Senior quarterback Tim Tebow on his final home game »

1 » While speaking with the media on Wednesday afternoon, Florida Gators head coach Urban Meyer updated the statuses of some of his injured players. Redshirt junior linebacker A.J. Jones, who sprained his MCL Saturday against the Florida International Golden Panthers, is officially out for the Florida State Seminoles game and will also miss the SEC Championship in two weeks. Junior Brandon Hicks will start in his place. Redshirt junior transfer running back Emmanuel Moody (ankle) is questionable while senior defensive end Jermaine Cunningham (shoulder) and redshirt junior defensive tackle Terron Sanders (rib) are probable.

2 » In order to get ready for the extreme volumes produced by the crowd in The Swamp, FSU coaches piped noise into Doak Campell Stadium during practice on Tuesday. Redshirt freshman quarterback E.J. Manuel, who is starting in place of the injured Christian Ponder, benefited from the move, which should allow him to feel slightly more comfortable on Saturday. “It’s something you have to learn,” head coach Bobby Bowden said. “He’s had experience playing away from home at Wake Forest with about 40,000 people, and he’s played here in front of our crowd. Now he’s going to play down there, where it’s probably as loud a noise as he’s ever heard.”

3 » Due to inclement weather in the Gainesville, FL, area, the football team has had its practice schedule shifted around. This should not be much of an issue overall, though anything that could possibly take a team out of rhythm should be noted. However, with this veteran group, an issue like this should be minor.

Three more BITS on David Nelson, the ‘Canes and Jason Watkins after the jump…
Continue Reading » SIX BITS: Injury update, crowd noise, practice, Nelson honored, no Miami, Watkins signed

Tags: A.J. Jones, Bobby Bowden, Brandon Hicks, Buffalo Bills, Christian Ponder, David Nelson, Doak Campbell Stadium, E.J. Manuel, Emmanuel Moody, Gator Charity Challenge, Houston Texans, Jason Watkins, Jeremy Foley, Jermaine Cunningham, Kirby Hocutt, Miami Hurricanes, New York Sentinels, NFL, SEC, Terron Sanders, The Swamp, UFL, Urban Meyer

1 » Florida Gators junior punter Chas Henry was named a candidate for the 2009 Ray Guy Award on Thursday. Given annually to the nation’s top collegiate punter, the award may very well end up on Henry’s mantle. He has yet to allow a single punt return yard in 2009, making the Gators one of only two teams in the country to accomplish that feat. Named the preseason All-SEC First-Team punter, Henry has punted the ball 18 times on the season with 16 not returned and seven downed inside the 20-yard line.

2 » SEC commissioner Mike Slive told The Associated Press on Friday that conference coaches who violate the ethics rules against criticizing officials in public will face a suspension or fine (even for the first offense) instead of public reprimands like in the past. The new rule, which is already in effect, was unanimously agreed upon by the conference’s athletic directors and university presidents, including Florida’s Jeremy Foley and Bernie Machen. The ruling comes on the heels of three SEC coaches being warned in the last two weeks including the Tennessee Volunteers’ Lane Kiffin, Arkansas Razorbacks’ Bobby Petrino and Mississippi Sate Bulldogs’ Dan Mullen. “I was no longer interested in reprimands” Slive told the AP.

3 » Former Florida quarterback Rex Grossman and defensive back Lawrence Wright have been inducted into the 14th Anniversary class of the Florida-Georgia Hall of Fame. They were honored along with Georgia Bulldogs inductees Garrison Hearst and David Pollack. Grossman was 3-0 against the Bulldogs including performances where he went 27-of-35 for 407 yards and two touchdowns (2001, 24-10 victory) and 36-of-41 setting a school record for completions (2002, 20-13 victory). Wright was a Thorpe Award winner who owned a perfect 4-0 record against Georgia and was part of a senior class that claimed four-straight SEC championships and won the 1996 National Championship. He forced two fumbles and recorded a sack against Georgia in 1995.

4 » REMINDER: No. 10 soccer (13-4-2, 7-1-2 SEC) will host SEC East rival No. 13 South Carolina Gamecocks (15-2-1, 7-2-1 SEC) TONIGHT at 6 p.m. at James G. Pressly Stadium. The Gators, with 23 points, currently lead the SEC and can take home the regular season title with a win Friday night. If you are in Gainesville, FL, be sure to go out and support them! Admission is FREE!

Tags: Arkansas Razorbacks, Bernie Machen, Bobby Petrino, Chas Henry, Dan Mullen, David Pollack, Garrison Hearst, Georgia Bulldogs, Hall of Fame, James G. Pressly Stadium, Jeremy Foley, Lane Kiffin, Lawrence Wright, Mike Slive, Mississippi State Bulldogs, Ray Guy Award, Rex Grossman, SEC, soccer, South Carolina Gamecocks, Tennessee Volunteers