Alabama-Florida Preview

The recipe for success for both Alabama and Florida has been very similar - the offense revolves around running the ball and the defense smothers the opponents' ground attack.

The third-ranked Crimson Tide and No. 12 Gators will see how their strengths stack up against one another as they meet in Saturday night's highly anticipated SEC showdown at The Swamp.

 

Alabama (4-0, 1-0) and Florida (4-0, 2-0) are virtually mirror images of one another. The Tide are third in the FBS in rush defense at 45.8 yards, while the Gators are tied for fifth at 56.5, and Florida leads the SEC in rushing at 259.0 yards, while Alabama is second at 230.8.

 

The similarities between the teams are not surprising considering first-year Florida coach Will Muschamp was an assistant under Nick Saban when he coached at LSU and the Miami Dolphins.

 

"Will's doing a really, really good job. He did a great job for me for a long time," Saban said. "This will be a real challenging game for us, in all phases, but we want to focus on controlling the things that we control and what we do."

 

That starts with establishing the run behind Trent Richardson and Eddie Lacy.

 

Richardson ranks second in the SEC in rushing with 441 yards, and ran for 126 yards on 17 carries in last Saturday's 38-14 win over then-No. 14 Arkansas.

 

Lacy is seventh in the league with 365 rushing yards, and boasts an impressive 8.9 yards per attempt - second only to Florida's Jeff Demps, who is averaging 9.4 yards per carry.

 

Demps, eighth in the SEC with 320 yards on the ground, needed just 10 carries to rack up 157 rushing yards in last Saturday's 48-10 win over Kentucky. Chris Rainey, tied for fourth in the conference with 411 yards running, ran for 105 yards last weekend to help the Gators finish with 405 yards on the ground, their sixth-best single-game performance in school history and most since a 466-yard performance against New Mexico in 1989.

 

"Their strength as a team has been their ability to run the ball and consistently make big plays running the ball," Saban said. "Even though it's a little bit different style, they're still featuring the same players doing things that they're very, very good at, which is making plays in space, running the ball on the perimeter, and making it difficult for you to match up."

 

The Tide have already proven they can neutralize a high-powered offense after limiting the Razorbacks to 226 yards, including 17 on 19 rushes. Arkansas came in ranked 11th in the FBS in total offense at 517.3 yards and eighth in scoring at 47.0.

 

"We set out to establish that we were going against the best offense in the SEC and a lot of people were labeling us as the best defense in the SEC," Alabama linebacker Dont'a Hightower said. "So we wanted to go out and show people what we were capable of with all cylinders turning."

 

The Tide's defense took a bit hit last week, however, as linebacker C.J. Mosley left in the first half with an elbow injury. Mosley has 12 tackles and a sack, and returned an interception 35 yards for a touchdown in last season's 31-6 home win over the Gators.

 

Alabama has won five of seven in the series with Florida since 1999, including a 31-6 rout last year, but now must prepare for facing a run-first offense under new coordinator Charlie Weis.

 

"There are certain games that bring the intensity," Gators quarterback John Brantley said. "When I say they mean the same, they mean the same on the schedule - a win's a win. And different games bring different intensities, but we try to be as intense in game one as we are in game 10. You always want to bring that intensity."

 

Brantley, who completed 16 of 31 passes for 202 yards and two interceptions in last season's loss to Alabama, hasn't been called upon to pass as much this season, throwing for 752 yards, four touchdowns and two picks on 86 attempts.

 

Playing in a similar-style offense, Alabama's AJ McCarron has put up nearly identical numbers, passing for 779 yards with four TDs and two picks in 95 throws.

 

Led by junior linebackers Jonathan Bostic and Jelani Jenkins and sophomore defensive end Sharrif Floyd, Florida is also focused on taking away the run to force McCarron to pass.

"A lot of teams want to run on us" Muschamp said. "So we got to defend the run before we can defend the pass."

Gator Football Climbs To No. 12 In Weekly Polls

The Florida football team (4-0, 2-0 SEC) moved up to No. 12 in both the AP and USA Today Coaches’ polls released on Sunday. The Gators continued their advance from their preseason ranking of 22nd in the AP poll and 23rd in the USA Today poll. Last week, UF was ranked No. 15 in both polls and climbed three spots following a 48-10 win at Kentucky.

There are five teams from the Southeastern Conference currently ranked in the polls. Among the 12 teams on Florida’s schedule, there are four teams present in the Week 5 polls, including two of the top three teams in No. 1/2t LSU and No. 3/2t Alabama.

The Gators will face the Crimson Tide and Tigers in their next two games, potentially marking the first time in school history that Florida will meet consecutive top-three opponents during the regular season. Florida and Alabama will clash at 8 p.m. on Saturday in The Swamp, live on CBS Sports.

During the 2008 season, No. 2 UF defeated No. 1 Alabama in the SEC Championship Game, 31-20, and then downed No. 2 Oklahoma in the BCS National Championship Game, 24-14. In 1992, the sixth-ranked Gators fell to No. 3 Florida State, 45-24, and then dropped a 28-21 decision to No. 2 Alabama in the inaugural SEC Championship Game.

