The end of the NFL lockout sent the league into a frenzy Monday evening as teams were officially allowed to contact and agree to contracts with undrafted free agents who were not selected in the 2011 NFL Draft. With only four Florida Gators picked in the seven-round draft back in April, a number of well-known players remained available heading into one of the most questionable offseasons in pro football history.

With contracts now being signed as names continue to roll in, a number of former Gators have already been picked up to join NFL squads this year.

Everything started Monday evening as linebacker Duke Lemmens chose to stay out west and play for the Arizona Cardinals, defensive tackle Terron Sanders got a call from the Baltimore Ravens, and running back Emmanuel Moody decided to join 2010 undrafted free agent wide receiver David Nelson with the Buffalo Bills.

On Tuesday, punter Chas Henry chose to team up with wide receiver Riley Cooper and tight end Cornelius Ingram on the Philadelphia Eagles, defensive end Justin Trattou decided to play close to home with the New York Giants, and offensive lineman Carl Johnson joined up with DE Alex Brown on the New Orleans Saints.

Wednesday brought two more signings as LB A.J. Jones found a spot with the Denver Broncos and LB Brandon Hicks [unconfirmed] signed with the Bills. Jones joins quarterback Tim Tebow in Denver, while Hicks teams up with Moody and Nelson in Buffalo.

Safety Will Hill was originally reported to have agreed to a deal with the Washington Redskins; however, it surfaced Tuesday that those reports were premature and the two sides have not spoken about a contract.

OGGOA spoke with Sanders early Tuesday morning, and he related to us that former Florida defensive coordinator now Baltimore defensive backs coach Teryl Austin had a lot to do with him getting this opportunity with a top-tier franchise.

“Coach Austin, he’s up there now, and he put in a good word for me and told them that I can plug the hole and knock people back,” Sanders said. “He convinced them to take a shot at me. They called my agent, my agent called me and asked me if I’d be interested in going to Baltimore. I told them, ‘Yeah,’ and the deal is done.”

Though he has been hoping the lockout would end and has been keeping in shape, Sanders also kept himself busy with a regular job until his future was known.

“I haven’t put on a pair of shoulder pads in a while,” he said. “I’ve been working out, doing some running, and I started working at U-Haul about two weeks ago just to get some money in my pocket until this was decided.”

Other players who could be signed include WR Carl Moore and defensive lineman Brandon Antwine and Lawrence Marsh.

OGGOA will update this post as additional signings are announced.

Florida’s 2006 recruiting class, which featured five-stars quarterback Tim Tebow, wide receiver Percy Harvin and linebacker Brandon Spikes, came away as the clear leader even after being ranked as the second-best class that year.

“What makes this group stand out above the rest was the number of prospects who panned out: 16 members of the class were starters at one time,” writes Rivals. “Beyond Tebow and Harvin, there were guys such as LBs Brandon Spikes, Dustin Doe and A.J. Jones, DE Jermaine Cunningham, T/G Marcus Gilbert, DTs Lawrence Marsh and Terron Sanders and WR Riley Cooper. The group helped Florida win two national championships, and Tebow won the 2007 Heisman as a sophomore and was a finalist as a junior and senior.”

Two of those players (Tebow and Harvin) wound up being first-round picks in the NFL Draft; three more (Spikes, Cunningham and Gilbert) were selected in the second-round and one other (Cooper) was a fifth-round pick. Other prominent names in the 2006 class include kick returner Brandon James and offensive lineman Carl Johnson.

The Gators’ 2007 recruiting class, ranked No. 1 the year it was signed, closes out the list at No. 10. One of the reasons it is lower on the list is the fact that three of its most prominent members – five-stars quarterback Cameron Newton and defensive tackle Torrey Davis as well as four-star DT John Brown – had off-the-field issues that did not allow them to conclude their careers in Gainesville, FL.

However, Florida’s 2007 signings also included a trio of first-round picks (cornerback Joe Haden and centers Maurkice and Mike Pouncey), safeties Ahmad Black and Major Wright, DE Carlos Dunlap, tight end Aaron Hernandez and punter Chas Henry. Players remaining on the Gators include redshirt seniors QB John Brantley, DT Jaye Howard, running back Chris Rainey and WR Deonte Thompson.

Check out Rivals at 10: Ten best recruiting classes for the rest of the rankings.

As fans of the 32 NFL teams look on nationwide, those supporting Florida’s players may not be as excited about the event this time around considering there will be a significant drop-off from the nation-leading nine players that were selected in 2010 (including a school-record three in the first round and six in the first two rounds).

Few things are certain when it comes to the NFL Draft – trades can occur at any moment and each team views its most pressing needs and what each player brings to the table differently than analysts and commentators do. Rather than try to predict the unknown variables and tell you what could happen, we will stick with what likely will happen.

» Center/guard Mike Pouncey will be the only first-round pick, selected before his brother was and headed to one of five teams.

Unless a team decides that they desperately need a center and plans to trade into the top half of the first round in order to jump a handful of other teams, Pouncey will likely be headed to either the Miami Dolphins (15) or New York Giants (19) at their respective draft slots or to one of three teams that would have to trade down/up for him: Dallas Cowboys (9), Chicago Bears (29) or Pittsburgh Steelers (31). The top-rated interior lineman in the draft, Pouncey continues to garner high praise and has plenty of teams around the league looking in his direction.

» Florida will not have another player selected until at least the third round.

