Print this articleFlorida Gators beat Oklahoma Sooners 24-14 in a close game!!!
How they got here…
The No. 1 Oklahoma Sooners blitzed through the regular season to the tune of a 12-1 record. They set a record for most points scored in a season with a game to spare. Their only slip-up was a 45-35 loss to Texas, the team they controversially passed up in order to make it to the conference title game. OU destroyed Missouri to claim yet another Big 12 title in the Bob Stoops era.
The No. 2 Florida Gators didn’t get off to the most graceful start, and they fell by one point at home in a shocker to Ole Miss. After an emotional promise by quarterback Tim Tebow that he would make the team play better, UF tore through the rest of the season like a well-oiled buzz saw. They defeated the previously unbeaten Alabama Crimson Tide in an instant-classic SEC Championship Game to punch their ticket to Miami.
The relative value of the two defenses in this BCS title game has been the most pervasive and contentious debate.
It's what both teams have been mouthing off about the most, and it also is perhaps what has inflamed message boards the most (other than the generic Conference Wars woofing).
Something I've see brought up a lot in recent days is that one reason why Oklahoma gives up more points and yards than Florida does is because of the fast pace of its games.
More plays per game means more points and yards allowed, you see. Another thing I've heard is that Oklahoma tends to give up a lot of points when the game is out of hand, skewing their numbers.
Back in November I recorded the Oklahoma-Texas Tech game on my DVR both in hopes of capturing the career-defining win for Mike Leach (so much for that), and just in case Florida ended up playing either of them in a bowl. I figured it would be good to have a game in which both played another top team to get some good studying in.
Select coaches and members of the University of Florida offense met with members of the media on Sunday, Jan. 4 in Ft. Lauderdale. Participating coaches and players included: offensive coordinator, assistant head coach/linebackers Steve Addazio, junior quarterback Tim Tebow, redshirt senior offensive lineman Jason Watkins, senior wide receiver Louis Murphy, sophomore offensive lineman Maurkice Pouncey, sophomore offensive lineman Mike Pouncey and redshirt senior offensive lineman Phil Trautwein.
A friend of GatorTailgating gave us this info a bit earlier today. Evidently, it has been a complete pain to get information on RV passes for the game because the wrong phone number has been published.
The correct phone number is (305) 341-4700, and then asked to be transferred to RV Parking. This phone number is open 8:30am – 4:30pm. As of mid-Monday, only 33 RV parking passes have been sold, out of a total of 100.
Get 'em while the supplies last! Go Gators!
There are two key qualities of a great player.
One is the player's athletic ability and how efficiently he plays his position on the field.
The other is the ability to leave everything on the playing field, or to disprove one's critics with your performance on the field instead of using words.
While Dominique Franks has picked up on the first quality, he still has much to learn about the second.
When responding to questions about how the Sooner defense would stop Florida quarterback Tim Tebow, Franks decided to speak up, instead of saving his retaliation for the matchup with the Gators Jan. 8.
Whether you call the game Tailgate Toss, Cornhole, Corn Toss, or Beanbag Throw, it's all the same game. In this article, we have given you instructions for to build it so that you can include this game at your next tailgate party. Also, you can practice for our Tailgating Championships which will be starting in Fall of 2009!
Select coaches and members of the University of Florida defense met with members of the media on Saturday, Jan. 3 in Ft. Lauderdale. Participating coaches and players included: defensive coordinator, associate head coach/linebackers Charlie Strong, junior linebacker Brandon Spikes, junior defensive end Jermaine Cunningham, sophomore cornerback Joe Haden, redshirt junior linebacker Ryan Stamper, sophomore safety Ahmad Black and sophomore safety Major Wright.
Percy Harvin was the third person off the Gators' plane Friday at the airport, and showed no effects of a sprained right ankle as he walked down the staircase onto the tarmac. A few moments later, Florida coach Urban Meyer stated unequivocally that Harvin will play in Thursday's national championship game against Oklahoma.
"Oh, he'll play," Meyer said. "He's good. He should practice tommorrow."
This 2-part article series is where a Gator fan and Sooner fan each ask each other 5 questions related to the big game. This is part 2 with the Sooner fan answering the Gator fan's questions.
1. Oklahoma is 0-4 in the last 4 BCS bowl games that they have played; Can Bob Stoops win the big game?
Yes, Big Game Bob may have been a misnomer in hindsight, however you have to recall he did win, and win big during his assistant coaching stints at Florida as a DC and, in his first head coaching job at Oklahoma he took the struggling Sooners (the '90s were not pretty) and took them to a bowl game (L. Ole Miss, Independence Bowl.), followed by a BCS title and Cotton Bowl and Rose Bowl victories.
This 2-part article series is where a Gator fan and Sooner fan each ask each other 5 questions related to the big game. This is part 1 with the Gator fan answering the Oklahoma fan's questions.
1. Should Tim Tebow go ahead and play safety in the MNC to raise his draft stock?
That’s a funny question that I have never heard. Tebow was a linebacker before being converted to quarterback. However, I think at the safety position we should be just fine. Ahmad Black has six interceptions and has been a huge surprise playing in a position that has lost Jamar Hornsby, Bryan Thomas, and Dorian Monroe.
Charlie Strong is preparing for what could be the biggest challenge he will face in his entire coaching career. Strong must find a way to slow down the most explosive offense in college football history led by Heisman winning QB Sam Bradford, who has led the NCAA in passing efficiency for the second-straight year.
Oklahoma also featured two running backs in their backfield that rushed for over 1,000 yards each. Unfortunately for Oklahoma, one of those running backs, DeMarco Murray, will be sitting on the sideline with an injury.
