Senior Bowl

The Senior Bowl definitely didn't have the ending or result that I had envisioned. But, I don't think the South as a team played well. I too thought Tebow struggled. I have never known him to fumble twice in a game. But, it's over and now he will move on to more workouts. 

I have heard there have been so many sponsorships thrown at him. I hope he can hold off on all of that until after the draft. 

On a more sentimental note. It was the last time we will see Tebow or Riley Cooper in a Gator helmet. Wow!

Thoughts From Saturday's Basketball

The President, Barack Obama, the Vice President, Joe Biden, and the Vice President's son Hunter Biden were all at the Georgetown v Duke game on Saturday. It seem to be no contest. I love Greg Monroe's game. I assume Reggie Love, a Duke Alum, the President's right hand man....and a basketball and football player at Duke was not happy with this game. 

 

You almost did it Depaul. But, you gave up a 18 point lead...that means you will probably lose and you did. I guess Syracuse deserves some credit for coming back. But, as a coach tells me, "sometimes it's not good to play really bad and win." We will see how the Cuse handles this.

 

Come on Lebron....I have some Gator stuff you can wear. But, Kentucky?? Anyway,  this was no contest. I assumed the Wildcats would respond to their lost like this. Now there are no undefeated teams in the SEC.

  

Derwin Kitchen's only three points of the game came when the team really needed them. It help put the game away and help get the Seminoles above .500 in the conference. It also helps Coach Ham from losing anymore hair.

AP Rankings Rank School Rec 1 Kentucky 20-1 2 Kansas 20-1 3 Villanova 19-1 4 Syracuse 21-1 5 Michigan State 19-3 6 Texas 18-3 7 Georgetown 16-4 8 Duke 17-4 9 West Virginia 17-3 10 Purdue 17-3 View Complete Poll

Coaches Rankings Rank School Rec 1 Kentucky 20-1 2 Kansas 20-1 3 Villanova 19-1 4 Syracuse 21-1 5 Michigan State 19-3 6 Texas 18-3 7 Duke 17-4 8 Gonzaga 17-4 9 West Virginia 17-3 10 Brigham Young 21-2 View Complete Poll

RPI Rankings Rank School Rec 1 Kansas 20-1 2 Syracuse 21-1 3 Villanova 19-1 4 Georgetown 16-4 5 Duke 17-4 6 Kentucky 20-1 7 West Virginia 17-3 8 Kansas State 17-4 9 Vanderbilt 16-4 10 Purdue 17-3 View Complete Poll

 

FSU Comes Out On Top In Boston

They did it. The Seminoles that is. They went on the road and came away with a split. Of course if you ask Coach he would say, "he set out to be 2-0." And, a coach with the kind of drive like Coach Ham's I would expect nothing less. They ran into a smart team in Cameron though. And, they made to many mistakes to beat Duke. 

But, in Boston they were able to overcome some less than perfect offensive production and play in the first half to make a run at Boston in the second and come away with a close win. 

It was Derwin Kitchen with a three less than two minutes to go in the game that put the Seminoles ahead to stay. 

The Seminoles then made their free throws down the stretch and this one was all over. 

Give credit to Sanders for the Boston who made great shots in the first half and really kept the Eagles in this one. Also, Jackson off the bench for them and got hot in the second half and, made some key three pointers. 

This puts the Seminoles at 4-3 in conference play. They are now home for Maryland on Thursday and Miami on Sat. They must hold home court. If they can do that they are in the drivers seat.....I think.

Great job guys!!!!

Recruiting

Jackson Jeffcoat left, and Jordan Hicks on the right have been sought after heavily. The Florida Gators turn Jeffcoat away and informed him the Gators had no scholarships left for defensive linemen. But, we wanted Hicks at LB. Both chose the Longhorns today.....I guess we can't have them all.

Survey For Senior Bowl Players

A total of 58 players participated in the annual Press-Register Senior Bowl poll. In some cases, those participating in the survey did not answer each of the questions.

1. Should Congress or any government branch concern itself with how the college football national championship is determined?

No: 51, Yes: 7.

2. If you could choose the team that selects you in the NFL draft, what team would you prefer?

Miami Dolphins 7
Dallas Cowboys, San Diego Chargers, Indianapolis Colts: 5
Atlanta Falcons: 4
New Orleans Saints, New York Giants: 3
Twenty-two teams received at least one vote.

