look on Sooner quarterback Sam Bradford’s face after he made that interception.

"I saw it a couple times (on tape)," Black said. "I just like looking at Sam Bradford’s face. I fast-forward through the pick and just look at him."

In case all of you can't remember, Black basically ripped the ball out of Juaquin Iglesias' hands. But never mind that, Black was focused on Bradford's reaction. If he wants to sit in his room and replay the interception with glee, that's fine, but I have no idea why he needed to go on the record about something like that.

I haven't seen anything like this from the Sooner players (i.e. taking cheap shots at Gators players), but they were asked about Spikes' comments. They mostly took the high road.

Meanwhile, both teams seem to want another shot at each other. Florida:

Several Gators said they are eagerly anticipating a chance that the Gators and Sooners could meet up in a bowl game and maybe in the 2010 national title game in Pasadena, Calif.

"That's going to be fun if we play them," Florida defensive end Carlos Dunlap told the Sentinel.

And Oklahoma:

Whatever the impetus behind the comments, it certainly adds to the anticipation of a potential rematch in Pasadena, Calif.

"That might be something to get something started," Clayton said.

That is something that I do agree with Gators players on. A rematch would be spectacular. I think it would be very heated and intense, and it could be one of the most entertaining games in awhile. For now, I say let the Gators keep talking, and the Sooners can lay back and wait for their chance.

Post-Spring Previews: Florida Gators

Gamecock Man — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 18:37:28 -0000

More photos » by Phil Sandlin - AP

4 months ago: Florida quarterback Tim tebow (15) and coach Urban Meyer, left, talk during the teams first practice in Gainesville, Fla., Thursday, Aug. 6, 2009, (AP Photo/Phil Sandlin)

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After taking on Arkansas in Fayetteville, the Gamecocks return to Columbia to round out the SEC slate against the Florida Gators. The Gators, of course, are near-consensus picks to repeat as SEC and national champions. Therefore, even if we're playing well at this point and even though the game is at home, we can expect to be a sizeable underdog. With good reason, too: the Gators return the vast majority of the significant contributors from last year's dominant group. They do lose a few key players, such as all-purpose threat Percy Harvin, but those losses should be negated by greater overall experience and depth and the infusion of young talent Urban Meyer has brought to Gainesville in his past few recruiting classes. The Gators may not be unbeatable, but they're the closest thing to it that we'll see all year, and better teams than us will probably lose to them by multiple touchdowns. That being the case, this is obviously going to be a tough upset to pull.

Let's take a look at the Gators.

Offense

The Gators run Urban Meyer's famous spread-option offense. Fellow Gamecocks blogger Photon Torpedo Tube put up a good breakdown of this scheme last year before our game, so I would suggest you take a look at it if you want to know more about Meyer's offense and how to defend it.

Quarterbacks

Florida returns Tim Tebow for one final season. Tebow, of course, needs no introduction. I have little doubt he'll go down in history as one of the very best college quarterbacks ever. Obviously, the Gators have a huge advantage in this department, as they do against every team not located in Austin, TX or Norman, OK.

Verdict: Strong advantage Florida

Running Backs

Florida led the SEC in rushing last year despite not using a traditional running game and not playing a true running back on most plays. Typically, this involved running the option with Tebow under center and a group of hybrid receiver / tailback guys like Harvin, Jeffrey Demps, and Chris Rainey running out of the backfield and breaking off long runs with their speed. Expect the Gators to continue to run the ball well, but also expect them to run out of more traditional sets this year, as Meyer has claimed that he plans to run out of the I at times this year in order to get Tebow ready for the NFL, to utilize the skills of more traditional tailback Emmanuel Moody, and to generally mix things up. The Gators will likely shift between these sets and their spread formations, which best utilize the skills Tebow, Demps, Rainey, and highly recruited speedster Andre Debose bring to the table.