The Bowl Championship Series field is debatable, the outcry for respect and the demand for a playoff system is high, and teams are coming out with chips on their shoulders, ready to prove a point to the nation.
But above all, two teams have emerged from the submission that we as college football fans have come to know: the computers, the percentages, the countless polls, and most importantly, the BCS.
Amidst the controversy and chaos of the 2008-2009 campaign, we have the Big XII's Oklahoma Sooners and the SEC's Florida Gators squaring off in Miami, Florida, to be crowned 2009 National Champions.
The University of Florida men’s basketball team claimed its ninth-consecutive victory at the Orange Bowl Classic with a 74-45 victory over Winthrop at the BankAtlantic Center on Sunday. The Gators were led by sophomore forward Chandler Parsons (Casselberry, Fla.), who matched his season-high with 17 points and his career mark of four three-pointers. Parsons was named Florida’s Most Valuable Player for the tournament.
With the victory, the Gators now own a 10-2 record and have reached at least 10 wins before New Year’s for the fourth-straight season. UF has won their past 14 neutral-site games in Florida. The Gators were best from behind the three-point line, outshooting the Eagles nine-to-one.
There’s been quite a bit of discussion about small generators in several of our most recent tailgate parties. These two little generators have been the focus of most of the the discussion.
On the left, we have the Universal ChiCom 1000 watt 2-stroke generator, here represented the one sold by Northern tools who supplied the photo. This generator is currently on sale for $99.95.
On the right, we have the venerable Honda EU-1000. MSRP on this little plastic blob is $789.95 with a street price of something in the high $600 range.
Urban Meyer released a statement Saturday afternoon to announce Steve Addazio as the Gators' new Offensive Coordinator. Last month, Dan Mullen vacated the position to become the new Head Coach at another SEC school, Mississippi State University. Mulen will still call the plays in the BCS Championship Game against Oklahoma on January 8th, but Addazio will take the reigns after that game.
Many questions have floated about who could replace Mullen, but there weren't too many names to leak out in the search for a replacement. We now find out that the reason for that is it was not an outside search for Mullen's replacement.
Throughout the course of the 2008 football year, Oklahoma has scorched their opponents for an NCAA record 702 points. Sam Bradford has thrown 48 touchdowns and to the end the season had five straight games of scoring at least 60 points.
However, when you look at their schedule you have to wonder how much of a feat it really is and how will they fair when they face a good defense.
1. OU is a dangerous Underdog, in 2000 OU was a 10 1/2 point underdog against Florida St., they won the game 13-2. The most recent OU underdog Bowl win was in 2005 against then No. 6 Oregon in the Holiday Bowl( coincidentally also there last bowl win).
'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the lot,
The party was ready - Oh what a tailgate we've got!
The grills are hot and the coals are glowing,
The beer is cold and definitely flowing.
We share stories with football buddies we’ve met,
Of victories and losses -
And some games we’d rather forget.
Then our talk turns to Santa
And his bag full of toys,
For men who love football, but act like small boys.
1. Graham Harrell's 28-yard TD pass to Michael Crabtree as time expired to beat Texas. This play cost the Longhorns the Big 12 South Division title and probably a spot in the NC game.
Everyone knows that there are many important tools for tailgating, but very few are absolutley neccessary. As a matter of fact, I would say there is only one tool that you almost have to have to tailgate on a consistent basis. No, I'm not talking about alcohol either. I'm talking about a professional-quality tailgating grill. Who can you name that loves to tailgate but doesn't like to grill and/or eat the food being grilled? I would venture to say that you cannot name one.
1. Tim Tebow -
A QB who can stand up a linebacker in the open field - and love every second of it - is unique in the history of the sport, college or pro. Without exception, non-skill position players see QBs as prima donnas, who don't want to hit or get hit. By contrast, Tebow's enthusiasm for taking and delivering crunching blows gains him the full respect of all his teammates.
He takes advantage of this with his emotional sideline cheerleading. For example, after scoring the go ahead touchdown against Alabama, he ran onto the field and head butted the Gator kickoff team. I repeat, he ran across the field and head butted the guys on the kickoff team.
Besides the fact that the Gators are loaded with oodles of talent and blazing speed, along with powerful leadership and brilliant coaching, they have another advantage for the BCS title game. The Oklahoma Sooners have the Heisman Trophy winner, Sam Bradford, as their starting quarterback.
Yes, Virginia, Meyer will probably come to Notre Dame, but not anytime soon.
Here's a little background on the subject. From the Associated Press, 12/03/2004:
"SALT LAKE CITY—Notre Dame athletic director Kevin White took off in a private jet, flying into a cold Utah night without Urban Meyer...
The Fighting Irish officially began their pursuit of Meyer on Thursday night when White and incoming school president The Rev. John Jenkins spent several hours meeting with Meyer about taking over the nation's most storied college football program."
Bowl Peparation
I am glad to see that the Florida coaching staff is preparing for this national title game the same way they did in 2006. It was a successful strategy, and there’s no need to reinvent the wheel on it. It’s not like the core of this team (save Harvin and Tebow) were major components of the ’06 run and might get complacent if they did the same thing as before.
After all, focus shouldn’t be a problem for them. They didn’t lose it from October on despite blowout after blowout. The only close game came as a result of the opposing team—Alabama—being a great football team and not a result of getting complacent against a bad team.
GatorTailgating.com is doing a series of articles on where and how to tailgate at all of the Gator Football away games. This article details where and what to look out for in Miami, Florida for the BCS Title Game against the Oklahoma Sooners. Go Gators!
In the Book of Revelation, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are described in dark detail. Conquest, War, Famine, and Death were their names.
