Gene Elliott « Florida Gators, Florida Gators Football, UF Football

Gene Elliott

Website:

Posts by Gene:

Gators Gut Out Close Win over Vandy in OT

Posted by Gene Elliott on February 2nd, 2011 No Comment

Following up a lackluster performance against Mississippi State last Saturday, the Gators made just enough shots to edge Vandy tonight in the O-Dome 65-61. Chandler Parsons was named ESPN Player of the Game, missed a shot but followed his own miss with a rebound and big free throws to give Florida a late lead with 15.6 seconds left in the game. Vandy spent most of the second half in foul trouble, with three in the starting five fouled out by the time the game was over.

Erving Walker hit a massive three with one second on the clock to give Florida a one point lead at the half 25-24. Florida followed a lackluster first half up with a 40 point second half and OT. Parsons was the lead Gator scorer with 18 points, and 13 rebounds. “We knew we were going to get their best and we did. Its great to get this win in preparations for a big Saturday against Kentucky.” Parsons said postgame.

Kentucky comes to town Saturday night with tip-off at 9pm in the O-Dome. ESPN College GameDay will be shown on ESPN at 10am EST Live from the O-Dome floor.

Check out how to instant win games.

Urban Meyer Joins ESPN as Analyst

Posted by Gene Elliott on January 31st, 2011 No Comment

Just when you think Urban Meyer has ridden off in the sunset to watch endless volleyball games and relax, ESPN comes calling. It was announced today that Meyer will join ESPN as an Analyst, with his next on-air broadcast to be National Signing Day on February 2nd. During the college football season, he will work weekly regular-season games as well as provide studio analysis on ESPN’s “College Football Live” and “College GameDay.”

Meyer was an guest Analyst along side Nick Saban for the BCS National Championship Game.

Charlie Weis Expected to be UF’s new Offensive Coordinator

Posted by Gene Elliott on December 31st, 2010 No Comment

Sources close to the athletic program at the University of Florida have disclosed to us that Charlie Weis has been offered the Offensive Coordinator position. Weis, a former head coach for Notre Dame, is currently the Offensive Coordinatior with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Will Muschamp contacted the Chiefs earlier this week for permission to talk to Coach Weis, with the full intention of hiring him and getting him on the recruiting trail. Sources said Weis would continue to coach the Chiefs into the AFC playoffs, another source reiterated that Weis is expected to accept the job.

More to come on this developing story.

Ten Reasons To Be Grateful for Florida Football

Posted by Gene Elliott on December 25th, 2010 No Comment

This holiday season, its a time of family, fellowship and getting ready for a BCS Bowl Game - preferably the National Title Game. (I sort of let go of that one the first week of October for our team) One of my earlier articles was about how crazy the last twelve months has been – the merry-go-round does not seem to want to stop anytime soon. Urban has retired again most assuredly this time its for real, we are playing in The Outback Bowl against a coach that is almost 46 years older than our retiring 46 year old coach. If Joe Paterno would have retired at the age of 46, he would have retired while there were black and white tv’s still broadcasting games.

This year was a let down according to the standards that we have become accustom to for Florida Football. 7-5 happened for Ron Zook and Galen Hall, not Urban Meyer. We have had a lot of young players and a lot of gut wrenching losses, most notably the 7-10 loss against Miss St. that left everyone baffled as we filed out of the Swamp. Maybe we were spoiled, maybe we just didn’t have the patience this team deserved. After all, most teams have a rebuilding year is 4-8 or 5-7, we pulled out some great games (see 34-31 win over UGA) It really could have been worse, not much – but I was referring to loosing season worse. By the way, when was our last loosing season? (1979)

Today as we were eating our Christmas meal with the family, my niece Terryn prompty told me what she was thankful for this holiday season. After the DS Lite XL, the Pillow Pet, and the jelly watch, it was Tim Tebow. Of course it was Tim, how could we forget what he gave us each and every Saturday for four years, but it got me thinking about being grateful and Florida Football.

So here it is, For those of you who have had your fill with the Hula Bowl, the Chicken Bowl, and the Kmart Blue Light Special Bowl, and non SEC football team bowls, Here are my Top 10 Reasons I am Grateful for Florida Football.

1. 2010 is over. Enough said – this was a hard year. Glad its over…

2. Hope. 2011 and the #1 and #2 recruiting classes we have had in 2008 and 2009 will have a season or two under their belt. Next year should be fun again.

3. Mack Brown, Dominique Easley, Ronald Powell, and Sharif Floyd….(write these names down – remember them – you will hear lots from them in 2011.)

4. Will Muschamp – He is an awesome person and coach. He will make Gator Fans proud- just have a little faith. (for those doubters – I heard the same rhetoric back in 2005 when we hired the head coach of Utah)

5. Jeremy Foley – Sometime he chaps me with the one liners and outward flippant attitude, but lets give props where they are due; the man can flat out assess potential. Billy Donovan, Urban, Kevin O’Sullivan, ahem, Ron Zook. I only add Ron because so many of his recruits were around in 2006 when we took the wood to Ohio State.

