A few things we, as Sooner fans, should know...

[Desert Sapper]

...about the Florida Gators. Having the benefit of CBSC (the college cable channel for CBS and hence, the SEC) and DVR, I have now seen multiple Gator games on tape. The first thing I have to say is, wow. They are damn good. Their O is multiple and dangerous, their D is fast, aggressive, and smart, and their special teams are special (to the tune of blocking 8 kicks this year, returning 2 punts for TD, and hitting 75/76 XP and 11/12 FG).

Things most of us already know:

Tebow is very athletic and very accurate, which could give us serious fits. He runs very well when he needs to, can hit most throws with ease, and when he's on fire, he will tear any D apart. He is like Zac Robinson in a lot of ways (remember the number of 'dead to rights' moments we had him in Bedlam?) but better.

The top three options at RB for UF are not only fast, but very quick, can find the hole quickly, make a quick cut, a move, and be off to the races. That goes for Rainey, Demps, and Harvin. They are fast, to be sure, but that only counts after you make the first and second level miss, and they do that at least as well as any running back we have faced. All three of them.

Brandon Spikes is the real deal at LB. He is among the best LBs I have seen this year on tape. He plays very fast, has great instincts, and is dangerous for passers across the middle (4 INT, 2 returned for TD). He was absolutely brilliant against LSU. None of their other LBs (They've started 5 at the Will and Sam combined over the year) are much to write home about, but they are good.

Things most of us don't know:

Their front four are very, very good. Maybe the best we've faced. Their rotation is awesome. Dunlap isn't even a starter all the time, but he is a headhunter (12 TFL, 9 Sack). Cunningham and Trattou are the listed starters, and they are very, very good. Very much like Beal and Alexander in our last few games. Their interior is stout. Terron Sanders and Lawrence Marsh allow the ends to have some freedom. Sanders was the one that recovered that fumble against UGA and broke loose for 20 yards to set the score up (very athletic move for a 300 pound man).

Their secondary is among the best we've seen, again, maybe THE best. Black is a Ballhawk and so is Wright. Black leads the SEC in picks with 6 and has 2 TDs. Haden and Jenkins are lockdown cover corners. Both have three picks.

Their O-Line is big, agile, and strong. They average about 312. The Pouncey twins are damn good, and they're not even the best blockers on the team. Phil Trautwein probably takes that honor (although it's close). These guys grade out very high and pancake the hell out of D-Lines.

So... All things considered, we've got our work cut out for us.

Gator fans, anything to add?

[catsigater]

What we've been saying all along. A good analysis, although I Wright is sometimes a concerh. He's a good athlete with the chance to be great, but he does get beat and Gresham will be a huge challenge for him.

Living in the Midwest, I've had some opportunities to watch the Big 12, and I'm under no illusion that OU isn't one of the top teams in the country, with tremendously talented players. Maybe I'll go to the Gator board and post something along those lines about OU. It has a bit more credibility coming from an opposing fan.

[StoopTroup]

Maybe I'll go to the Gator board and post something along those lines about OU. It has a bit more credibility coming from an opposing fan.

So your credible?

Wow...who knew.

Once you post it...come back here and link it.

TIA

ST

[Curly Bill]

Has anyone mentioned how fast Florida is?

[catsigater]

nm

[AzianSooner]

I've heard that Tim Tebow can fly.

[delhalew]

...about the Florida Gators. Having the benefit of CBSC (the college cable channel for CBS and hence, the SEC) and DVR, I have now seen multiple Gator games on tape. The first thing I have to say is, wow. They are damn good. Their O is multiple and dangerous, their D is fast, aggressive, and smart, and their special teams are special (to the tune of blocking 8 kicks this year, returning 2 punts for TD, and hitting 75/76 XP and 11/12 FG).

Things most of us already know:

Tebow is very athletic and very accurate, which could give us serious fits. He runs very well when he needs to, can hit most throws with ease, and when he's on fire, he will tear any D apart. He is like Zac Robinson in a lot of ways (remember the number of 'dead to rights' moments we had him in OU-OSU?) but better.

