http://www.gatorcountry.com/swampgas/blog.php en Sat, 26 May 2012 02:44:21 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.gatorcountry.com/swampgas/images/ca_morpheus_blue/misc/rss.jpg http://www.gatorcountry.com/swampgas/blog.php http://www.gatorcountry.com/swampgas/blog.php?b=172 Sun, 01 Jan 2012 04:08:38 GMT Back injury Back injury ]]> rstonegator http://www.gatorcountry.com/swampgas/blog.php?b=172 http://www.gatorcountry.com/swampgas/blog.php?b=171 Mon, 10 Oct 2011 00:28:48 GMT When we were ranked in the Spurrier era 90% of the roster was from Florida, you would only have about maybe 5-8 players from outside of the State of... When we were ranked in the Spurrier era 90% of the roster was from Florida, you would only have about maybe 5-8 players from outside of the State of Florida. Why are we recruiting all of these out of state players when the state of Florida is filled with great talent. A Sammy Watkins playing for Clemson is awful. The out of state players are not getting it done. ie. Ronald Powell, Omar Hunter

Some of these so called five-star players from other states are just not panning out. Let's find the 3 * 4 * in the state of Florida instead of seeking out these 5 * that don't pan out..... ]]> Mharr95 http://www.gatorcountry.com/swampgas/blog.php?b=171 http://www.gatorcountry.com/swampgas/blog.php?b=170 Mon, 19 Sep 2011 13:12:12 GMT I'll be in Auburn, Al. on Oct 15th and I'm looking for 5 tickets to the game. Can anyone help me? ]]> fdean http://www.gatorcountry.com/swampgas/blog.php?b=170 http://www.gatorcountry.com/swampgas/blog.php?b=169 Mon, 29 Aug 2011 16:11:08 GMT Are there any buses heading to the Florida/LSU game in October from Gainesville, FL? Are there any buses heading to the Florida/LSU game in October from Gainesville, FL? ]]> csteinmann http://www.gatorcountry.com/swampgas/blog.php?b=169 http://www.gatorcountry.com/swampgas/blog.php?b=167 Thu, 03 Feb 2011 05:16:37 GMT Image: http://www.weblo.com/asset_images/large/Great_Legs_Sexy_Butt_474e52efbd885.jpg ]]> TheGator http://www.gatorcountry.com/swampgas/blog.php?b=167 http://www.gatorcountry.com/swampgas/blog.php?b=166 Thu, 03 Feb 2011 05:06:18 GMT Just wanted to add to my list of accomplishments. Just wanted to add to my list of accomplishments. ]]> TheGator http://www.gatorcountry.com/swampgas/blog.php?b=166 http://www.gatorcountry.com/swampgas/blog.php?b=165 Thu, 06 Jan 2011 15:41:37 GMT With all the uncertainty up until the announcement of our new staff, seems like we do not have the interest from these bigtime defensive recruits... With all the uncertainty up until the announcement of our new staff, seems like we do not have the interest from these bigtime defensive recruits (Defensive Ends/Tackles) like we used to, as FSU, Bama and Auburn seem to be raking these in which concerns me for the future. Seems to me like these young guys would want to play for a defensive minded head coach who is bringing in a Coach from the NFL that would ultimately benefit them in developing for the next level!

I'm no expert just seeing the offers we have out there at these positions and not many commits, has me concerned for the future! ]]> m35elder http://www.gatorcountry.com/swampgas/blog.php?b=165 http://www.gatorcountry.com/swampgas/blog.php?b=164 Tue, 14 Dec 2010 00:06:46 GMT gary brown to FSU gary brown to FSU ]]> ricardo http://www.gatorcountry.com/swampgas/blog.php?b=164 http://www.gatorcountry.com/swampgas/blog.php?b=163 Mon, 13 Dec 2010 23:59:25 GMT gray brown to fsu gray brown to fsu ]]> ricardo http://www.gatorcountry.com/swampgas/blog.php?b=163 http://www.gatorcountry.com/swampgas/blog.php?b=162 Thu, 18 Nov 2010 03:59:37 GMT As you can tell I very rarely post anything so I will let the moderators decide where this should be placed and apologize in advance for any errors I... As you can tell I very rarely post anything so I will let the moderators decide where this should be placed and apologize in advance for any errors I may make.

Our local high school, Hamilton County High School, won it's district for the first time since the late 90's. Then we were led by a former Gator, who was honored at the South Carolina game, Alex Brown, who was a senior. Needless to say we are very excited.

Anyway the purpose of this post is to find out if anyone-coaches or people familiar with the program-can give me any information about our upcoming opponent-Tampa Berkley Prep. The only thing I know is that they are very good and have a running back who has generated a lot of Division I interest as a junior.

Thanks in advance. ]]> drnorris http://www.gatorcountry.com/swampgas/blog.php?b=162 http://www.gatorcountry.com/swampgas/blog.php?b=161 Mon, 01 Nov 2010 03:57:41 GMT i haven't blogged in a long long while, have been watching the country tear itself apart in earnest. scary times we live in, people, scary times. at least to me, not the farthest left leaning person you will ever meet, i know some folks on 'too hot' that are pretty moderate and could say there's a few things we've agreed on, and just not 'go gators' either.

on watching jon stewart's rally yesterday, calling for people to listen to each other, and basically, bring back sane discourse. yet, we couldn't be further from sane discourse as my travelings throughout the interwebs have shown me today. we remain as polarized as ever.
i was a reagan republican, my first vote. he wouldn't recognize the party today. he'd be considered too left leaning. just remember his wife pleading with then president bush to reverse his ruling on stem cell research, and it took a democrat president to heed her.
this is how divided we've become.
we've all delved into the writings of thomas jefferson in an effort to prove 'who is right' about the founding father's intentions. i've found many jefferson quotes to back up my way of thinking, and as far as the right to bear arms? i'm sure he wasn't aware of automatic weapons when that was included. but i digress, as the gun issue has NOT been an issue on the left.
this brings me to the tea party, which was supposed to be a 'grass root movement'. but when you looked behind the curtains and found dick armey, you knew it was not a grass roots movement. just the same old guys. on both sides, a lot of the times, its the same old guys.
jon disparaged the left for what it did to rick sanchez and juan williams just as much as berating the right for considering all folks of the muslim faith terrorists. you know, bad on both sides, and so many of the american people out there, well, they think like that. they're center-right or center-left, and have more in common with each other than the fringes of their own parties, this was the crowd that jon was talking to.
and for the sake of this country, i hope he reached them, and they haven't given up, and that they go out there and vote. vote for sanity, whichever party you think is sane, or should i say, whichever MEMBER of each party you consider sane. don't just hit the 'green' or 'blue' or 'red' button and vote your party, take your time and pay attention. do research tomorrow, not when your preening on 'too hot' or elsewhere on the web, myself included, but really take a time out, and do the right thing. we are at a cross roads, i've heard 'some' want to take their country back to the era of the fifties or early sixties. well, that wasn't so good for our black friends and neighbours, was it? and 'take our country back'? i'm sure there are some native americans that don't find that slogan appealing. let's take our country forward. this means we have to compete in math and science again, like we did when we were little kids, lets give the same country we grew up in, back to our kids or grandkids. before it all falls apart. we have a changing demographic in this country that we can't put back in the bottle and we need to learn to deal with it. deep down, most of us know this. and have to get over whatever prejudices we harbor within, as we all harbor some prejudices within, if we say we don't, we're kidding ourselves. but again, we have to move on. and we have to regain the status we had when our parents and grandparents gave us this country.
there is still time, but, every day it slips away. i'm not expecting us to sing 'kumbaya', that'll never happen, but, just take a step in the right direction, put the 'hate' away on a shelf somewhere in a dark basement. and for those who can't stop hating, well, the rest of us should give those folks a wide berth. we've only one planet, and regardless of what you may hear, we all have to coexist on it.

and, always remember, that we are all connected by the 'orange and blue' so....
Go Gators!
goodnight all. ]]> vertigo0923 http://www.gatorcountry.com/swampgas/blog.php?b=161 http://www.gatorcountry.com/swampgas/blog.php?b=160 Sun, 31 Oct 2010 22:18:58 GMT Whipped Puppy 2010! Image: http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/5900/whippedpuppy10.gif Whipped Puppy 2010!

]]> Vindibudd http://www.gatorcountry.com/swampgas/blog.php?b=160 http://www.gatorcountry.com/swampgas/blog.php?b=159 Fri, 29 Oct 2010 15:37:11 GMT OK, Lets say our Gators win out. Go to ATL and win over Auburn/Bama? Now with SEC Championship in hand, but with 3 losses during the season; where... OK, Lets say our Gators win out. Go to ATL and win over Auburn/Bama? Now with SEC Championship in hand, but with 3 losses during the season; where does the BCS place us? I believe it possible to see a BCS tournament without an SEC team.

