It was amazing, John Brantley completed his first pass of the night to Andre Debose for a 65 yard touchdown.  This was the start we needed. This was what would give Brantley the confidence he needed to have a monster game and dissect the Alabama defense. This was Brantley’s coming out party.  This was….nothing like I expected after that first play.  Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t like I thought we were going to crush Alabama, it was just that I believed it was going to be a good game and we were going to hang in there.

Unfortunately, we did hang in there, but only until our senior quarterback got injured and had to leave the game.  At that moment our ship’s sail was just deflated. Yes the score was 24 – 10 and we were down by two touchdowns, but Brantley had just driven down the field right before the end of the half and put his team in scoring position.  We had some great momentum. Then our offensive line made a couple of mistakes, which in return caused Brantley to be sacked two times in a row, one of them, causing his leg to bend awkwardly underneath his body and forcing him not to return to the game.  This is where the night ended, even though our defense still gave us a chance.

It was apparent, Brantley wouldn’t be returning and the game would be turned over to the Gators Freshman quarterback, Jeff Driskell.  In high school this guy was a phenom. He was the number one rated quarterback by Rivals.  He threw for a million yards and touchdowns. He was everything a team wanted. However on this night, he was just a freshman boy playing against a defense full of men and there was nothing he could do.  The Florida defense came out of the second half on fire. They were dominating the front line of the Crimson Tide and stopped their offensive drives on the first three series of the third quarter. They held Alabama to zero points in the quarter. But there is no way our defense was going to keep that effort up if they couldn’t get a break. Driskell tried to lead the offense, but he himself couldn’t muster anything other than two consecutive three and outs and one series where he ran for a 31-yard scramble, but produced nothing else. It was clear; Driskell was not ready for this top ranked defense and who could blame him. Alabama was vicious. They held the Gators to 15 total yards rushing.

Overall the final score does not give any insight to how this game played out.  The Gators star quarterback got injured and after that, it wasn’t much of a game. IT would have been a different story if our line could have protected Brantley a little more. This would have been a better game and much closer towards the end.

Next week will be telling for Jeff Driskell. He will probably start against the number 1 rated defense in the nation in LSU. Driskell better get prepared for them, because he will be coming into Death Valley trying to get a win in one of the most hostile environments in all of College Football.

Saturday’s game against Alabama will be one of the toughest match-ups for the Gators all year. Alabama is coming of an impressive victory over Arkansas last week, which was led by one of the most talented running backs in the league, Trent Richardson. Richardson torched the Razorback Defense for 126 yards on 17 carries and 85 yards receiving on 3 receptions. Alabama will look to establish the run early and it will be up to the Gator defensive line to bring their “A’ game if they want to stay in this ball game. If Trent Richardson is allowed to run wild, the Gator Nation will be in for a long evening. However, most football games are never just one sided. The Gators offense is led by one of the best backfields in college Football. Jeff Demps and Chris Rainey have totaled 731 rushing yards (7.5 yards per a carry) and 6 touchdowns. With those statistics and the way Demps and Rainey have been playing, I can share the same sentiment with the Crimson Tide as I did for the Gators a couple of sentences above. If Demps and Rainey are allowed to run wild, the Crimson Tide will be in for a long evening. The Crimson Tide averages 456 yards per a game and the Gators average 461.8 yards per a game. In reality, it is up to the defenses to decide the outcome of this game.

Alabama’s defense is ranked nationally in three separate categories. The Crimson Tide is 2^nd in total defense, 3^rd in rushing defense and 2^nd in scoring defense. However the rankings aren’t one sided. Florida’s defense is ranked nationally in the same three categories. The Gators are 5^th in total defense, 5^th in rushing defense and 4^th in scoring defense. The Gators are led by Linebackers Jon Bostic and Jelani Jenkins, however it is the Gators defensive line that really needs to step up this game. Jaye Howard, Ronald Powell, Omar Hunter, Sharif Floyd, and several others all need to come to play. They will be the deciding factor in this game.

The Matchup: No. 12 Florida (4-0, 2-0 SEC) vs. No. 3 Alabama (4-0, 1-0 SEC)

When: October 1, 2011

Where: Gainesville, Florida – Ben Hill Griffin Stadium

Game Time: 8:00 PM

TV: CBS

Radio: Sirius 220 / XM 199

The Florida Gators (4–0, 2-0 SEC) didn’t look so good on the first offensive series of the game. They went 3 and out. Thankfully that was the only time the. For the rest of the game the Gators dominated with one big play after another on both sides of the ball. The Gators defeated the Kentucky Wildcats 48 – 10. The Gators first score of the night came off of a perfectly thrown ball to tight end Gerald Christian to put the Gators up 7 – 0. It was a 45-yard touchdown strike and the first for Gerald Christian. John Brantley played efficiently the entire game managing 8 – 14 completions, 115 yards passing and 1 touchdown. But Brantley isn’t the story of this game, senior running backs Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps are.  Demps finished the game with 10 carries for 157 yards and two touchdowns. More than half of his yards came from an 84-yard sprint into the end zone. Chris Rainey finished the game with 15 carries for 105 yards. The Gator offense tallied over 400 yards rushing, the most rushing yards for a Florida team since Emmitt Smith was on the roster. Coach Muschamp summed it up rather poignantly. “We have that quick strike ability to flip the field and score…all those things are deflating to a (opposing) team).”

