Location: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium – Gainesville, FL [Capacity: 88,548]
Weather Forecast: 91°F, 30% chance of precipitation
Time: 12:00 p.m. (EST)

TV: ESPN/ESPNHD
Sirius/XM: 220/199
Online Video: ESPN3.com
Online Audio: Yahoo!
Live Updates: @OnlyGators

Odds: Florida -38; O/U 54

HISTORY and STREAKS

» Florida is returning 43 letterwiners and 11 starters from the 2009 season – six on offense (junior running back Jeff Demps, redshirt junior wide receiver Deonte Thompson, senior center Mike Pouncey, sophomore left tackle Xavier Nixon, redshirt seniors guard Carl Johnson and right tackle Marcus Gilbert) and five on defense (senior safety Ahmad Black, junior cornerback Janoris Jenkins, redshirt seniors linebacker A.J. Jones and defensive tackle Terron Sanders, redshirt sophomore DT Omar Hunter).
» The Gators have a SEC-best opening day winning streak of 20 games and are 76-27 all-time to start the season (62-6 in Gainesville). Teams coached by Meyer at any point in his career are 18-5 to begin the season; he has 16-straight opening day victories.
» Florida is also sporting a 10-game home winning streak and has won 20 consecutive regular season games. The Orange and Blue has a .897 (113-13) winning percentage at Florida Field since 1990, good for best in the nation.
» Miami (OH) leads the all-time series against UF 1-0, defeating the Gators 16-7 in The Swamp in the 1973 Tangerine Bowl; Florida is 10-3 all-time against the MAC.
» The Gators are the only team in the nation to finish the season in the top three in both the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches’ polls in three of the past four years; Florida is also the only school in the country to be ranked in the top five of the preseason coaches’ poll in each of the last four years.
» The RedHawks’ passing offense and passing defense each ranked 23rd in the nation in 2009, respectively throwing for 273.2 and giving up 190.4 yards per game.
» UF committed a nation-low 81 turnovers since 2005 and has had 23 games in which they did not give up a single turnover (best in the nation).

KEEP AN EYE ON…

» Redshirt junior quarterback John Brantley…who will be starting the first game of his Florida career. In 2009, he went 36-of-48 for 410 yards and seven touchdowns. Brantley tossed 75 percent of his balls for completions and finished the year with a QB rating of 194.9. He has thrown 61 consecutive passes without an interception and has a 10-1 TD/INT ratio for his Gators career.
» Florida’s veteran offensive line…which has combined for 87 career starts and is led by Pouncey (32). That total is the highest among returning offensive linemen since Meyer’s first season as coach in 2005.
» Redshirt junior wide receiver Chris Rainey…who is moving to the slot after playing running back for two seasons. Rainey will be explosive while playing a modified “Percy Position” and could very well be the team’s best offensive weapon this season.
» Linebackers sophomore Jon Bostic and redshirt freshman Jelani Jenkins…who are each trying to win the starting role in the middle but will likely split snaps Saturday. The same goes for cornerbacks redshirt sophomore Jeremy Brown and senior Moses Jenkins, each of whom hope to win the job opposite junior Janoris Jenkins.
» Redshirt freshman WR Andre Debose…who missed the entire 2009 season with a hamstring injury but remains a five-star recruit expected to make an immediate impact.
» Junior kicker Caleb Sturgis…who set a UF record for field goal attempted in a season (30) in 2009 and had the second-highest total of field goals made in school history (22).
» Freshman QB Trey Burton…who has been receiving extra attention at tight end during practices and is one of Meyer’s favorite youngsters. With other TEs injured and developing, Burton may see action early and often.