SEC: Texas A&M to join in July 2012

Texas A&M is set to join Southeastern Conference, the league said Sunday, possibly signaling legal hurdles have been cleared for the Aggies to leave the Big 12.

The SEC announced the move will be effective next July, and said Texas A&M will participate in all sports during the 2012-13 academic year. That gives the SEC 13 members and its first addition since South Carolina and Arkansas in 1992.

The Aggies' defection from the Big 12 had been held up by the possibility of legal action from Baylor and other members. The statement released by the SEC did not mention that situation, and spokesman Charles Bloom said he could not comment.

A Big 12 administrator said neither the SEC nor Texas A&M have asked any of the Big 12 schools to waive their right to sue. The person spoke Sunday night on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation.

SEC presidents and chancellors voted in favor of the move on Sept. 6.

"We are excited to begin competition in the nation's premier athletic conference," Texas A&M President R. Bowen Loftin said in the statement.

It's unclear if the SEC will add a 14th member for next season or go with unbalanced divisions. Rumored possibilities include the Big 12's Missouri and West Virginia of the Big East.

Texas A&M initiated the courtship in July, unhappy with rival Texas' Longhorn Network, and sparked another tumultuous period for the Big 12.

The Aggies, who play Arkansas on Saturday, give the SEC entry into major TV markets such as Houston and Dallas.

"Texas A&M is a nationally prominent institution on and off the field and a great fit for the SEC tradition of excellence — athletically, academically and culturally," Commissioner Mike Slive said in the statement.

Slive, Loftin and others will hold a news conference Monday evening in College Station, Texas.

Four Big 12 teams — Oklahoma, Texas, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State — had explored moving to the Pac-12, which decided not to expand this year.

Oklahoma President David Boren said the nine remaining schools besides Texas A&M agreed last week to give a six-year grant of their first- and second-tier television rights to the Big 12. That means all revenue from the top television games — shown currently on networks owned by ABC/ESPN and Fox — would continue to go to the Big 12 even if a school bolts to another league.

That deal, however, had not been finalized.

The Big 12 also ousted Commissioner Dan Beebe last week after five years and replaced him with former Big Eight Commissioner Chuck Neinas on an interim basis.

"I am personally saddened to see Texas A&M depart from the Big 12, and wish I had the opportunity to visit the campus to sit down and talk with their administration," Neinas said in a release. "We will continue to work diligently in securing the long-term stability of the Big 12.

"Now that the status of Texas A&M has officially been determined, the membership can focus on the desired course for the Conference moving forward. Although no timeline has been established, an expeditious pursuit is anticipated."

A&M's official departure from the Big 12 was considered the next step needed to determine where this round of conference realignment is headed.

Once that is done, the SEC can decide on a 14th member, if it wants one and the Big 12 can replace the Aggies.

Texas A&M moved to the Big 12 after 82 years in the Southwest Conference and its departure to the SEC will mark the first time the Aggies won't be in a conference with rival Texas and Baylor.

Some are worried A&M's departure will jeopardize the future of the annual football game, currently played on Thanksgiving night, between the Aggies and Texas.

It is one of the oldest rivalries in college football, with the teams first meeting in 1894.

Loftin said he'd like to continue the rivalry no matter what conference the Aggies were in when he announced the school's plans to explore its conference options in August.

However, even if the schools were able to work out a deal to meet for a nonconference football game each season, it would be nearly impossible to guarantee that other sports such as men's and women's basketball and baseball would be able to meet their biggest rivals each season.

UF volleyball falls to Vols

It wasn't so much the loss to a young and talented Tennessee team Sunday that did not sit well with Florida head coach Mary Wise as it was the way the sixth-ranked Gators lost their early-season showdown with the Volunteers in front of an O'Connell Center crowd of 2,031 and a national (ESPNU) television audience.

After more than two hours of going toe-to-toe and exchanging blows with the upset-minded visitors, the Gators finally seemed to have the upper hand with an 11-8 lead in the fifth and deciding set.

But UF, an experienced and senior-laden team, could not seal the deal. Instead it was the Vols, a team with 10 freshmen and sophomores on their 15-player roster, who came through in the clutch to take a 3-2 upset win over Florida.

With their 25-21, 20-25, 25-21, 19-25, 18-16 victory, the Vols, winners of seven straight matches, improved to 11-2 overall and are now the only unbeaten team in the SEC East at 4-0. The Gators, meanwhile, slipped to 9-3, 2-1.

“I think what is the most disappointing thing for us is that in the fifth set we were right there, up 11-8,” Wise said. “Then we just had so many unforced errors, especially for a senior-laden team. That's what is very disappointing.

“So now we're all chasing Tennessee. That's a huge win for them. It's hard to win this league if you don't win at home, but there are a lot of matches left.”

The Vols, on the other hand, were understandably excited with their big win, and when sophomore Carly Sahagian's block on UF's last attack of the night hit the floor on the Gator side, the Tennessee players on the bench rushed the floor for a big celebration with their teammates.

“This was a great win for us, especially considering how young we are,” said Tennessee head coach Rob Patrick. “We had three freshmen on the floor at times tonight. Our players were amazingly calm and focused.”