The offense can’t get all of the credit though. It was the Florida defense that recorded four turnovers (2 interceptions, 2 fumbles). Although the Wildcats did manage to edge out the Gators in the amount of time they held on to the ball, it didn’t seem to help. The gators front line controlled the game for the most part, although it was the young Gator secondary that really did some damage. They held Kentucky’s Morgan Newton (QB – Jr.) to 124 yards passing, and two interceptions. Newton did throw a 19-yard touchdown in the second quarter which should have been called back for offensive pass interference as the receiver clearly pushed off.

Overall, it was a great victory for the Gators and their 35^th consecutive win over the Wildcats. However the Gators aren’t getting caught up with this victory. According to some of the postgame interviews, The Gators are well aware of who their next opponent is.

Florida Hosts Alabama next week at home and is looking forward to a rematch of last years defeat (Alabama 31 Florida 6).  Florida Coach Will Muschamp summed it up after getting asked several questions on how talented Alabama is; “We just worry about Florida…At the end of the day, we’re going to take care of the University of Florida. We’re going to be fine versus everybody we play. Starting with Alabama.”

Last night’s game against UAB was very similar to last weeks game against FAU. The game was at night, the defense was missing Sharrif Floyd and the offense had the same boring plays called (expect for the fleaflicker). Yes there were a couple bright spots on offense, however what frightens me the most is the lack of depth in the offensive scheme. I know that it is only week two, but there has to be better ways to utilize our star players other than throwing a swing pass into the flats and then watch them take on 4 defenders. Of course I am oversimplifying it. The Pro-Style offense Charlie Weis wants to run is much more complicated and it will take more than the first two weeks to work through some of the kinks and implement new plays, however I just hope they figure out something sooner than later as Tennessee is coming to the Swamp next week and you better believe they are going to be ready for the swing pass.

Out of the first four series of the night, three of them ended with field goals. Caleb Sturgis connected on a 23 yard, 35 yard, and 28 yard field goal in the first half. The Gators looked sloppy on offense. They committed 7 penalties in the first half and couldn’t really convert in the red zone. The score should have been 37 – 0 at halftime, not 25 -0. As Muschamp was interviewed while walking to the locker room at halftime, he had this to say: “This makes me sick”. Needless to say, he was less than thrilled by his team’s performance in the first half.

Now with that being said, lets talk about some of the bright spots. Chris Rainey was in prime form on Saturday night, rushing for 119 yards on 16 carries. He had some more of his trademark spins that eluded defenders and displayed the burst of speed that is unparalleled in the NCAA (except by Jeff Demps). Muschamp said “He does everything you want a football player to do for your team…He is extremely electric with the ball in his hand.” On top of his stellar rushing performance, Rainey also caught three passes for 43 yards. With those two stats, Rainey now leads the team in Rushing (198 Yards) and Receiving (110 yards). Pretty impressive for someone who is listed as 5’9” and 180 pounds in the Gator media guide this year. On the same side of the ball was Gator quarterback John Brantley. He completed 12 of 19 attempts for 195 yards. He had no touchdowns and no interceptions. Although he did throw a good amount of swing passes, there were a couple of longer balls that he threw with precision. It was nice to see the moments of perfection when our QB finally slung a rocket down the field to a crossing Jordan Reed that was timed and placed perfectly.

The defense played pretty well, even without star defensive tackle, Sharrif Floyd, who was forced to sit out a second consecutive game by the NCAA. Good news is Floyd will be ready for Tennessee next week. They held the Blazers to 70 yards rushing on 23 attempts and 140 passing yards. The Gator D recorded their first shutout since 2006. Although the Blazers didn’t have the most potent passing attack in the NCAA, it was clear to see that our young secondary is going to need to step up rather quickly as their were some big holes that opened up last night.

All in all, it was a good tune up game for next week’s matchup against Tennessee. The Gators are going to face their first SEC opponent of the year and need to come out and make a statement. It doesn’t get any easier for the Gators from there. The Gators will be running the gauntlet for the next 8 games as they are all against SEC teams.