There was talk for a while that tackle Marcus Gilbert may be moving into the category of a late second-round selection but that has died down recently. However, he is the only player on the team who has actually climbed up draft boards since the season ended. His size is undeniable and scouts were impressed with his agility and strength. Gilbert projects as either a right tackle or guard in the NFL with many scouts believing he might perform better in the latter position. He will likely be selected sometime in the third round and may very well be one of only two Gators picked in the first two days of the draft.

Click to expand and read the remainder of this post.

STEPPING DOWN IS SACRIFICING FOR HIS FAMILY

Since announcing his decision to resign, Meyer has cited the primary reason as the ability to spend more quality time with his family. Tuesday he said that his family’s commitment to him over the past few years has allowed him the opportunity show dedication back to them.

“I have a great family, as close as you can imagine, and we asked them… at one point in a five-year period we lived in four different states bouncing kids in and out of school, not by choice but just with that in mind that we’re going to go as hard as we can and then at some point pull away,” he said. “They’ve sacrificed for us now we’re going to sacrifice for those kids. It’s kind of a humbling feeling to do that. Not many people have that opportunity to step away and give back to the people that have given so much to us. The people are those kids. They deserve to have their dad go watch the games and be around. I think last December was kind of a frontal blow and let’s evaluate this whole thing for a minute, and we did.”

STATE OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL COULD BE IMPROVED

Asked about the college football landscape, Meyer was quite critical about how things have changed since he first got into the profession decades ago.

“College football, I don’t know if this is the appropriate time, I’m very concerned about it,” he said. “I can’t speak for Coach Paterno. I got into coaching 25 years ago for guys like Joe Paterno, Bo Schembechler, the Earle Bruces of the world, the unselfishness, the teamwork, the struggle. […] I’m concerned, but I’m sure I’m not the only one, and it’s part of life right now. I hope to see it come back to the way it was, and that was a team sport that a bunch of good guys doing it the right way and guys getting education, graduating from college and looking at their college experience as the greatest experience they’ve ever had. That’s what I love college football for.”

Citing Paterno in particular, Meyer heaped praise on one of his idols in the profession. “I’ve known Coach Paterno longer than he’s known me. I was one of those guys that knew I wanted to be a football coach,” he said. “Obviously, whenever you know that, you pick your idols and pick the guys you want to pattern, you like to do it their way. Obviously Coach Paterno is at the top of the list.”

Paterno shared some warm thoughts about Meyer as well. “I have said this privately and publicly, and that’s why I hate to see him go, I think that Urban has been one of the innovators with some of the things they’ve done on the field,” he said. “I haven’t been to his practices, but some of my coaches have had some experience with him. My son, Jay, worships the guy. I keep telling him, ‘Your old man’s a head coach too you know.’”

JENKINS’s INJURY HAS BEEN SEASON-LONG

Junior cornerback Janoris Jenkins, arguably Florida’s most consistent and talented defender this season, played basically the entire year with a torn ligament in his right shoulder. Jenkins played quite well through the injury but will be missing the Outback Bowl after undergoing surgery to repair it after the Florida State game.

“He had a labrum tear in I want to say the second week or third week of the year,” Meyer said. “He was strapped down all year. He fought through it. He’s a competitor. He never missed practice, he never missed anything, and it got really bad near the end. He’s doing great and he’s a great competitor. Obviously you saw the way he played. He played like an all-conference player.”

Meyer admitted that he had not yet spoken to Jenkins about playing professionally and does not know if he plans to declare for the 2011 NFL Draft.

DEFENSIVE REPLACEMENTS

With Jenkins and and redshirt senior defensive tackles Lawrence Marsh and Terron Sanders all out for the game, Meyer went over who would replace each player on defense. Redshirt sophomore CB Jeremy Brown will start in place of Jenkins with redshirt junior CB Moses Jenkins and freshman CB Cody Riggs splitting time on the other side. Redshirt sophomore Omar Hunter will play on the punt team and is slated to start inside along with redshirt junior Jaye Howard for Marsh and Sanders. Also getting playing time will be freshmen DTs Sharrif Floyd and Dominique Easley as well as redshirt senior DT Brandon Antwine.

ESPN CERTAINLY AN OPTION FOR MEYER

Meyer has worked as a college football analyst on two occasions: in 2007 during FOX’s broadcast of the BCS Championship game and last week during ESPN’s broadcast of the Las Vegas Bowl. Though some have criticized him as being a bit dry and fidgety during his appearances, Meyer looks relatively comfortable as a commentator and would likely fill such a role nicely. He admitted Tuesday that he may actually have a future with ESPN.

“They called and said, ‘Why don’t you drive up for the day?’” Meyer said of contact he had from the network while he was on vacation in New York. “So I brought my son and he loved it. What I found out is… What a place. Great people.”

Meyer said he will not think about working in television until after the bowl game on Saturday but that it is certainly an option. “Some guys are really good at that,” Paterno said of doing TV work. “Urban’s going to be great at it. […] I hope he never becomes ‘Dr. Urban.’ We can only have one doctor at a time.”

QUOTES (After the break…)

Meyer’s opening statement: “We’ve had excellent practices and today will be our hardest in full pads. Obviously it’s Tuesday of a game week. We’ve got a plus one so they had a good day yesterday. We gave them five or six days off for Christmas, which we like to do. But they’ve come back and they’re going real hard. We’ve had some injuries and we’re going to be down four starters. But we have some guys behind them that are pretty good players. It’s been good and we look forward to a great challenge.”
Meyer on his next job: “I’ve put in my application as graduate assistant at Penn State. I can set up the cones really well and make a good pot of coffee.”

