SB Nation - Justin Trattou

Trench Warfare

mlmintampa — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 15:24:18 -0000

Tim Tebow and Greg McElroy might be the stars heading into the SEC Championship Game, but it is the five men in front of them who will determine the outcome.

Florida's line, for the first time all season, seems to be functioning well. With Carl Johnson inside with the Pounceys, the Gators have the girth to deal with Terrence Cody. Freshman Xavier Nixon is serviceable at left tackle, but in UF's last game against a real defense (South Carolina), the Gators still allowed three sacks. The line has to keep Tebow upright. While part of the responsibility lies with Tebow to get the ball away and not roll out into a sack, the Gator line has to withstand a 3-4 Bama defense that has the ability to never duplicate the same look. Florida is 80th in sacks allowed, which is unbelievable when you realize they are 3rd in yards per rushing attempt (5.6). But this is also a credit to Florida having multiple backs who stay fresher than Bama's Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson.

Bama's line gets to face a Gator defense short handed without Carlos Dunlap. Florida will not lose because of this, but it will contribute if the dream dies on Saturday. Replacements Justin Trattou and Jaye Howard are good players, but not as good as Dunlap. The Gators also used Dunlap in zone blitzes and it will be interesting to see if they try that with Trattou. Bama will also have to deal with a rotation of Gator linemen, which the Gators did not have last season. They outweigh the Gator front by about 20 pounds per man, but have only two linemen who faced the Gators last season; tackle Drew Davis and guard Mike Johnson. Yet, the line has held up, only allowing 14 sacks this season and gaining 5.1 yards per carry.

If one of these lines fails, that team will lose. It does not matter that Tebow has the will to win or that McElroy is a star in the making. They need their guys to block.

Alabama & Florida Common Opponents: South Carolina

Year2 — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:08:37 -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. Now up: South Carolina.

	Alabama	Florida
Game Number	7	10
Score	20-6	24-14
Passing Yards	92	199
Rushing Yards	264	140
Total Yards	356	339
Passing All.	214	186
Rushing All.	64	61
Total Defense	278	247
3rd Downs	3-10	5-14
3rd Down Def.	9-19	3-12
Turnover Margin	-1	+3

Alabama got the Gamecocks a week after going to Oxford and ending the SEC West hopes of Ole Miss 22-3. This contest ended up being the middle link of Bama's three-game nadir in October, as South Carolina held the Tide to their second lowest point total this season. It seemed like the only person on Alabama's offense who came ready to play was Mark Ingram, as he had his finest game in going for 246 yards and about single-handedly beat Steve Spurrier's crew. Despite getting only a pair of second quarter field goals, Carolina was never truly out of it until Ingram iced it with a touchdown run with five minutes to go.

South Carolina was similarly able to hang around for a long time with Florida when the Gators came to visit Columbia in their SEC regular season finale. Even though the Gamecocks ended up gaining fewer yards on UF than on Bama, they had more success on the UF defense. Stephen Garcia led two long touchdown drives that were decidedly non-flukey in nature, the result of good game planning and execution. With Carolina down just 17-14 and driving at the start of the fourth quarter, a Garcia pass got tipped up and intercepted by Justin Trattou and it was returned 53 yards. Tim Tebow promptly capitalized with a one yard TD plunge, and the deflated home team couldn't mount a comeback.

The word that comes to mind most readily for Alabama's game is "malaise." Neither offense really looked like it knew what it was doing, while the defenses for the most part teed off. I say "for the most part" because Ingram sliced and diced the Gamecock defense like a fine rotisserie bird. Seriously: guys not named Ingram for Bama combined for 110 total yards and an average of 3.24 yards per play. The final scoring drive was a tour de force for the star of the game, as he took a number of direct snaps and made about all the yardage himself. This game is why Ingram has been in the Heisman race for much of the second half of the season.

Florida's game had the looks of a shootout early, as the teams combined to score on five of the game's first ten possessions, and a sixth was a missed field goal. It would have been an honest shootout too: every scoring drive was at least 61 yards long, and three were 70 or more yards. Things quieted down though, but Caleb Sturgis' inaccuracy kept South Carolina in it as the UF kicker missed three field goals (though two from 50+ yards) on the night. Florida's defense took over in the second half, as five of Carolina's six second half drives amounted to -21 net yards. The sixth was a 49 yard drive, more or less the final stand for Garcia and company, but it ended with Trattou's game changing interception and return.