Thoughts/Comments? ]]> t_horn http://www.gatorcountry.com/swampgas/blog.php?b=159 http://www.gatorcountry.com/swampgas/blog.php?b=158 Sun, 17 Oct 2010 14:13:18 GMT Here's a novel idea for all Gator Nation especially fair weather fans: Get behind these players and this team. They need the help of the fans to hold them up while our coaching staff improves this team. We are young and we are talented. All these post about Urban Meyer retiring and not being "in the game" really add to our problems. Urban is the best coach in America, and HE will prove it again. If you can say something positive stay off of the post or go root for the Noles and polute their website ]]> toddsevans http://www.gatorcountry.com/swampgas/blog.php?b=158 http://www.gatorcountry.com/swampgas/blog.php?b=157 Mon, 11 Oct 2010 15:19:39 GMT This is my first blog so take it for what it's worth and BBQ me if you must. I just had to get this off my chest,
Regarding all of the negativity regarding the 80's teams, players, and coaches, I don't want us to lose sight of the true and fantastic history of Gator athletics. Emmitt, Kerwin, John L Williams, Neal Anderson, Lorenzo Hampton, James Jones, Wayne Peace, Chris Collinsworth, The Great Wall, Wilbur Marshall, Ricky Nattiel and the list goes on and on.
My first year as a Gator was 1979 (0-10-1) and there were actually highlights as well as great memories even from this disaster. We grew through the following decade and stuck together for the most part "in all kinds of weather". If we only accept post 1990 Gator Football, I think we are truly missing out on what makes being Gator Nation so rewarding.

Please know that I am not condoning poor play, coaching, decisions etc that may have occurred but just want us to embrace the history of this great university. I believe that we have become a little too demanding in our quest for perfection. Let's all ban together and enjoy the present, anticipate the future, and also embrace the past for all that it has meant to many Great Gators involved.

I rest my case and look forward to kickin some Bulldog butts this week! See ya at the Swamp. (No cowbells or booing permitted) ]]> bsaunders http://www.gatorcountry.com/swampgas/blog.php?b=157 http://www.gatorcountry.com/swampgas/blog.php?b=156 Thu, 07 Oct 2010 11:41:55 GMT LSU Depth Chart http://lsu.rivals.com/cdepthtext.asp LSU Schedule, Stats, and Rankings ... LSU Depth Chart

http://lsu.rivals.com/cdepthtext.asp

LSU Schedule, Stats, and Rankings

http://web1.ncaa.org/football/exec/r...r=2010&org=365

The LSU Defense:

This is one of the fastest units that Florida has seen in a while, especially up front. That's the bad news. The good news for Florida fans is that their best DE to this point, Sam Montgomery, will miss the rest of the season with an injury, and another DE, Kendrick Adams, will probably miss the game as well.

This is great news for Florida, because one of the keys to LSUs smothering defense is QB pressure, and they are #10 in the country averaging 3.2 sacks per game. So although they will still be very formidable rushing the passer, they do lose a bit of a threat in that area with Montgomery out. They still do get a lot of pressure from the SECs best DT in Drake Nevis in the middle, and his match up with the interior of the UF OL, which has struggled at times this year, will probably go a long way in determining who wins the game.

The other big time pass rushers are DE Barkevious Mingo and CB Tyrann Mathieu, who has been very effective with his blitzes this year. They both have 2.5 sacks, and will give UFs big tackles a challenge on the edge with their speed rush. Marcus Gilbert will probably be the best Tackle they've seen all year, and he's been solid in every single game, so in my mind, the only question is whoever plays RT, and so far, the Xavier Nixon experiement over there hasn't gone so well. He'll need to have his best game of the season to keep Brantley's jersey clean, which is even more important this week with the damaged ribs.

The LB corp for LSU is fast, and can be disruptive at times. Kelvin Sheppard and Ryan Baker have a combined 10 TFL, and you can believe they'll be shooting gaps, crashing the edge, and otherwise making life miserable for whatever half injured RB UF sends out on Saturday. That to me is a big thing no one is talking about. Demps and Gillislee, UF's 2 big play threats at RB are both injured. They both will probably play, but that is advantage LSU. I don't expect UFs ground game to get much going, especially if Moody is the only healthy back, and so it'll really come down to how well John Brantley can manage the short passing game.

He'll be going against one of the more athletic secondaries in the country. Tyrann Mathieu, Patrick Petersen, and Morrise Claiborne make up a strong group of CBs, and Brandon Taylor has been solid at Safety. Outside of the UNC debacle in the 2nd half (where LSU decided to play their backups for some reason), LSU is only giving up about 106 yards passing per game in the last 4 game. The good news though, is that although they get a lot of pass deflections (19), they don't get a lot of interceptions (6), and 5 of those came in one game against MSU.

So, with the UF running game potentially on the fritz on Saturday, Brantley will have to go to a solid group of possession guys on short and intermediate routes to keep the chains moving. Deonte Thompson, Carl Moore, and Ommarius Hines have actually proven to be quite effective on these types of routes in 2010, but Brantley will have to be extremely accurate, because if he misses, LSU will be there to eat it up. I think the key offensive player for the game is going to have to be Deonte Thompson. He is UFs leading receiver, and has been a consistent offensive player the last few weeks. If he can't get open, then UF will really struggle moving the ball unless someone else steps up.

I think this is a perfect game, especially with the injuries to UFs speed rushers, to get Debose on the field a lot more. UF is going to need SOMEONE that can break the game open on any touch, and Debose is really the only guy left that can do that who isn't injured. I also think that Burton should get more touches running the ball this week, because I don't see how UF is going to run the ball without him against LSU's defensive front. It'll be interesting to see what the coaches do with these two talented players situationally this week, and how they use them will go a long way in determining whether UF wins or loses.

LSU Offense:

Offensively, UF's mission is simple. Man up on the outside, and stop the run. If LSU can't run the ball, they won't score unless they get lucky and break a long play. Period. The offense just isn't that good. Jefferson and Ridley are a good combo running the ball, but not really that scary. Ridley is 230 pounds and is leading the SEC in rushing at 111.4 yards per game. UF needs to load the box and keep him from ever getting started, similar to how they contained Charles Scott in 2008 and 2009. They'll need to get penetration against LSU's front, because if they don't stop him before he gets rolling, he's hard to bring down. Other than that, they just need to be responsible in their assignments, and not overrun Jefferson, and LSU will be pretty simple to stop.

When Jarret lee comes in, the gameplan changes slightly because he's a better passer than a runner, but you'll still want to key on Ridley. The other thing that Florida will want to do is confuse both QBs, because they both have a tendency to make bad decisions, especially if Florida can manage to get some pressure on the two of them. LSU's offensive line is pretty good, they're getting LSU 4.96 yards per carry (UF is 4.17) and they have given up only 7 sacks in 5 games. So It'll be a challenege for Florida up front, and again, that battle in the trenches will determine how well LSU can move the ball. If the UF DL is getting a lot of pressure, and stopping the run, then LSU might not score. At all. But if the DL is losing the battle, you'll be surprised at how good the LSU offense has the potential to be.

LSU Special Teams:

Some of the best in the country. They have a really good kicker, decent punter, and their KR and PR games are some of the best in the country with PP returning kicks. UF will have to play perfectly in their coverage games, because one mistake, and this kid can score. He's already proven that this year, and after the big breakdown last week against ALabama, one wonders if UF will kick it to him at all. This is LSUs best offensive weapon right now, so it'll be interesting to see how the coaches handle it.

Chaz Henry will kick FGs again, and he looked good last week, and he might be the best punter in the country, but with Demps hurting, and Gillislee probably out, UFs return game will probably be a lot weaker this week. This is an area where LSU has a pretty big advantage IMO, which is rare under urban meyer.

Prediction:

I think LSU is going to come out flat against the night crowd, and I think Florida is going to build a pretty big early lead against LSU. I think Brantley will take UF down the field on the first two drives of the game, and get Florida ahead 10-0 before LSU knows what happened. LSU won't turn the ball over, but they will struggle to get first downs, and it'll look like a blow out as the Quarter ends.

End Qtr 1 - UF 10 - LSU 0

I think LSU bounces back in the 2nd quarter, a quarter where UF has REALLY struggled this year, and I think UF turns the ball over, maybe even a couple times. I do think the UF defense keeps LSU out of the end zone though, and after really just stinking the place up for a quarter, UF will go to halftime with a small lead.