I've been trying to see those replays. So far I've only seen the championship and UGA in their entirety.

What I want to know is do you really think Tebow is more mobile than Zach? Because I don't. More physical yes, but not more mobile.

[Curly Bill]

I've been trying to see those replays. So far I've only seen the championship and UGA in their entirety.

What I want to know is do you really think Tebow is more mobile than Zach? Because I don't. More physical yes, but not more mobile.

Yeah, but has Zach ever walked on water?

[Crimsontothecore]

...about the Florida Gators. Having the benefit of CBSC (the college cable channel for CBS and hence, the SEC) and DVR, I have now seen multiple Gator games on tape. The first thing I have to say is, wow. They are damn good. Their O is multiple and dangerous, their D is fast, aggressive, and smart, and their special teams are special (to the tune of blocking 8 kicks this year, returning 2 punts for TD, and hitting 75/76 XP and 11/12 FG).

Things most of us already know:

Tebow is very athletic and very accurate, which could give us serious fits. He runs very well when he needs to, can hit most throws with ease, and when he's on fire, he will tear any D apart. He is like Zac Robinson in a lot of ways (remember the number of 'dead to rights' moments we had him in OU-OSU?) but better.

The top three options at RB for UF are not only fast, but very quick, can find the hole quickly, make a quick cut, a move, and be off to the races. That goes for Rainey, Demps, and Harvin. They are fast, to be sure, but that only counts after you make the first and second level miss, and they do that at least as well as any running back we have faced. All three of them.

Brandon Spikes is the real deal at LB. He is among the best LBs I have seen this year on tape. He plays very fast, has great instincts, and is dangerous for passers across the middle (4 INT, 2 returned for TD). He was absolutely brilliant against LSU. None of their other LBs (They've started 5 at the Will and Sam combined over the year) are much to write home about, but they are good.

Things most of us don't know:

Their front four are very, very good. Maybe the best we've faced. Their rotation is awesome. Dunlap isn't even a starter all the time, but he is a headhunter (12 TFL, 9 Sack). Cunningham and Trattou are the listed starters, and they are very, very good. Very much like Beal and Alexander in our last few games. Their interior is stout. Terron Sanders and Lawrence Marsh allow the ends to have some freedom. Sanders was the one that recovered that fumble against UGA and broke loose for 20 yards to set the score up (very athletic move for a 300 pound man).

Their secondary is among the best we've seen, again, maybe THE best. Black is a Ballhawk and so is Wright. Black leads the SEC in picks with 6 and has 2 TDs. Haden and Jenkins are lockdown cover corners. Both have three picks.

Their O-Line is big, agile, and strong. They average about 312. The Pouncey twins are damn good, and they're not even the best blockers on the team. Phil Trautwein probably takes that honor (although it's close). These guys grade out very high and pancake the hell out of D-Lines.

So... All things considered, we've got our work cut out for us.

Gator fans, anything to add?

So you're sayin 'Ol Miss is just one awesome powerhouse team?

[OKC-SLC]

I've been trying to see those replays. So far I've only seen the championship and UGA in their entirety.

What I want to know is do you really think Tebow is more mobile than Zach? Because I don't. More physical yes, but not more mobile.

I would wager that Zac might be a TAD bit more mobile than Tebow. And Tebow might be a better passer than Zac. However, Tebow is a bigger leader and gamer than Zac.

And I firmly believe Tebow's supporting cast to be markedly better than Robinson's, nearly to a man.

This is what concerns me. Our defense is suspect. Arguably our best two games against legit opponents were Mizzou and Tech. And we have a tendency to match up well with those teams.

[delhalew]

I would wager that Zac might be a TAD bit more mobile than Tebow. And Tebow might be a better passer than Zac. However, Tebow is a bigger leader and gamer than Zac.

And I firmly believe Tebow's supporting cast to be markedly better than Robinson's, nearly to a man.

