Gator Clause

Florida Gators begin championship week a five-point favorite against Alabama Crimson Tide

GAINESVILLE -- Las Vegas Sports Consultants, Inc., opened the betting line for the Southeastern Conference championship with the Florida Gators a five-point favorite against the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Only once during its 22-game winning streak has Florida defeated an opponent by fewer than 10 points (Florida 23, Arkansas 20). Florida defeated Alabama 31-20 in the 2008 SEC championship game. No.1 Florida (12-0) and No.2 Alabama (12-0) play at 4 p.m. on Saturday at Atlanta's Georgia Dome.

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Florida #Gators Tim #Tebow doing what he does best, dominating Florida State

GAINESVILLE -- Tim Tebow does a lot of things well, but one of the things he does best is dominate Florida State.

One day after Alabama's Mark Ingram stumbled against Auburn, Tebow is making his case for the Heisman Trophy during the first half against FSU. Entering Saturday's game, Tebow accounted for nine touchdowns in two years against FSU. Tebow has already accounted for three touchdowns on Saturday -- one rushing and two passing -- and UF leads FSU 24-0 at halftime.

Tebow gave UF a 17-0 lead with 7:44 left in the second quarter with an 18-yard touchdown run on another excellent read out of the triple option. UF went up 24-0 with 1:07 left in the half when Tebow found tight end Aaron Hernandez on a crossing pattern for a 37-yard score. Hernandez zig-zagged through FSU's defense like he was a receiver. One of the FSU defenders to miss a tackle on Hernandez: Greg Reid, the FSU freshman cornerback who spured UF on National Signing Day in February.

Tebow's halftime stats: 13 of 16 attempts for 154 yards and two touchdowns; 10 carries for 35 yards and a touchdown.

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Pair of sacks forces Florida Gators to settle for a field goal

GAINESVILLE -- The sacks are back. UF quarterback Tim Tebow was sacked twice on consecutive plays at the end of the first quarter. The combined loss of five yards forced UF to settle for a 37-yard field goal by Caleb Sturgis on the first play of the second quarter. UF leads FSU 10-0.

Florida's second scoring drive of the game -- 69 yards, eight plays, 3:41 -- was highlighted by a 45-yard run from Chris Rainey.

Tebow has been sacked 25 times this season.

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A little triple-option football for the Florida Gators gives UF a 7-0 lead

GAINESVILLE -- A beautifully designed triple-option play gave Florida a 7-0 lead against Florida State with 6:48 left in the first quarter on Saturday at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

Quarterback Tim Tebow's shovel pass to tight end Aaron Hernandez went for a 17-yard score. Hernandez lined up next to right tackle Marcus Gilbert, went into motion and slipped through the middle of FSU's defense untouched for the score.

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Unabashed Man-Love Day for Florida #Gators Tim #Tebow at The Swamp (With touching photographic tribute!)

GAINESVILLE -- Thousands of Florida Gators fans lined the front entrance of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Saturday for quarterback Tim Tebow's final Gator Walk. Five state troopers and two local policemen escorted Tebow through a mob of fans around 1:30 p.m. No.1 Florida (11-0) hosts Florida State (6-5) at 3:30 p.m.

In three years I have never seen a group of more passionate Gators fans than today for Tebow's final home game in The Swamp -- not even after the national championship game in 2008. My only point of reference for such a festive atmosphere (and congested atmosphere) is Mardi Gras in New Orleans. It's one big party and everyone --man, woman and child -- is here to say thanks to Tebow. Like these guys from Florida's Panhandle (Crestview, L.A.) who were brave enough to display man love for Tebow on their chests.

PICTURED, from left to right: Bob Wagner, 16; Blair Palko, 19; and Cody Hancock, 19 traveled to Gainesville from Crestview on Saturday to send UF quarterback Tim Tebow off in style.

 

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(HOOPS LIVE BLOG) Florida #Gators 68, Florida State #Seminoles 52; FINAL

GAINESVILLE -- Without question, the Florida Gators played their best basketball in over two seasons during the first half of Tuesday's 68-52 win against Florida State.

The Rowdies were rocking in the O'Dome after the Gators built a dominating 20-point lead in the first half against a team it hadn't defeated since 2005. FSU charged back in the second half, cutting UF's lead to five, but the Gators absorbed the Noles' best punch -- literally, almost, when Dan Werner stood his ground against FSU's Jordan DeMercy and drew a charge -- and roared back to life with an impresseive 18-3 run.

Seven Gators scored at least six points and Kenny Boynton Jr., Alex Tyus and Erving Walker led UF with 13 each. Check The Miami Herald on Wednesday morning for my game story. 

SECOND HALF LIVE BLOG BELOW
Make that a 16-2 run after a Chandler Parsons 3-pointer. UF 59, FSU 41; 6:00.

--Gators with a considerable momentum swing here in the second half with a 12-0 run. O'Dome went absolutely bonkers when Ray Shipman dished a behind the back pass to Erving Walker on a fast break to give UF a 49-38 lead. UF athletic director Jeremy Foley stood up on press row and pumped his fist in approval.

Moments later Florida forced FSU's 22nd turnover of the game and UF extended its second-half run to 9-0 with a free throw from Alex Tyus followed by an offensive rebound by Chandler Parsons. Parsons showed his newfound and found Tyus under the basket with a brilliant assist. Tyus finished the play to give UF a 52-38 lead. Impressvie stuff from UF, which was in jeapordy of losing its 20-point halftime lead.

--FSU on a 19-2 run in the second half. FSU guard Derwin Kitchen with eight points in the second half and 13 in the game to lead FSU in scoring. UF and FSU now with 17 turnovers each. UF 43, FSU 38 with 11:47 left in the game.

--Kenny Boynton Jr. with the Gators' only points of the half (four) after a nice 18-footer. Gators playing sloppily in the second half. UF now with 16 turnovers, compared to 17 for FSU. UF leading 43-35 with 13:11 left in the game after leading by 20 at the break. 

--FSU on an 8-0 run in the second half. Gators nearing FSU's mark of 16 turnovers. UF has 13 turnovers.

--UF's Kenny Boynton Jr. with his first points of the game on a runner in the lane. UF 41, FSU 21, 18:12 left in the second half.

--Hands down the best half of basketball Florida has played in two years. Wow! Incredible defense. Florida forced 16 first-half turnovers!

Ray Shipman and Alex Tyus lead the Gators in scoring with eight points each. And Shipman made his first 3-pointer of season. Tyus knocked down three mid-range jumpers after struggling from the field during UF's first three games.

The most surprising thing about the first half? Florida is up on FSU by 20 points and Kenny Boynton didn't score the entire first half.

FIRST HALF LIVE BLOG BELOW
--Dan Werner ends the half with a steal and 3-pointer. FSU with 16 turnovers. Werner with his second 3-pointer in four minutes.

--Gators on an 21-4 run after back-to-back 3-pointers by Ray Shipman and Erving Walker. Shipman playing well. Eight points for Shipman. FSU with 13 turnovers. Wait, spoke too soon. Poor turnover by Shipman. Shipman out. Gators shooting 11 of 25 from the field and 2 of 7 from the 3-point range. Shipman leads the Gators in scoring. Kenny Boynton still scoreless.

--UF held FSU scoreless for more than six minutes (13:50-7:21). FSU's Derwin Kitchen broke the skid with put back.

--Gators on 11-0 run after Vernon Macklin dunk (great pass Dan Werner) and Ray Shipman steal and free throw. UF's defense is once again playing incredibly tonight. UF has forced nine turnovers and leads FSU 17-10 with 7:50 left in the half. UF's leading scorer Kenny Boynton has not scored. UF is out-rebounding FSU 12-7.

--Alex Tyus with his second mid-range jumper of the half to give UF a 14-10 lead with 9:33 to play. 8-0 UF run. Gators force another FSU turnover. Noles with eight turnovers. Tyus leads UF with six points.

--Gators on 6-0 run after forcing two Noles' turnovers. Parsons scored a tough reverse lay-up followed by a breakaway basket for Ray Shipman. Vernon Macklin makes it UF 12, FSU 10 with another nice move in the paint; 11:40 left in the first half.

--UF forces the Noles sixth tunover in the game's first eight minutes and Gators reserve scores a n

--Noles Chris Singleton with another 3-pointer. Wow! He's really filling it up. All 10 of FSU's points and shooting 4 of 4 from the field. Chandler Parsons answers with a tough reverse lay-up. FSU 10, Gators 8, 12:44.

--FSU's Chris Singleton with all seven of the Noels' points, including a 3-pointer with 15:06 left. FSU 7, UF 6. Gators and Noles with four turnovers each.

--Alex Tyus with a nice 15-foot jumper to give UF a 6-4 lead. Vernon Macklin with a pretty hook over 7-1 Solomon Alabi. UF's full-court press is giving FSU fits early on. Noles have turned it over three times in the game's first four minutes.

STARTING LINE-UPS BELOW
Florida State is looking big. Here are your starting line-ups for tonight's men's basketball game between the Florida Gators (3-0) and the Florida State Seminoles (3-0).

FLORIDA STATE
F Chris Singleton (6-9) 9.0/10.0
F Ryan Reid (6-8) 10.3/7.0
C Solomon Alabi (7-1) 12.3/6.3
G Devidas Dulkys (6-5) 12.7/4.3 apg
G Derwin Kitchen (6-4) 7.7/3.7 apg

FLORIDA
F Dan Werner (6-8) 5.3/3.3
F Alex Tyus (6-8) 8.3/7.3
C Vernon Macklin (6-10) 10.0/7.0
G Kenny Boynton Jr. (6-2) 19.0/4.3 apg
G Erving Walker (5-8) 10.0/5.3 apg

Florida Gators running back Emmanuel Moody 'hobbled'

GAINESVILLE -- Florida coach Urban Meyer said on Tuesday that Gators junior running back Emmanuel Moody remains limited in practice. Moody sprained an ankle during the Gators' win against South Carolina and did not play last Saturday against FIU.

Meyer said that Moody is still "hobbled" when asked about the running back's status. Meyer said that all other offensive players, including offensive linemen Maurkice Pouncey and Carl Johnson, are "100 percent."

Florida outside linebacker A.J. Jones is doubtful for Saturday's game, according to Meyer. Jones injured the medial-collateral ligament in his right knee against FIU. Junior linebacker Brandon Hicks will likely start on Saturday in place of Jones.

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Florida Gators coach Urban Meyer holds back tears in press conference

GAINESVILLE -- Stoic Urban Meyer revealed his soft side on Monday during his weekly press conference.

Saturday home game against Florida State (6-5) will be Senior Day for the top-ranked Gators (11-0) and UF's coach paused several times on Monday to hold back tears when asked about his senior class, which will leave Florida having won more games than any other recruiting class in SEC history. After being asked a question about his first senior class, Meyer said, "We didn't have the same bond as maybe we did with this group, but ..."

Meyer then went speechless for 27 seconds. He bowed his head, wrinkled his nose and fought back the tears. It was the most emotion Meyer has displayed publicly since he has been at Florida. Meyer collected himself and offered some levity. "No more interviews this week, man," he said. "Yeah, it's going to be a tough week."

More long pauses followed. Meyer choked up when asked about former UF walk-on quarterback Michael Guilford, who died during a motorcycle wreck on Oct. 12, 2007. After a 19-second refrain, Meyer said, "Mike, we're going to invite his family down. He's a part of this group and, once again, you take Mike out of this process and that really stung this football team. And he's got a terrific family and we'll just do the best we can to make that family feel at peace with what he did here, because he was a phenomenal young man and phenomenal member of this team. So he'll be part of Senior Day."

Florida's coach was again emotional when asked about the impact Florida quarterback Tim Tebow has had on Meyer personally.

