A popular conversation topic the last two days (though some have discussed it all season) has been the play calling of Florida Gators offensive coordinator Steve Addazio. The contention on this issue is that Addazio has done a poor job thus far – calling too many dive plays, not utilizing the ability of some players, and the list goes on. Hell, I was leading the charge. Then I stopped and thought about it for a second. Yes, the Gators offense played terrible Saturday night. But how bad really was Addazio’s play calling? I propose this: Florida moved the ball just fine, it simply did not appear that way.

In 13 Gators drives, five ended with a score (38.5%), eight ended with a score or in scoring position (61.5%), 3.5 ended in a miscue (27%) and one ended in a special teams gaffe. In all, Addazio’s play calling, while you may not necessarily agree with it, resulted in 3.5 attributable failed drives (27%) over an entire game’s span.

If you want to blame Florida’s offense for its struggles on Saturday – that is fine. Just blame the right people. Two fumbles by quarterback Tim Tebow, one by tight end Aaron Hernandez and one more by running back Chris Rainey are unacceptable. Two of said fumbles occurred while the Gators were in the red zone on the way to score, and Tebow’s first fumble was on Florida’s own 30, which resulted in an Arkansas Razorbacks rushing touchdown. And of course there is kicker Caleb Sturgis’ missed field goal on the first drive. Take away the miscues – which are the blunders of players and not the coordinator – and the play calling is not looking so much at fault now, is it?

Now check out Florida’s previous game against the LSU Tigers. The Gators scored on three of eight drives, were successful on four, and were in scoring position for two more (missed field goal, interception). Only two were bad drives – a 7-play 44-yard effort that ended on downs and a 5-play 16-yard drive that ended in a punt – 25% of the failures.

And all of this is if you attribute the failed drives to the play calling and not the execution.

I am not here to contend that Addazio is doing a great job, does not need improvement and is taking over where his predecessor Dan Mullen left off. Quite the contrary. I just want the blame to fall on those who deserve it the most – in this case, the players.

Tags: Aaron Hernandez, Arkansas Razorbacks, Caleb Sturgis, Chris Rainey, LSU Tigers, Steve Addazio, Tim Tebow

1 » Florida Gators kicker Caleb Sturgis has been named the SEC Special Teams Player of the Week after going 3-4 on field goal attempts Saturday against the Arkansas Razorbacks including a game-winner with 0:09 left on the clock. [UPDATE:] Sturgis was also named one of the Lou Groza National Collegiate Placekicker Award’s “Stars of the Week.” Sturgis missed his initial 37-yard attempt but went on to hit, consecutively, from 30 yards, 51 yards and 27 yards. Sturgis’ final kick earned him a spot in Florida football lore, potentially saving the Gators’ season and chances at a third National Championship in four years.

2 » Astoundingly, Florida fell to No. 2 in this week’s AP Top 25 Poll with the Alabama Crimson Tide jumping into the No. 1 spot. Apparently the Gators’ 23-20 last-second victory was not enough for the voters, who dropped Florida in a 30-vote swing. It is not so much being No. 2 that bothers me; it is that there was such a heavy swing of votes following a hard fought victory by one team (UF) to another team (Alabama) that only won 20-6 at home, scoring their only offensive touchdown late in the fourth quarter. At least it doesn’t bother the players. Regardless, the Gators were ranked ahead of the Crimson Tide in the first BCS Rankings released Sunday.

3 » Moving on. This Saturday night will be the first time head coach Urban Meyer and his former offensive coordinator Dan Mullen go face-to-face across the gridiron. Mullen, now head coach of the Mississippi State Bulldogs, has his new team off to a 3-4 (1-2 SEC) start including a close home loss to the then-No. 7 LSU Tigers at home at Scott Field. Mullen remains close friends with Meyer and worked with him from 1999 until last season, where he helmed the offense that won the Gators two National Championships in 2006 and 2008. He also remains close with Florida quarterback Tim Tebow.

Continue Reading » FOUR BITS: Sturgis honored, UF No. 2 in AP, Mullen meeting, Marsh’s return

Tags: Alabama Crimson Tide, AP, Arkansas Razorbacks, BCS, Caleb Sturgis, Dan Mullen, Lawrence Marsh, Mississippi State Bulldogs, Scott Field, Tim Tebow

Each week following a Florida Gators game, ONLY GATORS Get Out Alive will grade the team position-by-position based on each unit’s performance. This week, we look at how the Gators fared against the Arkansas Razorbacks in The Swamp.