Halftime - UF 10 - LSU 6

In the 3rd, I think UF comes out with a lot of energy, similar to every game this year, and drives down the field for a quick FG to start the half. I think LSU then takes a long drive (time wise) after a great KR and kicks another FG to keep pace. UF gets the ball and goes on another long drive, and they still have the ball when the quarter ends.

End Qtr 3 - UF 13 - LSU 9

The Gator offense hits pay dirt in the 4th when they score a TD, but LSU won't go away, and on one of those mad hatter type 4th down converting drives, LSU scores a TD to keep the game tight and makes the 2 pt conversion. I think Florida is unable to score against a fired up LSU defense, but then the Florida defense forces a turnover to get the ball back. Again, Florida can't end the game, but LSU turns the ball over again on their last possession and UF hangs on to win.

Final - UF 20 - LSU 17

I don't think either offense will get much over 300 yards of total offense, and I think both teams could have 2 or 3 turnovers. I think the key will be Brantley's ability to convert on 3rd and 6+, where he has been pretty good all year considering how often UF has been in that position. I think the UF offense will still be an area of a lot of fan scrutiny, and heading into the MSU game, UF will be beat up on both sides of the ball, but will be in sole possession of 1st in the east after SC loses to Alabama. ]]> slayerxing http://www.gatorcountry.com/swampgas/blog.php?b=156 http://www.gatorcountry.com/swampgas/blog.php?b=155 Mon, 27 Sep 2010 12:19:21 GMT OK. I didn't see that coming. I thought UF would continue to struggle in this game because I thought UK would be on a mission, but I was wrong. UF was the team on a mission.

Here is what I noticed in the game:

1. The offensive struggles in the 2nd quarter happened for 2 reasons:

-Offensive line injuries to Mike Pouncey and Carl Johnson. It's pretty clear after watching UK smash the middle of UFs line for 10 minutes, that without those 2 healthy UF has no interior running game at all.

-John Brantley didn't recover from throwing the INT very quickly. It shook him, IMO. Things like that happen, and he needs to be able to bounce back from that a bit faster. He was tentative for a while after that play.

2. UFs pass protection is maybe the best in the country. John Brantley rarely gets pressured, and generally has tons of time to throw. Only 2 sacks allowed now in 4 games, and that is amazing when you consider all the different starters on the OL.

3. Cody Riggs played a hell of a game as a true freshman. He was beaten once for a TD, but Chris Matthews is a 6'5 senior WR that could play in the NFL if he works out well at the combine. Those things happen. And the non-catch on the sideline? Really ref? What a terrible call.

4. Florida is kind of in trouble at the TE position. Jordan Reed is extremely athletic, but he isn't great at catching the ball right now, and tipping it into the air one-handed is the LAST thing that you're supposed to do. He's a freshman, and he'll get better, but right now, UF doesn't have an answer at the position. Maybe Burton?

5. I really like UF's shotgun one back, and shotgun 2 back formations. They have the most variability (and most success) in those formations, although, they run more than they pass in the 2 back set. When Gillislee and Moody were on the field at the same time, the offense shredded UK.

6. I was really surprised with UKs ability to protect the QB. UF only got 1 sack on the day, and that was late in the game by back up Earl Okine (kudos). However, what impressed me was how quickly the UF defense adapted on the fly to UK. UF came out blitzing, and UK came out hitting guys on short patterns in the zone left empty by blitzing UF players. UF barely blitzed at all in the 2nd half, and although they gave up some yards late, they shut UK down. The defensive coaching staff is really underrated and Austin has been a great hire.

7. The play of Will Hill at Safety concerns me. It's hard to really see what he's doing on TV, and maybe the tape would show that he's playing better than I think he is, but it doesn't seem like it. He is a good tackler, and already has 11 stops in 2 games. But his pass defense worries me. Also, the hit on Janoris Jenkins just bewilders me.

8. Even with my doubts with Hill, UF clearly has the best secondary in the SEC, and maybe the country right now. Jenkins is a beast, Brown has been exactly what UF needed to replace Haden, and Black is probably right up there with Barron as the best Safety in the conference. Although the back ups are young right now, the talent is unmistakable. The unit will only get better when Moses Jenkins returns.

9. UF needs to be more careful with Jeff Demps. He is so dangerous, he can break plays for a TD anytime he touches the ball, but I just don't think he has the durability to survive repeated trips between the tackles at this level. I mean, send him up the middle every now and then, sure, so that people don't just sit and wait for him on the edge, but man, he sure has been taking a licking when he ventures into the middle of the line. I hope he's healthy. UF needs his explosiveness on special teams for sure.

10. UFs red zone offense is ridiculous. They've scored 17 times in 19 trips, and 16 TDs overall. That's great. Their TD percentage is #7 in the country. (Alabama has only scored 12 TDs in 19 trips). Trey Burton will continue to be key in this area. I think it's pretty clear, based on last years performance, that Billy Gonzales had a bad year calling plays in the RZ in 2009.

11. Jon Bostic is going to be an All SEC MLB for Florida at some point in his career. If he keeps picking off passes, it could be this year. His pass coverage is really strong, and if he continues to improve on his play at the LOS, he could end up as one of UFs best LBs ever. Yes ever. Next week against Alabama will be a big test for the Sophomore who now has 22 tackles, 3 INT, and 1 QBH. Jelani Jenkins has really come on strong the last 2 games as well, posting 14 tackles, 2 TFL, and 1 sack in the last 2 games.

My last thought: I'm still not sure if UF has hit its stride as an offense. UK has a way of fixing a lot of UFs problems, and it'll be interesting to see how this unit fairs against a much better defensive coaching staff at Alabama. It's pretty clear right now that UF has almost 0% success when throwing the ball deep, and Alabama will probably play right up in UFs face at the LOS. The safeties will probably play pretty close too, and Alabama will be ready to jump a lot of those shallow crossing routes if UF can't make them respect the deep ball. UKs LBs got lost a lot of times on those shallow routes, and UF made them pay. Bama has much better LBs, and things could get dicey throwing into crowds over the middle. If UF wants ANY CHANCE to win, they will have to hit a few deep ones against Alabama. (15-25 yards).

Regardless, UF is 4-0, 2-0, their "terrible-predictable" offense is averaging 37 PPG (#19 nationally), and they look ready to put up a fight against Alabama. ]]> slayerxing http://www.gatorcountry.com/swampgas/blog.php?b=155 http://www.gatorcountry.com/swampgas/blog.php?b=154 Thu, 23 Sep 2010 14:32:20 GMT Kentucky Depth Chart http://kentucky.rivals.com/cdepthtext.asp Kentucky NCAA stats for the year: ... Kentucky Depth Chart

http://kentucky.rivals.com/cdepthtext.asp

Kentucky NCAA stats for the year:

http://web1.ncaa.org/football/exec/r...r=2010&org=334

It's hard to get a good handle on Kentucky, since they've played a really weak schedule, but they do have some obvious strengths.

1. Strong run game.
2. A lot of good pass catchers (4 over 6'4 with 7 or more receptions)
3. Randall Cobb.

So the offense is going challenge Florida's defense with it's balance and diversity. Also, and this is key, they have 0 turnovers on the year, so they take care of the football, which is bad for Florida, since takeaways have been key to their success this year.

Florida's first goal has to be stopping the run. Against traditional one back, and I-formation systems this year, UF has allowed 27 yards on 45 carries. That is amazing. However, in one game against a talented mobile QB, UF gave up 244 yards on 39 carries. Joke Philips has probably watched the film on that, so I'd be really surprised if UF doesn't see a whole bunch of Randall Cobb in the wildcat on Saturday. Cobb is probably more talented than BJ Daniels, so if Florida has a repeat defensive performance as they did against Daniels in the USF game, then UF is in big trouble.

When Cobb isn't at QB, UF should have a fair advantage, because UK's OL is not that strong. They are an average unit, missing their best player (OG Stuart Hines) and the running game should be further weakened by the loss of their FB (Moncell Allen). QB Mike Hartline is not a world beater. He is an average QB, maybe even good when he's not under any pressure, but he doesn't always make good decisions when defenses are making him think fast or run for his life. Florida has to get after him, and they should have some success at that as long as Derrick Locke isn't gashing them for huge yards on those draw plays that UK likes to run.

UF will have the fastest secondary that UK has seen this year BY FAR, and that speed should be a big advantage for UF, as long as there aren't blown coverages like last week against UT. UF could afford that last week because the UT offense was pretty bad, and they weren't likely to score without more busted coverages. UK on the other hand, can score on their own, and UF doesn't need to help them out with guys wide open by 20 yards.

