1 » In 2008, the Florida Gators defeated the South Carolina Gamecocks 56-6 in The Swamp, handing head coach Steve Spurrier the worst loss of his career. A year later, Gamecocks players are inspired and more confident in their ability to compete and potentially defeat the Gators. “They haven’t done as much as they’ve done last year,” defensive tackle Nathan Pepper said. “But they’ve definitely done a lot this season.”

2 » Speaking of South Carolina, Spurrier said Tuesday that he will be taking over his team’s play calling beginning this week against Florida. Spurrier’s decision came based on the fact that the Gamecocks are struggling to score points and have not scored more than 16 in any of their last four Southeastern Conference games.

3 » Gators offensive coordinator Steve Addazio had an interesting day in front of the media on Tuesday. According to transcripts, Addazio went on…and on…and on…for eight minutes about his offense, game planning and the team being undefeated. You can read the “short” form here, listen to the audio here or read the entire transcript here.

More on Harvin and Murphy, SEC coaching salaries and Walker after the jump…
Continue Reading » SIX BITS: SC confident; Spurrier; Addazio speaks; Harvin/Murphy; coaching salaries; Walker Q&A

Tags: Ed Orgeron, Erving Walker, Louis Murphy, Monte Kiffin, Nathan Pepper, NFL, Percy Harvin, SEC, South Carolina Gamecocks, Steve Addazio, Steve Spurrier, Tennessee Volunteers, The Swamp, Urban Meyer

Looking to rebound from a week full of criticism and questions, the No. 1 Florida Gators (9-0, 6-0 SEC) did little to quiet their critics even though they rolled to a 27-3 victory over the Vanderbilt Commodores (2-8, 0-6 SEC) Saturday night at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Florida extended its winning streak to a nation-high 19 games but continued to struggle on offense even through all of their personnel were healthy and active.

Senior quarterback Tim Tebow scored the 52nd rushing touchdown of his career in the third quarter and threw one that was tipped by senior wide receiver Riley Cooper to redshirt senior David Nelson with 9:22 remaining in the fourth quarter. Tebow ran 16 times for only 27 yards and went 15-for-20 for 208 yards through the air, including a 64-yard catch-and-run by sophomore tight end Aaron Hernandez in the fourth quarter. The Gators also scored on a 25-yard run by sophomore Jeff Demps in the first quarter and two field goals by sophomore kicker Caleb Sturgis of 27 and 45 yards in the first half.

Florida’s defense did not lose a step without senior middle linebacker Brandon Spikes, giving up only 199 yards of total offense to the Commodores. Redshirt senior linebacker Ryan Stamper grabbed an interception in Spikes’ stead. The special teams, however, did allow Vanderbilt’s senior punt returner Alex Washington to gain the first return yards on junior punter Chas Henry all season.

One week after finally showing signs of life by putting up 41 points on the Georgia Bulldogs, the Gators offense once again looked anemic, just as it did four of the five weeks prior. Along with Spikes, Minnesota Vikings WR Percy Harvin and Oakland Raiders WR Louis Murphy watched from the sideline as both are on their team’s respective bye weeks.

Florida goes on the road to Columbia, SC, next week for its final Southeastern Conference regular season game this year against the South Carolina Gamecocks (6-4, 3-4 SEC) at 3:30 p.m. on Nov. 14. Full coverage will be available throughout the week here on OGGOA.

Tags: Aaron Hernandez, Alex Washington, Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Brandon Spikes, Caleb Sturgis, Chas Henry, David Nelson, Georgia Bulldogs, Jeff Demps, Louis Murphy, Minnesota Vikings, Oakland Raiders, Percy Harvin, Riley Cooper, Ryan Stamper, Tim Tebow, Vanderbilt Commodores

1 » Battling back from what was a potential career-ending back injury in 2007 and a torn knee ligament in 2008, Florida Gators redshirt junior defensive tackle Brandon Antwine is facing a long recovery once again. Antwine re-injured his shoulder against the Mississippi State Bulldogs two weeks ago and is considering season-ending surgery. “Your heart bleeds for him because he’s all Gator, he’s 100 percent in and he’s a really good player,” coach Urban Meyer said. “He’s fighting like a maniac.”

2 » Drawing the attention of Meyer this week is Vanderbilt Commodores kick returner Warren Norman. Norman, who as a freshman became only the second player in Southeastern Conference history to record three touchdowns on kickoffs in a season, can break the SEC all-time single-season kickoff return yardage record with just 51 more. “I’ve never seen a freshman return three kickoffs for touchdowns and it’s not against one of those smaller schools. It’s against SEC opponents,” Meyer said. Meyer wants to prevent that from happening, though considering the Gators are giving up 19.5 yards per kick return, he should be able to pass it in two or three attempts.