This is what concerns me. Our defense is suspect. Arguably our best two games against legit opponents were Mizzou and Tech. And we have a tendency to match up well with those teams.

I have to agree with most of that. I think our D can give us a pleasant surprise. Especially were turnovers are concerned. I'm just pissed we have to do it without granger and RR. Even though we've become accustomed to doing it without Ryan.

[OKC-SLC]

Box Score from the last bowl game in Florida which Tebow started:

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/boxscore?gameId=280010057

Harvin had a good game. The glacial Michigan offense did manage 500+ yards against UF's dominant speed (with a -2 turnover margin to boot). Tebow was decent passing--17/33 for 154 and 3/0.


Something else I noted is that their D seems to have given up more points last year vs. this year. Perhaps some of this is due to the SEC offenses being less strong this year than last, but perhaps a UF fan can tell us other reasons--e.g. strategy different this year? players better/different?

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/teams/schedule?teamId=57&year=2007

[OKC-SLC]

I think our D can give us a pleasant surprise.

This is entirely possible. And quite frankly, I think this will be the key to the game. Can they play with the emotion they did in the TT game? They seemed to tackle better in that game than any other. Can they get an early turnover and/or TD like in the Nebraska game?

These are the things that can offset what I can't help but think is a mismatch--that is, their offense against our defense.

These are the types of things that will determine this game--like jkm says: emotion, special teams, and turnovers.

[G8trGr8t]

The one thing I would add is that to date, the UF D have been great tacklers. That will be critical as OU gets so many yard after the catch.

It took a lot fo courage for you to psot that on your home board so much repsect to you for doing so. If I was that knowledgable about the strengths of OU, I would join Catsi and post something similiar on the gator board.

Most true football fans from UF understand that OU will be a real test and are anxious to see how our D will contain that point a minute machine that Stoops has assembled.

The best way to slow down Tebow is to get a big push up the middle with the DT's and blitzing LB's while making sure that Demps does not run past you on the way. Make Tebow make a quick read and pull the trigger. He is so careful with the ball (2 int's all year) that he tends to hold it a little too long on the blitzes. That seems to be his biggest weakness from what I can tell. It is great to not have turnovers but we cannot afford to let OU get that many more scoring possessions or we will be on the wrong end of the score.

[Scott D]

Sapper, you forgot the part where Florida is allowed to have 13 players on the field on offense at all times. You can't separate Our Lord Tim Tebow from his Twelve Disciples at any time during a game.

[NorCaligator]

I think its because last year we started mostly freshmen and sophs in the defensive backfield. Same guys this year, but with another year under their belt. I believe that's the biggest difference. Also, last year because of their inexperience, they played not to get burned deep. As a consequence, it seems like they were constantly giving up 7+ yd gains underneath. I yelled at my television a lot last year.

Re Michigan: If you go back, they were expected to be very good last year. A senior laden team, opened with two losses and then won the next 8. Lost a couple at the end (inuries?). It think they really didn't play to their potential until our bowl game, where their offense abused our defense.

[cheezyq]

I've heard that Tim Tebow can fly.

I saw him walk on water.

[DenverSooner751]

Box Score from the last bowl game in Florida which Tebow started:

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/boxscore?gameId=280010057

Harvin had a good game. The glacial Michigan offense did manage 500+ yards against UF's dominant speed (with a -2 turnover margin to boot). Tebow was decent passing--17/33 for 154 and 3/0.


Something else I noted is that their D seems to have given up more points last year vs. this year. Perhaps some of this is due to the SEC offenses being less strong this year than last, but perhaps a UF fan can tell us other reasons--e.g. strategy different this year? players better/different?

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/teams/schedule?teamId=57&year=2007


Interesting statistics from last year's bowl game, but in all fairness, that was last year's bowl team. This year's team for UF has much more experience under their belt and will pose the greatest challenge OU has faced all season long.

