Alabama sleepwalks for the win over Florida, 31-6

The good old days, a distant memory now.

My Thoughts and going forward:

• Alabama did not look impressive; as a matter of fact, they were uninspired in their efforts. 

• For all the flak over ‘Bama’s defense they have stepped up when needed. Why doubt them? They are coached by Nick Saban and have defensive coordinator Kirby Smart whipping them into shape mentally. 

• Florida needs to find an identity on offense, spread attack or pro-style offense? Pick one. 

• I have been singing the praises of John Brantley to everyone; it was premature of me to think they would not have a hiccup with Tebow gone. 

• Brantley probably would be best served at the next level, where they do not run spread-option attack plays. 

• Did Florida actually think ATH Trey Burton was going to make a fool of Nick Saban and his defense?? Not a chance. Florida needs to stop channeling Tebow and let Burton be Burton, you are not Tebow. 

• This game was really flat, nothing like the last two meetings in the SEC Championship games. 

• I do not know if emotionally and physically the Crimson Tide was beat up after their game with Arkansas. 

• Where does Florida go from here? Who knows? Maybe the Gators should play Texas and we can see which team has the better offense. 

• The Gators have a date with LSU in the Swamp, can Les Miles AKA The Mad Hatter pull off the upset. I wonder how much offense will be generated in this game. Both teams are atrocious on the offensive side of the ball. Get ready folks, this might be 19-16 score when it’s all said and done. Lots of field goals and maybe a safety or two thrown in for good measure. 

• I know it sucks for Brantley but Florida needs to go back to 2006 ala Leak and Tebow. Let Burton try to do his best impression of Tebow and Brantley can be Chris Leak. This is the only way they can get this offense moving. They can’t just go to a pro style offense with their skill players that are speedy and small; they are more suited for the spread attack and can make mismatches in space. 

• When have you seen an Urban Meyer team look so undisciplined? Can’t be good for his health condition? 

• Florida needs to draft a big back that can push the pile. They really need to establish run and punish defenses but they cannot with a scat back like Demps.

Life after Tebow...not what we expected

It was uninspiring, hard to watch, unfathomable: Florida’s offense last Saturday against Miami (OH). No one would have guessed that they would fumble eight times, 14 botched snaps, a measly 26 yards of total offense going into the fourth quarter, 212 total yards for the day. Thank God for defense. The defense had four interceptions on the day that helped the offense immensely and also had key stops that allowed for good field position for an inept offense. QB John Brantley has looked good all spring and everyone was expecting another high-octane offense from this Urban Meyer team, but that was not the case. Michael Pouncey (center) accepted responsibility for the miscues that happened: “It just kept slipping out of my hands, so I moved my hands up further on the ball so I can just grab it better and throw it back there,” he commented after the game. Going forward, he said that him and Brantley have been working on the snaps and feel confident going into this week’s game against USF. I’m sure Saturday’s production was not a good thing for Meyer’s health, but I’m this plays right into what he wants. Nobody is talking about the Gators; everyone is giving press to Boise State and other high-profile Week 2 games, no one is talking about Florida but that is fine with Meyer. If you think, what you saw on Saturday will continue then you are out of touch. Meyer will have the offense (especially) and defense humming for the next game and their conference slate that includes games against Alabama, Georgia, LSU to name a few. You can bet if they have the same amount of miscues against one of those teams, they would lose no question about it. There are a lot of expectations on the Gators to continue to have success without Tebow and this team will be just fine. Every year, they have a top five recruiting class and Meyer loves recruiting speedy players. Meyer’s goal is to get to the SEC championship and play for the national title, so for now, he is not concerned about his team. If these woes continue into late October then there will be a cause for concern. However, you get this sneaky feeling that Florida will have one big game that will have the nation talking about them and this team will ride that momentum to finish the season.