3. Do you think a team from a non-BCS league will win the national title in the next five years?

No: 41, Yes: 16

4. Do you think a team from a non-BCS league will reach the national title game in the next five years?

No: 30, Yes: 27

5. Which Senior Bowl player are you most interested in seeing perform this week?

Tim Tebow: 14
Stefan Johnson, Brandon Graham: 3
Dexter McCluster, Taylor Mays, Riley Cooper, Eric Norwood, Jacoby Ford: 2

6. If you could play one more college season for another school, what school would you choose?

Florida: 10
USC: 9
Texas: 5
Alabama: 4
Georgia, Oregon: 3
California, Mississippi State, Boise State 2
South Alabama was one of 14 schools receiving one vote.

7. Should Florida's Urban Meyer retire, return after a year off or keep coaching after a short break?

Short break 28, take a year off 19, retire 10.

8. If you were starting a college football program, who would you want as your head coach?

Pete Carroll: 9
Urban Meyer: 8
Nick Saban: 7
Mack Brown: 3
Gene Chizik, Houston Nutt, Mark Richt, Paul Johnson: 2

9. Should players be allowed to transfer without sitting out a season if their head coach takes a job at another school?

Yes: 43, No: 8

10. What team will win the 2010 national championship?

Alabama: 17
Florida, USC, Michigan: 3
Ohio St., Texas, Missouri, Mississippi St.: 2

11. Would you like to see players who enter the NFL draft early invited to participate in the Senior Bowl?

No: 30, Yes: 25

Beyonce would lead their team's cheerleading squad if Senior Bowl players had their way. 

12. Who's the best candidate to be your team's head cheerleader?

Beyonce: 14
Kim Kardashian: 9
Alicia Keys: 8
Halle Berry: 7
Heidi Klum: 5
Rihanna, Jessica Simpson, Taylor Swift: 3
Jennifer Aniston: 2
Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek: 1

13. Should college athletes receive a monthly stipend?

Yes: 51, No: 5

14. Who is your favorite NFL player?

Peyton Manning: 5
Ray Lewis: 4
Reggie Bush, Tom Brady: 3
Lance Briggs, Demarcus Ware, Barry Sanders, Jerry Rice, Randy Moss, Drew Brees, Adrian Petersen, LaDainian Tomlinson: 2

15. Which overtime system do you prefer -- college or NFL?

College: 47, NFL: 10

16. Which was the best offseason head-coaching hire?

Brian Kelly to Notre Dame: 17
Tommy Tuberville to Texas Tech: 12
Lane Kiffin to USC: 10
Turner Gill to Kansas, Larry Porter to Memphis: 4
Skip Holtz to South Florida: 3
Charlie Strong to Louisville: 2
Derek Dooley to Tennessee, Butch Jones to Cincinnati: 1

17. Do you prefer the bowls and BCS system or a playoff to determine the national title?

Playoff: 33, Bowls/BCS: 29

18. Not counting the BCS national title game, if you could play in any bowl game, which one would you choose?

Rose: 30
Cotton, Sugar, Fiesta: 6
Orange: 4

Senior Bowl players say Oregon has the best uniforms in college football. 

19. Rate Oregon's uniforms: cool, awful or so-so:

Cool: 33, So-so: 6, Awful: 5

20. What college team has the best-looking uniform?

Oregon: 18
Florida, Texas, Missouri: 3
Cincinnati, Penn St., USC, Cal, Virginia Tech, TCU, Miami, Florida State 2

21. What NFL team has the best-looking uniform?

Chargers: 6
Bengals: 5
Saints, Dolphins, Ravens: 4
Colts, Cardinals, Cowboys: 3

Tebow: Day Four

Tebow had a really good day on Thursday. I got to watch him in the two minute drill and he was flawless to me. He was in control of that team and looked very comfortable. I have no doubt he will continue to learn and improve his stock in the draft. 

A Gator Is An NBA All-Star

I thought when it came to the three that were drafted in 2007 - Corey Brewer, Joakim Noah, and Al Horford, that Horford had the best chance of making it. Well, it turns out that they all have carved out their place in the NBA and doing well. But, it's Horford who beat them to the All-Star Game. Congratulations to him. Congrats to Billy Donovan who has three of his former players in Horford, Noah, and David Lee performing in this league at a high level and fighting for a roster spot on the All-Star Team. He has to be proud. I know that we in Gator Nation are very proud. 

On a another note, I don't see how you can leave David Lee off of the All Star Team. We are though thankful for Horford. It's great to be a Gator!!

Senior Bowl Practice

The national media is all over Tebow. But, that is nothing that we in Gator Nation haven't seen or heard before. I for one will continue to believe. I for one will continue not to predict his demise and continue to hope he fails. I am truly amazed at people. I really hope that no one looks forward to your failure as much as everyone is looking forward to his. 

