Gator Clause

TIM TEBOW UPDATE: Looked 'terrific' on Tuesday night

GAINESVILLE -- Florida coach Urban Meyer addressed quarterback Tim Tebow's status on Wednesday morning during the weekly Southeastern Conference coaches' teleconference:

"I've turned this over to our medical staff," Meyer said. "And every day -- because I don't know and I don't want to mislead anyone or say something that's not right -- so every day, because I do the same thing, 'What's new with Tim?' it's day to day and there is nothing earth shattering. They're continuing to monitor. Last night I saw him around 9 and he looked terrific. That's the best I've seen him look. Yesterday during the day he looked OK. He looked good. So it's day to day with him. I've yet to see him today."

Meyer will speak to reporters around 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

Meyer said during the teleconference that back-up cornerback Moses Jenkins of Lauderdale Lakes Boyd Anderson, who also had a concussion on Saturday, is receiving the same care as Tebow.

Offensive lineman Marcus Gilbert of Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas has a bruised elbow and bicep. Mike and Maurkice Pouncey are also slightly injured (Mike's ankle; Maurkice's shoulder) but should be fine by next week.

--The flu continues to spread through the team. On Monday, cornerback Markihe Anderson and safety Will Hill were sick. On Tuesday scout-team quarterback Andrew Blaylock and reserve defensive end Kedric Johnson had a fever.

"The good thing is we're going to go Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and then Friday, Saturday, Sunday they're off," Meyer said. "And they're back Monday morning read to go, so we're hoping that kind of wipes it out."

-jo-

TUESDAY TIM TEBOW UPDATE: Symptoms of concussion remain

JOSEPH GOODMAN
jgoodman@MiamiHerald.com

GAINESVILLE -- University of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow is still having headaches.

On Tuesday afternoon, almost three days after suffering a concussion during the third quarter of UF's 41-7 win against Kentucky, the All-American quarterback continued to show lingering symptoms of his brain injury. Tebow had headaches on Monday as well, according to Florida coach Urban Meyer.

"It's day to day," Meyer said. "It could change Wednesday. It could change Thursday."

Florida's medical team did not address the media on Tuesday but did release a statement without attribution: "Tim continues to rest and recover. He also undergoes daily testing and we continue to monitor his resolution of symptoms."

Tuesday's tests included measures of Tebow's internal equilibrium, cognitive response time and memory. Tebow will likely undergo daily testing for at least another week. Meyer observed Tuesday's testing for about 20 minutes.

"It's not like a test, 'How's your ankle? Fine. Good,'" Meyer said. "You have to pass the tests and he did good."

After his tests, Tebow met briefly with his teammates, received an ovation for being named offensive player of the game against Kentucky and then went back to his apartment to rest.

"I talked to him for a minute," Meyer said. "This isn't like a turf toe or a shoulder. This is a concussion. So, he's a grown man. He's going to take care of himself and I'm very proud of the way he's handling it, which you would expect."

According to Meyer, Tebow is not allowed to read or watch television "until later in the week -- maybe Thursday." Meyer said that UF's general protocol for players with concussions is a "non-stimulus environment, like a dark room, and rest as much as you can."

On Monday, Meyer said that he was hopeful Tebow could play against LSU but the coach was more subdued on Tuesday, telling reporters that he "hasn't even talked about" the subject with Tebow. "We're just trying to get healthy," Meyer said.

Florida's players remain optimistic that Tebow can play at No.4 LSU (4-0) on Oct. 10. No.1 Florida (4-0) does not play on Saturday.

"I think they're going to do everything in their power to get Tim ready to play," cornerback Joe Haden said. "And the bye week definitely helps."

#30#

Rest Tim Tebow: Florida can lose to LSU and still play for the national title

GAINESVILLE -- I thought about writing a blog post today about who's to blame for Tim Tebow's concussion. It's a hot subject and everyone else seems to be doing it. Then again, in the three seasons I've covered college football, I've learned to swim against the current and focus my efforts elsewhere when everyone else is writing the same thing.

There's no need to point fingers -- just my opinion. Tebow returned to UF in part to win another Heisman Trophy and that's why he was still in the game against Kentucky. As for the play when Tebow suffered his concussion, offensive coordinator Steve Addazio bravely took the blame on Monday when he told reporters that he should have called a different play. But it's not really Addazio's fault.  In the end, a freak accident is to blame.

A freak accident -- Tebow's head colliding with Marcus Gilbert's knee (I've heard that Gilbert is taking this whole thing pretty badly, so Florida's coaches probably need to counsel this guy and let him know that it's not his fault.) -- is the subject of this blog post. Due to the circumstances of Tebow's injury and based upon the current landscape of college football, it's my opinion that UF can lose to LSU without Tebow and still play for the national title.

If you focus on the outcome of the LSU game from a simple risk-reward scenario, there is far more that UF can lose than it can gain by playing Tebow against the Tigers. If Florida rushes Tebow back from his concussion and he suffers another concussion against LSU, then everyone from UF coach Urban Meyer, to athletic director Jeremy Foley, to the team doctor, to the university president, will be in big-time trouble.

It's simply not worth the risk of playing Tebow against LSU when you take into account the first month of the college football season. At the beginning of the season, we all thought that UF vs. LSU would be the pivotal game of the season for both teams. Well, that's not the case anymore. This is not a must win game for Florida.

With so much upheaval in the Top 10 during the first four weeks of the season -- Penn State, Oklahoma, California, Miami, Virginia Tech, Ohio State, USC and Oklahoma State all have one loss already -- Florida can lose to LSU and still play for the national title. Florida can still run the table in the SEC East, defeat either Alabama, LSU or Ole Miss in the SEC championship game and receive a bid to the title game.

Does anyone actually think that a one-loss Florida team (whose only loss came without Tebow) would be left out of the national title game? No. Absolutely not. Ain't gonna happen! No voter in the coaches poll or the Harris poll will deny a one-loss Florida team a berth to the national title game if the Gators' only loss was at LSU ... at night ... without Tebow ... and with a back-up quarterback making his first career start.

Let's take a look around the country. Is an undefeated Boise State team going to play for a national title over a one-loss Florida team? No. Is an undefeated Cincinnati team going to play for a national title over a one-loss Florida team? No. What about a one-loss Virginia Tech team. No, the Hokies lost to Alabama. What about a one-loss Ohio State team? No. A one-loss Florida team will be ranked ahead of a one-loss Ohio State by the end of the season. Same goes for Penn State, USC, Oregon, Cal -- a one-loss Florida team will be ranked ahead of all these pretenders.

Does anyone really think South Florida and Iowa are going to finish the season undefeated? No. Will a one-loss UF team be ranked ahead of an undefeated TCU team? Yes. Is Michigan going undefeated? No. And even if the Wolverines run the table, I'd rank a one-loss Florida team ahead of Michigan. Notre Dame? Please.

If Florida loses to LSU without Tebow and then runs the table, UF will get the sympathy vote and will be ranked ahead of all other one-loss teams and non-BCS undefeated also-rans.

Rest Tebow against LSU. It's not a must-win game and the risky consequences of playing Tebow (no matter how small and unlikely and no matter how asymptomatic Tebow is by next week) far outweigh the consequences of losing at LSU. 

And, personally, I still think UF can defeat LSU with John Brantley under center.

-jo-

Did Tim Tebow have a slight concussion after collision with Eric Berry?

GAINESVILLE -- My brother back home in Birmingham (who I think is turning into a Florida fan) brought this to my attention today: Did Tim Tebow have a slight concussion after colliding with Tennessee's Eric Berry two weeks ago?

After re-watching the video of the play, I can see my brother's concern. Tebow shakes his head briefly after the play as if to shake off the hit. A Florida team spokesman told me on Sunday that Tebow's concussion against Kentucky was the first of his career. It certainly wasn't Tebow's first blow to the head, though.

Against Tennessee, even Florida coach Urban Meyer was briefly concerned about Tebow after his collision with Berry. After the play, Meyer said he made a point to ask Tebow if he was OK. Florida called a timeout on first and goal two plays after Tebow's collision with Tennessee's strong safety.

-jo-

TIM TEBOW UPDATE: Meyer thinks the quarterback will play against LSU

GAINESVILLE -- Florida coach Urban Meyer said that quarterback Tim Tebow was still symptomatic on Monday after suffering a concussion on Saturday evening during the third quarter of UF's 41-7 win against Kentucky.

Meyer said Tebow had headaches on Monday but said that tests were positive and that Tebow is improving. Tebow will undergo tests throughout the week and Meyer said to expect daily updates on Tebow's condition. 

Asked if Tebow will play against LSU on Oct. 10, Meyer siad, "I think so, but I don't know that."

-jo-

Dr. Robert Cantu, renowned neurosurgeon, sheds light on Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow's concussion

GAINESVILLE -- Don't expect University of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow to practice this week but he could be ready for the Gators' away game on Oct.10 against No.4 Louisiana State, according to Dr. Robert Cantu, a renowned neurosurgeon who is considered a leading expert on return-to-play guidelines for sports concussions.

Because we're just as concerned about Timmy as the rest of the college football world, Gator Clause decided to go directly to the source for an explanation for our many questions regarding sports-related concussions, the many grading scales used in diagnosing concussions and, most importantly: When is it OK for Tebow to return to the playing field?

First, an introduction: Dr. Cantu published the first ever return-to-play guidelines for sports concussions in 1986 (known as the Cantu Scale). Slightly revised in 2001 and still the most widely recognized guidelines by athletic trainers, he devised the first grading system for concussions based on symptoms at the time of injury (Grades 1, 2, 3) and provided medical professionals with concussion management guidelines where there existed none before.

Dr. Cantu served as President of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), the oldest and largest sports medicine and exercise-science organization in the world, from 1992 to 1993. At the 2007 ACSM's annual meeting, Dr. Cantu was asked to give the prestigious J.B. Dill Lecture, and presented "The History of Concussions."

Q&A with Dr. Robert Cantu:

OK, so we've established that there is pretty much no one else in this world that knows more about sports-related concussions than Dr. Cantu. With the introductions out of the way, here's a Q&A I had with Dr. Cantu on Monday morning. It should be noted that Dr. Cantu spoke in generalities on Monday as he is not familiar with Tebow's case, medical history or symptoms. Generally speaking, according to Dr. Cantu, Tebow will likely be able to return to the practice field after a week if he is asymptomatic in the next few days.

Q: What are the chances Tebow returns to the field after a week of rest?
A: The bottom line is, as I think you can appreciate, when you talk about concussion and recovery patterns and all that stuff, it's a bell-shaped curve and the majority of people return within a week, probably about 75 to 80 percent. But that's not everybody, and there is no way on Day One to know whether someone is going to clear and be in that 80 percent group or be in that 20 percent group where symptoms may go on and last more than a week or even weeks.

It's possible that Tim could be in the fortunate group and within another four or five days he's asymptomatic and it's also possible Tim could be in that group that he is still going to be symptomatic in four or five days. And if he's in that group it's not safe for him to practice much less even work out. He should be asymptomatic at rest before he's allowed to exert himself and see whether exertion produces symptoms.