In Tebow, I Trust

Just like Martha Coakley thought she had the Senate seat in the bag, maybe the Timothy Tebow naysayers will eat crow when he becomes successful in the NFL as a quarterback. Granted, he did not look good in the first Senior Bowl practice, fumbling six snaps, but who are we as fans and journalists to determine his fate. For starters, he is probably the best collegiate player in this modern era to play college football: two national championships, Heisman Trophy winner and many more offensive accolades to add to the growing list of accomplishments. With 32 NFL scouts in Mobile, Alabama, he was skewered, devoured, and regurgitated for the viewing public to witness. We all know he came from a spread-option offense run by Urban Meyer and these quarterbacks (think Alex Smith) have trouble lining up under center and making the necessary drop-back throws in the NFL. But who are we to think that Tebow, a God-fearing kid from Jacksonville, FL, will not make it at the next level? There is no denying his passion for the game and as a leader; it has been on display for the last four years as he suited up as a Gator. He did not get the nickname of Superman for no reason. Everyone has witnessed his bowling over of defenders for first downs and touchdowns, his patented jump-pass, his fiery pep talks, his vow to never lose again after a bittersweet loss to Ole Miss in ’08. The scouts are saying that he needs to switch to H-back or tight end. But then they question his speed, is he fast enough to play those positions? It took a lot of courage for him to attend the Senior Bowl; he knew the critics would come out in full force to dish out the criticism real thick like some Missouri barbeque sauce. What kills me is that those who adored everything he did in college are the ones who are vehemently against his success at the quarterback position. It took me a while (three years to be exact) to warm up to Tebow. I guess I had a negative affinity toward Urban Meyer and his winning ways at Florida; it was his mocking smile underneath the surface, and his penchant for exacting revenge on a rival SEC coach if they slighted him in a press conference or his team on the field. But I like Tebow and I think he is good for the sport of football. If I were Tebow, I would do the NFL Scouting Combine and his pro day. The more work he gets in on his mechanics the better for him in the long run. In the senior bowl last Saturday, he did OK; he was not awful. You can still see the hesitancy lining up under center. He had two fumbles but that North defense was a ferocious bunch. I felt that the ball did not come out with enough velocity to reach its target, but all these things will be worked on through him being drafted and well into his career in the NFL. I cannot tell whether he will be a star in the NFL, at the quarterback position, but you know that he will give a 110% in improving his weaknesses. This kid won’t rest or take a day off; when the rest of his team will enjoy the clubs and the bars, he will head home to watch more tape and improve. It’s is in his DNA, and those individuals that are doubted and no one gives a benefit of the doubt to, do rise above the negativity. And I hope, Tebow does. He deserves it.

Andre Debose is Adamant that He is His “Own” Man

With Percy Harvin off to the NFL, The Florida Gators lose their X-factor. There is no denying that Harvin was electrifying on the field when he had the ball in his hand, and he was the ultimate decoy as well, reminds me of Randy Moss when he did his stint in Minnesota and now on the New England Patriots. Players of this caliber have to be accounted for whenever they are on the field, and you can bet that defensive coordinators have spent many nights constructing and wiping out game plans for these superstars. Urban Meyer is no slouch when it comes to recruiting and he brought in his version of Percy Harvin, everyone please welcome Andre Debose. When it comes to speed, Meyer has built a team of track stars that have speed to burn: from Chris Rainey to Jeffrey Demps to Deonte Thompson to Joe Haden, just one word “speed.” True Freshman Debose will try to make everyone forget about Harvin. After a hot summer practice, Debose was corralled by reporters about his status of being a Gator and what he felt about the pressure of living up to the legacy left by Harvin. Debose made it clear to the press in attendance that he cannot worry about pressure from the Florida fans and press alike. He recounts his father telling him, “My dad always told me to be my own man.” And he says that he lives by those words and is confident in his ability to be that playmaker and be known for his own skills. Debose did admit that he sees some of himself in Harvin but is determined to make a name for himself while he is at Florida. Debose gleefully spoke about how the workouts and practice are intense. He mentions David Nelson, who serves as a mentor to the young receivers, and he is glad for the support and guidance. It is evident that this kid wants to learn the offense and be the best he can be. Not being around in the spring and arriving in the summer, Debose watched film of the Gators and came prepared. However, a hamstring injury slowed his progress throughout the summer but vows that he is almost recovered from the sore hammy. With the help from Wide Receivers’ Coach Billy Gonzalezs, Debose has no choice but to be excellent. Gonzales demands excellence and he has given Debose a pep talk or two about his concentration on the field. Meyer has amassed a good staff that will take Debose and the other talented offensive and defensive players to new heights. One member of the press told Debose that Deonte Thompson deemed himself the fastest on the team. Debose said once his sore hamstring is healed he will lay to rest that dispute as he will challenge Thompson and Rainey for the title as the fastest man on the Florida Gator squad.

