Posts Tagged ‘florida gators’

Gators Tame The Tigers 13-3

Posted by admin on October 11th, 2009   3 Comments

It wasn’t a fancy win last night but it still gave Florida the W on their schedule. Two weeks after suffering a concussion, Tim Tebow played and proved that he was healthy, focused and ready to help guide Florida back to the National Championship road. But it was the defense that put on a show.

The record setting of the most attendance ever in Tiger Stadium at 93,129 still had no affect against the Gators what so ever. Florida’s defense was magnificent and was a huge reason why they got the win last night. Florida kept the pressure on LSU quarterback Jordan Jefferson, sacking him five times Saturday night. Along with the well played defense, Joe Haden collected an interception at the end of the first half.

Tim Tebow did exactly what he needed to do to carry Florida over the top. He only threw the ball 16 times and completed 11 of them for 134 yards and a touchdown pass to roommate Riley Cooper, but the Gators running game really stepped up and made big plays. They ran the ball more than I expected last night. Tebow carried the ball 17 times for 38 yards which surprised me a bit. I wouldn’t think he would run as much after coming up the concussion, but I forgot…. It’s Tim Tebow. He’s one of the toughest players out there. Jeff Demps contributed big last night, rushing 16 times for 86 yards and back up Emmanuel Moody ran for 42 yards on only 6 attempts. Aaron Hernandez led the Gators in receiving with 70 Florida’s offense struggled a bit and failed to capitalize on several drives, including a missed field goal.

Jefferson never could get anything going on offense because of the Gator pressure they brought every single play. What you saw last night on defense is a big reason why they stay at the top at No. 1. ESPN experts before the game said that if they play great defense, then they were going to win. Even if Florida played without Tim Tebow, it would come down to how the defense plays. Brandon Spikes led the team with 11 tackles and 2.5 sacks.

The Gators had this game circled on their schedule and now they can cross this one out and look forward to the homecoming game against the Arkansas Razorbacks on Saturday, October 17 in Gainesville.

(AP Photo/Bill Haber)

(AP Photo/Bill Haber)

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Can Tebow Bounce Back from Concussion?

Posted by admin on September 28th, 2009   3 Comments

On Saturday night, in the 3rd quarter of the game against the Kentucky Wildcats, Florida Gator quarterback Tim Tebow took a punishing, eye-opening hit from Wildcat defensive end Taylor Wyndham. As Tebow was on his way to the ground, his head hit offensive lineman Marcus Gilbert’s knee. There was nothing but silence in Commonwealth Stadium as both the Gator and Wildcat fans watched in awe. Tim Tebow was on the ground for minutes, and for the first few minutes there was no movement from him. He was completely knocked out. The entire Florida Gator team looked as if there season was put to an end. It was a shocking moment.

Florida coach, Urban Meyer, was just about to put back-up quarterback John Brantley into the game. It was believed to be Tebow’s last drive of the game before the injury. Tebow sat on the sideline for a while to regain consciousness. When he was well enough, he was carted to the ambulance and taken to the University of Kentucky Chandler Hospital. His injury was said to be a concussion.

This injury couldn’t have happened at the right time. The Florida Gators have a bye week this week and will head to Louisiana on Oct. 10 to face off with SEC rival (NO. 4) LSU. Meyer has said that he had already planned to give a few of his veteran players a couple days off. Tim Tebow will be monitored closely by Florida’s medical staff and he won’t be practicing much this week. Will he be able to bounce back from the concussion? Does “Superman” really have the toughness that people think? We will see when it goes down in Tiger Stadium, also known as Death Valley.

Tebow Concussion

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Gators Too Much for the Wildcats

Posted by admin on September 27th, 2009   4 Comments

FINAL SCORE:
Florida Gators 41       Kentucky Wildcats  7

Did the flu bug slow the Gators down in Kentucky? Negative. This game was over by the end of the first quarter. It was 31-0. The Gators looked decent tonight. The only bad thing was Tebow’s injury! There was no report to what exactly happened. During the third quarter, Tim was clobbered in the backfield by one of Kentucky’s defensive ends, Taylor Wyndham. While on his way to the ground, his head collided with teammate Marcus Gilbert’s knee. It was the worst sight ever.