Q: What is Tebow doing right now, in the next few days, to recover from his concussion?
A: Right now it's a cognitive rest period for Tim and a physical rest period, waiting for all of his symptoms to clear and his case, I think it was complicated by the fact that he was playing with the flu, and that's going to have to be sorted out -- whether any of his ongoing symptoms are flu-related or concussion related. So, it's going to be to a little more tricky.

Q: Is loss of consciousness an indication of a severe concussion?
A: Brief loss of consciousness -- and by brief I'm talking about seconds -- is really not correlated necessarily to a severe concussion. It's certainly a moderate concussion but it's not necessarily indicating his symptoms are going to last a long period of time or that he's going to be out a long period of time.

If you're unconscious for more than a minute, then that is a severe concussion and tends to be associated with a slow recovery.

Q: Did Tebow's preexisting illness have anything to do with his concussion?
A: It doesn't at all. It just means that you're going to have to be comfortable knowing which symptoms he may have now are flu related versus concussion related. Many of the 25 symptoms of concussion -- for instance headache, light-headedness -- are shared symptoms with many other medical conditions, too. It doesn't have to be related to a concussion if it happened right after head trauma. But if you already had some kind of medical condition going on, for instance if you had some kind of headache or light headedness before because you had the flu, then you're going to have to sort it out -- whether you think it's the flu or whether you think it's the concussion. It adds a little bit of complexity for the assessment to be properly done.

Q: What will UF's doctors be looking for in the next few days?
A: Most importantly you are looking for the symptoms to clear, those that are there. Before they totally clear, you're looking for them to get better. And that's the normal pattern. Those that are there will diminish in their intensity and go away. And that may happen within a day. That may happen within a number of days. It may take weeks. If it takes weeks, then he's going to be out a long time. That's probably unlikely for him because he's not had prior significant head injuries, so that's an optimistic thing for him compared to someone who has had a lot of concussions before.

What the medical team chooses to do will be their individual decision but for sure he shouldn't be practicing until all of his symptoms are cleared.

Q: Florida has a bye week this week and doesn't play its next game until Oct. 10. How might this affect Tebow's recovery and return?
A: That is extremely fortuitous. That's huge. That's great. There should be no other consideration other than letting this guy get over his symptoms.

Q: Tebow spent the night in Kentucky and underwent CT scans. What were doctors looking for?
A: They were looking for inter-cranial bleeding. There not looking, per say, for the effect of a concussion because you don't see it on a CT or on an MRI. You're only looking for other things that may be associated with head trauma like bleeding. And the fact that it was normal is good. It just means he had a concussion. Nothing more.

Q: You helped the sports medicine field understand concussions by creating a grading scale. What would Tebow's grade be, based on your knowledge of sports-related concussions?
A: If you use my grading scale, you would realize that you can't grade it until the symptoms are over. Because the severity is really determined by how long the symptoms last. And we don't know how long his symptoms have lasted. We know it's a Grade II minimum but he may get into a Grade III if his symptoms last over a week.

Q: Is grading a concussion difficult? Is there room for ambiguity or is it clear cut?
A: It's very clear how you grade it. It's not ambiguous or hard to figure out. There are just many people that choose to not grade a concussion because you don't need to use a grade to manage concussion because you need to be asymptomatic before you start to return again no matter what the grade. I personally think it's very useful to grade a concussion not so much for that one but for subsequent ones. If someone has had a severe concussion, then that's more alarming than someone who had a minor one.

Here is Dr. Cantu's daily checklist of symptoms he recommends using for evaluating a player who has had a concussion:

_______________________Symptoms.................Symptoms

_______________________At time of concussion....Today

1.   Bell Rung

2.   Depression

3. Dinged

4. Dizziness

5. Drowsiness

6. Excessive Sleep

7. Fatigue

8. Feel “in a fog”

9. Feel “slowed down”

10. Headache

11. Irritability

12. Loss of Consciousness

13. Memory Problems

14. Nausea

15. Nervousness

16. Numbness/Tingling

17. Poor Balance

18. Poor Concentration

19. Ringing in the ears

20. Sadness

21. Sensitivity to Light

22. Sensitivity to Noise

23. Trouble Falling Asleep

24. Vacant stare/glassy eyed

25. Vomiting

-jo-

How severe is Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow's concussion?

GAINESVILLE -- Here's a question that needs answering on Monday when University of Florida coach Urban Meyer briefs reporters on the status of quarterback Tim Tebow: How severe is Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow's concussion?

On Sunday, Meyer said in a statement that Tebow "is doing fine." The statement was vague but understandably so, considering team doctors will be running tests on Tebow throughout the week to fully understand the extent of his brain injury. Tebow suffered a concussion on Saturday during the third quarter of UF's 41-7 win against Kentucky. Here's a link to my follow-up story in Monday's paper. CLICK ME! And here's a link to an opinion column by Miami Herald sportswriter Israel Gutierrez in Monday's paper about the Gators. CLICK ME!

In Monday's story, I focused on observations made by UF linebacker Ryan Stamper, who watched from the sidelines, and then the playing field, as the one of the biggest stories in college football this season -- Tebow's concussion -- played out inside UK's Commonwealth Stadium. Stamper usually does not watch Tebow and the Gators' offense during games, but on Saturday Stamper made a point to watch Tebow in action during the third quarter.

Being a defender, Stamper zeroed in on UK defensive tackle Taylor Wyndham as he sprinted unblocked at Tebow and then leveled UF's quarterback. Stamper, along with UF's entire team, was on the field shortly after it became obvious that Tebow was seriously injured.

According to the linebacker, Tebow was "knocked out cold" following the multiple blows his head absorbed during the play. Three shots to the head: Wyndham's helmet, Gilbert's knee and then the ground.

"A lot of guys get concussions or knocked out but kind of get up and just don't know where they were at," Stamper said after the game. "[Tebow] was just knocked out cold -- wasn't moving or anything. I've never really seen nothing like that before, especially from him.

"It was kind of shocking."

Now, consider the source after you read that quote. To teammates, Stamper is a captain, trusted voice and levelheaded leader. To reporters, Stamper is a soft-spoken veteran football player who measures his words.

Specialists classify the severity of a concussion with three grades: I, II and III. According to the American Academy of Neurology, a Grade III concussion -- or the most severe -- is the diagnoses for any concussion when a player loses consciousness.

On Saturday and Sunday, Florida coach Urban Meyer and then a member of UF's sports information staff publicly said they were unaware that Tebow lost consciousness. If anyone watched the game, or re-watched footage of Wyndham's sack on YouTube, it's obvious that Tebow was knocked unconscious. Wyndham said after the game that Tebow's eyes rolled into the back of his head. Tebow didn't move for several minutes. His arms were locked in a raised position -- a common symptom of a concussion -- as he fell to the ground and then both arms went limp and flopped to the field. He did not respond to team trainers for nearly two minutes. 

Meyer said after the game that the first thing Tebow asked him was whether or not he fumbled the ball during the sack. That might be true but Tebow did show signs of amnesia after he was helped off the field. On the sidelines, he could be seen repeatedly responding to questions from Florida's training staff with the same answer: "I don't remember."

Bob Tebow, Tim's father, did not return phone calls on Sunday, but Craig Howard, Tebow's high school football coach, told the Orlando Sentinel that the Tebows informed him on Sunday morning that the quarterback's concussion was "mild." By all other accounts, Tebow's concussion was anything but mild.

In his column in Monday's Miami Herald, Gutierrez made an interesting point. Gutierrez wrote: Already, though, the Gators' spin machine appears to be setting up for a Tebow return on Oct. 10, when UF faces its toughest regular-season test: at Louisiana State.

Of course, that's going to be the biggest question for the next two weeks: Will Tebow play against LSU? Considering Tebow's rugged style -- he had 40 carries in his last two games -- and UF's lack of receivers, the quarterback will likely expose himself to further possible concussions upon his return. According to medical experts, once you suffer one concussion, the potential for future concussions is raised considerably.

My personal opinion? I don't think Meyer, UF athletic director Jeremy Foley and, most importantly, the team's doctor -- the guy who has to make the call on Tebow's return -- is going to take a chance of a nightmare scenario by putting Tebow in harms way against LSU.

Oh, yeah, and then there's this: UF can defeat LSU without Tebow.

-jo-

Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow back in Gainesville

GAINESVILLE -- University of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow is back in Gainesville after being released from University of Kentucky Chandler Medical Center on Sunday morning.

Tebow suffered a concussion on Saturday night during the third quarter of the Gators' 41-7 win against the Kentucky Wildcats. He was taken to the hospital during the fourth quarter and was monitored throughout the night. Tebow flew back to Gainesville on the University Athletic Association's private jet.

"Tim is doing fine this morning," Florida coach Urban Meyer said. "His CT scans came back and indicated that Tim suffered a concussion. Our medical and athletic training staff will continue to monitor him to determine how much rest and recovery he needs. We will have additional information and updates this week."

No.1 Florida (4-0) is off this week and plays at No.4  Louisiana State (4-0) on Oct. 10.

-jo-

More reaction on the Tebow hit

By Mike McCall

While we wait for more information on the severity of Tebow's injury, here's some post-game reaction.

UF LB Ryan Stamper

On the hit: “To me, when I saw him, my heart just dropped. I’ve never seen him like that before, where he’s not moving. I wanted to put a big emphasis on watching the offense this game, because a lot of times I try to sit on the sideline and work things out on the defense and get my rest. I wanted to watch the offense, so I saw the play, and I saw the lineman coming the whole way. When he hit him and he didn’t get up, I was just praying to God that it wasn’t a neck or a spine problem. I think that lifted up the defense to play a lot harder after that.”

On when he visited Tebow on the sideline: “He still looked pretty out of it. I went over and shook his hand, and he shook mine back. I didn’t want to talk to him because I didn’t want to take his attention. He was already going through a lot.”

UK DE Taylor Wyndham

The play: "What happened was that the tackle blocked down and I was unblocked. I came from the corner and hit him. It was just a normal hit. I didn't really think that much about it. He is a big guy. I just thought it was a normal play and a normal hit and everything."

UK coach Rich Brooks

"I feel bad for a guy like him to have a concussion, but when you look at how many times he carries and throws the ball, he hasn't had too many injuries, so he has been a pretty fortunate guy."

"It was a clean hit. ... It looked like it knocked him out, and it looked to me like the ball was on the ground."


UF QB John Brantley

“I was taken aback because that was a nasty hit,” Brantley said. “The way he just froze up, it was unbelievable. My thoughts and prayers go out to him, and I’ll hopefully see him [Sunday] or Monday.” 

Urban Meyer said if Tebow can't play Oct. 10 against LSU, it'll be Brantley leading an offense similar to the one run by Chris Leak.

Tebow knocked unconscious during third quarter

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Florida quarterback Tim Tebow was knocked unconscious by Kentucky defensive end Taylor Wyndham with 3:57 left in the third quarter.

Wyndham, a back-up defender, was unblocked on the play and blindsided Tebow, who fell to the ground and laid motionless for more than two minutes. UF's entire team crowded around the 2007 Heisman Trophy winner while trainers monitored Tebow's breathing. Kentucky's crowd began chanting, "Let's go, Tebow! Let's go, Tebow!"

