Each week following a Florida Gators game, ONLY GATORS Get Out Alive grades the team position-by-position based on each unit’s performance. This week, we look at how the Gators fared against the Georgia Bulldogs at the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party, which took place at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, FL.

QUARTERBACKS: B+
Was redshirt junior John Brantley spectacular on Saturday? Certainly not. His 16-of-25 performance for 193 yards and an interception proves that. However, if you combine his offensive contributions with his willingness to share the starting quarterback role, ability to operate in Florida’s no-huddle offense and the output of freshman Trey Burton (2-of-2 for 26 yards, 17 carries for 110 yards and two touchdowns), you have a top-notch performance from this unit. Throw out Brantley’s interception as a miscue from sophomore wide receiver Omarius Hines and you have a mistake-free showing that also included a perfect clutch pass to redshirt junior WR Deonte Thompson and his second longest throw of the year – a 40-yard dart. With an increased ability to see the field, healthy backfield and more streamlined offense, Brantley should only improve as the season continues – something to keep an eye on week-to-week.

RUNNING BACKS: B+
Head coach Urban Meyer noted leading up to the Georgia game that Florida must have explosive home run plays in its running game in order to succeed with their plan to win from an offensive perspective. That was achieved Saturday, though the biggest play came on a 51-yard option keeper by Burton. Junior running back Jeff Demps (at around 90 percent health) and redshirt junior WR Chris Rainey (running the ball due to depth issues) got all the work in the backfield with Rainey getting the majority of the carries (16 to Demps’ nine). For not having played in five weeks and practicing the entire offseason mostly at WR, Rainey had a more than respectable performance averaging 5.2 yards per carry and totaling 89 on the game. Demps ran the ball for 38 yards (4.2 average). The duo certainly exceeded expectations but was certainly not stellar comparative to what the unit has done in the past.

Read the rest of Florida’s grades from the Georgia game after the jump…
Continue Reading » Grading the Florida Gators vs. Georgia game

Tags: A.J. Jones, Aaron Murray, Ahmad Black, Brandon Boykin, Caleb King, Caleb Sturgis, Carl Moore, Chas Henry, Chris Rainey, Chuck Heater, Deonte Thompson, EverBank Field, Frankie Hammond, Georgia Bulldogs, Janoris Jenkins, Jeff Demps, Jelani Jenkins, Jeremy Brown, John Brantley, Jon Bostic, Justin Trattou, Omarius Hines, Ronald Powell, Steve Addazio, Teryl Austin, Trey Burton, Urban Meyer, Washaun Ealey, Will Hill, Zach Azzanni

Against the Florida Gators in the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party in Jacksonville, FL, on Saturday, Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Aaron Murray threw three interceptions including one in overtime that was a big part of his team losing the game. Georgia also let Florida – with a struggling offense – tear them up for 450 total yards of offense including 231 and four touchdowns on the ground.

However, in an age where actions are brought to light after-the-fact and football players are run through the ringer because someone happened to capture a heat-of-the-moment action on video, we come to you this Tuesday and wonder why coaches are not being held to the same standard.

Exhibit A

The first thing many of you will notice about that video clip is Bulldogs head coach Mark Richt calling a timeout in an attempt to ice and rattle Gators senior punter/kicker Chas Henry. (Hint: It didn’t work, Henry made a 37-yard game-winning field goal just moments later.) But if you look just a bit closer, you will see Georgia defensive coordinator Todd Grantham wringing his hands around his own throat and screaming out to Henry, “You’re gonna f’n choke! You’re gonna choke!”

Grantham was so loud and so violent in his motion that Henry appears to have noticed it while on the field preparing for one of the biggest moments of his life.

Exhibit B

Just one year ago, after a video of former Gators linebacker Brandon Spikes appeared on YouTube showing him clearly jamming his fingers in Bulldogs running back Washaun Ealey‘s facemask but not hurting him in any way during a rough tackle, head coach Urban Meyer addressed the situation and suspended him for a half. The media laughed and ridiculed Meyer for his light punishment leading Spikes to release a statement and then voluntarily sit the entire game on his own accord as not to distract his team.