I know the numbers are not there, but the UT defense appears to be built much the same way, and Sam did have good production against them. The key, IMO is going to be OU's running game agaisnt the UF D (Sam will be able to take care of business if the run game can click early) and OU's D against the UF O. I know this is elementary but that is the keys IMO.

That being said, I'm curious how creative Kevin will be if the run game is not working early, what kind of formations will he run to try and get the production started?

Meh, it's all talk until the 8th anyhow.

[G8trGr8t]

Box Score from the last bowl game in Florida which Tebow started:

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/boxscore?gameId=280010057

Harvin had a good game. The glacial Michigan offense did manage 500+ yards against UF's dominant speed (with a -2 turnover margin to boot). Tebow was decent passing--17/33 for 154 and 3/0.


Something else I noted is that their D seems to have given up more points last year vs. this year. Perhaps some of this is due to the SEC offenses being less strong this year than last, but perhaps a UF fan can tell us other reasons--e.g. strategy different this year? players better/different?

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/teams/schedule?teamId=57&year=2007

Michigan was a good team last year but they were beat up all year and got good and healthy during their break. I am a Dolphin fan and Henne is going to be a great pro. Manningham (I think) made some circus catches for Michigan. Jake Long just buried our inexperienced and undermanned DL and is a real force for the Dolphins this year as a rookie. Tebow was going through what Bradford is now with all the Heisman distraction and did not have his best game either..

Our two deep on D has one senior and was exceptionally young last year with a couple of guys playing that are not starting now. After the 06 championship, we lost a lot of talent including 4 guys that left early for Sundays. Our two corners were in their first season and it was the first year that Haden had ever played corner. This year, our corners are good if not great. I do not expect Jenkins to be here after two more seasons. That kid is really good. Haden will probably play on Sunday but Jenkins definitely will. Our DL last year was so bad we had one of our OL playing tackle after the Ga game. There was no depth for rotation. That will not happen again as long as Meyer is there. They have grown up a lot this year and we have s olid rotation to help stay fresh without much dropoff between the 1's and 2's. If Spikes stays, we will return all 11 starters on D next year and it will probably be the best defense UF has ever fielded. I am enjoying this year but next year UF should be even better.

[OKC-SLC]

Re Michigan: If you go back, they were expected to be very good last year. A senior laden team, opened with two losses and then won the next 8. Lost a couple at the end (inuries?). It think they really didn't play to their potential until our bowl game, where their offense abused our defense.

I certainly understand that the best teams don't always win bowl games. Perhaps there was some let down given that it was a post-NC season bowl game for UF as well. I was shocked that UM beat you all in that game. If you all played 10 times during the season when more is on the line, UF probably wins 7 or more. Just like had we played WV 10 times during the season with more on the line, we would have won 7 or more. **** happens in bowl games.

[OKC-SLC]

Interesting statistics from last year's bowl game, but in all fairness, that was last year's bowl team. This year's team for UF has much more experience under their belt and will pose the greatest challenge OU has faced all season long.

I only posted that to counter some of this myth that SEC teams are so vastly fast compared to others (particularly the Big 10) that the speed alone creates a mismatch which is insurmountable. Indeed, this UF team is much better than last year's.

[G8trGr8t]

Box Score from the last bowl game in Florida which Tebow started:

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/boxscore?gameId=280010057

Harvin had a good game. The glacial Michigan offense did manage 500+ yards against UF's dominant speed (with a -2 turnover margin to boot). Tebow was decent passing--17/33 for 154 and 3/0.


Something else I noted is that their D seems to have given up more points last year vs. this year. Perhaps some of this is due to the SEC offenses being less strong this year than last, but perhaps a UF fan can tell us other reasons--e.g. strategy different this year? players better/different?

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/teams/schedule?teamId=57&year=2007


Yeah, but has Zach ever walked on water?


Has Zached ever trucked a linebacker? Tebow likes nothing more than a head on collision. Tebow is not as fast but he is much stronger and the kid loves to hit somebody. He has a LB mentality playing QB. Scares me sometimes the way he looks for contact.