6. Steve Spurrier – yes, Spurrier. Ok, get past the crushing defeat at the hands of his Gamecocks. Sit there and tell me you weren’t the least bit happy for the Head Ball Coach. Besides it must be deja’ vu for him in his bowl game. FSU awaits him in the Chick Fil A bowl. Fitting huh?

7. Tim Tebow – OK, Even I thought it would be next year before we saw anything from the Man of Steel. DID YOU SEE THAT STIFF ARM AND TOUCHDOWN RUN IN OAKLAND! Yea, and Mel Kiper Jr. looks like a complete horses ass right about now to say Tebow would have no success.

8. The New England Gators – OK, I’m not sure but if Urban does come back to coach next year, but could it be in New England? I bet Spikes, Cunningham, and Hernandez would not mind a bit.

9. True, Loyal Gator Fans. Not the ones who are burning up ESPN with horrible comments about Meyer, Brantley, and our offensive woes this year. The coaching situation that was up and down for a year, or the recruits that may or may not go because they think the machine will collapse without Meyer. It won’t. We will be back in a BCS National Championship game within 3 years. Mark my words….

10. Last but not least Urban Meyer. He has put UF back on the map after Ron Zook deserted us to a lost island somewhere. He won us 2 championships in three years and brought in some great recruits. He got a bad rap for the 25+ arrests that occurred under his watch but let me ask you this question – When you were 18-19-20 years old, did your dad know where you were each moment of the day or night? How do you expect Urban – who actually has his own kids – to keep up with 110 athletes every year, every weekend night and make sure they do not party and are all home in bed by midnight. Could you do it?…..didn’t think so. I respect him for the father and leader that he was and still is. I respect him that after a 4.2 Million dollar salary, he walked away to be with his family. Again, could you do it?…. didn’t think so.

As we get ready to say what our resolutions are for the new year, here’s one we should all have on our lists….be thankful that our players are not suspended for killing someone, be thankful that we do not have any players suspended for the first 5 games next football season, be thankful we got a new high-caliber coach that refuses to sleep, he will give everything he has to the successes of our program, and do it respectably. Be thankful Gator Fans.

I am.

Happy Holidays to your family from the staff here at GatorSportsNation.com

Muschamp Contract Details Released by UF

Posted by Gene Elliott on December 14th, 2010 No Comment

New Head Football Coach Will Muschamp’s contract details were released on Tuesday. The contract is a 5 year deal worth 13.5 Million Dollars. Muschamp was paid $900,000.00 as a “head coach in waiting” for the Texas Longhorns. His new annual salary is 2.7 million, which is triple what he was paid last year. There are incentives for making and winning both the SEC and National Championship Game. A pro rated portion is for his personal appearances, The Sunday Coaches Show, and endorsements from Nike.

A news conference is scheduled for 6:30 today at The Swamp.

Lethargic Gators Blown Out again 31-7

Posted by Gene Elliott on November 27th, 2010 2 Comments

As I was typing all the adjectives to describe what I saw from the Gators in today’s min-numbing loss, I had to delete most of it all partly because I did not need any phone calls from the FCC, so I thought more and finally this is what I felt; I am glad its over. My TV is pissed at me for the obscenities I was hurling as turnover after turnover, 3rd down fumble after 3rd down sack. I actually thought I was watching the Vandy offense before I realized I saw Jeff Demps was healthy enough to run for a 19-yard first down. (no not really, its the best offensive insult I can come up with right now). I realized that maybe we have overachieved this year – i’m just sayin’.

I am glad its over so I don’t have to hear coach speak. Coach speak you ask? It sounds a lot like a politician campaigning for office, only it was football. “We will get better,” “It’s a process,” “We were out-coached today.” We made a team that got shellacked by Oklahoma that – until today- was waiting for help from (wait for it….) H E L P from Maryland to reach its championship game in the All Cake Conference (formerly known as the ACC) . We made FSU look like they were ready for the National Championship Game.

I was hoping that Urban would “will” the players today as he has done so many times before. I read something somewhere that made me think about him recently. It said ” Urban Meyer is not his fiery self since his self-imposed sabbatical and the Gators have not been the same since then either.” Something to think about….. So goes the fiery coach so goes the Gators.

We started this game out fast – almost as if Urban HAD pumped them up just before the game, scoring on our first possession, but that’s it. Over. Everything I write from here on is fumble, fumble, interception, fumble, loss, 31-7. It’s mind-numbing to believe with all of this talent, that at the six minute mark in the 4th quarter, we had just finished rushing 10 consecutive plays for 59 yards and run 4:54 off the clock. Florida had already lost, just not run out of time on the clock; there is a difference there. I never thought I would see an Urban Meyer coached team quit. I believe I have now seen it three times this year. Unbelievable.