3 » In the opening round of the 2009 SEC Championship Tournament in Orange Beach, AL, the No. 8 Florida soccer team (15-4-2, 8-1-2 SEC) defeated the Tennessee Volunteers (8-9-3, 4-5-2 SEC) 1-0 in two overtimes. The one-seed in the tournament, the Gators will move on to face the the No. 15 South Carolina Gamecocks (16-3-1, 7-3-1 SEC) on Friday, Nov. 6 at 8:30 p.m.

Three more BITS on Kiffin, Georgia and Harvin after the jump…
Continue Reading » SIX BITS: Antwine’s injury, Vandy KR, soccer wins, Kiffin runs mouth (again), Harvin develops

Tags: Brad Childress, Brandon Antwine, Brandon Spikes, Georgia Bulldogs, Lane Kiffin, Mark Richt, Minnesota Vikings, Mississippi State Bulldogs, NFL, Nick Williams, Percy Harvin, SEC, soccer, South Carolina Gamecocks, Tennessee Volunteers, Tim Tebow, Urban Meyer, Vanderbilt Commodores, Warren Norman

Welcome to the debut of OGGOA Mailbag, a new segment that will be featured every other week (or every week if it gets popular). For each edition, I will pick out the five best questions that have been submitted for publication. The remainder will be answered personally.

In regard to the uniforms, will we ever see the return of orange pants? Have we worn them since Urban Meyer became head coach? (William – Tampa, FL)
It does not look likely. The last time Florida wore the white jerseys/orange pants combination was Oct. 1, 2005, against Alabama. The Gators lost that game 31-3; perhaps that is why they are no longer worn? In fact, Florida wore them back-to-back weeks that season (Sept. 24 vs. Kentucky). That combination was used extensively the previous season in 2004, including back-to-back games vs. FSU on Nov. 20 (Ron Zook’s last game) and Miami on Dec. 31 (Peach Bowl). Meyer has only used four looks since that game in 2005: all blue, all white, blue/white and white/blue. Even more rare is the blue jersey/orange pants combo, not worn since 1999 vs. FSU.

Do you think we will be seeing more of the I-form? It looked really good last week, but that was against Mississippi State. Could it work against Georgia, South Carolina and Alabama? (Kyle – Louisville, KY)
I’m not sure if the Gators have a choice. The red zone struggles are apparent and Florida must make adjustments. Whether that is instituting more of the I-formation (which apparently was worked on all summer) or sticking to the call sheet, I fully expect to see an improvement in that area this week. As far as the I-form working against teams with better defenses – I don’t see why not. It is a standard formation. The better question is: Can the Gators be efficient in a formation that they have seemingly never rarely used since Tim Tebow became the starting quarterback?

Is it really Florida that is struggling each week, or are the SEC teams on our schedule just that good? (Jena – Sumter, SC)
It’s the Gators. Tennessee and LSU have legitimate defenses, don’t get me wrong. But there was absolutely no reason this team should have had the trouble it did with Arkansas or Mississippi State. Any SEC schedule is going to be a difficult one, and Florida plays tougher teams week-in and week-out because of their affiliation than most other programs do. The Gators are lucky they have not played a complete team while they have been struggling or else that 7-0 record would not be there.

Can the Gators actually go all the way? Do you think they can get this offense back on track sooner than later? (Shawn – Willis, TX)
There should be no doubt that this is a team that is capable of winning the National Championship. Whether they will actually get to that point is another story. Returning a two-deep defense was a good start, and the unit has been carrying the team for most of the season. But losing wide receivers Percy Harvin and Louis Murphy seem to have hurt the team more than most expected. Harvin was the key on offense, a player who could score at any time and change the course of the game with one step. The Gators do not have a player like that right now. If they can re-work the passing offense and do a well enough job putting points on the board, a title is certainly within their reach.

Is there a reason Steve Addazio is on the sidelines during games instead of up in the box like most offensive coordinators? (William – Tampa, FL)
There actually is a reason – though I don’t necessarily think you can call it a good one. Addazio is more comfortable coaching from the sideline because he was and still is an offensive line coach. He said it feels more natural for him to call plays from field level. “That’s not my personality type,” Addazio said of going upstairs. “If I’m up in the booth, I really might jump out of the window. Because of the position I coach, I gotta have my guys in between series. I’ve gotta be able to coach ‘em and talk to ‘em. I’ve got to gauge what their mindset’s like, the tempo of the game, the whole atmosphere. That’s a demeanor feel. I got a pretty good perspective on the sideline. I’m used to that. When I go up top, I don’t really feel like I can see the shades in the alignments of the front like I can see from the ground level. A great advantage is, in between series, you’ve got everybody right there. I can pull in the quarterback, the tailback, everybody. That’s a positive.” Instead of Addazio, quarterbacks coach Scot Loeffler and tight ends coach Brain White are up in the booth.

Tags: Brian White, I-formation, Louis Murphy, mailbag, National Championship, Percy Harvin, Ron Zook, Scot Loeffler, SEC, Steve Addazio, Tim Tebow, uniforms, Urban Meyer

1 » Arkansas Razorbacks head coach Bobby Petrino will face a No. 1-ranked team for the first time in his coaching career Saturday afternoon when he takes on the Florida Gators. Losing to Florida 38-7 at home last season, Petrino and the Hogs have plenty of motivation to come back and attempt to take it to the Gators. Running back Michael Smith, who went for 133 yards against UF last season, tweaked his hamstring against the Auburn Tigers last week and is day-to-day.