Remember: In football, if a player makes a great play and celebrates by even motioning his hand under his neck in any manner, it’s a penalty.

Yet more than 48 hours have passed since Grantham, a leader for young men in an amateur sport, gave this clearly obscene gesture and not only has no apology been provided (even simply to his employer – the University of Georgia), the team’s coaches and school administration have failed to address the situation and refused comment.

Where are the columns of outrage from Paul Finebaum, Mike Bianchi, Dennis Dodd and Gregg Doyel? Why haven’t Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon whined about Graham’s actions on Pardon the Interruption?

Hypocritical? Yes. Surprising? No.

Grantham didn’t hurt anyone. He didn’t put his hands on an opposing player or hold up the middle finger or anything of the sort. Nevertheless, he should be held accountable for his actions – an adult in a position of authority should know better no matter how excitable and important the moment.

No one is calling for Grantham to be fired or even suspended. He made a mistake – mistakes happen. People lose their cool. It is understandable. But at least have the decency to stand up like a man and apologize when you’re wrong. If you ask that from a 21-year old college senior, it is the least you can expect from a 44-year-old coach.

UPDATE: A response from Richt…though not nearly what one would expect. “I’ll just say that emotions run high,” Richt said. “People do things they probably wish they didn’t do, so I think that [the choke sign] was what was being communicated. I don’t think he’s necessarily proud of it. We’re just going to learn from it and move on.”

UPDATE II: Tuesday evening, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution caught up with Grantham who appeared to halfheartedly express regret about making the gesture but refused to provide any sort of apology or admission of guilt. “As a competitor, sometimes you get caught up in the heat of the moment,” Grantham said. “I wish the situation hadn’t happened. It was a tough, hard-fought game. They won it, and I’m ready to move forward and finish out the year strong.” Grantham also told the paper he spoke to Richt and athletic director Greg McGarity about the incident. Asked whether or not he owes an apology to Henry, Grantham said: “I’ve kind of basically said what I’m going to say.” Great example to set for your students, Todd.

Tags: Brandon Spikes, Chas Henry, Georgia Bulldogs, Greg McGarity, Mark Richt, Todd Grantham, Urban Meyer, Washaun Ealey, World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party

Location: EverBank Field – Jacksonville, FL [Capacity: 84,000]
Weather Forecast: 77°F, partly cloudy
Time: 3:30 p.m. (EST)

TV: CBS/CBSHD
Sirius/XM: 121/141
Online Video: CBSSports.com
Online Audio: Yahoo!
Live Updates: @OnlyGators