It's difficult to say which team had the better showing. Alabama's defense did a better job overall, keeping Carolina's scoring down to just a pair of field goals while allowing a negligible amount of yards more than Florida's did. The Gator offense did better though as it scored more points, could have had more points with field goal makes instead of misses, and didn't require a superhuman effort by a single player.

Still, the outcome of Bama's game never felt in too much doubt. Carolina managed a single drive of more than 50 yards against the Tide and didn't appear capable of mounting a credible threat for much of the game. By contrast, Spurrier and Garcia put together a couple of good drives in the first half, and they were doing it again in the second half when Trattou snared his fateful interception.

Better performance: Alabamaby a hair, with a gold star for Ingram.

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

All My Gators

mlmintampa — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 15:28:20 -0000

More photos » by Phil Sandlin - AP

Browse more photos »

Saturday will be the 13th episode of "All My Gators," the Florida Gators season long soap opera. After twelve weeks of a chaotic home life in Gainesville and enemies tracking them across the Southeast, there is one more episode in Atlanta. That is if they want to make the big move to Los Angeles. Let's revisit the story lines from each episode;

Episode 1: Tim Tebow and Brandon Spikes return to Gainesville for a chance at another championship. But will Tim and Urban Meyer be successful with new business partner Steve Addazio? Charleston Southern guest stars.

Episode 2: The Troy Trojans come to Gainesville, but all eyes are on a new Gainesville resident; Andre Debose. Tragedy strikes the young man as he enters surgery to repair his hamstring. Dr. Pete Indelicato guest stars as the team doctor with a wallet of gold and the hands of Michael J. Fox.

Episode 3: The dashing and bombastic Lane Kiffin comes to Gainesville, desperate to break Urban's hold on the SEC East. Lane is not successful, but he worries Gainesville's citizens. Monte Kiffin guest stars as Lane's elderly father.

Episode 4: A mysterious illness plagues the team as Jeffrey Demps, Aaron Hernandez and Jermaine Cunningham are stricken. Gainesville citizens are stunned when Tim is infected as well. But worry turns to horror as Tim is nearly killed during the trip to Lexington. Rich Brooks guest stars as the gruff Kentucky leader with a secret past.

Episode 5: Tim makes a miraculous return, leading the Gators into the bayou against crazed rival Les Miles and Louisiana State. Tim is finally successful in a city that had painfully defeated him in 2007. John Brantley guest stars as the young man who wants a chance to shine.

Episode 6: There are problems back home as Tim and Chris Rainey come down with fumblitis. The defense struggles as Janoris Jenkins is abused by Arkansas and Ryan Mallett. But Caleb Sturgis finds the cure and keeps the Gators healthy. Guest starring SEC officials who just want to be noticed.

Episode 7: The Old Money boys from Alabama have jumped Florida in the rankings. Tim is conflicted as he travels to rural Mississippi and faces his former partner, Dan Mullen, while everyone wants to see current partner Steve Addazio taken away. The pressure gets to Tim and while he is successful, it strains him. Dustin Doe guest stars as the linebacker who lets his showboating get in the way.

Episode 8: Florida is back on top in the rankings, but their Cocktail Party with Georgia looms large after Florida embarrassed them the year before in Jacksonville. Georgia shows up in black, yet Florida is not intimidated and dominates on the First Coast. But not before Brandon tries to take revenge on Georgia. Washaun Ealey guest stars as the object of Brandon's hate.

Episode 9: Without Brandon following his crimes in Jacksonville, Florida tries to feel comfortable at home. Vanderbilt guest stars as the one SEC team that scares no one.

Episode 10: The Gators face their ex in Columbia as the city is under siege by a paramilitary organization. The Gators struggle against the soldiers, until they capitalize on a strategic mistake. Guest starring Justin Trattou as the loveable defensive lineman who stands up to South Carolina's Stephen Service.

Episode 11: Rumors swirl about Urban leaving for South Bend and A.J. Jones is injured. Florida International guest stars as the violent youth trying to become a mature adult.

Episode 12: It is the final time in Gainesville for Tim, Brandon and Riley. They cannot let their emotions get to them as an old rival returns for the last time. Bobby Bowden guest stars as the rival ready to retire, and featuring Bob and Pam Tebow as the proud parents.