Offense: Grade A-
Despite  playing with the flu, Tim Tebow threw for 103 yds, 1 touchdown, and rushed for 123 yards, 2 tochdowns. The Gators had no problem running all over the Wildcats. They piled up over 350 yards this evening. Florida didn’t throw the ball much tonight so there was no solution to the passing game mystery. If the Gators can run for over 300 yards and put up 41 pts a game, there might not even be a need for the passing game.

Defense: Grade A+
The defense did an excellent job today. Florida held the Wildcats to 93 yards passing and 86 yards rushing. All-American linebacker Brandon Spikes led the team with 10 tackles. Carlos Dunlap, Joe Haden, and Brandon Hicks each had a sack. Major Wright and Janoris Jenkins each picked Kentucky Wildcat quarterback, Mike Hartline, off. The defensive unit once again showed consistency.

Special Teams: Grade A-
Caleb Sturgis had a good game. He was 2 for 2 in field goals, including a 32 yarder. Chas Henry had a solid game as well. He punted 4 times, averaging 33.8 yds, with 2 punts landing inside the 20. Brandon James didn’t have any big plays tonight. He returned 2 kickoffs for 40 yds and 3 punt returns for -2 yards.

Florida Kentucky Football

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Gameday Preview: Florida Gators vs Kentucky Wildcats

Posted by admin on September 26th, 2009   No Comment

When: 6 p.m.
Where: Commonwealth Stadium, Lexington, KY
TV: ESPN2
Favorite: Florida by 22
My pick: Florida 35, Kentucky 13

The Florida Gators have defeated the Wildcats 22 years in a row. Last year, the Gators demolished the Wildcats by putting up 63 points, while Kentucky only had 5. You better believe the Wildcats didn’t forget that embarrassing moment of the 2008 season. Expect them to give Florida a tough game today, but the Gators will definitely win this one. There’s just too much talent on the team.

Injury Report

Florida
Out: WR Carl Moore (back), LB Brendan Beal (neck), CB Jeremy Brown
Questionable: WR Deonte Thompson (hamstring), LB Brandon Spikes (Achilles tendon)
Probable: CB Joe Haden (flu), S Major Wright (flu), LB A.J. Jones (flu), RB Jeff Demps (flu), TE Aaron Hernandez (flu), DE Jermaine Cunningham (flu), WR Riley Cooper (flu)

Kentucky
Out: WR Kyrus Lanxter (hamstring)
Probable/Questionable: CB Randall Burden (sprained neck), FS Matt Lentz (concussion), DE DeQuin Evans (hip flexor), C Jorge Gonzalez (sprained knee) RB Moncell Allen (thigh bruise)

Florida’s keys to winning:

  • Faster Development of Tempo on Offense
    - With an excellent offensive line, the Gators need to set the tempo early with their running game to take some pressure off of the younger receivers.
  • Receiver Play
    - The receivers have struggled so far this season. There’s depth at the position but there are no standout receivers on the team. Riley Cooper is the most proven receiver on the team so far but he may or may not play due to flu-like symptoms. Although Deonte Thompson did have a good game against Troy, he is coming off of a hamstring injury and is probable for this game. Look for Omarius Hines, Frankie Hammonds, or T.J. Lawrence to get a good amount of playing time today, especially if Deonte Thompson and/or Riley Cooper don’t play. The young guys took plenty of reps in practice this week.
  • Defensive Pressure/Turnovers
    - Florida must get pressure on Kentucky’s quarterback Mike Hartline. He’s not very mobile, but, if he has time in the pocket, he will get the ball to his receivers. Hartline is a solid quarterback. If the Gators’ offense struggles this game, the defense will have to win this one. Randall Cobb, the receiver/quarterback for Kentucky is an impact player and Florida will need to keep the ball out of his hands. Running back Derrick Locke, for Kentucky, is an impact player as well. He averages 5.8 yards per carry and leads the team in rushing. The defense must not allow these guys to have a big game today.