Meyer on redshirt senior linebacker A.J. Jones: “That’s one of my favorite guys. He’s a person that’s come a long way on the field and off the field. He’s a graduate of Florida. He’s one of the guys coach and I were talking about, that the best four years, five years of his life have been at Florida. He knows that and he respects it. He’ll probably have a chance to play for a little bit maybe, maybe not. But he understands the value of what just happened in his life and he’s very respectful of that. You just like being around guys like that. He’s one of my all-time favorites.”

Meyer on coaching changes and players being uncomfortable: “The guy we hired is fantastic, so I think that eased a lot of the burden because the first priority is the players and our coaches. Steve Addazio getting the Temple job; I think he’s one of the finest coaches in America. It’s just great to see there is going to be some stability in some of our coaches’ lives. Our players are fine now. When something happens everybody starts this nonsense about I’m going to do this, do this. You’re not doing anything; you’re at Florida. Then you hire a coach with the intensity and energy that we’ve hired, I think it’s been fantastic. I’ve really enjoyed these last two weeks. I enjoyed practice yesterday, enjoyed being around the players. If there’s ever a good time, obviously I don’t know that there ever is, but this kind of worked out very well.”

Paterno on when he will retire: “I don’t know Urban’s situation, but he’s got a lovely family, no question. I certainly have some empathy towards the way he wants to go. I’m being selfish when I say I hate to see guys like that leave the game. I’m different than Urban. I’ve got people calling up saying, ‘When the hell are you getting out?’ I’ve got a whole different slant on it. People think I’m going to quit this year or next year; I haven’t even thought of it. I, honest to goodness, have not thought of it. The situation around me is very stable. The athletic director is a kid I recruited as a walk-on. The coaches have been with me, I haven’t had a lot of guys leave. Our president has been with us now for 14 or 15 years. We have a lot of fun together. I don’t see any reason for getting out of it yet. We had a big problem in State College last week. Somebody said that I was down at Hershey Hospital. I was chewing out somebody for being late for a meeting. It’s ridiculous. I don’t know when I’ll get out, I honestly don’t know. I haven’t even thought about it yet.”

In addition to Jenkins (right shoulder), redshirt senior offensive lineman Maurice Hurt (right knee) and redshirt senior defensive tackles Lawrence Marsh (right hip) and Terron Sanders (right shoulder) will not play for the Gators in Tampa, FL on Jan. 1. All had surgeries to correct their injuries after the season and are still in recovery.

For Hurt, Marsh and Sanders, the trio of veterans have played their last game in the orange and blue. Jenkins’ situation is not as settled. He is expected to declare for the 2011 NFL Draft but could very well return to Florida next season if he so chooses.

Jenkins may or may not be healthy enough to participate in the NFL Combine. If he is not of complete health, he could still attend for interviews and general evaluations with workouts delayed for Florida’s Pro Day.

The University of Florida confirmed the players would miss the game on Monday.

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MUTUAL RESPECT RUNS DEEP

Meyer has always expressed his respect for those in his profession – like Paterno – who have paved the way for his success as a head football coach. Mentioning before the season that he and his wife Shelley have spent some personal time with the Paternos recently, Meyer again stated his admiration for the man on Monday. “Coach Paterno is college football,” he said. “It’s an honor to coach against him. He does it the right way.”

Paterno shared a similar sentiment. “Urban is one of my favorite people in coaching,” he said. “It’s going to be exciting to play against him. He has been very innovative and ahead of things. He’s not one of those showoffs or anything like that. He is very honest. He seems to always be one step ahead of the people he is playing against.”

ADDAZIO STILL THE OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR – FOR NOW

Asked if Steve Addazio would retain his offensive coordinator role next season, Meyer was quick to answer. “I’m expecting that to happen. I’ll keep you updated,” he said. Though he did leave some wiggle room in his reply, Meyer has maintained that he has appreciation for Addazio and has not given any indication that he would be leaving the staff. That being said, Addazio could retain the offensive coordinator title while giving up the playcalling duties to a co-offensive coordinator – in theory.

A rumor began over the weekend that Meyer had contacted and was in the process of trying to convince Oklahoma State offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Dana Holgorsen to leave Stillwater, OK, for the same position and responsibilities in Gainesville, FL. Whether or not that rumors holds water remains to be seen.

He also had this to say about coaching staff changes in general. “So much happens,” Meyer said. “At this time, I can’t make any statements. There is so much going on with the profession right now.”

MCCARNEY TEMPORARILLY REPLACED

With assistant head coach defense/defensive line coach Dan McCarney leaving the team after the regular season to take the top job with North Texas, Meyer was forced to find a suitable replacement for his team’s bowl game. He has temporarily promoted graduate assistant Tony Weaver to coach the defensive line for the Outback Bowl and will reevaluate the position after the season officially concludes.

INJURY UPDATES

Meyer updated the injury status for a number of players on Monday. He said redshirt freshman QB/tight end Jordan Reed has yet to practice since suffering a concussion against Florida State, junior running back Jeff Demps (foot) is wearing a protective boot and hopes to be able to play on Jan. 1, and both redshirt senior defensive tackles Terron Sanders (shoulder) and Lawrence Marsh (hip) will likely miss the game after having surgery on their injuries last week.