This Saturday the Florida Gators will host the UAB Blazers (University of Alabama-Birmingham) in the Swamp. The Gators are coming off of a 41 – 3 victory over FAU in week one which looked impressive. The NCAA recently published their first week power rankings and the Florida Gators are number one. Let me first say that these rankings are solely based on statistics and in no way does these rankings assure another Florida Gator Championship. However, it is nice to see the Florida Defense stepping it up as one of the major factors in this ranking was due ton their performance last Saturday. I will take holding a team to 28 yards rushing every week. It just goes to show you how dominant our front line is, even without one of their biggest play makers (Shariff Floyd, So.) available. Unfortunately the NCAA is investigating Floyd for recruiting violations and they have determined that he will miss a second consecutive game. Look for the defensive line to have an impressive performance against UAB this week. 

The Blazers are opening their season against the Florida Gators and look to improve on their 4 – 8 record in 2010. The Blazers will be playing in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium for the second time in ten years. They opened their 2002 season in Gainesville. UAB has one of the most experienced offensive lines in college football boasting a combined 118 starts. It will be nice to see how the Florida D- line handles the experience of UAB.  

The Matchup: No. 18 Florida vs. UAB

When: September 10, 2011.

Where: Gainesville, Florida – Ben Hill Griffin Stadium

Game Time: 7:00 PM

TV: Fox Sports Florida / FS South

Radio: Sirius 220 / XM 199

The Florida Gators jumped 4 spots, from No. 22 to No. 18 on Tuesday in the Associated Press Top 25. Florida wasn’t the only SEC team to make a significant jump. Mississippi State Bulldogs jumped four spots as well from No. 20 to No. 16 (good for Dan Mullen). There were four additional SEC teams that are in the top 25. LSU jumped from No. 4 to No. 2 after they thrashed the Oregon Ducks 40-27. Alabama dropped from No. 2 to No. 3. South Carolina and Arkansas didn’t move in the poll and stayed at No. 12 and No. 14. Two SEC teams ended up being ousted out of the AP Top 25. Georgia and Auburn were dropped from the group after their poor performances. Auburn needed a last minute onside kick and a touchdown to squeak out a victory over Utah State, clearly showing that they are not the same championship team as last year. Georgia lost to No. 4 Boise State 35 – 21, which jumped from No. 5 following their victory.

Yes, it is just week 2 and the Gators only beat FAU. However it is a good start and we witnessed some great strides during that season opener. Looking forward to UAB. GO GATORS!!

Will Muschamp does not hide his feelings well when it comes to his Florida Gators. He wears them on his sleeve and lets everyone know about them. Last week the Florida Gators 2011 squad had one of their final scrimmages before the season gets underway and Muschamp let his team know how they did. Muschamp spoke after the scrimmage last week and let everyone know what was on his mind. He blasted some starters for their lack of consistency and all around effort. He threatened that some starters may even be replaced.  He dissected the offensive line and the secondary. ”We didn’t finish very well. We didn’t play very well from the point of attack,” said Muschamp. He continued to vent his concerns.

Now the question I have is simple: was this a good idea so close to the season opener? I would have to say Yes. Let me first say that I am not a college coach, nor do I have any coaching experience, however lighting a fire under certain athletes is a must, and that is exactly what Muschamp did. He didn’t say that the entire scrimmage was awful. On the contrary, he said, “It’s not everybody. We got a bunch of guys that do it the right way, but not enough. There were not collectively enough guys doing it right.” That statement was perfect. The guys that played poorly know it. Some of them may have even expected to play poorly and get away with it. But Muschamp, the coach that chest bumps his players on the battlefield to show his allegiance and intensity, let them know it.  And he did it the right way.

After the scrimmage the Gators practiced on Thursday and Friday. They had Saturday off and a team Meeting on Sunday. They will continue to practice this week as they prepare for Florida Atlantic University, who will be coming to the swamp to face the Gators a 7:00PM (EST) on September 3, 2011. Cant wait for this new season to kick off. Go Gators!!

Lowes and Premier management announced recently that the Florida Gator running back, Jeff Demps is part of the 30 seniors who have been selected as candidates for the 2011 Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award. According to the website for the award, there are four categories that define a CLASS award recipient. They are Community, Classroom, Character, and Competition. The acronym “CLASS” stands for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School. The award is given to an NCAA Division 1 Student –Athlete who is honoring their four-year commitment to their university. The award is given out in ten different NCAA Sports and Demps is one out of thirty candidates selected for Football.

Jeff Demps is a role model student-athlete. He led the Gators in Rushing, yards per game, carries and all-purpose yards during the 2010 season. Demps has also been a member on the Florida Track and Field team. Demps has won two NCAA titles with the Florida Gators and four individual National Titles while at Florida. To say the least, is athletic career has been absolutely remarkable.

But he doesn’t stop there. Demps is majoring in Sociology and maintains a grade point average above a 3.0. He is a member of the University Athletic Associations “Goodwill Gators”, a community service oriented program. He has participated in a multitude of community service events and been active member of the community since he arrived at the University of Florida.

As the process to select the winners of this prestigious award continues, we look forward to watching Jeff Demps continue on his amazing career at Florida and wish him the best.