Their powers were equally disturbing. Each rode a different colored steed and carried different weapons of mass destruction.
Interpretations abound about these dangerous fellas. One even suggests that they were four kings rather than doom-and-gloom horsemen.
Whenever you cram thousands of people into one concentrated area, you are bound to get a diverse group. Tailgating is no different. Most tailgaters just hang out and do their own thing without calling attention to themselves. Some tailgaters can’t do that. Without further delay, here’s a list of the 14 most annoying tailgaters you want to avoid.
Exotic Meats Guy - Alligator Stew. Barbecued frog legs. Bison burgers. This is the guy that scoffs at normal hamburgers and hot dogs as traditional tailgate food. He loves to hand someone some sort of mystery meat on a stick and then see their reaction when he reveals the name of the wild animal they just ate. Tastes like chicken, right?
Tim Tebow did something Wednesday that Florida fans didn't want him to do. He filed his paperwork just like many talented juniors, to test the NFL draft waters.
And who can blame him? Surely this National Championship winner, Heisman Trophy winner, and future pro phenom will attract lots of attention. And should Florida win another National Championship with Tebow at the helm, what more would he have to prove.
When Florida lost at home to Mississippi on September 27th, any chance for a national championship seemed lost. But, along the way, the Gators embraced every opportunity to back up Tim Tebow's promise, and make the most of the magic moments that led them to the BCS Championship Game:
How do you like the new website design? The new design incorporates most of the old website design’s layout for the content, but with a different header, and slightly different footer.
We’ve been working hard on this new design for over a month now, and it’s great to finally see it up. Some of the objectives that we’ve been working on are 1) Have the website be not as dark. 2) Make the website a bit more professional, and 3) Don’t use the green Gator Football player anymore (he was hard to fit onto shirts, business cards, banners, etc)
Anyway, comment on the bottom, and vote on the right, and tell us what you think!
Are your familiar with the concept of “The Bucket List”? The movie with the same name that follows Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman as they try to complete a wish list of things to do before they “kick the bucket”? This inspired me to come up with a “Bucket List” of tailgate parties that every tailgater should experience before they die. In no particular order…
So one debate is over. Sam Bradford stopped Tim Tebow from making history once again, but made history himself by becoming the second sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy on Saturday night. But after careful thought and consideration, one question is up for grabs when Bradford's Sooners face Tebow's Gators for the National Championship on January 8th.
Will Bradford inherit the curse of The Heisman? Or will he break the streak?
For those who don't believe there is a curse, consider this: Since 2000, only two have managed to win the Heisman and their respective bowl game in the same season. Neither were from Oklahoma, and both were from USC (Matt Leinart and Carson Palmer). Since 2000, Heisman Trophy winners are 2-5 in bowl games, with only one Heisman winner clinching the National Championship.
“Boomer”… Yes former Heisman Trophy winner Billy Sims. We know. We hear you do it every year, just on this occasion it was relevant.
For the second straight year, the voters got it right. Well, most of them. In a not as close as expected vote, Oklahoma gunslinger Sam Bradford is the 2008 Heisman Trophy winner.
Florida quarterback Tim Tebow—the 2007 winner—finished third behind Texas quarterback Colt McCoy.
Gene Chizik? Is that the best Auburn could do? If you are going to get rid of a proven commodity, please make sure you find somebody better than Gene Chizik. Please find somebody better than 5-19 in his college coaching career. Please find a coach that won more than two conference games in two seasons, losing nine in a row before bolting.
Give Bob Stoops credit: He has the PR game down pat. Not a 60-point Oklahoma Sooner victory passed this season without Coach highlighting the "precision" of his quarterback, Sam Bradford.
We've unfortunately reached a point that has everyone parroting the latest buzz phrase as soon as it is launched, from ESPN on down the sports media food chain to you and me. Short, snappy word pictures that are easy to digest and remember.
"Big and tough Alabama versus flashy Florida" makes for a better storyline than "big and tough Alabama versus also big and tough and faster Florida."
Dan Mullen has been offered and accepted the head coaching job at Mississippi State. I am not one of the message board malcontents who were calling for his head the first six weeks of the season. He has done an excellent job over his career at developing quarterbacks and, at Florida, coordinating the offense.
He would appear to be a good fit in Starkville, where decent defense is a regular occurrence, but good offense is about as common as a Mario Kart race without a blue shell. After all, if you want a good offense, hiring the coordinator from the team with the highest scoring offense in your conference two years running is a good idea.
The coaching carousel—a wild ride that makes every college football fan a bit tipsy turvy at this time of the season. With questions being ask, reports being released, and rumors running wild, this part of the year is sure to drive fans crazy.
For myself, as a Gators fan, it already has spoken volumes with a rumor swirling atop the coaching carousel.
It appears that Florida offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Dan Mullen will be leaving the University of Florida to fill the vacant head coaching position at Mississippi State.
The Tailgate Guy, Jay DiEugenio, drives his 43-foot long Ultimate Tailgate Machine — complete with four flat-screen TVs, 2 full-size kitchens and an exterior grill — to blacktops around the country finding good food and fun people and washing it all down with great beer… and we thought we had the best job in the world.
In four days, the most prestigious award in college football will be awarded. There are four possible candidates that the media has been focusing on, and unless you've been living under a rock, those four are Tim Tebow, Sam Bradford, Colt McCoy, and Graham Harrell.
The stats for these quarterbacks are very impressive. Sam Bradford leads the NCAA in touchdown passes, Graham Harrell leads the NCAA in passing yards, Colt McCoy leads the NCAA in completion percentage, and Tim Tebow leads the NCAA in best TD/Int ratio.