The UK defense is an average SEC unit, which means it's pretty decent. They have a few good players spread out around the unit and are very similar to USF on this front. Their DL is lead by Ricky Lumpkin in the middle, but the depth isn't that great. The DE's have been fairly disruptive, but the defense as a whole has only gained 4 turnovers, and that is against some pretty weak competition. They do have 9 sacks and 24 TFL, so they have been pretty aggressive, and probably will be again against Florida's run game to try to stop drives quickly with big plays. LB Danny Trevathan has 6 TFL on the year, and UF will have to block extremely well when running to his side of the field.

UKs secondary is lead by CB Randall Burden and S Winston Guy. Both players could eventually have NFL careers, but really haven't produced too much to this point, and behind them there is a lot of inexperience. As long as UF protects Brantley like they have all year, UF should have a decent edge in the passing game. Weaker teams have beaten Uk in the secondary this year, but have been unable to make UK pay for it. UF has to make them pay.

This is a dangerous game for UF. Their offense has been mediocre, and they have been surviving on field position and turnovers provided by special teams and defense.
This is the most complete team that UF has faced, and they are a perfect trap game between two big road games. If UF doesn't get big plays out of special teams and defense, then this game will be extremely close, because UK will score some points, and UF probably won't score enough to make this anything but a nail biter.

That being said, UK is #112 and #116 in kick return and punt return defense, and their net punting is average at #51 in the country, and their FG kicker is just 4-9 in his career. UF should win the special teams battle comfortably, which should give them better field position most of the day.

Here is my prediction:

1st Qtr - UF 3 - UK 7

I think UK comes storming out with a purpose like most teams have this year against Florida. I think this will mark the 4th straight game that UF's opponent scores first. I believe that Locke and Cobb will make some big plays in the first drive, Hartline will make a few throws, and UK will score early. I think UF gets good field position on the kickoff, and then moves the ball just enough for a FG. Both defenses settle down after that a bit.

Half time - UF 10 - UF 10

The 2nd quarter will be filled with angst. UK will get a FG to take a 10-3 lead, and then Florida fumbles away a drive. I think the defense makes a big stop, and then UK misses a mid range FG. I think Florida then drives down the field on a big play in the passing game, and scores a TD with very little time left before half time to eek out a tie after 2.

3rd Qtr - UF 24 - UK 17

UF, as per their usual pattern this year, comes out focused and driven in the 3rd quarter. They score a TD on their first drive and then the UF defense grabs an interception leaving UF with a short field leading to their next TD. UK does respond on a big play from Cobb late in the 3rd quarter.

Final - UF 34 - UK 17

At this point, UF is running the ball down UKs throat, and there isn't much they can do to stop it. UFs bigger, badder OL has taken over and the go on a long drive between the 3rd and 4th quarter to score another TD. UK drives back to respond, but is stopped on 4th down inside the UF 10 yard line. UF drives down the field slowly and methodically and adds another FG before time expires.

-I think UF will have over 400 yards of offense in the game, including 200-250 rushing. I think Kentucky will go over 300 as well, and it'll be clutch third down defense that makes the difference. I think UF will have a good day converting 3rd down, after watching the tape and seeing how money JB is on 3rd down.

-After the game, the absolute must fix issue of the year will be the 1st quarter. UF will have finally broken their scoreless streak with the early FG, but UF will now have been outscored 20-3 in the opening quarter through 4 games, and heading into the meat of the SEC schedule, people have to realize that if UF doesn't figure something out, they'll get blasted a few times.

-The offensive line will have it's best game of the year after overall, and a dominating 2nd half.

-People will still complain about the offense, but we will feel a bit better going into Alabama, that when UF absolutely must score, they can get the job done. ]]> slayerxing http://www.gatorcountry.com/swampgas/blog.php?b=154 http://www.gatorcountry.com/swampgas/blog.php?b=153 Sun, 19 Sep 2010 12:56:57 GMT This game went almost exactly as I expected. I though Florida would win by about 14 points, and I thought that UT would threaten in the 4th... This game went almost exactly as I expected.

I though Florida would win by about 14 points, and I thought that UT would threaten in the 4th quarter on an offensive miscue like a fumble by Florida. I figured UF would be extremely conservative, with Brantley throwing fewer than 30 passes and UF running more than 40 times. I was exactly right on that.

I know people are frustrated with the offense, and I knew they would be in the off season, because people had the unrealistic expectation that UF would be throwing the ball all over the field. But people need to understand UFs very real limitations:

#1 - John Brantley is not ready to throw the ball around 30-35 times a game and be expected to win games for Florida on a consistent basis.

#2 - The WRs on this team, while talented, are not world beaters. It's a solid group of guys from top to bottom, but there isn't that one guy that scares defenses, and more often than not, these guys are covered down field pretty effectively.

With these two issues, plus the fact that it was Brantley's FIRST SEC road start, it was easy to predict that Florida would be running way more than passing against Tennessee. And without the fumble 7 UT points, the strategy would have worked perfectly and UF would have blown UT out of the water.

I predicted before the game that turnovers and blown assignments would be the only way UT would keep it close, and I was 100% right. Both TD passes were blown coverages in the secondary, and the FG came on a short field after a 4th down stop. UT would have scored AGAIN after the PR fumble, but the UF defense stepped up and got that INT.

So UF gave up field position 3 times (downs, 2 FF) but they still managed to win the game, and that is mostly because of the defense. The defense was really awesome today. UT had 23 rushes for 29 yards, were sacked 6 times, and had 3 turnovers, 1 of which was a CRUCIAL stop in the red zone.

There were only 3 clearly bad plays all day. The 11 yard run by Tauren Poole where he broke 5 tackles. And the two blown coverages for TDs. (the last blown coverage on 4th down was PARTICULARLY terrible).

The 5-2 formation that UF used a lot of the day was devestating against the run, and gives me a lot of hope against Alabama that UF can at least slow them down a bit this year on the ground. UF has a lot of beef on that defensive line, and they have a creative blitz package that will cause havoc with every opponent UF plays. UF has some very tough games in October, but as long as the defense is mostly healthy, they should keep UF in every game they play, including the Alabama game in 2 weeks.

Leaders today:
Bostic - 8 tackles, 1 INT
Hicks - 6 tackles, 1.5 sacks
Je Jenkins - 6 tackles, 1 sack
Lemmens - 5 tackles, 1 sack

All in all, after a mediocre perfromance against USF, the LBs and the front 7 had a great day yesterday against UT.

Some things to think about going forward:

1. The slow first quarter/first half starts absolutely need to be addressed. When UF plays a good team like LSU or Alabama, they will find themselves in a big hole early if they cannot put up at least a few points to start the game. (Alabama had 300 yards of offense in the 1st quarter ALONE against Duke yesterday).

2. Special teams and defense for Florida look very strong this year. The only weakness that I can see is the PR game. UF is going to need good field position all year if they want to win games, so UF needs to work on the PR game.

3. The pass blocking this year has been really strong. If the line can just get some continuity and start run blocking better, you'll see UF's offense really take off. They just have to sort it out soon, because Alabama, LSU, and MSU all have top notch run defenses, and if UF doesn't have things sorted out, all 3 of those games could end up being extremely ugly.

4. I don't think Jeff Demps will survive much longer if he gets 26 carries per game. Gillislee and Moody combined for 13 carries. That should probably go up just a little bit because a healthy demps running 15 times on counters and sweeps is better than a tired, hurting Jeff Demps that runs 26 times per game, half of which are between the tackles for little or no gain.

5. That being said, I love the 2 back formations. I think we'll see a lot more of that going forward.

6. John Brantley needs to work on his deep throws down the field. He isn't very accurate over 15 yards down field right now, and that is limiting the offense.

7. UF needs Will Hill to have a good year in the secondary, so I hope he bounces back from what was a poor game in coverage. He did have 6 tackles and 1 FF, so he didn't have a terrible game, but he has decision making problems when it comes to his deep coverage responsibilities that need to be addressed. UF won't survive October with those kind of mistakes that he made in the 4th quarter.

All in all, I thought that this was a strong performance by a young team on the road, and I like that I continue to see improvement all over the field from game to game. UF has a tough test at home against a better-than-you-think Kentucky team that has some good skill players on offense this week, so lets see if the offense can show some good improvement this week before the big game @ Alabama. ]]> slayerxing http://www.gatorcountry.com/swampgas/blog.php?b=153 http://www.gatorcountry.com/swampgas/blog.php?b=152 Thu, 16 Sep 2010 14:58:08 GMT Link to UT depth chart: http://tennessee.rivals.com/cdepthtext.asp I think there are two big story lines going into this game: 1. Can UT... Link to UT depth chart: http://tennessee.rivals.com/cdepthtext.asp

I think there are two big story lines going into this game:

1. Can UT overcome depth and inexperience and play a complete game against a top tier team?

2. How will UFs offense look in their first SEC game after struggling for most of the first two games of 2010?

For the UT vs UF game, I think the answer to #1 and the answer to #2 are closely related. I say that because I think Florida's offense will help keep UT in the game for a while.

