2 » While many sports writers have spent the last week criticizing Tebow, Sports Illustrated’s Stewart Mandel took a look at the situation from another angle. Former Purdue Boilermakers head coach Joe Tiller, who coached Drew Brees, Curtis Painter and Kyle Orton (among others), laughed at all of Tebow’s doubters. “I can remember NFL critics saying the same thing when Drew was a senior,” Tiller told Mandel. “‘He’s in that Purdue offense all the time. He lines up in the shotgun all the time, and our guys line up under center. It’s not like college football has a monopoly on the shotgun formation. Now that I’m out of coaching, I’ve watched more NFL football this year than I have the last 10 years combined. There’s hardly any team in the league that doesn’t have their quarterback in the shotgun anymore. [...] The entire league is doing what Drew Brees was criticized for coming out of college. [...] Actually, I think a guy coming out in the shotgun is better equipped than a guy coming out of center.”

3 » Fifty-one University of Florida student athletes were named to the 2009-10 Southeastern Conference Academic Honor Roll for the fall semester. Football led the way with 23 honorees, followed by soccer (18) and volleyball (10). Prominent names on the list include Tebow, sophomore RB Jeff Demps, junior punter Chas Henry, senior kicker Jonathan Phillips and junior kicker Caleb Sturgis.

4 » Florida track and field was responsible eight provisional-qualifying marks/times, three event wins and two NCAA automatic-qualifying marks/times during the Texas A&M Challenge in College Station, TX, on Saturday. The second half of the event was highlighted by thrower Mariam Kevkhishvili and jumper Shara Proctor, who earned the NCAA automatic-qualifying bids. For more information on the Gators’ performances over the weekend, click here (day one) or here (day two).

Location: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium – Gainesville, FL [Capacity: 88,548]
Time: 3:30 p.m. (EST)
Weather Forecast: 60°F – Partly Sunny

TV: CBS / CBSHD
Online: CBSSports.com.
Sirius: 218; XM: 201

Odds: Florida -24.5, O/U 56
Head-to-Head Stats: Gainesville Sun

KEEP AN EYE ON…
- Florida’s 2009 senior class…who set the Southeastern Conference record for winningest class with their 46th win last Saturday and will be honored on Senior Day. 25 seniors will be playing their last game in The Swamp, and the University of Florida has set aside 10 minutes prior to the game to recognize each player.
- Senior quarterback Tim Tebow…who has already broken the SEC rushing touchdown record (Herschel Walker, Georgia) and touchdowns-scored record (Kevin Faulk, LSU) with 54, set the SEC career record for rushing yards by a QB with 2,743 and has a 169.3 career rating good for No. 1 in conference history.
- Senior defensive end Jermaine Cunningham…who leads the team with seven sacks.
- Senior linebacker Ryan Stamper…who is tops on the Gators with 64 tackles.
- Senior kick returner Brandon James…who set the SEC record for kickoff return yards last week with 2,538 yards on 105 returns. He has also set the SEC all-time kick return mark (combined) with 3,930 yards and all-time punt return mark with 1,339 yards.

STREAKS:
- The Gators are in the middle of the longest winning streak in school history with 21 consecutive victories. They also hold the longest active winning streak in the NCAA and the best in the nation in the last 15 years. 20 of Florida’s 21 wins have been by a double digit margin. The team is also 11-0 for the second time in school history.
- The Gators lead the SEC in rushing offense (229.9) and third-down efficiency (.475). They also come in No. 2 in total offense (442.8) and scoring offense (36.5). Florida’s offense is one of two teams nationally that has posted at least 2,500 rushing yards and 2,300 passing yards (TCU).
- On defense, the Gators have only surrendered ten touchdowns all season (fewest of any team in the nation). The unit has also only allowed 13 field goals for a total of 108 points (9.8 points per game) – this also leads the nation.
- Florida has held three straight opponents and seven this season under 100 yards rushing.
- The Gators lead the all-time series against the Seminoles 32-19-2 with a 19-8-1 record in Gainesville, FL. UF has also won the last five consecutive meetings between the schools with a 90-27 combined margin of victory over that time span.