QUOTES (After the break…)

Meyer on the Outback Bowl: “I think it’s a great bowl. I’d say [I’m] a little surprised; appreciative, and a little surprised.”

Meyer on Florida’s offense: “You’ll certainly see some changes.”

Paterno on Florida’s advantage: “I don’t think we can match their speed. We are obviously going to have to be in good position.”

Paterno on his memories of the state of Florida: “When I was single, I used to chase the girls.”

Location: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium – Gainesville, FL [Capacity: 88,548]
Weather Forecast: 76°F, clear skies
Time: 12:30 p.m. (EST)

TV: PPV [Information]
TV Replays: Sun Sports – Sun., Nov. 21 at 8:30 a.m.; Tues., Nov. 23 at 11:00 p.m.
Online Video: ESPN3.com (Outside of Florida only.)
Sirius/XM: 215/200
Online Audio: Yahoo!
Live Updates: @OnlyGators

Odds: Florida -23.5

HISTORY and STREAKS

» Florida and Appalachian State have never squared off before, but the Gators are 24-2 all-time against Southern Conference opponents.
» Since 2005, UF and ASU have combined for five national championships. The Gators have won two FBS titles (2006, 2008), while the Mountaineers have captured three-straight FCS championships (2005-07).
» Florida has faced three FCS schools since 2006, beating them a combined 194-22. However Appalachian State is easily the best of the bunch, having won six-straight conference titles (2005-10) under Moore’s leadership.
» UF is tied for the national lead with 17 interceptions on the season. Seven have been returned for more than 30 yards – three for touchdowns.
» Florida is back out of the BCS, Associated Press and USA Today top 25 after returning to the rankings two weeks ago. This season is the first time the Gators have been unranked in all three under Meyer. Florida had been listed in every poll since he took over in 2005 until they lost to Mississippi State three weeks ago.
» The Gators’ offense has seen 15 different players overall score a touchdown this year – including defense and special teams.
» Florida is the only school in the nation that has four players with at least three interceptions. Overall, eight Gators have at least one interception.
» UF under Meyer is 41-1 when holding an opponent under 16 points, 29-3 when shutting an opponent out in the fourth quarter, 38-3 when holding an opponent to 35 percent or less on third down, 38-2 when giving up two or less big plays (15-yard run/25-yard pass) and 33-3 when the Gators defense scores or creates three turnovers.
» Florida redshirt senior guard Carl Johnson and sophomore right tackle Xavier Nixon are both from North Carolina, while Appalachian State boasts five players from the state of Florida. ASU defensive coordinator Dale Jones was a former UF assistant (1991).

SENIOR DAY

The Gators’ 2010 senior class is one of the winningest classes in SEC history with a 41-10 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 also has:

Two National Championships – Three BCS bowl game wins (2010 Sugar Bowl) – Two SEC Championships (three appearances) – Three SEC Eastern Division titles – 29-5 record at The Swamp – 15-1 record vs. rivals (Tennessee, Georgia, FSU and Miami)

* Brandon Antwine – #47 – DT – Garland, Tex.
* Ahmad Black – #35 – SS – Lakeland, Fla.
* Lorenzo Edwards – #26 – LB – Orlando, Fla.
* John Fairbanks – #59 – LS – Celebration, Fla.
* Marcus Gilbert – #76 – LT – Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
* Chas Henry – #17 – P/K – Dallas, Ga.
* Brandon Hicks – #40 – LB – Jacksonville, Fla.
* Maurice Hurt – #74 – T/G – Milledgeville, Ga.
* Carl Johnson – #57 – G – Durham, N.C.
* A.J. Jones – #16 – LB – Tampa, Fla.
* Duke Lemmens – #44 – DE/LB – Westlake Village, Calif.
* Lawrence Marsh – #90 – DT – Augusta, Ga.
* Emmanuel Moody – #21 – RB – Coppell, Tex.
* Carl Moore – #9 – WR – Rancho Cordova, Calif.
* Mike Pouncey – #55 – C – Lakeland, Fla.
* Terron Sanders – #92 – DT – Bradenton, Fla.
* Justin Trattou – #94 – DE – Ramsey, N.J.
* Justin Williams – #7 – WR – Folkston, Ga.
————————————————————————
* Gary Beemer – #61 – DT – Valrico, Fla.
* Miguel Carodine – #41 – S – Gainesville, Fla.
* Eugene Minchin – #33 – LB – Gainesville, Fla.
* Shawn Schmieder – #70 – DT – Jacksonville, Fla.
* Solomon Schoonover – #29 – WR – Aventura, Fla.