After several tense minutes, Tebow was helped off the field by trainers. He was replaced in the fourth quarter by back-up John Brantley.

Florida leads Kentucky 34-7 at the end of the third quarter.

-jo-  

Florida dominating Kentucky 31-0 after 1st Q

GAINESVILLE -- Anyone still worried about an upset?

Florida dominated the first quarter against Kentucky on Saturday and finished the quarter with a 31-0 lead. It was a best-case scenario for the Gators, who entered the game with health concerns after several starters fell ill this week with flu-like symptoms, including quarterback Tim Tebow.

For some reason, I don't think Tebow is feeling too bad. He rushed for 79 yards on nine carries for two touchdowns in the first quarter. Running back Jeff Demps has 49 yards on five carries. Chris Rainey blocked a punt and recovered in the end zone for a score. For good measure, UF ended the first quarter with a 44-yard pass from Tebow to tight end Aaron Hernandez.

If you're counting at home, UF had eight rushing plays of 10 or more yards in the first half. Tebow completed 3 of 4 passing attempts for 75 yards. Running back Emmanuel Moody has 29 yards of total offense on two plays.

-jo-

Florida Gators QB Tim Tebow and others expected to play despite illness

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- University of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow is expected to play on Saturday despite suffering from a respiratory illness, according to a team source.

Tebow, receiver Riley Cooper, safety Major Wright and cornerback Joe Haden are the latest Gators to contract illnesses that are moving through the team. Haden and Wright are roommates and Tebow and Cooper are roommates as well. The four players flew to Lexington aboard a different plane than their teammates on Friday. The majority of UF's football team were on a chartered flight while Tebow, Wright and Haden flew to Lexington aboard the University Athletic Association's private jet.

According to the source, neither Tebow, Wright or Haden had a fever on Saturday morning. According to Joe Haden Sr., his son had a fever of 102 degrees this week and received fluids intravenously after practices. Haden Sr. expects his son, Tebow, Wright and Cooper to play on Saturday but Haden Sr. said that all four players are sick and less than 100 percent.

Eight UF starters have become sick in the last week: Cooper, Tebow, Wright, Haden, linebacker A.J. Jones, defensive end Jermaine Cunningham, running back Jeff Demps and tight end Aaron Hernandez. According to Florida coach Urban Meyer, more than 35 cases of illness have affected the football team in the last three weeks. According to the souce, neither Tebow, Wright or Haden had a fever on Saturday morning.

No.1 Florida (3-0) plays Kentucky (2-0) at 6 p.m. at UK's Commonwealth Stadium. UF owns a 22-game winning streak against the Wildcats.

-jo-

Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow, safety Major Wright and others fly separately to Lexington

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Florida quarterback Tim Tebow might be playing sick on Saturday. 

The senior quarterback, along with safety Major Wright and other Gators apparently suffering from flu-like symptoms, flew to Lexington, Ky., on Friday aboard a different flight than the rest of their teammates, according to a story first reported by the Independent Florida Alligator, UF's student newspaper. The Alligator reported the story at 12:37 a.m. on Saturday, citing an anonymous source.

-jo-

According to Vegas, odds are good Gators will meet Canes in national title game

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Just touched down in horse country. Beautiful place, Lexington.

As soon as you leave the airport here you're reminded that college football is actually third on the sports pecking order in this part of the world. First is horses, then college basketball then -- a distant third -- is college football.

The skies are overcast this afternoon and rain is expected tomorrow morning. It could be sloppy for kickoff. The rain probably favors the Gators. (Need I remind anyone of Florida 45, Florida State 14 last season.)

Anyway, some of y'all have already picked up on this but in case anyone hasn't noticed my national college football column in today's paper was about the possibility of a Gators vs. Canes match-up in the BCS National Championship. Here's a link to the column, CLICK ME!

I interviewed the COO of Las Vegas Sports Consultants and he supplied me with betting odds for a number of Gators topics, including the national title game, the Heisman Trophy ceremony and the mythical point spread if Florida played Miami this Saturday.

It makes for good water-cooler discussion, so leave a comment on the blog.

-jo-

Florida Gators stars Major Wright and Joe Haden miss Thursday's practice with illness

GAINESVILLE -- The Florida Gators secondary was hit hard on Thursday by the illness that is spreading through the football team.

According to Florida coach Urban Meyer, cornerback Joe Haden and free safety Major Wright did not practice on Thursday. With addition of Wright and Haden, 11 players have been sick in the last week, according to Meyer, including six starters. Meyer said that Wright and Haden "should be fine" for Saturday's game against Kentucky.

Asked who would play if Haden was unavailable, Meyer said: "If Haden isn't going, I'm not going." Senior cornerbacks Wondy Pierre-Louis or Markihe Anderson are Haden's likely replacements.

Meyer indicated on Thursday that Florida might be dealing with two different viruses, one with respiratory symptoms and one that causes stomach problems. Florida's coach also said on Thursday that the football team has had over 35 cases of sick players in the last three or four weeks.

"There are two different things we're dealing with now," Meyer said. "It's respiratory and it's a stomach issue. The guys with the respiratory, they've just been real cautious."

--Strong-side linebacker A.J. Jones, who was sick earlier this week, practiced on Thursday.

--Linebacker Brandon Spikes (Achilles heel) was seen limping heavily with his left shoe off after Thursday's practice. His status for Saturday's game is questionable.

-jo-

The Blog Swap: Trading questions with Kentucky beat writer Brett Dawson

GAINESVILLE -- It's blog swap time. Gator Clause caught up with Kentucky Wildcats beat writer Brett Dawson of the Louisville Courier-Journal on Thursday and exchanged five questions about Saturday's opponents. I answered five questions about Florida and Mr. Dawson returned the favor, answering five questions about Kentucky.

Here's a link to Brett Dawson's blog, where you can read my answers to his questions, CLICK ME! (If it's not posted yet, then keep trying throughout the day.) Brett Dawson is one of the premier sportswriters in the country and we're honored to have his insights grace this blog!

And now ... five questions for a Kentucky Wildcats beat writer:

5. Kentucky has got some pretty impressive losing streaks in the SEC. Would UK rather defeat Florida or Tennessee this season?

Florida. The Tennessee streak is longer (24 games to 22; the first- and second-longest active streaks in what I still erroneously call Division I-A), but the Gators are the nation's No.1 team, and Kentucky remembers the shot in the arm the program got in 2007 when it beat then-No.1 (and eventual BCS champ) LSU. A win against the Vols would be sweet for the Wildcats, but for now the Gators are the biggest target in college football for anyone, and that includes UK.

4. Does UK have the defensive personnel to copy Tennessee's game plan against the Gators -- shut down the passing game?

The short answer is probably not. Last week, Louisville picked on what was expected to be a really strong Kentucky secondary. I still think that secondary is good enough to give anyone (including Florida) some problems. But I know Tennessee didn't give Tim Tebow a lot of time to make decisions, and Kentucky hasn't gotten any real pressure on the quarterback in its first two games. Defensive coordinator Steve Brown doesn't like to blitz, preferring to get pressure with his front four, but there's been no indication so far that those guys can get to the quarterback against an offensive line the caliber of Florida's.

3. Three keys to victory for the Cats?

First, don't turn the ball over. Kentucky ran four offensive plays in the third quarter last Saturday against Louisville and still gave up only six points. They do that against Florida and the Gators won't be settling for field goals. Second, don't miss tackles. Sounds simple, but the Cats' tackling against Louisville was putrid, and Louisville is no Florida. Any missed tackle can turn into a touchdown. Third, take a few chances. Kentucky isn't a trick-play team, and you won't see much of that. But don't be surprised if the Cats put Randall Cobb at quarterback in the Wildcat formation more than they have the first two games in order to create a little confusion for the Florida defense.

2. Score prediction?

I'm thinking something like Florida 42, Kentucky 13. But I think I've been officially declared the Worst Newspaper Guy in History at Predicting Scores. If I haven't been, I should be.

1. I'm flying into Lexington early on Friday (as are many Florida fans). What's the best state or national park near the town?

The best thing the state has to offer is Mammoth Cave National Park, but that's a long drive (2.5 hours) for a day trip. For a shorter drive (about 45 miles), your best bet is Natural Bridge State Resort Park in Slade, Ky.

-jo-

Florida Gators safety Will Hill misses practice time to be with his new family

GAINESVILLE -- Florida Gators sophomore safety Will Hill missed time with the team this week to be with his new family. Hill became a father earlier this week. 

"It's gotten some of his time and attention as rightfully it should, so it's a real good thing for him and he's very excited about that," Florida safeties coach Chuck Heater said. "You got to manage that and get back to do the job here but also take care of what he needs to care of there. Things happen in life every day. It could be school. It could be something personal like that. It could be any number of things. It's all about managing it and being able to balance it."

Hill, a New Jersey native, is listed as a starter at strong safety and free safety on the Gators' depth chart. He played mostly nickelback against Tennessee and recorded five tackles. Ahmad Black started at strong safety and Major Wright started at free safety.

Heater said on Wednesday that Florida's coaching staff worked with Hill this week, allowing him to focus on his responsibilities as a new father.

"You let a guy do what he needs to do," Heater said. "You got to let him do what he needs to do and know that we support him and the time that he has. When they come back you try to get them ready to play. That's the right way to handle it and that's certainly what we did in this case."

-jo-

Six more Florida Gators go down with the flu

GAINESVILLE -- The flu blug is spreading.

Six more Gators came down with the illness on Tuesday. The list includes starting strong-side linebacker A.J. Jones. The others: Mike Gillislee (freshman running back), Josh Evans (freshman safety), Justin Williams (redshirt junior receiver), Shawn Schmeider (redshirt junior offensive lineman) and Earl Okine (redshirt freshman defensive lineman).

 "We’re battling a little bit," Florida coach Urban Meyer said.

Receivers coach Billy Gonzales wore a germ mask and gloves during Tuesday's practice. Gonzales had a fever of 104 degrees on Sunday night, according to Meyer. (Meyer also didn't look too good but he didn't say he was sick.)

Meyer said that the sick players were held out of Tuesday's practices. Florida's coach also said that defensive end Jermaine Cunningham and running back Jeff Demps, who were ill this weekend, still are not "100 percent."

Receiver Deonte Thompson (hamstring) and linebacker Brandon Spikes (Achilles tendon) did not practice.

-jo-

Florida Gators a 24-point favorite against Kentucky; Tim Tebow encourages Wildcats; Plus our usual dose of snarkiness

GAINESVILLE -- The University of Florida football team only scored 23 points against Tennessee last week but the Gators are 24-point favorites against this Saturday's opponent, the Kentucky Wildcats.

Florida has won 22 in a row against Kentucky, dating back to 1986. Florida quarterback Tim Tebow was asked about the streak -- or, rather, streaks in general -- on Monday. While in high school, Tebow lost four in a row against St. Augustine. The quarterback expects Kentucky's best shot this Saturday and doesn't think the streak will make a difference.

“[Kentucky's current players] weren’t on those teams," Tebow said. "They are a new team, a fresh team. They are going to put that behind them and say, 'That’s not us.' Those teams did that, that’s not us. This isn’t the Gator team that beat all those teams. We’re going to go in there and show we’re a new team and we have something to prove.”