On another note....Riley Cooper has surprised many and is continuing to escalate his draft status. I know Riley's talent but, it is good to see the rest of the nation get a look at him. He is tough and a good route runner. He will make some noise next year in the NFL as a rookie just like Percy Harvin. And then what will people say about the WRs that come out of Florida? We all know what ROY Harvin did. But. Louis Murphy WR for Oakland Raiders made himself known too. If he had a better QB in the 2009 season I truly believe he would have pushed Harvin for ROY. 

I know I am a homer. But, it's great to see the Gators draft well. And, just think Joe Haden S, Carlos Dunlap DE , Aaron Hernandez TE, Brandon Spikes, Brandon James KR Maurkice Pouncey C,  will all be drafted in April too. 

Go Gators!!!

Duke Proved To Be To Much

The Seminoles didn't give their best effort. And, if you are going to go into Cameron you have bring that. But, the ugly head of turnovers reared itself again for the Seminoles. They were senseless mistakes....unforced turnovers that they could not overcome. They got close though. It was eight minutes to go and Coach Ham's team had the lead by Duke down to four. But, they could never make up the difference. This Seminole team is young and they played young. What is important to note is Derwin Kitchen is talented but he is not a true PG. He does not making smart decisions. And, to survive in the ACC and win on the road....you need a good decision maker at point. The Seminoles are one year away from that. That being said, they are so talented and long on the defensive end that you have think they will end up in the top 5 in the ACC. You have to think they will do well and go far in the conference tournament. And....get a good seed come tourney time. Good luck on Saturday guys against the Eagles.

Florida Looks Good Against Georgia

Irving Walker is again coming into his own. It is his maturation that is fueling this team. He made some great decisions in this game. I thought Alex Tyus looked unstoppable in the inside as well. I hope that is a sign of things to come. Both Walker and Boynton had 21 points on Wednesday night. I liked the performance of the whole team.This is a good win going into Knoxville this Saturday. Go Gators!!

FSU v Duke Tonight At 9pm

The Blue Devils are favored by 14 in this game. I really want the Seminoles to hold their own. If they can hold Duke to 60 points they have a chance in the game. But, make no mistake everyone on the Seminole team will have to have the game of their lives. Duke is sound on both sides of the court. And, as Coach says, "they are probably playing the best ball in the ACC." Good luck guys...

Charlie Strong Offers Eric Dungy

Louisville has become the latest to offer Panthers DB Eric Dungy, the son of legendary NFL coach Tony Dungy.

Dungy also has offers from schools such as Florida State, Oregon, UCF, USF and New Mexico. He will take an official visit to Oregon this weekend, and the Ducks, who won the Pac-10 in 2009, very well could be the team to beat, largely because as it stands now FSU’s offer is for a grayshirt. That means the 6-foot-2, 180-pound Dungy would not enroll there until January 2011.

I am not surprised by this offer. I have heard many times that Strong and Dungy are well acquainted with each and good friends. 

South Carolina Outplayed Kentucky And Took Away Their Unbeaten Status

You got the sense from the beginning of the game that South Carolina came to play. It was one of those games where you thought if South Carolina could find one more scorer in the game besides Devan Downey they would win. 

Now, I do think Kentucky is headed to the tournament as a #1 seed but, I never drank the kool-aid that they would arrive unbeaten. The Gamecocks help prove me right. 

Downey was only 9-21 shooting. But, USC out-hustled, out-rebounded, and out-played the Wildcats. And, it was fun to see and to know that the Sea Of Blue Nation would not like this. 

It was a nail biter, but the Gamecocks played with so much heart. I thought some played out of their minds and skill set. They were out to prove this Kentucky team lead by Wall could be stopped if you got them into a half-court game. And. that's what happened. 

I still say the skill set is different in the SEC versus that of Conference USA. You are going to run into talented players that can take over a game and deliver the knock out blow to a higher ranked team. So, Calipari take note. No more Memphis Tiger like seasons. You will lose a game or two.


Congrats Gamecocks....for doing what no other SEC team could do so far this season. .  It was fun to watch and fun to talk about all day today. One and done and you head back to Lexington.

Senior Bowl Pics

Tebow still has star power and the attention of the media

Tebow practicing at the Senior

Riley Cooper showing off his skills

Tebow

Riley looked good

Caldwell Has The Colts In The Super Bowl In His Rookie Season

All this talk about "sexy Rexy"...and yes, I have been apart of that too...but, in the meantime we have so overlooked Jim Caldwell. But, just like his predecessor Coach Caldwell has quietly gone about the business of winning.

He took a lot heat for not letting the team finish undefeated...or at least giving them the chance to. And, I was one of those that complained. But, what a difference now. For the second time in four years they are headed back to the Super Bowl. Caldwell is one of maybe five coaches who in the rookie season, has that honor of playing in the last game.

I was skeptical myself there would not be much continuity after the departure of Dungy. But, I was wrong. Dungy hand pick Caldwell - same demeanor and it seems the same success.

