Week 2: No. 6 Florida Gators v. South Florida Bulls

By Adam Silverstein
September 10, 2010

Location: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium – Gainesville, FL [Capacity: 88,548]
Weather Forecast: 89°F, 20% chance of precipitation
Time: 12:21 p.m. (EST)

TV: SEC Network [affiliates]
Sirius/XM: 219/200
Online Video: ESPN3.com
Online Audio: Yahoo!
Live Updates: @OnlyGators

No. 6 FLORIDA GATORS SOUTH FLORIDA BULLS
Head Coach: Urban Meyer Head Coach: Skip Holtz
Record: 1-0 Record: 1-0
Conference: Southeastern Conference: Big East
Roster | Schedule Roster | Schedule

Odds: Florida -15; O/U 50

HISTORY and STREAKS

» Saturday is the first-ever meeting between Florida and South Florida in football.
» The Gators are sporting an 11-game home winning streak and have won 21 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.
» Under Meyer, Florida is 9-0 against intrastate opponents (5-0 vs. FSU, 1-0 vs. Miami, FIU, FAU and UCF).
» The Gators and Bulls were the only two teams in the country to record four interceptions in the first week of the 2010 season. This is the third time UF has picked off four balls under Meyer, the first time four different players did so.
» Florida is 8-3-2 all-time against Big East opponents.
» UF committed a nation-low 84 turnovers since 2005 and has had 23 games in which they did not give up a single turnover (best in the nation).
» The Gators limited Miami (OH) to 0.2 yards per carry last week, four rushing yards on 22 carries. This is the fewest allowed by a Florida defense since it held Tennessee to -11 rushing yards on Sept. 16, 2006.
» For the 20th time in 22 games, the Gators did not allow a single punt return yard.
» South Florida has won six of its last nine games against teams ranked in the Associated Press and/or USA Today Coaches Top 25 poll(s).
» Florida assistant head coach/defense and defensive line coach Dan McCarney was on staff at USF in 2007; co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach Chuck Heater worked with Holtz at Notre Dame in 1990.

KEEP AN EYE ON…

» Redshirt junior quarterback John Brantley…who is looking to rebound from a rough outing in which he started his first collegiate game. He has thrown 86 consecutive passes without an interception and has a 12-1 TD/INT ratio while playing for the Gators.
» Junior running back Jeff Demps…who had a career-long 72-yard rushing TD last week. Demps leads the nation in rushing yards per touch (7.8) since 2008 and yards per carry (7.9) since 2009; he complied 98 yards on Saturday.
» Florida’s veteran offensive line…which is hoping senior center Mike Pouncey has overcome his snap problems and continue to be a strong leader for the group.
» Redshirt junior wide receiver Chris Rainey…who has moved to the slot after playing running back for two seasons. Rainey hopes to be explosive while playing a modified “Percy Position” and could very well be the team’s best offensive weapon this season. He had a career-high six catches last week.
» Bulls starting QB B.J. Daniels…a dual-threat signal caller who draws comparisons to Michael Vick. Daniels went 15-of-22 for 264 yards and two TDs through the air and rushed five times for 23 yards and one TD on the ground last week against Stony Brook. He finished the 2009 season with 1,983 passing yards, 772 rushing yards and 23 total TDs, completing 53.7 percent of his passes and earning a QB rating of 139.55.
» Redshirt sophomore cornerback Jeremy Brown…who is now the team’s full-time starter opposite junior CB Janoris Jenkins. Brown missed last season with a back injury and is starting his first game Saturday.
» Redshirt freshman WR Andre Debose…who missed the entire 2009 season with a hamstring injury but is expected to make an immediate impact offensively. Debose did not play against Miami (OH) and will see the field for the first time against South Florida.
» Sophomore RB Mike Gillislee…who has achieved a run of more than 40 yards in back-to-back games, rushing for a 41-yard gain against Miami (OH) and a 52-yard gain in the 2010 Sugar Bowl.

INJURIES and INACTIVES
Injuries
Probable – Sophomore left tackle Xavier Nixon, redshirt freshman tight end Jordan Reed (knees), redshirt senior defensive tackles Terron Sanders and Lawrence Marsh
Doubtful – Freshman WR Chris Dunkley (hamstring)
Out – Redshirt sophomore LT Matt Patchan (wrist)

Inactives
None (will update closer to game time)

FLORIDA ON ESPN COLLEGE GAMEDAY

The Gators will be featured, in part, 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. In the first hour, Andrews, Desmond Howard and David Pollack will discuss what level of concern Florida should have for their team after a rough first week. Later in the show, Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit and Lee Corso will talk about the fumbling problems the Gators experienced against Miami (OH) and how easy or difficult it may be to get those fixed in a week’s time.

Read OGGOA’s Florida Gators vs. South Florida Bulls preview after the jump!