SENIORS:
The Gators 2009 senior class is the winningest class in SEC history with a 46-6 record in their time in the Orange and Blue. However, that is not the only accomplishment the class has made in the last four years. The senior class has:

Three All-Americans – Five All-SEC Members – 12 SEC Academic Honor Roll Members – Two SEC Championships – Three SEC Eastern Division titles – Two National Championships – 27-5 SEC record – 25-2 record at The Swamp – 14-3 (.823) vs. ranked teams, the top winning pct. for a UF senior class – 11-1 vs. rivals (Tennessee, Georgia, Florida State and Miami) – National Defensive POY – Heisman Trophy Winner

* Markihe Anderson – #14 – CB – Fort Myers, Fla.
* Jim Barrie – #68 – OL – Tampa, Fla.
* Andrew Blaylock – #14 – QB – Durham, N.C.
* Rick Burgess – #48 – FB – Jupiter, Fla.
* Christopher Coleman – #84 – TE – Lake City, Fla.
* Riley Cooper – #11 – WR – Clearwater, Fla.
* Dustin Doe – #32 – LB – Jasper, Fla.
* Jermaine Cunningham – #49 – DE – Stone Mountain, Ga.
* Troy Epps – #98 – DT – Union, S.C.
* John Fairbanks – #59 – LS – Celebration, Fla.
* Michael Guilford – #46 – QB – Quincy, Fla.
* Corey Hobbs – #79 – OL – Oviedo, Fla.
* Cade Holliday – #22 – WR – Gainesville, Fla.
* Brandon James – #25 – ATH – St. Augustine, Fla.
* Dorian Munroe – #20 – S – Miami, Fla.
* David Nelson – #83 – WR – Wichita Falls, Texas
* Jonathan Phillips – #38 – K – Wellington, Fla.
* Wondy Pierre-Louis – #4 – CB – Naples, Fla.
* Chris Pintado – #30 – LB – Miami, Fla.
* Christopher Scott – #29 – RB – Englewood, Fla.
* Joey Sorrentino – #39 – WR – Ocala, Fla.
* Brandon Spikes – #51 – LB – Shelby, N.C.
* Ryan Stamper – #41 – LB – Jacksonville, Fla.
* Tim Tebow – #15 – QB – Jacksonville, Fla.
* Mike Williamson – #53 – LS – Winter Park, Fla.

Read OGGOA’s Florida Gators vs. FSU Seminoles preview after the jump…

QUARTERBACKS: A+
While his 17-of-25 completion numbers do leave something to be desired, it is tough to dock any points from senior Tim Tebow for his performance on Saturday. Piling up 102 yards on the ground including a career-long 55-yard touchdown run as well as 215 yards and two more touchdowns through the air, Tebow was his old self. Then again, he was playing against FIU. More impressive on Saturday was redshirt sophomore back-up John Brantley, who went 9-for-13 for 146 yards and three touchdowns. Tebow and Brantley combined to spread the ball around to nine receivers, seven of whom had more than one catch on the day.

RUNNING BACKS: B
Redshirt junior transfer Emmanuel Moody sat out the game, though his classmate Christopher Scott got to see action late in the game. Sophomore Jeff Demps and redshirt sophmore Chris Rainey started. Even so, there were only 22 carries dished out between the three, with Demps getting nine for 46 yards (5.1 average), Rainey taking four for 30 yards and a touchdown (7.5 average) and Scott running nine for 26 yards (2.9 average). Rainey, however, added 61 yards and a touchdown in the receiving game. Nothing too impressive or surprising overall against a porous FIU defense.

Read the rest of Florida’s grades from the FIU game after the jump…

WIDE RECEIVERS: A-
Probably the best day for the Florida pass catchers this season, nine Gators caught balls from Tebow and Brantley, eight of whom are listed as receivers. Redshirt sophomore Deonte Thompson led the way with both five receptions and 66 yards, while redshirt freshman Omarius Hines proved he can hold his own with four catches for 50 yards and a touchdown. Others contributors included seniors Riley Cooper (48 yards, TD) and David Nelson (45 yards), redshirt freshman Frankie Hammond, Jr. (38 yards, TD) and redshirt junior Justin Williams (16 yards, TD).

TIGHT ENDS: F
“F” is for failure, and junior tight end Aaron Hernandez failed in head coach Urban Meyer‘s eyes. Hernandez did something get a cage in Meyer’s doghouse, and I believe he did not even step foot on the field until the second quarter. There is no other grade to give someone who barely played and had no impact on the game whatsoever.