KEEP AN EYE ON…

FLORIDA
» Redshirt junior quarterback John Brantley…who had thrown 156 consecutive passes without an interception dating back to 2009, now has a 8-7 TD/INT ratio this season after throwing an interception last week. He has completed 172-of-282 passes (61.0 percent) for 1,746 yards and has a passer rating of 117.4.
» Freshman QB Trey Burton and redshirt freshman tight end Jordan Reed…both of whom will spell Brantley at quarterback in Florida’s new three-QB system. Burton set a school record and SEC freshman record by scoring six touchdowns in a single game against Kentucky. He has 10 scores on the season, has played five positions and is second on the team in rushing (56 carries for 279 yards). Reed got his first meaningful snaps behind center two weeks, going 11-of-19 for 120 yards with a touchdown and a pick. He also ran 16 times for 84 yards with another score.
» Junior running back Jeff Demps…who is averaging 6.3 yards per carry and still leads the Gators in rushing (488 yards) after missing two full games and being limited in five others. He was Florida’s leading rusher in its first five games of the season.
» Redshirt junior wide receiver Chris Rainey..who returned to action for the first time in over a month against Georgia and has 28 carries for 140 yards (along with 16 receptions for 150 yards) and three touchdowns this year.
» Redshirt freshman WR/kick returner Andre Debose…who set a school single-season record with his second kickoff return touchdown last week. With an 88-yard return against LSU and a 99-yard return against South Carolina, he is the only freshman nationally with two in 2010 and one of only two players nationally with two in 2010. He is one of the reasons why the Gators rank No. 5 nationally and No. 1 in the SEC in kickoff returns with a 26.1 average.
» Sophomore WR Frankie Hammond, Jr.…who is quickly becoming one of Florida’s most important pass catchers. He was the team’s leading receiver against Mississippi State and caught three passes for 46 yards against Georgia and another three passes for 49 yards and a touchdown against Vanderbilt the following week.
» Senior punter Chas Henry…who is the end-all be-all of Florida’s kicking game now that he has taken over for junior Caleb Sturgis (back) as the team’s field goal kicker. Henry had missed five-straight field goal attempts (one negated by penalty) before nailing back-to-back kicks in the fourth quarter and overtime three weeks ago.
» Florida’s secondary…which has intercepted 13 balls this season. Starters senior safety Ahmad Black (three), junior CB Janrois Jenkins (three), redshirt sophomore CB Jeremy Brown (three), and junior S Will Hill (three) have accounted for all but one of the unit’s picks.
» Black…who has led Florida in tackles seven times this season: vs. South Carolina (career-high 16), LSU (13), Georgia (12), Miami (10), Mississippi State (10), USF (8) and Vanderbilt (4). He is tops on the team overall with 93 tackles, including nine for loss.

APPALACHIAN STATE
» QB DeAndre Presley…who has passed for 2,066 yards and 17 touchdowns with only four interceptions this season while simultaneously leading his team on the ground with 727 rushing yards.
» WR Brian Quick…who has a team-high 36 catches for 685 yards and seven TDs.
» Linebacker D.J. Smith, defensive tackle Jabari Fletcher and CB Mark LeGree…who lead the team with 108 tackles, seven sacks and five interceptions, respectively.

INJURIES

Active/Probable: Junior RB Jeff Demps (foot), sophomore RB Mike Gillislee (hamstring), redshirt sophomore DT Jaye Howard (ankle), sophomore LB Jon Bostic (bruised sternum)
Inactives: Redshirt senior LB A.J. Jones, redshirt sophomore LT Matt Patchan (broken wrist), junior K Caleb Sturgis (back), sophomore LB Dee Finley (fractured collarbone), freshmen RB Mack Brown, WRs Quinton Dunbar and Chris Dunkley (hamstrings)

Catch the Gators’ 11th game of the season live on television on pay-per-view, via the radio or through OGGOA‘s live updates on Twitter.
 

DEBOSE CONTINUES TO GROW

As Meyer alluded to last week at this time, redshirt freshman WR Andre Debose saw his first legitimate action last Saturday against Kentucky, catching four passes in the first quarter for 36 yards. Azzanni explained on Wednesday that Debose’s limited time on the field was by design based on the number of plays to which he had been assigned.

“[We] just had a small package for him. He practiced really hard last week. When you’re a young guy, the way you practice dictates how much you play here. That’s how it is,” Azzanni said. “He practiced great last week. So what did I do? I put together a little package for him and said, ‘This is your package. Go get it.’ […] He had a good game. […] He’s a young guy. I want him to go play really hard, really fast, and I don’t want him thinking a bunch. […] I thought he executed his package well. The way he practices this week, the package will grow.”

Meyer had similar things to say Thursday about Debose’s improvement.

“[He's] getting close. He had a good week. He’s still very much involved,” he said. “I made the comment last week and it’s going to [stay true] for the next week: If he doesn’t practice very well [he won't see the field]. He’s really coming on. Good to see that, too.” Part of what Meyer is looking for is how Debose understands and executes the playbook. “He just can’t handle it [all] right now,” Meyer continued. “That’s where a guy like [freshman quarterback] Trey [Burton] does. It’s amazing. Trey – boom – got it and go. But that’s not uncommon. It took [redshirt junior WR] Deonte [Thompson] a while. [Debose]’s doing a good job. Really good week of practice.”

DEMPS REMAINS PROBABLE

Even though he was limited in practice on Thursday, junior running back Jeff Demps continues to be listed as Probable on the Gators’ unofficial injury report. Demps had been wearing a protective boot for the last few days, which is now off according to Meyer. “[He was] limited today still. We’re going to try to practice him [Friday] more. But he’s still limited. He’s probably for the game Saturday. He wasn’t full speed moving around.”

Should Demps have difficulty playing, it was made clear that redshirt senior Emmanuel Moody and sophomore Mike Gillislee will have increased roles. Meyer also mentioned that freshman Mack Brown could see additional time. “[Brown’s] a freshman with really big wide eyes. A nice guy that has a lot of talent and he’s getting a lot better,” he said.

OTHER INJURY UPDATES

Redshirt senior defensive tackles Lawrence Marsh (hamstring, stitches) and Brandon Antwine (shoulder) are both “ready to go,” according to Meyer, who also said junior kicker Caleb Sturgis is slowly recovering from a nagging back injury. “He’s got that back issue. He fought through it [during] last week’s game,” he said. “It’s going to be something he’s going to have to deal with and work through and he has been. He’s done a nice job with it.”