Some stats for you:

Up until the end of the 2nd quarter (6 minutes to go), Oregon had 24 plays for 78 yards and 3 points against Tennessee. And we can all sit here now and agree that Oregon has one of the best offenses in the country. The game opened up on two plays by Oregon.

1. With about 3 minutes to go in the 2nd Qtr, Oregon hit TE Brandon Williams for a 29 yard gain on 2nd and 10. It was Oregon's longest pass to that point, and it set up a field goal.

2. With about 1 minute to go in the 2nd Qtr, Oregon hit TE D. Paulson for a 27 yard TD pass on a similar route, beating the LB.

Those two plays loosened up the Tennessee defense, and then the whole house of cards came crashing down on that beautiful 72 yard run by James in the 2nd half.

Another factor that hurt Tennessee in that game was that the offense stopped moving the ball effectively. One of the keys to UTs season is keeping their defense off the field as much as possible because depth is such an issue. Once UT stopped moving the ball effectively, Oregon was able to get in rhythm and it was good night sweetheart. Tennessee couldn't move the ball regularly without the big play. They had 4 runs over 20 yards in the first half. That kept them in it.

So UF has to do three things to win:

1. Limit UTs big plays on the ground. - easier said than done. That OL is huge and talented. The only weakness is experience and depth.
2. Hit a couple big pass plays to keep UT honest on defense. - UT is especially weak it seems, over the middle of the field and with their LBs in pass coverage.
3. DON'T TURN THE BALL OVER - The early fumble by Oregon on their first KOR set them behind big time, and gave UT so much momentum.

I think UF will be fine with #1, but I worry, with a first time offense on the road, if they will manage #2 and #3 successfully.

My prediction:

UF comes out extremely conservative and a bit shaky to start the game. They struggle moving the ball with the run and short passes against a loaded box. UT is jacked also. UT scores a FG on a short field, and UF doesn't do much of anything all quarter offensively.

1st Q - UF 0 - UT 3

UF starts to settle in a bit, but the offense is still very disjointed. They manage to move into long FG range, but Sturgis misses. Tennessee capitalizes on UFs failure and gets another FG, but a nice KOR by demps sets UF up on a short field and UF scores a TD.

Half time - UF 7 - UT 6

Florida is a bit more successful in the 3rd quarter, and although their opening drive fails, the defense gives them a turnover and the UF offense scores a TD on a short field. The Tennessee offense is really bogged down now, and can't do much. The teams exchange punts, and then Florida puts together their best drive so far and scores another TD.

3rd Q - UF 21 - UT 6

UF is rolling now, and the UT defense is gassed. The UF OL is opening big holes and the RBs are getting yards in chunks. The only problem is, UF fumbles. UT scores after the turnover and gets two points to make it a game in the 4th quarter. UF is unable to answer, but UTs offense turns the ball over for at least the 2nd time, and UF is able to score after the turnover to ice the game.

Final - UF 28 - UT 14

I think people might really be unhappy with the offense after this game, but I think the criticism will be unfair. I think UF will end up with near 400 yards of offense, with most of that coming on the ground (maybe about 225) and will have played a very conservative game plan with a very young team on the road in the SEC.

The biggest concerns going forward will be:

1. The offenses inability to sustain drives.
2. The slow starts on offense in the first half. ]]> slayerxing http://www.gatorcountry.com/swampgas/blog.php?b=152 http://www.gatorcountry.com/swampgas/blog.php?b=151 Sun, 12 Sep 2010 15:46:18 GMT I am not afraid to admit that I was legitimately scared of USF pulling the upset on Florida this week, especially after the horrendous performance on... I am not afraid to admit that I was legitimately scared of USF pulling the upset on Florida this week, especially after the horrendous performance on offense in week 1 against Miami Ohio. I knew that USF would be sky high, and although I felt that UF would show improvement, I didn't know if it would be enough to handle USF's early intensity.

Well, I was right to be worried. Florida came out on its first possession and really looked uncomfortable, while USF came out prepared to slay the Giant. Florida hung in there with some decent defense and just enough offense to keep the field tilted against USF. Once UF finally got in the endzone, the floodgates opened, and UF looked much more comfortable playing with a lead in the 2nd half after Demps' big run.

So here is what I took from the game:

First - Florida is not a first half team right now. An interesting stat at ESPN shows that in 2 games, UF has 635 yards of offense (#92 in the country) and 460 of those yards (73%) have come in the 2nd half. I think this is happening for 2 reasons right now.

1. UF is FAR more comfortable playing with a lead.
2. Brantley and the rest of the offense seem to need a few series to hit their stride.

One mitigating factor in these stats is that both games had events that disrupted the offense. The Miami game had the bad snaps, and then USF had a 10 minute first quarter drive that probably killed the offensive energy, just standing there on the sideline watching.

Second - The Florida LBs are not playing extremely well. They are fast and talented, but they are missing tackles at the point of attack. Many of USFs big plays were because of missed tackles by the Lbs. When the score was 7-7, Murray had a big run for USF where he hit the hole, and Bostic was waiting for him, but then just whiffed badly on the tackle. Murray rumbled 33 yards, and if not for an unforced fumble at the UF 12 yard line, USF probably would have scored again. Who knows how that would have effected the game. Instead, UF recovered the fumble and scored 3 plays later to make it 14-7, and UF didn't look back after that.

There were at least 3 missed tackles in the first drive that hurt Florida as well. So, if UF wants to win more than they lose in the SEC, they'll have to clean that up, because teams in the SEC will eat them up with YAC if they don't fix that.

Third - UF may have one of the best secondaries in the entire country. Even with Hill out, and Jeremy Brown not playing in the 2nd half, UF DESTROYED USF's passing game. Janoris Jenkins and Ahmad Black are 2 of the best DBs in the entire country, and that allows the younger guys (shaw, elam, watkins, and riggs) to play with a lot more confidence because they know that if they make a mistake, Black can clean it up.

Black by the way, leads the team for the 2nd straight week in tackles, and now has 20 tackles and 3 INT.

Josh Evans has also played pretty well. He hasn't made any big mistakes and he is much faster than I thought. He provides UF with a solid option at FS, and has looked pretty good when he slides down into man coverage.

When Will Hill comes back though, this unit could really be unreal. Jeremy Brown needs to stay healthy though.

Final - You can see that this Gator team is a work in progress. 4 new coaches are working to try to find a groove with a bunch of new players. UF still has a number of starters out as well, and that has also effected the development of both the offense and the defense.

One thing is for sure: this team will rely a lot more on the freshman class than I originally thought. ]]> slayerxing http://www.gatorcountry.com/swampgas/blog.php?b=151 http://www.gatorcountry.com/swampgas/blog.php?b=150 Wed, 08 Sep 2010 15:08:26 GMT I wanted to do a prediction blog for each game this season, but I was too busy last week. Sick kid, busy time at work, a lot of you guys know the... I wanted to do a prediction blog for each game this season, but I was too busy last week. Sick kid, busy time at work, a lot of you guys know the drill.

Last week, I would have predicted a score like 52-6. I never had any idea that UF would come and play so poorly on offense. Before the season, I thought the defense would be ahead of offense, but I had no idea the extent of the growing pains that UF would experience right out of the gate.

Last week's performance makes predicting the game vs. South Florida so much more difficult, because I can't be 100% sure that we won't see the same bumbling, fumbling offense again on Saturday that we saw last week against Miami Ohio.

I'm going to compromise in this prediction, and figure that some of the simpler issues will be solved, like the snap, but I will assume that the offense will again struggle with so many new faces running around out there in starting positions.

Here's how I think it will go.

USF Defense:

Craig Marshal (6'4, 265) and David Bedford (6'4, 250) are both guys that have the ability to be a disruptive force on the edge, and Terrel McClain (6'3, 310) is one of the best DTs in the entire Big East and will provide a good test for UF's interior, which is a scary thought considering how badly they played last Saturday against a line with a lot less talent then USF. I think this unit is going to cause problems for UFs front all day, especially since the OL will still be trying to find chemistry and continuity.

That will open things up for USFs fast LB corp.

Something USF has that Miami didn't is a group of extremely fast LBs. None of them are very big, but they can all run with Florida. Lattimore (6'2, 230), Williams (6'3, 216), and Barrington (6'1, 225) look like they will get the start against Florida, with Lanaris (6'0, 232) being the #4 guy which UF will see a lot more of on short yardage situations, because his forte is big hits in small spaces. I think that this unit is going to be teeing off on UFs smaller backs all day long, with USFs DL causing so many problems up front in the run game.

