SB Nation - Ryan Stamper

The Fatal Flaws

mlmintampa — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 07:17:50 -0000

Hopefully, we are far enough out from the SEC Championship Game that we can take an level headed look at the 2009 Gators. As fans, we have seen a team that either was destroying people or not meeting our expectations. Considering the history of college football, 14-0 was a challenge unlikely to be met, especially with the bonus of three outright championships in four seasons. But we thought our boys could do it. Here's some things that I thought were never addressed or fixed and ultimately led to the Gators' fall. As always, tell us where we're wrong. Let's get the hard one out of the way first;

Tim Tebow: In each of his first three seasons, Tebow improved as a player. The problem was that as a senior, he was the same as the year before. Every team he faced knew exactly what he was doing. You saw the strategy Alabama used of daring Tebow to throw to receivers he never trusted behind a line that nearly killed him. Against Tennessee you saw how an NFL-style scheme (even without the talent to do it) could confuse Tebow. There are two reasons for this; either Tebow plateaued as a player or the loss of Dan Mullen impacted Tebow's preparation and chemistry with the offense.

Tebow was pulled in more directions this season. He wasn't just Tim Tebow, quarterback, Florida. He was a missionary, preacher, charity leader, university representative, oh and this was his senior year of college. Everyone is stretched thin in their senior year of school either because of school demands, the pressure of post-graduation or relationships. Tebow had all of that plus everything listed above. The problem is that Tebow wouldn't have it any other way. This season, I have a hard time thinking that everything else surrounding him didn't contribute to his actions on the field. He was still a college senior and no senior ever has a perfect year. Here's hoping that at least he doesn't knock a brick off Century Tower. (If you don't get that, look at the last urban legend listed here.)

Lack of a Go-To-Guy: Tebow needed a running mate this season and no one stepped up to fill that role. Aaron Hernandez had uneven performances and Riley Cooper could never get open before Tebow got in trouble. Cooper might have been the most well-rounded player on offense, but even he got the drops. Jeffrey Demps and Chris Rainey still struggle catching the ball and Brandon James was never going to be the solution at the Harvin position. Emmanuel Moody lived in Urban Meyer's doghouse all season. Carl Moore and Andre Debose never saw the field. That Florida ran the same offense as 2008, without a go-to-guy, is a failure of the coaching staff. Like Donald Rumsfled said, "You go to war with the Army you have. Not the Army you might want or wish to have." Meyer and Steve Addazio knew what they had in front of them and treated them like Percy Harvin and Louis Murphy with Jason Watkins and Phil Trautwein at the tackles. Which brings us to our next point...

Never figuring out the passing game: If yards and rushing yards stay relatively flat, how do touchdowns scored go from 75, 82 in 2008, to 56 this season? I pin the blame on not having a secure 3rd and 4th receiver and not securing the offensive tackle spots. I thought Xavier Nixon and Marcus Gilbert got it together, but it was late in the season before that lineup change was made. I don't blame the line for the 36 sacks (only 2 more than last season) because too often they had to face 5 and 6 man rushes. Teams could afford those blitzes because Florida's receiving options were Cooper, Hernandez and a bunch of nobodies. David Nelson had his best game against Alabama (4 catches, 53 yards, TD). That's nice, but Nelson was supposed to be a number 3 guy behind Cooper and Hernandez, but his output was no better than 2008 (23 catches, 254 yds, 2 TD in 2009; 12 catches, 228 yds, 5 TD in 2008). Deonte Thompson was supposed to explode this season, yet nearly had the exact same numbers. Demps still thinks run first, catch ball second. Rainey is skinner than I am and James was getting too many touches as a returner (62) to be fit enough to be a permanent player (20 rushes, 24 catches). We trusted that Meyer, Addazio and Billy Gonzales would see any red flags and immediately turn the Gators into Georgia Tech South. But they kept calling plays like they had four reliable receivers and two experienced tackles.

Steve Addazio, Offensive Coordinator and Offensive Line Coach: It does not matter if you liked Addazio's play calling or not. The fact is that he cannot do both jobs and I would be surprised if anyone could be o-line and coordinator. Offensive line is hands on, requiring the coach to be on the sidelines. Offensive coordinator is a mad genius, sitting in his box and designing plays like a chess player thinking three moves ahead. It didn't help that Florida's play calling by committee was like cooks spoiling the broth. Last year, the offense went through Mullen. You never knew who it went through this season.