But the numbers are quite confusing. All three of the Big 12 quarterbacks have completed more passes than Tim Tebow has even attempted this season. With such a low number of attempts, it is quite hard to try and objectively compare all four quarterbacks.
When the Florida Gators and the Alabama Crimson Tide played for the SEC Championship yesterday it could have been equivalent to the National Championship game. Both teams are National Championship caliber teams, instead the game decided who would get to go to the BCS Championship game.
The match up was classic and it was one of the better SEC Championship games ever played in Atlanta. The Crimson Tide was up 20-17 going into the 4th quarter but the Gators scored 14 unanswered points to pull off a 31-20 victory.
Year after year, certain conferences boast that they have the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the country and lament that they should get a rematch in the BCS Championship game.
Two years ago, it was Ohio State and Michigan. This year, it is Oklahoma and Texas. However, as history shows, only the SEC has proof.
Over the past two years, SEC teams have gone 4-0 in BCS bowl games, winning two National Championships. Both times the SEC was the underdog yet won in convincing fashion.
Over the past seven years, SEC teams are 9-1. Nine and one against the elite teams in the country.
It was a game that lived up to its billing. It was a battle of champions, with the lead and momentum swinging back and forth for much of the game.
Florida played mistake-free ball. Alabama had mental lapses that may have cost it the game. The Gators seized every opportunity in the end to cement a thrilling 31-20 victory.
Bama failed to do the three things it must have done to win.
It can be logically argued that no team in college football is playing better than the Florida Gators are right now. The Gators outscore their opponents by an average of 24 points per game, own the top turnover margin in the nation, and since their loss to Ole Miss in late September, they have destroyed teams by a 414-97 margin.
However, this game will come down to defense, which just so happens to be the Alabama Crimson Tide’s strength. The Tide are allowing just 11.5 points per game and fewer than 250 total yards. Their defensive front four is one of the best in the nation and as a unit, the Crimson Tide defense is the sixth best in all of college football.
So I keep reading and hearing that this year’s SEC Championship Game is “Florida’s Flash” vs. “Alabama’s Grit.”
And I just don’t understand it.
Yes, Florida has flashy and lightning-fast players, and yes, Alabama has top-notch, gritty lineman in the trenches.
But these teams didn’t get to the SEC title game without great players all over the field.
Isn’t Tim Tebow the toughest quarterback in the nation—the “one-man wrecking ball,” as some have called him? Isn’t Julio Jones one of the best and most athletic wide receivers in college football? Are the Pouncey twins finesse players? Is Javier Arenas not one of the most electrifying return men in the nation?
The magnitude of this game is pretty simple:
Win, and you're playing in Miami on January 8th. Lose, and you're playing January 2nd in the Sugar Bowl.
This is old guard SEC and the new school mixing it up once again. These two teams have met the most in SEC Championship Games, and have provided some classics. With the staggering amount of young talent on these two squads, this will not be the last of the Florida-Alabama matchups to come in the next few years.
Prior to the start of the season, anyone who would have predicted 'Bama to be undefeated and playing in the SEC Championship Game this season has to be either a delusional 'Bammer who thinks they are going all the way each and every year, or that person has to be the best long-shot gambler the college football world has ever seen.
At best, most thought 'Bama would come away with nine wins and second place in the division. No one that I know had 'Bama picked to win the Western Division, but oh, how the tables have turned!
It's always interesting to see everyone's predictions for a game. However, they're not always justified. They're often backed up solely by emotion, hunches, selective memory, and just plain old guessing.
So, I've devised a method for predicting the yards and points for Saturday's SEC Championship Game. I looked at all the games Alabama and Florida have played against BCS conference teams and found out how the teams' offensive and defensive performances differed in comparison to what you'd expect.
How do you like the matchup this Saturday at the Georgia Dome?
Most believe that Florida has the superior speed, but Alabama is the more powerful of the two. The national media seems to like Florida, while the Alabama faithful see a return to glory. The 2008 SEC Championship will be decided this weekend, but what about the years to come?
If this year has taught us anything, it is that one program in the SEC is established as a legitimate, perennial national power.
The holiday gift giving season is upon us and that means you are completely at a loss for what to get that tailgater on your list. Have no fear but GatorTailgating.com has your 2008 Holiday Gift Giving Guide for Tailgaters. We’ll break it down by the basics for those tailgaters just starting out to the more lavish for the tailgater that has everything.
This weekend marks arguably the most anticipated SEC championship game since it's beginning in 1992. The game was played in Birmingham, at Legion Field the first two years, and since then has been moved to the Georgia Dome, in Atlanta. Alabama won the very first meeting in 1992 against Florida (28-21). It's quite the coincidence that this weekend's game with so much anticipation, features the same two teams who started it all to begin with. In fact this will mark the sixth time they have battled for SEC supremacy. Florida holds the edge 3-2, however last meeting in Atlanta (1999) Alabama won 34-7.
Top ranked Alabama enters this game undefeated for the 3rd time. The Tide are (1-1) when undefeated, and both of those games were against Florida. Second ranked Florida enters the game at 11-1, and has scored 42 or more points in seven consecutive games. It's very evident that something will have to give this weekend as Florida's high powered offense, stacks up against the stout defensive line of Alabama.
It is now official, Tim Tebow, the 2007 Heisman Trophy winner, will not win the Davey O'Brien Award, given to the best quarterback in College Football.
No Matter. Tim has bigger and better things to do.
For one, how about finishing the regular season against #20 Florida State in a 45 – 15 rout. FSU just had their best game of the year taking out Maryland in convincing fashion. Too bad that no one saw it though. The telecast was shown on ESPN against the boring blowout that was Texas Tech @ Oklahoma.
