On January 2^nd, 2012 in what is a seemingly strange twist of fate, the Florida Gators (6-6) have been scheduled to play the Ohio State Buckeyes (also 6-6) at Everbank Field in the 2012 Tax Slayer Gator Bowl, in a typical Big 10 vs. SEC Bowl matchup. A precipitous feeling of déjà vu is sweeping through the Gator Nation as we all remember the 2007, 41-14 victory over the Buckeyes to win Florida’s first National Championship since 1996. The memory of 2^nd year coach Urban Meyer stomping the Buckeyes with senior QB Chris Leak and a young freshman phenom Tim Tebow in Arizona is still ever-present in Gainesville. Being a junior at UF at the time, I still have a branch from the tree that was torn down in front of campus… sweet memories.

Urban Meyer’s team will once again take the field in Jacksonville, Florida. This time, that team is the Ohio State Buckeyes. In the eyes of Gator fans, this brings the necessity of victory to a new level. Granted, Meyer himself has opted to not coach the bowl game, the principal of the matter is what counts in the minds of many diehard Gator fans… this is personal.

Not only did the Gators struggle offensively all year, but the departure of Offensive Coordinator Charlie Weiss will undoubtedly affect next year’s recruiting. If 1^st year HC Muschamp is to have any chance at reconciling this year’s dismal season in the minds of fans and potential recruits, this game is where his Gator team needs to shine. Hopefully, this Gator team will take the field with a true desire to obtain victory. Seniors John Brantley, Chris Rainey, and Jeff Demps undoubtedly have something to prove and will be crucial to the Gator’s game effort.

Ohio State, has also endured an exceptionally difficult season; the firing of decade long coach Jim Tressel, and a regular season record of 6-6 is anything but the norm in Columbus. Honing in on gossip taking place on the Ohio State online message boards, fans vividly remember the staggering defeat of 2007 at the hands of the Gators. This sentiment is clearly exasperated by the Buckeyes securing Urban Meyer as their head coach. Victory would simply be bittersweet icing on the cake.

According the CBS.com, their panel of experts overwhelmingly feels that this game will result in a Buckeye victory. However, glancing at each team’s statistics, the match-up is relatively even. Ohio State has 124.1 yards in pass offense, 195.7 yards of rush offense, 186.2 yards of pass defense, and 142.4 yards in rush defense. Respectively, the Florida Gators have 190.2 yards of pass offense, 144 yards of rush offense, 167.3 yards of pass defense, and 132.3 yards of rush defense. Florida’s defense will most likely be the biggest challenge for the Buckeyes. Merely stopping the Buckeyes will not be enough, forcing turnovers is a must. However, if Florida is to emerge victorious, the Gator offense needs to get out of their current slump, and move the ball into the end zone.

Well, that was a tough game to watch. On Saturday night, the Florida Gators took on the Florida State Seminoles in what was supposed to be a heated rivalry and a dogfight of a game. It turned into a pathetic display of offense, on both sides, and a insanely boring evening filled with expletives. Throughout the evening all I could do is think about how far the Florida teams have fallen. Miami is disgraceful and disgraced. FSU was ranked in the top ten coming into the season and finished un- ranked. And the Gators, we all no how there season turned out, just disappointing. FSU FANS, don’t get to carried away because you beat Florida and Miami in the same year. Remember, no one picked either Miami or the Gators to go anywhere this year. On the other hand, the Seminoles were picked to dominate the NCAA and maybe even make a run at the National Title. You know what I call how there season turned out…EPIC FAIL.

The Gators fell to the Seminoles 21 – 7 at home for the first time since 2003 on Saturday night. The worst part about this game was how John Brantley played and how his career in college football ended.  Saturday night was Senior Night for the Gators. They had all of their loved ones in attendance and everyone was ready to go. Or at least everyone except Brantley. Before Brantley was smashed by two FSU players, which made him leave the game for good, he had thrown for three interceptions in just 1 and a half quarters of play. Two of the interceptions gave FSU prime field position. That is how FSU went up 14 – 0 in the first half. The saddest thing about the entire night is that our defense played very well. Ronald Powell and Jaye Howard created issues for the Florida State front line throughout the entire night. The Seminoles managed only 30 rushing yards and 65 passing yards. Basically they were crushed all night, and if it weren’t for Brantley’s turnovers, this would have been a closer game.  After going down 21 – 0 in the second half, the Gators finally put together a score off of a Jaye Howard fumble recovery on the FSU 21 yard line. Freshman quarterback, Jacoby Brissett hit Quinton Dunbar for the only points for the Gators with 4:16 remaining in the game.

Ok…Deep Breath…the 2011 season is in the books. Although the last game of the season was a debacle, most Gator fans shouldn’t be too upset with how the year went. It was always labeled a rebuilding year. With a slew of new coaches and a brand new offensive scheme, the Gator Faithful shouldn’t have expected too much greatness. Unfortunately, we believed that there would be some greatness, however starting the season going 4 – 0 and ending up 6-6 is just brutal. Hopefully Muschamp and Weis set the recruiting trail a blaze, because it is very clear that the Gators need some help, and hopefully they are focusing on offense. God knows we need it.