"It think he's had the same impact on me he has had on college football," Meyer said. "I know he's had on my children..." Meyer then paused for 14 seconds before continuing. "The one thing about Tim is the unselfishness and his mission outside of college football is unparalleled as far as I'm concerned. The impact he's made, it's almost like selflessness is now a cool thing. Like, kids realizing to give back. If you can brighten someone's day you do it. And I think the impact he has made on this team is phenomenal -- and this coaching staff. It's very noticeable behind closed doors more than probably what you [reporters] see. It's a significant impact."

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Hardknock childhood for Florida Gators Tim Tebow? He was cutting grass when he was nine!

GAINESVILLE -- Florida quarterback Tim Tebow told a story on Saturday that had every reporter in Florida's post-game press conference seated on seat's edge.

What's this? Tebow cried one time way back in 1996? Holy dinosaur, stop the presses. Stop the bloody presses! Re-wriiiiiite!!!

The Orlando Sentinel was so impressed with Tebow's maudlin yarn on Saturday that the paper featured the story at the top of its game story for UF 62, FIU 3. LINK! The Gainesville Sun took the bait, too. LINK! The Miami Herald will mention Tebow's tale, sadly, in tomorrow's paper, but we'll bury it -- and rightfully so, in my opinion -- at the bottom of a story about UF-FSU rivalry week.

OK, here's Tebow's story. According to UF's senior quarterback, he was watching Florida vs. Florida State in 1996 in his home in Jacksonville. Florida lost to Florida State 24-21 and Tebow was ordered outside by father Bob to, according to Tebow, mow the lawn and rake the leaves. As the story goes, Tebow was beside himself with emotion. According to Tim, he mowed that lawn and raked those leaves with little, itty-bitty alligator tears rolling down his tiny Tim face.

"When Florida State beat Florida in 1996, we didn't think we'd go to the national championship," Tebow said. "I remember dad made me go outside and cut the grass and rake the leaves. The whole time I was raking leaves, I was crying because Florida State just beat Florida."

OK, in all seriousness, this is a good story and offers some insight into Tebow and just how much he wants to beat the spears out of Florida State on Saturday. But, of course, this blog post is about cracking jokes. So ... 

All right, here's what I want to know. What in the world was Bob Tebow thinking? He made his nine-year-old son cut the grass? Geez, Tim had it rough. Nine years old? Cutting grass? With tears streaming down that little nine-year-old face? Tim's older brothers Robby and Peter had it easy. In 1996, Robby would have been around 15 years old and Peter would have been about 12 ... and they just watched while little Timmy did all that work ... with tears streaming down his face...un ... be ...lievable! Bob Tebow, you taskmaster!

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What's the difference between Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow and Alabama running back Mark Ingram? One rushing touchdown.

GAINESVILLE -- Florida quarterback Tim Tebow and Alabama running back Mark Ingram lead their teams offensively and are the leading Heisman Trophy contenders in the Southeastern Conference.

After Saturday's set of games, Florida and Alabama have played seven common opponents. Ingram has rushed for seven touchdowns against those teams while Tebow has rushed for six scores. Ingram's longest touchdown run was a 70-yard burst against Mississippi State. Tebow's longest touchdown run came on Saturday, a 55-yard score against Florida International.

These are interesting stats, considering Tebow is a quarterback yet only trails Ingram, a running back, by one rushing touchdown against common opponents and overall. It kind of puts Tebow's impact into perspective. Will these statistical comparisons weigh heavily in the Heisman Trophy debate?

Through 11 games, Tebow has rushed for 11 touchdowns and is averaging 64.2 yards per game. Being a quarterback, Tebow has thrown for 14 touchdowns and is averaging 176.8 yards passing per game.

Ingram has rushed for 12 touchdowns and is averaging 127.2 yards per game. He also has three touchdown receptions and is averaging 20.5 receiving yards per game.

Tebow's numbers might be down compared to 2007 and 2008, but a strong case can be made that Tebow is having a better year than Ingram in 2009.

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Florida Gators Tim Tebow out of the game after third-quarter touchdown throw

GAINESVILLE -- Long kickoff return by Brandon James to begin the second half. The Gators needed just five plays to drive 41 yards for the offense's fifth touchdown of the game. Quarterback Tim Tebow found Riley Cooper for a 18-yard touchdown pass.

The touchdown throw appeared to be Tebow's final pass of the game. John Brantley is now in the game with seven minutes left in the third quarter.

Florida guard Carl Johnson is no where to be found on UF's sideline. He left the game with what appeared to be an ankle injury in the second quarter. UF linebacker A.J. Jones (right knee) is also not on the sidelines. Offensive lineman Mike Pouncey began the second half at center but back up Sam Robey is now at that position. Starting center Maurkice Pouncey appeared to injury his ankle in the first half.

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Florida #Gators left guard Carl Johnson out with ankle injury

GAINESVILLE -- Another injury for the Gators. Florida left guard Carl Johnson left the game late in the second quarter with what appears to be an ankle injury. Johnson is on crutches and is now shoeless. Not looking good for the Gators pn the injury front. 

Florida took a 35-0 lead with 1:38 left in the half with a three-yard run by Jeff Demps. The Gators needed just eight plays to drive 80 yards. The possession was highligted by a 29-yard pass from Tebow to Rainey. Gators passing game looking better in the second quarter.

FIU with a 37-yard field goal with 29 second left in the first half. UF 35, FIU 3.

Will we see Tebow in the second half? I'm guessing yes after the FIU field goal.

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Florida Gators linebacker A.J. Jones out with knee injury

GAINESVILLE -- Florida Gators linebacker A.J. Jones limped off the field with about six minutes to play in the second quarter. It appears to be a right knee injury.

FIU reached the UF 16 but missed a 33-yard field goal attempt with 5:17 left in the second quarter. UF leads FIU 28-0. UF center Maurkice Pouncey is still out of the game and appears to be getting his left ankle tapped on the sidelines.

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Florida #Gators center Maurkice Pouncey out with left-leg injury

GAINESVILLE -- Gators center Maurkice Pouncey is currently out of the game with an injury. He's sitting on the Gators' training table on the sidelines with his left leg elevated. It appears to be an ankle injury.

Maurkice's twin brother, Mike Pouncey,is playing center for his injured brother. James Wilson entered the game at right guard. Mike Pouncey and Wilson led the Gators on their second touchdown drive of the second quarter with 9:41 left until halftime. Running back Chris Rainey capped the 60-yard drive with a 22-yard touchdown run. UF led FIU 28-0 midway through the second quarter.

Rainey has two touchdowns. He carried a shovel pass from Tebow for a 27-yard score with 13:39 left in the second quarter to give UF a 21-0 lead.

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Florida #Gators Tim Tebow running wild against FIU in first quarter

GAINESVILLE First quarter in the books here at The Swamp. The Gators are leading Florida International 14-0 behind an interception return by Brandon Spikes and a long touchdown run by quarterback Tim Tebow.

Spikes returned an interception by FIU's Paul McCall for a 41-yard touchdown return. It was Spikes second interception return for a touchdown this season. He's had four interception returns for touchdowns in the last two seasons. According to UF's sports information people, he's the only person to accomplish that statistic.

Some of UF's back ups are already receiving playing time. Receiver Frankie Hammond Jr. of Hollywood caught a seven-yard pass near the end of the first quarter.

Tebow's touchdown run of 55 yards was the longest carry of his career. (Was that Tebow's Heisman moment? Against FIU? We kid.) Tebow rushed for 81 yards on four carries in the first quarter.

The Gators' passing game was a bit off in the first quarter. Chris Rainey dropped a touchdown pass and Tebow overthrew Brandon James in the end zone. Tebow also under threw Riley Cooper in the end zone. 

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Shoe company to unveil new Florida #Gators uniforms to keep up with competition

GAINESVILLE -- Nike is using several college football teams around the country next week to drum up interest in their new line of football uniforms. Nike is losing business to Under Armour in the football-uniform market.

Florida will be one of the uniform models. The uniforms are blue. The helmets are white. The helmets will feature a blue 'F' in italic font. The helmet logo is similar to the 'F' painted in Florida's south end zone. Florida State is also wearing new uniforms to help advertise for Nike. Both Florida and Florida State receive money from Nike in sponsorship deals. Here's a link to the new uniforms. LINK!

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(LIVE BLOG FINAL) Florida Gators 80; Troy 58; Dominant second half propels Gators

GAINESVILLE -- The Gators scored 59 second-half points to defeat Troy 80-58 on Friday night at the O'Connell Center.

The Gators (3-0) trailed the Trojans 32-31 at halftime. After that, Florida played its best basketball of the young season. Freshman Kenny Boynton Jr. led the Gators with 23 points and added six rebounds and four assits. Point guard Erving Walker scored 13 points -- all in the second half -- and had six rebounds and six assists.

UF senior Dan Werner was 4 of 5 from 3-point range and finished with 12 points and five rebounds. Chandler Parsons came off the bench and scored 15 points to go along with seven rebounds and three assists.

Richard Delk, a transfer from Mississippi State, led the Trojans (2-1) with 15 points.

SECOND HALF LIVE BLOG BELOW
Make that a 10-0 Boynton run. Wow! UF 80, Troy 54; 2:06. Alex Tyus out of the game with what appears to be leg cramps or a knee injury. (More on that later.) Rod Tishman in the game!

A 7-0 run by Kenny Boynton gives Florida a 77-52 lead with 2:49 left in the game. The 15-point lead is the Gators' largest of the game after trailing 32-31 at half. Boynton with 20 points, six rebounds and four assists. Point guard Erving Walker with 13 points (all in the second half), six rebounds and six assits. Walker, by the way, is 5-foot-8.

--Kenny Boynton with a pretty one-handed runner from the baseline to give UF a 72-50 lead with 5:13 left in the game. Boynton with 15 points, six rebounds and four assists.

--Wow, Thunder Dan with back-to-back 3-pointers. The O'Dome is blaring AC/DC's "Thunderstruck" during a timeout. UF 68, Troy 45; 6:26.

--Dan Werner swishes a 3-pointer after a hard-earned offensive rebound by Chandler Parsons. Werner 3 of 4 from behind the 3-point arc. Gators with a rebound advantage of 14 in the second half. Parsons leads the Gators in points (15) and rebounds (7). UF 65, Troy 45; 7:50. UF's biggest lead of the game.

--Gators with a 21-3 run midway through the second half. Walker exploding right now. He has 13 points this half after starting the game scoreless. In one furious minute in the second half, Walker scored five points, had a turnover and made a nice assist to Boynton. UF 58, Troy 43; 9:23.

--Ray Shipman with some nice minutes in the second half. He forced a turnover and spelled Erving Wallker. Gators playing inspired basektball right now. Fierce. Aggressive. Confident. Boynton and Walker diving all over the court. Parsons taking charges. Shipman forcing turnovers. Parsons and Boynton trapping. Florida on a 12-3 run with 11:50 left in the game: UF 50, Troy 39.

--No lie, Chandler Parsons was checking out the Rowdies in the crowd one second and then driving to the basket another. Parsons was fouled and made both of his free throws. After a Troy turnover, Erving Walker drained a long-range 3-pointer to give UF a 45-36 lead.

--Erving Walker makes a shot! Walker swished a 3-pointer with 16:52 left in the second half to give UF a 38-24 lead. Before the 3-pointer, Walker had missed his last 15 shots, a drought spanning two games.

--Alex Tyus started the second half off with a dominating statement when he rejected Troy's Antywan Jones' lay-up attempt into the UF jazz band. UF leads 35, Troy 34; 17:19.

HALFTIME SUMMARY BELOW
The Gators trailed at halftime on Friday night against Troy one game after leading Georgia Southern by one point at halftime. Troy led Florida 32-31 after out-rebounding the Gators 28-18.

Florida forward Chandler Parsons led the Gators with 10 points in the first half. Point guard Erving Walker finished the first half shooting 0 of 5. Walker is 0 of 15 in his previous two games.

Troy's transfers led the Trojans in scoring. Richard Delk (Miss. State) had seven points in the first half. Yamene Coleman (Alabama) had six points. Antywan Jones, a JUCO transfer, had six points.