Sophomore outside hitter Kelsey Robinson, who came into the match leading the SEC with an average of 4.91 kills per set, was impressive in recording her ninth double-double of the season with 17 kills and 15 digs. But the Vols also got a double-double from Sahagian, who had a match-high 19 kills to go with 13 digs, as well as double-digit kills from 6-4 junior outside hitter Leslie Cikra (17) and 6-3 junior middle blocker DeeDee Harrison (12). In addition, freshman setter Mary Pollmiller tied her career-high with 59 assists to lead the Vols to a 64-55 edge in that category.

Senior outside hitter Kristy Jaeckel led the Gators with 16 kills and added 14 digs for her 21st career double-double, while fellow senior Kelly Murphy added to her school-record with her 26th career triple double (10 kills, 21 assists, 14 digs). Senior Stephanie Ferrell had 14 kills and a .400 hitting percentage while senior middle blocker Betsy Smith added a career-high nine kills, a team-high .438 hitting mark and tied her career-best with eight block assists, but it wasn't enough.

UF outhit the Vols, .295 to .239, but Tennessee came away with a 71-61 advantage in kills, a stat that caught their coach's attention.

“I've probably played Florida 35 times, and I think I can count the times we've had more kills than they have on one hand,” said Patrick, who has coached the Vols since 1997. “They (Florida) are always so athletic and well-coached, it seems they always end up with the advantage when we play.”

Wise felt the difference was fundamentals.

“I think the difference was the serving and passing of Tennessee,” she said. “It came down to the fundamentals of volleyball, and give Tennessee credit for doing them well.”

The Gators will try to rebound this weekend in road matches at Auburn and Georgia.

“We're an older team, but we're playing with a young team mentality,” Jaeckel said. “That's something we've talked about and something we need to change.”

Florida prepares for Alabama

Being undefeated after the first month of the season was expected for the Florida football team. After all, Florida Atlantic and Alabama-Birmingham were in over their heads playing at Florida Field.

And Florida has owned the series against Tennessee the past seven seasons and has defeated Kentucky 25 consecutive years.

Not being undefeated after four games would have been an upset for first-year Florida coach Will Muschamp and his program. How the Gators do over the course of the next four games will shape their postseason destination.

“We're 4-0. We're pleased with where we are,” Muschamp said after Saturday night's 48-10 win at Kentucky. “We've got a lot of things we still need to improve on. We cleaned up some things.”

First up for the Gators in their October gauntlet is big bad Bama, which routed Florida 31-6 last season in Tuscaloosa and is off to another impressive start. The Gators also entered that game 4-0.

“We just worry about Florida,'' Muschamp said. “Really, at the end of the day, we're going to take care of the University of Florida. We're going to be fine versus everybody we play. Starting with Alabama.''

The Gators won't change their preparation just because they are facing Muschamp's mentor, Alabama coach Nick Saban, who hired Muschamp at LSU and again with the NFL's Miami Dolphins.

“They've got a good football team,” Muschamp said on his television show Sunday. “We need to prepare the same way we've prepared earlier in the year. Each week make sure your preparation is your motivation in what you do. Prepare well for the game, and, we'll play well.

“The same sort of preparation. They all count for one. Alabama's got a good football team, but so do we.”

Men's Tennis - 2011 Southern Intercollegiate Championships

UF continued play over the weekend at the 2011 Southern Intercollegiate Championships, hosted by the University of Georgia. The Gators had four players advance to the Round of 16, with senior Nassim Slilam advancing to the quarterfinals. On the doubles side, UF had three teams advance to the Round of 16, with two pairs advancing to play each other in today’s semifinal.

Women's Golf - 13th place at the 2011 Mason Rudolph Fall Preview

Florida finished in 13th place at the 2011 Mason Rudolph Fall Preview. The squad shot a final round 306 (plus-18) and had a tournament total of 905 (plus-41). The Gators were led by senior Evan Jensen who shot a three-over 75 to give her a final score of 228 (plus-12) on the last day of the tournament.

“Evan played well.” Head coach Jan Dowling stated. “She wasn’t striking the ball well but she figured out a way to put together a good score. She really worked hard today.”

The Gators will be in competition next at the SEC/Pac-12 Challenge in Knoxville, Tenn., Oct. 21-23.

UF soccer loses in Knoxville

A second-half comeback fell short as the No. 6 Florida soccer team (8-3, 1-1 SEC) lost 4-2 at No. 12 Tennessee (8-2, 1-1 SEC) Sunday afternoon in front of a crowd of 1,480 at the Regal Soccer Complex.

“We just dug a deep hole for ourselves early on our own mistakes,” Burleigh said. “We did a good job of recovering from that in the second half but it wasn’t enough. As far as the fourth goal, we were chasing the win. I don’t care if the final is 3-2 or 4-2 – that goal is inconsequential.”

The Gators showed some sparks in the second half, but there wasn’t enough to close the gap.

“It wasn’t enough of a comeback,” Burleigh said. “We have to use that energy that we came back with and some composure. We had the energy and at times, the composure, but not quite enough.

The Gators return home after a four-match road stretch to begin a four-match home stand versus SEC rivals. Play begins Friday, UF hosts Vanderbilt.