I'm tempted to only give the Gators a small advantage here, as I am beginning to firmly believe that we will rise into the upper half of the SEC in rushing yards this year. However, I just can't do that at this point; what we know for sure is that Florida was unstoppable on the ground last year and that we were one of the conference's worst.

Verdict: Strong advantage Florida

Wide Receivers and Tight Ends

The Gators lose some key contributors here due to the departures of Harvin and Louis Murphy. They will rely on star junior tight end Aaron Hernandez to carry the load. Luckily for the rest of the SEC, Hernandez will likely be gone after this year, as he's a prime NFL prospect. The Gators will rely on guys like David Nelson and Riley Cooper to help Hernandez fill the void left by Harvin and Murphy.

I only see a slight advantage for Florida here, mainly due to the fact that these Gators are untested. However, there's plenty of talent around and we can probably expect someone we haven't heard a lot about yet to make a big contribution. Plus, the Gators have a good enough quarterback and all-around offense to negate the lack of experience here. The passing game will be fine for Florida.

Verdict: Slight advantage Florida

Offensive Line

Offensive line is what's getting a lot of attention as a potential concern for the Gators, who lose both tackles and are still trying to settle on a rotation. Finding competent replacements at those positions will be key for the Gators if they want to win another national title. Florida does return a talented guard duo in brothers Maurkice and Mike Pouncey. The Gators may play Carl Johnson at left tackle. The other positions are up for grabs between a group of unprovens.

I give Florida a slight advantage here. The Gators certainly have cause for concern at offensive line and will be tested right away when they take on Tennessee's formidable defense in week three. (I actually think this game will be much closer than most people if--and this is a big if-Tennessee plays safe on offense and doesn't allow Florida's formidable defense to blow the game open with turnovers.) However, as usual, the talent is there. Like last year, this line will probably be playing well by the time Florida plays us, as they will have had time to figure out a good lineup and establish chemistry.

Let's take a look at defenses after the jump.

Defense

As most Carolina fans know, former USC defensive coordinator Charlie Strong heads up Florida's defense. Strong has done a great job leading the Gators, as he did while at Carolina. Strong tends to run out of the 4-3 and nickel back sets. He's known for being agressive.

Defensive Line

The Gators return all their starters at defensive line. That includes end Carlos Dunlap, one of the country's best. The tackle positions go to Lawrence Marsh and Terron Sanders, while Jermaine Cunningham plays opposite Dunlap. As if this group of starters wasn't good enough, the Gators are very deep here, too, and should be able to rotate frequently and weather any major injuries.

I give the Gators a slight advantage here. I like our starting defensive line a lot, but Florida's depth gives them an adantage, especially with this game coming late in the year.

Verdict: Slight advantage Florida

Linebackers

Like Eric Norwood, Florida's Brandon Spikes is a defensive leader that decided to come back for one more year. Spikes will be flanked by Ryan Stamper and Brandon Hill. Dustin Doe and A.J. Jones will also see time outside.

The Gators get another slight advantage here. I'm inclined to believe that Eric Norwood is as good as any linebacker in the league, including Spikes. I also think Rodney Paulk is fully capable of holding his own. However, depth is again an issue for us here, especially in comparison to Florida.

Verdict: Slight advantage Florida

Secondary

The Gators return a talented, deep secondary that will be one of the nation's best. Major Wright and Ahmad Black will start at safety, while Janoris Jenkins and Joe Haden will line up at corner. The Gators have plenty of guys on the depth chart that can fill in if injuries occur or in packages that have more defensive backs. Just think; Matthew Stafford ripped this group a new one only two years ago. That seems long ago now.

I've gone on record many times this off-season saying that I think we'll have problems at secondary. Reports out of August practice are that we might be better than expected, but I still don't think we'll be as good as this group.

