BY JOSEPH GOODMAN
jgoodman@MiamiHerald.com
GAINESVILLE -- If it had been the team from Coral Gables, then the University of Florida might have been in trouble Saturday.
Good thing for the Gators they played Miami University and not the University of Miami.
In their first game of the post-Tim Tebow Era, the Gators won 34-12 but played sloppily against the Miami (Ohio) RedHawks of the Mid-American Conference. Miami won only one game last season and was more than a 36 ½-point underdog Saturday at Ben Hill Griffin.
A crowd of 90,178 watched with nervous tension as the Gators struggled for most of the game with simple offensive disciplines such as snapping and ball security.
Florida had more points (21) than total offensive yards (13) at halftime and Miami wasted a first-and-goal opportunity in the fourth quarter to cut Florida's lead to single digits.
``I didn't imagine the offense's incompetence that we experienced [Saturday],'' UF coach Urban Meyer said.
For Gators' fans spoiled after two BCS national championships in three years and back-to-back 13-win seasons, there wasn't much to cheer about during Saturday's season opener.
``We won,'' Meyer said. ``There's a bright spot for you.''
Good thing for the Gators they played Miami University and not the University of Miami.
In their first game of the post-Tim Tebow Era, the Gators won 34-12 but played sloppily against the Miami (Ohio) RedHawks of the Mid-American Conference. Miami won only one game last season and was more than a 36 ½-point underdog Saturday at Ben Hill Griffin.
A crowd of 90,178 watched with nervous tension as the Gators struggled for most of the game with simple offensive disciplines such as snapping and ball security.
Florida had more points (21) than total offensive yards (13) at halftime and Miami wasted a first-and-goal opportunity in the fourth quarter to cut Florida's lead to single digits.
``I didn't imagine the offense's incompetence that we experienced [Saturday],'' UF coach Urban Meyer said.
For Gators' fans spoiled after two BCS national championships in three years and back-to-back 13-win seasons, there wasn't much to cheer about during Saturday's season opener.
``We won,'' Meyer said. ``There's a bright spot for you.''
Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/09/04/1808989/unpromising-start.html#ixzz0ycSQuznz