FIRST HALF LIVE BLOG BELOW
--Two missed lay-ups for Florida (Tyus and Parsons) and a 7-0 Troy allowed the Trojans to retake the lead with 1:19 left in the half.

After beginning the game 1 of 4 from 3-point range, the Gators have made 4 of 8 from behind the arc. The highlight came with 3:46 left in the first half when Kenny Boynton Jr. drained a trey and was fouled while shooting. He converted the free throw for the four-point play (his second in two games) to give Florida a 31-25 lead.

--Freshman center Erik Murphy once again making a positive contribution. Murphy played six solid minutes against Georgia Southern and tonight he's receiving significant minutes against a better opponent.

--Florida is once again playing solid defense. After holding its first two opponents to under 50 points, the Gators are limiting Troy, which came into tonight's game averaging 105 points per game. Troy has scored a field goal in over five minutes. UF 23, Troy 17; 7:21.

Dan Werner with his first 3-pointer of the season to give UF its first lead of the night, 17-16. Chandler Parsons is playing well. He has 10 points and three rebounds already. UF 19, Troy 17; 8:38.

--The Gators are in for a slugfest tonight. Troy is pretty good AND BIG and features four transfers from other Division I-A schools, including Richard Delk from Mississippi State and Yamene Coleman from Alabama.

It didn't take long for Chandler Parsons to come off the bench tonight. Parsons swished the Gators first and only 3-pointer of the game so far and then added a put back to cut Troy's lead to 9-7 with 15:27 left in the first half. The Gators' long-distance shooting troubles over the last two games haven't stopped them from attempting 3s. UF is 1-4, including an attempt by Erving Walker that was at least 23 feet.

--Should be an interesting basketball game tonight. Troy (2-0) features size and athleticism and return four starters from a team that won 19 games (14-4 in Sun Belt) last season. Follow along tonight as we blog live from press row inside the O'Connell Center.

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Betting service names Florida Gators coach Urban Meyer co-favorite for Notre Dame job

GAINESVILLE -- Yes, you can even bet your hard-earned money on who the next coach of Notre Dame will be. Offshore betting service Bodog.com just emailed me the latest odds, and guess what? Florida coach Urban Meyer is leader out of the gates along with Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly.

Here are the betting odds on who the next Notre Dame coach will be if current Fighting Irish coach Charlie Weis is not retained after this season:

Urban Meyer 3/2
Brian Kelly 3/2
Jim Harbaugh 3/1
Chip Kelly 5/1
Kirk Ferentz 10/1
Bob Stoops 20/1

Question that just popped into my brain: What will Notre Dame athletics director Jack Swarbrick do with all of his winnings?

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Florida Gators basketball showing signs of improvement despite shooting woes

GAINESVILLE -- Through two exhibitions and two regular-season games, I still don't know what to make of the Florida Gators basketball team. This team remains somewhat of a mystery and even UF coach Billy Donovan probably doesn't know what to fully expect from his new-look Gators.

Is this team better than last year's team? I don't know yet. Is this team going to be a contender in the SEC East? I don't know yet. Will losing guard Nick Calathes and losing yet another recruit to Kentucky over the offseason keep Florida out of the NCAA Tournament? I don't know yet.

Of course, readers don't flock to Gator Clause by the thousands to learn about I don't know. So, I'll stop listing the unknowns now and begin writing about things that are fairly obvious at this early point in the season. Let's analyze the basketball team ... with a list!

FIVE OBSERVATIONS OF THE UF MEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM AND OTHER STUFF I'M GOING TO PRATTLE ON ABOUT
5. The Gators have more frontcourt depth this season than last year. And that's a good thing! Chandler Parsons came off the bench on Wednesday night against Georgia Southern and came through for the Gators. He recorded just the second double-double of his career (15 points, 12 rebounds), which is a good sign. Beyond Parsons, freshman Erik Murphy appears to be a solid low-post player off the bench. Murphy recorded four rebounds and provided some energy in the second half. He appears to be technically sound (for a freshman) and isn't afraid to bang inside. Sophomore Kenny Kadji still appears to be a work in progress. Some players need a little more time to develop and Kadji might be one of those guys. Still, he played eight minutes on Wednesday and had two rebounds, a block and a steal. Kadji has the potential to improve through hard work.

4. In the backcourt, the Gators could use another outside scoring threat. I know, you're going to call me crazy, but Ray Shipman needs to start taking MORE SHOTS! Shipman played 16 minutes on Wednesday and only attempted three shots, including one 3-point attempt. Shipman's 3-point attempt in the first half missed the rim. After that, he appeared to get a little nervous. Don't be nervous, Ray. Just let if fly, baby! It will start falling. The Gators need Shipman to find his shot. Why? He's going to be open! Freshman Kenny Boynton Jr. is UF's primary outside threat. He's a great shooter and will draw most of the attention this season. That means Shipman and point guard Erving Walker will have plenty of open looks at the basket. Walker isn't afraid to shoot, and that's a good thing. He was 0 of 10 from the floor on Wednesday but that isn't a realistic indication of his talent. He's a good shooter. Shipman appears to be the missing piece from the wing. As UF coach Billy Donovan likes to call him, Shipman is the team's "X-factor." Shipman has the speed to get open. Now he just needs to start shooting.

3. Last week, I wrote that center Vernon Macklin might not be the All-American everyone wants him to be. That might be true but Macklin has more than enough talent to be an impact player for the Gators' this season. He got in early foul trouble on Wednesday and only played 19 minutes but in those 19 minutes he produced 15 points on 7 of 9 shooting and had seven rebounds. Macklin appears to be slowly finding his form. He's gradually improving and needs to take a big step forward next week, when UF hosts Florida State and then travels to Atlantic City, N.J., to take on Michigan State.

2. Alex Tyus had a tough game on Wednesday. He had just as many fouls (four) as he had points and he only attempted one shot, which he missed. Tyus had an off night offensively but he's still the Gators' best player (just my opinion). What Tyus lacked in offense on Wednesday he made up for with a strong defensive performance. He had four rebounds and three blocks.

1. That leads us to the No.1 most important thing to take away from Wednesday night's game. Tyus only attempted one shot and Florida was 2 of 16 from 3-point range, but UF still managed to defeat Georgia Southern by 20 points. That means Florida is playing pretty good defense. Georgia Southern was 18 of 55 from the field (32.7 percent), including 4 of 18 from 3-point range (22.2 percent). UF had 18 more rebounds than Georgia Southern (51-33). Those are good numbers compared to last season.

Last season, Florida had trouble against physical teams. We still don't know what to make of this season's Gators -- it's too early -- but we do know that Florida must be physically tougher than it was last season to defeat Florida State and Michigan State next week. Wednesday offered evidence that the Gators are improving. Now, if only UF could start making some 3-pointers.

Up next for UF: a home game against Troy at 7 p.m. on Friday.

-jo-

And the spouse of the year award goes to ... Ann Bowden

OK, Florida plays rival Florida State in two-Saturday's time so this blog post is not totally irrelevant to Gators football. Plus, I'm sure a few people who read this blog have spouses, so that makes it doubly worth reading.

In Wednesday's USA Today, Ann Bowden, wife of FSU coach Bobby Bowden, offered evidence that she's pretty awesome. This is the proper way to defend your man after he's had a bad year: "You know, we don't need the university as much as they need us -- as much as they need him and his connections and reputation and everything. If they want to pull that trick, we'll just shake the dirt off our feet and go to Europe or go on a long cruise or something."

Double snap. Mmhmm, you go girl.

-jo-

(FINAL) Gators 69, Georgia Southern 49; Kenny Boynton leads UF with 22 points

Link to my game story in today's paper. LINK!

GAME SUMMARY AFTER LIVE BLOG
GAINESVILLE -- It started slowly for the Gators on Wednesday but UF dominated Georgia Southern in the second, defeating the Eagles by 69-49. UF led by one (26-25) at halftime.

Oddly enough, Louisville coach Rick Pitino was courtside on Wednesday at the O'Connell Center. Asked by the Miami Herald why he was in Gainesville, Pitino said he was recruiting in Ocala on Wednesday and decided to stick around for the Gators' game. Pitino and Billy Donovan are close friends -- Donovan played for Pitino at Providence and then coached with Pitino at Kentucky -- and Richard Pitino, Rick's son, is now an assistant of Donovan's.

Kenny Boynton Jr. led the Gators (2-0) with 22 points and Chandler Parsons scored 15 points and had 12 rebounds off the bench. 

LIVE BLOG BELOW
--Kenny Boynton with a rare 4-point play to give UF a commanding 60-47 over Georgia Southern, which finished the season 8-22 and ninth place in the Southern Conference.

--Gators are 23 of 36 from the free-throw line with 2:53 left in the game. Gators lead Georgia Southern 56-47. Vernon Macklin with a quiet 15 points and seven rebounds. Chandler Parsons needs one more point for a double-double. He has nine points and 11 rebounds.

--Georgia Southern coach Charlton Young is a character. This guy is all over the place.

Chandler Parsons for three! The streak is alive. Parsons snapped the Gators 0 of 12 slump from the 3-point line. UF 55, Georgia Southern 45, 6:10.

--Gators have only attempted one 3-point basket in the second half and it seems to have settled the team. Nice call by Billy Donovan at halftime. Gators are 0 of 10 from the 3-point line. The Gators have made at least one 3-point basket in each of their last 580 games. That record pre-dates the Billy Donovan era. And the record is at stake!

Ten of the Gators' last 14 points have come from the free-throw line. UF 52, Georgia Southern 39; 8:31.

--Gators on 22-6 run after solid guard play from Erving Walker leads to an easy Macklin lay-up. UF 46, Georgia Southern 36; 10:05.

--Erving Walker is 7 of 9 from the free-throw line after knocking down 3 of 4 on consecutive possessions. UF 41, Georgia Southern 32, 11:59 left in second half.

--Gators playing great defense now. Georgia Southern went six minutes without scoring (19:11-13:04).

--Kenny Boynton igniting a 9-0 UF run. Boynton dunked to begin UF's second half scoring then scored on a backdoor cut (nice assist Tyus). Boynton capped the run with a breakaway lay-up. Boynton now 4 of 9 from the field and 0 of 4 from 3-point range. UF 35, Georiga Southern 30, 15:39.

--Alex Tyus hasn't scored and is only 0 of 1 from the field. He's back in the game after sitting most of the first half with foul trouble. And...Vernon Macklin misses a dunk.

--Didn't take long for Georgia Southern to retake the lead. The Eagles began the second half with five quick points.

FIRST HALF SUMMARY
OK, not the best first half for the Florida Gators in the history of the O'Dome. Florida leads Georgia Southern 26-25 despite going 0 of 9 from 3-point range in the first half. The Gators are now 1 of 22 from 3-point range in the first 60 minutes of the season.

Kenny Boynton Jr. is 1 of 5 from the field and 0 of 3 from 3-point range. Erving Walker is 0 of 6 from the field and 0 of 2 from 3-point range. Ray Shipman hasn't hit the rim yet (0 of 1, airball). Boynton is the Gators' leading scorer at the break thanks to 5 of 7 from the free-throw line.

FIRST HALF LIVE BLOG
--No look pass (turnover) by Erik Murphy. Immediately out of the game.

--Gators take first lead of night with dunk by Vernon Macklin with 3:21 left in first half. Erik Murphy provided a spark on the possession before Macklin's basket. UF 22, Georgia Southern 21; 2:30 left in first half. Gators are 0 of 9 from 3-point range.

--Florida freshman Erik Murphy now in the game. Alex Tyus, Vernon Macklin and Dan Werner with two fouls each. UF down 17-16, 5:41 left in first half. Gators shooting 5 of 22 from the field and 0 of 7 from 3-point range.

Florida has scored just three field goals in the game's first 12 minutes and 30 seconds. UF is now 3 of 17 from the field with 7:28  to play in the half.

--Gators 0 of 5 from 3-point range. UF now 1 of 18 from 3-point range on the season.