Odds: Pick ‘em; O/U 49

HISTORY and STREAKS

» Georgia leads the all-time series 46-39-2 against Florida, holding a 40-36-1 advantage in Jacksonville. The Gators have won back-to-back games in the series, defeating the Bulldogs 49-10 in 2008 and 41-17 last season.
» Over the last 20 years, UF holds a 17-3 advantage over UGA. Under Meyer, Florida is 4-1 against Georgia since 2005.
» The Gators are now 22-30 in the red zone in 2010 with 20 touchdowns and two field goals. Earlier this season, Florida had a run of 15 straight scores inside the red zone including 14 touchdowns.
» Florida’s offense has seen 12 different players overall score a touchdown this year – including defense and special teams.
» The Bulldogs are out-scoring opponents 63-31 in the first quarter while the Gators are being outscored 14-26 in the same period.
» Florida is one of two schools in the nation (Nebraska) that has three players with at least three interceptions.
» The Gators have faced the SEC’s (at-the-time) leading rusher three times this season; each time, the player no longer led the SEC after facing UF.
» Florida under Meyer is 40-1 when holding an opponent under 16 points, 29-3 when shutting an opponent out in the fourth quarter, 37-3 when holding an opponent to 35 percent or less on third down, 37-2 when giving up two or less big plays (15-yard run/25-yard pass) and 31-3 when the Gators defense scores or creates three turnovers.
» Florida is tied for the national lead with 13 interceptions on the season. Five have been returned for more than 30 yards – three for touchdowns.
» Georgia has won three straight games (Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Kentucky) by a combined score of 128-45. The Bulldogs scored 41 or more points in all three contests. Comparatively, the Gators scored 31 and 48 points against UT and UK, respectively.
» The Bulldogs out-rank the Gators in three of four major statistical averages. Georgia is 55th in passing yards (228.4), 59th in rushing yards (153.8), 39th in points scored (31.5) and 30th in points against (19.1) compared to Florida being 82nd in passing yards (186.9), 75th in rushing yards (142.1), 62nd in points scored (27.6) and 26th in points against (18.7). Both defeated common opponents Tennessee and Kentucky, but UF has faced two top-10 defenses this year in Alabama (No. 2) and LSU (No. 10).
» Saturday’s game is the first time since 1979 that at least one of the two teams is not nationally ranked. In fact, both teams have been in the top 25 on 17 occasions when they have faced each other since that year.
» New Georgia athletic director Greg McGarity previously worked was executive senior associate athletic director of internal affairs under Florida’s Jeremy Foley; he was with the school from 1992-2010.
» Gators redshirt sophomores defensive tackle Omar Hunter and fullback T.J. Pridemore both attended Buford High School, as did a number of Bulldogs including Kolton Houston, Billy Johnson and Dallas Lee.
» Florida is unranked for the first time under Meyer’s. The Gators had been listed in every poll since he took over in 2005 until they lost to Mississippi State two weeks ago.
» Four players were inducted into the Florida-Georgia Hall of Fame on Friday including former Gators linebackers Scot Brantley and Wilber Marshall, and former Bulldogs quarterback Zeke Bratkowski and linebacker Knox Culpepper.
» Florida will wear Nike Pro Combat uniforms for the Georgia game. They are one of 10 teams selected to wear a specially designed uniform by the company this season.

KEEP AN EYE ON…

FLORIDA
» Redshirt junior quarterback John Brantley…who had thrown 156 consecutive passes without an interception dating back to 2009, now has a 6-5 TD/INT ratio this season after throwing another pick last week. He has completed 125-of-208 passes (62.0 percent) for 1,266 yards and has a passer rating of 117.9.
» Junior running back Jeff Demps…who is averaging 6.5 yards per carry and still leads the Gators in rushing (482 yards) after missing a full game and being limited in three others. He was Florida’s leading rusher in its first five games of the season.
» Redshirt junior WR Deonte Thompson…who has seen a dip in his average yards per game this season down to 50.4. He remains the Gators’ leading receiver with 25 catches for 353 yards with a majority of his receptions earning UF first downs.
» Redshirt senior WR Carl Moore…who continues to be clutch for the Gators each week. Twelve of Moore’s last 15 catches have been for first downs including two against Tennessee, four against Kentucky, two against Alabama, three against LSU and one against Mississippi State.
» Freshman QB Trey Burton…who set a school record and SEC freshman record by scoring six touchdowns in a single game against Kentucky. He has nine scores on the season, has played five positions and may see more time behind center with the team wanting to run the ball better out of the option.
» Senior punter Chas Henry…who is the end-all be-all of Florida’s kicking game now that he has taken over for junior Caleb Sturgis (back) as the team’s field goal kicker. Henry has missed his last four field goal attempts (one negated by penalty) after nailing his first two against Alabama.
» Florida’s secondary…which has intercepted eight balls this season but has been held without a pick over the last three games. Senior safety Ahmad Black (three), redshirt sophomore CB Jeremy Brown (three) and junior cornerback Janoris Jenkins (two) and are leading the way for the unit. Brown returned one for a touchdown two games ago, and Black is tops on the team with 50 tackles on the year while also being the conference’s active leader in interceptions (11) and interception return yards (233).
» Black…who has led Florida in tackles four times this season: vs. LSU (13), Miami (10), Mississippi State (10) and USF (8). He is tops on the team overall with 60 tackles, including three for loss.

