One would think the news would be more positive for the No. 17/18 Florida Gators coming off a big win on the road against the Texas A&M Aggies, but head coach Will Muschamp actually spent most of his weekly Monday afternoon press conference delivering plenty of bad news as it pertains to his team’s health.

“We’ve kind of got a saying around here: ‘Man down, man up,’” he said.

Muschamp announced Monday that redshirt junior Will linebacker Jelani Jenkins (broken thumb) and junior cornerback Cody Riggs (fractured foot) will both miss at least a month after being injured against Texas A&M.

Jenkins, who had surgery on Monday, will definitely be out at least for this week’s road game against the Tennessee Volunteers but may be able to return sooner than his timetable dictates if doctors approve a protective device for his hand.

Riggs, however, could be out as long as six weeks depending how his foot heals as doctors said he does not need surgery on the fracture.

Freshman LB Antonio Morrison will take over for Jenkins as the starter at Will, but the Gators will also see plenty of redshirt sophomore Michael Taylor in a reserve role at both inside positions. Junior Darrin Kitchens will also have a bigger role in the defense.

Defensive backs sophomore Jabari Gorman and redshirt freshman Valdez Showers both filled in for Riggs on Saturday and will continue doing so in the near future. Junior Matt Elam will likely transition back to playing much more safety while junior Jaylen Watkins, who moved into the starting cornerback role last week, will take over at nickel.

The bad news continued as Muschamp added that junior Buck linebacker Ronald Powell, who tore his anterior cruciate ligament in April during the team’s spring game and hoped to return sometime in October, re-injured his knee while rehabbing and will likely miss the remainder of the season.

“He is being reevaluated next week. He has got some swelling on the knee. We took the MRI – probably a little too much swelling to tell really where he is right now,” Muschamp said. “We’re going to reevaluate him next week. Very disappointing for him. Really a setback as far as where he is and where we thought he would be at this point as excelled as his rehab has gone.

“Talking to him [Monday] morning and his parents throughout the weekend, more than likely Ronald will redshirt this year. It’s just disappointing for him, a guy that mentally has been a rock, just been amazing in how he’s handled the process. And again, he’s handled it very well. The diagnosis is not totally final yet; we want to look at it again next week. Certainly it has put a speed bump in the recovery process. Very disappointed for him and us.”

Not all was negative on the injury front.

Senior running back Mike Gillislee, who has four of his team’s five touchdowns this season and appeared to hurt his groin while scoring in the fourth quarter on Saturday, only “strained” the muscle and will be able to practice all week.

“He’s going to be fine. He’ll be fine for this weekend,” Muschamp said. “He’s going to practice [Monday]. We just had a staff meeting and they said he is going to practice, so I think he should be fine. We probably won’t rep him 40 times [in practice]. We’ll make sure he’s ready to go for Saturday [and] we feel like he’s fully available.”

Senior safety Josh Evans (shoulder) and redshirt sophomore right tackle Chaz Green (cramps) are both good to go as well.

Florida will also get sophomore defensive back De’Ante Saunders (hamstring, suspension) and freshman tight end Kent Taylor (concussion) back for the Tennessee game though redshirt junior tackle Matt Patchan (strained pectoral) will probably be out until the bye week (at least two more weeks).

Tags: Antonio Morrison, Chaz Green, Cody Riggs, Darrin Kitchens, De'Ante Saunders, Jabari Gorman, Jaylen Watkins, Jelani Jenkins, Josh Evans, Kent Taylor, Matt Elam, Matt Patchan, Michael Taylor, Mike Gillislee, Ronald Powell, Tennessee Volunteers, Texas A&M Aggies, Valdez Showers

Florida Gators defensive coordinator Dan Quinn met with the media on Wednesday to discuss how his unit performed in the season opener against Bowling Green as well as the upcoming road game against the Texas A&M Aggies on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. Two offensive players added their thoughts later in the day.

CAN’T KEEP MISSING OPPORTUNITIES

Quinn, in a general sense, was pleased with how his defense performed in the opener but was still disappointed that there were not more turnovers in the first game. He said the Gators missed opportunities for two additional interceptions and that the number of penalties committed extended drives that otherwise could have been ended.

One thing Florida was successful in doing was affecting the quarterback, registering one sack and forcing both a low completion percentage (49 percent) and few yards per completion (4.2). (By contrast the Gators combined for 62 percent and 6.9 yards per completion). Quinn still wanted to see more in this area but understood that the quick snaps and passes limited UF’s chances greatly.