--Alex Tyus out with two fouls. Ray Shipman just airballed a 3-point attempt. UF down 12-10, 10:01 left in first half. And now another UF turnover. Florida has five turnovers in the games first 10 minutes.

--The Florida Gators are trailing Georgia Southern 10-9 with 12:42 left in the first half on Wednesday at the O'Connell Center. Florida is 0 of 3 from 3-point range.

-jo-

Louisville coach Rick Pitino at Gators basketball game

GAINESVILLE -- Seated a few seats away from me on press row tonight inside the O'Connell Center is Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino. Guess he's here to support his son, Richard, who is an assistant on Billy Donovan's staff.

Louisville defeated Arkansas in St. Louis on Tuesday night.

-jo-

Mother of Florida Gators lineman Xavier Nixon was at Fort Hood during shooting

GAINESVILLE -- Florida Gators freshman offensive lineman Xavier Nixon said on Wednesday that his mother was at Fort Hood, Texas, two weeks ago when 12 people were killed by a gunman.

Fotini Nixon, a sergeant in the Army, was attending Master Sergeant school at the Army post during the shooting. Just thought I would pass along that interesting news. More on Nixon later. At the basketball game.

-jo-   

Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow will likely be a finalist for the Heisman; Will he win it? Still to be determined

GAINESVILLE -- In Tim Tebow's sophomore season, he won the Heisman Trophy based upon his stats and despite playing on a team that lost three regular-season games.

In 2008, Tebow again had good numbers but watched Oklahoma's Sam Bradford, a guy with better stats, win the award. Bradford played for a one-loss team during the regular season. Florida lost to Ole Miss.

In 2009, Tebow's numbers are down compared to 2007 and 2008 but this time he's on an undefeated team. Will that be enough to earn him his second Heisman Trophy. Will it be enough for him to at least receive an invitation to New York for the ceremony? Tebow will likely be invited but whether or not he wins his second Heisman is still to be determined.

Four things determine the winner of the Heisman Trophy: hype, stats, season and sportswriters. Does Tebow have the hype? Check. Does Tebow have the stats? No, not if you're comparing them to his sophomore and junior seasons. Does Tebow have the sportswriters? The verdict is still out on that one. Are sportswriters suffering from Tebow overload? Yes, some writers are probably are sick of hearing about Tebow. Is there a Tebow backlash? Yes, there are certain regions of this country where voters will be looking for reasons not to vote for Tebow.

Whether you agree with this or not, Tebow's stats this season are going to be compared to his stats in 2008 and 2007. Tebow's touchdown total in 2007 was one for the ages. He accounted for 55 scores and was the first person in the history of major college football to throw and run for at least 20 touchdowns. In 2008, his touchdowns were down slightly but still impressive. In 2009, Tebow's scoring totals have been steady but the Gators' haven't been blowing teams out.

Tebow's passing numbers in 2007: 350-234-6-32; 3,286 yards
Tebow's passing numbers in 2008: 298-192-4-30; 2,746 yards

With three games remaining in the 2009 regular season, Tebow has completed 124 of 198 attempts for 1,730 yards, 12 touchdowns and four interceptions. 

Tebow's rushing numbers in 2007: 210-895 (4.3 ypc.), 23 touchdowns
Tebow's rushing numbers in 2008: 176-673 (3.8 ypc.), 12 touchdowns

With three games remaining in the 2009 regular season, Tebow has rushed for 604 yards on 171 attempts (3.5 ypc) and 10 touchdowns. Now, if you factor Tebow's sacks out of his rushing stats, those numbers improve significantly. Tebow has been sacked 23 times for minus-125 yards. Take away the sacks, and Tebow has rushed for 729 yards on 148 carries (4.3 ypc).

On Tuesday, Florida coach Urban Meyer defended his quarterback and told reporters that Tebow should still be considered for the Heisman Trophy despite Tebow's drop in statistics, which -- and this is just my opinion -- are directly related to Florida's lack of receivers.

"The Heisman goes for the best player," Meyer said. "I'd be hard to argue that he's not one of the best players in college football. Because he didn't throw for as many yards as another guy? I've never really looked at it (that way). I always look at the win-loss. How do you evaluate a player, especially a leader. Do you win games? That's No.1. It's always been No.1."

Six teams remain undefeated entering the 12th week of the season. Of those six teams, three quarterbacks are being mentioned in the Heisman discussion: Tebow, Texas' Colt McCoy and Boise State's Kellen Moore. If the Heisman was based strictly on stats, records and quarterbacks, then Moore would be the clear favorite. He has thrown for 2,558 yards, 32 touchdowns and three interceptions. Comparatively, McCoy has throw for 2,628 yards, 19 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Of course, the Heisman isn't just about stats and records. Don't forget the hype factor. Does a sophomore quarterback from Idaho really have any chance of winning the Heisman? Probably not.

That brings us back to Meyer's quote about looking beyond Tebow's stats compared to other quarterbacks. A quarterback, it seems, is no longer the favorite to win the Heisman. Who would have predicted that at the beginning of the season?

Alabama running back Mark Ingram is having a fine season. He has rushed for 1,297 yards and 10 touchdowns in addition to catching 25 passes for 225 yards and three scores. Those are solid numbers and will likely earn Ingram a trip to New York. Since this is a Gators blog, we would be remiss if we didn't point out that Tebow has the same number of rushing touchdowns as Ingram. Will voters consider that statistic when filling out their Heisman ballots? We'll see.

At this point, the Heisman race is too close to call, but if I had to guess who the finalists would be at the end of the season, I'd pick Tebow, Ingram, McCoy and Moore. Barring injuries to either Tebow or Ingram, I'm still of the opinion that voters in the Southeast will wait until after the SEC championship to make a decision. When was the last time a late-season injury factored into the Heisman? In 2007, Oregon quarterback Dennis Dixon suffered a knee injury during the 11th week of the season. Dixon's injury made Tebow the favorite.

The Heisman Trophy isn't a career-achievement award but the voting is so subjective that nominations might be handed out based on Tebow's entire body work. At season's end, he will be the SEC's all-time leader in touchdowns. That's quite an accomplishment. Of course, if you're going to vote for Tebow based on his career, then you can just as easily make a case for McCoy, Texas' quarterback who finished second in the Heisman voting in 2008. The logic in voting for McCoy? Tebow already has a Heisman, so let's give McCoy one.

-jo-

Florida Gators cornerback commitment might have signaled the end of Joe Haden's collegiate career

GAINESVILLE -- Gator Clause usually doesn't write much about recruiting during the college football season but the Florida Gators' latest commitment has piqued our interest.

Josh Shaw (6-1, 195 pounds), a high school cornerback from Palmdale, Cali., pledged his allegiance to UF coach Urban Meyer on Tuesday. This is interesting for several reasons. One: The Gators went to California to find a defensive back. When is the last time Florida lured a defensive back out of California? I don't know. It's pretty rare, considering the enormous amount of elite high school defensive backs in Florida. Two: The addition of Shaw could be an indication that UF junior cornerback Joe Haden only has four more games remaining in his collegiate career.

In three short years, Haden has gone from one of Maryland's best high school quarterbacks this decade to one of the best collegiate cornerbacks in the country. ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay wrote last Friday that Haden is currently college football's top-rated cornerback, according to NFL scouts. "If Haden elects to leave school early he will give the corner group an elite prospect worth drafting in the top 10 overall..." wrote McShay.

Like most starting juniors at UF, Haden will request an NFL draft evaluation in the months following UF's season. It's safe to assume that Haden will strongly consider leaving school early if he is projected as a first-round pick. How confident is the Gators' coaching staff that Haden will leave early? Well, they're confident enough in Haden's early departure that they told Shaw, the Californian, that Haden will likely leave.

Of course, we all know that coaches will tell recruits anything prior to National Signing Day. We can argue recruiting tactics another time. There is certainly a chance Haden could return to UF for his senior season. His younger brother, Jordan, is a 2010 UF commitment and Jordan Haden told me earlier this season that his older brother would like to play at UF with his sibling. That being said, the Shaw family and the Haden family have apparently been in communication this season, which means Shaw didn't announce his decision on Tuesday without doing his research.

Haden's departure after this season would open a starting spot in the Gators' secondary. We'll assume that sophomore cornerback Janoris Jenkins will retain his starting role next season. That means Shaw would battle with freshman Adrian Bushell, junior Moses Jenkins, redshirt freshman Jeremy Brown (assuming he's healthy) and a few other 2010 incoming freshmen for Haden's vacated position.

How does Shaw's decision on Tuesday affect the Gators' 2010 recruiting class? Shaw is the ranked third nationally among 2010 cornerbacks, according to Rivals.com. Landing such a high-profile recruit could mean the Gators are no longer in the running for Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas cornerback Lamarcus Joyner, rated the No.1 cornerback in the nation. Florida currently has commitments from three cornerbacks: Shaw, Demar Dorsey of Lauderdale Lakes Boyd Anderson (18th nationally) and Jaylen Watkins of Cape Coral (seventh nationally). Joyner's teammate at St. Thomas, cornerback Cody Riggs, is ranked eighth nationally by Rivals and is also being recruited by the Gators.

-jo-

How to make Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow slightly angry...

GAINESVILLE -- I thought it was a benign question. Tim Tebow apparently thought otherwise.

On Monday, UF's quarterback seemed to take offense to a question I asked him about the dropped touchdown passes by receiver Riley Cooper. Tebow and Cooper are roommates, so I asked Tebow on Monday, "When you got back to the apartment, what's the conversation like between you and Riley after he dropped those couple passes? Did y'all talk about that?"

Tebow, breaking the silence with something between a groan and a laugh, said, "You know, I think Riley is a great receiver, he came up big for us in the game, had a bunch of big plays. A few of those passes, I should have put more on them and we just got to go out there and work and constantly get better and we'll continue to do that and I'll make more accurate throws to him and he's been a great receiver for us all year and we're extremely close and I appreciate how hard he has worked for us this year."

Cooper caught a slant pass from Tebow and raced for a 68-yard touchdown play during UF's first offensive possession. Cooper finished the game with three receptions for 112 yards but dropped two would-be touchdown passes from Tebow. Some people in the press box seemed to think that the first pass was overthrown. I disagree. Cooper misjudged it, or, as the saying goes, he "alligator armed it." 

Tebow and a few of the Gators receivers put in some extra work on Sunday night inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. When asked, Tebow said receiver David Nelson and tight end Aaron Hernandez participated in a mini-workout with Tebow on Sunday. Tebow said the workout was not to improve timing or work on anything technical, but rather "honestly, we were just trying to get lose, just throwing around, running a little bit, nothing super intense."

Florida's offensive coordinator Steve Addazio appeared to open things up a bit on Saturday against South Carolina. Tebow attempted 25 passes, which is the most passes Tebow has attempted since the Arkansas game (26). Tebow also had two throws of 30 yards or more on Saturday. Before Saturday, Tebow had only completed three passes of 30 yards or more in SEC play.

Off the top of my head, I can count six would-be touchdown passes that have been dropped this season by UF receivers, but there might be more. I'm certain that Deonte has dropped at least one. Brandon James has dropped two. Riley Cooper has dropped three passes that should have been touchdowns. Yeah, it's probably a touchy subject for Tebow.

Don't make me angry. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry. "Tebow SMASH!"

-jo-

Florida Gators a 43-point favorite against FIU but Urban Meyer giving Golden Panthers respect

GAINESVILLE -- The No.1 Florida Gators (10-0) are an amazing 43-point favorite against FIU for this Saturday's game. Kickoff is set for 12:30 p.m.

Florida coach Urban Meyer, who began breaking down film of FIU (3-7) on Sunday, said on Monday that the Golden Panthers are a quality opponent with talented personnel.

"There is no question FIU will be a bowl team sooner than you think," Meyer said. "There are quality athletes; they are very well coached. I just got done watching last night and today both sides of the ball and we're going to attack this thing to go to 11-0.

"This is not a smaller Division I team. This is a very good team that will be in a bowl game within two years. That's our opinion, because they have very good personnel and they throw it around. The won last week and they have a lot of ability."

