Good news on the injury front this week for the Florida Gators as it looks like five previously hobbled starters will all be in action for the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party against the Georgia Bulldogs in Jacksonville, FL.

RB Jeff Demps (neck) – Sprained against the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Returned to practice this week, declared 100% and cleared to play.

MLB Brandon Spikes (groin) – Aggravated two weeks ago against the Arkansas Razorbacks. Dressed for Mississippi State but did not play. Practiced on Thursday, declared 100% and cleared to play.

DT Lawrence Marsh (ankle) – Suffered a high ankle sprain before the season that was re-injured a few weeks ago. Practiced Wednesday and Thursday at full speed and will return to the field on Saturday.

DT Justin Trattou (bicep) – Ruptured tendon against Arkansas, called “out” for Mississippi State immediately. Originally ruled out for four to six weeks, Trattou will “fight through” the pain and is questionable for Saturday.

DT Jaye Howard (knee) – Practiced Wednesday and Thursday at full speed; will play.

DT Brandon Antwine (shoulder) – With Marsh and Howard returning, Antwine will certainly be held out of action this week with a nagging injury that just will not go away.

CB Moses Jenkins (concussion) – OGGOA broke exclusive news on complications from Jenkins’ concussion HERE and HERE. Out.

CB Wondy Pierre-Louis (hamstring) – Injured Saturday at Mississippi State. Out.

Tags: Arkansas Razorbacks, Brandon Antwine, Brandon Spikes, Georgia Bulldogs, Jaye Howard, Jeff Demps, Justin Trattou, Lawrence Marsh, Mississippi State Bulldogs, Moses Jenkins, Wondy Pierre-Louis, World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party

1 » Updating a previous report on the injury sustained by defensive tackle Brandon Antwine (shoulder), it looks as if he could be sidelined for the season, according to Ben Volin of the Palm Beach Post. Antwine is deciding whether or not to undergo surgery on his shoulder, which would be the second time in his career an injury would sideline him for the season (torn ACL, 2008). The Florida Gators have struggled to keep the interior of their defensive line healthy this season, relying on back-ups and third-stringers to fill in for most of the games. However, starters Lawrence Marsh (ankle) and Jaye Howard (knee) are both expected to return Saturday against the Georgia Bulldogs.

2 » Fans and media have been frustrated with the production from wide receiver Deonte Thompson this season, but it is actually Thompson who is frustrated with the lack of opportunities he has had to produce for the Gators. Several times on Saturday, Thompson was wide open and visibly seen trying to get quarterback Tim Tebow’s attention. When Tebow did not look his way, Thompson “was seen making hand gestures […] as if to say, ‘forget it.’” Head coach Urban Meyer plans to speak with him about his frustrations. “I’ll have a little chat with Deonte about that,” Meyer said. “Because we don’t need that. We need to go as hard as we can, and that’s what we do right now. I don’t mind guys that play very hard, and I think they share their frustration that competitors have. He plays very hard, he blocks well, he runs good routes. That’s fine. But if you ask (about it) again next week, there’s a chance Deonte won’t be playing.”

Two more interesting BITS after the jump…
Continue Reading » FOUR BITS: Antwine done. Marsh, Howard back. Deonte frustrated. Three Hadens? UGA game.

Tags: Boston College Eagles, Brandon Antwine, Deonte Thompson, Georgia Bulldogs, Jaye Howard, Joe Haden, Jordan Haden, Josh Haden, Lawrence Marsh, Mark Richt, Tim Tebow, Urban Meyer

RB Jeff Demps (sprained neck) – Hurt himself Saturday against the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Expected to return to practice Tuesday or Wednesday and play vs. Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday.

MLB Brandon Spikes (groin) – Aggravated injury two weeks ago against the Arkansas Razorbacks. Dressed for Mississippi State but did not play. Will return against Georgia.

DT Lawrence Marsh (ankle) – Keeps re-injuring the same ankle but has been held out extensively in order to help it heal correctly. Questionable but hopeful to return this week.

DT Justin Trattou (bicep) – Injured his bicep last week against Arkansas and was ruled out for Mississippi State immediately following the game. I am calling him doubtful for Georgia right now and do not expect him to play.

DT Jaye Howard (knee) – Questionable along with Marsh. Urban Meyer is of the belief that both will be able to play on Saturday.

DT Brandon Antwine (shoulder) – His shoulder problems do not seem to want to go away, and they only got worse this week. If Marsh and Howard return, Antwine will be held out (at least) for precautionary reasons.

CB Moses Jenkins (concussion) – Concussed in the same game as senior quarterback Tim Tebow, Jenkins has yet to return to action since the Kentucky Wildcats game. This may be the week if he is able to pass all of his baseline tests. Hope he gets better soon!