That is why he is so cautious about Texas A&M’s offense and what offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury bring to the table for Florida to defend this week.

“These guys really know how to throw the ball…that kind of goes without saying. They were the number one throwing team and scoring team last year,” he said. “For us you got to be disruptive to the receivers where they don’t have clean looks at things. I think you got to be physical with those guys.

“Certainly ways to affect the quarterback whether it’s pressure, the way you rush or the leverage that you use in disguise and coverage. I think it’s kind of a combination of things [you need] to work against this offense.”

DRISKEL READY FOR PRIME TIME?
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Tags: Dan Quinn, Dante Fowler, Jeff Driskel, Jon Bostic, Jon Halapio, Jonathan Bullard, Jordan Reed, Ronald Powell

With the 2011-12 athletic season now in the books and the 2012-13 season about to begin, the focus has shifted to the return of Florida Gators football. For the second-straight year, OGGOA will take a look at every player of substance on the roster, counting down by jersey number, in this series: The Countdown.

9 – Josh Evans (Irvington, NJ)
Senior safety
6’2” 201 lbs.

Quick Bio: One of only five true seniors on the roster, Evans was a four-star recruit coming out of high school who appeared in 21 games over his first two seasons. He was forced into a reserve role because of the Gators’ extreme depth at safety but bided his time until his junior season.

Career Stats (34 games): 71 tackles (52 solo, 2.5 for loss), sack, fumble recovery, two interceptions, pass defense

2011 Season: Evans started eight games his junior year but played in all 13 contests, registering 51 total tackles including a career-high 11 against South Carolina. Arguably his best game of the season came in his last, the Gator Bowl, where he notched five tackles, a sack and a fumble recovery.

2012 Outlook: Evans made additional strides this offseason, according to defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, who said his communication and confidence has improved. Now making more plays than ever in the defensive backfield, he is once again listed as a starting safety and should hold down that position all year. “I think Josh has improved tremendously, and it has nothing to do with athleticism, it has to do with communication and being on the same page and anticipation. The safety position, a lot of it is anticipation for the communication,” head coach Will Muschamp said recently. “That’s where I think Josh has taken the next step, and he certainly has done that. And he’s been very good in camp, and he was very good throughout spring as far as taking the next step.”

8 – Jeremy Brown (Orlando, FL)
Redshirt junior cornerback
5’10” 184 lbs.

Quick Bio: A four-star prospect, Brown was sidelined by back problems for two full seasons and earned a redshirt as a freshman. He made it a point to rehab his back as much as possible during and after the 2009 season and sought to earn a starting role when Joe Haden declared early for the NFL. Brown succeeded in that goal in 2010, winning the job across from Janoris Jenkins and starting 10 contests. He missed the final two regular season games with a hamstring injury but played in the Outback Bowl.

Career Stats (11 games): 15 tackles (11 solo, one for loss), three interceptions, five pass defenses, touchdown

2011 Season: Brown suffered a knee injury right before the season began and was expected to only miss a few weeks of action. Many accused Muschamp of misleading the public as to the severity of Brown’s injury, but the coach explained in the spring that was not the case. “Our medical evaluation was he was going to be out for a week,” Muschamp said. “That’s what I was told. [...] Jeremy was a situation where he rehabbed, it didn’t work, we rehabbed a different way, it didn’t work. We continued to progress, we tried to work him back in practice as the season was going, and he just never responded to rehab, so eventually we had surgery.”

2012 Outlook: Returning to practice this summer, Brown fractured his wrist and had surgery on July 18. He was reevaluated on Aug. 28 to see if he could return to practice though the result of that check-up is not yet known. Brown would have had an opportunity to start at cornerback for Florida this season, but his injuries allowed four other players to jump ahead of him in the pecking order. He should see the field eventually if he can get back healthy but may have to focus on 2013 (his sixth and final season) to regain his starting job.

Check out 11 more players in this edition of The Countdown…after the break!

Continue Reading » The Countdown: Florida Gators roster (9-1)

Tags: Andre Debose, Brent Pease, Damien Jacobs, Dan Quinn, Dante Fowler, Dominique Easley, Frankie Hammond, Jacoby Brissett, Jeff Driskel, Jelani Jenkins, Jeremy Brown, Jon Bostic, Josh Evans, Loucheiz Purifoy, Marcus Roberson, Quinton Dunbar, Ronald Powell, Trey Burton, Will Muschamp

With the 2011-12 athletic season now in the books and the 2012-13 season about to begin, the focus has shifted to the return of Florida Gators football. For the second-straight year, OGGOA will take a look at every player of substance on the roster, counting down by jersey number, in this series: The Countdown.