GEORGIA
» WR A.J. Green…who leads the Bulldogs in receptions (22) even though he missed the first four games of the season. Since returning, he has amassed 365 yards and four touchdowns, catching six or more balls three times for 86 or more yards.
» QB Aaron Murray…who has completed 121-of-193 passes this season for 1,766 yards, 12 touchdowns and three interceptions, earning him a 157.0 passer rating. Murray has passed for seven TDs and one INT in the last four games (Georgia is 3-1).
» RB Washaun Ealey…who is averaging five yards per carry on 105 touches. With seven touchdowns on the season, he has accounted for more than any other player on the team and also leads Georgia with 526 rushing yards.
» Linebacker Justin Houston…who leads the SEC with nine sacks after registering 5.5 over the last three games. He is also second in the conference in tackles for loss (14.5).

INJURIES and INACTIVES
Injuries
Active – Junior RB Jeff Demps (foot), sophomore RB Mike Gillislee (hamstring), redshirt senior RB Emmanuel Moody (thigh), redshirt freshman right guard Jon Halapio (finger)
Probable – Redshirt freshman WR Andre Debose, redshirt junior DT Jaye Howard

Inactives
Redshirt sophomore LT Matt Patchan (broken wrist), junior K Caleb Sturgis (back), sophomore LB Dee Finley (fractured collarbone), freshmen RB Mack Brown, WRs Quinton Dunbar and Chris Dunkley (hamstrings)

FLORIDA ON ESPN COLLEGE GAMEDAY

The Gators and Bulldogs will be featured during ESPN’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. Reporter Joe Schad will have an exclusive interview with Meyer and the show’s three hosts – Chris Fowler, Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit – will be picking the game in the show’s final segment.

Read OGGOA’s Florida Gators vs. Georgia Bulldogs preview after the jump!
Continue Reading » Week 9: Florida Gators vs. Georgia Bulldogs

Tags: A.J. Green, Aaron Murray, Ahmad Black, Billy Johnson, Caleb Sturgis, Carl Moore, Chas Henry, Chris Rainey, Dallas Lee, Deonte Thompson, Emmanuel Moody, Florida-Georgia, Georgia Bulldogs, Greg McGarity, Hall of Fame, Janoris Jenkins, Jeff Demps, Jeremy Brown, Jeremy Foley, John Brantley, Justin Houston, Knox Culpepper, Kolton Houston, Mark Richt, Mike Gillislee, Nike, Nike Pro Combat, OKefenokee Oar, Omar Hunter, Scot Brantley, T.J. Pridemore, Trey Burton, Urban Meyer, Washaun Ealey, Wilber Marshall, World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party, Zeke Bratkowski

After being suspended half a game by head coach Urban Meyer on Monday for reaching into the helmet of Georgia Bulldogs running back Washaun Ealey on Saturday, Florida Gators senior linebacker Brandon Spikes decided to remove himself from the entire game this week against the Vanderbilt Commodores. According to Meyer, Spikes sat down with him and defensive coordinator Charlie Strong on Tuesday night and expressed that he thought it would be best for the team if he sat the entire game. The threesome came to a group decision on a full-game suspension.

“I really don’t want to be a distraction to the team,” Spikes told reporters in a brief statement. “I want the guys to prepare without any negative things going on, and I feel like if I would play it would be a big thing. I’m just trying to stay out of the way and just motivate the guys and I’m pretty sure that [Ryan] Stamper’s got my back and my teammates support me my decision.”

