Gator Country

A long time ago, in a faraway state, an offensive genius with the unlikely name of Mouse taught me a crucial lesson about the secrets of the run-and-shoot offense: More and faster receivers flooding areas to create mismatches with defenders. Urban Meyer calls it having “better checkers.”

Today that philosophy still remains a central theme of the spread option which the No. 1-ranked Florida Gators will rely upon again this season in a bid for a third national championship in four years.

Darrell “Mouse” Davis, who recently retired from coaching, took the basic philosophy of Glenn “Tiger” Ellison, the Middletown, Ohio, founder of the run-and-shoot, and put it on the national stage in Portland, Denver and Hawaii.

Middletown is north of Cincinnati and still a good haul to Northeastern Ohio and Ashtabula where Urban was growing up. But at St. John High, where Urban played football, coach Paul Kopko was a proponent of the run-and-shoot.

So naturally, there was run-and-shoot in Urban’s coaching DNA.  It showed up in the spread when he formulated his offense in his first head coaching job at Bowling Green. And it has served Urban well, although the single wing component he added provides a deeper dimension.

There had always been more shoot than run in the attack forged by Davis. Meyer brought balance to the offense.

“I think Urban has taking it to another level,” Mouse said recently in a phone call. “Everybody’s got it a little different and Urban seems like he’s found a version that works well for him.”

Not that Urban needs his approval. The point here is, however, that nothing’s really changed philosophically. When Florida lines up against the best SEC teams on its 2009 schedule --- LSU, Georgia or maybe even South Carolina --- the Gators must have “better checkers” to dictate to the defense.

Having lost two big-time “checkers” in Percy Harvin and Louis Murphy, the Gators have been auditioning receivers for the part.

As a group, the 2009 group is not without talent. They are fast and they are hard workers.

“We just don’t have a lot of depth,” Meyer said after Wednesday’s practice.

Since we are not allowed to see practice, we can only go by what we hear. Early reports out of those closed practices indicated good progress by Riley Cooper and Brandon James. David Nelson has been solid. Aaron Hernandez, Carl Moore and freshman slot Andre Debose have been dinged up. Frankie Hammonds shows flashes.

Debose clearly isn’t going to be “the next Percy” and, aside from a muscle strain, often appears lost. “Like a deer in the headlights,” said one observer.

Percy Harvin was never that nervous or lacking in composure, even as a freshman.

With James playing well in the slot, however, that gives Debose a chance to catch up and learn the position. And this week he has started to find his way a little better.

Meanwhile, this would also be a good time for Deonte Thompson to step up. The redshirt sophomore from Belle Glade Glades Central caught 18 balls last season, including three for touchdowns. He’s got blazing 10.3 speed in the 100-meter dash and is sub-4.3 in the 40. But his coach says “he has a long way to go.”

“We’re just trying to get through camp,” Thompson said.

He’s a little smarter now, thanks to the tutelage last season of two veteran receivers who coached him up.

What helped was just watching the games of Louis Murphy and Percy Harvin. “Both their games were different,” said Thompson, “but you put their games together and it’s amazing.”

He said he learned the most from Murphy, his “mentor.”

“How to recognize defenses, how to get the defender where you want him to be … ,” said Thompson.

Thompson’s emergence will be key this season because if he earns the respect to draw double coverage, his teammates are going to get open more often.

That will mean that, in his case, at that position Meyer will have his “better checker.”

You can see that restless look in his eye because Deonte has a yearning to become a go-to guy.

“I just want to go out there and be successful,” he said. “I’m just ready man; it’s a long time coming.”

As the “X” or “Primary” receiver, Deonte has big expectations placed on his shoulders. Meyer points out the legacy Deonte inherits from that position, from Dallas Baker, to Bubba Caldwell, to Murphy. “All of them NFL receivers,” said Meyer.

The good news is that Meyer said Thompson has enjoyed “a couple of good days” at practice.

Receiver and the left side of the offensive line are the two biggest question marks on the nation’s No. 1 team. Deonte seems to feel, despite the loss of Harvin and Murphy, that this group of receivers will be fine.

“We’re not going to be missing a beat,” he said. “These guys can run, now.”

It’s not us that Deonte Thompson has to convince. It’s those defensive coordinators whose respect he is going to have to earn if Florida’s offense is going click.

About the author

BuddyShow

Buddy Martin is the author of seven books, including Urban Meyer's authorized biography, and was a recipient of an Emmy while working for CBS Sports on "The NFL Today." The native son of Ocala and Florida-educated journalist is the former sports editor of the New York Daily News, Denver Post, St. Petersburg Times and Florida Today. He has won more than 165 state and national awards for writing and editing. "Urban's Way" (St. Martin's Press) is now out in paperback. It can be purchased at all major book stores or by writing Buddy at buddyshow@aol.com.

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