Florida Gators Fall Practice Begins: Day One (August 6th) of open practice to the public.

Offense: Quarterback Tim Tebow has looked better throwing the deep ball. It is really evident that new QB coach Scott Loeffler is working on Tebow’s mechanics. Tebow’s long throws are tighter and have less air on them. The two-time National Championship winner and Heisman trophy winner has shown that he is going through more of his check downs when the first and second receiver are not available. The staff is looking at adding the slant pass to their offensive game plan to work in conjunction with the speed at the wide receiver position. John Brantley did not look spectacular like he did in the spring in this first practice. He had some interceptions on the day, but there is no doubt that the staff has confidence in him if Tebow goes down. Brantley showed his toughness and live arm in spring practice and not to mention good mobility at the quarterback position. Wide Receivers: Riley Cooper returned to fall practice after playing baseball throughout the summer. His conditioning for baseball has caused him to come in a lot slimmer and fitter. It is noticeable that he worked on his speed and quickness and that will benefit this fast receiving core. On the whole, none of the receivers stood out. There were bad drops by Aaron Hernandez and Deonte Thompson. David Nelson looked decent catching the ball. And of note, Carl Moore did not attend. Running Backs: Even though the running backs were not in pads, Emmanuel Moody was absent with a sprained ankle. It is speculated that the staff would like to see more toughness from this kid when it comes to playing through injuries. On display was Chris Rainey making catches out of the backfield, and Jeffrey Demps was in attendance as well. In the next practice, we should get more of a sense of how the running backs will fair this season when the pads come on. Offensive Line: The Gators might have the best offensive line in the nation come this fall. There is no denying the immergence of Sam Robey, out of the spring, at the center position. You also have Jason Wilson, who has battled with injuries for two years, competiting for the left guard or left tackle position. And Matt Patchan who is also vying for a position whether it is left tackle or left guard. With the two Pouncey brothers healthy, this line could be a dominating force. If the injury bug hits them, they can plug any player in and not miss a beat. 7-on-7 Drill: Riley Cooper looked smooth snagging passes. Deonte Thompson showed his quickness and toughness trying to elude and fight for the ball from the defender. Aaron Hernandez continued to show that his size and speed will wreak havoc on opposing defenses this fall, and David Nelson continued to show that his use of his body to shield defenders will make him an excellent target in the red zone. Tebow will have two options in the red zone with Hernandez and Nelson. On defense, you saw Janoris Jenkins baiting and picking off John Brantley. Also there were pass break ups from Wondy-Pierre Louis, Joe Haden, and playmaker Will Hill.