Florida Gators’ John Brantley hurt, but likely not seriously

Quarterback John Brantley gave the Gators a scare Saturday when he headed to the locker room late in the second quarter after taking a hard shot to the ribs, but it appears he avoided serious injury given his second-half showing.

The hit that knocked Brantley out of the game — a shot from linebacker Danny Trevathen — was the second painful blow of the half. Brantley was also slow to get up on a first-quarter completion as well.

Brantley, who was 6 of 11 for 99 yards with a touchdown before he got hurt, has shown considerable progress this season. His absence, especially heading into Alabama week, would be as harsh of a blow as the hits he took.

Backup Jeff Driskel was unable to complete a pass in his short stint of action, taking a sack on bad protection from the line and throwing an interception to close out the second quarter in Kentucky territory.

Brantley dealt with back issues before the season started. It is unknown whether the latest problem Saturday is related.

Alabama-UF game at 8 p.m. Saturday, CBS says

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Florida will play Alabama at 8 p.m. next Saturday (Oct. 1) at Florida Field. The contest will be televised by CBS, the network announced Saturday night.

Unleashing the 'Cat on the 'Cats

Midway through the second quarter, the Gators threw their Wildcat package at the Wildcats and it produced pretty impressive results.

Rainey and Trey Burton took turns taking shotgun snaps and knifing through the UK defense.

It wasn't slowed down until the Gators were called for a holding penalty after driving to the 'Cats' 47.

Rainey had runs of 4, 11 and 4 yards, while Burton had runs of 13 and 11 yards.

UF continues streak over UK

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Many have been wondering what would happen to the Florida offense if and when a defense figured out a way to eliminate those dump downs and swing passes that Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps have been turning into huge plays.

Facts

Three things

1. Speedy tailbacks Jeff Demps and Chris Rainey combined to rush for 263 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Gators' offensive onslaught.
2. Demps put the game out of reach when he blew through a huge hole and raced 84 yards for a touchdown early in the third quarter.
3. Even senior defensive tackle Jaye Howard got into the scoring act, plucking a UK fumble out of the air and running two yards for a TD in the first half.

Well, Kentucky found a way to diffuse Rainey and Demps in the passing game Saturday night.

So, what was offensive coordinator Charlie Weis’ answer?

He had quarterback John Brantley hand the ball off to the speedy tailbacks — and the results were just as electrifying.

Demps and Rainey combined to rush for 263 yards and two touchdowns, both by Demps, to lead the No. 15 Gators to a 48-10 thrashing of Kentucky before 65,134 in Commonwealth Stadium, giving UF its 25th consecutive victory over the Wildcats.

The Gators head into next Saturday’s SEC showdown with No. 2 Alabama at 4-0 overall and 2-0 in conference play. Kentucky falls to 2-2 and 0-1 in the SEC.

Demps put the game away for the Gators early in the third quarter, when the offensive line opened a huge hole for him over left guard on a draw play and he raced 84 yards for a touchdown to put UF up 38-10.

“I’m very pleased with how we responded in the game,” UF coach Will Muschamp said. “The defense created four turnovers that led to 24 points, we rushed for 400 yards, had two backs each go over 100 yards and did an excellent job (of) taking what the defense gives you, which Charlie has done an outstanding job doing in the first four games.

“I’m pleased with the turnovers and being able to run the football. This is a line of scrimmage league, and you’ve got to be able to do that. We’re 4-0 and we still have a lot of things to improve on.”

Demps finished with 157 yards on 10 carries, averaging a whopping 15.7 yards a carry. Rainey, who set up a TD with a 27-yard run late in first quarter, rushed for 106 yards on 15 carries.

“We gave them a short field with turnovers,” UK coach Joker Phillips said. “We had a chance to get momentum at the start of the second half, but we let them off the hook by giving them a big play (Demps’ 84-yard TD run). We’re just not playing very smart.

“We can’t make this many mistakes and have a chance to win a game like this. Four turnovers. … That’s a sloppy football team.”

With the Gators rushing for 405 yards, there was little or no pressure on Brantley and the passing game. Brantley, who sat out UF’s final two first-half possessions after having the wind knocked out of him, completed eight of 14 passes for 114 yards and a touchdown. His 45-yard TD pass to tight end Gerald Christian gave the Gators the early 7-0 lead.

Demps and Rainey weren’t the only Gators making big plays. The UF defense produced some of its own, including senior defensive tackle Jaye Howard picking a UK fumble out of the air and returning it two yards for a touchdown to give the Gators a 28-3 lead early in the second quarter.

For the game, the defense intercepted two passes and recovered two fumbles.

UF’s first touchdown was set up by defensive tackle Omar Hunter’s fumble recovery on the UK 45. Redshirt freshman linebacker Michael Taylor set up a third-quarter field goal with his interception and 30-yard return.

When Demps, Rainey and the running game weren’t finishing off drives, junior place-kicker Caleb Sturgis was. He made field goals of 45 and 27 yards and is now a perfect 11-for-11 on the season.

For the first time this year, Demps and Rainey were no factor in the passing game. Demps had one reception for two yards, while Rainey had zero catches. The Gators found other ways to get the two in space, and they made all kinds of things happen.