Tags: Arkansas Razorbacks, Brandon Antwine, Brandon Spikes, Jaye Howard, Jeff Demps, Justin Trattou, Lawrence Marsh, Mississippi State Bulldogs, Moses Jenkins, Urban Meyer

Location: Davis Wade Stadium – Starkville, MS [Capacity: 55,082]
Time: 7:30 p.m. (EST)
Weather Forecast: 52°F – Clear skies

TV: ESPN
Online: Live for FREE at ESPN 360.
Sirius: 121; XM: 141

Odds: Florida -22.5, O/U 49.5
Head-to-Head Stats: Gainesville Sun

KEEP AN EYE ON…
- Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow…who is currently second all-time to former Georgia Bulldogs running back Herschel Walker in Southeastern Conference rushing touchdowns with 48. He needs one more to tie Walker’s record. Tebow has also thrown a touchdown pass in 32 of his 33 career starts.
- The UF secondary…which had its streak of grabbing an interception in 17 straight games snapped last week. It will be interesting to see if the unit, especially cornerback Janoris Jenkins, rebounds from last week.
- Florida’ Urban Meyer…who can become the first Gators head coach since Galen Hall in 1985 to win in Starkville.
- Mississippi State Bulldogs running back Anthony Dixon…who set a new school record in career rushing yardage last week when he eclipsed 3,299 yards.
- Head coach Dan Mullen, offensive line coach John Hevesy, strength and conditioning coach Matt Balis and graduate assistant Angelo Mirando…all of whom previously worked for the Gators but are now on the Mississippi State coaching staff.
- Gators tight end Aaron Hernandez…who had career highs in receptions (seven) and yards (92) last week vs. Arkansas Razorbacks. He has led Florida in receptions four times this season.
- Florida kicker Caleb Sturgis…who made three of four field goals last Saturday including a 51-yarder and game-winning 27-yard shot with nine seconds left.

STREAKS:
- The Gators are in the middle of the longest winning streak in school history with 16 consecutive victories. They also hold the longest active winning streak in the NCAA and the longest in the SEC since the Auburn Tigers won 20 straight from 1993-94 .
- With a win Saturday, Florida will go 3-0 in the SEC West for the first time since 1998.
- Florida is on an 8-0 road game winning streak, dating back to 2007. Their two best played games this season – against the Kentucky Wildcats and LSU Tigers – were both on the road.
- Florida leads the all-time series vs. Mississippi State 32-18-2, though the Bulldogs lead the series at their home 7-3.
- The Gators lead the SEC in total offense (470.5), rushing offense (259.8), scoring offense (36.3) and third-down efficiency (.514).
- Florida has converted 48.6% of its offensive drives into points in 2009, best in the SEC.

Read OGGOA’s complete Florida vs. Mississippi State preview after the jump…

Continue Reading » Week 8: No. 1 Florida Gators at Miss. St. Bulldogs

Tags: Aaron Hernandez, Angelo Mirando, Anthony Dixon, Arkansas Razorbacks, Auburn Tigers, Brandon Spikes, Brendan Beal, Caleb Sturgis, Carl Moore, Dan Mullen, Davis-Wade Stadium, Dorian Munroe, Galen Hall, Georgia Bulldogs, Herschel Walker, Janoris Jenkins, Jaye Howard, Jeremy Brown, Jermaine Cunningham, John Hevesy, Justin Trattou, Kentucky Wildcats, Lawrence Marsh, LSU Tigers, Matt Balis, Mississippi State Bulldogs, Moses Jenkins, Scott Field, SEC, Steve Addazio, T.J. Lawrence, Tim Tebow, Urban Meyer

Over the last two weeks, OGGOA has reported on the slow and steady depletion of starters on the Florida Gators defensive line. The unplanned lack of depth is getting increasingly worrisome with senior middle linebacker Brandon Spikes hampered by groin and Achilles tendonitis injures, further softening the middle of the defense.

Defensive tackles redshirt junior Lawrence Marsh (ankle), redshirt sophomore Jaye Howard (knee), junior Justin Trattou (biceps tendon) and redshirt junior Brandon Antwine (shoulder) lead the interior of the line – and all four are either questionable or doubtful for Saturday evening’s Mississippi State Bulldogs game. In their stead, redshirt freshman Omar Hunter and junior Terron Sanders filled in admirably against the Arkansas Razorbacks, both being named to head coach Urban Meyer’s Champions Club.

With four of six tackles potentially out for the game Saturday, Florida has scratched and clawed in order to find some depth in senior Troy Epps (who has played so rarely it took me five minutes to find a picture of him in action), redshirt defensive end Earl Okine and junior DE Duke Lemmens. Egads!

Defensive line coach Dan McCarney updated the status of his unit: “It’s day-to-day on Howard, don’t know on him. Marsh is day-to-day, I’d say he’s doubtful. I’m hoping he gets back next week. Earl Okine, we’re working in at tackle. Omar Hunter or Tank Epps can play in there at nose or tackle. Duke Lemmens can jump in there at tackle if we needed him to. I can only coach the guys who practice. We’ve got to get those guys ready. We’re thin right now, but we were still able to win an SEC game here (last Saturday) with four of my six guys that didn’t play.”

The best part of that quote, unfortunately, is that Epps’ nickname is “Tank.”