The No. 2 Florida Gators (11-1, 7-1) defeated their fourth ranked opponent of the season, No. 23 Florida State (8-4, 5-3), 45-15, on Saturday at Doak Campbell Stadium. The victory marks the fifth-straight win over FSU and extends head coach Urban Meyer’s streak to 4-0 against the Seminoles. The Gators have now won six-straight games on the road.
Florida amassed 502 total offensive yards, more than doubling the Seminoles’ 242 total yards. The Gators accumulated 284 yards in the first half alone, including 150 yards on the ground. With the 317 total rushing yards, the Gators have now scored more than 300 yards rushing in three-consecutive games. Junior quarterback Tim Tebow (Jacksonville, Fla.) finished the game 12-of-21 for 185 yards with three touchdowns and has now thrown for at least two touchdowns in eight-straight games, the longest streak of his career. He also notched 80 yards on 16 carries and one score on the ground.
"Twas the Saturday before the Championship Games,
And all through the house, Nothing was stirring - not even a mouse...."
Unless you consider... THE FLORIDA GATORS - who stomped on Florida State in Tallahassee in a 45-15 exhibition. If he wasn't part of the Heisman picture BEFORE this, then Tim Tebow is now, with a brilliant performance. While Florida State Seminoles quarterbacks struggled in the wet and mud, Tebow and his Gators seemed to excel. Tebow showed all the poise you'd expect from a leader. And he changed my mind - I think he'll play in the NFL. But he needs another year in the 'Little NFL' - the SEC. Oh, and both of these teams are going to very, very good next year, bearing in mind the talent they've got coming back.
I hate FSU. No team gets me angrier faster than FSU. However, it's worth a look at where they are while stifling that as best I can. Here goes...
Before the season began, I made a prediction that FSU would be a six-win team in 2008. I caught a lot of flak for saying that from some of the Bleacher Report commentariat who did not read the article, but I clarified at the beginning that I was talking about wins over I-A competition.
No. 4 Florida vs. No. 20 Florida State
This rivalry game doesn’t carry the same type of weight it once did, but there are still national title implications involved. Florida has BCS title hopes at stake, while FSU does not. Florida is on a huge seven-game winning streak, while Florida State comes off of a big win at Maryland.
Sophomore guard Nick Calathes (Casselberry, Fla.) scored 15 of his 21 points in the second half and Florida (No. 18 ESPN/USA Today, No. 17 AP) held off a late rally to beat Washington 86-84 Tuesday night in the consolation game of the CBE Classic.
Florida (4-1) had been in a bit of a slump from the perimeter, shooting 8-of-39 from 3-point range the previous two games. The Gators were much better against Washington, working the ball around for open looks, hitting 11-of-22 from beyond the arc, shooting 52 percent overall.
Two bits! Four bits! Six bits! A dollar! All for the Gators stand up and holler!
I will never forget the first time I heard those words.
I had just turned 12 years old, and my cousin Daniel was taking me to “the Swamp” for my first Florida football game.
The Gator football team was kicking off their second season under Ron Zook against heavy underdog San Jose State, and it looked to be just another everyday blowout.
However, the excitement of a new season easily made up for the lack of suspense on the field.
This is my third article in this series that I am trying to build. I take games that are interesting or that could possibly happen and compare the game on paper through the numbers. That is for the folks reading trying to catch up.
Now, last year was an embarrassment for the Florida State Seminoles and Bobby Bowden. The score was 45-12 in Gainesville.
Two years ago, the Seminoles almost tripped up the eventual national champions in a 21-14 loss in Tallahassee.
This year is different. Both teams have an agenda. Florida is seeking to climb the rankings and go back to the BCS National Championship and claim the national title for the SEC's 3rd straight BCS title.
Monday through Friday, Ken Johnson is a cube-dwelling software engineer in Rochester, New York. But come late September, Johnson's alter-ego takes over. Ken Johnson morphs into "Pinto Ron."
For nearly twenty years Johnson's been cooking up unique parking lot delicacies outside the Buffalo Bills' Ralph Wilson Stadium on his 1980 Ford Pinto, and providing Bills fans with some unforgettable tailgating entertainment. Over the years, Pinto Ron's dedicated fans have faithfully returned to watch his pre-game "ceremonies" and check out all the new things he's got cooking.
The Gator offense rolled to another big day, tallying nearly 400 yards on the ground on the day against The Citadel Bulldogs.
Nine different players got into the endzone for Florida and Heisman candidate tossed three touchdown passes on just nine throws.
No. 3 Florida defeated The Citadel Bulldogs, 70-19, on Senior Day at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Saturday. The Gators accumulated 705 total yards of offense in the win, just the third time in school history that the feat has been accomplished. The win improved Florida to 10-1 overall (7-1 SEC), while The Citadel fell to 4-8 overall (2-6 SoCon).
Looking for a tailgate party to hit up while getting ready to watch the Gators beat The Citadel? The GatorTailgating.com crew will be setting up at about 7:30 am near the corner of Gale Lemerand (formerly North-South Drive) and Museum Rd. It's directly in front of the parking garage that's located on Gale Lemerand just south of the red light at Museum Drive. See the interactive map above for better directions.
We’ll have a huge banner, TVs, Stereo Equipment, food, and, of course, drinks! Donations are appreciated to cover the cost of the food. This week, Gabe is...
Game Preview
This game will not be pretty. In fact, it will be downright ugly.
The game isn't even going to be televised on most cable packages because there are much better games to televise.