A light defensive line: Just the presence of Terrence Cody kept UF away from the precious dive play. UF does not have a monster run stuffer like that (Omar Hunter may get there one day). Plus, Jermaine Cunningham and Carlos Dunlap are long and lean. They can run around you, but not through you. Were it not for Brandon Spikes, A.J. Jones and Ryan Stamper, UF would have been screwed at the front. The Gators got by like this until they ran into an old-school big ugly offensive line at Alabama. Like any great defense that relies on speed, a big line can always win. There wasn't much UF could have done here, aside from eight in the box, and Greg McElroy was too good for that.

The Fans: No one is escaping this. Every college team has good and bad fans, unemployed fans who stalk message boards all day, and the locker room stooges who get off on revealing who was tanked on Monday night and who has the girlfriend sleeping with half the defense. Every college team has jackasses who write blogs, guys who have only played video game football and claim they know what they are talking about, and old men trying to live vicariously through college kids. But we wore the crown, so we fall the hardest. It doesn't help either that we seemingly lost the ability to lose with class. I include myself in this because while this seems very mature and composed, during the game I was screaming obscenities at Nick Saban, my friends, Mark Ingram, "Sweet Home Alabama" (song, not the Reese Witherspoon movie), Tim Tebow, and the band Alabama. I was also figuring out how UF could win in the fourth quarter, when a rational person would have turned off the game and waited for Texas-Nebraska.

We've been spoiled the past four years and the sooner we realize that, the sooner we have some realistic expectations for the Gators. Eventually, Tennessee, FSU and Georgia will get good. Florida may actually lose consecutive games to these teams. Losing these games, if it happens, should not require you to threaten the lives of anyone or throw the Gators under the bus, via your facebook status or twitter. However, all bets are off if Urban Meyer becomes Ron Zook, but I don't see that happening. We need to be rational again, but mediocrity can never be tolerated.

The Confidence and Complacency of Champions: When the Yankees were losing Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS to the Red Sox, Aaron Boone asked Derek Jeter why he was so calm. Jeter said, "The ghosts will come eventually." The ghosts did show up and Boone hit a game winning home run to send the Yanks to the World Series. The next season, the Yanks blew a 3-0 ALCS lead, and the Red Sox won the World Series, defeating the Curse of The Bambino in the process.

When you are defending champion, even if you are not considered to be the best team in your league the next season, there is a certain level of confidence in your team and what they can do. The Gators had won the SEC and National Championship twice in the last three seasons. There was no reason to doubt that they couldn't do it again. With that confidence also comes enough of a lack of drive that it can impact you negatively. You don't want to take those extra reps or spend 15 more minutes running routes. Sure, you can go to the party/Bible session/hookup with that chick from Plants, Plagues and People class, you'll just end your film study five minutes early. What's a few minutes anyway?

It all adds up eventually and for the Gators, it was 19 points in Atlanta. 19 points does not happen in one week of preparation, but over the course of the entire season. It's the reason why guys take extra sprints in August or lift more weights in April. Over the course of 11 months, the Gators were confident they could win no matter what and complacent enough to not put in more time. As for the party that ended Carlos Dunlap's season that included other teammates, let he who never took the edge off an upcoming test by drinking or fooling around with a lady cast the first stone. As for me, I think you got me confused for a better man.

Besides, Alabama played a perfect game. They had one penalty, were 11 of 15 on 3rd down, Bama held the ball for nearly 40 minutes, McElroy was 12 of 18 passing, and Marquis Maze's five catches for 96 yards made up for Julio Jones two catches for 28 yards. Florida could have spent the week in the football complex and St. Augustine's Church and they still would have lost. Give Alabama some credit.

As we said on Saturday, everything sucks now, but this still your team. You have to take the good with the bad and accept that sometimes, the other guy is better and you are not good enough. Time to look forward to next season and put your faith and trust in Urban Meyer. Especially that he finds a new defense and offensive coordinator. And say a prayer that John Brantley and Omarius Hines become the next great duo in Gainesville.

Three Keys for Florida

Year2 — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 23:00:17 -0000

Stop the run without sacrificing play action coverage.