I predict that the beginning of the game will be scary and frustrating, because UF will come out and try to establish the run and USF will be running them down for TFL, or 1 yard gains for most of the first quarter until UF decides to pass a bit more.

Eventually, when UF does start passing the ball a bit more, thats where UF will regain the advantage on offense. USFs secondary is probably the weakest part of defense. Quentin Washington (5'10, 190) and Mistral Raymond (6'2, 192) will probably start at corner. Both are fast and athletic, but aren't big playmakers in the passing game. Jerrel Young (6'1, 205) and John Lejiste (5'11, 202) will start at the 2 safety spots, and again, although Young has a lot of experience, and both are extremely fast, the unit has a whole doesn't have a stand out playmaker in the passing game. The unit has a combined 2 INT in a total of 71 games played and 24 starts. That isn't scaring anyone.

USF is going to have 8 men in the box fairly regularly and Brantley and the WRs are going to have to make plays, because the running isn't going to get it done all by itself against a team this fast, and this athletic on the LOS. USF will not be able to pressure Brantley consistently without sending pressure, and I think Brantley will make the right reads, and USF won't make enough big plays, to stop Florida from moving the ball and scoring some points passing the football.

USF Offense:

OT - Jamar Bass, 6'3, 283 13g, 6st
OG - Jeremiah Warren, 6'4, 315, 20g, 13st
C - Sampson Genus - 6'1, 315, 31g, 17st
OG - Chaz Hine - 6'4, 300, 20g, 12st
OT - Jacob Sims - 6'5, 290, 23g, 19st

As you can see, USF has a solid, experienced BCS OL, with one of the better centers in the entire country. This unit will challenge Florida at the LOS, especially at DE. One thing I noticed about the Miami game, was that Duke Lemmens was consistently going against a true freshman right tackle, and consistently being neutralized. There is a pretty big step up in competition this week on the OL, and I think the pass rush, without a blitz, is going to be pretty much nonexistent. I do think, however, that UF matches up very well against USF's ground game.

Moise Plancher (5'8, 195) is a solid tough nosed back, but isn't going to be breaking a lot of long runs, especially against UFs stout run defense and fast, hard hitting LBs. USF will mix it up by bringing in Demetris Murray (5'10, 206) but again, he isn't exactly a game breaker. As long as UF isn't missing tackles at the point of contact too often, USF is not going to be able to run right at Florida. USF's biggest threat in the run game is actually their talented QB, BJ Daniels (6'1, 212) who is probably the most athletic starting QB that UF will see this year besides Aaron Murray. He is fast, and strong for his size, and has a cannon for an arm. UF will have to play contain, further hurting their pass rush, because if he breaks free, he can run a long way, even against a team like Florida.

I think BJ Daniels will hurt Florida a few times with his feet, and make a couple of big plays in the passing game by buying himself more time against UFs average outside pass rush. I think UF will try to compensate by spying him with a fast LB or safety, but still, the guy is a playmaker, and he'll be a hard match up for anyone.

The two main targets in the passing game will be Dontavia Bogan (6'1, 188) and Evan Landi (6'3, 221). This (by far) isn't the most dynamic group of WRs that UF will see this year, and it is a good match up for UFs athletic corners. Jenkins will absolutely shut down whoever is across from him, and although Landi will have a significant size advantage, he is going to be hounded all day by a much faster player and I doubt he'll see too much open field. The one weakness UF had against Miami was in the short zone over the middle of the field, where Bostic and Jenkins played too shallow pretty consistently, and Miami was able to complete 5 yard passes pretty easily, but USF doesn't really have a dynamic player that UF has to worry about. Kevin Gidrey will be the starter at TE, and he isn't much of a pass catcher, although he has a ton of experience at ECU where he played in 40 games before transferring to USF.

As long as UF doesn't miss a lot of tackles, the skill players outside of Daniels aren't going to be much of a threat.

Special Teams

This is where UF has its biggest advantage, IMO. Stony Brook got 14 points off USF miscues in the kicking game, and although UF didn't exactly have a great game kicking the ball, their punt block team looked dangerous in the opener. UF is going to come after USF really hard in this game, and I think they'll get one. The USF return game isn't that good, they only had 41 yards on 3 returns against Stony Brook, and the PR game will be neutralized by Chaz Henry and UFs normally stout PR defense. I'll actually be surprised if they even get more than 1 return all day, and I doubt that will go too far. Their KO return defense looked OK, but we haven't seen their PR defense yet, but with their speed, I doubt UF breaks a big play on returns on Saturday.

Final prediction:

I think USF will come out with a TON of energy and frustrate Florida early by stopping the run and will score the first points of the game on a short field provided by either a Florida turnover, or the Florida offense moving backwards. The game will look ugly early. UF will miss a FG.

1st quarter UF 0 - USF 7

In the 2nd quarter, the UF defense will help settle everyone down by forcing a turnover and giving the UF offense a short field to work with. Uf ties it up, and USF is unable to move the ball very well most of the quarter against UFs fast, aggressive defense, but they do add another FG. The UF offense finally gets going a bit by passing a bit more and puts up a FG and a TD.

Half time UF 17 - USF 10

In the 3rd quarter, I think the UF special teams deliver a big play with a punt block which leads either directly to a TD, or an extremely short field for the offense to convert an easy TD. USF is reeling and gets stopped again, but the UF offense turns it over, and USF uses a short field to score 7. UF responds by having a fairly nice drive, which stalls and leads to another short FG attempt.

3rd quarter UF 27 - USF 17

USF manages to get another FG because of Daniels ability to avoid the rush and make a big play with his feet. It hasn't hurt UF too much today, but it has kept USF in the game on offense. Florida gets the ball needing to score to save the day, but fails. However, the defense saves the day forcing another turnover, and although the UF offense fails to punch it in, Sturgis hits his 3rd short FG of the day to ice the game.

Final: UF 30 - USF 20

I think UF will only have about 300-350 yards of offense, and the boo birds will be out in force after the game. Adazzio will be in deep trouble, and confidence in the team will be at its lowest point since the Michigan debacle in 2007. The defense will play a great game, and USF will only have about 200-250 yards of offense, but people will be all doom and gloom heading to Tennessee with the offense looking so weak.

I think it will be a positive step for the team though, and they will continue to improve each week. ]]> slayerxing http://www.gatorcountry.com/swampgas/blog.php?b=150 http://www.gatorcountry.com/swampgas/blog.php?b=149 Thu, 02 Sep 2010 03:21:48 GMT Something's coming your way! :dracula: ]]> Aardvark http://www.gatorcountry.com/swampgas/blog.php?b=149 http://www.gatorcountry.com/swampgas/blog.php?b=148 Fri, 27 Aug 2010 12:23:09 GMT Image: http://imgur.com/Dfxig.png ]]> u8evol19i http://www.gatorcountry.com/swampgas/blog.php?b=148 http://www.gatorcountry.com/swampgas/blog.php?b=147 Wed, 18 Aug 2010 12:43:31 GMT Stats for Week 2 of the Preseason after Saturday's Games

]]> u8evol19i http://www.gatorcountry.com/swampgas/blog.php?b=147 http://www.gatorcountry.com/swampgas/blog.php?b=145 Tue, 17 Aug 2010 12:04:51 GMT Here are the stats for the Gators from Week 1 of the Preseason. Image: http://imgur.com/jRPOa.png Here are the stats for the Gators from Week 1 of the Preseason.

]]> u8evol19i http://www.gatorcountry.com/swampgas/blog.php?b=145 http://www.gatorcountry.com/swampgas/blog.php?b=141 Fri, 13 Aug 2010 15:05:18 GMT 1. AJ Jones is one of the more underrated LBs in the SEC. I didn't realize it, but AJ was really stuffing the stat sheet last year before he got hurt.

2009 (9 games) - 37 tackles, 4.5 TFL, 3 sacks, 3 INT, 2 PBU, 1 QBH

According to a recent article, he's up to 230 pounds and hasn't really lost any of his outstanding speed after working hard in the summer. He's become a vocal leader on a unit looking for new leadership, and I think he's going to have a big year for Florida if he stays healthy.


2. Will Hill and Ahmad Black had an underwhelming year in 2009. I wonder if the defensive coaches look back at 2009 and wonder why the hell they ever changed things up and had these two guys platoon instead of just keeping Ahmad Black on the field full time:

Will Hill 2009 (14 games) - 42 tackles, 1.5 TFL, 1.5 sacks, 1 PBU, 3 QBH
Ahmad Black (14 games) - 70 tackles, 2.5 TFL, 1 Sack, 1 INT, 5 PBU, 1 QBH

A lot of people are counting on UF having a solid secondary, but in order for that dream to come true, the safety rotation is going to have to be a lot more dynamic than they were last year. Also, any injuries to these two would be fairly catastrophic, if you consider that the two back ups are currently true freshmen.