Gotta love Tebow. He even gives opponents pep talks. Kentucky (2-0) defeated rival Louisville 31-27 on Saturday.

For those faithful readers who visit this blog regularly but still need someone to guide you through all of our great coverage, I'll lend a helping hand now:

--If you want to read about the latest nonsense between Urban Meyer and Lane Kiffin, the CLICK ME! It's in today's Miami Herald. Included in that report is a list of coaches and players sick with the flu.

--If you want to read a comprehensive follow-up to the Tennessee game, then CLICK ME! In this story, we talk about the missed tackles against Tennessee, the flu, Brandon Spikes' injury, etc.

--If you want to read an insightful supplement to that follow story, including five things we've learned about the Gators since the season opener, then CLICK ME! This is must read for any Gators fan.

--If you want to read about the precautions the Florida Gators are taking to prevent a flu outbreak, then CLICK ME!

--If you want to read about Florida's sick assistant football coach and worry that he infected all of UF's skill players this weekend, then CLICK ME!

--If you want to read about Urban Meyer's Week 3 champions club, then CLICK ME!

--If you want to compare the similarities to Yahoo!Sports columnist Dan Wetzel's Monday column on the Florida Gators to Joseph Goodman's game story, on Florida 23, Tennessee 13 (which was published on Sunday and written moments after the game) then first CLICK ME! and then CLICK ME!

--For complaints about this blog both ridiculous and obnoxious, please click below on the "comments" field and drop us a message.

--If you're the guy who stole my bike this weekend, know this you patheticly deadbeat riffraff, scum-off-my-shoe mucus brain: I will take justice into my own hands!

-jo- 

Va. Tech-Miami might be the next best thing to a Gators-Canes match up

GAINESVILLE -- It's too bad the Gators and Canes don't play this year. After the first three weeks of the season, the two on-again, off-again rivals appear to be a little more equal than last year. Who would win if the two teams played this season? Who would be favored? We'll probably never know, but it's fun to speculate. I'm putting the spread at Florida by 4.

For those wondering how the Canes would fair against the 2009 Gators, the best measuring stick might be this Saturday when Miami travels to Blacksburg, Va., for an away game against always-tough Virginia Tech. (Here me out, Gators and Canes fans, before you pound out a nasty blog comment.)

The Hokies are currently a top 15 team (No.11 in the AP) led by a dual-threat quarterback, run-oriented offense, excellent defenders and above-average special teams. Sound familiar? Yep, sounds like the Gators.

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm rather certain that the Gators are better than Virginia Tech. Hokies quarterback Tyrod Taylor is no Tim Tebow and the Gators' offensive line and running backs are considerably better in Gainesville than they are in Blacksburg. But that doesn't mean we can't compare Virginia Tech and Florida. 

Virginia Tech is a poor man's Florida in nearly every way. If Miami loses to the Hokies this weekend, then we won't have to speculate about a mythical Florida-Miami match up anymore. If the Canes trounce the Hokies, then the debate will continue!

-jo-

Clarification on the Florida Gators' flu precautions

GAINESVILLE -- Quick note here on the flu vaccine some of the Florida Gators recently received. The Associated Press reported that the Gators' received a round of flu shots. This is not true, according to one university spokesman.

According to associate athletic director Steve McClain, "about 30 to 40" players received flu vaccines in the form of nasal spray (FluMist) on Sunday. The vaccine was not mandatory, according to McClain.

In addition to the FluMist, UF's team doctors have handed out bottles of Purell hand sanitizer and discussed the importance of clean hygiene with the players. (If anyone has been inside a football locker room, then you know how hard it is to keep the place clean.)

Florida safety Major Wright told me on Sunday night that Florida's trainers and team doctors are even doling out squirts of hand sanitizer in between plays during practice. Wright, who said he sanitized his hands at least a dozen times during Sunday's practice, said many of the players are wearing gloves. 

-jo-

Reevaluating the Florida Gators: Five things we learned after Florida 23, Tennessee 13

GAINESVILLE -- OK, so we've had a few days to allow for the proper digestion of UF 23, Tennessee 13. (Here's a link to my follow-up story in today's Miami Herald, CLICK ME!)

What did we learn about the Florida Gators on Saturday and what will UF's coaches focus on this week during practice? Here are five things to consider as you sit at home this week and reevaluate the Gators. Is it time to panic? No. Can UF still go undefeated this season? Yes. Has the script for an undefeated season changed after the first three weeks of the season? Yes.

5. Florida played conservatively during the second half on Saturday for the simple fact that there was no way Tennessee's offense could come from behind. Why give the Vols' a chance by turning the ball over on offense? UF played it safe and won the game. It wasn't pretty, but credit UF's coaching for making the right call.

"We made the decision in that second half to pound the football out and get out of that thing with a win because of health issues at receiver and also the way that thing was going," Meyer said.

That being said, UF quarterback Tim Tebow was asked to do too much on Saturday. He rushed 24 times for 76 yards. One needs to look no further than South Florida quarterback Matt Grothe (torn ACL on Saturday against Charleston Southern, out for the year) for proof that a season's outlook can change with one ill-advised quarterback scramble.

Florida running back Emmanuel Moody rushed for 33 yards on three carries against Tennessee. He's a powerful running back who can take pressure off of Tebow and UF's coaches will likely increase Moody's involvement this week against Kentucky. On Monday, Meyer compared Moody's fumble against Troy to Tebow's fumble against Tennessee. Both were excellent defensive plays, according to Meyer.

4. Linebacker Brandon Spikes has 11 tackles through three games. If Spikes' ailing Achilles tendon continues to be a problem, then UF will likely rest Spikes throughout the week and save him for game day.   

"[Spikes is] going to have a great year for us," Meyer said. "I saw him outside and he's feeling a lot better. We just need to be smart with those things that linger. We just need to take care of him."

3. Kentucky has lost over 20 games in a row to Florida, but Meyer smartly refused to address the statistic on Monday after the distractions caused by the build up for the Tennessee game put a considerable amount of pressure on his team.

"We went through probably the greatest amount of nonsense in the history of college football and we're going to try and win a game here on the road," Meyer said.

2. Florida needs to find some playmakers at receiver. The Gators' offense was limited on Saturday due to injuries and illnesses at the receiver positions. Starting receiver Riley Cooper played injured against Tennessee, Carl Moore (back) was unavailable, freshman Andre Debose (hamstring) is out for the season and tight end Aaron Hernandez was limited by the flu.

"We basically went through that game with David Nelson, but David is playing a little too many plays," Meyer said. "He's involved in special teams and we're really trying to evaluate that."

On Sunday, Florida rested all of its starting receivers -- Deonte Thompson (hamstring), Hernandez (hyper-extended knee), Nelson (sore leg) and Cooper (pinched nerve) -- and focused on developing UF's young receivers: Omarius Hines, Frankie Hammond Jr. and T.J. Lawrence.

"[Sunday] was our development day," Meyer said. "And Omarius Hines, he's got -- they all got talent -- it's just time to go play. One of those guys is going to have to go fill a void this week. We're going with the idea that Deonte is going to play but we've got to get that next guy in the game. And (quarterback) Johnny Brantley is close, we'd like to get him in the game."

(Did I hear that correctly? Get Brantley into the game?)

1. Florida needs to focus on what it does well. UF can win games with its running backs and solid defense. It's beginning to look like a grind-it-out season for the Gators, but nothing is wrong with winning ugly.

"You don't have to be a genius to figure out the strength of our team right now," Meyer said. "It's that big offensive line running off the ball and that free quarterback that just takes the game over. Is it perfect, no it's not perfect, but until we get the full complement of receivers playing at the level we need to play at, we need to do what we've got to do to win."

-jo-

Urban Meyer's Week 3 Champions Club

GAINESVILLE -- On defense, Florida coach Urban Meyer said on Monday that strong safety Ahmad Black and linebacker Ryan Stamper were co-defensive players of the game against Tennessee.

Stamper led the Gators with 12 tackles and moved from weak-side linebacker to middle linebacker for injured All-American Brandon Spikes. Black was second on the team with 11 tackles and had a fourth-quarter interception that effectively ended the game.

Meyer's other defensive champions included corneback Joe Haden (eight tackles, one interception) and cornerback Janoris Jenkins (two tackles).

Offensively, Meyer's Week 3 champions club included offensive linemen Mike and Maurkice Pouncey.

Maurkice Pouncey was named the SEC's offensive lineman of the week after grading out at 93 percent against Tennessee. Offensive lineman Marcus Gilbert of Coral Springs also graded out a champion, according to Meyer.

Receivers David Nelson, Brandon James and Riley Cooper were named to Meyer's champions club and quarterback Tim Tebow and running back Jeff Demps were Meyer's offensive co-players of the game.

Despite an interception and a fumble, Tebow turned in a Herculean effort against the Vols. Demps rushed for 31 yards on four carries and had a seven-yard touchdown run despite playing with a fever.

-jo-

Florida Gators coach Billy Gonzales out with flu

GAINESVILLE -- University of Florida coach Urban Meyer said on Monday that his receivers coach, Billy Gonzales, had a temperature of 104 degrees on Sunday night.

Florida is off on Monday. If Gonzales is still sick on Tuesday then it's likely UF coach Urban Meyer will coach will coach receivers during Tuesday's practice. Meyer coached receivers as an assistant at Colorado State and Notre Dame.

-jo-

The difference between Florida and Tennessee: Tim Tebow

GAINESVILLE -- Well, you're going to have to wait until the morning (Or whenever they post it on the web tonight.) to read my game story, but I'll give you guys a hint: Saturday's win was all about No.15.

Tebow's final stat line: 14 of 19 passing for 115 yards, one fumble and one interception. Most importantly, Tebow rushed for 76 yards ON 24 CARRIES! His one-yard rushing score gave UF a 10-3 lead in the first quarter. (Not exactly the kind of stat line you want for your quarterback.)

According to Florida coach Urban Meyer, some Florida's best players were sick this week with the flu. Defensive end Jermaine Cunningham, tight end Aaron Hernandez and running back Jeff Demps all played ill, according to Meyer, who said Demps had a fever of 101 degrees. Demps rushed for 31 yards on four carries, including a seven-yard touchdown to essentially ice the game at 23-6.

(Yeah, it seemed kind of like Meyer was making excuses during the post-game press conference.) 

UF linebacker Brandon Spikes played with an injured Achilles heel, according to Meyer. That explains Spikes' poor start to the begin the season. He missed several tackles on Saturday before he was taken out of the game. Senior linebacker Ryan Stamper moved from weak-side linebacker to interior linebacker and finished the game with 12 tackles.

Joe Haden and, of course, Ahmad Black had interceptions in the second half.

My prediction for this game (34-6) was looking pretty good until Tebow fumbled on the two-yard line in the fourth quarter. Oh, well. Much more on this game tomorrow. Off to watch the end of Auburn-West Virginia.

-jo- 

FINAL UF 23, UT 13: Fourth quarter thoughts

GAINESVILLE -- I'll be writing for the newspaper for the next few hours. Until then, leave your thoughts on today's game. Mine? UF had Tim Tebow and the other team had the anti-Tebow, aka Jonathan Crompton. That was the difference in the game.