INJURIES and INACTIVES
Injuries (All out)
Senior defensive tackle Terron Sanders (knee), redshirt freshman TE Jordan Reed (knee) left tackles redshirt sophomore Matt Patchan (wrist), sophomore Xavier Nixon (knee), sophomore LB Dee Finley

Inactives
Redshirt sophomore WR Frankie Hammond, Jr. (indefinite suspension), junior S Will Hill (team decision)

FLORIDA ON ESPN COLLEGE GAMEDAY

The host of the first game to air Saturday on ESPN, Florida will be profiled in part during the network’s College GameDay broadcast beginning at 9 a.m. on ESPNU (hosted by Erin Andrews) and continuing from 10 a.m. until noon on ESPN. The main feature on the Gators will be a report from Tom Rinaldi focusing on Meyer’s decision to unretire one day after resigning from his job before the 2010 Sugar Bowl. Additionally, ESPN will feature a sound bite from Meyer talking about Florida’s offense, which will then be discussed by analysts Desmond Howard and David Pollack.

Read OGGOA’s Florida Gators vs. Miami RedHawks preview after the jump!
Continue Reading » Week 1: No. 3 Florida Gators vs. Miami RedHawks

Tags: A.J. Jones, Ahmad Black, Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Caleb Sturgis, Carl Johnson, Chris Rainey, College GameDay, Debose, Dee Finley, Deonte Thompson, Erin Andrews, ESPN, Florida Field, Frankie Hammond, Janoris Jenkins, Jeff Demps, Jelani Jenkins, Jeremy Brown, John Brantley, Jon Bostic, Jordan Reed, MAC, Marcus Gilbert, Matt Patchan, Miami RedHawks, Michael Haywood, Mike Pouncey, Omar Hunter, Sugar Bowl, Tangerine Bowl, Terron Sanders, The Swamp, Tim Tebow, Trey Burton, Urban Meyer, Will Hill, Xavier Nixon, Zac Dysert

On July 21, former Florida Gators center Maurkice Pouncey officially denied allegations that he took $100,000 from a runner for an agent between the 2009 Southeastern Conference Championship and 2010 Sugar Bowl, an accusation that was sent to the University of Florida by a letter postmarked in Canada in June.

“I did not accept $100,000, it is an absolutely ridiculous claim. I have completely cooperated with the investigation and answered any and all questions put to me,” Pouncey had said.

Still technically under investigation by by the NCAA and UF for a potential rules violation, he has done everything he can up until this point to cooperate and prove his innocence, including providing “phone, bank and credit card statements that do not show large payments,” ESPN‘s Joe Schad previously reported.

Now signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Pouncey has once again denied the allegations – doing so this time in an even more specific and direct manner.

“It’s not true,” Pouncey told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “I don’t know who would ever write a letter like that to try to distort somebody’s name. It’s not fair. It’s not true, everybody knows. [...] They went through a whole investigation and couldn’t find anything. It’s almost [over]. They couldn’t find anything. I am just happy that everybody said it wasn’t true. I am just happy everybody could just see it.”

He proclaims that, when choosing his agent, he did so according to regulations. “I did the player panel and everything,” he said. “When I picked my agent, I went through the school. They do it the right way. There is no fault there.”

Pouncey also described the range of emotions he went through when finding about the allegations. “I thought my brother was playing with me he first called me. I was actually [in Pittsburgh] when he first told me and I was like, ‘You have to be kidding me.’ I went to the school and kind of said, ‘You all better be behind me if it’s not true.’”

Tags: Maurkice Pouncey, NCAA, Pittsburgh Steelers, SEC Championship, Sugar Bowl, University of Florida

Former Florida Gators center Maurkice Pouncey has denied allegations that he took $100,000 from a runner for an agent between the 2009 Southeastern Conference Championship and 2010 Sugar Bowl in a statement sent to The Gainesville Sun.

“I did not accept $100,000, it is an absolutely ridiculous claim. I have completely cooperated with the investigation and answered any and all questions put to me.”

Pouncey, who is still being investigated by the NCAA and University of Florida for a potential rules violation, has “provided phone, bank and credit card statements that do not show large payments,” ESPN‘s Joe Schad previously reported.

The No. 18 overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers, he was allegedly paid by a Lakeland-based go-between. A letter sent to tip-off UF about the supposed incident was postmarked in Canada and apparently “contained photographic evidence of an alleged runner for an agent in social situations,” according to Schad.