-jo-

Florida Gators running back, defensive tackle doubtful for FIU

GAINESVILLE -- Florida running back Emmanuel Moody and defensive tackle Terron Sanders are doubtful for Saturday's game against Florida International.

Moody sprained his ankle against South Carolina and Sanders injured his rib. Moody, who has had a history of ankle injuries, will wear a protective boot this week and will not practice. Sanders likely also will not practice this week, according to Florida coach Urban Meyer.

Moody scored his first touchdown of the season on Saturday against the Gamecocks. His 17-yard run gave Florida a 17-7 lead in the second quarter. Moody finished the game with 35 yards on three carries.

-jo-

A precursory comparison of Florida's and Alabama's defenses

GAINESVILLE -- Back in Gainesville. Took me awhile to get out of Columbia, S.C., on Sunday. Sorry to all for not having a live blog of the first basketball game. The Gators defeated Stetson 74-46. More on basketball later. First, a look back at the football game.

Here's a link to today's story in the Miami Herald about the Gators' dominant fourth-quarter defense on Saturday and this season. LINK! One key stat that didn't make it into the paper: The Gators are outscoring opponents 138-36 in the second half of games while the Alabama Crimson Tide is outscoring opponents 157-54 after halftime. That's a scoring-margin difference of one point(103-102), favoring the Gators. Wow! Here's a link to Sunday's game story of Florida 24, South Carolina 14.

Yes, there are two more games left in the regular season, but we're already beginning to focus on the Gators' upcoming game against Alabama. The Pachyderms looked pretty good on Saturday against Mississippi State, defeating the Bulldogs 31-3. Alabama certainly dominated Mississippi State more thoroughly than the Gators, but that is usually the case when Alabama plays a common opponent of the Gators from the SEC West. 

Historically, Florida has struggled to victories against SEC West opponents. Alabama rushed for 252 yards against Mississippi State. The Gators had 140 rushing yards in Starkville, Miss. Alabama defeated Arkansas 35-7, allowing just 160 passing yards to Hogs quarterback Ryan Mallet and 61 rushing yards to Arkansas running back Michael Smith. Florida defeated Arkansas 23-20. Mallet threw for 224 yards against the Gators and running back Dennis Johnson had 107 rushing yards.

Alabama's only scare of the season came against an SEC East opponent. Alabama needed two blocked field goals to defeat Tennessee 12-10. Of course, Alabama plays Tennessee every year, so these teams are very familiar with one another.

OK, that's quite enough meaningless comparisions between Florida's and Alabama's common opponents. Check back a little later for Gator Clause's report card of Florida's 8-0 run through the SEC.

-jo-

(LIVE BLOG) Justin Trattou, track star

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Who knew Florida defensive end Justin Trattou had blazing speed? Trattou intercepted a tipped pass by South Carolina receiver Moe Brown and retured it 52 yards to the South Carolina 26. Four plays later, the Gators had some breathing room against the Gamecocks when Tim Tebow rushed for a one-yard score. Florida leads South Carolina 24-14.

The rushing touchdown was Tebow's 53rd of his career, which tied LSU running back Kevin Faulk's record for career touchdowns in the SEC.

UF 17, South Carolina 14
South Carolina quarterback Stephen Garcia led the Gamecocks on an eight-play, 65-yard drive with 2:10 left in the first half to cut Florida's lead 17-14. Florida's vaunted secondary made a few mistakes on the drive, including a poor tackle by cornerback Janoris Jenkins that led to a 30-yard gain by South Carolina's Jason Barnes.

Garcia eluded Gators linebacker Brandon Spikes and found USC tight end Weslye Saunders in the back of the end zone with an excellent pass for the Gamecocks' second touchdown of the half. Saunders got behind UF cornerback Joe Haden and safety Major Wright on the play.

HALFTIME TIME STATS
Florida quarterback Tim Tebow is 9 of 16 for 161 yards and one touchdown. He has rushed for 41 yards on seven carries. Emmanuel Moody is the Gators' leading running back with 25 yards on two carries, including a 17-yard touchdown run.

UF receiver Riley Cooper has three receptions for 112 yards and a score.

South Carolina quarterback Stephen Garcia is 11 of 18 for 140 yards and a touchdown. USC running back Brian Maddox leads the Gamecocks in rushing with 57 yards on 11 carries, including a one-yard score.

Emmanuel Moody, welcome to the end zone! UF 17, South Carolina 7
Emmanuel Moody scored his first touchdown of the season with 10:28 left in the first half on Saturday. Moody carried the ball 17 yards for the score to give Florida a 17-7 lead. It was a beautiful option pitch by Tebow and Moody smoothly cut inside one defender a then trucked South Carolina strong safety Antonio Allen to reach the end zone.

32-yard Sturgis field goal
A productive drive by the Florida Gators ended with a 32-yard field goal by Caleb Sturgis with 1:18 left in the first quarter to give Florida a 10-7 lead at Williams-Brice Stadium.

The drive began on the Gators' 24-yard line and spanned 11 plays. The highlight was a 30-yard throw from Tebow to Riley Cooper on 3rd and 12 from the Florida 22.

Impressive drive by South Carolina to game at 7-7
South Carolina quarterback Stephen Garcia is looking good today. Garcia of Tampa completed passes of 13 and 24 yards on third downs during the Gamecocks second drive of the game. South Carolina drove 84 yards on 14 plays against Florida's highly ranked defense. USC scored with 5:51 left in the first quarter when Brian Maddox capped the drive with a one-yard touchdown run.

Riley Cooper explodes with 68-yard touchdown for Florida Gators
You want big plays by the Gators? Enter South Carolina. First UF drive. Riley Cooper 68-yard touchdown run-and-catch on a slant pass. Florida 7, South Carolina 0, 12:04 left in the first quarter.

--Freshman left tackle Xavier Nixon started today. The starting offensive line, from left to right: Nixon, Carl Johnson, Maurkice Pouncey, Mike Pouncey and Marcus Gilbert.

Williams-Brice Stadium rocking for Gators-Gamecocks
South Carolina students are dancing to techno! This place is crazy! It's full of crazy Gamecocks!

Football game about to begin, here at Williams-Brice Stadium. The home team is wearing jersies with camouflaged sleeves in honor of the U.S. military. On the back of every jersey, instead of surnames, are words like "commitment," "Service," "Honor," "Duty,"

We think we've found it! Quantifying the reason Gators fans are frustrated with UF's offense

UPDATED WITH ADDITIONAL STATS!!!
...plus a correction: Went back and triple-checked my stats on 2008 and 2009. Turns out, my first count for 2009 for gains of 20 of more yards was off by three. Florida has 29 gains of 20 or more yards this season through seven SEC games, compared to 32 in seven SEC games in 2008. Sorry for error and glad to set the record straight.

COLUMBIA, S.C -- So, on Wednesday Florida Gators offensive coordinator Steve Addazio told reporters that the number of big plays this season has been pretty much the same as the number of big plays last season.

According to Addazio, Florida's coaching staff defines "big plays" as gains of 20 yards or more. Well, being a bunch of no-good skeptics, the editorial board at Gator Clause didn't believe Addazio and set out yesterday to prove him wrong. Game by game and line by line, Gator Clause recorded every gain of 20 yards or more through the first seven conference games of 2008 and 2009. Not surprisingly, we've got some pretty interesting news to report.

In 2008, the Gators' high-flying offense produced 32 gains of 20 or more yards through the first seven conference games of the season. This season, the Gators' conservatively cautious offense has almost produced the same amount of gains (29) of 20 yards or more through seven conference games. That's correct, the statistics are nearly identical! Pretty crazy, huh. You can read all about it today's Miami Herald. Click the link for my story advancing today's game. LINK! 

Now, for the bad news. Gator Clause thinks it has figured out the exact reason why Gators fans are so frustrated with Florida's grind-it-out offense: Tim Tebow isn't getting to launch the ball downfield in his senior season. Tebow has only thrown three passes of 30 yards or more during conference games this season. Two of those passes went to tight end Aaron Hernandez -- a 44-yard touchdown against Kentucky and a 64-yard gain against Vanderbilt -- and one was the 77-yard touchdown by Deonte Thompson against Arkansas.

Through seven conference games in 2008, Tebow had already completed passes of 30 or more yards eight times. Not surprisingly, all but two of those long gains went to either Percy Harvin or Louis Murphy. David Nelson had a 41-yard reception against Vanderbilt last season and Jeff Demps took a swing pass 61 yards against Kentucky.

Now, you're asking yourself, is five passes the only thing that's different between last season's offense and this season's offense? The answer is no, of course. The biggest difference between the 2008 and 2009 offenses seem to be intermediate gains (10-19 yards, defined by me). This season, Florida has 37 rushing plays and 33 passing plays between 10-19 yards in seven conference games. In 2008, Florida had 43 rushing plays and 47! passing plays between 10-10 yards through seven conference games. Combine the intermediate gains in 2008 with an offense that was bolstered considerably by an opportunistic defense and special teams, and it's easy to see why scoring is down this season.

As for this season, the offense -- to use the Gators' coaching jargon -- has less "explosives" than in 2009. Add to that this offense's struggles in the red zone and it's easy to understand why fans are so upset. Pile on to red-zone struggles the fact that Tebow isn't getting to throw downfield in his senior season, the season he returned to school to improve his NFL draft stock, it's easy to understand why some fans are just down-right mad. Still, fans should realize that Florida's offense is producing well this season considering its limitations.

-jo-

Tennessee football players Nu'Keese Richardson, Janzen Jackson and Mike Edwards use pellet gun in robbery attempt

University of Tennessee football players Nu'Keese Richardson of Pahokee, Mike Edwards and Janzen Jackson were arrested early Thursday morning for attempted armed robbery, according to Knoxville, Tenn., police.

Richardson was a longtime commitment of the Florida Gators before signing with Tennessee and new head coach Lane Kiffin on National Signing Day. Kiffin later bragged about stealing away Richardson from the Gators during a Tennessee booster club meeting. The coach also falsely accused Florida coach Urban Meyer of violating NCAA recruiting rules during Richardson's recruitment.

According to police, the football players were arrested on Thursday after attempting to rob three individuals at gunpoint in the parking lot of a convenience store near the campus of the University of Tennessee. The football players and a 22-year-old female, identified by police as Marie Montmarquet, were later arrested and each charged with three counts of attempted armed robbery. Montmarquet also faces charges for possession of marijuana.

According to police, Richardson and Edwards attempted to rob three individuals around 1:43 a.m. in the parking lot of a Pilot gas station. The three victims were inside a parked car when Richardson and Edwards, wearing black hooded sweatshirts, opened the car doors and demanded money. One of the football players was carrying a handgun, according to police.

According to police reports, the victims told Richardson and Edwards that they had no money and showed them their empty wallets. According to police, Jackson then approached the car and told Richardson and Edwards that it was time to go. The football players fled the scene in a Toyota Prius, according to police, and were later stopped by police on Neyland Drive.

Montmarquet was driving the car, according to police. After searching the car, police found an air-powered pellet pistol under one of the car seats. The black hooded sweatshirts were in plain sight, according to police. Police returned the football players to the scene of the crime and Richardson and Edwards were identified by the victims.

The football players and Montmarquet are currently being held in the Knox County Detention facility.

On Wednesday during the weekly Southeastern Conference media conference call, Kiffin pointed out to reporters that his football team had a clean arrest record.

-jo-

Is it too early to start talking Florida vs. Alabama? Heck no!

GAINESVILLE -- My friend and former colleague Kevin Scarbinsky of the Birmingham News predicted today that Alabama would defeat Florida 24-23 in the Southeastern Conference championship game. LINK! Wow! Talk about no respect.

We're not talking about a lack of respect for Florida, of course. We're calling Kevin out on Gator Clause for his obvious lack of respect for two of the best defenses in college football. Kevin, 47 total points!?! I'd take that over-under betting line and buy a new car with my winnings!

