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
Each week following the conclusion of a Florida Gators game, ONLY GATORS Get Out Alive will grade the team position-by-position on how it performed in that match-up. This week, we look at how the Gators fared against the LSU Tigers in Death Valley.
QUARTERBACK: A
Tim Tebow was asked to tone it down and be a game manager, something that is not necessarily in his nature. Nevertheless, knowing the significance of the injury he came back from and the wishes of the coaching and medical staff, he did exactly that. An inexplicable interception late was Tebow’s only flaw on the night, and the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback made good throws when they were called.
RUNNING BACKS: A
No huge game-breaking runs from the Gators attack Saturday, but that is not something you can expect against the Tigers. Running back Jeff Demps was a madman, gaining 86 tough yards on 16 carries while Emmanuel Moody took some of the power rushing load off Tebow with six carries for 42 yards of his own. Moody showed up when he was needed the most, and that is what counts.
Continue Reading » Grading the No. 1 Florida Gators game at LSU
1 » While Florida Gators doctors were stressed about the eventual results of quarterback Tim Tebow‘s tests on Saturday, Tebow was more scared Friday afternoon while he was flying into the game. Tebow, a notoriously bad flier, often gets sick on flights – especially when there is a lot of turbulence. “I didn’t get sick, which was a great test for the doctors,” Tebow said. “Honestly, I think God kept me healthy on that plane ride, because most of the time I would probably have gotten sick on that plane ride, and that would have looked bad as far as me playing.”
2 » Saturday night’s game was not all about Tebow, as the Gators have another leader out there on the field. Middle linebacker Brandon Spikes finished with a team-high 11 tackles, 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble. Spikes lined up all over the field, playing both middle and outside linebacker positions as well as at defensive end. “Spikes felt like he got called out earlier in the day on ESPN by (Kirk) Herbstreit. He felt like he got called out, so I guess he stepped up tonight,” senior linebacker Ryan Stamper said.
3 » While Florida made a name for themselves on the ground in Death Valley, the biggest play of the game was through the air when Tebow hooked up with wide receiver Riley Cooper for the game’s only touchdown. “Coop’s a playmaker and we gotta keep going to him,” tight end Aaron Hernandez said. “When we need to take a shot, Coop’s the one to go to.”
Continue Reading » SIX BITS: Wrapping up Florida at LSU
1 » It was reported that Florida Gators head coach Urban Meyer was going to attend the Tampa Catholic high school football game Friday night, presumably to watch 4-star quarterback recruit Christian Green. Personally attending the No. 1 St. Thomas Aquinas vs. No. 2 Byrnes game this evening, I spotted Meyer on the sideline in Fort Lauderdale, FL, along with former St. Thomas Aquinas safety Major Wright and right tackle Marcus Gilbert. Meyer was in attendance presumably to keep an eye on 4-star cornerback Cody Riggs, a heavy Gators lean. The Gators are off from practice until early next week. In the game, Riggs blocked and field goal and played decent coverage all night, except for turning around too soon and being taken advantage of for a touchdown late in the game. I am curious to find out if the St. Petersburg Times got the story wrong, or if Meyer chose to visit Riggs over Green, who the team is reportedly extremely interested in.
2 » No. 5/5 Florida Gators volleyball lost their first regular-season home game since 2004 in front of 3,820 fans at the O’Connell Center Friday night to the No. 15 Kentucky Wildcats. The Gators jumped out to an early lead before losing a heartbreaker to the Wildcats.
3 » Senior linebacker Ryan Stamper suffered two concussions during his younger years and is able to relate to what his quarterback, Tim Tebow, is going through in recovery. “Your head hurts a lot and you get a lot of rest,” Stamper said. “It all comes back to you though.”
4 » FOX Sports college basketball writer Jeff Goodman believes that the improved experience and talent of SEC teams will make the conference a contender in the national picture this season. He predicts the Florida Gators will finish fourth in the SEC East, due to losing guard Nick Calathes to Greek professional team Olympiakos. I am of the belief that Florida will actually improve this year without Calathes.
Taurean Green (@TaureanJGreen):
"Yes yes....my #GatorBoys in the Elite 8. All u jive time turkeys that thought Marquette was gonna win can sit down and go to sleep!"
The Silver Lining is an exclusive column written by Adam Silverstein of OnlyGators.com for Yahoo! Sports and Rivals.com affiliate InsideTheGators.com. OGGOA readers can receive a special discount on a subscription to InsideTheGators, which can be accessed by clicking the image above!