Verdict: Strong advantage Florida

Special Teams

Senior Brandon James is likely the nation's best return man; he's certainly the best for punt returns. Florida's talented depth chart gives them plenty of guys on coverage units that would start for most teams. Punter Chas Henry is a good one. Kicker Jonathan Phillips was accurate last year but was very rarely asked to kick longer field goals, so his range is a question mark if the issue ever comes up. Overall, a really good group.

I'll give Florida a slight advantage here, mainly due to James and their greater experience at kicker.

Verdict: Slight advantage Florida

Head Coaches

You know, the days when people were favorably comparing Steve Spurrier to Urban Meyer seem like they were just yesterday but at the same time seem so far away now. You remember: we beat Florida in 2005, completely outplayed them in 2006 but lost due to Jarvis Moss's special teams heroics, and were riding high early in 2007 while Florida struggled out of the gate. Then the bottom fell through on Spurrier's program: five straight losses to end 2007, including a blowout loss to Florida in Columbia, and a mediocre 2008, including a huge blowout to the Gators in Gainesville in a game where Florida really made us look like an FCS team. Now, most say that Spurrier is washed up and that Urban is the best coach in the land. I would disagree that Spurrier is washed up--and I think others may too after couple of years of improved offense with Stephen Garcia under center--but I won't disagree that Urban is a fantastic coach. Whatever you want to believe about his professional ethics, the guy is an offensive genius and an amazing recruiter. Personally, I think he's supplanted Pete Carrol as the country's best coach. I'll go ahead and give Urban the big advantage here; he's at the top of his game, while Spurrier comes into this year with a lot to prove.

Verdict: Strong advantage Florida

Overall

As these predictions suggest, I don't at all like our chances in this game. Florida is simply going to be very, very good this year, and even if we end up being pretty good ourselves, I just think the Gators have more going for them across the board than we do. I do think this game will be closer this year than it was last year, but that's probably partially because last year's game should have been closer than it was; we weren't as bad last year as we played in the final three games. I think that we'll make this one interesting at times, but Florida will pull away for a comfortable victory in the end.

Prediction: 17-point Florida victory

Poll

The Florida game will result in a (elaborate in the comments)...

Blowout Carolina victory...

3 votes

Close Carolina victory...

3 votes

Close Florida victory...

13 votes

Blowout Florida victory...

64 votes

83 votes | Poll has closed

SEC 2009 // Meet the New Gators, Same as the Old Gators

Year2 — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 14:30:09 -0000

More photos » by Phil Sandlin - AP

Florida safety Dee Finlley pulls in a pass in the rain as the Gator freshman football team opened their season practice. (AP Photo/Phil Sandlin)

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Had I written a roster post for Florida last year, it would have made this one heck of a lot easier. I could just copy and paste it, delete the sections on Percy Harvin and Louis Murphy, and then be done, right?

Well, yes and no.

Of course Florida has a lot of guys back from last year. That's where the whole "consensus preseason No. 1" stuff comes from. Seven offensive starters return, and the top 22 from the defense come back. Some will say top 21 and point to the transfer of DT Torrey Davis as the missing one, but I'd ask you when you were taking the depth chart snapshot. He registered all of five tackles before the bowl and spent much of the year in the coaches' doghouse.

The quarterbacks are set. We know that. Tim Tebow is starting with John Brantley backing him up. About the only thing worth mentioning here is that Urban Meyer says Brantley has a package of plays and will get spot work in meaningful situations. I doubt he'll do as much as Tebow did in 2006, but he's going to get non-garbage time minutes.

Speaking of 2006, that leads to the receivers.

They are the biggest question mark on the offense, what with Harvin and Murphy gone. The unit is probably going to approximate the one that Meyer had in his first championship year down to the man. David Nelson will be Dallas Baker, the tall guy. Deonte Thompson will be Andre Caldwell, the speedy guy. Carl Moore will be Jemalle Cornelius, the possession guy. Freshman Andre Debose will be Percy Harvin, the slash guy. Aaron Hernandez will be Cornelius Ingram, the receiving tight end. Riley Cooper will be, well, Riley Cooper.