QUOTES (After the break…)

Meyer on the importance of special teams to both Florida and Alabama: “You can always tell a team that puts a premium [emphasis] on special teams. And obviously we do, and the team we’re playing does. So that’s going to be a big part of this game.”

Meyer on how practice went Thursday: “Good, great practice. This Wednesday was up-and-down because the crowd noise always throws a monkey wrench in the whole thing. Defense I thought was very good, offense just wanted to turn around and knock those speakers out. But it was a really good week of practice. I think we’re over the hump of teaching guys how to practice now. Thank God. That was a learning curve for a while.”

Meyer on how to offenses can attack Florida’s heavy package: “I’ve heard a lot of people ask about that. You’re taking [senior defensive end] Duke Lemmens and putting him at outside linebacker. And really that’s kind of the body type he is. He’s a little heavier than [redshirt senior linebacker] A.J. Jones, so it’s not that big of a difference. What I like about it is you’re getting a 300 lbs. guy at a five-technique, which plays over the tight end and tackle. […] It’s the same defense we run, just bigger people in there.”

Meyer on his veterans and leaders: “They’re mature people. I see them trying to make sure that the young guys really appreciate what’s going on. You get caught up in who we’re playing and forget: Hey, it’s a great day here in Gainesville, Florida, and we’re getting ready to go play on national TV in prime time.”

Meyer on his penchant for doing unusual things in big games: “I don’t follow you, like a fake punt or something? I think our players expect us to do everything possible to win the game. There’s no intent to try to, ‘Hey, let’s keep this thing close.’ If we’re down and we have to do something to try to flip the switch, we’re going to do it. They would expect nothing less and I’d expect the same out of our staff. I don’t know if it’s just big games. Those things are always available to us. Maybe it just shows up in big games. When momentum shifts is … those are the times. When does that happen? I don’t know. You have to be on the sidelines looking at your players’ eyes to figure that out.”

Austin on slowing down Alabama’s RBs: “Probably have to stop the bus from getting to the stadium. That’s probably the only way, but we’re going to do our best. […] I think the biggest thing is these guys make people miss. And not just miss, but they can make you miss and run over you. They run with speed, elusiveness and power. They’re a tough combination and really the best backs that we’ll face. I thought the kid we played last week was good, but these guys are in a different category.”

Austin on their next-level prospects: “Oh yeah, they’re NFL guys. I’ll keep that short and sweet. They’re NFL guys. They are.”

Austin on how RBs Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson differ: “When you look at Ingram, really a powerful runner. Really keeps great pad level for a runner. Hits the whole one step – boom – can get downhill and get to full speed, acceleration really fast. Same thing with Richardson except bigger thing I think he’s a probably little quicker, maybe a little more elusive than Ingram. They’re really complete backs.”

Austin on containing Alabama QB Greg McElroy: The key to stopping him is he keeps some plays alive with his feet. He doesn’t panic once the play may break down and then he finds an open receiver. The big thing is, if we can get him in those situations and the play does break down, we stay disciplined in our coverage on the back end with all seven guys making sure you keep an eye on the guy not looking at him and then letting our pass rush do the work from there.”

Austin on Florida’s “heavy package”: “What heavy package? [Laughing] Hypothetically that probably could make a difference. We’re not going anywhere with this [topic], so we’ll go on to the next one.”

Austin on game planning for Alabama: “When you watch Alabama, they game plan like an NFL team because they’ll attack weaknesses – perceived weaknesses – of your team. Maybe a player they think they can take advantage of. […] They do what they do well, but they may attack a certain scheme, a certain player, and that’s what you see from these guys. As a coaching staff, what we made sure we did was say, ‘OK, where are we struggling? Where are we doing maybe not as well?’ And make sure we shore that up.”

Azzanni on how redshirt senior WR Carl Moore can continue to improve: “Practice really hard.”

Azzanni on Moore’s level of improvement already: “He has a good focus this year. He’s kind of got has blinders on, knows what he wants to do, wants to help this team win a championship. He doesn’t want any drop off from Riley Cooper and Louis Murphy to him. He wants to uphold the tradition at that spot.”

Azzanni on his unit’s effort against Kentucky: “We did some things really good and we did some things really bad. There was no in between. I was proud the way they came out. They went fast and they played really hard, and when they made mistakes they did it as hard as they could make it. That’s why some of those plays work, guys make a mistake but they do it full speed with great effort and things end up working out and the ball bounces your way some times when you play that way.”

Azzanni on if senior center Mike Pouncey called out the WRs: “I’m on them every day. There wasn’t anything specific. We want to keep that hard edge to us. We feel like no one knows who we are. We’re maybe the weak link of the team, and we kind of like that. We like being the misfits. We use that to our advantage.”

Azzanni on redshirt sophomore Frankie Hammond, Jr.: “Frankie’s just a great football player. He does everything the way you want it done out there. He plays like 900 different positions. He plays on every special team. I can put him in at any spot on the offense as far as receiver is concerned and he can go get it done for me. He plays really hard, that’s another thing. Guys who play really hard seem to get on the field.”