“Saving Private Muschamp – Redemption”

On a cloudy Saturday in Gainesville, FL, the Florida Gators (6-5) defeated the Furman Paladins, also 6-5 in season play, in a 54 to 32 victory securing Bowl eligibility. In all actuality, this game was a football fanatic’s dream. The seemingly outmatched Gators coming back to win after their largest point deficit of their season sustained in the 1^st quarter (22 Paladins-7 Gators); if this had been against an Alabama, LSU, or even a formidable out of conference opponent like Oregon or (Should I say it?) Boise State, this victory would have been cause for a much needed victory celebration in Gainesville. However, this game was undoubtedly a far cry from the outcome anticipated and expected by UF football fans. Given the Gator’s dismal conference record of 3-5 in the SEC, many Gator fans were looking to HC Will Muschamp, OC Charlie Weiss, and DC Dan Quinn to deliver a stellar performance against a seemingly “lesser” team. Furman came to the Swamp with a clear “David vs. Goliath” mentality, and after watching the game, it was strikingly clear that the Paladins had come to play some serious football.

The 1^st quarter began with the Paladins kicking off to the Gators, and a return to the 27 yd. line by Andre Debose. By the 6^th play of the initial drive, much to the dismay of Gator Fans, Chris Rainey was limping towards the sideline injured. After Rainey’s injury, Gator QB John Brantley got the ball to Freshman Hunter Joyer for a 4^th down conversion, earning the Gators a first down. Florida’s drive ended with a missed field goal attempt by Kicker Caleb Sturgis. Furman’s first drive was an unbelievable output of athleticism. Furman’s first snap was accompanied by a fantastic block that resulted in some great yardage, a precursor to what would be the Paladin’s first score of the game. In the end, the Paladin’s drove up the field for a total of 67 yards, but missed the extra point. The Gator’s next possession resulted in a return to the 50-yard line being called back half the distance to the goal. What ensued was a high snap to John Brantley, the ball ending up in the end zone and being recovered by the Paladins, resulting in a safety. With their newfound momentum, the Paladin’s continued to romp the Gators defense by completing a great pass and outflanking Gator Safety Josh Evans for a touchdown. Fortunately for Gator fans, Chris Rainey was put back into the game, apparently healthy again, to receive the kick off. After several relatively unfruitful plays, Brantley was able to complete a pass to Jordan Reed for the Gator’s first score of the game, and the extra point was good. The 1^st quarter closed with the Paladin’s out manning the Gators, driving 47 yards up the field resulting in a touchdown.

The 2^nd quarter began with some signs of life from the Florida Defense who forced Furman to punt to the Gators again. Florida’s offense seemed to come back alive with the Tight Ends making some huge plays resulting in a 65-yard drive and a Hunter Joyer touchdown. At the 6:40 mark, the Gator Defense seemed to be onboard with the recent success and completed the first Florida sack of the game, accomplished by J. Howard, removing Furman from field goal range and forcing them to punt. Florida took advantage of the team’s newfound confidence and rallied to score 7 more points on a catch made by Andre Debose. The Gator defense stopped the Paladins and forced a punt. The punt was blocked by Easley and recovered by the Gators at the 35-yard line. Brantley and the Gator offense made the scoreboard tick 7 more points in their favor with a 29 yard pass to Quinton Dunbar, giving the Gators their first lead of the game. Stopping the Paladins offense once more, Chris Rainey completed a 39-yard run placing Florida just outside of the Redzone. The Gators have been exceptionally unsuccessful in the Redzone this year. This fear was made apparent by several failed pass attempts leading to a 4^th down scenario, where Kicker Kaleb Sturgis missed another heart-breaking field goal.

Halftime Score: Gators – 27 (SEC)    Paladins – 22 (Southern)

The 3^rd quarter started with UF kicking off to Furman. The Paladins seemed to be unscathed by the success of Florida in the latter quarter and showed little respect for UF’s defense by converting on 4^th down. This lead to a drive up the field stopped by Tackle Matt Elam. Furman, facing a 4^th down, kicked a 23-yard field goal. With 7 minutes left in the quarter, Chris Rainey limped to the sidelines after a great Gator drive. The final outcome was Florida being in a 4^th down situation and, once more, calling upon Kaleb Sturgis to put points on the board. Kaleb managed to nail the 33-yard field goal. Florida and Furman battled it out for several more possessions, finally culminating into a score for the Gators via a magnificent catch by Andre Debose in the endzone. This moment of victory was short lived, because, with 40 seconds left on the clock, the Paladins answered, showing their true speed, with a 77-yard touchdown run, ending the 3^rd quarter.

