From time to time, OGGOA will come across too many news items we want to share with our readers. In those instances, we present a special post: Gator Bites. Enjoy.

- Aside from losing 18 seniors to graduation, the Florida Gators could have a bunch of junior declare for the 2010 NFL Draft. “It’s in the back of your mind,” junior guard Mike Pouncey said. “We haven’t made any kind of decision yet. I have a great deal of respect for coach [Steve] Addazio. I’ll sit down and talk to him and my family and try to make the best decision for my future.”

- Junior linebacker Brandon Hicks is expected to replace redshirt junior LB A.J. Jones, who injured his MCL on Saturday and will be out for at least a few weeks.

- “They forgot to account for me,” senior quarterback Tim Tebow said about his career-long 55-yard touchdown run early in the first quarter on Sunday. “It’s one of the risks of playing man coverage with an athletic quarterback,” Gators head coach Urban Meyer added. “He’s going to get mad at me, but he’s not exactly the fastest kid.”

- Gainesville Sun columnist Pat Dooley believes Saturday’s game against the Florida International Golden Panthers was one “these guys needed.” The starters had fun, got to somewhat relax a week before the senior end their careers in The Swamp and even saw some of the future starters play well in their stead. “There are going to be a lot of talented dudes on the field next year,” Tebow said.

- In seven games against common opponents, Tebow and Alabama Crimson Tide running back Mark Ingram are only one rushing touchdown apart. Considering Tebow is a quarterback who is also his team’s leader and recorded additional scores through the air in those games, a strong case can be made that he is having a better season than his greatest Heisman Trophy competition.

- There is no reason to overlook the spectacular play of redshirt sophomore QB John Brantley on Saturday. While he still has a few games to wait until he takes over the reins of the Orange and Blue, his time will come. And when it does, if he looks as good as he did Saturday, the Gators have plenty to be excited about. “I’ve been waiting for three years now, but I’ve learned so much,” Brantley said after the game. “I’ve just taken it in these past few years and try to learn as much as I can. To sit behind one of the greatest players in college football – I think is a blessing to me.”

- OGGOA has reported extensively on the new Nike Pro Combat uniforms that will be worn next week for the Florida State Seminoles game (most recently here). When asked about wearing a non-traditional uniform for his home finale, Tebow had mixed emotions. “You love the jersey that you played in your last four years,” he said. “But also, you’re going to have a new jersey, and it will be something that’s cool and special to this one game.” Good perspective.

Tags: A.J. Jones, Alabama Crimson Tide, Brandon Hicks, Florida State Seminoles, Heisman Trophy, John Brantley, Mark Ingram, Mike Pouncey, Nike Pro Combat, The Swamp, Tim Tebow, Urban Meyer

1 » Both the Florida Gators and Alabama Crimson Tide have two games to play before their inevitable showdown in the Southeastern Conference Championship game in December. While head coaches Urban Meyer and Nick Saban both emphatically claim that they are worried about their upcoming opponents (FIU and Chattanooga this week, respectively) and are not looking ahead, Chris Low of ESPN.com thinks otherwise. “Who genuinely believes that Alabama and Florida are doing any extensive planning for their opponents this week?” he ponders.

2 » Senior quarterback Tim Tebow continues to pile up the award nominations. On Wednesday, he was named one of five finalists for the 2009 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award. Given to the top senior college quarterback in the nation, the Golden Arm Award has never been able to be awarded to Tebow, who has won a Heisman Trophy and two Maxwell Awards while Sam Bradford (Oklahoma) took home the other Heisman in the same time span. Tebow also remains in contention as one of 15 finalists for the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award.

3 » OGGOA has been singing the praises of juniors defensive end Carlos Dunlap and cornerback Joe Haden as well as senior middle linebacker Brandon Spikes in regard to their 2010 NFL Draft status. Jeremy Fowler of the Orlando Sentinel points out that the Gators could lose a plethora juniors in addition to their senior class, should some of them choose to declare. Prominent names on that list (aside from Dunlap and Haden) are tight end Aaron Hernandez, offensive linemen Maurkice and Mike Pouncey, Marcus Gilbert and Carl Johnson, safety Major Wright, defensive lineman Justin Trattou and running backs Chris Rainey and Emmanuel Moody. The majority of the aforementioned players will most likely not declare, in our opinion.

4 » Florida basketball (1-0) returns to the court Wednesday night at 7 p.m. against the Georgia Southern Eagles (1-1) at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. The game will air live on FOX Sports Florida – check your local listings for availability. All game and broadcast information is always available on OGGOA‘s Basketball page.