Spikes and Meyer have both received heavy criticism this week. Spikes for his maneuver and Meyer for supposedly dealing out a “soft” punishment (one which was agreed upon by the Southeastern Conference). Whether or not you believe what Spikes did was “dirty” or that Meyer’s punishment was lenient, you must respect the player for stepping up, taking the pressure off the team and owning up to his mistake for a second time.

“A lot of the negative things out there are really weighing heavy on his heart,” Meyer said. “[Spikes sitting the entire game is] a group decision and we’re doing it out of respect for our team so we can focus on trying to win our ninth game. We think it’s the right thing to do and we support Brandon for it. We look forward to him getting back and finishing the season the right way.”

As for Meyer, he is now subject to a potential fine or suspension after commenting about a missed personal foul call on a cheap shot thrown by linebacker Nick Williams on quarterback Tim Tebow. “I don’t want to step out of line, (but) there should have been a penalty, in my opinion,” Meyer said. “You have to protect quarterbacks, that’s the whole purpose. It’s right in front of the referee. I’m not sure how they’re going to handle that, but we do send it in and that was one of the plays we did send in.”

Meyer and the Gators staff sent in tape of the play for the SEC to review, but his comments came one week after commissioner Mike Slive laid down the hammer on coaches criticizing conference officials. What Meyer said in this regard was more of a “comment” than a “criticism,” as he was directly responding to a posed question and made it a point to say he had “great respect” for officials both before and after making the statement. Nevertheless, ESPN’s SEC blogger Chris Low (who spoke with conference officials) believes some type of punishment is coming for Meyer.

OGGOA will have more on these stories as information is made available.

Tags: Brandon Spikes, Charlie Strong, Georgia Bulldogs, Nick Williams, SEC, Tim Tebow, Urban Meyer, Vanderbilt Commodores, Washaun Ealey

Probably one of the most interesting Florida Gators weekly Monday press conferences took place today with head coach Urban Meyer and senior quarterback Tim Tebow at the helm as usual.

Meyer got right to the altercation involving senior linebacker Brandon Spikes gouging the eyes of Georgia Bulldogs running back Washaun Ealey, After watching the video and speaking to Southeastern Conference commissioner Mike Slive, Meyer decided to suspend Spikes for the first half against the Vanderbilt Commodores on Saturday. “I don’t condone that,” Meyer said. “That’s not who [Spikes] is. That’s not who we are. He got caught up in emotion. He has our full support.”

In support of his teammate, Tebow would later say, “I don’t think that we did anything in that game that they didn’t do. You can see on the film, too. It was an intense game.” Tebow and Meyer both indicated that Spikes had his eye gouged earlier in the game – not that it’s an excuse. Just as OGGOA said.

Updating the status of injured RB Chris Rainey (shoulder), Meyer said his arm remains in a sling making him questionable for Saturday’s game. Do not expect Rainey to play as Florida will probably use the Vanderbilt game to rest injured starters and get reserves extra playing time if the game gets out of hand.

Also of note are statements from both Meyer and Tebow that the Gators offense did not utilize a single no-huddle “banzai” play the entire game. Back to basics, it seems.

Tags: Brandon Spikes, Chris Rainey, eye gouging, Georgia Bulldogs, Mike Slive, SEC, Tim Tebow, Urban Meyer, Vanderbilt Commodores, Washaun Ealey

Covering the Florida Gators as close as I do every day, I often find the need to vent regarding some of the coverage the team receives, what occurs on the field or things that happen as it relates to the Gators. Normally I will express these opinions outside of OGGOA, but on rare occasions like this, I feel the need to put my thoughts into print.