Florida can afford to spend some extra effort in stopping Alabama's running game thanks to having a clearly good pass defense. The trick though is to do that without allowing Alabama play action game to get going. Too little attention has been paid to Bama TE Colin Peek and how he's one of Greg McElroy's favorite targets after faking a hand off. He can do some damage.

Florida will probably go to man coverage when loading the box, which means a linebacker will likely have to recognize Peek on a pass route and cover him. Brandon Spikes will be in run support far more often than not, so how Ryan Stamper and Brandon Hicks cover Peek will be vital to stopping the Tide attack.

Be able to find someone other than Cooper and Hernandez on third down.

The scouting report is crystal clear at this point. On third down, Tim Tebow generally goes through three progressions: look for Riley Cooper, look for Aaron Hernandez, and then take off. Alabama knows this, and so do the Florida coaches through self scouting.

Last year, little used targets Carl Moore and David Nelson caught touchdown passes on third down. Nelson is back, and Deonte Thompson is pretty good too. Florida has to be willing to go to those guys on third down because it's unlikely that the excellent Bama secondary will leave Cooper and Hernandez open. The primary targets are primary targets for a reason, and they'll get their shares of the third down throws. However, those two alone won't be enough to defeat the Tide.

Win the fourth quarter again.

There is a reason why Florida is a dominant fourth quarter team. Tebow just doesn't wear down over the course of a game as you might expect, and everyone goes through Mickey Marotti's hellish yet extremely effective off season conditioning program. Not only that, but depth in key places like defensive line allow the coaches to rotate liberally and keep players fresh.

It's very unlikely either team will put this one away after 45 minutes. It almost certainly will come down to who wins the fourth quarter again, and UF would appear to have an advantage in that regard once more. They will need to do what they do best: finish stronger than the other guys. That's no small feat against Alabama, but it will need to be done.

Evil Tim Tebow Wins

mlmintampa — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 01:55:38 -0000

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Not even black helmets could stop Tim Tebow today, as the Gators rolled Georgia 41-17, putting UF six wins away from a fourth National Championship. We can make a statement like that because Florida's win was a demolition from each unit; from Caleb Sturgis 56 yard field goal to UF's linebacker corps forcing four turnovers. They truly played like a National Championship team. But it always begins and ends with Tebow. Today, we finally saw that other side of our quarterback; Evil Tim Tebow.

Tebow was cool in the pocket, stepping up and hitting second and third reads(four guys had multiple catches, six players total). The touchdown throws to Riley Cooper were great plays by Cooper, but Tebow had to move and put touch on the ball. Tebow had 18 carries, which is enough to make you queasy, especially with a few hard hits. But he wasn't taking off as much, trusting his pocket and his receivers. This is the Tebow who wants to play hard and win, not the one so consumed with a perfect season, he lets the pressure hurt him. Evil Tebow will go back into a dark room with a bottle of whiskey for a few weeks, so he is rested for FSU and possible SEC Championship Game (if Tennessee beats South Carolina, UF clinches the SEC East).

As for the defense, A.J. JONES TAMPA WHAT! I was so proud of the Middleton High School product in what might have been the greatest game he has ever played. Two interceptions on two outstanding individual plays, plus five tackles and a sack for an awesome day. (He could have had another pick, had Orson Charles not mugged him.) As good as the defense has been lately, it is a different beast with Brandon Spikes in the middle. Spikes adds a layer of aggressiveness that no player can match. The one weak point on defense today, allowing UGA receivers to cross the middle, was solved late when The Major Wright put his shoulder into the exposed ribs of A.J. Green and Ryan Stamper got his INT.

After the game, Urban Meyer made a point of crediting Steve Addazio and Scot Loeffler for waking the offense up. As we have written here (and in agreement with the people who booed when UF settled for the second Sturgis field goal), no one is ever happy with the play calling. But today, more guys made plays, which can either be a result of Tebow, a result of coaches putting guys in a spot, or both. Meyer spread the credit around. The postgame was really evidence that he and Tebow are both feeding off the negativity that has followed this team. They are the ultimate mental athletes, something Mark Richt should consider next time he tries to dress his team like Grambling.

