November 23rd, 2009 — Florida Gators Football, Florida State Seminoles, Gator Game Preview, Gator News
The undefeated Gators will face the Florida State Seminoles on Saturday, November 28th, at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. The match-up looks to be a challenge for Florida State, which stands at 6-5 for the season. Their last game was against Maryland and gave them a 29-26 victory, putting their winning streak at 5 games.
The Gators have the best record in the country, however, and have set a Gators record, at 21 consecutive wins under coach Urban Meyer in his 5th year at the University of Florida. This marks the longest SEC winning streak in 15 years, and the third longest in the United States in the last 10 years. It's also the 4th longest SEC winning streak in its history. The Gators 21 game winning streak includes 11 undefeated games this season, putting them at 11-0 for only the second time in Gators history, the last being in 1995.
After the November 21st game against FIU, which the Gators took at 62-3, their seniors became the class with the most wins in SEC history. Gator seniors have an impressive 46-6 game record. Overall, the scoring was spread among 8 players, with quarterbacks Tim Tebow and John Brantley responsible for completing 26 passes for over 360 yards, and 5 touchdowns. Tebow managed a career-long touchdown run of 55 yards in the game.
Other notable plays of the game were made by running back Chris Rainey who scored twice, linebacker Brendon Spikes who scored on a 410 yard interception return, and Deonte Thompson who led receivers with 66 yards and 5 catches.
Gators didn't just score impressively on Saturday, but their defense was in top form. Jaye Howard was the defensive leader. He shared a sack with Lawrence Marsh and managed 7 tackles. Two linebackers, Ryan Stamper and Dustin Doe, each managed one sack each.
The stopped the first 5 conversion attempts in the game against FIU on Saturday. Before that, they stopped the last 8 against South Carolina, putting them at 13 consecutive 3rd down conversion attempts halted. It's the second time they've stopped more than 12 consecutive conversion attempts. Earlier in the season they managed to block 18 consecutive attempts. In the game against FIU, they allowed only 53 rushing yards and one field goal kick. It was also the 4th game in which the Gators didn't allow any turnovers.
The Seminoles' quarterback, Christian Ponder, is out for the season because of an injury, but his replacement, E. J. Manuel, has managed 430 yards and 33 of 51 passes. Jermaine Thomas as also managed 7 touchdowns in 690 rushing yards. FSU's defensive numbers are good, as well, with top defensive linemen Nigel Bradham at 76 tackles, Markus White at 10.5 sacks and Ochuko Jenije with 4 interceptions this season.
The Gators have defeated the Seminoles in their last two match-ups, scoring 45 points each year against only 12 by Florida State in 2007 and 15 points in 2008. The upcoming game against Florida State will be the last game of the regular season and the Gators' last home game.
Photo Credits: hectorir
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November 2nd, 2009 — Florida Gators Football, Gator Game Preview, Gator News, South Carolina Gamecocks, Vanderbilt
Reportedly, Urban Meyer, Brandon Spikes and Tim Tebow met and had a meeting with other key members of the team and it has been said that everyone is now on the same page when it comes to the Gators team. Obviously some of the results from the post-Mississippi State meeting has been seen since the Gators managed to take a 41 to 17 win against the Georgia Bulldogs. Georgia should have taken the chance to wear their black helmets for the very first time but they squandered the opportunity instead.
The Gators are now going to have to focus all of their attention on the very next stop on their tour which is Vanderbilt. Right now Vanderbilt is at 2 and 7 for the season and 0 and 5 for the SEC conference play, and for the SEC East Division they are currently in last place. Offensively, they have actually been pretty offensive during this past season. They are currently ranked 93rd in terms of total offense, 109th in terms of passing offense and 110th in terms of scoring offense in the country. Defensively it seems that they have fared a little better, but they are not fairing well enough to concern the Gators in the slightest.
Tim Tebow and his roommate Riley Cooper the wide receiver have both seemed to have ironed out whatever wrinkles were previously in the playbook. Right now both Dave Nelson and Deonte Thompson are absent in terms of the passing attack. A current playmaker is the tight end Aaron Hernandez, who is making plays every single time that he touches the ball.
The running game in Florida is still quite potent, especially with Chris Rainey, Jeff Demps and Emmanuel Moody. The Gators are ranked at 6th in the Nation and they are averaging 252.25 yards for each game on the ground. Tim Tebow is definitely making up a lot of those yards himself.
It is important that the Florida Gators keep their attention on the Vanderbilt Commodores this week, but it seems that their mind is on other things. Urban Meyer is going to tell you that his team is only preparing for the Commodores right now, and that they are not thinking about the looming upcoming South Carolina game. He will tell you that the team is not even going to think about the South Carolina game until the days following the Vanderbilt football game. Unfortunately, we know quite well that it is human nature to look ahead, and the Florida Gators are almost certainly wondering about their future.
The OBC is definitely looking forward to a stop by the Gators in Columbia in the following two weeks.