2 » ESPN’s NFL Draft expert Mel Kiper, Jr. has come out with his new Big Board, which lists his top 25 NFL prospects. Gators on the list include defensive end Carlos Dunlap at No. 7 (down one spot from last week) and middle linebacker Brandon Spikes at No. 19 (up one spot from last week).

3 » In a story that always seems to draw news, Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Percy Harvin missed practice Wednesday. Harvin injured his shoulder last week against the St. Louis Rams but did not miss any game time.

4 » As if only scoring three points last Saturday night was not humiliating enough, the LSU Tigers have decided to be sore losers and ask Southeastern Conference officials to review Florida wide receiver Riley Cooper’s touchdown catch. Cooper grabbed the shirttail of cornerback Chris Hawkins and used it as leverage to get wide open in the end zone and catch a pass from quarterback Tim Tebow. The touchdown gave the Gators a 10-3 lead with 50 seconds left in the first half. “Yeah, we sent that in,” LSU head coach Les Miles said Tuesday. “I’m savoring the opportunity to call in there.”

Extra BIT » Cleveland Indians outfielder Matt LaPorta underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left hip and left big toe on Tuesday. It will take the former Gators first baseman 4-6 months to recover from the injuries, which may slow him down to start the 2010 season.

Tags: Arkansas Razorbacks, Auburn Tigers, Bobby Petrino, Brandon Spikes, Carlos Dunlap, Chris Hawkins, Cleveland Indians, ESPN, Les Miles, LSU Tigers, Matt LaPorta, Mel Kiper, Michael Smith, Minnesota Vikings, MLB, NFL, Percy Harvin, Riley Cooper, St. Louis Rams, Tim Tebow

1 » Florida Gators senior quarterback Tim Tebow has been called plenty of things in his four years at the University of Florida. From being called “Superman” to having thousands of Chuck Norris-like facts written about him, much of the focus has been on Tebow’s dominating presence both in the huddle and in life. On Saturday, as friend of OGGOA Dan Shanoff points out, Tebow morphed into another version of himself – Trent Dilfer. That’s right. Dilfer – the former Baltimore Ravens quarterback who was considered the quintessential “game manager” when leading his team to a Super Bowl.

2 » Head coach Urban Meyer spoke about Tebow, the impressive Gators defense, recruiting in South Florida, the success of wide receivers Percy Harvin and Louis Murphy in the NFL and much more with Joe Rose on 560 WQAM. Click here to listen to the recorded interview.

Tags: Baltimore Ravens, Louis Murphy, NFL, Percy Harvin, Super Bowl, Tim Tebow, Trent Dilfer, 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

1 » Prior to the season, one of the biggest stories was the Florida Gators potentially using cornerback Joe Haden at quarterback in a Wildcat-like formation. While UF’s ability and lack of fear to use the Wildcat with wide receiver Percy Harvin last season was well documented, I held (and hold) the opinion that Haden plays extensively enough on defense and special teams – that using him on offense as well would be overkill.

While talk about Haden’s role in the formation seems to have died down, usage of the Wildcat as a whole has not. Head coach Urban Meyer said Monday that tight end Aaron Hernandez, running back Jeff Demps and wide receiver Brandon James could all get direct snaps against No. 4 LSU Tigers. While an occasional direct snap may be called, I see this as more of a diversionary tactic to get LSU thinking about more than just “Tim Tebow or John Brantley” but rather “Tebow, Brantley or the Wildcat.”

2 » In an effort to gain prestige within the state of Florida, the USF Bulls have marketed themselves as one of the “Big 4″ along with the Florida Gators, Miami Hurricanes and Florida State Seminoles. This new billboard, located at I-275 near I-4 has, to his credit, drawn the ire of Bulls head coach Jim Leavitt. “I had nothing to do with (the billboard), I don’t know how it got up, and I don’t know who put it up,” Leavitt said Tuesday. “We have not won national championships, and we have not won conference championships. What gives us the right to sit there all of a sudden like we’ve won all these championships and done all this stuff?” Looks like the USF marketing department should have checked with Leavitt first.

Continue Reading » FOUR BITS: Will Wildcat be used? USF uses UF in ad. Tigers ready for QB. Recruiting update.

Tags: Aaron Hernandez, Booker T. Washington, Brandon James, Chris Dunkley, Christian Green, Florida State Seminoles, Ivan McCartney, Jeff Demps, Jim Leavitt, Joe Haden, John Brantley, John Chavis, Les Miles, LSU Tigers, Lynden Trail, Miami Hurricanes, Percy Harvin, Quinton Dunbar, Solomon Patton, Tim Tebow, Urban Meyer, USF Bulls