Saturday Lessons: October 24

Year2 — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 13:30:21 -0000

More photos » by Dave Martin - AP

Great ending. The rest? Boooooooring.

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Survive and advance.

I'm already sick of those words, but they were still apropos for this weekend. Alabama and Iowa won on the slimmest of margins. Florida looked lackluster again. The most bling anyone can hope to amass this year is a zero in the loss column, as every undefeated team (yes, including Cincy and TCU) has at least one sketchy win. As long as you don't lose, you're fine for the week.

Florida is its own worst enemy.

If they got points from first-and-goal at the seven after a blocked punt instead of throwing a 100 yard pick six (!!), they go into halftime up either 16-3 or 20-3. If Dustin Doe doesn't hot dog it on his interception return, there's no officiating controversy for a second straight week. If they don't try to throw from their end zone up 16 late in the fourth, MSU ends up with fewer points. If Ryan Stamper doesn't get a dumb penalty on another pick six for the Gator D, the margin looks nicer. Mississippi State played hard but was never going to take this one without help—the talent differential was palpable, and it bore out clearly in the box score.

This could have been Florida's second comfortable win of the SEC season, but they couldn't avoid making a slew of big mistakes again.

The SEC should outlaw former NFL coaches from taking jobs in the league.

The conference sure would be a lot less interesting without Nick Saban and Lane Kiffin, but after watching Alabama and Tennessee play, I'm willing to make that sacrifice. Watching two pro-style college teams is absolutely the worst of both worlds: you lose most of the fun and creativity of the college game without the tradeoff of getting to see nothing but the best players going at it (assuming you didn't turn on the Lions, Raiders, Rams, or Bucs). It was an excruciatingly boring game between two teams playing it by the percentages, and I'm already making plans to be busy during next year's iteration of this match up.

Bama is fortunate to have come out with the win, but as I said before, simply not losing qualifies as style points in 2009.

LSU doesn't want to be forgotten.

Lost in all the discussions about Florida and Alabama playing in Atlanta (and the insane talk of a rematch in Pasadena) is the fact that there is a team besides the Crimson Tide that controls its destiny in the SEC West. That team is LSU, and the Bayou Bengals emphatically reminded everyone of that fact with their dominating 31-10 win over Auburn. Jordan Jefferson had a career day and the LSU defense held the Tigers from Alabama to just a field goal for all intents and purposes. Midday on Saturday Tim Brando was winding up to call for Miami to be the highest ranked one-loss team (before they lost to Clemson), but why not LSU? They lost to a consensus top-three team and beat the team that beat USC.

The collapse of Auburn, meanwhile, is basically complete. A third conference loss, especially to LSU, effectively knocks them out of the West division race. They've dropped two straight after starting the season 5-0, and it won't get an easier against Ole Miss next week. Speaking of...

The Ole Miss we thought we would see is finally here.

The Rebels authoritatively blew out UAB 48-13 last week (without the struggles of Week 1's 45-14 win over Memphis), and they took care of Arkansas 30-17 yesterday. Jevan Snead had his first career 300 yard game and, though Arkansas made it interesting in the second half, Ole Miss was largely in control for the whole game. You also can't say enough about Dexter McCluster, who set career records in both rushing and receiving and looked like the best player on the field throughout. I even liked the strategy of using Jerrell Powe as a fullback, even if it wasn't all that effective in practice.

Bobby Petrino might invest in some new ways to coach up receivers.

Dave Neal reported late in the game that Arkansas had eight pass drops against Ole Miss. This is after last week when the Hogs' receivers had at least six drops against Florida. Ryan Mallett's journey to accuracy is a bit of a winding road still, so his receivers really need to think about hauling the ball in when it hits their hands.

South Carolina can't help but play to the level of its competition.

The Gamecocks played well against Alabama. They played poorly against NC State and now against Vandy as well. The defense was awful but the offense worked against Georgia, while the opposite was the case against Ole Miss. They did a little bit of everything well against Kentucky without really excelling outright. South Carolina is this year's chameleon team, so prepare to see yourself in them when your team plays against them.

The true test of this property is whether they make incredibly self destructive mistakes yet get some favorable calls against Florida in three weeks.

Georgia was the smartest team of all.