“The thing that concerns you is that Charlie does a great job of creating space plays for them that creates a lot of one-on-ones,” Muschamp said. “One missed tackle against those two guys, and they can take it the distance. They are great guys, have great speed, great in the open field, run the ball hard. They are competitive and tough. They have all the intangibles that good football players have.”

Thanks to some poor field position, the UF offense got off to its first sluggish start of the season, producing only one first down in its first two possessions. But after Hunter flipped the field with his fumble recovery, the Gators scored 21 consecutive points during a a five-minute span during the first quarter.

Following Christian’s TD reception, Demps burst through a hole on the right side of the line for a 20-yard TD run. Minutes later, fullback Trey Burton scored on a 1-yard run to give the Gators a 21-0 lead with 3:39 still left in the first quarter.

For the game, the Gators rolled up 520 yards of total offense, while holding the Wildcats to 299 yards. UF’s rushing total of 405 yards was the sixth-best in school history and the most since the Gators ran for 466 yards against New Mexico in 1989.

No. 15 Florida routs Kentucky, 48-10

LEXINGTON, Ky. —Plenty has been made about Florida's speed. Turns out the 15th-ranked Gators can score pretty quickly, too.

Florida scored three touchdowns in a 4:31 span of the first quarter, and Jeff Demps iced the game with an 84-yard touchdown run as No. 15 Florida routed Kentucky 48-10 on Saturday night for the Gators' 25th straight win in the series.

"We have that quick strike ability to flip the field and score," said Will Muschamp, who became the sixth Florida coach to start his career 4-0. "All those things are deflating to a (opposing) team."
Demps carried the ball 10 times for 157 yards and two touchdowns, the second of which qualified as the sixth-longest scoring run in Florida history.

The Wildcats managed to frustrate the Gators early on in their first road trip of the season. On the first drive of the game, one scripted beforehand by offensive coordinator Charlie Weis, Florida went three-and-out for just the fourth time all season, and the second drive didn't prove to be much better.

But a fumble by the Wildcats provided the burst of energy Florida (4-0, 2-0 Southeastern Conference) needed. Josh Clemons lost the ball on second-and-1 at the Kentucky 45, and John Brantley hit Gerald Christian on a 45-yard touchdown pass across the middle on the next play to give the Gators a 7-0 lead with 8:10 in the first quarter.

The Wildcats (2-2, 0-1) failed to pick up a single yard on their next possession, and Demps ran off tackle for 20 yards for the Gators' next touchdown, capping a four-play drive that took just 1:23.

Kentucky picked up a first down on its next drive - its first of the game - but Matt Elam picked off a pass by Morgan Newton at the Kentucky 46 and returned it 17 yards to the Florida 28. Chris Rainey ran most of the rest of the way, with Trey Burton polishing it off with a 1-yard TD run to put the Gators up 21-0 with 3:39 still left in the first quarter.

Florida now has outscored the Wildcats 94-3 in the first quarters of the past four meetings.

"That's a sloppy football team," Kentucky coach Joker Phillips said of his Wildcats. "I've got to get this football team to know how precious, how precious the football is. We've had very poor field position the last couple weeks, and we've given the opponents good field position, and that equals an L most of the time."

Kentucky gave the ball away again in the second quarter, deep in its own territory. Jonathan Bostic hit Newton as his arm was behind his head, Newton dropped the ball and Florida's Jaye Howard grabbed it, running 2 yards for a touchdown to make it 28-3 with 11:30 left in the half.

The Wildcats scored their lone TD by making the Gators pay for a mistake of their own. Brantley headed to the locker room a few minutes before halftime after getting drilled by Danny Trevathan, the SEC's leading tackler. On his second play, backup quarterback Jeff Driskel fumbled the ball as Trevathan hit him, and Trevathan fell on the ball at the Florida 26.

Newton, who was 16-of-33 for 124 yards with two interceptions, threw a 19-yard touchdown pass two plays later to La'Rod King with 1:18 before halftime to cut the Gators' lead to 31-10.

But the Wildcats were too far in the hole at that point, and couldn't stop Florida's speedy running backs in the second half.

Demps, who won a national title in the 60-meter dash at the 2010 indoor NCAA championships, showed the speed the Gators have become known for as he raced by defenders for his long touchdown run. It was Florida's longest since Emmitt Smith's 96-yard touchdown run against Mississippi State in 1988.

"I just tried to run a little faster," Demps said. "As soon as you see the hole, you get through it. You got the lane, you take it and go score."

Demps finished with 10 carries for 157 yards and two touchdowns, Rainey added 105 yards for the Gators, who finished with 405 yards rushing, and Brantley was 8 for 14 for 115 yards and one touchdown. Florida hosts No. 3 Alabama and travels to No. 2 LSU in the next two weeks.

Kentucky also couldn't do much on offense against the Football Bowl Subdivision's top run defense, picking up just 134 yards on the ground. The Gators also entered the game ranked sixth in scoring defense and seventh in total defense.

"It is definitely frustrating, and what made it the most frustrating was that it was all self-inflicted," Kentucky center Matt Smith said. "We came out fired up, and we were ready to give them what they weren't expecting. Once we had a couple of turnovers, it deflated us a little bit. It's hard to get going again once they got the momentum, especially with a team like that as good as they are and as fast as they are."