-jo-

UF 23, UT 6: Third quarter thoughts

GAINESVILLE -- UF quarterback Tim Tebow continued to carry the Gators' offense through the third quarter, leading the Gators on a 69-yard, 13-play drive, which ended with a seven-yard touchdown run by sophomore Jeff Demps. Tebow carried the ball five times during the drive and completed 3 of 3 pass attempts.

--Through three quarters, Tebow has rushed for 48 yards on 17 carries.

--Joe Haden's first interception of the season came on Tennessee quarterback Jonathan Crompton's first throw downfield on Saturday. The turnover led to UF's third field goal of the day, a 35-yard kick by Sturgis to give UF a 16-6 lead.

-jo-

UF 13, UT 6: First-half thoughts

GAINSVILLE -- We have a game, folks. Florida leads Tennessee 13-6 at halftime. Who'd a thunk it? Lane Kiffin, maybe?

Both Florida's and Tennessee's defenses are playing well through the game's first two quarters. This one has the feel of an old-fashioned SEC rivalry game.

--Florida Gators linebacker Brandon Spikes left the game in the second quarter with an injured left ankle. Spikes missed several tackles in the first half.

With Spikes sidelined, UF weak-side linebacker Ryan Stamper moved to middle linebacker, senior Dustin Doe was inserted at weak-side linebacker and A.J. Jones remained at strong-side linebacker.

--Spikes returned to the field on the defense's next series.

--The second-quarter interception by Tennessee safety Eric Berry was his first of the season. Berry had seven interceptions in 2008. The pick led to Tennessee's second field goal of the half.

--Florida took a 10-3 lead at the beginning of the second quarter on a one-yard touchdown run by Tebow. The drive was jumpstarted by a 23-yard run by UF reserve running back Emmanuel Moody. Tebow took over from there, completing two passes for 22 yards and rushing four times for 16 yards.

--UF sophomore kicker Caleb Sturgis gave UF a 13-6 lead with 51 seconds left in the half. The drive's largest play was a 21-yard gain by Demps on the series' first snap. Demps carried Tebow's speed-option pitch to the UT 42.

--Aaron Hernandez's only reception of the first half -- an 18-yard gain on third-and-14 -- put Sturgis within field goal range.

-jo-

UF 13, UT 6: First-half thoughts

GAINSVILLE -- We have a game, folks. Florida leads Tennessee 13-6 at halftime. Who'd a thunk it? Lane Kiffin, maybe?

Both Florida's and Tennessee's defenses are playing well through the game's first two quarters. This one has the feel of an old-fashioned SEC rivalry game.

--Florida Gators linebacker Brandon Spikes left the game in the second quarter with an injured left ankle. Spikes missed several tackles in the first half.

With Spikes sidelined, UF weak-side linebacker Ryan Stamper moved to middle linebacker, senior Dustin Doe was inserted at weak-side linebacker and A.J. Jones remained at strong-side linebacker.

--Spikes returned to the field on the defense's next series.

--The second-quarter interception by Tennessee safety Eric Berry was his first of the season. Berry had seven interceptions in 2008. The pick led to Tennessee's second field goal of the half.

--Florida took a 10-3 lead at the beginning of the second quarter on a one-yard touchdown run by Tebow. The drive was jumpstarted by a 23-yard run by UF reserve running back Emmanuel Moody. Tebow took over from there, completeting two passes for 22 yards and rushing four times for 16 yards.

--UF sophomore kicker Caleb Sturgis gave UF a 13-6 lead with 51 seconds left in the half. The drive's largest play was a 21-yard gain by Demps on the series' first snap. Demps carried Tebow's speed-option pitch to the UT 42.

--Aaron Hernandez's only reception of the first half -- an 18-yard gain on third-and-14 -- put Sturgis within field goal range.

-jo-

UF 3, UT 3: First quarter thoughts

GAINESVILLE -- It couldn't have been a better first quarter for the Tennessee Volunteers.

The Gators' offense is struggling to find a playmaker while UT running back Montario Hardesty led an impressive 66-yard, 15-play drive that ended in a 24-yard field goal. UT's drive lasted eight minutes and 33 seconds.

--UF guard James Wilson started for the second straight week.

--During Tennessee's first offensive drive, UF linebacker Brandon Spikes missed badly on two attempts to tackle UT running back Montario Hardesty inside the red zone.

--On Hardesty's 20-yard run on third-and-12 at the UT 25, UF safety Will Hill subbed into the game for the first time. Ahmad Black and Major Wright started at the safety positions.

--UF kicker Caleb Sturgis kicked a 37-yard field goal in the first quarter to give UF a 3-0 lead. It was Sturgis' first field goal of the season and his career. The sophomore kicker from St. Augustine started over sixth-year senior Jonathan Phillips.

--Emmanuel Moody's only carry of the first quarter went for 23 yards.

-jo- 

Florida Gators receiver Deonte Thompson did not warm up

GAINESVILLE -- Florida Gators receiver Deonte Thompson did not warm up on Saturday before UF's game against Tennessee. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

Thompson injured his hamstring last week against Troy. Florida coach Urban Meyer said last Sunday that if Thompson was unavailable, then senior slot receiver David Nelson would move outside. According to Meyer, the first receiver off the bench will be redshirt freshman Omarius Hines, who ranks third among UF receiver with seven receptions for 98 yards.

-jo-

The ULTIMATE PREVIEW is here

No.1 Florida (2-0) vs. Tennessee (1-1)
KICKOFF: 3:30 p.m., Florida Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville
TV: CBS
SERIES HISTORY: The all-time series is tied 19-all. UF has won four straight dating back to 2005, Urban Meyer's first season on the job. The Gators have never led in the all-time series. The Gators have won 17 of the past 23 contests, including nine of the last 11 in The Swamp.
SCOUTING REPORT: Florida can win its 13th straight game, which would break a school record. UF leads the nation in total offensive yards (1,287), yards per touch (10.5) and offensive touchdowns (16). The Gators have three running backs in the top 10 nationally in yards per carry. Jeff Demps ranks No.1 (14.7), Chris Rainey is No.5 (12.4) and Emmanuel Moody is No.9 (9.8). No other school in the nation has two running backs in the top 10. Tennessee is ranked No.20 nationally in rushing defense, allowing 59.50 yards per carry. UT is allowing 1.80 yards per carry.
PREDICTION: Florida 34, Tennessee 6. Finally, the Gators play a team worthy of their immense talent level. Well, maybe not this year. Tennessee's quarterback is a walking ball of nerves and the Vols' interior line limps into The Swamp thin and vulnerable. Vols coach Lane Kiffin will not be singing Rocky Top after this one is over.

FLORIDA NOTES
TENNESSEE NOTES

GAINESVILLE -- Well, it's time to sing or shut up.

Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin has done a lot of talking since he was introduced as the Vols' replacement to coach Phil Fulmer on Dec.1, 2008. The back story is well documented. If you want a refresher course of the extensive list of bulletin-board material Kiffin provided the Gators this offseason, then CLICK ME!

We've had a lot of fun on the blog this week poking fun at the Tennessee Volunteers -- CLICK ME! and CLICK ME! -- but, truth be told, all the nonsense and pregame hype will evaporate after the first five minutes of the game. After that, execution, stamina and poise will replace every sound bite and newspaper clipping.

Florida had trouble executing during first quarter of last week's 56-6 win against Troy. The Gators fumbled the ball four times -- two for turnovers -- during their first six offensive series of the game. Thanks to three Troy turnovers, Florida's offense erupted for four scores in the second quarter and the game was over before halftime (35-3). Saturday's game against Tennessee might prove a little more difficult.

Tennessee's defense, coached by defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin, is allowing less than 60 rushing yards per game. Florida's rushing attack is averaging 330 yards. That statistics brings us to the ...

KEYS OF THE GAME
1. Florida running back Jeff Demps has emerged as the Gators first option out of the backfield. The sophomore has rushed for three touchdowns and is averaging 88 yards a game. Can Demps, Chris Rainey and Emmanuel Moody gash Tennessee's defense? Will Tennessee strong safety Eric Berry play near the line of scrimmage to help limit UF's running backs? That was the subject of today's story in The Miami Herald and you can read all about it right here, CLICK ME!

2. After quarterback Jon Crompton tossed three interceptions last week in the Vols' loss to UCLA, Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin probably isn't going to rely on his senior quarterback to beat the Gators. Tennessee's rushing attack is the Vols' only hope of keeping this game close. Vols senior Montario Hardesty ranks 11th nationally in yards per game (124.50). Hardesty and back-up Bryce Brown will try to chew up yards and time of possession. Considering the Volunteers injuries along the offensive line -- CLICK ME! -- it will be difficult.

3. Brandon James, CLICK ME!

4. Tim Tebow. The senior is undefeated against the Volunteers and he launched his 2009 Heisman Trophy campaign last week, accounting for five touchdowns against Troy. Oh, yeah, and Tebow said on Monday that "he's got [Meyer's] back" this Saturday after UT coach Lane Kiffin called Meyer a cheater in February.

FIVE PLAYERS TO WATCH
1. Lawrence Marsh: Florida's defensive tackle missed the first two games of the season with an ankle injury. He is expected to return this Saturday, according Meyer, and Marsh's presence along the defensive line will be needed against a stout Tennessee rushing attack.

2. Janoris Jenkins: Florida's cornerback returned from his one-game suspension last week and recorded his first interception of the season. Jenkins' first start of his career came last year against Tennessee. He solidified his role as a starter with an interception in the UT end zone and a forced fumble.

3. Eric Berry: Tennessee's strong safety is one of the best defenders in the nation. If you don't agree, just ask Florida cornerback Joe Haden, CLICK ME! In his last game in The Swamp, Berry intercepted a pass from Tebow and returned it for a touchdown. Berry will likely play multiple positions on Saturday, so keep an eye on No.14.

4. Emmanuel Moody: Florida's redshirt junior running back started against Tennessee last season but left the game with a high-ankle sprain. Moody has been fighting to regain his form ever since. A fumble on his first carry last week didn't help his cause. Florida coach Urban Meyer said that he still has confidence in Moody but UF running back's coach Kenny Carter said this week that Moody's fumble was a case of gross negligence: Carrying the ball to low, which allowed Troy defensive end Brandon Lang to knock the ball lose on a tackle from behind.

5. Brandon Spikes: Florida's senior linebacker was relatively quiet during the Gators' first two games of the season. Spikes has a knack for playing well in big games.

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING
Miami Dolphins linebacker Channing Crowder (former Gator): "Lane Kiffin bit off more than he could chew." [Meyer] isn't "going to pull the dogs off and I don't want him to get Tebow hurt, but I want to beat the [HAPPY WORD] out of them at least by 30 or 40. And let Lane shut the [HAPPY WORD] up the rest of the time he's in the SEC."

Tennessee defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin: "I think what they do at the University of Florida is, whatever you run the 100 meters in they give you that jersey number. Percy Harvin had 1, Demps wears 2 and Rainey wears 3. So, the way I look at it, Percy Harvin runs a 10.1, then they're at 10.2 and 10.3 in the 100 meters -- that's pretty fast. They ought to be a track relay team."