QUARTERBACK: B
It is tough to evaluate Tim Tebow week-in and week-out, because you feel tempted to grade him an A every time. In looking at Saturday’s game, you see Tebow led the Gators on a 14-play, 69-yard drive at the end of the fourth quarter that resulted in a 27-yard, game-winning field goal by Caleb Sturgis. You also see that he went 17-for-26 for 255 yards passing, one touchdown (the longest of his career) and added 69 more yards on the ground. But that would be looking over the two fumbles he had in the first half, the fact that it took him 27 carries to get those 69 yards and the six sacks he suffered – a handful of which he could have avoided by throwing the ball out of bounds when he was outside the pocket.

RUNNING BACKS: C-
For most of the game, the entire Florida rushing attack was averaging 1.2 yards per carry. For a unit that led the nation most of the year in rushing, that is simply unacceptable. Arkansas game-planned for the dive play, and offensive coordinator Steve Addazio kept calling it – so it is hard to put all the fault on the backs. Even so, 3.5 yards per carry on 19 attempts is just not acceptable. Jeff Demps saved the unit from complete failure with his run and touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Continue Reading » Grading the Florida Gators vs. Arkansas game

Tags: A.J. Jones, Aaron Hernandez, Ahmad Black, Arkansas Razorbacks, Brandon James, Brandon Spikes, Caleb Sturgis, Carlos Dunlap, Chas Henry, David Nelson, Dennis Johnson, Deonte Thompson, grading, Greg Childs, Janoris Jenkins, Jaye Howard, Jeff Demps, Jermaine Cunningham, Joe Haden, Justin Trattou, Lawrence Marsh, LSU Tigers, Major Wright, Ole Miss Rebels, Riley Cooper, Ryan Mallett, Steve Addazio, Tim Tebow, Urban Meyer, Will Hill

Missing a 37-yard field goal early in the first quarter, Florida Gators kicker Caleb Sturgis rebounded with makes from 30 and 51 and a game-winning 27-yard attempt to help the No. 1 team in the country overcome four turnovers to defeat the Arkansas Razorbacks 23-20 on homecoming night in The Swamp.

In front of a crowd of 90,508 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Florida improved to 6-0 (4-0) on the season and kept a school record and nation-leading 16-game winning streak alive. Tied 20-20 with 4:19 remaining in the game, the Razorbacks missed a 38-yard field goal, returning the ball to the Gators on their own 21 yard line. Senior quarterback Tim Tebow led Florida on a 14-play, 69-yard drive down the field to set up Sturgis for his 27-yard kick with nine seconds remaining on the clock.

“I got kind of down on myself early,” Sturgis said about missing his first field goal attempt in the game. “I wanted to make [the last field goal] for my teammates. They work so hard, and I don’t do much [by comparison]. I was ready to hit that ball from 57 [yards] when it was third down.”

It seemed to be Murphy’s Law for the Gators throughout the game, as just about everything that could go wrong did. Florida had four fumbles (three inside the red zone), dropped three passes and allowed Arkansas to hit on a 75-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Ryan Mallett to wide receiver Greg Childs in the fourth quarter. Mallett threw for 224 yards while kick returner Dennis Johnson, who started at running back in place of injured Michael Smith, ran for 107 yards in his stead.

Tebow finished 17-of-26 for 255 yards and a touchdown with 69 more yards on the ground; he also accounted for 52 yards in the team’s final drive. During the game, Tebow became the all-time SEC record holder in touchdown responsibility with 123 (75 passing, 48 rushing), passing former Gators quarterback Danny Wuerffel.

Tight end Aaron Hernandez led all receivers with career-highs in receptions (seven) and yards (92), while wide receiver Deonte Thompson added one 77-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter. Wide receiver Riley Cooper was clutch throughout the game, grabbing six balls for 58 yards and numerous first downs.

While it took the Gators the entire game to recover from their errors and squeak out a win, Tebow was hopeful that the hard fought victory would serve a purpose for his team throughout the remainder of the season. “A win like that brings you so much closer together,” Tebow said. “That will lead up to a great week of practice this week.”