[Flying Scotsman]

WE are DOOMED!! ....maybe

[NorCaligator]

I just watched our game against Georgia, and I have to say it gave me some concern about our pass defense. Stafford was able to complete a lot of passes, especially in the first half, and had a couple dropped as well that should have been catches and instead killed a drive. If Bradford is as advertised and we can't pressure him, we will have some problems.

This game is going to be fun to watch. I really wish it was January 8th....

[Curly Bill]

Has Zached ever trucked a linebacker? Tebow likes nothing more than a head on collision. Tebow is not as fast but he is much stronger and the kid loves to hit somebody. He has a LB mentality playing QB. Scares me sometimes the way he looks for contact.

I heard Tebow once "trucked" an actual truck that was about to run over a little old lady. He then lifted the truck over his head so the little old lady could pass underneath it to get across the road.

[delhalew]

Has Zached ever trucked a linebacker? Tebow likes nothing more than a head on collision. Tebow is not as fast but he is much stronger and the kid loves to hit somebody. He has a LB mentality playing QB. Scares me sometimes the way he looks for contact.

Thats why I said Zach was more mobile, Tebow was more physical. He can seek out all the collisions he wants with our boys.

[delhalew]

I just watched our game against Georgia, and I have to say it gave me some concern about our pass defense. Stafford was able to complete a lot of passes, especially in the first half, and had a couple dropped as well that should have been catches and instead killed a drive. If Bradford is as advertised and we can't pressure him, we will have some problems.

This game is going to be fun to watch. I really wish it was January 8th....

I noticed that same secondary issue. I also noticed Stafford is an incredibly sloppy passer who makes poor descisions. So that made me feel better. Man, that kid is overrated. Arm strength and little else.

[DenverSooner751]

I noticed that same secondary issue. I also noticed Stafford is an incredibly sloppy passer who makes poor descisions. So that made me feel better. Man, that kid is overrated. Arm strength and little else.

Everytime I hear someone blowing rainbows up Stafford's @$$ it makes me want to puke. I think he is good and has a lot of potential, but come on..... never before has there been a larger (sans Bo-MAR) tool shed.

[DenverSooner751]

I only posted that to counter some of this myth that SEC teams are so vastly fast compared to others (particularly the Big 10) that the speed alone creates a mismatch which is insurmountable. Indeed, this UF team is much better than last year's.

Absolutely agree.

[SoonerShay]

I've watched them some on that channel too and there are a few things you posted that aren't true.

First their Dline won't be the best we have faced this year more like the 4th best. TCU and texass both have a better Dline. Hughes and Orakpo are both first rounders on their respective lines. Cinncinati also has a formidable defensive line. Then Ttech had a guy named Brandon Williams who leads in the BIG12 in sacks. I'd compare Floridas line more to Ttechs Dline, except I think Tech might actually be better against the run.


Second you said they might have the best secondary we have seen. I'm not sure what games you watched to come to that conclusion because UF has played maybe 1 team that can actually pass on a consistent basis. They faced 6 teams that average under 200 yds passing per game.



I do agree about their runningbacks/receivers though. They are dangerous if you let them get loose in the defense. Tim Tebow is actually one of the least dangerous players on their offense. Though they don't seem to have that tall huge big receiver that can go up and overpower our defender for jumpballs. Like a Dez Bryant, Crabtree or even a Desmond Briscoe.

Brandon Spikes was the only dude on their defense that I thought was really good. Everyone else was pretty forgettable but he leaves an impression.

Also I noticed they have kind of a crappy kickoff team. I don't think they gave up any TDs but they did consistently give up good field position.

[HungaryGator]

If anything I thought you were a little too generous in your assessment of FS Major Wright (big hitter, sure tackler....coverage skills need some work) and the DL. Don't get me wrong, our DL is solid but since the vast majority of them are Freshmen and Sophomores they do not dominate good opponents the way our Junior/Senior DL did in 06 when we won the MNC. Our corners are very good....the LB's are good vs the run and are OK in pass coverage but I would not rate them as better than OK. If we do not get some pressure on Bradford, I am definitely worried about pass Defense.