The biggest difference is that Hernandez is a known quantity from the beginning, a playmaker waiting to break out. Ingram was still adjusting to being a tight end, having come in as a quarterback, but Hernandez will be ready from Day 1.

The running backs are in much better shape this time around compared to '06 though. Jeff Demps, when he's not moonlighting in the Percy Position, will probably be the primary back. He's fast and hits holes with authority despite his size. Chris Rainey is exciting with his ability to make people miss, but he dances around too much to be the top guy. Emmanuel Moody will be the biggest beneficiary from the new I-formation sets, but he's not guaranteed to get many carries. It'd be a big boost if he could be the big back playmaker that Florida has lacked since the time of Ciatrick Fason, but he hasn't put it all together yet.

Moody and Rainey also tend to get hurt, which further solidifies Demps in the top spot. Return man extraordinaire Brandon James and freshman Mike Gillislee are in the mix as well, but I don't know how many balls there will be to go around.

The offensive line will be the key to everything. The Gator offense didn't take off last year until it gelled around the fourth quarter of last year's game with Arkansas. Three fifths of it are rock solid with Maurkice Pouncey, Mike Pouncey, and Carl Johnson back from starting in 2008.

After that, some combination of redshirt sophomore James Wilson, sophomore Matt Patchan (who played defense last year, like Mike Pouncey did in '07 before moving back to offense in '08), and redshirt junior Marcus Gilbert will fill the other roles. Redshirt freshman Sam Robey made some noise in the spring, and true freshman Xavier Nixon has impressed in fall practice. All of those guys except Robey were four or five star recruits according to Rivals, so it's likely that no matter which five take the field, it will be a good group. It better be, if UF is to repeat as champs.

The defensive line is in flux a bit, as it has been every year since most of the excellent 2006 line graduated. All the starters are back, but only Jermaine Cunningham looks set in his job. Tackles Terron Sanders and Lawrence Marsh are getting pushed hard by Jaye Howard, and this may be the year that Carlos Dunlap gets the starting role over Justin Trattou. Dunlap led the SEC with 9.5 sacks last year, but uneven effort kept him behind Trattou on the depth chart.

The linebackers are two thirds set. Brandon Spikes and Ryan Stamper are every bit the senior leaders and performers that any team would want. The final spot is currently a revolving door of A.J. Jones, Brandon Hicks, and, when he gets back from suspension, Dustin Doe. All three of those guys have started games, so whoever ends up there for good (if anyone) will be quality. Young bucks Jon Bostic and Brendan Beal are pushing for playing time as well.

The secondary is perhaps the strength of the entire team, something that would seem impossible during 2007's burnfest. The corners are right now Joe Haden and freshman All American Janoris Jenkins, a formidable duo. Wondy Pierre-Louis, Markihe Anderson, and Moses Jenkins are good enough as backups. The one to watch though is redshirt freshman Jeremy Brown, who missed last season to injury. Meyer has lamented that at the time of his injury, Brown was actually ahead of Janoris Jenkins on the depth chart.

The safeties are loaded. The two starters are back, the big hitting Major Wright and the ball hawking Ahmad Black. Wright struggles in coverage though, and Black can't lay the wood. As a result, sophomore all-everything recruit Will Hill has been impossible to keep off the field since the spring. Also in the mix are senior Dorian Munroe, who missed last season due to injury but has played well in the past, and newcomer Dee Finley.

The special teams will look exactly the same. Dangerous return man Brandon James is back (his last year I promise, Tennessee fans), and so are P Chas Henry and K Jonathan Phillips. Phillips missed just one field goal and one extra point (the fateful blocked one against Ole Miss) in all of 2008, but his longest made FG was only from 40 yards. The big-legged Caleb Sturgis might get a chance to kick the longer ones. The tradition of key players contributing on special teams will continue as in past years, most notably with the addition of Demps as the gunner on punt coverage.