Congrats Coach Caldwell.

Coach Donovan's Presser

My brothers and male cousins have been on me about giving FSU Basketball and of course Coach Ham so much pub. Well, here you guys. Here is Coach Donovans presser from Monday. I still had to give Coach Ham first honors.

Go Gators!!

Coach Talks ACC During Teleconference

Opening comments:

I thought Georgia Tech did a very good job of creating enough of different types of scenarios for us. They changed their defensive systems, pressed us in two or three different ways. I thought they kind of scrambled the game and in the past sometimes we have lost our composure when teams have done that to us. Kitchen did a good job of keeping us in sync moving the ball and getting in and out of our systems. That made the biggest difference in the game.

Georgia Tech executes so well, they challenge you every time down the court and now that Shumpert is back and those ball screens, they create a lot of help and recover situations. It was one of those games that could have gone either way and I think we just made one more big play, one more free throw, got one more rebound down the stretch there that gave us a chance to win the game. It seems that is the way it goes in the ACC. Every possession is so important that you can’t afford to take a possession off and I thought our guys for the most part stayed focused for the entire 40 minutes and that made a big difference in having the opportunity for us to pull the win out.

There were a lot of heroes. Chris stepped up and gave us some good play. He is a good outside shooter but they weren’t falling tonight so he changed his approach and took the ball to the basket and I think that shows maturity on him. Solomon was very patient. They were giving him a lot of attention and coming down on him. That shows he is maturing a little bit and he is learning how to handle the different defensive schemes.

Overall this is a very important victory for us. It gets us back in the middle of the pack as we look toward a big game for us on Wednesday.

Q: Was it nice to get a roll on free throw like that?

Hamilton: We are going to be shooting a lot of free throws in the next two or three days. It’s interesting that as poor as we shot them tonight, that was the difference in the game. We hit the big free throws, got the big rebound, and got the stop that we needed to. Like I said once before, that seems to be life in the ACC and I am probably echoing the same sentiments as the other coaches that have played games this weekend. They are a dogfight. That is why every possession is important. It’s going to be interesting to see how things pan out as we move into the remainder of the season.

Q: Is that how the ACC is shaping out, is there going to be a lot of upsets?

Hamilton: I don’t think any loss or win in the ACC is an upset. That is going to happen when two ACC teams show up. Regardless if one is in the top spot or the bottom. You can take the word ACC upset out of your vocabulary for this season because every game is what you call a white-knuckler. It’s a ballroom brawl. It’s physical and very aggressive. I think the officials did a good job for the most part. When you have that many athletes, big guys that are working hard and aggressive ? it was a very clean game. A hard fought game. You have to give Georgia Tech a lot of credit. They are a great basketball team and they challenge you on every play. I think our kids just stepped up and made one more play than they did to give us a chance to win.

Q: How much of a concern is it to see what Oliver did?

Hamilton: It doesn’t concern me anymore than it does in any other phase of our defense. You have to give them some credit. When they have that much talent inside, you have to give their inside players a lot of attention. Maybe not cover the wings as much as you should. I think we are capable of defending a little better but I am just going to give the guy credit because he knocked down some big shots. We had some of the same looks that just didn’t go in. Hopefully for us, when our shots start falling from the perimeter, we won’t have to have so many nail-biters. You have to give him credit for executing. They did a very good job of screening and getting guys open. Their guys worked very hard on catching and shooting and we just didn’t get there in time. Every team in the ACC has a player that is capable of lighting you up like that. You might as well get used to having to guard for 40 minutes and unfortunately, sometimes you are going to leave a guy wide open.

Q: Talk about Chris beating people off the dribble.

Hamilton: I think he is improving in those areas. He has shown a consistent perimeter shooting in practices in all our shooting drills. He is getting much better in taking it off the dribble. They played him very close tonight and some of our post guys were fighting inside and opened up some passing lanes for us to drive. I think sometimes you forget that Chris is going from a center in high school to a small forward. I think he is making tremendous progress for a guy that has now been playing basically limited floor time unlike he did in high school. I think before he gets through, he is going to make the full transition and get better and better. He will get better at other parts of the game, taking the ball to the basket tonight which we really needed. When he made one of those drives, people start respecting that and he will be open on the perimeter.

Q: Part of that maturation appears to be willing to take a gamble. Is that a fair assessment?

Hamilton: I think he is more confident in his approach to the game. He doesn’t get rattled, he is focused, and he has a feel for the game. I think as his skills continue to improve on the perimeter, you are going to see him make more and more contributions to our team.

Q: Talk about going on the road and how the last few games have been going down to the last shot.