Florida has a lot of improving to do, especially in terms of offense. The offensive line also has to improve in terms of pass protection because they cannot go on forever relying on Tebow.
Photo Credits: mosesxan
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October 28th, 2009 — Bulldogs, Florida Gators Football, Gator Game Preview, Gator News
The University of Florida Gators are having some offense problems, it seems, and this is becoming the fuel that Georgia needs to get pumped up for the upcoming game.
Looking Ahead -
The output on the behalf of Georgia has really paled in comparison to their previous seasons. The defense with the Bulldogs, who are at 4 and 3 right now, is currently last in the entire SEC with a total of 27.7 average points allowed for each game, and truth be told, the offense for the team is not doing much better either. And still, the Georgia team really seems to have a chance this upcoming Saturday simply because of the fact that the Gators are struggling in the red zone. Plus, the Georgia team wants to avenge their loss to the Gators last year. In this rivalry, Georgia is sitting at 3 wins and 16 losses since the year 1990.
In Review -
If you take away their lack of production in the red zone, the Gators seem to have had a pretty decent game in their win of 29 to 19 against Mississippi State. They managed to rush for a total of 172 yards in the first half, and the team's defense did not allow for an offensive touchdown while rushing toward three interceptions and three sacks. Florida still converted one of six trips to the red zone into touchdowns as a result of the predictable action on the behalf of Tim Tebow, who was alternating between rushing and rolling on play action. Still, Tim Tebow only completed 12 out of 27 for a total of 127 yards, making this the worst game for him out of his entire career.
Current Injury Update -
Right now, running back Jeff Demps who has been out with a sprained neck is looking to be returning to practice as early as Tuesday or Wednesday. Brandon Antwine, DT, managed to re-injure an old problem with his shoulder, so he is not likely to be returning this week. According to Urban Meyer, a number of players are slated to be returning this week, including LB Brandon Spikes who was out on a groin injury, Lawrence Marsh who was out on an ankle injury, Jaye Howard who was out on a knee injury and Justin Trattou who was out on a bicep injury.
Quote -
Regarding the red zone offense for the University of Florida Gators, Urban Meyer, coach of the team said that this is an area that has, in the past, been a strength, and it will get back to being a strength again.
Next Game -
The University of Florida Gators are going up against the University of Georgia in Jacksonville.
Coverage -
You can watch the game on CBS on Saturday at 3:30 pm.
Photo Credits: jeffhreed
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July 30th, 2009 — Defense, Florida Gators Football, Gator News, Players
The defense nearly had to start from scratch just two years ago when nine brand new starters were thrown right into the fire. After experiencing a great year, 11 starters are back, creating one heck of a brick wall of a defense. All the top reserves are coming back and there is enough talent here now to keep the NFL well stocked for a while. The current star of the defense is the Senior Linebacker, Brandon Spikes, with 93 tackles. The player who still needs to step up in order to become a star is the Senior Linebacker, Ryan Stamper. The unsung star that is currently on the rise is Will Hill. The best prospect for going pro is Brandon Spikes, and he is also one of the top three candidates for all star, followed by Jermaine Cunningham and Joe Haden.

On the Defensive Line:
It was a surprise when Jermaine Cunningham returned for a senior year, but he's back and he should be on the All-American short list with six sacks, 52 tackles and 10 tackles for loss. He had improved greatly over the spring season and has improved his quickness and toughness. He should be coming up with a huge season when you consider that there are other players up front that need to be worried about as well.
Carlos Dunlap tends to be more like a big tackle rather than a true end, but he is definitely a force to be reckoned with. He may not have been a starter in every game, he was a situational pass rusher big time, and he led the team with 9.5 sacks, 39 tackles and 13.5 tackles for loss. He was the national championship's Defensive MVP, and he known for making big things happen on special teams as well as on defense.
Junior Terron Sanders does not appear special on the inside, but he is a brick wall of a man on the outside as well as being a strong tackle. He made 21 tackles along with 4 tackles for loss. He started in 12 games last year, stepping up and performing fantastically in some of the biggest games that were played including LSU and Georgia. He is going to serve as a key element in the puzzle this year.
Lawrence Marsh started 13 games last year, and is an excellent interior pass rusher considering his size. With 28 tackles, 3 sacks and 5.5 tackles for loss, he should be coming back better than ever.
Omar Hunter was a top recruit for the team going into last year, but he saw minimal time starting so that he could preserve his redshirt status.
Justin Trattou is one of the most versatile DLs on the team, and he finished with 27 tackles, 4 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks, and started for most of the year. He is not yet a superior pass rusher, but he is a good player all around.
Jaye Howard is going to work well as a big end for the 3-4, and while he didn't see a ton of action, he did manage 8 tackles, 1.5 sacks and 2.5 tackles for loss.
Duke Lemmens was a large factor during the off season and saw plenty of time playing with the first teamers, having made 7 tackles and 2 sacks. He always seems to be going 100 mph and he's the type to make things happen.