It's always a good choice to take a bye week this season. Bulldogs, I salute you for your wisdom of taking a break from the fray since playing a game subjects you to the capricious nature of the 2009 season. It was doubly smart since UGA always plays better in the Cocktail Party when the get the week prior off.

Mississippi State Bulldogs v. Florida Gators Game Day Linkage

jeremyflint — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 13:15:32 -0000

There is plenty of information out there leading up to the game tonight in Starkville. Let's get right into the Game Day Linkage for October 24.

Starting off in Florida, there are plenty of previews of the Gators vs. Bulldogs. The Orlando Sentinel says that the Gators should be comfortable since their best games this season - Kentucky and LSU - have been on the road. They also say that we have the closest thing to Percy Harvin in freshman receiver Chad Bumphis.

Jacksonville.com has the match-ups to keep an eye on in tonights game. The most interesting matchup will be Anthony Dixon vs. Ryan Stamper. Stamper is a weakside LB but will be starting in place of Brandon Spikes who is banged up with injuries.

In fact, the entire Gator D-line has some sort of injury right now and they may only have 2 starters on the line tonight.

Tim Tebow is on pace to break Herschel Walker's rushing TD record. He only needs 1 more to break the record of 48.

Of course there is also talk of how much Mullen knows about the Florida offense, his close relationship with Tebow and his long history working with Urban Meyer. You can read about that here and here.

Chris Low of ESPN says that Mississippi State is pulling out all the stops for this game. There is a high probability that this game will break the record for largest attendance (56,118), which was set against Alabama in 2007. A few other notable numbers related to this game:

Florida has not won in Starkville since 1985, when Galen Hall was the head coach.
The last top 5 program that the Bulldogs knocked off in Starkville was Florida, who came in ranked #3 in 2000
The last Gator loss in Starkville cost Ron Zook his job. He was fired 2 days after a 38-31 loss.

Over on our side of the SEC, Veazey talks about the similarities between Tyson Lee and Tim Tebow off the field.

Also, Pernell McPhee, a Florida native, was "two seconds" away from becoming a Gator.

Rick Cleveland opines about the rough times the Gators have had in Starkville over the years.

And Anthony Dixon has the chance to increase his legacy at Mississippi State today by helping knock off the #1 team i the land.

Poll

Will Mississippi State knock off the Florida Gators tonight in Starkville?

Yes

20 votes

No

46 votes

66 votes | Poll has closed

Meyer Needs To Set A Deadline For Tebow's Return

mlmintampa — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 11:52:40 -0000

More photos » by Ed Reinke - AP

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Tim Tebow visited with teammates Tuesday and took a test to determine his brain function and balance. Urban Meyer says that Tebow is day-to-day, which is the only way to tell how severe Tebow's concussion is. The longer the symptoms persist, the less likely it is that Tebow plays at LSU. Meyer said that Tebow is still suffering from headaches, which puts Tebow out until next Tuesday in terms of practice (assuming Florida is using the standard of a week without symptoms clears a player for activity). It is possible that we might not know until next Saturday if Tebow is allowed to play, as Meyer has not committed to a deadline. This puts Florida in the position of assuming that Tebow's brain heals like everyone else's. It also increases the odds of Tebow not admitting symptoms, as he will want to play if Meyer keeps that possibility open. Meanwhile, John Brantley has to assume he is starting against LSU, even with every Gator assuming Tebow will be back.

It is a coincidence that Tebow's brain injury comes the same week that a study revealed that NFL players are 19 times more likely than normal men 30-49 years old to develop dementia. The New York Times calls it the first time the NFL has admitted a link between the punishment a NFL player takes and future brain illness. The Times report also includes this line;

The findings could ring loud at the youth and college levels, which often take cues from the N.F.L. on safety policies and whose players emulate the pros. Hundreds of on-field concussions are sustained at every level each week, with many going undiagnosed and untreated.

To be fair, the UF medical staff says this is Tebow's first concussion at Florida. Tebow's high school coach says Tebow did not suffer a concussion at Nease. But, how many blows are "undiagnosed and untreated"? Unlike the NHL's program to address concussions (which has trickled down to youth hockey; I knew guys with a headache who were held out in case they had a mild concussion), the NFL has no standard length of time a player is out. The NHL program can even estimate a player's return based on other players of their size and ethnic background. The NFL and college football have no such program. It's not that teams are lazy; it is that football players look at concussions as part of the game. This AP story with NFL players urging Tebow to sit out has this line from Ryan Stamper;

To make his point, the fifth-year senior recalled two concussions he suffered playing at First Coast High in Jacksonville. Both times, Stamper couldn't remember the play, the hit, how he got back to the sideline or much about the rest of the game. Both times he returned to play the following week.