If other games on Florida's schedule are road bumps, this game with the Citadel amounts to the bug that gets smashed on your windshield. Florida will win the game without much effort, in what amounts to a glorified scrimmage, before next week's rivalry game with Florida State.
Steve Spurrier looked on from the sideline as Florida converted the extra point, giving the Gators a 56-6 lead with under six minutes left in the game.
This time, however, Spurrier was on the losing side of a "Swamp Romp," suffering the worst defeat of his coaching career at the hands of Urban Meyer and the Gators.
The tailgating industry is growing at an incredible rate and car manufacturers have taken notice. Why should you have to accomodate for what your vehicle lacks in tailgating convenience, when you could buy a vehicle custom made with you in mind.
The Gators get an early commitment from Denver, Colorado defensive end Nick Kasa. He's considered to be one of the top five DE's in the nation and rated "five stars" by Scout.com. Nick has great speed for a big man...he's an 11.0 100m sprinter for the Legacy High School track team.
In a year or two of workouts, Gator strength coach Mickey Marotti will likely add 50 pounds of muscle to Kasa's 6' 7" frame...and may add a couple steps of speed as well.
Another year of "Billy Ball" has begun in Gainesville, and Billy Donovan is telling us how young this team is.
Sounds a lot like last year.
Truth be told, the 2008-2009 Gator men's basketball team features 11 underclassmen and just two upperclassmen (not counting Georgetown transfer and junior forward Vernon Macklin, who must redshirt under NCAA transfer rules).
But a huge difference from last year is that the Gators have increased their number of scholarship players from nine to 12. This means practices are more competitive, and playing time only goes to players that have earned it.
The counter play is a general term for a misdirection running play where everything appears geared to having the ball carrier go in one direction, but he ends up running the other direction. In other words, the runner goes counter to the expected direction.
It is a play that Percy Harvin is absolutely lethal on. Both his first quarter and third quarter touchdown runs against South Carolina came on the brand of counter play that Urban Meyer likes to use.
I will diagram the latter since it was longer, but the other would have been a touchdown from any distance away from the end zone as well.
The Third Quarter Run
Here is the formation:
Florida begins in a three-wide set with Kestahn Moore as a running back next to Tim Tebow and Aaron Hernandez lined up as an H-back behind RT Jason Watkins. Louis Murphy is wide to the right, Riley Cooper is wide to the left, and Harvin is in the slot.
GatorTailgating.com is doing a series of articles on where and how to tailgate at all of the Gator Football games. This is the seventh part of our series detailing where and what to look out for in Atlanta, Georgia for the SEC Conference Championship game. Go Gators!
Former coach of Florida football, Steve Spurrier, used to hold a reign over the Southeastern Conference. He'd frequently run the score up, and most notably proclaimed that he scored 52 in a 52-17 victory of the Georgia Bulldogs at Stanford Stadium in 1995 just for one simple fact:
"I wanted to hang half a hundred on them".
Well, now Steve Spurrier knows exactly what it feels like to have a half a hundred dropped on the team he's calling the shots for.
No. 3 Florida cruised to a 56-6 win over No. 24 South Carolina Saturday evening in front of a crowd of 90,646 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. The win moved the Gators to 9-1 overall (7-1 SEC), while South Carolina fell to 7-4 (4-4 SEC). The 56-point win over the Gamecocks marked the fifth-straight game that the Gators have put up 42 or more points, tying the University of Oklahoma for the longest active streak in the nation.
It was a career-best day for junior running back/wide receiver Percy Harvin (Virginia Beach, Va.), who recorded eight rushes for a career-high 167 yards and two rushing touchdowns. Harvin now holds the top three spots in the UF record books for rushing yards by a wide receiver in a season, totaling 476 yards rushing so far this year. Harvin additionally extended his scoring streak to 12-straight games with a touchdown, tying Texas Tech wide receiver Michael Crabtree, who also shares the feat.
Looking for a tailgate party to hit up while getting ready to watch the Gators beat Spurrier's Gamecocks? The GatorTailgating.com crew will be setting up at about 7:30 am near the corner of Gale Lemerand (formerly North-South Drive) and Museum Rd. It's directly in front of the parking garage that's located on Gale Lemerand just south of the red light at Museum Drive. See the interactive map above for better directions.
We’ll have a huge banner, TVs, Stereo Equipment, food, and, of course, drinks! Donations are appreciated to cover the cost of the food. This week, Gabe is...
With the head ball coach making his second return to Gainesville this weekend as the head coach of the South Carolina Gamecocks, the atmosphere promises to be intense.
Coach Steve Spurrier is nothing short of a legendary figure in Gainesville and at the University of Florida, having won the first Heisman trophy for the Gators in 1966, coached a Heisman winner in 1996, and led the Gators to their first ever National Championship.
Game Preview: No. 4 Florida (8-1) vs. No. 25 South Carolina (7-3)
Just like old times. "The Ol' Ball Coach," Steve Spurrier, will be prowling the sidelines in Gainesville Saturday, Florida will then face Alabama in the SEC championship game, and the Gators are in the middle of a winning streak that has seen them put up 30-plus-point wins over four SEC opponents.
Despite the nostalgia factor of Saturday's game, it really is 2008 and not 1996. Spurrier will be on the opposing sideline as head coach of the Gamecocks and the No. 1 defense in the SEC. The Gamecocks come into Gainesville looking to secure their first New Year's Day bowl bid since 2001.
A little bit of history... To preface this article, I am a Gator fan. I approach Carolina sports, and specifically Gamecock Football, pretty much with mediocre gusto. I am happy to root for the team in my new hometown, but I am not attached to their success or failure.