1. Brandon Spikes’ eye gouge incident

Did Spikes eye gouge Georgia Bulldogs running back Washaun Ealey? You bet he did. Does he deserve to be held accountable and handed a suspension and/or punishment for his actions? Of course he does. (He has been suspended for the first half Saturday against the Vanderbilt Commodores.) My issue comes with the media coverage and fan reaction to this incident. Ladies and gentlemen, this is football. If you think that a dozen eye gouge attempts (and worse actions) do not go on every game in piles and at the end of plays – you are kidding yourselves. Spikes’ issue is that he did it where people could see it. He also happens to play for the No. 1 team in the country – a team that is one of the most hated in the nation. People are up in arms about Spikes’ eye gouge like it was as bad as Oregon Ducks’ RB LeGarrette Blount’s post-game punch. It wasn’t. Punishment was deserved. Don’t rake this guy over the coals for feeling he needed retribution for the eye gouges and helmet rip-offs he experienced all game long at the hands of Georgia. At some point, anger and the need for retribution do take over. Even so, there are no legitimate excuses for his actions. He is not the only one at fault here, though he is the only one who will receive punishment.

2. Lil’ Wayne gives Lane Kiffin a shout out on new mixtape [after the jump...]

Continue Reading » CHOMPING: On Spikes, Lil’ Wayne lyrics and Slive

Tags: Brandon Spikes, ESPN, eye gouging, Georgia Bulldogs, Lane Kiffin, LeGarrette Blount, Lil' Wayne, Mike Slive, Oregon Ducks, SEC, Tennessee Volunteers, Tim Tebow, Washaun Ealey

1 » Florida Gators senior quarterback Tim Tebow broke two all-time Southeastern Conference records (rushing touchdowns, rushing yards by a QB), his team clinched the SEC Eastern division title and a berth in the SEC Championship game and the offense got back on track following a few sluggish outings.

2 » According to Tebow and senior middle linebacker Brandon Spikes, the two team leaders got into a “skirmish” at some point after the Mississippi State Bulldogs game last week. “Me and T’s friends, brothers. It wasn’t nothing,” Spikes said. “It was all positive. We came together me and him, got the team together and we kind of got things right.” Tebow admitted the story was true. “There was [an issue],” Tebow said. “A lot of turmoil this past week.”

3 » Head basketball coach Billy Donovan visited the Gators football team Thursday night to discuss the difficulties in defending a national title. Donovan told the team that sticking together through adversity was important. “He motivated us,” Tebow said. “He talked to a lot of the leaders on our team and really challenged us.”

4 » Kicker Caleb Sturgis may have nailed a game-winning field goal two weeks ago, but he has never been more impressive than he was in his performance Saturday against the Georgia Bulldogs. Sturgis hit a career- and Florida-Georgia series-long 56-yard field goal in the second quarter and followed it up with a 44-yard shot in the fourth. He also made all of his extra points. “I thought that was a big momentum-changer for us,” head coach Urban Meyer said of the 56-yarder.

5 » While plenty of praise was offered to Tebow, wide receiver Riley Cooper and the entire offensive performance on Saturday, New England Patriots linebacker Junior Seau, who was at the game acting as a member of the press, lauded the play of the Gators’ linebackers. “I told [Spikes] he has something you just can’t coach, that you’re born with it,” Seau said. “He has leadership, and (I told him) not to take any of it for granted. He has that skill that Tebow has on offense, which is allowing your actions, your words to grab other people around you so they can elevate their games.”

6 » Not all of Spikes’ actions were in good taste Saturday. Could a suspension be coming for him? Spikes, who was victimized with an eye poke and had his helmet ripped off twice during the game, obviously felt the need to get even and took out his aggression on running back Washaun Ealey. While he may have been wronged often during the game, retaliation is not acceptable. A suspension from playing in the Vanderbilt Commodores game next week is a possibility. However, if the SEC does not voice any particular displeasure, Meyer may simply punish Spikes in practice. [UPDATE:] Sunday morning, Meyer said Spikes is a “very emotional player, and if that’s the case I’ll have a very serious talk with him.”

Tags: Billy Donovan, Brandon Spikes, Caleb Sturgis, Georgia Bulldogs, Junior Seau, Mississippi State Bulldogs, New England Patriots, NFL, Riley Cooper, Tim Tebow, Urban Meyer, Vanderbilt Commodores, Washaun Ealey