TWO BITS: Patchan recovering, SEC replays in HD
1 » Florida Gators sophomore offensive tackle Matt Patchan has had a tough time getting on the field since his arrival in Gainesville, FL. Suffering a gunshot in his shoulder before donning the Orange and Blue, Patchan also dealt with a bout of mono, right shoulder surgery and a torn left pectoral muscle early in his career. Then, he injured his knee after falling off of a scooter and pulled a hamstring. It looked like he would finally be healthy for the 2009 season, and he was until tearing his ACL after the fourth game of the season. Jeremy Fowler of the Orlando Sentinel reports that Patchan is doing well and should be able to return to action this year even though he will not be participating in spring practice beginning March 17. “He just needs to get better,” his father Matt Patchan, Sr. told Fowler. “After that, everything will take care of itself and he can act naturally on the field. But we’re very pleased with how the knee has responded.”
2 » In order to reduce the gray area in the “indisputable video evidence” clause in the NCAA rulebook, the Southeastern Conference has decided to add high definition televisions to its instant replay booths beginning with the 2010 college football season. The Big Ten and Big 12 have joined the SEC in adding HDTVs, while the ACC is still considering it. “I think it’s a good move,” said national coordinator of football officials David Perry. “Sometimes a guy at home with high definition was getting a better view of the replay than the guy in the stadium at the booth.”
The 61st meeting between the two teams, Florida leads the all-time series 38-22 though Florida State has won three straight and four of the last five meetings. FSU won 57-55 last year in Tallahassee, FL with now-senior forward Ryan Reid scoring 13 points. Reid now has a chance to become the first Seminoles basketball player in school history to beat the Gators four straight times. “That would be a good thing,” Reid said. “But it’s just another opportunity to play basketball and also get a good win on the road. I’m not really trying to get caught up in beating them four years in row. We’re just going to try to go hard.”
Friday night, senior libero Elyse Cusack registered 11 digs and became the first player in school history and just the third in Southeastern Conference history to achieve 1,900 digs for her career. Combine that achievement with an outstanding performance from sophomore outside hitter Kristy Jaeckel – who had a team-high 10 kills – and you can understand how the No. 10/11 Florida Gators volleyball team 15-3, 9-2 SEC) swept the Arkansas Razorbacks (10-12, 4-7 SEC) 3-0 (25-12, 25-18, 25-16) in the Stephen C. O’Connell Center.