I attended Florida as an undergraduate in the twilight of Spurrier's heyday. The feeling on every gameday was that we would win. Period. It didn't matter the opponent, the location of the game, or the fact that these were college kids who were still growing and developing. The Gator Nation expected a victory, and nothing else was acceptable. I think in many ways, it was the primary force that drove Spurrier from Gainesville and into the arms of Daniel Snyder and the Redskins (well, that and a HUGE PILE of money). The pressure of winning, the uninterrupted intrusion into his life, by the local media, and the constant expectation that we were gonna go for the championship every season.
In what is assuredly a big upset, Vanderbilt’s backup players were able to shut out Florida’s backup players, 14-0, on a chilly night in Nashville, Tennessee on Saturday. Quarterback Chris Nickson, filling in for injured starter Mackenzi Adams, led the way for the Commodores’ reserves with two touchdown passes and 39 rushing yards on 10 attempts.
“We just decided to throw them out there and see what happened,” Vanderbilt head coach Bobby Johnson said. “They did a heck of a job against a group of players that had some guys who could probably start for us.”
The Computer that controls the fate of the top five teams in the country will be very busy this weekend. At this point, we know at least one conference championship game (SEC), we know that Oklahoma is the all that stands between Texas Tech and perfection and we also know that the Big Ten and Pac-10 is most likely out of the BCS Championship.
How does this affect us? Well take a look at these games that changed the foundation of the BCS Computers.
Florida is sitting pretty now that Penn State has lost. Even if this week's BCS standings look like last week's except with no Penn State, Florida moves from fifth to fourth, which would at first appear to leave them two spots short. However, looks can be deceiving and I'll tell you why.
First, Florida can remove one other team in front of them with a victory over Bama in the SEC Championship game, that is, if Bama even stays undefeated and remains ranked above Florida.
Trap Game?
This game for Florida has a lot of the hallmarks of a trap game.
First of all, it is a Vanderbilt game in Nashville. When the Gators won the national championship in 2006, UF only won in Nashville 25-19. When they won the national championship in 1996, they only won in Nashville 28-21. Ron Zook's first squad in 2002 won only 21-17, and his 2004 team trailed at halftime.
Call me Bernoulli, because today I'm talking pressure differential.
The Florida offense spent much of the first four games struggling to fulfill off-season expectations. It flowed freely against Hawai'i and Tennessee for the most part, but it did not do all that well against Miami and Ole Miss.
Florida guard Jai Lucas, the son of former NBA player and coach John Lucas, has decided to transfer.Reports have that the point guard and his mother met with Gators coach Billy Donovan on Wednesday.
Lucas, a sophomore from Bellaire, Texas, averaged 8.5 points last season and led the Gators in 3-point shooting at 43.5 percent. He started all 36 games last season, as well as the team's first exhibition game Monday night.
Early this year I wrote an article detailing my thoughts on the 2007 Florida Gators defensive struggles. As I discussed in the article, solid third down defense is one of the most important aspects of a championship caliber team. I wrote about last year's Florida team not only because I am a Gator fan, but also because I thought Florida's third down defense was their primary weakness last year.
While their defense was awful, the 2007 edition of the Florida Gators were still somewhat of an offensive juggernaut, leading the nation in 3rd down conversion percentage while facing the least amount of 3rd downs. On the other hand, Florida's defense was near the bottom of the SEC in 3rd down conversions. The result was a 9-4 season that was viewed as disappointing by some, but should have been expected considering the nine new freshman and sophomore starters on the defense. This year, Florida is demolishing opponents because improved third down defense has changed the Gators' fortunes.
The Penn State Nittany Lions are the No. 3 team in the Nation. They have put up terrific offensive, defensive, and special teams stats. More importantly, they have won. Some of the games were close, some weren't great performances, but they were still wins.
The University of Florida men’s basketball team kicked off the 2008-09 season with a 108-49 exhibition victory over Warner University on Monday at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center.
The Gators were led by junior forward Dan Werner (Middletown, N.J.), who scored 17 points and collected six rebounds. Sophomore forward Alex Tyus (St. Louis, Mo.) collected his a double-double with 16 points and 14 rebounds. Tyus was 6-of-8 from the field and 4-for-4 from the free throw line.
Before you head off to the game, it's always a good idea to be prepared and double check that you haven't forgotten anything important. Keep these checklists with you and go over them before you pull out the driveway to ensure that your next tailgate trip will go as smoothly as can be expected.
Retaliation has never been this classy.
Last season, the Georgia Bulldogs brought the entire team out on the field at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium in this contest, a move that shook the world, and had many Gators fans, such as myself, up in arms.
This year, Florida is the only team doing the dancing, following a 49-10 rout of the Georgia Bulldogs.
Despite playing in the same division of the same conference, Florida and Georgia have played just two common opponents thus far in the season: Tennessee and LSU. That is mostly because Georgia always plays South Carolina and Vandy at the beginning of the season, while Florida always plays them at the end.
Normally when I write articles, I try to keep an even keel and be fair to all parties. This is not one of those articles. You’re free to browse my archive if you want something like that, and anyone who gets upset by reading this should just take it with a grain of salt.
Florida and Georgia play this weekend in Jacksonville in one of the most unique environments in college football. Half of the stadium is red, half is blue, and there’s a distinct line between them.
The Florida-Georgia game is one of the biggest and most storied rivalries in all of the SEC. Florida has played Georgia more than any other opponent. Georgia had years of dominance in this series, until Steve Spurrier returned to Gainesville and established a run of dominance over the Bulldogs, that has now been passed through the Zook era and onto Urban Meyer.