34 – Lerentee McCray (Ocala, FL)
Redshirt senior linebacker
6’3” 249 lbs.

Quick Bio: A highly-ranked four-star prospect, McCray has moved all around the Florida defensive front seven throughout his career. He played in 11 games over his first two seasons but received a medical redshirt in 2009 only to come back in 2010 and play in 10 contests. McCray capped his redshirt sophomore season by returning a punt block for a touchdown in the Outback Bowl.

Career Stats (30 games): 40 tackles (26 solo, 8.0 for loss), 1.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, three pass defenses, touchdown

2011 Season: McCray missed the final four games of the season due to injury but played in the first nine contests, making five starts as the team’s primary Sam linebacker while also spending time at the Buck position. He registered 7.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, a forced fumble, three pass defenses and a team-high four quarterback hurries.

2012 Outlook: Back healthy from a shoulder injury that also kept him out of spring practice, McCray was slated to start at Sam linebacker again for the Gators but shifted over to starting Buck linebacker after junior Ronald Powell tore his ACL in the spring game. McCray is one of a handful of players being counted on to improve Florida’s pass rush this season.

33 – Mack Brown (Lithonia, GA)
Redshirt sophomore running back
5’11” 214 lbs.

Quick Bio/2011 Season: One of the top running backs in the country coming out of high school, Brown was a four-star recruit who played in two games as a true freshman in 2010, carrying the ball three times for 23 yards. He broke his fibula in the spring of 2011 but was healthy enough to receive a few carries last season despite having three players in front of him on the depth chart.

Career Stats (14 games): 15 carries for 65 yards (avg.: 4.3, long: 13)

2012 Outlook: Brown is fighting for the back-up job behind senior Mike Gillislee and has been going head-to-head all offseason with freshman Matt Jones to be the second running back called on to carry the ball. Whether he wins the job or is forced to be third in line, Brown should see significant action in 2012 for the first time in his career.

Check out three more players in this edition of The Countdown…after the break!
Continue Reading » The Countdown: Florida Gators roster (39-30)

Tags: Brent Pease, Chris Johnson, Cody Riggs, Lerentee McCray, Mack Brown, Matt Jones, Michael McNeely, Mike Gillislee, Ronald Powell, Will Muschamp

With the Florida Gators just eight days away away from the beginning of the season on Sept. 1 at home against Bowling Green, head coach Will Muschamp met with the media on Friday to provide updates on the team.

INJURY UPDATES

Redshirt junior tackle Matt Patchan – strained his pectoral on Saturday, held out of contact and will miss the season opener

Sophomore defensive back De’Ante Saunders – “pulled a hamstring” on Thursday and will probably miss the season opener

Junior Buck linebacker Ronald Powell – starting the last phase of rehab from his torn ACL and will be cutting and changing direction with hopes of returning in October

Redshirt junior DB Jeremy Brown – set to have his wrist checked on Tuesday to see if he can return to practice

Freshman OT left tackle D.J. Humphries – expected to be back practicing on Tuesday or Wednesday after injuring his MCL

Redshirt freshman guard Tommy Jordan – minor shoulder injury

NOTES AND QUOTES
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Tags: Andre Debose, Cole Gilliam, D.J. Humphries, De'Ante Saunders, James Wilson, Jeremy Brown, Kyle Koehne, Mack Brown, Matt Jones, Matt Patchan, Mike Gillislee, Neiron Ball, Ronald Powell, Scott Peek, Tim Clark, Tommy Jordan

Florida Gators defensive coordinator Dan Quinn had plenty to say just over a week before the 2012 regular season is set to begin and did exactly that on Thursday afternoon. Quinn discussed the team’s reserve linebackers, how the secondary is shaping up and who is stepping up in the pass rush.

VERSATILITY IN THE MIDDLE

Not every defensive coordinator is lucky enough to have two terrific inside linebackers like senior Jon Bostic (Mike) and redshirt junior Jelani Jenkins (Will). According to Quinn on Thursday, his embarrassment of riches extends to their reserves as both redshirt sophomore Michael Taylor and true freshman Antonio Morrison are making themselves known during practice.

Taylor, the primary back-up to Bostic in 2011, said recently that he has been switching between Mike and Will in practice in order to become more versatile. That is good news considering Quinn somewhat revealed that it will be Morrison behind Bostic this season.