TREY-MENDOUS PERFORMANCE

Freshman quarterback Trey Burton was obviously the man of the match for the Gators on Saturday, setting a Florida record for most touchdowns in the game with six. He surpassed Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow’s five touchdown performance against South Carolina in 2007 (Tebow also had two passing scores), and also set a school record for total points by a non-kicker (36). Above all else, Burton proved that the Gators have other weapons besides junior running back Jeff Demps, and his versatility was an important factor in the team’s dominating performance Saturday evening.

“Trey Burton was fantastic. Someone told me he had six touchdowns. Six touchdowns. There’s a lot of great players who have played in this stadium, and I think he broke some record. That’s tremendous,” head coach Urban Meyer said. “I thought he was a good player when we recruited him, a really good player. We had no idea what we had until we figured it out during training camp. Versatility, the intelligence, the competitiveness, those are things you just don’t know until you get your hands on a player.”

DEBOSE GETS SOME THROWS

After barely seeing the field during the first three weeks of the season, redshirt freshman wide receiver Andre Debose made his true debut in impressive fashion during the first quarter on Saturday. On Florida’s first series, he caught a 14-yard pass and a seven-yard pass to help the Gators score their first points in the first quarter all season. He also had catches of seven and eight yards to finish the first quarter with a team-high 36 yards. “It feels really good,” Debose said after the game. “I’ve been practicing really hard this week. That made feel really ready for tonight.”

Meyer noted that Debose’s plays in the first quarter were scripted, which is part of the reason he did not see much action the rest of the game. “That was on purpose. He earned that,” Meyer said of Debose’s touches. “All you gotta do is practice well, and Debose will be nonexistent next week if he doesn’t practice well. Florida may be a little different. You earn your right to get on that field, and he actually earned that right this week during practice. He did a great job. […] No, he wasn’t [practicing well in previous weeks]. It was not because he wasn’t trying; it was just because the multitude – it’s that deer in the headlights look. He really locked in this week, and we simplified some things.”

ENTIRE OFFENSIVE LINE BANGED UP

Anyone who watched the game noticed that, at one time or another, seemingly every starting offensive lineman was down with a lower leg injury. Turns out, every starting offensive lineman did suffer a lower leg injury. “At one point, every one of our linemen either had a sprained ankle or swollen knee, and they battled through it,” Meyer said. “We were close to TKO there, and they fought through it.” None are expected to be limited going into next week’s game at Alabama.

Also of note is the fact that redshirt senior Marcus Gilbert, the team’s right tackle who had been starting at left tackle with sophomore Xavier Nixon out of commission, was moved back to left tackle against Kentucky. Offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Steve Addazio made the move to make the line more stable, placing the younger Nixon at right tackle. Chances are, based on the performance of the unit Saturday, this is a permanent decision.

FIRST QUARTER FIRSTS

Coming into Saturday’s game, Florida had not scored a single point in the first quarter in any of its first three contests. As Meyer preached to the media and players during the week, the Gators made it a point to start strong against the Wildcats, putting up a pair of touchdowns in the opening period. Brantley came out throwing, and Debose’s presence provided UF with that extra bit of explosiveness the team has apparently needed.

THREE IS A CHARM FOR THREE FLORIDA DEFENDERS

Senior safety Ahmad Black came into the Kentucky game with three interceptions on the season. It was probably a bit of a surprise for many to see redshirt sophomore cornerback Jeremy Brown and sophomore linebacker Jon Bostic join him in that club after each picked off Kentucky QB Mike Hartline. Brown returned his for a touchdown, high-stepping into the end zone; though his other two interceptions were also impressive, this one could very well be the most memorable for a player who struggled through back injuries for two years. The Gators lead the nation with 12 interceptions as a team.

INJURIES AND ABSENCES

Demps, after running the ball eight times for 57 yards, left the game at the beginning of the second half with what Meyer believes his a sprained foot. Apparently Demps hurt the same foot last week and aggravated the injury during the game. “Dempsy has a foot that they’re taking a look at. He hurt it last week, we’re hoping it’s just a sprained foot,” Meyer said. The Miami Herald reports that Demps had an X-ray on his foot last night, most likely to make sure it was not broken or fractured.

Redshirt senior defensive tackles Lawrence Marsh (stitches, hamstring) and Brandon Antwine (shoulder) also missed the Kentucky game, but Meyer was confident that both would be back in action at Alabama next Saturday. Freshman defensive lineman Dominique Easley (foot, funeral) missed a bunch of practice this week; whether or not he will be ready for the following game is up in the air.

QUOTES (After the break…)

Meyer’s opening statement: “Our offense made a huge emphasis about coming out of the gate fast. They responded. I thought Steve Addazio really did a heck of job, mix of run-pass. Johnny obviously, we had a bunch of guys play their best game as Gators, and Johnny first and foremost played really well. We got a little bit of a lull in the second quarter, but then to see the guy come out in the second half and lead the team up-and-down the field, [he] really did a good job.”

Meyer on the wide receivers: “I thought [redshirt senior] Carl Moore was fantastic today, we were running some option routes with him. Big third-down catches. [Redshirt junior] Deonte [Thompson] played well. Andre Debose got his hands on a few balls finally, and [sophomore] Omarius Hines played well.”

Meyer on the defense: “Coach [Teryl] Austin just went through some names in [the locker room] of guys that played well, but [senior defensive ends Justin] Trattou and Duke [Lemmens] were two names who stood out. And then obviously Jeremy Brown. That kid’s been through a lot to see him step in front of a ball and take it the other way was really a good deal for him.”