Scarbo is one of the best writers in the Southeast, so we respect his prediction, however, Gator Clause must respectfully disagree. As the SEC title game draws nigh, there's going to be plenty of talk about which team has the better offense: Florida and Tim Tebow or Alabama and Mark Ingram. What do we think? Pointless discussion. Gator Clause isn't laying down an official prediction just yet, but the editorial board is willing to make this educated guess: Neither offense will be good enough to consistently do much of anything against superior opposing defenses.

Offensive stats won't matter in this game, because there will be none. Coaching won't matter in this game, because both teams obviously have quality guys on the sidelines. This game will be determined by field position, punting, field goals, kick-return yards and one big play. An interception return by Ahmad Black, a missed tackle on Julio Jones (a la LSU), a blocked punt by Chris Rainey, a forced fumble by Rolando McClain: who knows, but something is going to happen -- one big play -- that will determine who represents the SEC in the national championship game (assuming both teams are still undefeated on Dec.5).

Is it too early to start hyping what could possibly be one of the most anticipated games in SEC history? Heck no!

-jo-

Florida Gators Charlie Strong being mentioned as a possible coaching candidate at Memphis

GAINESVILLE -- It's that time of year again. Once again, Florida defensive coordinator Charlie Strong is being mentioned as a possible candidate for a recently vacated head coaching position.

Strong's name has been mentioned in connection with the opening at Memphis, where Tommy West was shown the door this week after the Tigers' embarrassing loss to Tennessee. Gator Clause saw this coming about a month ago and assumed correctly that as soon as West was gone that Strong's name would immediately pop up in national columns, blogs and message boards.

Strong has never been a head coach but his defenses at Florida helped the Gators win national championships in 2006 and 2008. UF's current defense is ranked No.1 in the SEC and No.2 nationally. Strong was asked about his desire to become a head coach on Wednesday and Strong offered reporters a canned response, which is now becoming an annual event.

"I just have to work and continue to do this job right now," Strong said. "My whole focus is making sure our defense goes out and plays well."

Strong is from Arkansas, which is only a river away from Memphis, so it's possible he could be in the running to replace West. Another possible candidate for the Memphis gig could be former Auburn coach Terry Bowden, who is now coaching at North Alabama.

Florida coach Urban Meyer addressed the topic on Wednesday during the Southeastern Conference media conference call. According to Meyer, he speaks with his coaching staff every summer about waiting until after the season to pursue coaching positions elsewhere.

"Charlie is more than a coach; we're very good friends and our families are very close; we've been that way since the mid-90s when we were both together at Notre Dame," Meyer said. "Every year we go away on a retreat as a coaching staff and I always talk about when you're at Florida that's part of the deal, however, you're loyalty is to this football team, these players and this program.

"Once the season is over, then let's handle this professionally: the interviews and other stuff and the phone calls, because people call them. We have quality coaches. I lost five in two years. I love Charlie and he's obviously a tremendous coach. I did talk to him this summer and had a brief conversation and ... he said the focus is through December, or whenever the season is over."

Even South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier had something to say about Strong's name being floated as a possible head coach. The Gators play at South Carolina on Saturday.

"We're hoping Charlie gets one of those head coaching jobs that's open right now," Spurrier told The State newspaper. "I see his name mentioned all the time and he's certainly deserving."

Memphis is a good fit for Strong. He has never been a head coach and starting out at Memphis, where he wouldn't be expected to win immediately, seems like an ideal situation.

-jo-

No 'ho-hum' talk here: Time to pay tribute to the Florida Gators' 19-game winning streak

GAINESVILLE -- OK, here's the link to today's story, analyzing the Gators' 19-game wining streak. LINK! Bear Bryant, General Neyland, Shug Jordan, Johnny Vaught -- those guys would be proud. Not of the article, but of the Gators' current winning streak.

A few stats to supplement the story: Entering Saturday's game against South Carolina (6-4, 3-4 SEC), Florida is ranked No.1 in the SEC in total defense (232.4 ypg), scoring defense (10.1 ppg), passing defense (134.4 ypg), pass defense efficiency (85.9 quarterback rating), average starting field position (36-yard line), opponents' average starting field position (26-yard line), punt-return yards allowed (0.5 ypg) and kickoff return yards (26.5 ypg).

Is Florida the most complete team in the nation? Yes, all apologies to Texas and Alabama, but the Gators are the most complete team in the nation. Here are some more impressive factoids and statistics about the Gators' special teams units. By the way, I'm of the opinion that Florida doesn't have to pass the ball more than 10 times against Alabama to win the SEC championship game. Can I get an over/under on the number of completions Tebow will have against Alabama? Anyone?

--UF has won the SEC special teams player of the week four times this year, the most in school history.

--Caleb Sturgis is one of only three kickers in school history to have two 50-plus yarders in the same season.

--Sturgis is a semi-finalist for the Lou Groza Award.

--UF has faced kick off units that rank among the best in the nation each week. SEC opponents have combined to return eight kicks for touchdowns on the year, but UF has held SEC opponents to just 21.2 yards per return.

--Vanderbilt's Warren Norman was hled to under 20 yards a return after entering the game with three touchdowns.

--Georgia's Brandon Boykin was held to less the 20 yards a return after he entered the game with two 100-yard returns.

--Georgia's average starting field position in the second half against UF was the 14-yard line.

--Arkansas' Dennis Johnson who ranks among the nation's top kick-off return specialists was held to less than 25 yards a return.

--Punter Chas Henry is a Ray Guy Award semi-finalist.

--UF did not allow a punt return yard until the ninth game of the season.

--The Gators were the last team in the nation to allow a punt-return yard.

--Henry has allowed just 13 punt-return yards this year, second best in the nation.

--UF has allowed the least amount of punt return yards in the nation since 2005.

-jo-

Gators 104, Webber International 53; Some stuff to consider before Sunday's season opener

GAINESVILLE -- OK, here's a possible problem. Florida Gators Vernon Macklin might not be an All-American, guys. He might not be the answer to all of UF's inside problems over the past two seasons.

Macklin finished his first exhibition game with seven points and four rebounds in 23 minutes. Chalk it up to rust, right? Well, maybe not. Macklin had six points and three rebounds on Monday night against Webber International and in the second half had trouble getting open underneath the basket. Florida defeated Webber 104-53. Florida begins the regular season on Sunday with a home game against Stetson.

Chandler Parsons led the Gators with nine rebounds on Monday. Center Kenny Kadji had eight rebounds and so did Alex Tyus. Don't be surprised to see Alex Tyus back at center at some point this season if things go badly for Macklin. If Macklin continues to struggle, look for coach Billy Donovan to gradually increase the role of freshman center Erik Murphy. Murphy played well at times on Monday. 

On a positive note, UF guard Kenny Boynton Jr. of Pompano Beach is an excellent shooter. He made 5 of 8 from three-point range on Monday and finished with 25 points. Last week, Boynton made five 3-pointers in his UF exhibition debut against Saint Leo.

Another positive to take away from Monday night: Florida sophomore Ray Shipman played with a level of confidence he did not show last week. Shipman was UF's most active player and finished with 16 points (7-11 shooting), five rebounds and three steals.

Point guard Erving Walker had 12 points and nine assists. Parsons finished with 12 points. Kadji had 11.

LIVE BLOG BELOW!
Rod Tishman almost smacked me in the face on press row with a bad pass. Don't kill me, Rod. UF 90, Webber 43; 4:46.

Rod Tishman in the game ... looking fly. UF 88, Webber 36; 7:17.

Gators on an 18-4 second-half run after consecutive 3-pointers by Erving Walker and Dan Werner. UF 86, Webber 34; 7:52. Boynton with 23 points.Shipman with 16. Parsons with 12. Walker with 10.

Ray Shipman with another steal and another dunk. Shipman has been excellent in full-court press tonight. UF 80, Webber 32; 10:19.

Timeout with 11:58 to play. UF 73, Webber 32. Too early to really analysis anything about this team other than Kenny Boynton can shoot and is just as quick down the court as Erving Walker. Inside game seems like it could be a problem, especially against teams like Kentucky with Patterson and Cousins.

Perimeter defense has been solid. Florida has only allowed two 3-pointers in two games, granted it's Saint Leo and Webber International, but usually these small-school teams have one of two good shooters.

Kenny Boynton Jr. begins the second half with another 3-pointer. Kid is pretty good; 5 of 8 from 3-point range. UF 68, Webber 30; 15:50.

HALFTIME
UF with rare 51-10 run to end the first half. UF 54, Webber 23

Rowdy Reptiles now feel compelled to heckle Webber International co-eds with chants of "We're in high school" after said co-eds danced and cheered during a timeout.

Rod Tishman in the game ... looking fly. UF 46; Webber 21; 3:54.

Another Ray Shipman strip. Another Ray Shipman dunk. UF 46, Webber 21; 4:20. Shipman with 12 points on 5 of 7 shooting.

Ray Shipman slams home a missed 3-pointer by Erving Walker. Shipman screams. Still screaming. Stop screaming, Ray, it's Webber International. Boynton with another 3-pointer. He is now 4 of 5 from distance. UF 44, Webber 21; 5:00. Boynton with 12 points.

KBJ with another 3-pointer. It's already apparent. Only Boynton should shot. Boynton is 3 of 4 from 3-point range. UF 31, Webber 19; 7:15.

High energy by Ray Shipman. Super Sub Ray! Shipman, Boynton and Tyus lead UF scorers with six points apiece. UF 28, Webber 19; 7:52.

After jumping out to a 15-8 lead, Webber hasn't scored in over five minutes. UF 24, Webber 15 after back-to-back lay ups by Alex Tyus; 9:43.

Big play by Ray Shipman, who subbed in the game with 14:11 to play and hasn't left the court. Shipman stole the ball in full-court press, dunked it, drew the foul and converted the free throw to give UF a 20-15 lead with 11:38 to play.

First timeout of the game. Kenny Kadji subbed in and picked up two quick fouls. Florida's inside presence? What inside presence.

Webber guard throws ball off of Parsons' face. Ouch! No respect. No respect. 12:50

Chandler Parsons subs in for Florida and ties the game. UF 15, Webber 15; 13:58.

Kenny Boynton keeping Florida close here in the opening minutes. Boynton with two 3-pointers in under a minute. Webber 15, Gators 11; 15:05. Another dunk by Webber.

Webber International Warriors leading the Gators' 11-3; 17:11. Gators looking sloppy in side. Back-to-back dunks by Webber.

Here's starting line ups for tonight's game between the Florida Gators and Webber International. Things to watch for tonight: Will freshman Kenny Boynton Jr. of Pompano Beach match his shooting performance in the Gators' first exhibition game? Boynton made 5 3-pointers last week. Will UF center Vernon Macklin improve inside?

FLORIDA GATORS
F Dan Werner (6-8) 8.9 ppg/4.9 rpg
F Alex Tyus (6-8) 12.5 ppg/6.2 rpg
C Vernon Macklin (6-10)
G Kenny Boynton (6-2)
G Erving Walker (5-8)

WEBBER INTERNATIONAL
F Mark Marlar (6-3) 6.0 ppg
F Tyler Harper (6-5) 10.0 ppg
G Halston Schaffer (6-4) 21 ppg/8.0 rpg
G Luke Malar (5-10) 8.0 ppg
G Tyler Hoevenaar (5-11)

-jo-

EMAILS I GET: 'Surviving Rampage Shootings'

OK, sorry to go off subject here but I had to share this with my loyal readers on Gator Clause.

So, everyone remembers how I covered the Gateway Center shooting in Orlando on Friday, right? Well, apparently a few guys in Hollywood, Fla., read my story and decided to send me an email advertising their "training classes" on how to "survive rampage shootings." I'm not kidding about this. This is real. Here's a link to the "rampage" literature that was emailed to me on Monday afternoon by a former SWAT team member of the Hialeah Police Department.

Wow, just wow. For only $35 you can prepare yourself. Comments? Suggestions? Thoughts on humanity and everything?