“This guy is really coming on,” he said. “I like his instincts. I like his toughness. I think he’s got a big future ahead of him, and I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do.”

Quinn did say, however, that both Morrison and Taylor can play either inside position and that he is completely comfortable with moving them back and forth until he figures out which player is best at which position.

SECONDARY COMING TOGETHER BUT NOT YET SET

It should be no surprise junior Matt Elam and senior Josh Evans will be starting at safety for the Gators, though it was interesting when Quinn noted that junior Cody Riggs has been spending plenty of time back there after mostly serving as a cornerback and nickel corner in 2011.

Riggs along with junior Jaylen Watkins and sophomores Marcus Roberson and Louchiez Purifoy are all competing for the two starting cornerback jobs though Quinn pointed out (just like head coach Will Muschamp has repeatedly) that the team will probably be starting three each game and all four will see plenty of time on the field.

“It’s nice having so many of those guys return, know the same language going into training camp and moving forward,” he said. “I kind of have a feeling it will work itself out like it usually does through the course of the season and as we get through a few ballgames.”

IMPROVING THE PASS RUSH

Read the rest of what Quinn had to say on Thursday…after the break!
Continue Reading » 8/23: Quinn on reserve LBs, secondary, pass rush

Tags: Antonio Morrison, Cody Riggs, Damien Jacobs, Dante Fowler, Dominique Easley, Earl Okine, Jaylen Watkins, Jelani Jenkins, Jon Bostic, Jonathan Bullard, Josh Evans, Lerentee McCray, Louchiez Purifoy, Marcus Roberson, Matt Elam, Michael Taylor, Neiron Ball, Ronald Powell, Will Muschamp

With the Florida Gators under two weeks away from the beginning of the season and set to compete in their third and final scrimmage of training camp on Tuesday, head coach Will Muschamp met with the media to provide updates on the team.

SOME, BUT NOT ALL ROSTER DECISIONS MADE ON SUNDAY

Muschamp said on Saturday that the entire coaching staff would sit down Sunday and iron out the roster in order to determine who should get the most reps heading into the third and final scrimmage. Though he said that the Gators will not be releasing a depth chart until Aug. 27, Muschamp explained what was accomplished Sunday as far as organizing the roster is concerned.

“We looked at the roster and went through everybody. We did not necessarily set depth charts; I know everybody will be asking for that. We will release that Monday of game week,” he said. “More than anything we narrowed down who is getting reps and then talked in terms of special teams. Who are the guys that we need to be stepping up on special teams for us? Especially some of the younger players, where are they figuring in as far as snaps are concerned.”

Florida has now mostly figured out out which “guys we can count on” and “guys that we need to continue to rep,” an important step before a the final scrimmage on Tuesday that will look in many ways like a game day.

“We’re going to have another situational scrimmage. We’ll treat it like game day,” Muschamp explained. “We’ll have a pre-game at 11:30 [a.m.], and we’re going to kick it off at 3:30 [p.m.]. We’re going to go in for halftime; we’re going to come out. We’ll have to be able to adjust coming out of the locker room and put them in some situations.

“We’ll have some move-the-field. I want to have another [situation of] coming out off the goal line. We weren’t very good in the first scrimmage on that. Some more third-down work, some more red zone work and then some just getting on the field and functioning as an offense, get the coaches in the booth. It will now be our third time [doing that]. That, as much as anything, is what [Sunday] was about.”

SO…WHO IS STARTING?

Though position-by-position starters were not discussed by Muschamp on Monday, he did provide a handful of notes on who has nailed down jobs prior to the third scrimmage.

QUARTERBACK
Sophomores Jacoby Brissett and Jeff Driskel will continue splitting reps down the middle during practice on Monday and the scrimmage on Tuesday. Muschamp said both will be non-contact (the plan was apparently always to return to that) for he duration of practice heading into the game on Sept 1.

Muschamp noted over the weekend that he expects to name a starter on Aug. 27 (along with the release of the entire team’s depth chart) but also said that Driskel’s bruised shoulder will be reevaluated next Monday. That can be looked at one of two ways: Either the health of his shoulder is a deciding factor as to whether or not he gets the start (in which case one would expect that evaluation to occur before the press conference) or it is a non-factor (in which case the time is of no matter).

Either way, Muschamp is pleased with the way both have improved.

“Both guys, I would say, are just commanding the huddle, knowledge of the system, understanding what Brent [Pease] wants,” he said. “What I have seen with both guys is a maturity level now of anticipating some of the situations that come up and what we’re going to go to. When you start getting that then you start maturing as a player and you’ll play better because you have better anticipation of what’s going to happen.”