Hamilton: Unfortunately life on the road is going to be similar to home. We just have to hope that once we go on the road that we are prepared mentally and have good focus and understand that once again, no formula is a secret. We have to take care of the ball and make sure we execute our system whether you are at home or on the road. You can’t relax when you are at home and you have to step it up a notch when you go on the road.

Cuse Over Georgetown 73-56

Well, Jon I was with you on this one. I have been a huge Hoya fan and huge John Thompson fan all my life. And, I am talking about Thompson Sr. I know many coaches who say he open the door for them. 

This game though was surprising. But, in the end it seem like Scoop and the Dome were too much to overcome once Syracuse got rolling. I also thought there was some key contributions off the bench the Orangemen - especially in the first half. After that...well, they never really looked back. I still love Monroe's game though. And, this Hoya team is much better than last year. I didn't know if John Thompson III had the same winning formula that his Dad possessed. But, it seems he has recruited well and developed talent well. This a Sweet 16 team in Georgetown. 
The problem is the Big East itself belongs to Syracuse. It's theirs to lose with maybe some competition from Villanova. I continue to be impress with them. I love their inside game and I love Scoop Jardin. And, they (Syracuse) have it all....great perimeter play and good inside presence. Tell your brother to enjoy this one.

Tebow Tribute....

Yes guys....I know that eventually I am going to have to let this whole Gator and Tebow thing go. But, I am going to hold just a little longer. His infectious personality penetrated many in Gator Nation and I don't know if we can appreciate him enough. Either way this is great video of a nice guy who happened to play the most physical sport we know.

Tebow's Presser

More Tebow.....

Peter King talks Tim Tebow.....

Tebow worked out with CFL coach Marc Trestman [who coached Chris Leak with Montreal -mlm] for two days early this month, and then daily for the past two weeks in Nashville at the D1 Training Center, under the coaching of former NFL quarterback and coach Zeke Bratkowski. Tebow's thrown to tight end Jimmy Graham of Miami and wideout Jordan Shipley from Texas. He's dropped seven pounds (from 245 to 238).
---
On Friday I spoke to Tebow for the first time, mostly about football, but some about the commercial -- and, specifically, what impact it might have, if any, on his draft prospects. I told him most NFL teams like their rookies to be seen and not heard, and certainly not heard in any politically divisive way. And there isn't a subject in this country that touches more buttons than abortion.

What I heard from Tebow was the voice of a kid with convictions, who doesn't shrink from what he believes -- even if it might hurt his draft prospects.

"That's always going to be a part of who I am, and I won't try to hide it,'' Tebow told me from Nashville, where he was working out with Bratkowski, the former Packer quarterback and longtime NFL assistant coach. "A team that doesn't want that shouldn't take me. Pro-life is very important to me. My mother listened to God late in her pregnancy, and if she had listened to others and terminated me, obviously I wouldn't be here. If others don't have the same belief, it's OK. I understand. But I hope they respect that at least I have the courage to stand up for what I believe in.''

---

[On Tebow's throwing motion] "I've been training every day since the Sugar Bowl. Every day. And that's one of the things I've been working diligently on. I think the scouts and coaches will see it's something I've improved on.''

---
[On what Tebow will show to scouts] "I want to show, number one, that I'm a competitor and I'm not afraid for teams to see everything about me. My goal is to find just one team, one out of 32, to believe in me as a quarterback. I'm not just the guy who can play in the spread offense, or throw a jump pass or run the triple option. I'm a football junkie. I study it all the time. I've studied every type of offense -- pro style, West Coast. Just because I haven't played every kind of offense, why can't I? Why can't I run the West Coast? My coaches at Florida didn't just teach us a system. They taught us football. So I want the NFL people to put me through everything. Grind on me, test me. I feel I've worked my whole life to prepare for this.''

---
[The Peter King Tebow Draft Gambling Pool] Throw $5 in the pool, and pick the team that drafts Tim Tebow. I proposed we do the order of the draft with those living farthest from Gainesville having the first pick, and here it went:

Mike Silver, Yahoo! Sports (Northern California) Jacksonville
Sam Farmer, L.A. Times (Southern California) St. Louis
Albert Breer, Boston Globe (Boston) Buffalo
Peter King, Sports Illustrated (Boston) San Francisco
Jeff Duncan, New Orleans Times-Picayune (New Orleans) Miami
Alex Marvez, Foxsports.com (South Florida) Cleveland
Jeff Darlington, Miami Herald (South Florida) Tampa Bay
Jason Cole, Yahoo! Sports (Gainesville, Fla.) New England
Asked Rick Gosselin, the hugely respected draft/NFL man for the Dallas Morning News who does the best mock draft in our business, for his over/under on the overall pick for Tebow. "Twenty-eight,'' he said. [San Diego currently holds the 28th pick. -mlm]  

Florida State Over Ga Tech In A Close One

The Seminoles are in the hunt now. Good job in sweeping the Yellowjackets! This makes the visit to Duke on Wednesday very interesting. This win also shows that this conference is so evenly matched. After beating two top 25 teams the Bumblebees fall to the Seminoles. This proves my point that I think the Seminoles will have to be reckon with down the stretch.