Tags: Arkansas Razorbacks, Brandon Antwine, Brandon Spikes, Champions Club, Dan McCarney, Duke Lemmens, Earl Okine, Jaye Howard, Justin Trattou, Lawrence Marsh, Mississippi State Bulldogs, Omar Hunter, Terron Sanders, Troy Epps, Urban Meyer

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

1 » There is plenty to look at following the No. 1 Florida Gators 23-20 victory over the Arkansas Razorbacks on Saturday afternoon. Perhaps most important are the injuries that occurred throughout the game and how they will impact the team in the future. Middle linebacker Brandon Spikes injured his groin and limped off the field in the first quarter. He would never return, coming out for the second half in street clothes and standing alongside defensive coordinator Charlie Strong for the remainder of the game. Cornerback Joe Haden left the game in the beginning of the third quarter after playing in coverage on special teams, but returned just a few plays later. There is no update on his specific injury. Wide receiver Riley Cooper suffered a hip pointer early in the game, came out late from the locker room and was able to contribute down the stretch with some clutch catches and first downs. Finally, defensive end Justin Trattou, who abused Razorbacks quarterback Ryan Mallett all day, injured his shoulder Saturday. No information was given on his status after the game, either. Starting defensive tackles Jaye Howard (knee) and Lawrence Marsh (ankle) never even dressed for the game as both are still recovering and hoping to return sooner than later.

2 » You will probably never see this one immortalized outside of the stadium, but senior quarterback Tim Tebow gave a rousing speech to his teammates at halftime of the game. You may call it “The Promise II,” but that would only be because he used the word. “It wasn’t like a fiery speech. His face wasn’t red,” wide receiver David Nelson said. “He was just like, ‘I promise you, we’re going to do our thing. I trust you, you’re my brothers.’ It was more like he was reiterating his confidence in us. Don’t get too nervous about the situation, don’t start thinking we’re going to lose. Just believe in yourself, believe in each other and we’ll come out victorious.”

Continue Reading » SIX BITS: Wrapping up Florida vs. Arkansas

Tags: Aaron Hernandez, Alabama Crimson Tide, Arkansas Razorbacks, Brandon Spikes, Charlie Strong, David Nelson, Frank Thomas, Janoris Jenkins, Jaye Howard, Jeff Demps, Jermaine Cunningham, Joe Haden, Justin Trattou, Lawrence Marsh, Riley Cooper, Ryan Mallett, Tim Tebow, Urban Meyer

Location: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium – Gainesville, FL [Capacity: 88,548]
Time: 3:30 p.m. (EST)
Weather Forecast: 68°F – Partly sunny

TV: CBS-HD
Online: Live for FREE at CBSSports.com.
Sirius: 217; XM: 201

Odds: Florida -24.5, O/U 58
Head-to-Head Stats: Gainesville Sun

KEEP AN EYE ON…
- Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow…who is currently second all-time to former Georgia Bulldogs running back Herschel Walker in Southeastern Conference rushing touchdowns with 48. He needs one more to tie Walker’s record.
- The UF secondary…which has an interception in 17 straight games back to 2008.
- Arkansas Razorbacks running back Michael Smith…who torched the Gators for 133 yards on 20 carries and 43 more on six receptions in 2008. Smith will be a game-time decision to play with a hamstring injury.
- Linebacker Brandon Hicks…who was shoved by Razorbacks quarterback Ryan Mallett after making a hard tackle along the Arkansas sideline in 2008. Revenge?

STREAKS:
- The Gators have won seven consecutive games against the Razorbacks, never scoring less than 33 points in each victory. Florida is 7-1 all-time against Arkansas.
- Saturday’s game pits the top rushing offense in the SEC, Florida at 284.6 yards per game, against the top passing offense in the conference, Arkansas with 318.2 yards per game. The Gators also lead the nation in total defense (202.6 yards per game) and scoring defense (6.4 yards per game).
- Last time the Razorbacks played a No. 1-ranked team, they defeated the LSU Tigers 50-48 in three overtimes in 2007. Arkansas is 4-11 all-time in games against the No. 1-ranked AP team.
- The Gators are in the middle of the longest winning streak in school history with 15 consecutive victories. They also hold the longest active winning streak in the NCAA and are tied with the Auburn Tigers for the longest winning streak in SEC history.
- Scoring at least 41 points in four of their first five games, Arkansas has already beaten a ranked team this season, the then-No. 17 Auburn Tigers 44-23 last week.
- On Saturday, Florida looks to win its 21st consecutive homecoming game.

Read OGGOA’s complete Florida vs. Arkansas preview after the jump…

Continue Reading » Week 7: No. 1 Florida Gators vs. Ark. Razorbacks

Tags: Arkansas Razorbacks, Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Bobby Petrino, Brandon Hicks, Brandon Spikes, Carl Moore, Georgia Bulldogs, Herschel Walker, Jarius Wright, Jaye Howard, Jelani Jenkins, Jeremy Brown, Joe Adams, Lawrence Marsh, LSU Tigers, Michael Smith, Moses Jenkins, Ryan Mallett, SEC, The Swamp, Tim Tebow, Urban Meyer