With 100 recruits watching this game, you would have thought we would have been fighting tooth and nail, 5 wide no backs, hair on fire offense. Going for every 4th down and LOOKING like we were interested in winning. We looked like Bear Bryant’s 1970′s offense when he would grind the game down to a snails pace and win 7-3. Well, only difference is The Bear had a defense at Bama that could stop someone. We don’t.

Get ready for the Music City Meineke Car Care Head Light Blue Light Special Bowl Game against a WAC team that over achieved. We may end up favored, but not sure we will score much. Maybe it will be 7-3 and maybe we will win. I am glad its over so my hopes don’t get kicked in the teeth anymore this year. The good news is the VolleyBall team is #1.

Gators Win Big on Senior Day 48-10

Posted by Gene Elliott on November 21st, 2010 No Comment

I wonder if Steve Jobs thought this up all by himself. Apple could not even script this for Gator fans. If ever the Gators needed an “APP” for a victory Saturday, its like they pulled out their iPod and dialed up Appalachian State. This Senior Day started with flowing tears as the seniors played their last home game and ended with flowing locks. Walk-on DT Gary Beemer’s one yard helmet-less plunge into the end zone to give the Gators a 38 point victory on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. Before the game, the speculation was that the Swamp would only have about 50, 000 fans show up with the thought of an SEC or National Championship long gone. Usually the drive from my home takes 30-45 minutes to get to the parking lot-it took 18 minutes Saturday. The fans were laid back but they matriculated into the Swamp just as the emotions of the day hit Mike Pouncey and he donned his helmet to hide his tears as he ran out of the tunnel toward Coach Meyer.

These Gators have been through a lot lately, but Saturday was not about the records, the close losses, the two blowouts we endured, it was about accomplishments and championships won by this senior class. One SEC Championship, One National Championship, back to back 13-1 records, and an overall 42-10 record since 2007 (’07 9-4, ’08 13-1, ’09 13-1, ’10 7-4)

The Seniors have a lot to be proud of. They weathered the storm of adversity this year and continued to play hard and it showed on Saturday against Appalachian State. ASU came in with a better record that Florida at 8-1, and most likely will win their conference in FCS (what was the NCAA Division II). The hype that surrounded this team as a giant-killer after their victory in the big house against Michigan in 2007 (**Note for those of you paying attention, that is the same year Michigan beat Florida in the Capital One Bowl in January of the same year). It made for an interesting subplot given the year that the Gators have had to this point. It was over in the first quarter and certainly after Jordan Reed connected on a TD pass to John Brantley to make it 28-0 just before the half. ASU was able to accrue 274 yards in the game, most of it was after the cheerleaders and waterboys were on defense. After that, it was all smiles in the Swamp for a change. It will not last long, a date with FSU is now on tap.

The trip to Tallahassee and the upstart Noles who won at Maryland late last night 30-19 is on the mind of the Gators this morning. Emotions will run high as this is the Seniors last game against FSU and Pouncey, Black, and Hicks have never lost to the Noles.

In a season that has no real championship aspirations left, a victory over arch rival FSU will be a state championship game of sorts. I will be glued to my TV ready for that one.

Thank you Gator Seniors for your commitment to our University. Thank you for enduring the boos this year, thank you for the championships and know you will be remembered and loved for your honor to the University.

Go Gators!

(AP Photo/Phil Sandlin)

Brantley puts Transfer Rumors to Rest

Posted by Gene Elliott on November 18th, 2010 No Comment

The Brantley name at Florida is a legacy. John Brantley’s father ran around Florida Field back in the 70′s just like his brother Scott. So in 2007 when Brantley Jr. committed to Texas, the GatorSportsNation was in disbelief that a legacy could be considering going elsewhere.

Somehow after the debacle that has become our 2010 football season, transfer was in the mainstream for the past few weeks. On several talk radio shows it was reported that both sides, the Brantley Family and the UF Athletic department would be seeking to have Brantley transfer. Untrue.

John Brantley has stated he will be returning for his Senior season at Florida.

I can picture some of you cringing right now based on what you have seen out of the Gator offense this year. The culmination of Demps injury, Rainey’s suspension, loosing our top three receivers to the NFL; basically the UF offense started over this year and the key returners were M.I.A. There has been no rhythm to the offense at all this year and it has shown is uglyy head each and every 32 dive play we have run. The only game that I can recall that the offense was moving the ball in all 4 quarters was the Vandy game because yes, it was Vandy. Brantley will get better and use this year as a stepping stone to get better prepared for next season, but so will Reed and Burton.

At 6-4, we have definitely hit the bottom as far as our expectations were for this offense. Hopefully with Appalachian State this Saturday in the Swamp, Addazio and Meyer will turn the ball loose, let Brantley stretch the field and show you he has the ability to be a big time SEC quarterback. I know he has it in him – maybe its the play calling and no trust in the offensive line to protect him in obvious passing situations, after all, he is one of 11 on the dismal offense we see each Saturday.