Former Tennessee coach Phil Fulmer: "You know, everybody has the chance to do things their way. We were very pleased with what we were able to accomplish during the majority of our time at Tennessee, and we did it without having to be brash and so on. But this is his style -- what he thought he had to do. ...

"We didn't have a very good season last year (5-7). I certainly take full responsibility for that. And now it's (Kiffin's) turn to do it as he thinks he needs to do it. But the problem in this league is you're going to play great football teams every week once you get into the Southeastern Conference schedule. So, if you're going to be brash, you'd better be able to back it up."

Florida quarterback Tim Tebow: "It will be ridiculous. It will be so exciting and fun. I think what I'm most looking forward to is that bus ride in right before the Gator Walk. When you see the fans walking the streets, all the way down there, through Museum (Drive) and everything, it's just so exciting to see that, it's just cool. That's what gets your adrenaline pumping and it's just crazy from there."

-jo-

Florida Gators Andre Debose undergoes surgery

GAINESVILLE -- Florida Gators freshman receiver Andre Debose underwent surgery on Thursday to repair a torn hamstring tendon in his left leg, according to the University of Florida sports information department.

The surgery was performed at Shands Florida Surgical Center in Gainesville. According to UF, Debose is expected to make a full recovery in four to six months. Debose, who graduated from Sanford Seminole, was touted as the next Percy Harvin by Florida coach Urban Meyer but the freshman injured his leg last May while running track for his high school.

Debose will likely receive a medical redshirt this year, which will allow him to retain four years of eligibility.

-jo-

Florida Gators return man Brandon James hopes Tennessee doesn't kick away from him

KEYS TO THE GAME...THE BRANDON JAMES EFFECT

GAINESVILLE -- We all know that return specialist Brandon James does his best work against the Tennessee Volunteers. But does Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin know that? Will Kiffin kick to James or kick it away?

It will be interesting to see what Kiffin decides to do. Former Tennessee coach Phil Fulmer learned to kick it away but only after James burned the Vols three years in a row. Consider these stats: In three years, James is averaging a staggering 27.5 yards per punt return and 27 yards per kickoff return against the Vols. James has two punt returns for touchdowns against the Vols: an 83-yard score in 2007 that gave UF a 7-0 lead two minutes into the game and a 78-yard punt return for a touchdown in 2008 that was an absolute thing of beauty.

"They got a new coach and a new system, so hopefully they'll be willing to try it," James said. "I just hope they come out and give us a chance."

James, a pretty low-key guy during interviews, shrugs off any suggestion that he performs at his best against Tennessee, although he does admit that having one of his childhood friends on the Tennessee roster (receiver Quinton Hancock) adds a little more motivation "to beat him."

"It's the first real SEC test and a real big rivalry, so of course you're coming into the game pumped up and everything," James said. "The only real difference is it's our first SEC test and getting prepared to play them. We know it's our first step if we want to get to Atlanta, so we just want to take care of business."

Nothing is more exciting in football than a kick return for a touchdown and The Swamp will tip the Richter Scale if James returns a kick for a score in the first quarter on Saturday. (Both of James' punt returns for touchdowns against Tennessee have come in the first quarter.) Kiffin said on Wednesday that the Vols' kickers have practiced avoiding James but he also hinted toward challenging James.

"We kicked to Devin Hester when I was at Oakland, every time, and did a phenomenal job of covering him," Kiffin said. "At that point, no one was kicking to him and we just kind of made a deal that week that we were going to do it. Now we had the best punter in the history of football in Shane Lechler, so that had a lot to do with it."

Tennessee defensive back Dennis Rogan, an accomplished return specialist, says he respects James' ability but would like to see Tennessee "kick to him and see if we can make a play or two."

-jo-

Eric Berry's biggest fan: Florida Gators cornerback Joe Haden

GAINESVILLE -- The Florida Gators might have one of their best defensive secondaries in team history, but according to cornerback Joe Haden, the best defender on the field Saturday when UF hosts Tennessee will be dressed in orange and white.

Haden called Tennessee strong safety Eric Berry "the best defensive player in the nation" on Wednesday. Both Haden and Berry were on the preseason watch list for the Jim Thorpe Award, which is given nationally to the nation's best defensive back. Berry led the nation during the 2008 regular season with seven interceptions.

"I think he's the best defensive player in the nation," Haden said. "Matter fact, me and Major [Wright] talked to him last night about how good he was doing and that's just one of me and Major's close friends, so that's real cool how we keep in touch with him."

Wright, the Gators' free safety, first met Berry in 2007 when both players participated in the Army High School All-American Game. Haden met Berry in Miami this offseason while visiting South Florida with Wright, who is from Fort Lauderdale.

Berry, a junior, was a finalist for the 2008 Jim Thorpe Award and he's the favorite to win the award this season. Tennessee's sports information department is marketing Berry for the Heisman Trophy and Berry is featured on a Tennessee Volunteers billboard in Fort Lauderdale.

Asked if Berry was a better player than UF linebacker Brandon Spikes, Haden said. "I love Spikes to death but I love Eric's game. We watch film when we're about to play other SEC teams and I just love watching him."

-jo-

VOLS VLAD RICHARD: 'I got a lot of grief about not going to Florida.'

Gator Clause caught up with Tennessee offensive lineman Vlad Richard on Wednesday.

Richard is a graduate of Piper High in Broward County. He's considered one of the Vols' best guards although he is currently battling through an Achilles heel injury. Richard will start on Saturday despite the injury. He's one of three starting offensive linemen who might play injured on Saturday. 

Richard, a senior who graduated in May with a degree in legal studies, had some pretty interesting things to say about Saturday's game against the Florida Gators, but first we wanted to ask him about that Tennessee billboard in his hometown.

GATOR CLAUSE: "Was it your idea to put that billboard down in Broward?"

RICHARD: [LAUGHS] "I heard it looks great. Tell me about it."

GATOR CLAUSE: "It's say, 'It's time.' It's got Eric Berry on a big billboard. It's on Oakland Park Boulevard and I-95."

RICHARD: "Oh, it's right there. That's around my neck of the woods. It's right by B.A. It's time we gave Tennessee some love down there."

GATOR CLAUSE: "How important is it for Coach Kiffin's staff to get back down to South Florida?"

RICHARD: "Oh, it's very important. Some of the best athletes in the world, in the nation, are from down in Florida, so being that we're going into The Swamp, into the No.1-ranked team in the nation's house -- go out there and pull out a win -- it's going to be big for recruiting. It's going to be big for the coaching staff. We already know what kind of coaching staff we have. Smart guys. They stay up all times of the night. They just work very hard and prepare and when you know you have coaches like that that are giving up their family time and just their own free time to prepare. It's just great to know.

"Being able to go down there and get a win is going to be big for recruits to understand that we have a special staff here."

GATOR CLAUSE: "Vlad, what's the No.1 thing you're proudest of throughout your college career?"

RICHARD: "I guess just staying humble and being myself and coming here. I got a lot of grief about not going to Florida and we haven't won in three years or whatever, so it's just all my friends and my family, you know, 'You should have been a Gator,' or what not. I feel like I made the right decision for myself. I'm the one who had to live through it and go through it. Going to Florida I might of had a national championship and SEC championship and all that stuff but I was looking at a bigger picture. I felt by coming here I got a better experience in life and what I wanted to do, which was better myself for my future."

-jo-

Top 10 ways for the Florida Gators to embarrass the Tennessee Volunteers this weekend

Because for many Florida fans, winning just isn't enough:

10. Take quarterback Tim Tebow out after halftime and let John Brantley finish off the Vols. Let the Bull Gator wound the beast and then allow him to watch from the sidelines as his young apprentice practices the death roll. It's nature's way!

9. Call timeout midway through the third quarter so Tebow can take his post-game lap around Florida Field a little early.

8. Better yet. Don't even play Tebow. Just save him for Kentucky.

7. Insinuate before kickoff that Eric Berry couldn't start for Florida.

6. You know how Florida fans always sing We Are The Boys From Old Florida at the end of the third quarter. Replace that with Rocky Top.

5. Honor Phil Fulmer before kickoff.

4. Post-game chant: "All night long! All night long! All night long!"

3. Urban's post-game handshake includes this one-liner: "They should have promoted Pat Summitt."

2. Urban coaches the entire fourth quarter with his shirt off.

1. Would Charles Woodson be willing to play the part of Mr. Two Bits?

Gator Clause is all for staying classy. Our sportsmanship initiatives are legendary.

-jo-

Florida Gators linebacker Ryan Stamper gets the hook after mentioning Vols coach Lane Kiffin

GAINESVILLE -- It was all going so smoothly on Tuesday afternoon ... until Florida Gators linebacker Ryan Stamper brought up the K-word!

Ryan Stamper, surrounded by a few dozen reporters, talked about the need to shut down the Tennessee Volunteers' running game. He said Vols running back Montario Hardesty is going to be the best running back Florida has faced this season. He said stopping the Vols' running game would pretty much equal a Florida win. And then Stamper made a major mistake, an oral misstep. He mentioned Tennessee's coach by name!

REPORTER: "Do you think it's going to be borderline violent here on Saturday? People have been amped up about this game for months."

STAMPER: "Yeah, you can tell just by the campus. You know, students on campus talking to us about the game and family members just talking about all the hype of the game, so I think it's going to be a real good environment. Probably one of the best Florida has had in this stadium in a long time."

REPORTER: "What have they been saying?"

STAMPER: "You know, just asking us what are we doing to prepare and stuff about, you know what I'm saying, the whole Lane Kiffin thing. That's about it."

FLORIDA PR GUY: "OK. Thanks, Ryan."

Stamper got the hook faster than George W. Bush at the Apollo! And that was it. After Stamper mentioned Kiffin, no more players were made available on Tuesday.

-jo- 

Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin takes shot at UF's offense; Gators PR team responds in kind

Just in case Florida needed a little more motivation for this weekend, Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin took a swipe at the Gators' spread-option offense today.

Responding to a question on the subject, Kiffin told reporters on Tuesday that Florida's spread offense might be a reason why some recruits (Nu'Keese Richardson) have de-committed with Florida recently and headed elsewhere (Tennessee).

Kiffin said that the only time Florida misses on recruits is when recruits would rather play in a pro-style offense rather than the spread offense.

"You see some kids that don't want to play in that system because a lot of times it hurts them going to the next level for their draft status," Kiffin said.

On Tuesday afternoon, Florida's sports information staff responded to Kiffin's shot by releasing this factoid: Since 2006, Florida has had more receivers (six) drafted by NFL teams than all but two other college teams. LSU and Ohio State have also had six receivers drafted since 2006.

In its email, Florida made sure to remind people that Tennessee has had only one receiver drafted since 2006.

-jo-

POWER RANKINGS: Listing the best performances among the Florida Gators

GAINESVILLE -- Every Tuesday this season we'll rank the top 15 players on the Florida Gators' roster. It's a sliding power poll based on performance and will change weekly.