And with that, I'm off to the O'Connell Center fearing for my life. Don't forget. Live blog at 7 p.m.

-jo-

Programming note: We'll be blogging live from the Florida Gators' exhibition basketball game tonight

GAINESVILLE -- The Florida Gators' men's basketball team hosts Webber International in a preseason exhibition basketball game tonight. Gator Clause will be courtside and blogging live with all of our usual wit, bombast and annoying unctuousness. Join us at 7 p.m. live from the O'Connell Center.

-jo-

Florida Gators' season just got easier; Florida State QB Christian Ponder done for the season

Unfortunate news out of Tallahassee on Monday morning. According to FSU, quarterback Christian Ponder is done for the season after injuring his shoulder against Clemson. We hate this for Ponder and hope he recovers fully and makes a ton of money in the NFL.

What does this mean for the Florida Gators? Well, the season just got easier. Win against South Carolina on Saturday and Florida can set the cruise control for Atlanta and the Gators' Dec.5 date with Alabama in the SEC championship game. Ponder separated his shoulder making a tackle against Clemson and the injury requires surgery.

-jo-

Stuff we learned today: Dorian Munroe torn ACL, Joe Haden is the man, Tim Tebow is feeling fine

GAINESVILLE -- OK, first off, the editorial board at Gator Clause wanted to begin this week not by writing about Florida but first writing about a guy from Florida. What a terrible job the Southeastern Conference did this week in selecting its defensive player of the week. Clearly, at no point on Saturday, did the SEC watch LSU's Patrick Peterson, the cornerback from Pompano Beach Blanche Ely.

Speaking of the SEC players of the week, UF kicker Chas Henry was the league's special teams player of the week for his four-punt performance against Vanderbilt. Henry's punt team has allowed just 13 total return yards this season. (That's 13 too many for UF coach Urban Meyer, the special teams coordinator, who told me on Monday that coaching UF's punt team is his favorite part of the job.)

Meyer gushed and gushed about his special teams on Monday during his weekly press conference -- (Good to see you, Urban. We missed you on Sunday.) -- but we won't touch on that here. Not because we don't think it's interesting or important but because we'll probably write about it in the paper this week. One nugget of information you might find interesting, Urban said he only selects "accountable" players for his punt team. Also, Jon Bostic, Will, Adrian Bushell and Cade Holliday are the only Gators on the team who have played on three special teams units at some point during a game season. That's right, Joe Haden is the man.

News to report: Safety Dorian Munroe, torn ACL, done. Munroe's career on the football field has been frustrating but, in the end, Munroe's career on the football field will not define him as an individual. Not one bit. This is one of the coolest cats you'll ever meet and he's currently enrolled in graduate school for sports management. Munroe hopes to be a sports agent.

Something a few people might take for granted when evaluating Florida quarterback Tim Tebow: On Monday, Meyer told me that Tebow was the best short-yardage player he has ever coached. More detailed analysis on this later in the week.

Florida's recurring problem of allowing too many sacks was a talking point on Monday. Tebow said that he's holding on to the ball too long in the pocket at times. Tebow was sacked four times against Vanderbilt. For the year, Tebow has been sacked 21 times. For some reason, I don't think Tebow is totally to blame for that statistic. For what it's worth, Tebow said he is healthier at this point in the season than he has been in the past three seasons.

-jo-

Open letter to Florida Gators fans: Enjoy it while it lasts

Dear Florida Gators fans,

I'll keep this open letter to you guys short and to the point: Enjoy it while it lasts.

Florida is the defending national champion, the winner of two national titles in three seasons, currently ranked No.1 in the Bowl Championship Series standings, led by a quarterback who will go down in history as one of the greatest college football players ever to play the game, winners of 19 straight games, winners of the SEC Eastern Division for the second straight season and coached by a man many consider to be the best in the business. But and on Sunday -- a day after defeating Vanderbilt 27-3 -- all most of you can do is focus your thoughts on details that are, in the end, meaningless.

What's wrong with the offense, you're wondering. This isn't what I was expecting, you're telling yourself. Understand one thing, Florida fans, it doesn't get any better than this. This is the greatest time in the history of Florida football. Appreciate it. Savor it. Remember it. Hold it dearly. Take a picture and frame it forever. The view from the top never lasts.

There are five more games remaining of this season. After that, everything will change. After that, quarterback Tim Tebow will be gone. After that, Florida's current defense will be dismantled. After that, who knows, Urban Meyer could leave. Charlie Strong could leave. Nothing is certain except for one thing: Florida football, right now -- today -- is enjoying its greatest run in school history.

Why would Urban Meyer leave? Because of you, Florida fans. Because if this is what it's like to coach the University of Florida during the best of times, what happens when, you know, everything changes? Why be rich and scrutinized at Florida when you can be even richer and scrutinized equally somewhere else?

In case you missed it, Notre Dame lost to Navy on Saturday. In case you missed it, Notre Dame might consider firing Charlie Weis after this season. In case you, Florida fans, for some reason aren't worried that Meyer will consider leaving Florida after this season, you should be.

Consider this scenario: Florida plays for the national championship on Jan. 7 and Notre Dame fires Charlie Weis the next day. Notre Dame then offers Meyer $6 million a year. Do you, Florida fans, actually think Meyer will ignore Notre Dame if the price is right? What about job security? If Notre Dame can't win with Meyer, then Notre Dame just can't win. That's job security. 

Tebow will be gone after five games. The Gators' defense will be gone after five games. It seems unlikely, but even Meyer could be gone after five games. Don't worry about Florida's offense, Florida fans. Is it flawed? Sure. Does it matter? Not one bit. What matters right now is enjoying this unprecedented run of success. Pretty soon, it will be gone. Don't believe me? Just ask Miami.

-jo-

Florida Gators 27, Vanderbilt 3: Where are all the playmakers?

GAINESVILLE -- It probably wasn't the bloodletting that Florida Gators fans had hoped for but UF's 27-3 victory on Saturday against Vanderbilt was the Gators' second consecutive solid performance and, more importantly, UF's 19th straight victory.

We'll address some key points as they pop into our head...

1. Tim Tebow's Heisman Trophy campaign
What are his chances of winning the Heisman after Saturday's game? Tebow didn't play poorly but he certainly did not dominate Vanderbilt like he did in 2007 and 2008. Tebow completed 15 of 20 attempts on Saturday for 208 yards and a touchdown. The touchdown, an eight-yard throw to David Nelson, came off an initial tip by receiver Riley Cooper. Tebow also rushed for score, the 52nd rushing touchdown of his career.

Tebow accounted for five touchdowns in each of his previous two starts against Vanderbilt (2007 and 2008). Tebow's numbers are down. Can he still win the Heisman? I think he deserves the Heisman but many people are looking for reasons not to vote for Tebow and that might hurt him.

2. Where are all the big plays? Where are all the playmakers? (And don't be lame and tell me that Percy Harvin and Louis Murphy were on the Gators' sideline on Saturday.)
Ten games into the season and Florida is still searching for playmakers. Here's a stat that will blow your mind. Jeff Demps' 25-yard touchdown run on Saturday was his longest carry this season against an SEC opponent. A tight leads UF in receiving. Aaron Hernandez has 43 receptions through nine games after his seven receptions for 120 yards on Saturday. Deonte Thompson, where are you? Thompson had one reception for 16 yards on Saturday. When Florida wanted to throw downfield on Saturday, Tebow was sacked. Vanderbilt sacked Tebow four times.

3. Florida's defense is a dominant force. Playing without middle linebacker Brandon Spikes, Florida held Vandy to 199 yards of offense. Florida's defense entered Saturday's game ranked No.2 in the nation.

OK, that's it. I'm heading home. Until Sunday, talk amongst yourselves.

LIVE BLOG BELOW
Florida's bid for a shutout evaporated with 8:40 left in the third quarter when Vanderbilt's Ryan Fowler kicked a 32-yard field goal. Florida leads 13-3.

Halftime
It's halftime at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Time to break the news. Brandon Spikes appears to have shaved his smart-guy beard. We watched Spikes on the sidelines off and on during the first half and it appears Spikes has gone hairless. Probably penance for his eye gouge; like flogging or something. UF leads Vanderbilt 13-0 at halftime. 

Maurkice Pouncey injures right leg
Florida center Maurkice Pouncey left the game with 3:16 left in the first half with what appeared to be a right leg injury. Mike Pouncey moved to center and James Wilson entered the game at left guard. The play after Maurkice left the game: Tebow sacked for a 12-yard loss.

Louis Murphy in the house
Former Florida receiver Louis Murphy (Oakland Raiders) is in the house, too. Murphy is hanging out with Harvin on the sidelines near the Florida 25.

Tebow passes out of I-formation
The play every Florida Gators fan has been waiting to see just happened. That's right, Tebow threw out of the I-formation.

Florida took a 13-0 lead with 6:08 left to the play in the first half and the drive included a 16-yard pass to Deonte Thompson out of the I-formation. NFL here he comes! 

4th down conversion
Faced with 4th and 2 at the Vandy 26, UF elected to go for it and converted the gamble into a 26-yard touchdown run by Jeff Demps. It was a speed option play and Vanderbilt either didn't account for Demps or Demps was just too fast. UF 10, Vanderbilt 0; 12:43 in the 2nd Quarter.

Demps' 26-yard touchdown run was his longest carry during SEC play this season.

The touchdown drive was set up by an interception from UF linebacker Ryan Stamper. Stamper stepped in front of a Mackenzi Adams pass at the Vandy 34.

Meyer puts his foot down
The Banzai is back! The Banzai is back! Isn't everyone glad the Banzai is back!?!

The Florida Gators always look pretty herky-jerky in their no-huddle, speed-up-to-slow-down Banzai package. Still, they keep on using it. The Gators lead Vanderbilt 3-0 after a first quarter of Banzai. The Gators held the ball for over seven minutes during their second drive of the game but settled for a field goal when the drive stalled at the Vandy 10.

On third and 2, Florida called a bizarre triple-option play that sent Jeff Demps and Aaron Hernandez in motion and into the backfield. What ever it was, it didn't work. Tebow faked to the Hernandez and then kept the ball and ran into a pile at the 10. Florida coach Urban Meyer stomped his foot in disgust.

Percy Harvin on the sidelines
Percy Harvin in the house! Just spotted the Gators' former wide receiver on the sidelines. Will Harvin win NFL Rookie of the Year?

It's official, Florida vs. Alabama in the SEC championship game
Alabama clinched the Southeastern Conference Western Division on Saturday with its 24-15 victory against Louisiana State in Tuscaloosa, Ala. That means it's official: Florida vs. Alabama; Meyer vs. Saban; Tebow vs. Ingram on Dec.5 in Atlanta.

Blogging live from tonight's game ... Gators not dressed: Dorian Munroe, Gary Brown, T.J. Lawrence, Andre Debose, Kedric Johnson, Brandon Hicks, Edwin Herbert, Brandon Antwine, Brandon Spikes, Desmond Parks and Jeremy Brown. 

-jo-

Florida Gators safety Dorian Munroe doubtful against Vanderbilt with another knee injury

GAINESVILLE -- Well, we're back in Hogtown after a long day in Orlando covering the Gateway Center shooting. Scary stuff.

Friday was an eventful day for Florida Gators coach Urban Meyer, who was fined $30,000 for publicly questioning Southeastern Conference officials about a play during the Gators' win against Georgia. The SEC made an example out of Meyer, who on Wednesday told reporters during a conference call that Georgia linebacker Nick Williams should have been flagged for his cheap shot on quarterback Tim Tebow.

Meyer's fine seems a little harsh -- $30,000! -- but chances are we won't be hearing a single disparaging word about SEC officials for the rest of the season from league coaches. Should Meyer have been fined so severely for his comment?

The Gators are favored by 35 points today against Vanderbilt. Gator Clause's official prediction: Florida 38, Vanderbilt 10.