Muschamp looks to keep UF grounded

GAINESVILLE -- Florida has won 24 consecutive games against Kentucky, a streak not likely to end Saturday in Lexington.

The No. 15 Gators will enter Commonwealth Stadium a 20-point favorite over the Wildcats, thanks in large part to a do-everything Heisman candidate at running back and a top-ranked rush defense.

Chris Rainey has rushed for 306 yards and hauled in another 214 through the air. He leads Florida in both categories and accounts for more than a third of the team’s total offense.

On defense, the Gators are leading the nation against the run, allowing just 92 yards on the ground through three games — highlighted by last week’s effort, in which Tennessee was held to minus-9 yards.

Under first-year coach Will Muschamp, Florida is back to basics: run the ball and stop the run. Muschamp said he’s a firm believer in the latter.

“We’re talented up front and have good players up front,” he said. “They have a lot of pride and dominate the line of scrimmage. We have to make it a one-dimensional game in this league. If you can make an offense one-dimensional, it’ll give you a chance to win a lot of football games.”

Against Tennessee, linebacker Jon Bostic said stopping senior running back Tauren Poole (nine rushes, 18 yards) definitely “changed the game,” allowing the defense to key on quarterback Tyler Bray and the passing attack.

“All throughout two-a-days and even this summer, even when the coaches first got here in the spring, that was an emphasis we wanted to make,” Bostic said. “We want to stop the run. We want to be one of the most physical defenses in the country.”

Coupled with their top-ranked run defense, the Gators are averaging 210 yards of rushing offense — fourth in the Southeastern Conference and 30th in the nation.

On the other side, Kentucky is averaging just 119 yards per game on the ground — 10th in the SEC and a distant 92nd nationally. The Wildcats offense struggled against its in-state rival Louisville last week, and coach Joker Phillips said he wants to see improvement across the board.

“Every area, starting up front; our quarterback needs to play better, our receivers need to play better, our running backs, tight ends,” he said. “First thing we have to do is establish the run. We ran for only 35 yards last week, which is atrocious at any level of football.”

Hurting the cause, multiple offensive linemen have gone down with injuries. Right tackle Billy Joe Murphy missed the past two weeks because of a knee injury, and center Matt Smith missed the team’s first two games with an ankle injury. Murphy is doubtful for Saturday’s game and right guard Larry Warford is questionable with an ankle injury he sustained late in the loss to Louisville.

Giving up 14 plays for negative yardage last week, Kentucky struggled to find a rhythm on offense. But Phillips might have to wait another week to see progress, as UF’s defensive line has given opponents fits. Phillips called the unit “physical” and “very violent.”

Defensive tackle Dominique Easley has been a force along the line, with three tackles for loss. UF’s front seven has combined for 19 1/2 tackles behind the line of scrimmage for a loss of 105 yards.

Making matters worse for Kentucky, the Florida pass rush started to come alive against Tennessee. Bostic and fellow linebacker Jelani Jenkins sacked the quarterback once apiece, and Jaye Howard and Ronald Powell combined for another. Powell also hurried Bray into throwing two interceptions.

Kentucky gave up six sacks against Louisville, bringing its season total to 12. Only three teams in the nation have yielded more.

“We only gave up 14 the whole year last year with pretty much the same group,” Phillips said. “We’ve got to get it corrected because these guys that we have are all we got.”

Phillips knows what the Wildcats have to do — it’s just a matter of making it happen against a team they haven’t beaten in more than two decades.

No. 6 Florida Soccer Opens SEC Play Friday at Georgia

Southeastern Conference soccer play begins this weekend and the No. 6 Gator team (7-2, 0-0 SEC) opens defense of its league title at Georgia (6-2, 0-0 SEC) on Friday, Sept. 23. Match time is set for 7 p.m. at the Turner Soccer Complex.

Two of the last five meetings between these two programs have gone to overtime, including the 2010 regular-season meeting in Gainesville. UF’s Erika Tymrak scored the tying goal late and then hit the game-winner in the 97^th minute to give Florida a 2-1 OT. The two teams also met in the 2010 SEC Tournament semifinal round, with the Gators used a hat-trick from Lindsay Thompson to come from behind to take a 3-1 win.

The Gators concluded non-conference play at a pair of teams who both were receiving votes on the Sept. 13 National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) poll. Florida opened the weekend with a 2-0 win at Missouri, then ranked No. 24 by Soccer America. Both goals came late in each half and were scored by freshman Annie Speese off assists from Jo Dragotta. The first came off a 19-yard shot with just two minutes left in the opening half. Her second came in the 86^th minute. She received the ball off a free kick and brought it forward to almost the same spot as her first half goal and her left-footed shot scored in the upper slot. The goals were the first of Speese’s Gator career.

On Sunday, the Gators scored early and often, taking a 7-2 win at Kansas. Six different Gators scored – Tahnai Annis (first and last goals), Speese, Havana Solaun, McKenzie Barney, Lindsay Thompson and Erika Tymrak. Florida’s five goals in the opening half is one off the record set by 1996 team and matched in 1998. It is the most goals in a half for UF since its five second half goals in a 6-0 win over Old Dominion on Oct. 4, 1998. Thompson’s goal as the halftime buzzer sounded is the latest goal ever for UF in the opening half, just bettering the previous record of 44:57 set by Thompson in 2008 NCAA Second Round action versus UCF.