STOCK IS RISING
OMARIUS HINES: This redshirt freshman receiver is third on the team in receptions with seven catches for 98 yards. Nice catch and carry for 25 yards in the third quarter against Troy. Florida coach Urban Meyer says Hines' play has moved him up the depth chart. He's currently the Gators' first receiver off the bench. Considering the Gators' perceived lack of depth at receiver to begin the season, Hines' emergence might be the biggest surprise through two games.

STOCK IS FALLING
JONATHAN PHILLIPS: This sixth-year senior kicker missed his first field-goal attempt of the season against Troy. Meyer said back-up Caleb Sturgis will push for playing time in practice this week. Sturgis is already the Gators kickoff specialist.

ALL-AMERICA WATCH
JEFF DEMPS: The sophomore running back is averaging 14.7 yards per carry and has already rushed for three scores. Yeah, he's legit.

STRAIGHT-JACKET AWARD
RILEY COOPER: This senior receiver completely lost his mind after springing running back Jeff Demps for a 24-yard touchdown with a brilliant block. Felt bad for the poor Troy freshman cornerback that Cooper dressed down on national television. Take no prisoners!

PLAYER OF THE WEEK
TIM TEBOW: Tebow accounted for over 300 yards of offense and five touchdowns against Troy. He was also named the Southeastern Conference offensive player of the week.

BOB MARLEY REDEMPTION SONG AWARD
BRANDON JAMES: Talk about making up for your mistakes. James dropped a touchdown pass in the season opener but redeemed himself against Troy with a remarkable diving touchdown catch.

BIG HIT AWARD
TIM TEBOW: The Gators senior quarterback powered through Troy's safety during the second quarter to cap off a long run. Will Tebow do the same against Tennessee safety Eric Berry: "It depends on the situation of the game," Tebow said. "We'll see."

STOCK REPORT
1. QB Tim Tebow: Accounted for seven touchdowns through two games.

2. RB Jeff Demps: Is there a better running back in the SEC? Not through the first two weeks of the season.

3. WR Riley Cooper: Doing more for the Gators offense than any other player ... save his roommate, of course.

4. ATH Brandon James: A kickoff return for a score followed by a highlight reel touchdown catch. Not a bad way to begin the season.

5. RT Marcus Gilbert: Helped to spring some long runs for the Gators' running backs against a talented Troy defensive line. Looked good in one-on-one match ups against Troy defensive end Brandon Lang. Excellent protection on Tebow's second touchdown pass (Riley Cooper).

6. RB Chris Rainey: Not far behind Demps. Rainey has rushed for 116 yards on 13 carries (12.4 yards a pop) and two touchdowns.

7. DE Jermaine Cunningham: Cunningham had four tackles, a quarterback hurry, a tackle for a loss, a fumble recovery and one forced fumble against Troy. Welcome back, sir.

8. CB Janoris Jenkins: Troy's leading receiver didn't catch a pass last Saturday. Jenkins recorded his first interception of season. Uncanny field awareness on the pick.

9. DE Justin Trattou: Had an excellent game against Troy. Recovered a fumble, deflected a pass and had five tackles. 

10. CB Joe Haden: Leads UF starters with 10 tackles through two games.

11. RG Mike Pouncey/Maurkice Pouncey: Exceptional blocking by both players.

12. TE Aaron Hernandez: Second on the team with eight receptions for 118 yards and a touchdown. Not bad for a tight end. (Also made several key blocks in the second quarter.)

13. James Wilson: Must be doing something right to keep Matt Patchan out of the starting line up.  

14. WR Deonte Thompson: Two touchdown receptions against Troy made up for two drops to begin the season.

15. LB Ryan Stamper: Made several key third-down stops against Troy.

-jo-

Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow asked about Lane Kiffin's wife

GAINESVILLE -- There has been plenty of interesting questions this week regarding Tennessee Volunteers coach Lane Kiffin. Here's one of the most bizarre ...

REPORTER: "When you were being recruited by Southern Cal, Lane Kiffin was there, could you talk about the interaction you had with him?"

GATORS QB TIM TEBOW: "He recruited me hard. We had a great relationship. He's a good recruiter. I think he's a good coach. I think he has done a good job at Tennessee. I think he's working hard recruiting players. Coaching them up. Getting them better. And I think he's going to do a good job there."

REPORTER: Let me go ahead and follow up with that. Did you meet his wife when you were out there?

TEBOW: I don't think I met her, no.

[PICTURED: Layla Kiffin is the daughter of former UF quarterback John Reaves.]

-jo-

Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Jonathan Crompton off limits to media

Tennessee Volunteers coach Lane Kiffin isn't allowing quarterback Jonathan Crompton to speak with reporters this week. 

The No.1 Gators (2-0) play host to Tennessee (1-1) at 3:30 on Saturday. Crompton threw three interceptions last Saturday in a loss to UCLA and apparently isn't the most confident fellow these days.

"He can't worry about the other stuff and what people are saying," Kiffin said. "This is a great university to play at, but when things go bad, because there is much focus on football, you're going to hear about it. You're going to hear it when you're at breakfast, when you're at lunch, when you're at dinner, when you're walking to class, and that makes it a difficult situation to handle."

We assume Kiffin is still allowing Crompton to eat and walk to class. Such a sensitive young man, that Crompton.

And now a theatrical interpretation of Crompton's performance against UCLA.

-jo-

Memo from the Texas Rangers to Florida Gators wild man Riley Cooper

This is a chinstrap. Learn how to buckle it.

-jo-

Florida Gators open the week a 28-point favorite against the Tennessee Volunteers

GAINESVILLE -- One Las Vegas sports book opened the betting line of Saturday's game between Florida and Tennessee at a whopping 28 points.

That's not a spread. That's the Grand Canyon!

POLLS
The Gators remained No.1 in The Associated Press and Coaches polls this week. (Duh, right?) Two wild weekends of college football have shaken up the Top 10. Other Southeastern Conference teams in the AP Top 25: No.4 Alabama, No.5 Ole Miss, No.9 LSU and No.23 Georgia. Link to the polls.

MY PICKS
It's a good thing I'm not a gambler. I went an amazing 1-6 against the spread last week! On Sunday night, one gambling expert told me that a monkey could make better picks. Next week I'll shake things up and experiment by allowing Cahaba The Dog to pick against the spread. The only pick I landed: Florida, of course.

MONTE KIFFIN-URBAN MEYER CONNECTION
On Sunday morning, Urban Meyer told reporters that he used to visit Tennessee defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin when Kiffin was the DC for the Tampa Bay Bucs. Kiffin even visited Gainesville after the 2007 season and spent the day with UF coaches talking defense.

Having built a relationship with Kiffin over the years, Meyer said he was surprised by Kiffin's son's comments this summer directed toward Meyer. Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin falsely accused Meyer of recruiting violations.

"Just because I was fairly close with his father and I just know the way he is," Meyer said. "Like I said, that's all over with. Coach Monte Kiffin and myself have a very good relationship."

A HISTORY OF HYPE
In today's Miami Herald, we take score of the interesting offseason involving Lane Kiffin and his shots at the Florida Gators. LINK!

AROUND THE SEC
The Vols' offense managed 208 yards and one touchdown (compared to four turnovers) against UCLA on Saturday. UT coach Lane Kiffin called it embarrassing. LINK!

Two weeks down. Two Georgia starters down. LINK!

Kentucky-Louisville week is here. LINK!

South Carolina still searching for an offensive identity. LINK!

Vandy banged up after loss to LSU. LINK!

Battlefield promotion for Alabama freshman running back Trent Richardson. LINK!

Auburn running back duo turned in a historic performance against Mississippi State. LINK!

LSU's defense allowed just 81 yards in the second half against Vandy. LINK!

Mississippi State's offense a work in progress after loss to Auburn. LINK!

-jo-

Florida Gators' James Wilson on Nu'Keese Richardson: 'They kidnapped him'

GAINESVILLE -- How did Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin steal away recruit Nu'Keese Richardson from the Florida Gators? UF offensive lineman James Wilson has his own opinion. "They kidnapped him," Wilson joked on Sunday night after the Gators' first practice in preparation for Saturday's game against the Vols.

On Sunday, Wilson was the first UF player -- and probably the last -- to speak openly this week about his thoughts on a wild offseason between Florida and Tennessee, an offseason which included Kiffin's declaration that he was going to sing Rocky Top "all night long" after defeating Florida on Saturday.

"That quote ... that's big motivation for us," Wilson said. "We've just been counting down since workouts. We've got a sign in the weight room that says how many days until Tennessee."

For the record: Six more days.

-jo-

Florida Gators 35, Troy 3 first-half notes, highlights, lowlights, musings and observations

GAINESVILLE -- Florida started slowly but scored four touchdowns in the second quarter on Saturday at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium to take a 35-3 lead into halftime.

--The first 17 minutes of the game were pretty nasty and not just because of the scattered rainfall. Florida fumbled the ball four times on its first six possessions. Jeff Demps, Emmanuel Moody, Tim Tebow and David Nelson were the culprits. Troy recovered the fumbles by Moody and Nelson.

--A dropped pass by UF receiver Deonte Thompson during the first drive of the game was pretty embarrassing. Thompson made up for the mistake later in the first half with a pair of touchdown catches. The second score -- a 33-yard play -- gave UF a 28-3 lead. Thompson appeared to injury his leg on the play.

--Jeff Demps has rushed for 87 yards on eight carries (12.4 ypc). Demps scored on a 24-yard option play with 4:03 left in the half to give UF its 35-3 lead.

--UF receiver Riley Cooper made an amazing block on Demps' touchdown. Cooper is an absolute wild man. His helmet flew off on the play and Cooper still held his block. After the play, Cooper gave Troy's cornerback a mouthful of smack. That's one crazy white boy.

--Ahmad Black started at safety.

--Will Hill played nickelback but also rotated to safety during the second quarter when the game was getting out of hand.

--Justin Trattou is having a nice game. He deflected a pass and recovered a fumble during the first half.

--Troy's offense is terrible. Having doubts that the Trojans will reach 14 points as I predicted. Florida should have no problem scored 55.

--Linebacker A.J. Jones recorded UF's first sack of the season.

--Janoris Jenkins' interception was the fourth of his career. Florida has intercepted a pass in 13th straight games. That leads the nation, according to UF.

--Tebow was pretty disappointed that the Gators didn't score to end the half. UF took over on its own 1 with 2:15 left in the second quarter but ran out of time at the Troy 16.

-jo-

The ULTIMATE PREVIEW is here

No.1 Florida Gators (1-0) vs. Troy Trojans (0-1)
Kickoff: 12:21 p.m., Florida Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville
TV: SEC Network
Series history: Florida leads the series 1-0.
Scouting report: This is Florida's first game of the season against a team in the Football Bowl Subdivision. The Gators defeated Charleston Southern 62-3 in the season opener. Troy, four-time defending champions of the Sun Belt Conference, lost its season opener 31-14 to Bowling Green.
Prediction: Florida 55, Troy 14. Another sacrificial lamb for the No.1-ranked Gators. Troy's first-string defense is talented but the Gators' new no-huddle offense will wear down the Trojans before halftime. Florida was 12-1 against the spread in 2008. (Favorite: Florida by 36 1/2.)
Florida Game Notes
Troy Game Notes
BONUS! In case you're interested, here's a link to my college football column this week. It appeared in Friday's paper.
BONUS II! And here's a link to my weekly college football predictions.
_________________________________________________________________________

GAINESVILLE -- OK, this is the third season of Gator Clause's ULTIMATE PREVIEW! We skipped the first week of the season because, well, who the heck wants to read an ultimate preview of Florida 62, Charleston Southern 3?