Read the rest of what Muschamp had to say on Monday…after the break!
Continue Reading » 8/20: Muschamp on roster, starters, injuries, etc.

Tags: Andre Debose, Chris Johnson, Cody Riggs, Colin Thompson, Damien Jacobs, Dan Quinn, Dante Fowler, Darrin Kitchens, Dominique Easley, Earl Okine, Jacoby Brissett, Jaylen Watkins, Jeff Demps, Jeff Driskel, Jelani Jenkins, Jon Bostic, Jonathan Bullard, Jordan Reed, Leon Orr, Lerentee McCray, Louchiez Purifoy, Mack Brown, Marcus Roberson, Matt Jones, Matt Patchan, Mike Gillislee, Neiron Ball, Nick Alajajian, Omar Hunter, Omarius Hines, Ronald Powell, Sharrif Floyd, Trey Burton, Will Muschamp

With the Florida Gators two weeks away from the beginning of the season and having just completed their second scrimmage of training camp on Friday, head coach Will Muschamp met with the media to discuss injuries and standout performers.

INJURY UPDATES

Freshman left tackle D.J. Humphries (MCL) – occurred on Friday, will be out 2-3 weeks maximum, should return soon and be able to contribute

Freshman defensive back Marcus Maye (meniscus) – returned to practice this week; however, it is swollen and sore so timetable is uncertain

Redshirt senior Buck/Sam linebacker Lerentee McCray (hamstring) – missed practice Saturday but should return Monday

Redshirt junior tight end Jordan Reed (knee) – injured his knee Monday, was supposed to miss 3-4 days but should return Monday

Redshirt sophomore LB Michael Taylor (shoulder) – should return Monday

Junior defensive end Dominique Easley (ACL) – reps have been limited for precautionary reasons but everything is fine and he is practicing

Junior defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd (shoulder) – “dinged” his shoulder Friday and wore a non-contact jersey on Saturday

PLAYMAKERS BEGINNING TO STAND OUT

A team desperately in need of playmakers is starting to see some take the reins of the offense, Muschamp said on Saturday. And considering his mantra that the Southeastern Conference is a line of scrimmage league, he is probably happy that the running backs are really stepping up.

“[Senior Mike Gillislee], to me, has still distanced himself from an all-around back standpoint – protections, carrying the ball, doing the little things, carrying the fakes out,” Muschamp said. “His experience helps, obviously. He’s very driven. He is a guy that can have top-end speed and finish some runs for us.”

He is equally impressed with redshirt senior Omarius Hines, who is listed as a tight end but is also taking reps in the backfield and out wide. Hines had a 61-yard touchdown run in scrimmage on Friday. “There’s no question that he’s an explosive guy and we need to give him some opportunities with the ball in his hands because he can do some things with it,” Muschamp said.

As far as the wide receivers are concerned, three in particular are standing out, each for different but important reasons.

“I think we’re better [at that position],” he said. “Again, Frankie [Hammond, Jr.] is very consistent. Quinton [Dunbar] has continued to be more mature than he was a year ago. He understands what it takes down-in and down-out, the consistency in this league that it is going to take to be successful. Andre [Debose] has continued to be explosive and do some things for us.”

Also making a name for himself is freshman TE Kent Taylor, who is currently too “thin” to play the position and block effectively but has proven that he can make a difference for the team in the passing game.

“Kent catches the ball extremely well. He’s very athletic. I mean, very athletic. That’s another guy that you have to decide what he can do at this point,” Muschamp said. “Obviously he’s a guy that needs to gain some girth and some strength as far as the blocking is concerned. Let’s don’t ask him to do something he can’t do. I know one thing – he can go get the football down the field. He can catch the ball. He can do some of those things. So let’s identify what he can do and what he can handle in those situations.”

Read the rest of what Muschamp had to say Saturday…after the break!
Continue Reading » 8/18: Muschamp on injuries, playmakers, leaders

Tags: Andre Debose, Billy Donovan, D.J. Humphries, Dante Fowler, Dominique Easley, Frankie Hammond, Jacoby Brissett, Jonathan Bullard, Jordan Reed, Kent Taylor, Lerentee McCray, Marcus Maye, Matt Elam, Michael Taylor, Mike Gillislee, Omarius Hines, Quinton Dunbar, Ronald Powell, Sharrif Floyd, Will Muschamp