For her play last weekend, Speese was named to the Soccer America National Team of the Week and the SEC Freshman of the Week. She is second among the Gators with 10 points, shares second with three goals and leads with four assists.

Georgia is currently on a five-match win streak. The Bulldogs played one match last weekend, using their biggest offensive output of the season to post a 4-1 win over North Carolina-Greensboro. Sophomore Alexa Newfield, a 2010 All-SEC first team selection, leads the Bulldogs with six goals and four assists for 16 points.

UF coach: Rainey should be in Heisman debate

GAINESVILLE -- Running back Chris Rainey has more than 500 yards of total offense through three games. He’s also blocked a punt and returned another blocked punt for a touchdown. Coach Will Muschamp thinks Rainey is worthy of an entrance into the Heisman debate.

“His production and what he’s done for our football team, running catching and on special teams and in return and blocking kicks, you’re talking about value to a football team,” Muschamp said. “But again it’s a long season and we need to continue to play consistently well at his position.”

Rainey leads the team in rushing yards (321) and receiving yards (214) and already has five touchdowns.

• After playing snaps at defensive end in his first game of the season, defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd said rushing from the edge was harder than it looks.

He won’t be on the outside full time, as Quinn said Floyd will move around on the line depending on the opponent. But Quinn said he isn’t concerned with Floyd’s ability at end because the coaching staff just started to experiment with him playing outside during training camp.

“He hasn’t done it as much,” Quinn said. “He’s getting more comfortable with it, it’s just taken him some reps to do it.”

• The Gators are making sure their hottest commodities — running backs Rainey and Jeff Demps — stay healthy by limiting their contact in practice. Offensive coordinator Charlie Weis said Tuesday the coaches made the move in order to keep the duo fresh. Last season, Demps carried the ball 26 times against Tennessee and was never the same after injuring his foot.

Weis feeling a little miserable – Robbies Playbook - Gator Sports

Most of the statements early in the season from Florida offensive coordinator Charlie Weis have been positive. He’s been happy with his offense. His mood has changed dramatically after the Gators’ offensive effort in the 33-23 victory over Tennessee on Saturday.

He’s gone from happy to “miserable.”

“Actually, I’m pretty disappointed,” Weis said after Tuesday’s practice. “Am I content that we’ve been able to move the ball pretty consistently in the first three games? Yes. But anyone who really is meticulous in their preparation at this stage of the season finds a lot of faults in things we’ve done.

“I think we can get a lot better on offense than we are right now. We can get a lot better.”

Weis said he was unhappy about many aspects of the offense’s performance Saturday, from poor execution on third down to penalties to play-calling and mental errors.

“Third down, we were 31 percent,” Weis said. “I had to throw a play-action pass on the goal line to get in, and we had to go for it on fourth down to get it in (another time). I’m not too fired up about that, OK. Thirty-one percent on third down. That makes me miserable.

“We fumbled the ball one time. Turnovers. Not very happy about that. Got the ball back with four-and-a-half minutes left in the game with a chance to run it out and we didn’t do that. Not very happy about that.

“Then we get the ball at the end of the game and we have to be smarter situationally  and make sure we don’t run out of bounds. Not very happy about that.

“Seven penalties. Sign me up for not being happy about that, too. Three line of scrimmage penalties at home. That doesn’t cut water. Throw on top of that the play-calling and the number of mental errors. Trust me, there are plenty of things for me to be miserable about.”

Weis went from happy to miserable. Just like that.

It’s obvious that Weis and the offense have plenty to work on this week to get ready for the Gators’ first road game at Kentucky.

SEC writers rank the teams in the first power poll of the season

New this year is a power poll voted on by 12 SEC writers, one covering each school in the conference and including yours truly. No specific criteria were given and writers ranked the teams one through 12. The higher the ranking the more points awarded; so, first place received 12, second place received 11 and so on.


Here’s how the teams ranked, with first-place votes in parentheses:

1. LSU (10) 142 – Tigers have impressive wins over Oregon and Mississippi State.
2. Alabama (2) 134 – Crimson Tide is loaded but has only beat up on weaker teams.
3. Arkansas 114 – Razorbacks lead conference in total offense.
4. South Carolina 109 – Unbeaten Gamecocks have a win over Georgia in the division.
5. Florida 102 – Gators’ best-in-the-nation rush D has them off to 3-0 start.
6. Miss. State 69 – Bulldogs have losses to LSU, Auburn.
7. Auburn 68 – Tigers last in SEC in total defense.
7. Georgia 68 – Bulldogs 1-2 with losses to two ranked teams.
9. Tennessee 53 – Vols’ passing attack stymied vs. UF.
10. Vanderbilt 42 – Commodores off to 3-0 start, lead conference in INTs and sacks/game.
11. Kentucky 22 – Wildcats are 2-1 but looked bad vs. Western Kentucky, Louisville.
12. Ole Miss 14 – Rebels have conference’s worst offense and are 0-2 in SEC.