Tags: Aaron Hernandez, Alabama Crimson Tide, Brandon Spikes, Carl Johnson, Carlos Dunlap, Chris Rainey, Draft, Emmanuel Moody, Golden Arm Award, Heisman Trophy, Joe Haden, Justin Trattou, Lawrence Marsh, Major Wright, Marcus Gilbert, Maurkice Pouncey, Maxwell Award, Mike Pouncey, NFL, Nick Saban, Sam Bradford, SEC Championship, Tim Tebow, Urban Meyer, Walter Camp Player of the Year Award

This week, OGGOA asked you to participate in three polls, the first two which determined who you believed were the most NFL-ready Florida Gators and the third to choose the Most Valuable Player in the Gators game last weekend against the South Carolina Gamecocks. A total of 464 combined votes were registered and the results are in:

DT Justin Trattou (51%, 82 votes)

CB Joe Haden (38%, 60 votes)

DE Jermaine Cunningham (6%, 10 votes)

WR Riley Cooper (5%, 8 votes)

This was Trattou’s first time nominated for an OGGOA MVP award, and he obviously came away with the title due to his 53-yard interception return on Saturday. For possibly the first time since OGGOA has started these MVP polls, I happen to disagree with your decision. Haden easily had the most impressive game coming away with an interception of his own, two forced fumbles, a sack, a pass deflection and 11 total tackles (10 solo). If that is not an MVP performance, I do not know what is.

Which Florida Gators offensive player has the greatest potential for NFL success?
TE Aaron Hernandez (58%, 87 votes)
OL Pouncey Bros. (20%, 30 votes)
QB Tim Tebow (14%, 22 votes)
RB Emmanuel Moody (8%, 12 votes)

Which Florida Gators defensive player has the greatest potential for NFL success?
LB Brandon Spikes (43%, 65 votes)
DE Carlos Dunlap (32%, 49 votes)
CB Joe Haden (22%, 34 votes)
DE Jermaine Cunningham (3%, 5 votes)

Reviewing your prior two polls, I was pleasantly surprised to see fair judgment of Tebow’s NFL prospects. As someone who, just last season, staunchly defended his ability to play quarterback on the next level, I am starting to come around to the more conventional wisdom of experts like ESPN’s Mel Kiper, Jr. who think Tebow will indeed play in the league, but not as a full-time signal caller. Looking at your choice on defense, the fact that Spikes, Dunlap and Haden are all within 10% of each other proves that this defensive unit really is stacked. All three will be first round picks in 2010 as long as Haden comes to the expected conclusion that declaring is the right thing to do for him. The only thing that may come into play would be a desire to play with his brother Jordan, a four-star 2010 cornerback commitment.

Tags: Aaron Hernandez, Brandon Spikes, Carlos Dunlap, Draft, Emmanuel Moody, Jermaine Cunningham, Joe Haden, Justin Trattou, Maurkice Pouncey, Mike Pouncey, MVP, NFL, poll, Riley Cooper, Tim Tebow

Each week following a Florida Gators game, ONLY GATORS Get Out Alive will grade the team position-by-position based on each unit’s performance. This week, we look at how the Gators fared against the South Carolina Gamecocks Saturday afternoon on the road in Columbia, SC.

QUARTERBACK: B
Grading Tim Tebow week-in and week-out has proven to be a difficult task. He was good for 199 yards passing and two touchdowns, including a deep bomb to wide receiver Riley Cooper and a record-breaking run. Tebow had Cooper open in the end zone on two other occasions; once he slightly overthrew the ball, but the second one have been caught by the receiver. On the ground, he averaged only 1.6 yards on 16 carries, the second consecutive game he has totaled less than two yards per carry on average. That is worrisome. I originally had Tebow graded a little lower but gave him a little boost for what could should have been. He still needs to get the ball out sooner, especially with the offensive line struggling in protection (two more sacks).

RUNNING BACKS: B-
Why does Emmanuel Moody continue to get single-digit carries each week? This game he received three which were turned into 35 yards and a touchdown on an 11.7 average. Jeff Demps and Chris Rainey were less impressive, averaging 3.6 and 4.6 yards respectively while gaining a combined 85 yards. Running backs need to get into a rhythm. Short dive plays (which are easily being schemed against) and limited attempts impede that from happening. Moody is adoubtful this week with an ankle injury.

Read the rest of Florida’s grades from the South Carolina game after the jump…
Continue Reading » Grading the Florida at South Carolina game

Tags: Aaron Hernandez, Brandon James, Brandon Spikes, Caleb Sturgis, Carl Johnson, Charlie Strong, Chas Henry, Chris Rainey, Deonte Thompson, Emmanuel Moody, Janoris Jenkins, Jaye Howard, Jeff Demps, Jermaine Cunningham, Joe Haden, Justin Trattou, Mike Pouncey, Omarius Hines, Riley Cooper, Ryan Stamper, Tim Tebow, Urban Meyer, Will Hill, Xavier Nixon

1 » In his weekly Monday afternoon press conference, Florida Gators head coach Urban Meyer named his Champions Club for the Arkansas Razorbacks game. On offense, linemen Mike and Maurkice Pouncey, Carl Johnson, Marcus Gilbert were honored, as was quarterback Tim Tebow, running back Jeff Demps and wide receiver Deonte Thompson. Defense received less accolades, with linemen Omar Hunter and Terron Sanders and safety Major Wright getting praise. WR Riley Cooper was named offensive player of the game while CB Joe Haden brought home the defensive player of the game honors.