Episode 13: The Gators are under pressure to be successful in Atlanta, with the goal of going to Los Angeles. But Carlos Dunlap is arrested for driving under the influence and Gainesville's citizens wonder if the Gators can overcome all the distractions. Guest starring Nick Saban as the ruthless opposing head coach with a love of window treatments.

After so many story lines, do the Gators have the focus and strength to continue? Will they remain successful? Will Tim inspire his teammates once again? Will Emmanuel Moody finally live up to his potential? Will Joe Haden be able to stop Julio Jones from destroying the Gators' secondary? These questions will be answered on the next "All My Gators".

Carlos Dunlap Officially Suspended

Year2 — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:00:24 -0000

It was a foregone conclusion, but here it is from the head man's mouth:

"I haven't talked to Carlos and his family yet, but obviously he's not going to play," [Urban] Meyer said after practice Tuesday.

So that's that. Justin Trattou is in line to start in his place.

Dunlap Suspended Indefinitely

mlmintampa — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 23:26:53 -0000

From Jeremy Fowler;

Coach Urban Meyer said Tuesday that defensive end Carlos Dunlap will miss Saturday's Southeastern Conference Championship against Alabama. Dunlap is suspended indefinitely...Justin Trattou will start at defensive end, and tackle Jaye Howard also will receive playing time at end.

This probably ends Dunlap's career at UF as he is at the top of several mock drafts.

Where Does Florida Go From Here?

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

More photos » by John Raoux - AP

Browse more photos »

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.

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)

Browse more photos »

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

Florida State Seminoles Left Tackle Andrew Datko to face an NFL schedule

FSUncensored — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 11:58:40 -0000

As a member of the youngest offensive line in the country (3 freshmen, 2 sophomores), Andrew Datko wildly exceeded expectations and earned Freshman All-America honors. Competing at a slight 267lbs, with a dislocated elbow and various shoulder ailments, Datko surprised everyone playing 852 snaps over 13 games, more than any freshman on the line. He also had a top-two overall grade three times received either the top grade or the second-best grade in run or pass blocking seven times. Datko also recorded 20 knockdowns. Was named the top offensive newcomer and won the freshman academic award. And he did so while playing in the best defensive conference in the country (no conference sends more top defensive players than the NFL than the ACC) and against UF. With Datko's help, the 'Noles led the ACC in scoring and Florida State head coach in waiting/ offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher won ACC offensive coordinator of the year.

This year Datko will face an even tougher challenge- the most difficult gauntlet of pass rushers in recent college football memory.

Miami

The Hurricanes were one of the youngest teams in college football last year, and they got even younger when their senior defensive end Eric Moncur went down with an injury in the 3rd game of the season. Moncur was a 4* recruit, the #10 overall defensive end in the country. He's projected to be a 1st day NFL draft choice (2nd or 3rd round) This year, he's back at 6'2" 260lbs and with 16 starts and 105 total tackles in his three years, should continue to be a quality player for the canes.

On the other side, Marcus Robinson started 5 games after making the switch from OLB to DE and had 9 tackles for loss and 4 sacks while earning 3rd team Frosh All-America honors. No matter which lines up over Datko, Florida State's left tackle will sure have a challenge on his hands.

BYU

While the BYU Cougars aren't known for their defensive talent, they do have an excellent defensive end in Jan Jorgenson. At 6-3 262lbs, Jorgensen plays the "5" technique end in BYU's 3-4 defensive scheme.

Jorgensen projects as a late 1st or early 2nd round draft choice. The senior has had quite the career. Jorgensen has been named 1st team All-Mountain West Defense for two years in a row. He is the conference's career leader in sacks already. He's a Lombardi and Hendricks award finalist. Oh, and he is 26 years old after serving a three year Mormon mission and redshirting his freshman year. The recent word is that he dropped 15lbs down to 245 in order to be quicker.

USF

If you were alive in 2007, you probably heard of USF's sackmaster George Selvie.

Selvie burst onto the scene in 2007 in a huge way, registering an incredible 31.5 tackles for loss and earning not only all-conference offers, but 1st team All-America status!

Selvie continued to play well in 2008, though not quite as well as he did in 2007. Why? It was a combination of nagging lower leg injuries and playing from behind (hard to get sacks when the other team is running out the clock). Despite the injuries, the 6'4" 255lb Selvie still made 1st Team Big East. He is back for his senior season and has said that he expects to be the top defensive end selected in the upcoming NFL draft. He's also been named to the 1st Team Pre-season All-America Squad. Florida State must stay out of 3rd and long in this game and give Datko help in the form of a tight end or a back. Asking Andrew to single Selvie all game could be disastrous and unfair to the true sophomore.