Standings	Conference				Overall
	W	L	GB	PCT	W	L	PCT
Maryland	3	1	-	.750	13	5	.722
Virginia	3	1	-	.750	12	5	.706
Duke	4	2	-	.667	16	3	.842
Wake Forest	4	2	-	.667	14	4	.778
Florida State	3	2	½	.600	15	4	.789
Clemson	3	3	1	.500	15	5	.750
Georgia Tech	3	3	1	.500	14	5	.737
Virginia Tech	2	2	1	.500	15	3	.833
North Carolina State	2	4	2	.333	13	7	.650
Boston College	2	4	2	.333	11	9	.550
North Carolina	1	3	2	.250	12	7	.632
Miami (FL)	1	4	2½	.200	15	4	.789

Florida State v Ga Tech Today At Noon....

I will be at this one Coach and I am looking for great things. I know this is not the same Tech team you saw three or four weeks ago. But, then your team is not the same either.

But, they have rolled off wins over North Carolina, Duke, and NC State. And, even though there is more parity this year in the conference those are still quality wins. This will be a tough one.

I have faith in you though. And, your team has shown signs of great play. I know they will be well coached in this one. Just tell Derwin this his game to control. I think your bigs will definitely show and I know Snaer will not be in awe of the moment. He could be the x-factor.

Again, Go Seminoles from this die heart Gator fan.

Good Luck To My Favorite Jet Fans!!!

This is for you Jon and How. I wish you guys much luck today. No more bashing of your team. It's time to get serious. And, I am so glad I really don't have a horse in this race...or I would be a mess to just like you guys. I know you are. Or at least I know Metro is. 
Have fun today though, and be proud that your team made it this far. They truly earned all of the attention. 
Yeah, I know I must be on something right?

J.E.T.S........Jets Jets Jets!!!!

Another Buzzer Beater....I Can't Take It!!

This was a game where I saw so much poise from my Gators. And, with this being a game that both programs needed the win it's nice to see Florida come out on top. 

When this team opened up conference play 0-2 most of us said here we go again. But, somehow we have clawed our way back into contention. This was a scrappy Gamecock team with one of best shooters in the league in Devan Downey. He could not be stopped tonight. But, unlike other nights in recent history this team held serve at home and did not fold under pressure in a close game. No silly mistakes. 

I can't say enough about how Parsons has improved his game and his attitude. He has definitely come into his own and I see his confidence growing. And, he is actually nasty under the basket now. He came away with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Also, Kenny Boynton is the truth. He scored 0 points in the first half but, came out in the second half and made his presence known. And, if that wasn't enough he got foul behind the three point line and had three shots at the foul line. With 11.0 seconds left and the Gators down two, Boynton drained all three. I really thought game over at this point. 

Of course Downey proved me wrong....but, then so did my Gators. There is no way I thought they would come out of the helter skelter end with a good open look at the basket and make it.

Coach Donovan is doing one of his best coaching jobs. Go Gators!!

Coach Meyer Talks About New Coaching Staff And The Last Days Of Recruiting

Coaching changes were also addressed while talking to the media tonight by Coach Meyer.

The addition of D.J. Durkin as linebackers and special teams coach will be "a little bit of help" on Meyer's responsibilities but he admitted he didn't know how much.

Meyer said he loves new defensive coordinator George Edwards and that he "blew us away" when Edwards visiting with Florida's coaching staff. Edwards, from the Miami Dolphins, takes over for Charlie Strong, who left for Louisville.

"I love coach Edwards," Meyer said. "He's a great hire and I've known him for a while, came strongly recommended by many, many people and blew us away when he came up here."

New running backs coach Stan Drayton takes over for Kenny Carter, who left to be on Strong's staff at Louisville. Drayton disparaged Florida's offense after leaving for Tennessee a few years ago but Meyer said he and Drayton don't have any relationship issues.

"Coach Addazio felt very strongly about that, I felt very strongly about Stan," Meyer said. "When he left I realized I wished I had him back."

On recruiting, Meyer said "they" don't want me traveling and that he's pulled back from his regular routine. The assistants are clearly handling things well since Rivals.com rates Florida's class No. 1 after receiving commitments from three five-star prospects - Matt Elam, Ronald Powell and Sharrif Floyd - at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

Elam is already enrolled. Powell, the nation's top player by Rivals.com, is officially visiting Florida this weekend. Meyer said the next couple weeks before signing day is "awful" and that it's "game day for 10 days."