2009 Florida Gator Preview-Defense

2009 Outlook: The Florida Gators return 11 starters on defense from the 2008 national championship team. Senior Brandon Spikes, the pound-for-pound best defensive player on this Florida squad returns for his last hurrah in Gainesville. The other standout on defense is Joe Haden who is the leader of the secondary. This year’s squad looks poised to be better than last season. The defensive stats for 2008: 9th in total defense, giving up an average of 285.29 yards per game; 4th in scoring defense with an average of 12.43 points per game; 20th ranked secondary, surrendering an average of 179.86 yards per game. It is not easy to duplicate productivity from the previous season, but Florida is poised on defense to have some breakout stars that will keep this defense getting better every year, even after the graduation of seniors. Looking at the two national championship years, from ’06 and ’08, the defense allowed an average of 13.2 points per game from the opposing teams, opposing quarterbacks completed an average of 53.2% of their passes, and the running backs averaged 89 yards per game with a measly 3.05 yards per carry. What is evident is that when the defense is stingy and put up numbers like in ’06 and ’08, they will undoubtedly be in the national title game and win it. Defensive Ends: The spring saw dynamic play by Jermaine Cunningham. It seemed he was always in the backfield, getting at Tebow. He was very good in containment of the quarterbacks and running backs. Cunningham showed his strength and quickness throughout spring practices. He will clearly be the key in the defensive pressure put on the offensive lines that they will face in the fall. Redshirt Freshman Earl Okine stepped up during spring practices. He is huge like Carlos Dunlap, both these guys hovering around 6’6 and averaging about 280 pounds. Okine showed good body control and toughness. He was not in the backfield as much as Cunningham, but he made plays when he had to. With the injury bug hitting Dunlap early in the spring; it is understandable that he was not that productive. Returning at the end of spring practice, he made it a point to make couple of plays. With a healthy Dunlap for the fall, this will cause havoc for any offensive lineman. Justin Trattou was injured for most of the spring. He showed flashes of playmaking ability in the beginning of spring practices. In his absence, Duke Lemmens stepped in and showed a relentless attitude to his playing style. With Dunlap and Trattou being injured this was Lemmens moment to shine and he did. Florida has a viable short-term solution if either Dunlap or Trattou fall prey to injuries this season. Linebackers: Weakside linebacker: Senior Ryan Stamper continued his dominance of the position in the spring. In 2008, he had a total of 45 tackles on the year. In spring practice, he was good against the run and in pass coverage as well. Dustin Doe is battling Stamper for the starting position. Before injury hit Doe in the spring, he showed quickness and solid tackling. This will be a good battle in the fall and make each player push themselves. Middle linebackers: True freshman John Bostic has shown the true grit to play middle linebacker. He is fast, powerful, and delivers bone-jarring hits. Meyer and the staff are in love with this kid, and the redshirt has been taken off. He is already number two on the depth chart and vying for the number one spot with Brandon Spikes ahead of him.It is clear that when Spikes moves on to the NFL, Florida is very secure at this spot. Spikes has played sparingly during spring practice. Meyer is very concerned about keeping his playmakers injury-free and fresh for the start of the season. Spikes will provide leadership and guidance to the young linebackers. Strongside linebacker: A.J. Jones, who played in 13 games in ’08 and had a total of 35 tackles, looked good especially in pass coverage throughout the spring when he attended. Most likely, he