3. If Lawrence Marsh can just stay healthy, I think he might be the all-around most disruptive interior linemen on the team. He had a great year in 2008 starting in 13 games as just a sophomore:

2008 (13 games): 28 tackles, 5.5 TFL, 3 sacks, 1 QBH

Coaches were expecting him to build on that solid year in 2009, but injury just kept him off the field and no other DT could match his 2008 production in 2009. He only played in 9 games, and never started. If UF is really going to be intimidating in the middle, then Lawrence Marsh needs to play and play well.


4. Janoris Jenkins' sophomore year was a step down from his freshman year. His production in pass defense dropped off, he got beat deep in some key situations, and he never seemed to recover after getting in trouble early in the year.

2008: (14 games) - 39 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 sack, 3 INT, 11 PBU, 1 FF
2009: (13 games) - 38 tackles, 3 TFL, 2 INT, 6 PBU, 1 FF

If UFs defense wants to be elite, then they will need at least 1 lock down corner. Someone they can trust on an island. If Jenkins can return to his 2008 form, then they have their man, but if he is inconsistent like 2009, then UF might be in trouble.


5. Justin Trattou has played all over the defensive line since he came to UF. With the seeming lack of a premier pass rusher at defensive end, it falls to Trattou in 2010 to create some havoc at the position. Some people are worried about this, but just look all the way back to his freshman year in 2007 when he played almost entirely at defensive end:

2007 (12 games): 21 tackles, 6.5 TFL, 3.5 sacks, 2 FF, 1 PBU, 1 INT, 2 QBH

That's pretty disruptive for a true freshman that played with a weak rotation at DT. With his move to DE being more permanent in 2010, I really expect that his production is going to just explode this season. My guess is 10+ TFL and 7+ sacks.


6. The perception outside of Gainesville is that UF does not have an every down back. I believe that perception will change this year because of Jeff Demps. He's as big as he's ever been (5'8, 190) and he'll finally get more than 100 carries in a season this year.

I think the rest of the SEC is going to be shocked by his emergence as one of the premier backs in the league in this offense. He's proven time and again that he can break the big play, but most importantly, (and I think the least known) is that he proved he can carry a team for tough yards in a defensive slug fest.

He had 16 carries for 86 yards, mostly on inside runs, in a hard fought 13-3 win against LSU in 2009, proving that he can provide the tough yards against some of the best in the SEC.

I think he'll be UFs first 1000 yard back in a while if he can stay healthy.


7. Deonte Thompson absolutely must step up and finally be "the man" in 2010. In 2009, Riley Cooper picked up the slack, and was the deep threat that the team needed Thompson to be. Well, Cooper is gone, and while Carl Moore might end up being Brantley's most important target in 2010, Thompson MUST stretch defenses vertically, otherwise UF will be regularly looking at defenses stuffing the box with 8+ defenders without much fear. One could argue that outside of Brantley, Thompson might be the most critical piece to the offensive puzzle for UF in 2010.


8. Carl Moore absolutely must stay healthy in 2010. I know I said before that DT might be UF's most critical offensive player because of his ability to stretch the defense, but there is at least a chance that someone like Frankie Hammond Jr. or Andre Debose could shift over and play the position. But outside of a raw talent like Stephen Alli, there just isn't anyone on the team that has the physical tools of Carl Moore.

He has legit 4.5 speed, he's 6'4, 217 pounds, and just a tough match up for most corners. IMO, he'll be the Dallas Baker of 2010, providing Brantley with a big, consistent target on intermediate routes and fade routes in the endzone. I would not be surprised AT ALL if he leads the team in TD receptions in 2010, especially if Thompson takes care of business on his side of the field. BUT HE MUST STAY HEALTHY.


9. The Florida offense CAN'T turn the ball over. One of Tebow's greatest attributes was his ability to protect the football. UF has only had 44 turnovers lost since 2007 when Tebow started, which is easily the lowest total in the SEC during that stretch. That's 44 turnovers in 41 games. (Alabama is #2 with 51). Florida lost 37 in 2005 and 2006 with a more traditional QB.

The offense will change slightly with Brantley at the helm, and with more passing comes more risk. John Brantley's #1 responsibility has to be to protect the football. Chris Leak threw 13 INTs in 2006, a fairly high number considering that UF ran more that it passed, and Leak was consistently bailed out by an extremely tough and opportunistic 2006 defensive unit.

Brantley probably won't have the same luck with the 2010 gator defense, and so he must prioritize ball security when leading the offense. So far in his career, he's shown that he can protect the football, and he must continue to do so if UF is going to be a great team in 2010.


10. If Durkin takes care of business, UF will have one of the best special teams units in the country in 2010.

Chaz Henry is one of the best punters in the country, and was #2 in net punting average in 2009, nailing 15 of his 34 punts inside opponents 20, and between him and the PR defense, UF only gave up 21 yards on 5 returns.

Caleb Sturgis made 22-30 kicks in his first year as a starter, and made the longest FG in the SEC last year at 56 yards. He'll probably be one of the finalists for best kicker in 2010 if he can just solidify his kick offs.

Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps were both extremely effective at KR and PR duties in their limited time in that position in 2009, and probably represent two of the most dangerous return men in the country. I wouldn't be surprised if both of them are in the top 15 in both KR and PR yardage in 2010. ]]> slayerxing http://www.gatorcountry.com/swampgas/blog.php?b=141 http://www.gatorcountry.com/swampgas/blog.php?b=138 Thu, 05 Aug 2010 13:11:40 GMT At pretty much every stop Urban Meyer has made in his coaching career, the offense has been pretty much the same. Even when Dan Mullen became his new... At pretty much every stop Urban Meyer has made in his coaching career, the offense has been pretty much the same. Even when Dan Mullen became his new offensive coordinator, the offense was still pretty similar to what he had run at Utah.

Read option, speed option, counter, shovel pass, and a relatively simple passing game, made so much more dangerous by his mobile QB's, fast WRs, and potent running game.

In 2009, Urban Meyer had probably his most diverse offensive staff in his entire career. Scott Loeffler, known more for his work with pro-style QB's, Steve Addazio, known more for his work with the OL than his mind as an offensive coordinator, and Billy Gonzales, a guy who had been teaching WR's the spread option offense since 2001.

So maybe it shouldn't come as a surprise that UF looked bi-polar on offense at times in 2009. You had a spread option QB trying to play like a pocket passer, an offense that relied mostly on speed and misdirection in 2008, alternating between that same strategy, and a power game with 2 backs under 190 pounds in 2009, and only a handful of WR that could actually grasp the subtle changes in the offense.

Maybe I'm being unfair. UF certainly did have some personnel limitations in 2009, specifically at WR, which maybe forced some of the schizophrenia on offense. UF did win 13 games, and they did end up in the top 10 in total offense and scoring offense, but it didn't look pretty. Now, if Urban Meyer were here, he'd kick me, because being pretty and winning are two completely different things. But the increased sacks allowed, the drop in 3rd down productivity, and the red zone hiccups really took away from what could have been one of the best offenses EVER at Florida.

Now it's 2010. John Brantley is the QB for Florida, and most people are expecting a new look Florida offense to be unveiled in September. But how different will it really look?

Well here are some key differences:

1. In 2009, Tim Tebow looked like a fish out of water trying to stay planted in that pocket. In 2010, John Brantley should be a lot more comfortable in the pocket, and I'm guessing that will mean less sacks, and less happy feet. So I'm guessing the passing game will look cleaner, and be more productive, although I don't think a lot of the plays are really going to change on paper.

2. In 2009, the speed and misdirection running game was limited to Jeff Demps and Chris Rainey. There wasn't any danger from the slot, and no other offensive player could really contribute. In 2010, Rainey moves to the slot, Debose is healthy, Gillislee adds depth at RB with Demps, and UF adds a bevy of quick players that could immediately impact that aspect of the offense. Again, it'll look different, but the plays won't change, they'll just be more successful.

3. The power game in 2009 was limited to Tim Tebow and Tim Tebow. In 2010, Tebow is gone, but Mike Gillislee and Emmanuel Moody return. Mack Brown could also make an immediate impact on the position, so UF is much bigger at RB this year, and with more diversity in the power game, the offense won't so much resemble a one man battering ram. This will look a lot different from 2009.

So here's my point. On paper, the offense itself will not actually be that much different in 2010 than it was in 2009, but it will LOOK different on the field.