Meyer on getting Florida got the ball to Burton by design and his number change: “Because he was 13, and him and Dee Finley were both on kickoff together. That was the reason, there was no magical story behind No. 8. […] We’re not trying to get him the ball [in particular], it’s just he’s kind of taken that position. […] We do what we do, and that’s get the ball in the hands of fast players.”

Meyer on Burton’s effort: “My biggest concern is we have him doing too much. We’re going to fix that tomorrow when we come in as coaches. There are certain things he has to do, and other things there’s other people that can do that stuff.”

Meyer on Moore’s improvement: “He’s practicing that way and he’s playing that way. He’s not the same player. It’s not just what you see out there, it’s more importantly what you see Tuesday and Wednesday during practice.”

Meyer on reaching 100 wins: “I feel very blessed when you think about some of these coaches who I’ve known for a long time don’t get to coach players like I get to coach and don’t get to coach at places like I get to coach. So I’m very humbled and appreciative, and I told our players that.”

Meyer on Debose playing early: “That was on purpose. He earned that. All you gotta do is practice well, and Debose will be nonexistent next week if he doesn’t practice well. Florida may be a little different. You earn your right to get on that field, and he actually earned that right this week during practice. He did a great job. […] No, he wasn’t [practicing well in previous weeks]. It was not because he wasn’t trying, it was just because the multitude – it’s that deer in the headlights look. He really locked in this week, and we simplified some things.”

Meyer on Alabama: “I’ve not watched them on tape. We all know. I think they won today at Arkansas, and Arkansas’ a heck of a team. Our guys will practice really hard. There’s one way to try to compete up at a road stadium, and that’s to go as hard as you can on Tuesday and Wednesday. That’s what we do around here. I think our guys will be anxious. We’ll make sure we get healthy. That’s going to be a real physical game up there.”

Meyer on everything coming together this week: “Our preparation was really good. The growth of young players… It’s game four. If you flip on the film game one to game four, all our staff asks is for them to get a little better each week and they’ve done that. We looked like Bozo the Clown in the first game against Miami, come back in the second game beat a pretty good team, third game go on the road get a little bit better, fourth game all three phases kind of click. You see what’s coming down the road here, better click.”

Meyer on if players have been thinking about Alabama: “I think some of the older players have. I think younger players are just trying to figure out when the formation tells you to line up on the right, you line up on the right. Debose is lining up on the right now. That’s a good thing. I heard of some discussion in there. They’re the No. 1 team in America, we’re getting ready to go play them and we’re going to do the best we can.”

Meyer on his feelings about the offense: “I thought our quarterback played really well, and our receivers. [In previous games] I didn’t have that confidence because I didn’t see it in practice. I’m starting to see it in practice. I’m hoping to say that again this Wednesday. If we do, we have a shot.”

Meyer on Kentucky’s fake field goal: “I told the guys upstairs, there’s no way to see that on the side[lines]. That’s a good little play. That’s the responsibility of the guys upstairs – they have to watch. What they do is act confused, the guy runs off the field and he stands right there. I’ve seen it, never had it happened to us. We gotta burn a timeout if we see something like that.”

Redshirt junior quarterback John Brantley on Moore: “Carl Moore did a great job. He’s really came on well this season. I’m happy to see he’s been doing such a great job. It’s easy to put the ball in a receiver’s hands when the line is blocking so well.”

Brantley on Burton’s performance: “It was awesome. He deserves it. He works so hard, and he does anything for this team. He came in as a quarterback, and we tell him to do a lot of things… He was open arms with it, he was open-minded. He just wants to make this team better, and he’s doing that. He deserves what he did tonight, that’s for sure.

Burton on his performance: “It felt like a dream the whole night. I’ve always wanted to come here and play every since I was a little kid. To get this opportunity, I’m so thankful for the ability to play this game.”

Senior center Mike Pouncey on Burton: “Like I been saying the whole time, Trey’s one of those guys that doesn’t say nothing. He just plays as hard as he can and he does everything the right way and it’s paying off for him. He had a heck of a game. He doesn’t say anything. When the coaches yell at him, ‘It’s yes, sir.’ He just does everything the right way.”

Pouncey on the offense starting strong: “We got tired of hearing all the junk, man. We just wanted to come out and prove everybody wrong, they had us on upset alert. We wanted to just keep everybody from all the negative stuff, talk about all the positives we got in our program.”

Debose on his playbook knowledge: “I’ve learned the playbook pretty well now that I’ve played the outside and inside,” Debose said. “I’d say I have a pretty good understanding of the playbook.”

Bostic on his interception: “I didn’t really think the quarterback was going to throw that right there. I kind of stepped in the window. I don’t even really know what I was doing [after catching it], I couldn’t figure out whether blocks were setting up, I was kind of just running around so they could set up the blocks.”

Brown on his interception: “I just read the receiver, read a three-step drop from the quarterback. He lifted his shoulders, so I knew he was breaking down. Just read it perfect, took it to the crib.”

Redshirt junior defensive tackle Jaye Howard on Alabama RB Mark Ingram: “He is no different from any other running back,” Howard said after Saturday’s win over Kentucky. “We have [Jeff] Demps on our team, Mike Gillislee, so we go against good backs in practice. We are just going to try to bring it to them.”

Howard on the importance of next week’s game: “It was a nasty taste last year with the loss and this offseason was dedicated to beating Alabama. We’re just going to go out there and let it all hang out. To me it’s like the biggest game of the year. Whoever wins out of this game is set on a smooth sailing path.”