Pouncey did tell investigators that a Cadillac Escalade and pieces of jewelry he owns were purchased after the draft with a deferred line of credit. These possessions were shared with his brother, senior center Mike Pouncey, on occasion.

“We were made aware of some information in early June that we reported to law enforcement and we then shared with the NCAA and the SEC,” Gators athletic director Jeremy Foley said in a statement Monday morning. “At this time we have no information that has indicated that there are any compliance issues for the University of Florida.”

OGGOA RELATED: Pouncey plans to deny allegations on Tuesday
OGGOA RELATED: Maurkice Pouncey allegedly paid $100K by agent

Tags: Draft, Jeremy Foley, Maurkice Pouncey, Mike Pouncey, NCAA, NFL, Pittsburgh Steelers, SEC, SEC Championship, Sugar Bowl, University of Florida

Former Florida Gators center Maurkice Pouncey planned to deny allegations that he accepted $100,000 from the associate of an agent between the 2009 Southeastern Conference Championship and 2010 Sugar Bowl on Tuesday but will instead release an official statement after head coach Urban Meyer completes his press conference for the 2010 SEC Media Days on Wednesday, according to ESPN’s Joe Schad.

Meyer is set to speak to the media from the Wynfrey Hotel in Hoover, AL, at 5:30 p.m. Preceding him are seniors center Mike Pouncey, safety Ahmad Black and defensive end Justin Trattou, who will hold a scheduled press conference earlier in the day.

OGGOA RELATED: Pouncey plans to deny allegations on Tuesday
OGGOA RELATED: Maurkice Pouncey allegedly paid $100K by agent

Tags: Ahmad Black, Justin Trattou, Maurkice Pouncey, Mike Pouncey, NCAA, SEC, SEC Championship, SEC Media Days, Sugar Bowl, University of Florida

Former Florida Gators center Maurkice Pouncey plans to deny allegations that he accepted $100,000 from the associate of an agent between the 2009 Southeastern Conference Championship and 2010 Sugar Bowl, according to ESPN’s Joe Schad.

Pouncey, who is currently being investigated by the NCAA and University of Florida for a potential rules violation, has “provided phone, bank and credit card statements that do not show large payments,” Schad reports.

The No. 18 overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers, he and his family plan to deny the allegation of accepting an illegal monetary gift on Tuesday.

In an interesting twist, Schad notes that the letter sent to tip off Florida about the 2010 Rimington Trophy winner “contained photographic evidence of an alleged runner for an agent in social situations” and was postmarked in Canada.

A source tells The Miami Herald that a “Lakeland-based ‘runner’ was used in the transaction between Pouncey and the jilted sports agent” who allegedly paid Pouncey $100,000 only to see him sign with Joel Segal of Lagardère Unlimited instead of his firm.

Pouncey also told investigators that a Cadillac Escalade and pieces of jewelry he owns were purchased after the draft with a deferred line of credit, similar to what LeBron James’ mother Gloria received when her son was on his way to the NBA. These possessions were shared with his brother, senior center Mike Pouncey, on occasion.

ProFootballTalk.com adds that “a separate source with knowledge of the Pouncey family tells us that, in the source’s opinion, it’s 99.99 percent likely that the Pounceys did not accept cash or other benefits from an agent before [his] eligibility expired.”

“We were made aware of some information in early June that we reported to law enforcement and we then shared with the NCAA and the SEC,” Gators athletic director Jeremy Foley said in a statement Monday morning. “At this time we have no information that has indicated that there are any compliance issues for the University of Florida.”

OGGOA will continue updating this story as more information is made available.