"If we get their signatures in 10 days it's going to be encouraging," Meyer said. "That's a long ways from now."

Urban Renewal!!!

Coach Urban Meyer announced during half-time of the Gamecock-Gator that he would be back for Spring Ball.

To hear that was truly awesome news. I assume this will quiet all those who predicted that he had cached his last game at the Sugar Bowl. I doubt it though and it would take too long to call them all out.

"I'm going to have a series of tests in February to try to figure this thing out," Meyer said. "I have to take some time off. I've been instructed to by my bride and my boss. I have to change some things. That's obvious."

Asked if the tests would be for his heart or for stress, Meyer said, "yes and yes."

Meyer said he has cut way back on his travel during recruiting.

"They don't want me traveling," he said. "I did most of my traveling before the bowl game. I keep hearing about this time off. I tried it for a day and a half. That didn't work out."

Meyer said he plans an "in-depth meeting" with interim coach Steve Addazio once recruiting is over to figure out what Addazio's duties will be during the leave of absence.

Meyer said he has put on 20 pounds and now weighs 200 pounds.

"That's how I gauge this," he said of his recovery. "I'm exercising a lot now."

  

And to our rivals.....I guess rumors of demise for our Gator Nation were greatly exaggerated.

Haiti Relief By Gator Nation

America is coming together to aid the people of Haiti, and the University of Florida is no different. Join the Gators in their Haiti effort reliefs by visiting GatorsunitedforHaiti.org

Tebow Preparing For Senior Bowl

The Tennessean reports....

Tim Tebow built his resume at the University of Florida, but the Heisman Trophy winning quarterback is preparing for the next stage of his football career at D1 Sports Training in Franklin.

With zero fanfare, Tebow began working out there last week. He leaves this weekend for Mobile, Ala., to practice for the Senior Bowl, then returns to focus on next month's NFL scouting combine. The draft is April 22-24.

Tebow has opted not to talk to the media until he gets to the Senior Bowl, but indications are he's putting in 12-hour days at D1. In addition to a wide range of drills and workouts at the Cool Springs facility, he's throwing on some local high school fields, where curious fans have to be ushered away.

"He has this intensity about him that he's ready to work as soon as he steps on that field," said former University of Tennessee receiver Austin Rogers, one of the players to whom Tebow is passing. "He is throwing the ball well and coming out there and getting faster and better every day.''

Here are others who have joined Tebow at the D1 Facility

Player                                    Position                       College
Mackenzi Adams                       QB                              Vanderbilt
Bryan Anderson                        WR                              Central Michigan
Ciron Black                              OT                              LSU
Jeff Cottam                             TE                              Tennessee
Jonathan Crompton                  QB                              Tennessee
Jimmy Graham                         TE                               Miami (Fla.)
Derek Hardman                         OT                              Eastern Kentucky
Will Harris                                S                                USC
Michael Hoomanawanui             TE                               Illinois
Linval Joseph                           DT                               East Carolina
Joe Pawelek                            LB                                Baylor
Austin Rogers                           WR                              Tennessee
Taylor Scott                             DE                               Central Arkansas
Jordan Shipley                         WR                              Texas
Al Smith                                   DT                               Northwestern St.
Lee Sweeney                           QB                               Tennessee Tech
Tim Tebow                              QB                               Florida
Jared Veldheer                         OT                              Hillsdale

Recruits On Campus

Official Visit Weekend Previews: Jan. 22, 2010

ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS: HawgSports.com | Visit Dates | Commit List

Arkansas has a big recruiting weekend ahead and one of its goals could be to sweep the two-best prospects from one of the best schools in Louisiana. River Ridge John Curtis cornerback Jonathan McKnight will make an official visit to Arkansas. The Razorbacks have already secured a verbal commitment from his teammate, offensive lineman Luke Charpentier.
? McKnight set for visit
? Thomas looking forward to Arkansas visit
? Bennett ready for visit

FLORIDA GATORS: GatorBait.net | Visit Dates | Commit List

In the second to last recruiting weekend of the 2010 recruiting cycle, Florida is expecting three prospects to make the trip to Gainesville this weekend. The list of official visitors includes the nation's No. 1-ranked prospect and a quarterback currently committed to another program that just popped up on Florida's radar.
? Click here for a complete preview from GatorBait.net

FLORIDA STATE SEMINOLES: Warchant.com | Visit Dates | Commit List

The Seminoles are hosting two commitments and a number of their top remaining targets this weekend. The list includes Florida commit Demar Dorsey and four-star DE J.R. Ferguson.
? Click here for a complete preview from Warchant.com