OFFENSIVE LINE: A-
Neither Tebow nor Brantley was a victim of a sack, freshman left tackle Xavier Nixon looked solid and the line as a whole played quite well. Redshirt junior left guard Carl Johnson (ankle) and junior center Maurkice Pouncey (leg) were both dinged up in the game but are expected to be ready for the Florida State Seminoles.

DEFENSIVE LINE: A-
Redshirt sophomore defensive tackle Jaye Howard led the way for the Florida defense with seven tackles while the entire line held FIU’s rushing game to 53 total yards on 30 attempts. Howard shared a sack with redshirt junior DT Lawrence Marsh as the line paved the way for three total sacks on Golden Panthers’ QB Paul McCall who finished 9-of-21 on the day.

LINEBACKERS: A
Another dominating performance for the linebackers began with a 41-yard interception return for a touchdown by senior Brandon Spikes on the first series of the game. Spikes added five tackles, while fellow seniors Dustin Doe (five tackles, sack) and Ryan Stamper (three tackles, sack) both had good games as well. Redshirt junior A.J. Jones went down with an MCL injury, but junior Brandon Hicks filled in admirably and will for the foreseeable future.

SECONDARY: A-
You may not have seen the secondary much on Saturday, but they were there doing their job by limiting McCall to an under-50 percent completion percentage. To be fair and balanced, though, FIU receivers did beat coverage a few times. On these instances, McCall was either pressured to throw the ball away or simply overthrew the route. Good performance by this unit, but nothing too spectacular one way or another.

SPECIAL TEAMS: D
Junior punter Chas Henry did not step on the field Saturday. Normally, his presence alone would have been enough to save this unit from OGGOA grading hell – not this time. Sophomore kicker Caleb Sturgis missed a 53-yard field goal (his only attempt) and redshirt senior Jonathan Phillips had an extra point blocked (also his only attempt). That marks four consecutive missed field goals for Sturgis, three of which were from beyond 50 yards. While you cannot expect a kicker to nail every 50+ yarder, Sturgis had Gators fans expecting as much from his prior performances. He now has fans expecting the worst and must have a Chris Hetland-like renewal to get back in Meyer’s good graces. Senior kick returner Brandon James continued to be lackluster in his duties, earning a total of 25 yards on four punts and 53 yards on two kickoffs… vs. FIU.

COACHING: A
The team was prepared, the ball was spread around, the reserves got plenty of time on the field and injured players were rested. There is not much more you can ask for from the coaches. One has to assume plenty of time was spent game planning for FSU this week, meaning the staff used their time wisely.

OVERALL: B+
The Gators won the game, covered the spread and scored 62 points while only allowing three. Nevertheless, the performance was not perfect and left much to be desired on a few fronts. When evaluating a team of Florida’s caliber against a lesser opponent, you have to grade on a scale. The Gators did exactly what they needed to do – win and move on to the Seminoles.

Running onto Florida Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium for the second-to-last time in their Florida careers, the group ended the game as the winningest all-time Southeastern Conference senior class with a record of 46-5. Tebow would take seven caries for 102 total yards on the ground while accounting for 215 more with two touchdowns through the air on 17-for-25 passing. It was the fifth time in his career that Tebow rushed for more than 100 yards. Redshirt sophomore QB John Brantley took over for Tebow early in the third quarter, compiling 146 yards passing and three touchdowns as well as 23 yards on three carries.

Redshirt sophomore running back Chris Rainey had a monster game of his own, carrying four times for 30 yards and a touchdown while also reeling in three receptions for 61 yards and a score. Both of Rainey’s touchdowns came in the second quarter, putting the Gators up 28-0 with 9:41 left in the first half. Fellow redshirt sophomore wide receiver Deonte Thompson led the Gators in both receptions (5 – career high) and receiving yards (66). Nine Florida players had receptions on Saturday, seven with more than one including seniors Riley Cooper (48 yards, touchdown), redshirt David Nelson (45 yards) and Brandon James (15 yards) as well as redshirt freshmen Omarius Hines (50 yards, touchdown) and Frankie Hammond, Jr. (38 yards, touchdown).

Defensively for the Gators, redshirt sophomore Jaye Howard recorded a team-high seven tackles, senior linebackers Ryan Stamper and Dustin Doe each recorded a sack and redshirt junior defensive tackle Lawrence Marsh split another with Howard. Spikes’ interception at 13:10 in the first quarter was the sole turnover of the game for either team. Florida’s defense held FIU to only 189 total offensive yards (most of which came against the second and third units), while only allowing the Golden Panthers to convert 4-of-15 third-down attempts.