I mean, Florida's offense only played out of ONE base formation last Saturday. The defense used the same THREE plays and never blitzed. That's not football, that's Tecmo Bowl! (Hey, no looking at my controller. Hey, you picked my play! Kudos to anyone who understands that arcane arcade reference.)

[PICTURED, Last week against Charleston Southern, Jeff Demps looked like Bo Jackson of Tecmo Bowl glory.]

OK, listen, Florida had it right last season. The Gators need to play the Miami Hurricanes EVERY season. What is this nonsense? Charleston Southern and now Troy. Does anyone even know where Troy is located? I mean, at least Charleston Southern had an identity. I assume it's located on the south side of Charleston, S.C. Troy? Turks don't play football. I thought they were the guys who told you can't play football. (NFL reference.)

I'm only kidding, of course. I know where Troy is located. I am, after all, from Alabama. My mom actually graduated from Troy, believe it or not. I understand Troy has played football for a lot of years (this is Troy's 100th season of football, according to the game notes) and was once a dominant force in Division I-AA. Troy made the jump to big-boy ball a few years back and is doing quite well for itself in the Sun Belt Conference. But does that mean I want to cover a football game involving Troy and Florida? No. Not when Florida should be playing Miami every season!

Here's something you might not know about Troy. The football team has received big donations from the former owners of Movie Gallery, the video rental chain that got its start down the road from Troy, Ala. Did you know that Movie Gallery is the nation's largest video rental chain of hard-core porn? That's right. That means Troy's football team is propped up -- no pun intended -- by the porn industry. No wonder the team's mascot is a Trojan. And that, as they say, is the rest of the story...

So, we've already established this Saturday's game is a battle of complete opposites: The Tim Tebows and the Trojans. Is there anything else to learn? Well, according to UF coach Urban Meyer, Troy has a few players with NFL-caliber potential. Who are these studs?

1. Troy has some pretty good linebackers. The best of the bunch is Boris Lee, a senior who was named to Sun Belt Conference All-Decade Team by CBS Sports.

2. The Trojans' defensive line is formidable. Brandon Lang [PICTURED] was rated the No.6 defensive end in the country by The Sporting News. Lang's bookend, Cameron Sheffield, was an All-SBC selection in 2008.

3. Senior tackle Kevin Dixon is a transfer from Nebraska. In 2007, Dixon was named the Cornhuskers most improved player by former coach Bill Callahan, who, according to his record at Nebraska, didn't know much about defense.

4. Nose tackle Eugene Kinslaw, another transfer, was named the 2008 Junior College Defensive Player of the Year.

5. Sophomore defensive end Jonathan Massaquoi is the cousin of four NFL players: Visanthe Shiancoe (Vikings), Mohamed Massaquoi (Browns) and Tim Massaquoi (Dolphins).

OK, enough about Troy. After all, they lost to Bowling Green 31-14 last week. What about the Gators?

WHAT ABOUT THE GATORS?

Well, for starters, here's a link to my story in today's paper advancing the game. CLICK ME! If you're too lazy to read it, I'll give you the Cliff's Notes version:

1. Florida's new no-huddle offense is named after the World War II battle cry of the Imperial Japanese Army. Don't laugh, I'm being serious right now. I am wearing a tie!

2. The point of the new offense is to, well, let me break it down outline style...

A. Make exhausted opposing defenses fertilize Florida Field with their mouth paint.

B. Score at least 50 points a game.

C. Insure Tebow wins the Heisman.

D. Beat the biscuits out of Tennessee next week.

E. Make it extremely difficult for sports writers to keep a running log of the game.

3. The Gators trained for the new offense during training camp by nearly killing themselves every day at the end of every practice.

FIVE PLAYERS TO WATCH

1. Receiver Riley Cooper: Here's a link to my feature story on Cooper. It appeared in Thursday's paper. CLICK ME! The first word in the story is vomit. Don't know how I slipped that one past the ol' editors. Ha-ha! Goody 1, editors 42,388,300.

2. Strong safety Ahmad Black: I've already covered this. Just scroll down to the next blog post. I'm predicting right now -- at 1:35 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 12, in the Year of Our Lord 2009 -- that Black will be the starter at strong safety today. If I'm wrong, I'll do something ridiculously painfully to myself, like give The Matzo Ball a bath ... with me in the bath!

    SIDE NOTE: I've read that the best way to bathe a cat named The Matzo Ball is ...

    1. Thoroughly clean your toilet.
    2. Add the required amount of shampoo to the toilet water and have both lids lifted.
    3. Obtain a broom.
    4. Obtain The Matzo Ball. 
    5. With broom in one hand, and The Matzo Ball in the other, enter the bathroom. 
    6. In one smooth movement, put The Matzo Ball in the toilet and close both lids.
    A. Stand on the lid with broom in hand.
    B. Do this while your wife is at work.
    C. A few words of caution. Do not get any part of your body too close to the edge as The Matzo Ball's carefully sharpened claws will be reaching out for anything he can find.
    D. The Matzo Ball will self-agitate and make ample suds.
    E. Ignore the noises coming from your toilet. The Matzo Ball is playing Marco Polo.
7. Flush the toilet three or four times. This provides a "power wash and rinse." Quite effective.
    8. Have your partners in clean, Cahaba The Dog and Guinness The Dog, open the door to the front yard.
    9. Warn your canine compatriots that holy terror is about to come tearing through house.
    10. Get off the toilet but firmly press the business end of the broom against the lid's toilet.
    11. Back into shower/bathtub; Broom on lid. Mind the step. One slip and the beast will go for your jugular!
    12. Close sliding-glass shower door, leaving only enough room to manipulate your broom.
    13. Scream, "Seek shelter!" to your compatriots.
    14. Push open the lid with the broom.
    15. The Matzo Ball will rocket out of the toilet and run outside.

3. Three for one, here. Running backs Chris Rainey, Jeff Demps and Emmanuel Moody are vital to the success of the new no-huddle offense. With three quality tailbacks, UF's backfield should remain fresh throughout the game. With Troy's defense sufficiently whipped by halftime, Moody will be difficult to bring down during the second half.

4. Cornerback Janoris Jenkins should be back on the field after serving his one-game suspension.

5. The same goes for starting defensive end Jermaine Cunningham.

BY THE NUMBERS

1 The amount of times Rainey rushed the ball last week. He should get more carries against Troy.

6 The number of rushing touchdowns Tim Tebow needs to break the Southeastern Conference's all-time record for career rushing touchdowns (49, Herschel Walker, Georgia).

0 The number of sports writers who will be watching Saturday's game by the fourth quarter.

18 The number of first downs UF's defense allowed last week against Charleston Southern. That number must improve.

-jo-

Florida Gators safety Ahmad Black should be a starter

GAINESVILLE -- How many people can make this claim? Two national championships in Miami's Land Shark Stadium highlighted by two game-winning defensive plays.

Only one person has accomplished such a feat: Florida Gators safety Ahmad Black. He might be smaller than the prototypical safety and others might be faster, but Black's body of work is proof that, at this point in his career, he is one of the best defensive backs this state has produced when it comes to timing, tackling and big plays on the grand stage. Black did not start in the Gators' season opener last Saturday against Charleston Southern but that should not be the case this week when UF plays its first Football Bowl Subdivision opponent, the Troy Trojans. UF's coaches can't afford to keep him off the field. Expect Black [PICTURED] to return to his starting position at strong safety this Saturday.  

Now, before you flood this blog post's comments field with insults, let me clarify a portion of that last paragraph. I'm not saying Ahmad Black can be compared to Bennie Blades, Lawrence Wright, Deion Sanders, Reggie Nelson, Louis Oliver, Sean Taylor, Phillip Buchanon, Lito Sheppard, Antonio Cromartie, all the Rolles (Antrel, Myron, Samari) ... That's not what I'm claiming. I'm crazy but not THAT crazy. I'm simply stating a fact: Ahmad Black's football resume -- high school and one season of college football -- can be compared to any of those Florida-born players' accomplishments at that point in their careers. (And, yes, I'm fully aware some of the those players are cornerbacks.)

Consider this when Black starts ahead of UF sophomore Will Hill on Saturday: Since high school, Black has only lost one game in which he was a starter. (Ole Miss 31, Florida 30/2008.) He was a starter for three state championship football teams at Lakeland High School. The Dreadnaughts never lost a game and defeated Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas in 2006 at Land Shark Stadium (then Dolphin Stadium) to earn a mythical high school football national championship. It was an epic game, highlighted by Black's game-saving tackle on the goal line in double overtime. Black had 20 interceptions in three years at Lakeland.

As a freshman at UF, Black was a third-string cornerback in 2007 but in 2008 he emerged as one of the most accomplished defensive backs in the nation. He was a co-leader nationally with seven interceptions. It can be argued that his final interception of the season -- in the fourth quarter against a driving Oklahoma Sooners offense -- essentially won the game for the Gators.

Now, as for UF sophomore Will Hill, he is a fine player -- and maybe he'll end up being one of UF's greatest defenders of all time -- but he's just not ready to play safety in the Southeastern Conference. (At least, he's not ready to play safety in the SEC while Black and Major Wright are on the same roster.) I'm not a coach, but I've watched the UF-Charleston Southern game three times and Hill played out of position, occasionally looked confused and missed a few tackles. Physically, Hill has a better body than Black but that does not mean Hill is the better football player. Not yet, anyway.

Upon further review, Florida's experiment with rotating safeties should be scrapped. Start Black and Wright at the safety positions and let Hill play nickelback. If Black makes mistakes and becomes a liability, then give Hill another shot. Until then, go with the proven winner. 

-jo-

Florida Gators freshman Andre Debose out for season

GAINESVILLE -- Florida coach Urban Meyer announced on Tuesday that freshman receiver Andre Debose will undergo surgery to repair a hamstring injury and will miss the entire 2009 season.

According to Meyer, Debose partially tore a hamstring tendon in May while running track for his high school. Debose was the nation's No.2-rated high school receiver in 2008, according to Rivals.com. His touchdown catch in the large-school football state championship game helped defeat Miami Northwestern.

Meyer raved about Debose on National Signing Day in February. This is the third straight year that one of the Gators' top recruits hasn't been able to contribute as a freshman. In 2006, defensive tackles Torrey Davis and John Brown were held out. In 2007, defensive tackle Omar Hunter missed most of his freshman season with an injury.

-jo- 

Florida Gators a 34 1/2-point favorite against Troy

GAINESVILLE -- The Gators are 34 1/2-point favorite against Troy, according to Vegas. Place your bets now.

This is the first official betting line of the season for the Gators. Last Saturday's game did not have an official line. Sports books generally do not set lines or take bets on games between FBS and FCS teams.

Florida was 13-1 against the spread in 2009. The Gators defeated Troy 59-31 in 2007.

Any thoughts on this line? Seems like a big number to me.

-jo-