Getting the football back in the 4^th quarter the Florida Gators showed that they controlled the gridiron. The Gator’s first drive resulted in a 55-yard field goal made by Kaleb Sturgis who was clearly seeking redemption for his earlier misses. Furman’s next possession resulted in an interception for a touchdown completed by Gator, De’Ante Saunders. Florida’s defense finally began accurately stopping Furman’s pass routes allowing UF to control the game. However, the success of the Florida defense was continuously inhibited by silly penalties. In fact, the Gators had a total of 6 penalties, for 60 lost yards by 7:40 in the 4^th quarter. The Paladins last stand was made at 7:37 in the 4^th quarter; Furman faced another 4^th down and decided to go for it. Their attempt was crushed by a 5-yard penalty, and the team was forced to punt. Florida finally sealed their hard fought victory when J. Jenkins intercepted a Paladins pass and ran for a touchdown. It wasn’t until there was only 1:30 left on the clock when Florida finally put their 2^nd string Quarterback, Jacoby Brissett. He only ran one legitimate play; his last, was the victory formation. The Furman Paladins fought a hard battle until the very end… however, in the end, the Florida Gators prevailed, exiting the Swamp with a much-needed victory. Perhaps this is the catalyst needed by the Gators to emerge victorious in next week’s game against their bitter rivals, The Florida State Seminoles.

FINAL SCORE:

FLORIDA GATORS (SEC) – 54

FURMAN PALADINS (SOUTHERN) – 32

Re-Cap Written By: Brian A. Arnett

The Florida Gators (5-5, 3-5 SEC) return home this week to face the Furman University Paladins ( 6-4, 3-5 SoCon). The last time these two schools met was in1990. Florida leads the series with a 6-2 record that dates all the way back to 1922.

It will be nice for the Gators to return home and play an opponent that they can actually defeat. According to Wikipedia Furman University only enrolls approximately 2,600 undergraduates and 525 graduates. That is roughly the same size of a Macroeconomics class at the University of Florida. Needless to say, this game should be a cake walk and to be honest I’m kind of happy this game was scheduled for the week before we face out biggest rival, FSU. Hopefully the Gators will be able to put this game out of reach quickly so that some of the backups can get some much needed playing time and some of the starters can get some rest.

If the Gators offense struggles early, it will be safe to say that Charlie Weis should be put out of his misery and replaced. I know he hasn’t even been here for an entire season, however the offense’s production against real teams, has been pathetic. You may be able to put some blame on the offensive line, who by the way is atrocious, but that only goes so far. A great coach needs to adapt his offense to his personnel. He needs to create scenarios and situations for his playmakers and not rely on running a 5 foot 7 inch scat back up the middle.

We have some of the top recruits in the nation playing on our offense and Weis can’t seem to get them involved. Andre Debose was supposed to be the answer to losing Percy Harvin. Weis has done little to get him involved. Jordan Reed is a phenomenal athlete that stretches the field as a tight end. Last week was the first time he was truly targeted for more then two attempts. Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps should be spread all over the field. There breakaway speed is unmatched and they only truly excel when they get outside the tackles. However we continue to see the same poor performances.

I’m keeping my fingers crossed, praying as hard as I can, practicing Voodoo, sacrificing chickens and anything thing else I can think of to try and turn the Gators season around and win these last two games. Something has to give or else it will be Weis who will be giving, back his office that is so the new offensive coordinator can get going for 2012.

(note: no animals were harmed or sacrificed, I don’t practice Voodoo, and I don’t believe in crossing my fingers, except if it’s behind my back to get out of a promise to a friend)

Homecoming 2011! Win or lose we booze! 4-4 baby, Outback Bowl still a possibility? Ok, so one and half of those things sound great. The rest are just frightening. The Florida Gators have lost the last four consecutive games and all of them have come against SEC opponents. Florida hasn’t lost four in a row since 1988. But what about five in a row? We don’t want to know the answer to that one. With Vanderbilt coming into to the swamp, with the same record at 4-4, we better be victorious. This is a must win for Muschamp, cause quite honestly if we lose this game, he may internally combust on the sideline. This is a school that we have typically faired well against and have an 8-1-1 record when facing Vanderbilt during Homecoming.

The Gators come into this game with a chance for some redemption, however the road there won’t be easy this year. The Gator D has to contain Vanderbilt’s Quarterback Jordan Rodgers and  running back, Zac Stacy.  Over the last two games Rodgers has ran for 162 yards and thrown for 426 yards and two touchdowns. Stacy has rushed for 707 yards this year with an average of 7.3 yards per carry. It will be critical to contain Stacy, because if he starts breaking off 7 yard runs one after another, watch out, everything else will open up and the next thing you know we will be down by 14. Vanderbilt is ranked 50th in the nation in rushing yards averaging 167.6 per a game.

On the offensive side for the Gators, John Brantley has to get it going on offense. Last week was his first week back since his injury, so we can write some of that performance off to rust. But this week, no excuses. He has to bring back that early season Brantley who looked comfortable and poised in the pocket (“God…please don’t let that be an aberration or be due to the fact that the first four teams we played this year were terrible.). When the season first started i really thought that just maybe, just maybe two little scat-backs could lead this team to some victories. Unfortunately I was wrong. Its all about John Brantley. We saw this when he was out and our duo of freshman wonder boys managed to put on two of the worst offensive performances I’ve ever seen.

This game is critical. The Gators need to come away with a “W”. Hopefully that W stands for “Win” and not “WTF”