The depth across the board is much to Florida's advantage, and the coaches are delighting in the ability to replace underperformers in practice with another quality guy. If you want to nit pick about the receivers, two O-linemen, and the third linebacker go ahead, but just about any coach in the nation would trade his roster for this one.

MONDAY: Florida's Song Remains the Same, Florida's Heisman winners

TUESDAY: The Underdogs Florida Will Face, Don't Miss Tebow's Last Year

LATER TODAY: Coaching Changes

THURSDAY: Predictions

FRIDAY: Conclusions

Gators Preview, Part Two

mlmintampa — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 14:14:11 -0000

The Gators' defense returns nearly all of the guys who made Oklahoma's record breaking offense look bad. The secondary is so deep, the backups would be starters on most of the top-15 teams in the country. Major Wright, the man who nearly killed Oklahoma's Manny Johnson, is the anchor with SS Ahmad Black. Behind those two is Will Hill and Dee Finley, who can also destroy people. At the corners are Joe Haden, who continues to improve, and Janoris Jenkins, who gets the coveted No. 1 jersey worn by Reggie Nelson and Percy Harvin.

The biggest thing to happen to Florida in the offseason was the return of LB Brandon Spikes. What Tebow is to the offense, Spikes is to the defense. He was the leading tackler last season and became a more mature player, sticking to his assignments and becoming a team leader. His tackle of Knowshon Moreno early in the Georgia game was a sign that this defense would not be pushed around. Defensive coordinator Charlie Strong says WLB Ryan Stamper is the unsung hero of the defense, as it is his calls that put Spikes in position to destroy oncoming running backs. On the strong side is A.J. Jones, but is the least active of the three. Rotating in are Dustin Doe and Brandon Hicks, both could end up being starters. However, Doe is in the dog house after getting caught driving with a suspended license. Florida's deep secondary means the Gators will not hesitate to shuffle in Hill or Finley as an extra DB who can work as a monster back. Two recruits, Jon Bostic and Jelani Jenkins, may see time later, but Meyer always says every position is open to be won in practice.

The defensive line is bookended by Carlos Dunlap (the BCS Game defensive MVP) and senior Jermaine Cunningham. Dunlap is in the mold of Florida ends like Jarvis Moss and Jevon Kearse. At 6-foot-6, Dunlap's 290 looks lean (wearing a single digit, 8, rather than a big, round number, helps that too). Dunlap is quick, getting behind the line to make a tackle (13.5 sacks) or block kicks (three blocks). Cunningham has been the less publicized one. Bridging the time between Moss and Dunlap, the senior continues to produce. Slightly undersized at 250, Cunningham was fifth on the team with 52 tackles and 10 sacks. It was Cunningham's sack of John Parker Wilson in the SEC title game that shutdown Bama's comeback attempt. Junior Justin Trattou is the third man in, looking to stay in front of Dunlap on the depth chart.

The interior line lost a hero from the Oklahoma game when Torrey Davis left school under clouds of bad grades and alcohol crimes. Starters Terron Sanders and Lawrence Marsh remain. But many fans want to see what Omar Hunter can do. After being hyped by Meyer as the next big thing, various injuries led the Gators to redshirt him. Depending on who you ask, Hunter was never healthy after his last high school season or he just couldn't handle SEC ball. Now, Hunter needs to prove himself. As for finding a star in an injured player, Meyer has done it before. Under former coach Ron Zook, Jarvis Moss was an injury waiting to happen. Meyer's staff found there was something medically wrong with Moss and he began to dominate offensive lines. Hopefully the same is true for Hunter.

In 2009, anything less than a National Championship will be a disappointment. The same is true in Norman, Austin and Los Angeles as it is in Gainesville. But the Gators will have the bull's eye on their back and it is fair to wonder if they can handle the weight of that and their own expectations.

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