You also didn't mention the WR's. Senior Louis Murphy is good and is generally worth about one really big play TD per game. There are several others all of whom are decent but none of whom is really outstanding....This is why Percy Harvin's health is a big issue. He's not only a tremendous Tailback he's also a tremendous WR and it really helps our Offense when he's in there. TE Aaron Hernandez is very good.

I've watched y'all's games vs UTx, TT, Okie State, Missouri and one more I can't remember now. What concerns me most isn't Bradford throwin a big 90 yard TD bomb.....its that he's so damn efficient at throwing 10-20 yard passes the WR's then run another 15-20 yards with by making guys miss. He's not the NFL prototype with a cannon for an arm (see Stafford) but then again he never seems to do anything stupid that hurts you (again see Stafford). Once he gets comfortable and gets into a rhythm, he is very hard to stop and then when you mix in a good ground game, its a real headache. I know we are not going to stop OU from moving the ball. I just hope we can disrupt Bradford's rhythm, get a few turnovers and hopefully force y'all to kick a bunch of field goas once you are in the redzone. From what I can tell about your D, its not that you lack athletic guys who can make plays....its that there are breakdowns in coverage. I hope we can get some of those also.

[Scott D]

What everyone is forgetting is that Emanuel Moody is even less of a factor for Florida than he was for USC.

[Jaggles]

Everytime I hear someone blowing rainbows up Stafford's @$$ it makes me want to puke. I think he is good and has a lot of potential, but come on..... never before has there been a larger (sans Bo-MAR) tool shed.

million dollar talent, $.02 brain. He is an overrated headcase. Unless some nfl coach really can turn him, I think he is Ryan Leaf.

[Curly Bill]

million dollar talent, $.02 brain. He is an overrated headcase. Unless some nfl coach really can turn him, I think he is Ryan Leaf.

You might be onto something there...

...Sam meanwhile ends up being Peyton Manning.

[Desert Sapper]

I've watched them some on that channel too and there are a few things you posted that aren't true.

First their Dline won't be the best we have faced this year more like the 4th best. TCU and texass both have a better Dline. Hughes and Orakpo are both first rounders on their respective lines. Cinncinati also has a formidable defensive line. Then Ttech had a guy named Brandon Williams who leads in the BIG12 in sacks. I'd compare Floridas line more to Ttechs Dline, except I think Tech might actually be better against the run.


Second you said they might have the best secondary we have seen. I'm not sure what games you watched to come to that conclusion because UF has played maybe 1 team that can actually pass on a consistent basis. They faced 6 teams that average under 200 yds passing per game.



I do agree about their runningbacks/receivers though. They are dangerous if you let them get loose in the defense. Tim Tebow is actually one of the least dangerous players on their offense. Though they don't seem to have that tall huge big receiver that can go up and overpower our defender for jumpballs. Like a Dez Bryant, Crabtree or even a Desmond Briscoe.

Brandon Spikes was the only dude on their defense that I thought was really good. Everyone else was pretty forgettable but he leaves an impression.

Also I noticed they have kind of a crappy kickoff team. I don't think they gave up any TDs but they did consistently give up good field position.

First, I was posting my opinion of what I saw, not necessarily fact. So, true or not, I saw a D Line against UGA, LSU, South Carolina, and Bama that was constantly disrupting, creating pressure, and forcing poor decisions. I said it MAY be the best D-Line we've faced. It's hard to tell given that everybody doesn't play each other. If Texas, Tech, TCU, and Cincy have common opponents with UF, I'm not aware of them. So, I'll have to wait and see. The FR by Sanders against UGA remains for me one of the best plays by a DT this season. I hope you are right about them being the fourth best we face.

As for the secondary, I wasn't basing it on the teams they played, but the way they played. Their corners are stellar. I can't think of what corners we faced that were out of this universe this year, but Haden and Jenkins are very good. These guys are in the hip pocket of everybody they face. FS Wright is probably the weakest link of the bunch. Black is a total ball hawk.