Florida vs Kentucky

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Billy Donovan Hires New Assistant

Posted by admin on April 21st, 2009   No Comment

By: Brandon Kendrick

After the recent resignation of former assistant coach Shaka Smart, who was hired for the head coaching job at Virginia Commonwealth University,  the Gators have filled his position by hiring the former assistant for the Louisville Cardinals, Richard Pitino. Richard is the son of Louisville head coach Rick Pitino.  He spent the past couple of seasons leading the Cardinals to the number one seed in the 2009 NCAA Tournament and back-to-back Elite Eights, along with his father. Within his two years on the staff, Louisville had a record of 58-15 and a 30-6 conference record. They also won a Big East title in 2009.

“I’ve known Richard his whole life,” Donovan said, “I feel like we’re getting a terrific recruiter, basketball coa/ch and person. We’re also getting somebody that also understand our program and system because of the similarities between what we do and what Louisville does. I’m grateful to Coach Pitino for allowing me to help Richard continue to grow and develop as a coach.”

Pitino is a graduate of the Providence College and spent two seasons as a manager for the basketball team.  He also worked as an assistant coach at St. Andrew’s School in Rhode Island for two years. The team finished the year with a 25th spot in the USA Today national rankings and won the New England Prep School Championship.

Richard Patino seemed very excited about his new coaching job at Florida. When asked about his job, he replied, “I’m very excited about the opportunity to work with Coach Donovan at Florida. I’ve known him my whole life and feel like he’s a part of our family. Moving on will give me an opportunity to be a part of another one of the nation’s top programs and I’m thrilled to work with one of the best coaches in the nation as well. I’m proud of what we accomplished and thoroughly enjoyed my time during my two years at Louisville while working for my father. Now, I’m dedicated to continue to build on what has already been accomplished with the Gators.”

Gators new assistant basketball coach Richard Pitino

Gators new assistant basketball coach Richard Pitino

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UF Spring Game Format

Posted by admin on April 18th, 2009   No Comment

The Orange & Blue Spring Game, that will be played today, will consist of four 10-minute quarters and a second half running clock. The starting squad will be the blue team, and the second string will be orange.

The starting offense is going to be facing the starting defense, while the second teams will face each other as well. Throughout the entire game, not once will the starters go up against the back-ups. The teams will not change directions at halftime. When the orange team has possession, they will attempt to score in the north end zone, while the blue team, on the other hand, will be driving towards the south end zone.

There will be no live special team plays, except for extra points and field goals. When one team scores, the other team will begin their drive at their own 35-yard line.

No matter what team each player is on, the offense will wear blue and the defense will wear white jerseys.

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Alex Tyus Set to Transfer

Posted by admin on April 17th, 2009   No Comment

Alex Tyus, the 6’8″ 220 lbs. forward for the Gators, has decided to transfer. Billy Donovan made the announcement this morning.  Tyus was Florida’s second-leading scorer last season. He averaged 12.5 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. He is the third player to transfer from UF, and if Nick Calathes stays in the  NBA draft, Alex will be the fourth player in the last six months to leave the team. “Coach Donovan and I had a chance to talk about my future and we agreed on the best course of action. I want to thank my coaches, my teammates and the fans here at Florida. I enjoyed my two years here and now I look forward to the next chapter of my life,” said Tyus.

Billy Donovan mentioned that Alex is a great kid and enjoyed coaching him, but the program and Tyus weren’t on “the same page”. Tyus seemed a little out of position at the power forward spot for Florida. He is 6’8″ with a skinny frame and he might want to play small forward instead of playing down low.

Donovan said, “He wants to do things for himself that are decisions he’s got to make on his own with what he wants. For me as a coach, you know there’s a certain vision and a certain path and a certain commitment for the team going forward that you want to have. For Alex, that’s not really what he wanted to do.”

Already transferred from the team are Allan Chaney and Jai Lucas. Lucas transferred to the University of Texas, while Chaney’s transfer school has yet to be announced. 2009 four star recruit DeShawn Painter recently backed out of his letter of intent, which adds to the problem for the Gators. Hopefully Coach Donovan will be able to add another big man to this year’s recruiting class before the deadline approaches.

Alex Tyus

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2009 NFL Draft Profile: Louis Murphy

Posted by admin on April 14th, 2009   2 Comments

By: Brandon Kendrick

Name: Louis Murphy Position: WR

Height: 6’2″  Weight: 203 lbs.    Class: Senior

NFL Draft Projection: 3rd Round
(more…)

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