"There's just a part of your life," Stamper said, "that you don't remember."

Getting injured is part of the risk of playing a contact sport, but not at the risk of future injury. It seems to me like Sam Bradford's shoulder injury is being handled more cautiously than Tebow's brain injury, and that concerns me as a person, not as a football fan. If Bradford returns against Miami and Tebow against LSU, both would have sat out two weeks, with very different injuries.

It seems to me, to protect Tebow and to properly prepare the team, Meyer has to put a deadline on Tebow having symptoms. If Meyer does not, and Tebow says he is healthy before he really is (remember, a lot of symptoms are self reported), Tebow is in danger of a second concussion. Even worse for the Gators' season, UF would have prepared to play a game with Tebow, only to watch him have to be removed from another game. Meyer has to make a decision now. The recovery of a concussion is not like the recovery of a knee sprain. Meyer said as much on Tuesday. But he needs to put actions to his words and take a stand to prepare his team and protect his players.

Where Does Florida Go From Here?

Year2 — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 14:30:14 -0000

More photos » by John Raoux - AP

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It wasn't the epic beat down that all the experts were predicting. There was no domination. Instead of calling timeouts at the end, Urban Meyer was shaking Tennessee players' hands after it was over to tell them good game.

This Florida team didn't look like the one from the second half of last season that steamrolled everything in its path. It looked like the one from the first half of last year that played things conservatively and won by much more modest margins. In some ways it looked frighteningly like Meyer's 2005 team, which was the worst of his tenure. Here's a look at what happened on Saturday and what the champs can do to get their groove back.

WHAT HAPPENED

They got beat up front.

The Florida offensive line is still not set and ready, and it really showed. Tennessee has an excellent defensive line, and any time Tim Tebow dropped back to throw something deeper than 10 yards, the pocket collapsed around him. The Florida coaches have a philosophy that anyone who earns playing time should get it, even the offensive line. As a result there were guys rotating in and out throughout, which didn't help anything. They need to pick their best five and go with it.

On the other side, the banged up Tennessee line did a good job of patching things together and playing well. The Florida defensive line was held back by Jermaine Cunningham having the flu and Brandon Spikes, who often lines up as a defensive end, having tendinitis in his Achilles.

Spikes' injury also caused him to be conspicuously absent in supporting the line against the run during his normal linebacking duties. It is no coincidence that Spikes missed most of the second half, and it is the second half when the defense began playing a lot better. A full speed backup, in this case Dustin Doe, was better than the half speed Spikes. With all the depth that the team has, it's a small wonder that Cunningham and Spikes played at all.

Wide receiver is at critical condition.

Senior Carl Moore is out with a back injury. Freshman five star recruit Andre Debose is out for the season with a hamstring injury. Deonte Thompson missed the game with a hamstring pull. Riley Cooper pinched a nerve on the first series of the game. Even tight end Aaron Hernandez had the flu.

Of the team's six top pass catching targets, three missed the game and only one, David Nelson, was fully healthy. That's not an excuse, that's an explanation. I can't name many teams that could put together a full passing attack with that kind of attrition among the receiving ranks. With Thompson out and Cooper slowed, Florida was without a deep passing threat. With the Tennessee line winning up front on longer passing plays to boot, the vertical passing game never had a shot.

But just as important as the guys who didn't play because of injury were the guys who didn't play and were healthy: Omarius Hines, Frankie Hammond, and T.J. Lawrence. These three redshirt freshmen are along with Debose the future of the position in Gainesville, and apparently none practiced well enough to see the field. This was especially surprising in the case of Hines, who got meaningful snaps against Troy and looked good in them.

Too much conservatism.

Or, the right amount if you're only concerned with winning and not style points.

Years from now, we will all probably look back at the 2007 season and wonder what exactly it was that caused Urban Meyer to break from his conservative streak so early in the season. In every other year, now including this one thanks to Saturday, he comes out at the beginning of seasons and plays things close to the vest.