Spikes is a stud. I'm very concerned about what a complete player he is (run and pass). I'm not very impressed by their other backers.

On D, we have to slow their run game. They won't be the best passing team we've faced, but they are good at running the ball. Tebow is very dangerous in the sense that he can run and throw. He's probably not as mobile as some of the QBs we've faced, but he's solid and big, a lot like Josh Freeman. I'm worried about him because I think he's more accurate than Freeman.

Anybody that thinks we go into this game and win it running away hasn't seen these guys play at all (crappy SEC O competition or no).

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

i don't understand the sundays comment about your corners. we had a corner drafted last year (reggie smith) that road his hype for 3 years into the 3rd round. while he was here he was meh - you know that secondary player the opposing team constantly picked on? what is more important against a precision passing game is for a guy to be a very, very good college corner. a guy who never busts, jumps routes and can come up in the running game.

one odd thing about our defense this year is that it has a bunch of pieces that just don't seem to fit together. its a hodge podge of playmakers, discipline guys, and athletes. its one of the reasons no one can say with any certainty how good our D is.

[adoniijahsooner]

You might be onto something there...

...Sam meanwhile ends up being Peyton Manning.

I think Sam ends up being more like Tom Brady, due his arm strength and intelligence. Tom Brady is the smartest QB I have seen play in years, and it is frustrating watching him carve up defenses. What impressed me is when Sam played with the 3rd team receivers in the Baylor game, and he was still pinpoint in passing. Sam only had one true int against Texas and that was on an incredible diving play by the safety. The guys knowledge and poise is unmatched in college football, and he will not fold because Florida gets a little pressure on him. I have personally seen Sam get hit and throw a touchdown pass in the process, and have seen him scramble out of trouble.

[adoniijahsooner]

i don't understand the sundays comment about your corners. we had a corner drafted last year (reggie smith) that road his hype for 3 years into the 3rd round. while he was here he was meh - you know that secondary player the opposing team constantly picked on? what is more important against a precision passing game is for a guy to be a very, very good college corner. a guy who never busts, jumps routes and can come up in the running game.

one odd thing about our defense this year is that it has a bunch of pieces that just don't seem to fit together. its a hodge podge of playmakers, discipline guys, and athletes. its one of the reasons no one can say with any certainty how good our D is.

True. When you look at the guys fly around they look like a great defense, but then you see busted plays and over pursuing, and ask wth is going on?

[Desert Sapper]

True. When you look at the guys fly around they look like a great defense, but then you see busted plays and over pursuing, and ask wth is going on?

These are the same questions UF should be asking. Their D is very similar to ours in many respects. They fly to the ball, their corners jump routes, they also leave themselves open to getting beat deep. They just haven't played many teams capable of taking advantage of it. They also have some terrific speed on D (in addition to their Mach 5 superjets on O) that allows them to adjust when they overpursue. Their MLB, Spikes, does not overpursue much. We have to figure out how to minimize him.

[Dan Thompson]

Jan 8th will prove that some of us don't know what we are talking about.

[SeaCay]

Jan 8th will prove that some of us don't know what we are talking about.


There IS some intelligence on this board.

[Illgator]

Box Score from the last bowl game in Florida which Tebow started:

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/boxscore?gameId=280010057

Harvin had a good game. The glacial Michigan offense did manage 500+ yards against UF's dominant speed (with a -2 turnover margin to boot). Tebow was decent passing--17/33 for 154 and 3/0.


Something else I noted is that their D seems to have given up more points last year vs. this year. Perhaps some of this is due to the SEC offenses being less strong this year than last, but perhaps a UF fan can tell us other reasons--e.g. strategy different this year? players better/different?

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/teams/schedule?teamId=57&year=2007

You really want to bring up past bowl games to compare this year? Ok so what about Boise State and West Virginia? Personally i would rather lose to Michigan.