Sophomore kicker Caleb Sturgis continued to struggle, missing his fourth consecutive field goal attempt – this time a 53-yarder. Sturgis, however, made all eight of his extra points while redshirt senior Jonathan Phillips had his sole attempt blocked in the fourth quarter. James was silent in the return game, bringing back two kickoffs for 53 yards and four punts for 25 yards. Coverage teams allowed FIU an average of 24.9 yards per return on seven chances.

Florida finishes its 2009 regular season against the in-state rival Florida State Seminoles on Nov. 28 at 3:30 p.m. The Gators will wear special Nike Pro Combat jerseys for the game, which will feature an appearance from ESPN College GameDay and is also the last in The Swamp for the 2009 senior class.

Game Notes:
- Junior tight end Aaron Hernandez missed the first quarter on a coach’s decision. Head coach Urban Meyer would not elaborate.
- Redshirt junior linebacker A.J. Jones injured his MCL during the game. He is out for FSU, after that to be determined.
- Redshirt junior left guard Carl Johnson (ankle) and junior center Maurkice Pouncey (bone bruise) were both injured in the game but will most likely be able to play next week.

- Redshirt juniors transfer running back Emmanuel Moody and defensive tackle Terron Sanders are doubtful for this Saturday’s game against the Florida International Golden Panthers. Moody has suffered from chronic ankle problems throughout his career and injured it again on Saturday. Sanders’ rib injury is less worrisome, and while he will sit out the game, it could be a precaution.

- There has yet to be any additional news on senior cornerback Moses Jenkins, who suffered a serious concussion back on Sept. 26 against the Kentucky Wildcats. The University of Florida seemingly refuses to release more information on Jenkins’ injury, though OGGOA has covered it extensively over the last two months, most recently with this story. As far as we know, he is still waiting for the ruling on his medical redshirt.

- One would expect many of Florida’s back-ups, including quarterback John Brantley, to earn some playing time on Saturday. OGGOA is purely speculating here, but there is also a chance head coach Urban Meyer benches sophomore kicker Caleb Sturgis for redshirt senior Jonathan Phillips, even if it is only a one-week thing to give Sturgis something to think about.

There are more news and notes waiting for you…after the jump…

- In his Monday press conference, senior QB Tim Tebow was eager to divulge that winning a second Heisman Trophy would pale in comparison to the chance for his team to earn another National Championship trophy.

- Florida and Florida International will be teaming up before Saturday’s game to fight breast cancer. UF’s press release has much more information on the events offered for this collaboration to raise money and awareness for a great cause.

- Speaking of FIU, Meyer praised them in his press conference. “There is no question FIU will be a bowl team sooner than you think,” he said. “There are quality athletes; they are very well coached. I just got done watching last night and today both sides of the ball and we’re going to attack this thing to go 11-0.”

- Meyer’s relationship with New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick makes me sick is an interesting one. Both have visited each other’s teams and their families appear to be friends. So much so, in fact, that Meyer defended Belichick’s questionable call against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday Night Football. “There’s no one more qualified in the world to make that decision than Bill Belichick, certainly not this guy sitting up front,” he said. “He made a call to go win the game. He’s done that many times in his career. He’ll do it again probably next week if he had to.”

Location: Jacksonville Municipal Stadium – Jacksonville, FL [Capacity: 84,000]
Time: 3:30 p.m. (EST)
Weather Forecast: 83°F – Partly Sunny

TV: CBS
Online: Live for FREE at CBS Sports.
Sirius: 217; XM: 200

Odds: Florida -14.5, O/U 48
Head-to-Head Stats: Gainesville Sun

KEEP AN EYE ON…
- Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow…who is currently tied with former Georgia Bulldogs running back Herschel Walker in all-time Southeastern Conference rushing touchdowns with 49. He needs one more to break Walker’s record.
- Georgia wide receiver A.J. Green vs. Florida cornerback Joe Haden…whose battle could be the highlight of the game. Haden will try his best to match-up with the Bulldogs’ greatest weapon who has already caught 41 balls for 682 yards and six touchdowns on the season including individual performances of 137 and 152 yards. Green has scored touchdowns in five of Georgia’s seven games.
- Florida’s kicker…as Caleb Sturgis has missed two 37-yard field goals and an extra point combined over the last two weeks. Jonathan Phillips could step in for Sturgis and take his job back.
- The I-formation…which the Gators worked on all summer and found success with last week against the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Florida may use it more extensively this week, especially in the red zone where the team needs to be more efficient.