- Watch Out For: Hunter, Sanders, Marsh. Hunter is the type of talent that is going to resolve the entire defensive front and he has grand potential.
- Strength: The Defensive Line's strength is their Size.
- Weakness: The Defensive Line's weakness is their Tackles for Loss.
Outlook: Marsh and Cunningham definitely belong in the NFL. Marsh and Sanders are tough and talented veterans. Howard and Hunter may be even better for the team's interior. No one is running on this group which is clearly deep and very talented.
Score: 8.5
Linebackers:
Potentially the best defensive player in the nation right now is the USC safety Taylor Mays, but Brandon Spikes may just be No. 1A. He choose to come back for a senior season when he had the alternative rather than being a top 15 pick in the Draft for the NFL, with 93 tackles, 2 sacks, 4 interceptions and 8 tackles for loss. He has the smarts, burst, quickness and size to put him in the right position.
A.J. Jones, a junior, does a little bit of everything well, and while he is a bit small, he is plenty versatile and tough, and he can be used in a number of different ways. He may only have made 2.5 tackles for loss, but that's amidst 35 tackles last season.
Ryan Stamper can play well in the middle behind Brandon Spikes, and if something ever happens to the superstar he will almost certainly go there. He has proven that he can definitely take on bigger roles and hold his on accordingly with a 45 tackle record and a sack.
Dustin Doe has bulked up some, so that he will be able to do more, but he is going to have to battle hard in order to get his same job back. Two years ago he had 85 team tackles but last year he only had 30.
Lorenzo Edwards was originally considered to be a safety, but now he's redshirted and a proper spot has been found for him. He is settling in on the strong side, just behind A.J. Jones. He is tremendously quick and has an unlimited range.
Brandon Hicks has been seeing starter time on the weak side, and he can also step in and make bigger plays when its needed. He made 2 sacks and 34 tackles and he has been an outstanding teamer.
- Watch Out For: A major battle to transpire for the job on the weak side. Stamper may get the start, but he may also be needed as a middle backup.
- Strength: The biggest strength for the linebackers is their depth.
- Weakness: The biggest weakness for the linebackers is the rotation.
Score: 10
Defensive Backs:
Joe Haden is not only a lock down defender, but he is also one of the best out of all of the tackling corners currently playing in college football. He has led his team with 87 tackles, 61 solo stops, 12 broken-up passes and 3 interceptions. He has matured greatly and now is a much tighter pass defender.
Janoris Jenkins started 12 games last year, had 39 tackles, 1 sack, 11 broken-up passes and 3 interceptions. He is excellent at beating receivers up and is great against quicker receivers.
Ahmad Black has enough speed for him to play corner and he's tough enough that he can be a strong safety, and he started in this way every game. He may not be big or built like a typical safety, but he managed to finished fourth in the team with 7 interceptions and 59 tackles.
Major Wright finished third on his team in terms of tackles with 4 interceptions, 6 broken-up passes and 66 stops. He's in the best shape of his entire career right now.
Will Hill is going to have to find a spot somewhere, with 1 interception and 48 tackles. He definitely took things further this last spring, as he's packing a real wallop now.
Wondy Pierre-Louis began last year's first three games before he became a reserve. He had 1 interception and 19 tackles, and now he is taking the place behind Janoris Jenkins as a corner.
Dorian Munroe was going to start as a strong safety but he was injured. Now he's back, he's either going to play safety or end up on special teams. He did play fantastically during the off season, looking how he was supposed to be before he sustained an injury.
Markihe Anderson is recovering from knee injuries that had kept him down over the past seasons. He is becoming greater at getting to the football while it is in the air, and he could potentially become a nickel or a dime back, especially behind Joe Haden as a strong player on special teams.
- Watch Out For: Above all else, watch out for hill. He is the biggest of all recent big time recruits and he definitely plays like it during the offseason.
- Strength: The biggest strength for the defensive backs is their depth.
- Weakness: The biggest weakness for the defensive backs is healthy backups, because of Munroe and Anderson's injuries.
Score: 10
Special Teams:
Brandon James is one of the best all around return players in the nation, averaging with 23.1 yards average per kickoff return, and two years ago he averaged 28 yards two years ago. He also averaged 14.1 yards for each punt return and two touchdowns, after having averaged 18.1 yards two years ago.
Jonathan Phillips nailed 12 field goal attempts and only missed one kick, which was 42 yards against Alabama. While he hasn't shown off great range, he is still ultra reliable.
Caleb Sturgis has the bigger leg, and also handled kick offs. Though he did not get any attempts, he still could get some deep ball chances.
Chas Henry averaged 43.4 yards with each kick with 21 of them put inside the 20. After struggling two years ago with an average of 39.3 yards with each kick, he as added more pop for better results.
- Watch Out For: Sturgis is going to get a few attempts. Phillips may also have a good show to boot 45-yarders.
- Strength: The biggest strength for the special teams is their productive veterans.
- Weakness: The biggest weakness for the special teams is their kick off coverage.
Score: 9
Photo Credits: cracklow's faux toes
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