Florida returns to the road next week, heading to Starkville, MS, to take on the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Oct. 24 at 7:30 p.m. The game will air on ESPN/ESPN2.

Tags: Aaron Hernandez, Arkansas Razorbacks, Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Caleb Sturgis, Danny Wuerffel, Dennis Johnson, Deonte Thompson, Greg Childs, Michael Smith, Mississippi State Bulldogs, Riley Cooper, Ryan Mallett, The Swamp, Tim Tebow

Each week following the conclusion of a Florida Gators game, ONLY GATORS Get Out Alive will grade the team position-by-position on how it performed in that match-up. This week, we look at how the Gators fared against the LSU Tigers in Death Valley.

QUARTERBACK: A
Tim Tebow was asked to tone it down and be a game manager, something that is not necessarily in his nature. Nevertheless, knowing the significance of the injury he came back from and the wishes of the coaching and medical staff, he did exactly that. An inexplicable interception late was Tebow’s only flaw on the night, and the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback made good throws when they were called.

RUNNING BACKS: A
No huge game-breaking runs from the Gators attack Saturday, but that is not something you can expect against the Tigers. Running back Jeff Demps was a madman, gaining 86 tough yards on 16 carries while Emmanuel Moody took some of the power rushing load off Tebow with six carries for 42 yards of his own. Moody showed up when he was needed the most, and that is what counts.

Continue Reading » Grading the No. 1 Florida Gators game at LSU

Tags: A.J. Jones, Aaron Hernandez, Brandon James, Brandon Spikes, Caleb Sturgis, Carlos Dunlap, Charlie Strong, Deonte Thompson, Emmanuel Moody, grading, Jeff Demps, Joe Haden, Jordan Jefferson, LSU Tigers, Riley Cooper, Ryan Stamper, Tim Tebow, Urban Meyer

Senior quarterback Tim Tebow took the field for the No. 1 Florida Gators two weeks after suffering a concussion and wore down Southeastern Conference-rival No. 4 LSU Tigers 13-3 Saturday night in Baton Rouge, LA. While Tebow was able to start for the Gators, it was the Florida defense that stole the show in Death Valley, holding the Tigers to three points and only 162 total yards.

The largest crowd in Tiger Stadium history at 93,129 was no match for a passionate Florida team, which sacked LSU quarterback Jordan Jefferson five times and compiled 327 total yards on offense. The Gators (5-0, 3-0) won their 15th straight game while snapping LSU’s (5-1, 3-1) 32-game winning streak at home during Saturday night games.

Florida ran the ball 48 times in the contest, with Tebow grabbing 38 yards on 17 carries and running back Jeff Demps leading the attack, touching the ball 16 times for 86 yards. RB Emmanuel Moody also contributed on the ground, earning 42 yards on six rushes. Through the air, Tebow completed 11 of 16 passes for 134 yards and one touchdown. He also through an inexplicable interception late in the game. Wide receiver Riley Cooper caught the sole touchdown of the game while tight end Aaron Hernandez led the receivers with six receptions for 70 yards.

On special teams, kicker Caleb Sturgis was shaky at best, missing a 25-yard field goal while also kicking a concerning extra point and 32-yarder that both ended up good. Kick returner Brandon James was held silent by punts directed out of bounds and one kickoff that went through the back of the end zone.

LSU’s offense never really got going with running back Charles Scott only touching the ball 13 times for 53 yards. Jefferson was pressured all night long as Florida collapsed the pocket and blitzed from all angles. Gators middle linebacker Brandon Spikes finished with 11 tackles and 2.5 sacks on the evening, and cornerback Joe Haden grabbed an interception at the end of the first half.

The Gators return to Gainesville, FL, next weekend for their homecoming game against the Arkansas Razorbacks on Saturday, Oct. 17 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Game time has not been set, though CBS plans to air it either at 3:30 p.m. or as its night game.

Tags: Aaron Hernandez, Arkansas Razorbacks, Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Brandon James, Brandon Spikes, Caleb Sturgis, Charles Scott, Joe Haden, Jordan Jefferson, LSU Tigers, Riley Cooper, Tim Tebow, Urban Meyer