STREAKS:
- The Gators are in the middle of the longest winning streak in school history with 17 consecutive victories. They also hold the longest active winning streak in the NCAA and the longest of any SEC team since the Auburn Tigers won 20 straight from 1993-94.
- The Bulldogs are 6-1 when playing the defending national champion, including victories over Florida in 1997 and 2007.
- Meyer is 13-1 in rivalry games against Georgia, Tennessee Volunteers, Florida State Seminoles and Miami Hurricanes. His sole loss came against Georgia in 2007.
- Georgia leads both the all-time series against Florida (46-38-2) and all games played in Jacksonville (40-35-1).
- Florida leads the SEC in total offense (457), rushing offense (258.3), scoring offense (36.3) and third-down efficiency (.460). The Gators have converted 48.6% of their offensive drives into points including 34.7% into touchdowns and have 33 runs of 10-plus yards on first down, including 13 for 20 yards or more – all tops in the SEC.
- On defense, the Gators have only surrendered six touchdowns all season (fewest of any team in the nation) and average 10.1 points per game (No. 2 in the nation). Florida has held its past three opponents to a combined 16% on third down conversions and have forced opponents into a three-and-out on 57.3% of their drives – best in the SEC.

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

No. 1 Florida Gators vs. Georgia Bulldogs Preview

Experiencing a rough go of things in recent weeks, the No. 1 Florida Gators (7-0, 5-0) take a trip down I-10 to square off against the Georgia Bulldogs (4-3, 3-2) on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. in the latest installment of the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium. 2009’s contest marks the first game in the series where the newly minted Okefenokee Oar trophy will be awarded to the winner.

Florida senior quarterback Tim Tebow threw two interceptions that were returned for touchdowns but still led the Gators in a 29-19 victory over the Mississippi State Bulldogs last week on the road. In the game, Tebow ran for a 26-yard score which put him tied with Georgia running back Herschel Walker for the 49th of his career – an all-time SEC rushing touchdown record. Tebow looks to break Walker’s mark Saturday against his very own team.

This week, the Gators go into their contest against the Bulldogs still seething over the disrespect they were shown two years ago when Georgia danced on the field following the opening touchdown of what would be a 42-30 UGA victory. Florida got some revenge in 2008, defeating Georgia 49-10 with head coach Urban Meyer calling two timeouts at the end of the fourth quarter to let the dominating performance sink in. The Bulldogs claim this display from Meyer is equally fueling them for Saturday’s game.

Down four defensive starters due to injury last week, the Gators will return all of them to action including senior middle linebacker Brandon Spikes (groin), junior defensive end Justin Trattou (bicep) and defensive tackles redshirt junior Lawrence Marsh (ankle) and redshirt sophomore Jaye Howard (knee). Sophomore running back Jeff Demps sprained his neck last week but has already been cleared to play. Still out for Florida are redshirt junior DT Brandon Antwine (shoulder) and cornerbacks junior Moses Jenkins (concussion) and senior Wondy Pierre-Louis (hamstring).

Bulldogs head coach Mark Richt faces a formidable opponent in the Gators’ defense and must rely on his star playmaker, wide receiver A.J. Green, to spread the field and keep Florida’s unit honest. The Gators believe they can stop the Bulldogs’ rushing attack with seven in the box, so proving they can run the ball against the best rushing defense in the nation will be important for Georgia. Florida will attempt to get its passing game going for the first time in weeks by taking advantage of Georgia’s weak secondary. How the Gators have game planned on offense will be paramount to their success this week.

Sturgis missed his first field goal of the evening (he did two weeks ago vs. Arkansas Razorbacks, too) as well as an extra point, while Doe prematurely showboated on his way into the end zone after grabbing an interception. Had instant replay worked correctly, Doe would have been called for a fumble, and the Gators would have lost a touchdown.

How did head coach Urban Meyer respond? Sturgis is back in a battle with redshirt senior Jonathan Phillips. Meyer contends the two compete every week, but after booming a 51-yarder and game-winner two weeks ago, Sturgis had won the job outright. “We got two guys that I have confidence in,” Meyer said. “[They] just have to make [field goals].” As for Doe? Meyer had a “heart to heart with him” but “didn’t run him.”