will be the starter or Brandon Hicks. Hicks has been out of spring practice due to an injury. The team will likely watch his recuperation in the fall and thereafter. Sophomore Lerentee McCray, having played only 8 games in his career due to who is ahead of him on the depth chart, was quiet this spring, but he is still young and learning the position. Junior Lorenzo Edwards was quiet as well, but he is a big asset. He has played every linebacker position and this provides versatility to his game. In the time of crisis, it will be easy to plug him in with no worries. Defensive Tackles: Sophomore Jaye Howard looked good in pursuit and showed great agility throughout the spring. He was good at stopping the run and causing hurries to the quarterback. Howard had the most production among interior lineman throughout the spring. Omar Hunter spent 2008 as a Redshirt Freshman due to a recent injury and nagging injuries from high school. Hunter was healthy this spring and showed improvement at attacking the offensive line. He will provide power and quickness at the nose tackle position in the fall. He needs to keep working with the strength and conditioning coach to maintain an injury-free tenure at Florida. Lawrence Marsh, the starting nose tackle in 2008, suffered an injury that cost him the majority of spring practice. He had 3 sacks in 2008 which ranked third on the team behind DE Jermaine Cunningham (4 solo and 0 assisted) and sack leader of the team, Carlos Dunlap (8 solo, 3 assisted).He will be pushed in the fall by Hunter and this will motivate him to speed up his recovery to get back on the field. Defensive Backs: Strong Safeties: True Freshman Dee Finley showed that he has a nose for the ball. It seemed like he was in on every tackle and pass break up. He will continue to grow as a player and will contribute on the special teams as he matures physically and mentally. Dorian Munroe looked good in couple of pass break ups and he hits hard. But after missing 08’ with an ACL injury, he won’t surpass the instinctive Ahmad Black as the starter. Black led the team with 7 interceptions in ’08 and this ranks him 7th nationally. He had a quiet spring of practices but made plays sparingly throughout. He will remain the starter because of his instincts at the position. Free Safeties: Will Hill looked good breaking up passes and intercepting four balls, from Tebow. He had the best spring out of the safeties, and this sophomore will see playing time this season as he continues to learn the position. This kid is poised for breakout success in the future. Junior Major Wright missed some of spring with an injury but showed his playmaking ability on a couple of plays. Cornerbacks: Redshirt freshman Adrian Bushell looks like a smart football player, considering his youth. Good ball pursuit and catch-up speed to his target. He will be a force in a year or two. Junior Moses Jenkins looked good in the spring. He is a good tackler and is always around the ball. He has very good size at 6’2, 184 pounds. He does not have the speed like the other corners on this squad, but he will use his size and body to aggravate smaller wide receivers. Starting corner Joe Haden looked fast and aggressive in the spring. In 2008, he led the defense with 61 solo tackles and 87 total tackles was second on the team. He is the unquestioned leader at corner and if the spring is any indication, he will be extra aggressive in covering wide receivers this fall. Senior Markihe Anderson looks good. He swatted passes away and picked off a couple of passes this spring. He has been injured in the last two years, dealing with knee injuries. He showed his smarts as he was always around the ball during the spring. Sophomore Janoris Jenkins showed tough physical play this spring. And the team believes that he will be a great asset when they play a spread offense team with quick slot receivers. Jenkins has a penchant for not letting wide receivers off the line of scrimmage.