Last years defense that surrendered over 400 yards of total offense and 188 on the ground to Knowshon Moreno and put him on the map will not show up on Saturday against Georgia. A defense that is first in scoring defense and third in total defense in the SEC will. Florida is much more experienced and mature than they were last year on both sides of the ball. They are significantly more mature on defense.
History runs deep in the Florida-Georgia rivalry, as both Mark Richt and Urban Meyer are well aware.
Yes, Florida has won 15 of the last 18, an amazing run of dominance.
As Richt points out, though, Georgia has an overwhelming edge (46-37) in the overall series. Perhaps he mentions that because he is 2-5 against the Gators, but regardless, history is always fun to look at—and this year is no different.
By David Kierski
THE KEY to looking like a pro is knowing your basic cold. But even if you've invented tailgating, we've all got something to learn. Here's a list of tricks and tips to help you impress the crowds at the next game:
In front of a Homecoming crowd of 90,589 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Saturday, No. 5 Florida (6-1, 4-1 SEC) defeated Kentucky (5-3, 1-3 SEC), 63-5. The win marked the 22nd-straight Gator win against the Wildcats and the 19th-straight Homecoming victory.
Looking for a tailgate party to crash while getting ready to watch the Gators Wildcats? The GatorTailgating.com crew will be setting up at about 7:30 am near the corner of Gale Lemerand (formerly North-South Drive) and Museum Rd. It's directly in front of the parking garage that's located on Gale Lemerand just south of the red light at Museum Drive. See the interactive map above for better directions.
We’ll have a huge banner, TVs, Stereo Equipment, food, and, of course, drinks! Donations are appreciated to cover the cost of the food. This week, Gabe is...
Coming off a bye week, the Gators look to improve on their 5-1 record thus far. Earlier in the week, they were ranked 10th in the initial BCS standings.
Kentucky is their opponent this week, as the Gators play towards winning the SEC Eastern Division. Florida has beaten Kentucky 21 years in a row, and this year should make 22 before heading into the showdown with Georgia.
Here's how the Gators will win...
Mr. Two-Bits Tribute Set for Saturday; Fans Encouraged to Arrive Early, Wear Orange
With Mr. Two-Bits, George Edmondson, to be honored in a special pre-game ceremony, all Gator fans are being asked to arrive early and wear orange for this Saturday's Homecoming clash between fifth-ranked Florida and Kentucky at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Kickoff is at 12:30 p.m.
The 84-year-old Edmondson, who has led his famous cheer at Gator games for 60 years, will retire from his Mr. Two-Bits' role at the end of the season. The Gators have planned a special tribute for Mr. Two-Bits before Saturday's Homecoming game, and fans should be in their seats by 12:10 p.m. to join in the celebration.
The BCS standings have just come out, and Florida is 10th. As I mentioned earlier, the Gators are only a hair out of fifth place if you look at the scores, so it’s pretty tight so far.
The overall sentiment this season is that, if no one goes undefeated and these are available, the one-loss Big 12 champion and the one-loss SEC champion will play for the title. These two are clearly the best conferences in the land, and the conventional wisdom goes that their champions should be rewarded for it.
By Kent Whitaker of Tailgater Monthly
Let's face it, many of us consider our dogs as part of the family. Ally and I do when it comes to our golden retriever, Moses. Not only is Moses another "son", he is also my co-worker. Moses, Ally and I have traveled the country for our book signings and as spokespersons for Purina and ALPO. I give great grilling tips at events and on TV while also promoting how to include your dog in on the family fun.
But traveling with a large dog to media events and tailgates at races and football games has opened our eyes to the needs of all pets at these types of events. Don't get me wrong, a tailgate party can be a great opportunity for socialization. There are plenty of sights, smells, and friendly pats to keep your dog happy all day long. But Ally and I have become very aware of some pets at tailgates that, for lack of a better phrase, are abused.
Entering the 2008 season, the Florida Gators had several concerns to address on both offense and defense.
Among these questions, the state of the running game was chief among them. Would the Gators have an effective running back to complement their high-powered passing attack?
On another beautiful night in Commonwealth Stadium, Kentucky looked like the same team that played very poorly against South Carolina last Saturday.
Kentucky shot itself in the foot for most of the game by missing on plays and being flagged for penalties. When Kentucky fans thought is was over, it was just the beginning.
I know that when I first wake up in the morning, I always feel better after splashing some cold water in my face. Hopefully the LSU Tigers are feeling better after getting their heads dunked in the ice tub on their recent trip to Gainesville.
Now that the Bayou Bengals have gotten a glimpse of their own mortality, they have to prove that they are still good enough to contend for the coveted SEC crown. The first day of the rest of their season will be this Saturday, when they travel to South Carolina to take on Steve Spurrier and his upset-minded Gamecocks.
Florida is a football school, but the general perception is that Florida is a basketball school too. Right now it is not far-fetched to think that Florida has a brighter future in basketball than they do in football.
So who was the biggest winner this week in college football? It would be hard to argue against Texas, coming off a dominating performance against the No. 1 ranked team in the country. Indeed, anytime a team beats the top-ranked team, it is cause for celebration. But the Florida Gators pulled of an impressive show of their own.
The Gators jumped seven spots in the AP rankings and are now sitting fifth.
The Gators have gotten through the first half of their season and now have a bye week before going through the easier half of their schedule. Here is a position by postion analysis of the Gators team this far into the season.
Quarterback: Incomplete
This is as fair a grade I could give Tim Tebow for his season so far. The reigning Heisman winner has been under the biggest and brightest microscope of any college football player in recent memory, if ever.
Tebow hasn't put up the numbers like he did a year ago, but the Gators are playing better football as a team this season, which is better for the big picture—an SEC title and possible national championship.