GEORGIA BULLDOGS: UGASports.com.com | Visit Dates | Commit List

Georgia is expecting a few big names to be on campus this weekend for official visits. The list includes Warner Robins (Ga.) four-star defensive tackle Jeffrey Whitaker and Valdosta (Ga.) Loundes linebacker Telvin Smith who is committed to Florida State.
? Whitaker excited about meeting Grantham

ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI: Orange&BlueNews.com | Visit Dates | Commit List

Ron Zook's Fighting Illini look to finish off their recruiting class of 2010 strong in the next two weeks. The list of prospects visiting this weekend includes several still uncommitted and a couple prospects currently committed to other programs.
? The Orange&Blue News Dandy Dozen

LSU TIGERS: Orange&BlueNews.com | Visit Dates | Commit List

The tentative list of visitors scheduled to check out LSU this weekend includes a couple of in-state, four-star prospects currently committed elsewhere. The Tigers will try to turn Thibodaux (La.) athlete Trovon Reed from Auburn and Shreveport (La.) Huntington athlete Jarrett Fobbs from Texas A&M.
? Miles gives Reed plenty to consider

MIAMI HURRICANES: CaneSport.com | Visit Dates | Commit List

This is a big recruiting weekend for the Hurricanes as they try to finish out their 2010 class The list of visitors scheduled to be in Coral Gables this weekend includes players currently committed to Ole Miss and Tennessee.
? Click here for a complete preview from CaneSport.com

MISSISSIPPI STATE BULLDOGS: BulldogBlitz.com | Visit Dates | Commit List

It is the second big visit weekend in a row for the Bulldogs. The list of official visitors expected on the Mississippi State campus includes several prospects currently committed to the Bulldogs and some uncommitted targets, including Hoover (Ala.) wide receiver Maudrecus Humphrey.

NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS: BulldogBlitz.com | Visit Dates | Commit List

This weekend, Bradenton (Fla.) Manatee quarterback Brion Carnes travels to Nebraska for his second official visit of the recruiting process. One of the more highly touted prospects to trip to Lincoln in recent weeks, Carnes said he's essentially narrowed his college decision down to three schools.
? Carnes breaks down all remaining options

NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS: CarolinaBlue.com | Visit Dates | Commit List

North Carolina once again is hosting a number of standout gridiron prospects on the second-to-last weekend before National Signing Day. The biggest name on the list is Cleveland Glenville five-star athlete Latwan Anderson.
? Click here for a complete preview from CarolinaBlue.com

OKLAHOMA SOONERS: SoonerScoop.com | Visit Dates | Commit List

Dallas (Texas) Skyline linebacker Corey Nelson has been committed to Texas A&M since July but as a highly recruited linebacker, other programs haven't exactly left him alone. He now plans to take one final official visit to Oklahoma and will be joined by five-star defensive end Jackson Jeffcoat.
? Nelson plans one more official visit

OLE MISS REBELS: Rebelsports.net | Visit Dates | Commit List

Two of Ole Miss' top targets, four-star DE Carlos Thompson and four-star WR Vincent Sanders, will make their long-anticipated official visits to Oxford this weekend.
? Rebels prepped for star-studded visit weekend

OREGON STATE BEAVERS: BeaverBlitz.com | Visit Dates | Commit List

This weekend the Oregon State Beavers hope to continue the momentum that they gained last week. The list of official visitors to the Oregon State campus this weekend includes Honolulu (Hawaii) Iolani defensive tackle Sealii Epenesa.
? Click here for a complete preview from BeaverBlitz.com

RUTGERS SCARLET KNIGHTS: ScarletNation.com | Visit Dates | Commit List

The tentative list of official visitors at Rutgers includes some of the top targets from Florida. Potential visitors include Jacksonville (Fla.) Trinity Christian CB Rashad Knight, Jacksonville (Fla.) Bolles RB Jawan Jamison and Tampa (Fla.) Leto safety Jeremy Deering.

TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS : VolQuest.com | Visit Dates | Commit List

The list of visitors headed to Tennessee includes some big names and new coach Derek Dooley attempts to fill out a recruiting class before Signing Day. Four-star OT James Stone from Nashville (Tenn.) Maplewood will check out the Vols along with Calhoun (Ga.) teammates Da'Rick Rogers (Georgia commit) and Nash Nance
? Stone rolling toward final decision
(Vanerbilt commit).

UTAH UTES: UteZone.com | Visit Dates | Commit List

With less than two weeks to go until signing day, Utah is entering the final stage of the recruiting season. This weekend promises to be the biggest recruiting weekend of the year for the Utes as three uncommitted four-star recruits will be on campus.
? Click here for a complete preview from UteZone.com