No. 6 Florida Gators vs. South Florida Bulls Preview

The No. 6/8 Florida Gators (1-0) won their 2010 season opener by 22 points last Saturday, but one probably would not know that if they just watched highlights or read about the team’s performance. Instead, the focus after the game was on the team’s numerous miscues, ranging from difficulties in snapping the ball to failing to consistently drive down the field on offense. The Gators hope all doubts will be quieted Saturday as the South Florida Bulls (1-0) come to Gainesville, FL, and enter Ben Hill Griffin Stadium for the first-ever meeting between the two schools.

Having struggled with corralling some of senior center Mike Pouncey’s errant snaps while simultaneously fumbling some in his own right, redshirt junior quarterback John Brantley hopes to shine after getting the starting jitters out of his system last week.

Sophomore tight end Jordan Reed, returning from a knee injury, and redshirt freshman wide receiver Andre Debose should help him to that end with both set to see the field for the first time the season. Also returning to action is sophomore left tackle Xavier Nixon, who may or may not start but will certainly help solidify the Gators’ offensive line.

The Bulls will also have to contend with junior running back Jeff Demps and redshirt junior WR Chris Rainey, two speedsters who head coach Urban Meyer is making it a point to feature early on in the season.

Defensively, Florida has been preparing for South Florida sophomore QB B.J. Daniels, a dual-threat signal caller who has scored a combined 26 touchdowns over his last 14 games. Bulls head coach Skip Holtz will likely let Daniels free, allowing him to attempt to exploit the Gators’ stout defense as much as possible.

Back from injury, redshirt senior defensive tackles Terron Sanders and Lawrence Marsh will see action and do their best to shore up the middle of the line, allowing the Gators to get even more pressure on the ends. Florida certainly hopes to add to its nation-high four interceptions pulled down last week with continued pressure from the secondary attempting to force Daniels into mistakes.

Catch the Gators’ second game of the season live on television on the SEC Network, online at ESPN3.com, via the radio or through OGGOA‘s live updates on Twitter.

23 Comments

  1. Gatorbuc15 says:

    Let’s go boys! It’s time to redeem yourselves!

    UF-38 USF-14

    Go Gators!!!!!

  2. PGator says:

    Great overview Adam, OGGOA is the best.

  3. APKGATOR says:

    UF-41 USF-13

    GO GATORS!!!

  4. caligator says:

    Go Gators!!! Give ’em an SEC beatdown…

  5. Luke says:

    UF-28 USF-17, but I’ll take a W!

  6. dustin latham says:

    i am praying that our offense got some things worked out this past week!!!! if so, uf 45 usf 17

  7. Mark says:

    If we can snap the ball we win. If Pouncey can’t then we lose. Simple as that

  8. Mr2Bits says:

    Gators win 41-10….EZPZ

  9. Daniel M. says:

    Do we get to see Brantley stand in the pocket and pick apart the Bulls secondary today? I hope so.

  10. Mark says:

    Daniel,

    Is Steve Adazzio still our OC? Then the answer is no.

    You will get to see him use that great arm to throw lots of bubble screens though. YAY!

  11. dp says:

    Seriously…enough of this Will Hill bullshit. Play the damn all-American

  12. Mike says:

    Gators will lose today and four more games at this rate. Fire Addazio

  13. Mike says:

    Usf 24. Fla 17

  14. dp says:

    Can someone please direct me to the fire Addazio web-site?

  15. dp says:

    And while you’re at it…direct me to the “take back Caleb Sturgis’ scholarship” page

  16. John Shanks says:

    Ugly…but lets get the win. Our OL is just bad though. The playing calling seems pre determined, it doesn’t seem to be determined by the defense which is bush league. Regardless of play calling (and drops) we’re too soft, this offensive line looks babied. Hopefully we’ll harden as reality sets in.

    Also why did we schedule USF? We have nothing to gain. If we wanted to toughen our schedule we should have chosen a bigger name.

  17. dp says:

    Adam what’s up with Hill and Rainey…and once again…Debose is nowhere to be found.

  18. John Shanks says:

    Okay, the offensive line came to play in the second half and the defense played really well. Lets hand it to the Vols next week.

  19. Daniel M. says:

    38-14

    Mark, you can include an Applebees gift card in your apology note to Addz

  20. Gatorbuc15 says:

    Would you look at that. I believe that I predicted that the final score would be 38-14. 🙂

  21. brlgator says:

    daniel m.

    addazio really vindicated himself in your eyes today?

    I ve said it before and i ll say it again. he should be our OL coach and assistant head coach hell you can call him the running coordinator if you want but he should not be the play caller period.

  22. Wingtee says:

    Yea gator buc pat yourself on your ass

  23. Daniel M. says:

    Brl,
    Vindicate? Not sure. I do know the offense was wide open today. I’ll tell you, win or lose, if he’s vindicated after the Bama game.

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