Continue Reading » SIX BITS: Champions Club; Meyer & Mullen; Penalty mistake; SEC awards; Basketball news

Tags: Arkansas Razorbacks, Billy Donovan, Carl Johnson, Dan Mullen, Deonte Thompson, Erik Murphy, Jeff Demps, Joe Haden, Kelly Murphy, Kenny Boynton, Kentucky Wildcats, Major Wright, Malcom Sheppard, Marcus Gilbert, Maurkice Pouncey, Mike Pouncey, Mississippi State Bulldogs, Omar Hunter, Riley Cooper, SEC, soccer, Tahnai Annis, Terron Sanders, Tim Tebow, University of Florida, Urban Meyer, volleyball

Florida Gators head coach Urban Meyer and senior quarterback Tim Tebow (along with other players and coaches) speak with the media every Monday afternoon. Here are some notes from their press conferences. More information and quotes will come later.

Continue Reading » Monday press conference – Gators vs. Razorbacks

Tags: A.J. Jones, Arnaksas Razorbacks, Brandon Spikes, Carl Moore, David Nelson, Deonte Thompson, Frankie Hammond, Janoris Jenkins, Joe Haden, LSU Tigers, Major Wright, Maurkice Pouncey, Mike Pouncey, Ole Miss Rebels, Omarius Hines, Riley Cooper, Ryan Stamper, San Francisco 49ers, Steve Young, T.J. Lawrence, Tim Tebow, Urban Meyer

1 » Some former Florida Gators shined in the NFL today for their respective teams. Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Percy Harvin caught four passes for 66 yards and racked up 27 return yards against the St. Louis Rams. WR Andre “Bubba” Caldwell caught two passes for 33 yards and a game-winning 20-yard touchdown for the Cincinnati Bengals. News was not as good for San Francisco 49ers top reserve defensive end Ray McDonald, who left Sunday’s game against the Houston Texans with a sprained right ankle.

2 » A strong game featuring the No. 1 Gators and then-No. 4 LSU Tigers won the Saturday night ratings battle for CBS. The network averaged 10.1 million viewers in prime time according to preliminary numbers, also easily winning the all-important 18-49 age group. In contrast, ABC (which was airing the Michigan Wolverines vs. No. 12 Iowa Hawkeyes game) had 4.2 million viewers.

3 » Being twins, the Pouncey brothers have literally been inseparable since birth. Playing next to each other throughout their entire lives, they committed to Florida together and have been charged with one of the most important roles on the Gators team – protecting Tebow. With Maurkice most likely going to enter next year’s NFL Draft and Mike probably returning for his senior year, they have already begun to separate from each other. One thing that has not changed is their desire to see the Gators post an undefeated season in 2009.

4 » No. 14 Florida Gators soccer (now 10-4-1, 4-1-1 SEC) had a pair of wins over the weekend, defeating the Alabama Crimson Tide (5-5-1, 1-2-1 SEC) 2-0 Friday evening and beating the Auburn Tigers (5-6-3, 2-4 SEC) 4-0 Sunday afternoon. In Friday’s game, the Gators scored a goal in the opening 10 and final 10 minutes of the match, while it added four goals by four different players on Sunday. Sunday was also Senior Day for the soccer team, and two of the four goals came from UF’s senior class.

Tags: Andre Caldwell, Cincinnati Bengals, Iowa Hawkeyes, LSU Tigers, Maurkice Pouncey, Michigan Wolverines, Mike Pouncey, Minnesota Vikings, NFL, Percy Harvin, Ray McDonald, San Francisco 49ers, soccer, St. Louis Rams

Florida Gators left tackle Matt Patchan has been ruled out for the remainder of the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament, according to head coach Urban Meyer. He tore his ACL during non-contract drills on Tuesday.

Patchan, who played in 11 games as a true freshman filling in at defensive tackle for the eventual National Champions, was sidelined for the final three games of the 2008 season with a leg injury. While rehabbing in the spring, Patchan hurt his knee in an unfortunate scooter accident. He finally bounced back and earned a job backing up starting LT Carl Johnson.

Meyer said Patchan would apply for a medical redshirt, allowing him to maintain three years of eligibility should it be approved. “That’s a tough deal, especially for Matt,” Meyer said. “He’s been coming into his own a little bit — playing, starting, getting a lot of action.”

Offensive coordinator Steve Addazio mentioned that either Mike or Maurkice Pouncey could replace Patchan backing up Johnson if necessary.

Tags: Carl Johnson, Matt Patchan, Maurkice Pouncey, Mike Pouncey, Steve Addazio, Urban Meyer