OGGOA RELATED: Maurkice Pouncey allegedly paid $100K by agent

Tags: Draft, Jeremy Foley, Maurkice Pouncey, Mike Pouncey, NCAA, NFL, Pittsburgh Steelers, Rimington Trophy, SEC, SEC Championship, Sugar Bowl, University of Florida

1 » Three Florida Gators seniors – center Mike Pouncey, safety Ahmad Black and defensive end Justin Trattou – were slated to join head coach Urban Meyer at the team’s 2010 Southeastern Conference Media Day on Wed., July 21. Some thought things would change for Mike after it became public on Monday that his brother, Pittsburgh Steelers first-round draft choice Maurkice, is the subject of a NCAA probe alleging he was paid $100,000 by an agent’s associate prior to the 2010 Sugar Bowl. After speaking to a Florida official, The Independent Florida Alligator reports that there will not be any changes in the team’s plans and that Pouncey is expected to be in front of reporters at some point from 3:20-6 p.m. that day.

2 » On June 28, OGGOA reported that three-star wide receiver Ja’Juan Story (Brooksville, FL) verbally committed to the Gators, spurning a bevy of other top programs in the process. Though most schools have stopped recruiting him, the LSU Tigers and former Florida WR coach Billy Gonzales have continued pursuing him. “Things have calmed down, but LSU didn’t,” Story told the St. Petersburg Times. “Coach Gonzale[s] wrote to me on Facebook and asked if I was 100 percent committed to UF because they still wanted me. I didn’t respond to it. […] I’m glad I committed.”

Photo Credit: Eliot J. Schechter/Getty Images

Tags: Ahmad Black, Billy Gonzales, Ja'Juan Story, Justin Trattou, LSU Tigers, Maurkice Pouncey, Mike Pouncey, Pittsburgh Steelers, SEC, SEC Media Days, Sugar Bowl, Urban Meyer

An investigation is underway at the University of Florida to determine whether or not former Florida Gators center Maurkice Pouncey (a first-round draft choice of the Pittsburgh Steelers) was paid $100,000 by a representative of an agent between the 2009 Southeastern Conference Championship and 2010 Sugar Bowl.

According to a report by Pat Forde of ESPN, “Florida and NCAA officials are investigating a potential rules violation that allegedly occurred last December.”

“We were made aware of some information in early June that we reported to law enforcement and we then shared with the NCAA and the SEC,” Gators athletic director Jeremy Foley told ESPN Monday morning. “At this time we have no information that has indicated that there are any compliance issues for the University of Florida.”

UF reported the information to law enforcement first because the alleged payment may violate the state of Florida’s agent registration laws.

Forde speculates that, if Pouncey did indeed accept the payment, Florida may have to vacate its Sugar Bowl victory as he would have been ineligible to participate in the game.

It is unknown which agent or agency may have made this alleged payment to Pouncey.

He is currently being represented by Joel Segal of Lagardère Unlimited.

OGGOA UPDATE: Pouncey plans to deny allegations on Tuesday

Tags: Jeremy Foley, Maurkice Pouncey, NCAA, SEC, SEC Championship, Sugar Bowl, University of Florida

Flying into West Palm Beach, FL, for a Gator Gathering with the Palm Beach County Gator Club on Monday evening, Florida Gators offensive coordinator Steve Addazio was anything but tired from a long day’s work. He gave a passionate and informative speech and answered questions for over 90 minutes before departing. Below is a recap of some of the more newsworthy, interesting and passionate things that Addazio had to say during the event:

Check out much of what Addazio had to say Monday…after the break!
Continue Reading » Addazio “really jacked up about” Gators in 2010

Tags: Ahmad Black, Andre Debose, Arizona Cardinals, Billy Davis, Chris Rainey, Deonte Thompson, Donovan McNabb, Gator Gathering, Gerald Christian, Janoris Jenkins, Jeff Demps, Jelani Jenkins, Jeremy Brown, John Brantley, Jon Bostic, Jordan Reed, Josh Shaw, Justin Trattou, Lawrence Marsh, Matt Elam, Matt Patchan, Mike Pouncey, Moses Jenkins, Robert Clark, Steve Addazio, Sugar Bowl, Teryl Austin, Tim Tebow, Trey Burton, Urban Meyer