The reason is this: As it turns out, with all the coaching changes on offense, 2009 was a transition year for UF. They had a pro-style QB coach and a spread option QB. They had a guy that loves running the ball with power at OC, but a team with only one consistent guy running the ball that weighed over 200 pounds. And they had a WR coach that was trying to play catch-up most of the year with a short bench. So, yeah, the offense looked ugly and out of sorts at times, even though it was one of the top offenses in the country. But it's just because the pieces didn't fit perfectly.

2010 should look much better. The personnel fits the coaches better, IMO, and these offensive coaches will show us what they can do when that happens. It could be a big year.

But the offense won't actually be that different. ]]> slayerxing http://www.gatorcountry.com/swampgas/blog.php?b=138 http://www.gatorcountry.com/swampgas/blog.php?b=137 Fri, 30 Jul 2010 19:22:46 GMT Offense *QB - John Brantley, Trey Burton/Jordan Reed* The only debate here is who will handle short yardage and running situations. I assume... Offense

QB - John Brantley, Trey Burton/Jordan Reed
The only debate here is who will handle short yardage and running situations. I assume Trey Burton will win those duties, based on the spring game. But you never know. Jordan Reed is just an injury away from being the back up. Heck, he's a stinger and a sprained ankle away from starting. That's a scary thought. I hope Tyler Murphy can come in and provide immediate depth, although I doubt it.

RB - Jeff Demps, Mike Gillislee/Emmanuel Moody.
Even without practicing in the spring because of track, Demps is pretty much expected to be the #1 back this Fall. But this is Moody's last chance. At the end of spring, Mike G was winning the battle for #2, but a lot of that was because Moody kept getting dinged up. If Moody doesn't stay healthy, and/or toughen up, he'll spend another year as UFs 3rd string back. Tr Fr Mack Brown could make a big move at this position in the Fall if he's as good as advertised, so both Mike G and Moody better be on their game.

FB - Steven Wilks, TJ Pridemore
I actually forgot to add this position until I after posted. But they shouldn't be forgotten. Urban Meyer's offense has changed since he came to the SEC. One of the changes was adding a FB. Both these players are great blockers, although Pridemore might have the edge there, but Wilks is a serviceable blocker, and can catch passes out of the backfield as well. I wouldn't be surprised to see a few TDs tossed their way this year. It'll be interesting to see how much time they see this year, and in what formations.

WR - Deonte Thompson, Carl Moore, and Ommarius Hines.
These are the first WR on the field right now. Frankie Hammond Jr would have been one of those guys, but his behavior cost him his spot, and he probably has a long way to go to earn it back. After those 3 though? Huge question mark. Stephen Alli is talented but still raw. Justin Williams has never made the move to play. TJ Lawrence seems to be the furthest behind of all 3 of the class of 2008 WR. So that leaves all the young guys. Patton and Clark are both slot guys. Dunbar won't be ready to play right away most likely. So that leaves True Freshmen Chris Dunkley and Adrian Coxson. It's really important that at least one of those guys steps up and plays a role in the offense in 2010, because the quality depth at WR outside of the slot position is worrisome, especially with Hammond's legal issues.

Slot- Chris Rainey, Andre Debose.
This is Rainey's spot to lose right now. The only reason he might eventually lose it to Debose is because Rainey is not even close to being as dangerous deep down the field as AD. If Debose stays healthy, and takes care of business, then Rainey's role might be reduced as the year goes along. One thing is for sure: It's nice to have two guys like this. If both get injured, Robert Clark and Solomon Patton provide some depth at the position.

TE - Jordan Reed, Gerald Christian, Desmond Parks
Probably the biggest question mark on offense this year is the TE position. As I understand it, heading out of spring practice, RS FR Jordan Reed, the converted QB, was ahead of Tr Fr Gerald Christian on the depth chart, but not by a lot. Desmond Parks fall way behind when he got injured. I'm not even sure if he'll 100% by the fall. We'll have to wait and see. Not a bad group at all, and more depth than last year, but not a consistent threat like A. Hernandez from 2009.

Offensive Line
LT Xavier Nixon
LG Carl Johnson
C Mike Pouncey
RT Marcus Gilbert

We know these 4 for 100% certain. The only thing that might lose them their positions is injury. There has been some whispers that Nixon and Matt Patchan could split time at LT, but until I see Patchan with my own eyes, ready to play, I'll consider that a rumor and not fact.

The battle at RG

It looks like James Wilson and Maurice Hurt are the two guys fighting for the starting spot at RG. Most people have Wilson penciled in as the starter, but it's too early to know for sure. Both players have a lot of experience. James Wilson 4 starts and played in 24 games, Mo Hurt has started 6 games and played in 29. Either way, UF should be pretty solid at the position, and hopefully will get at least equal play to last year when Mike Pouncey was over there.

OL depth
Sam Robey, David Young, Jonathan Harrison, Nick Alajajian, John Halapio, and Matt Patchan (if healthy)
These guys round out the top 10, really 12, on the OL. They all played admirably in the spring when depth was limited because of injury, and really give UF a strong, deep unit at the position. The cross training of Nick Alajajian could really pay big dividends in the future IMO. It's always nice to have versatile linemen like that. Getting Matt Patchan back from injury is important as well, since he might be one of the best Tackles UF has ever had if he can ever stay healthy.

Defense

Defensive End - Justin Trattou, William Green/Duke Lemmens
Justin Trattou is a for sure starter. Most believe that William Green will eventually beat out Lemmens for the other position, but after watching a couple practices in the spring, Lemmens looked just as good, if not quite as fast. Of course, if Ronald Powell comes in and is just amazing right away, he might take the position all for himself, although I can't remember the last time a freshman came in and started at Defensive End for UF. The depth after that is kind of scary at this point. Earl Okine, Lerentee McCray and Kedric Johnson will provide depth. If Okine could ever step up and play every down, man, that would be a dream come true for UFs defense.

Defensive Tackle - Jaye Howard, Omar Hunter, Lawrence Marsh, Terron Sanders
I put all four names up there because any of the 4 could start. That's how deep and solid UF is at the position. Brandon Antwine, if healthy, will play a lot on short yardage situations, but those 4 are the main guys that will see the field. Interesting note, Sanders and Marsh started almost every game for UF in 2008, and might not start this year because Howard and Hunter have played so well during the spring while the other two were nursing injuries. It will be an intense spring competition. Especially if you consider the talented freshmen coming in to compete with them. Personally, I'd be shocked if any young guys break into this rotation.

Linebacker - AJ Jones, Brandon Hicks, Jelani Jenkins/Jon Bostic
These will be the first 4 LB on the field. Lorenzo Edwards will be the 5th, and is a nice luxury to have as a back up. He can play any of the three positions. It's really just too bad he never lived up to his immense hype out of HS, but he gives UF a nice SR presence in the line up at the position. Outside of those 5 guys? not much happening. Dee Finley will be an OK back up, but probably isn't ready yet for full time work at the position after moving from safety. Neiron Ball got work at LB in the spring, but he'll probably eventually move to end when he bulks up. The other incoming freshmen are probably all redshirt candidates. UF really would like one more guy to step up and be ready to contribute.

Cornerback - Janoris Jenkins, Moses Jenkins/Jeremy Brown
Janoris a lock to start, and the only real battle is between Brown and Moses for the #2 spot. Meyer said Brown leads, but the position is totally up for grabs. Tr Fr Jaylen Watkins is the solid #2 behind Janoris, and Josh Shaw (who might eventually move to safety) is battling hard to be mentioned as a starter or at least #2 on the other side of the field. My guess, Shaw is probably the #4 or #5 corner right now.

Safety - Ahmad Black, Will Hill
A strong tandem, especially if Will Hill can improve on what was a mostly uneventful sophomore campaign. They were backed up most of the spring by Tr Fr Jordan Haden and Matt Elam, who is also the starting nickel back leaving spring practice. Josh Evans was hurt, but when healthy, will provide depth, and unless Tr Fr Jonathan Dowling moves to WR, he will probably break into the S rotation in the Fall. Outside of Black and Hill, the youth here is kind of scary. This is one position where UF cannot afford any injuries.

P - Chaz Henry.
A great punter. 34 punts, 15 inside his opponents 20. Only 21 yards allowed in returns. Really one of UFs best ST weapons.

K - Caleb Sturgis
He has a powerful leg. He made 22-30 kicks in 2009. He hit a 56 yarder in 2009, which was the longest all year in the SEC. ]]> slayerxing http://www.gatorcountry.com/swampgas/blog.php?b=137 http://www.gatorcountry.com/swampgas/blog.php?b=136 Tue, 27 Jul 2010 12:06:47 GMT OK< How much will it cost us? ]]> m0tormanb http://www.gatorcountry.com/swampgas/blog.php?b=136