Boston College

While the Eagles are one of the teams on the schedule without a likely 1st day NFL pick at defensive end, they do boast three seniors with a combined 58 starts in Jim Ramella, Alex Albright, and Austin Giles. These guys have been there forever and really know how to play the game (that's a cop-out, I know, but they aren't great athletes or pro prospects).

Georgia Tech

If you don't already know Derrick Morgan, you should. I knew Georgia Tech had a good defensive line last year (one of the best in the country) featuring Michael Johnson Vance Walker, and Darryl Richard (all All-American or All-Conference). What really surprised me, however, was FSU offensive line coach Rick Trickett calling sophomore Derrick Morgan the best player on Tech's defense. You can bet I watched # 91 then and he did not disappoint. At 6'4" and 270lbs, Morgan started all 13 games as a sophomore, registering 51 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss (7.5 sacks) and even three pass breakups. Only a Junior, Morgan looks to be a surefire 1st rounder after his senior year, and with his size, athleticism, and production, is a virtual lock to be a 1st day selection if he elects to leave school early.

North Carolina

While not draft eligible, Sophomore Robert Quinn has shown a lot of promise after coming back from brain cancer.

Quinn started 12 games for the Tarheels and should have a monster season for the baby blue, particularly since he'll be able to workout fully for the first time in a while.

NC State

The Wolfpack feature another edge rushing terror on this list in Willie Young Jr. Last year, Young destroyed the 'Noles, with 2 sacks, 4 tackles for loss, and drawing at least one holding penalty.

At 6'4 and 251lbs, Young is extra quick and as a senior will have a variety of pass moves. Last year he started 11 games (injured other 2), registering 55 tackles (13 for loss), with 6 1/2 sacks. Young was named to Phil Steele's 2nd Team Pre-Season ACC defense. Like many of these edge rushers, the key will be to run right at Young as he was especially good on 3rd and long last year (as most defensive ends should be).

Clemson

The Tigers boast two of the best defensive ends in the conference in Ricky Sapp and Da'Quan Bowers. Both were elite Five-star recruits coming out of high school and both have continued to perform at the next level.

Last year, Sapp and Bowers had their collective way with the young 'Nole offensive tackles, registering two sacks and numerous pressures. It got to a point where FSU completely abandoned the dropback passing game, throwing only screen or play action passes.

This year both Bowers and Sapp are back. Bowers has reportedly put in a nice offseason of work and is probably the top true sophomore defensive end in the nation. Last year as a true freshman, Bowers started 6 games, played in all 13, and registered 50 tackles (8 for loss). He really came on in the later games. Sapp actually had some knee issues and missed the spring, though he'll be fully healthy for the 'Noles. Last year, he started 9 games (knee injury) and had 10 tackles for loss. He was also excellent in 2007, with 22 tackles for loss and 6 sacks. Whoever Datko faces here will be a challenge for the young tackle.

Wake Forest

The Deac's don't have an elite player at defensive end.

Maryland

The Terps don't have an elite player at defensive end.

Florida

The Gators have a bevy of elite edge players and it's safe to say that three of their defensive ends would compete for starting jobs on any team in the country. For purposes of this piece, however, let's leave Justin Trattou aside for a minute and focus on Carlos Dunlap and Jermaine Cunningham.

Dunlap (pictured) is on everyone's pre-season All-America team. He was the top defensive end prospect in his class coming out of high school. As a sophomore, he started only two games, but registered 39 tackles and 9.5 sacks, leading the SEC and making 2nd Team SEC. He's 6'6" 290lbs, and universally seen as the best defensive end prospect in college.

They also have Jermaine Cunningham who also made 2nd team SEC last season. Cunningham, at 6-3, 252lbs has started 25 games over the past two seasons registering over 100 tackles (20 for loss).

This schedule presents an enormous challenge for Florida State left tackle Andrew Datko. No offensive lineman in the country has a more difficult challenge than FSU's Datko. At a ripped 292 lbs, with a year of starting experience under his belt, Datko has a fighting chance to make it through the schedule, now that he has some bulk and experience to go with his always solid technique.