Hate to do it, but we have to end a long day with some unfortunate news. Safety Dorian Munroe of Miami is doubtful for Saturday's game with another knee injury, The Miami Herald learned on Friday (while driving to Orlando). We hope it's not the case, but it appears that Munroe might end his career at UF watching from the sidelines.

-jo-

Make A Play Foundation raffling 2006 Gators BCS ring

GAINESVILLE -- The Make a Play Foundation is raffling off a 2006 Florida Gators BCS national championship ring. The ring belongs to an anonymous former player.

Raffle entries are $10 each or three entries for $25 and can be purchased through midnight on Nov.8 at the foundation's website, www.makeaplayfoundation.org or by calling 352-514-2681. The winner will be announced at noon on Nov.9.

According to the foundation, Make A Play partners with former football players from Florida, Florida State and Miami to help raise money for youth and family programs.

Who wants to play against Vanderbilt? Not Brandon Spikes

THIS BLOG POST HAS BEEN UPDATED... AGAIN ... FOR THE THIRD TIME!!!

(UF's sports information director just informed me via text message that UF coach Urban Meyer, defensive coordinator Charlie Strong and linebacker Brandon Spikes formed the group that decided to sit Spikes against Vanderbilt.)

GAINESVILLE -- Some interesting news to report tonight. After Wednesday's practice, Florida coach Urban Meyer announced that linebacker Brandon Spikes will now sit out the entire game against Vanderbilt. Spikes' attempted to gouge the eyes of Georgia running back Washaun Ealey on Saturday and was originally suspended by Meyer for the first half of Saturday's game against Vanderbilt.

"A lot of negative things out there are really weighing heavy on his heart right now, so as a group we decided that it would be in the best interest of the team to not play him Saturday," Meyer said. "It's a group decision and we're doing it out of respect for our team so we can focus on trying to win our ninth game. We think it's the right thing to do and we support Brandon for it. We look forward to him getting back and finishing the season the right way."

Meyer said on Wednesday that the choice to sit Spikes for the full game was a group decision based on minimizing distractions for Saturday's game against Vanderbilt, a 35-point underdog. Meyer did not answer questions about the change. Spikes spoke with reporters on Wednesday night but did not answer questions.

"I really don't want to be a distraction to the team," Spikes said. "I want the guys to prepare without any negative things going on and I feel like if I would play it would be a big thing. I'm just trying to stay out of the way and just motivate the guys and I'm pretty sure that Stamper's got my back and my teammates support my decision."

OK, this whole suspension upgrade is pretty bizarre. Is it possible that Spikes Achilles' heel flared up again or his tender groin muscle needs to rest a week considering UF is playing Vanderbilt, a 35-point underdog. Spikes and Meyer refused to answer questions from reporters on Wednesday night, so who knows.

Another question that needs answering: Is Spikes suspended for the first half and then voluntarily sitting out the second half? We didn't find out on Wednesday because neither Meyer nor Spikes answered questions. Also, who was in the group that made the decision? Spikes? Tebow? The SEC commissioner? The UF athletic director?

Again, it's all speculation because Spikes and Meyer did not answer questions on Wednesday. As the world turns ...

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Florida Gators assistant coach and recruiter Vance Bedford making inroads in Miami-Dade

GAINESVILLE -- Well, the big story after Tuesday's practice was whether or not the team was going to "rally around" Brandon Spikes after his suspension for unsportsmanlike conduct. Lame, right? You're not going to read any of that here, though. Sorry. Urban Meyer said he decided on the half-game suspension after talking with Coach Charlie Strong and athletic director Jeremy Foley. Moving on...

Instead, we're talking recruiting today after an interview I had with UF assistant coach Vance Bedford. Bedford, who coaches cornerbacks, is the Gators' recruiter in Miami-Dade County. That's a hard job and it deserves our attention.

Considering what Bedford is up against, it could be argued that he has the most difficult recruiting assignment among the Gators' coaches. Miami is, of course, the Canes' backyard. There's not only a strong love for the Canes in Miami but, according to some, also a long-standing distrust of the Gators' coaching staff by several key Miami-Dade high school coaches.

"They're tied to Miami, which I understand that," said Bedford [PICTURED]. "Miami is the local flavor and we totally understand that, but there are enough players to go around. There are a lot of young men down there who have strong interest in Florida, so we're trying to get in there and recruit and say, 'We're here. We're going to win.'"

In addition to the UM bias throughout Miami-Dade, Bedford is also outnumbered in the area. Nearly every UM assistant helps recruit Miami-Dade while Bedford is the only UF assistant assigned to the area. (Florida's assistants will overlap at times when recruiting a player they really want.)

In his first year as UF's point man in Miami-Dade, Bedford didn't have much in the form of players to show for his work. For the fourth-straight signing class, Florida failed to land a player from Miami-Dade in 2009. That four-year streak is a bit odd considering Florida has one of the best football programs in the country and Miami-Dade is the state's most populous county and one of the nation's most talent-rich areas.  

For whatever reason, former UF assistant Doc Holliday didn't have much success in Miami representing the Gators and coach Urban Meyer. One story I've been told several times is that the Miami Northwestern crew that is now the core of the Canes' team -- Jacory Harris, Sean Spence, etc ... -- used to refer to Holliday as "Snake Eyes" -- a great nickname if you're a covert government agent but probably not the best moniker for a college football recruiter. Holliday left for West Virginia last season and that's when Meyer brought in Bedford, an old friend, to make some headway in Miami. Bedford's hard work appears to be paying off.

"We're going to keep working and hopefully get one or two this year and see what happens," Bedford said on Tuesday, speaking in general terms about UF's goals for Miami-Dade in 2010. Signing day is in February.

With several months remaining in the 2010 recruiting cycle, it appears that Bedford has made some inroads in Miami. The Gators already have commitments from three players in Miami: linebacker Gideon Ajagbe of Miami Ransom-Everglades and Miami Booker T. Washington teammates Quinton Dunbar, a receiver, and Lynden Trail, a defensive end.

The skinny on Trail: At 6-7, 220 pounds, Trail is a project player who looks more like a basketball player than a defensive lineman. He could blossom into a defensive force but it will take time. Chances of him remaining committed to Florida: 60-40.

[PICTURED, Lynden Trail goes for the old push-your-bicep-out-with-the-back-of-your-hand trick. (Just kidding, Lynden! Nice pipes!]

The skinny on Dunbar: At 6-3 with above-average speed, Dunbar is a quality receiver who could grow into a top-flight target. If he de-commits (can't qualify or just picks another school), then the Gators might also end up losing Trail. Chances of Dunbar remaining committed to Florida: 40-60.

The skinny on Ajagbe: Ajagbe plays for a small private school in Coconut Grove, so the learning curve once he arrives in Gainesville will be considerable. Ajagbe has attended UF football camps, so he has an idea of what he's getting into. Ajagbe is very athletic with better than above-average speed for a linebacker. Like Trail, he'll need to put on some muscle once he arrives in Gainesville. Chances of Ajagbe remaining committed to Florida: 90-10.

For the past couple of years, Meyer has stressed quality over quantity when recruiting Miami-Dade. I guess that's another way of saying, "Since none of the good players in Miami want to come to UF, then we're not taking anybody." That company line could be changing slightly.

"They all can't go to Miami," Bedford said. "If I was living in the city of Miami I would be like, 'OK, Miami and its tradition. OK, I might want to go there, too,'" Bedford said. "But I might be looking at Florida right now. If you want to play for championships, Urban Meyer is the guy you want to come play for at the University of Florida.

"Coach Meyer, two national championships since he's been here. We're No.1 in the country for eight straight weeks. We have an 18-game winning streak. Why would you not want to come to the University of Florida?"

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Running back Washaun Ealey says Florida Gators Brandon Spikes should not be suspended

Georgia Bulldogs running back Washaun Ealey said on Tuesday that Florida Gators middle linebacker Brandon Spikes should not be suspended for Spikes' apparent attempt to gouge Ealey's eyes.

Ealey told reporters on Tuesday that Spikes "shouldn't, I think, get suspended at all."

Florida Gators coach Urban Meyer announced a half-game suspension for his All-American linebacker on Monday for Spikes' unsportsmanlike behavior during UF's 41-17 win against Georgia on Saturday at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium.

Ealey told reporters in Athens, Ga., that his eyes were not harmed when Spikes reached his hand into Ealey's facemask. "I had my eyes close and he really didn't gouge my eyes," Ealey said. "My eyes are OK. He really didn't get his hands close to my eyes. He was out there playing football and having fun."

Having fun? Umm, OK. Good to know Ealey still has both of his eyes.

Does Ealey's take on Spikes' suspension change your opinion of Spikes' actions and his half-game suspension?

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Good and bad: Five early observations of the Florida Gators men's basketball team

GAINESVILLE -- Checked out the Gators' men's basketball team on Monday night at the O'Connell Center. I was pretty much the only beat writer who showed up, so you're not going to read this ultra-important analysis anywhere else.

Seriously, there's not much to take away from a game against Saint Leo, a Division II team from the Dade City area, but it was a good way to familiarize myself with the new players, build some relationships with new guys on the team and, of course, watch the first men's basketball game in two years without Nick Calathes in the line up.

Here are five early observations of the basketball team

1. Kenny Boynton Jr. can create his own shot. That's something Nick Calathes had a hard time doing against good defenders. Now, granted, the perimeter defense of mighty St. Leo isn't exactly a proper test of Boynton's ability but it doesn't take a basketball genius to realize that Boynton is pretty good. He scored a game-high 22 points on Monday, including 5 of 9 from three-point range.

2. The best line up seems to be this one: Boynton, Erving Walker, Ray Shipman, Alex Tyus and Vernon Macklin. It's the fastest line up for a team that will try and push the ball this season.

3. The Gators have a good backcourt with Boynton and Walker but I'm not ready to write that its better than last season's backcourt of Walker and Calathes. I don't care what any says about Calathes, he was a good player and losing him should not be discounted.

4. Florida has serious concerns in the frontcourt. Vernon Macklin is no world-beater. He's going to have to scratch and claw for every rebound this season for Florida to have a chance in SEC play. Kenny Kadji needs to hit the weight room. This guy has a body that NBA players would kill for but Kadji does not appear to be in great shape. Is this guy wasting his ability? Why does he still appear to be carrying baby fat? Get in shape, Kenny!

5. Ray Shipman needs to be more confident with his shot. Shipman appeared to be a little nervous on Monday. If he truly wants to be the "X-factor" on this team, then he's got to play with a little more swag. Come on, Ray, you're from Miami! Shipman appears to be in great shape after a long offseason of hard work. He has more bounce in his legs and is quicker getting down the court, which will help him stay with Boynton and Walker on fast breaks.

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Florida Gators freshman Kenny Boynton Jr. leaves exhibition game favoring left knee

GAINESVILLE -- Florida Gators freshman Kenny Boynton Jr. left the Gators' first exhibition game on Saturday with what appeared to be a slight knee strain. Boynton missed a three-pointer with 4:02 left in the second half against St. Leo and appeared to come down awkwardly on his left knee.

Boynton of Pompano Beach left the game and watched the remainder of the contest from the bench. The injury did not appear to be serious. Boynton scored a game-high 22 points in his first college basketball game. He was 7-14 from the field and 5-9 from three-point range. Florida defeated St. Leo of Orlando 95-46.

(UPDATING THIS STORY: Boynton said he was fine after the game after appearing to tweak his knee late in the second half. Boynton's family drove up from Broward County for his first preseason game. 

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Should UGA linebacker Nick Williams be suspended for his cheap shot on Florida Gators Tim Tebow?

GAINESVILLE -- Brandon Spikes is under a lot of heat for his dirty play against Georgia. Florida coach Urban Meyer is being scrutinized for only suspending Spikes for a half.

Why did Meyer go easy on Spikes? Who knows? While Gators fans think of good excuses for Meyer or debate whether or not Meyer went too easy on Spikes, here's a YouTube video of UGA linebacker Nick Williams' cheap shot on quarterback Tim Tebow on Saturday. Should Williams be suspended?

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