2009 Florida Gator Preview-Offense

2009 Outlook: With the departure of Percy Harvin, the Florida Gators are devoid of a playmaker at wide receiver. They also lost Louis Murphy as well, who sports very fast wheels like Harvin provided. But there is no denying the impact Harvin gave to the Gators since his freshman year in ‘06. Urban Meyer still has a team that returns 7 starters on offense and 11 starters on defense. Tebow is improving his throwing motion with the help of the coaches; he wants to play quarterback at the next level but we will see how all that plays out. After beating Oklahoma in the national title game last season, the Gators are the odds on favorite to reach the title game again. And this is a good estimate looking at their schedule and the fact that they have a veteran team. But Meyer is looking for that wideout to step in and take over games and be the go-to-guy for Tebow. The spring saw Carl Moore, Deonte Thompson, T.J. Lawrence, Frankie Hammond, and David Nelson vying for the starting lineup at wide receiver. But who will it be? Could it be the ultra-talented tight end Aaron Hernandez? Will the defense continue to be stingy? All these questions need to be answered by Meyer and his staff in preparation for the upcoming season. Quarterbacks: Tim Tebow, the two-time national championship-winning quarterback, two-time Maxwell Award winner and, Heisman trophy winner, will be back at the helm to wreak havoc on SEC defenses. The plan for Tebow this spring is to work on his throwing motion and keep him more in the pocket. Throughout the spring, he has shown improvement with his throws. His intermediate throws have more zip and his deep throws do not have so much air underneath them. However, Meyer and his staff can do all they want with tweaking his technique throwing the ball. When game time calls for Tebow to run over defenders, that is what he should do and will do. Redshirt Freshman John Brantley has shown that he can play the quarterback position. He is more of a pocket-passer than Tebow, and the team will not draw up design run plays for him like for Tebow. But do not underestimate his mobility, for when needed he will get those yards. He has a good arm and showed its power on several deep throws throughout the spring. The only area of improvement is his decision-making which is something that all rookies have to deal with and work through. If Tebow were to go down, Brantley can step in and be a good game-manager. Running Backs: Last season Emmanuel Moody was spotty at best, dealing with injury issues and trying to grasp the offense. He has been the star running back coming out of spring practices. He has shown his maturity in being acquainted with the offense and is catching the ball out of the backfield. There has been sporadic attendance by Will Demps who has been attending track practices, but when he has attended spring practice he looked good running the ball. His acceleration will be a great asset as he hits the hole for positive yardage this season. Chris Rainey has not looked that good in spring practice. He has been battling a groin injury which has slowed him down. At the later end of spring practices, he looked better as his groin was healing. Also of note is walk-on Christopher Scott who used to play safety. He is a bigger back than Moody, Rainey and Demps; and he will provide that toughness at the running back position. He has been highly praised by Meyer and his staff for his penchant for running over and through defenders in spring practice. Meyer not only has three running backs that averaged 7.6 yards per carry last season, but now he has Scott to power through tacklers and make the tough yards or kill the clock in crucial games. The rich keep on getting richer. Do not be surprised if you see Rainey and Demps in the slot position where Harvin used to lineup. Wide Receivers: Clearly, Carl Moore has been the star of the spring. The senior has shown good hands and toughness; he clearly puts his all on the field. And he is well adept at shielding his body from the defender. But he has not been the only impact player at wide receiver for Florida. Redshirt Freshman T.J. Lawrence has shown that he will pluck any pass from the sky, and he is not afraid to make those tough catches. Deonte Thompson is the one wide out that the coaching staff is hoping will provide that game-breaking speed needed at the position. However, he is struggling mentally with his progress. He has had several drops throughout spring and sometimes gets too down on himself. He will need to become more mentally tougher to provide an impact to this team. Senior wide receiver David Nelson has become the veteran wide receiver that will help this young group of wide outs. T.J. credits Nelson for giving him guidance and confidence for playing the position. Nelson is not the fastest wide receiver on this team, but his 6’5 frame will provide a good red zone target for Tebow. But his most important role this season might be a mentor to the younger wide outs. Frankie Hammond is another Redshirt freshman that has the fewest drops of any receiver in spring practice. You can see him developing his route running and fighting to get open. He has good balance and will adjust to catches that are underthrown. Freshman Andre Debose is the highly recruited wide receiver that Meyer believes will be a force in Harvin’s old role. But he has not arrived on campus yet and they eager to start working with him and getting him up to speed since he missed spring practice. There is no shortage of doubt that Debose is dynamic and he will provide matchup nightmares for linebackers and safeties in the SEC. Tight Ends: I am speechless when it comes to Aaron Hernandez. He is simply a tough football player with good hands and decent speed. He reminds me of Kellen Winslow Jr. of the “U” fame. Hernandez will threaten defenses by stretching the field this season; it was just a tease seeing his impact last season, watch out. His backup Desmond Parks is turning into a fine tight end. The coaching staff is working on his toughness, and his grasp of the position. He has improved since the first spring practice. There is no doubt in my mind how important this position will be for the Gators this season. They have the underneath threat of Hernandez. Meyer has been heaping praise on him since he joined the team and recently spoke about how he is NFL-ready. Offensive Line: Throughout the spring the offensive line has been much aligned. The most significant injuries have been to Mike Pouncey (RG) and Maurkice Pouncey (C). In spring practices the defense was more successful in disrupting the offensive line because of injuries. Marcus Gilbert has stepped up and showed that he is more suited for the Right Tackle position and you have Carl Johnson at the Left Tackle position. Johnson has become the vocal leader of the offensive line, and he will provide support and guidance to the young players. The star of the spring has been Redshirt Freshman Sam Robey who has been playing the center position because of a shoulder injury to Maurkice Pouncey. The coaches are very happy with his production, and Meyer stated that Robey will find significant time at the Center position this upcoming season; and with Robey playing at Center it gives Meyer the chance to rotate the talented Pouncey twins at other positions in case of injury. With so many injuries hitting the offensive line, there have been many different lineups; and, this works in Florida’s favor because almost every offensive lineman has played every position. This will prove effective for the Gators when injuries arise later in the season; it will not be such an adjustment for the lineman playing other positions than their own. Stay Tuned for the Defensive Preview!