In past years, he explained the flood of runs up the middle as trials to see how tough his team was. This week it was a reaction to Tennessee's demeanor:

"I didn't feel like they were going after the win," Meyer said. "They wanted to shorten the game. I think that was the plan. There are 10 minutes to go and they're not in a no-huddle. It's 23-6 and no urgency (on UT's part).

"The way we lose a game there is throw an interception. Why put yourself in that position. Let's find a way to win the game. We're not trying to impress the pollsters, we're trying to win the game. A lot of it had to do with the way they were playing. It made our life a little easier."

You could also see it in all the Tebow runs. When Meyer gets unsettled, as his nervous tick of running his hands through his hair betrayed plenty of times on Saturday, he leans on the players he trusts most, and he trusts no one more than Tebow. The quarterback had 24 carries, four more than the rest of the team combined. Jeff Demps, though slowed by a 101 degree fever, averaged 7.8 yards per carry, Chris Rainey averaged 7.1, and Emmanuel Moody was the best of them with 11 yards a carry. But remember the thing about trust? Moody is the least trusted of the three and only got three carries on the game.

I don't want to sell Tennessee's defense short here, which was fantastic and outplayed Florida's offense on many occasions. Monte Kiffin was in the team's heads all week in practice, and he called a very good game. He moved Eric Berry all over the place and nearly every time had his prized safety in position to make a play. However, ol' Monte got some help from the other side too.

NOW WHAT?

Obviously, the schedule sets up nicely for the Gators over the next couple weeks. The road game at Kentucky could end up a very dangerous contest if the Wildcats learn to get out of their own way by Saturday. However, Florida could probably gut it out in the same way they did against the Vols if need be, allowing the talent gap between the teams to be the difference. After that, it's a bye week before the road trip to LSU.

Now that Florida has had its first big test of the season, it's time to evaluate what needs to happen to stay on track to accomplish its goals.

Get healthy, or at least play the healthy guys.

It floors me that the coaches seem to trust the unproven depth on the offensive line, as evidenced by the constant rotation, but not the experienced depth on the defense, as evidenced by them playing guys like Cunningham and Spikes who were nowhere near 100% ready to go.

If Spikes is hurt, use fellow leader Ryan Stamper and play talented guys like Doe and Brandon Hicks. If Cunningham is struggling with the flu, lean on Justin Trattou, Carlos Dunlap, and some of the young guys waiting to break out like William Green to pick up the slack. If Demps has a fever, ride Rainey and Moody. Only the MASH unit at receiver has no real proven second options, but would it hurt to put Hines or Hammond out there just to see what they can do? Probably not.

Take care of the ball.

The Gators have now lost five turnovers in the past two weeks. The fumbles against Troy were sort of understandable because of the rain, but not everyone fumbles six times during a storm. Eric Berry's interception was a magnificent play, but Tebow's fumble late against UT came from him trying too hard and putting the ball where a defender could strip it instead of just taking a nice gain and being happy.

At some point, someone is really going to make them pay for their indiscretions as Ole Miss did a year ago. Maybe it's Kentucky this weekend with the newly dangerous Mike Hartline to Randall Cobb connection. It could be LSU in a couple weeks, or Ryan Mallett with his cannon arm. No team wins championships of any kind turning it over this much.

Try to block out the hype.

In last year's revenge game for Florida, Brandon Spikes leveled Knowshon Moreno on the first Georgia drive of the game. It seemed to loosen the team up. No such play did the same in this year's revenge game, and the team looked tight for most of it.

That big play at the beginning isn't going to be there most weeks. The external pressure is only going to intensify thanks to voters (UF is now the unanimous No. 1 in the Coaches' Poll) and other powers (like Oklahoma and USC) falling away.

While the game against Tennessee was never in serious doubt for a lot of reasons, there are better teams looming ahead. If the pressure contributed any to the less-than-championship caliber performance over the weekend, a loss or two will be waiting for them ahead.

The good news is that had the tackling on defense been better, Tennessee would have had about 50-75 fewer yards. For all the struggles, the defense was still very, very good and will probably continue to be. Since defense wins championships, that's going to be the most important thing going forward.

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.