Here’s a look at who’s voting: Andy Bitter, Columbus (Ga.) Ledger-Enquirer; Seth Emerson, Macon (Ga.) Telegraph; Rachel George, Orlando Sentinel; Andrew Gribble, Knoxville (Tenn.) News-Sentinel; Mike Herndon, The (Mobile, Ala.) Press-Register; Hugh Kellenberger, Jackson (Miss.) Clarion-Ledger; Josh Kendall, The State (S.C.); Jeff Lockridge, Nashville Tennessean; Brandon Marcello, Jackson (Miss.) Clarion-Ledger; Thomas Murphy, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette; Kyle Tucker, Louisville Courier-Journal; Randy Rosetta, Tiger Sports Digest (Baton Rouge, La.).

Florida Gators coach Will Muschamp not shy when it comes to berating officials

GAINESVILLE — As the seven SEC officials walked down the middle of the field during halftime of Saturday's Florida-Tennessee game, they were bombarded with opinions from the two head coaches.

To their left, Tennessee's Derek Dooley's face turned red and his head was shaking while he yelled. But Dooley's input seemed gentle compared to what Gators coach Will Muschamp was doing on the right side.

He was irate, presumably about his team being flagged for eight penalties in the first half. He jumped, shouted and pointed at the officials as they were leaving. He held up two fingers on one hand and waved it wildly.

He became so emphatic that a Florida staff member tried to intercede by pushing him back and trying to calm him.

"He just wants to make sure all the calls are right and make sure the game's played fair," Gators linebacker Jon Bostic said Monday.

That is a diplomatic way of assessing Muschamp's behavior. Another viewpoint would be that he is building a reputation for being brutal on officials, something that might hurt him in the future.

"No," Muschamp said when asked if he was concerned about that possibility.

He also said no one at Florida or the SEC mentioned anything to him about his actions. A spokesperson for the conference said Coordinator of Football Officials Steve Shaw has "open communication with all of our head coaches," but the spokesperson would not elaborate.

It is highly unlikely that any SEC coach would be fined or incur a public reprimand from the conference. The most realistic consequence would be a 15-yard personal foul penalty.

Asked if he thought Muschamp was close to drawing one of those against Tennessee, quarterback John Brantley laughed and said, "Who knows?"

No. 15 Florida went on to beat the Volunteers 33-23. Afterward, Muschamp declined to divulge what specifically angered him. Instead he said, "I was upset about a bunch of things at halftime."

In total, the Gators nearly set new school records with 16 penalties for 150 yards. They were called for five pass interference infractions and a defensive holding. Muschamp's post-game response was, "I have no comment."

"We were all pretty frustrated with the penalty calls, but the refs are just trying to do their job," linebacker Jelani Jenkins said. "They call it how they see it. If they said it was pass interference, it was pass interference."

TV cameras picked up many of Muschamp's tirades last week and likely will be trained on him when the Gators play at Kentucky Saturday.

In 15 seasons as an assistant, Muschamp was known for his sideline antics, but having never been a head coach prior to this year, this is his first opportunity to deal directly with the officiating crew. He has produced some furious and comedic displays.

In Week 2 against Alabama-Birmingham, Gators safety Matt Elam caused a fumble that was recovered by teammate Marcus Roberson. The officials stopped the game to review the play. During the break, Muschamp got down on his hands and knees in front of an official on the sideline. He took off his headset, folded it up and set it in front of himself on the grass, appearing to use it to represent the ball while he reenacted the play, yelling the entire time.

As much as his demonstrative interaction might irritate the refs, his players seem to find it endearing that he is so passionate on their behalf.

"It's crazy, man," guard Jon Halapio said last week. "It just shows how much he cares about his players for him to go out there and scream and yell at the officials like that."

Florida Gators wide receivers not seeing a lot of balls thrown their way

Although Florida quarterback John Brantley has thrown for more than 210 yards per game this season, his wide receivers have been almost nonexistent.

The Gators' two leading pass-catchers are running backs. Chris Rainey has 11 catches and Jeff Demps 8.

"We've got the plays in for (wide receivers), but whenever we go out there we just want to take what the defense gives us and take what's open," Brantley said.

Deonte Thompson leads UF wide receivers in catches (seven) and yards (93). Wideouts combined for only three catches Saturday against Tennessee.

"The receivers have done a fine job," Brantley said. "I trust them no matter what happens and we're going to keep throwing to them."

Florida has averaged 37.7 points per game through three games by exploiting one-on-one matchups underneath as teams drop into a zone to protect against the deep threat.

"We'd love to be throwing nine routes every snap if we could and complete every one of them," coach Will Muschamp said. "We'd all be really happy, and then we'd say, 'Why aren't we getting the ball to Rainey?'"

- Junior cornerback Jeremy Brown likely will be out for "a couple weeks" as he continues to recover from a knee injury, Muschamp said. Saturday was the third consecutive game he's missed.

Muschamp has said that Brown's ability to run straight has been up to par, but his lateral movement and change of direction have been limited by the ailment. Muschamp added that surgery will not be required.

"Very frustrated for Jeremy," Muschamp said. "He is a great young man and I'm just hurt for him."

- Sophomore tight end Jordan Reed is questionable for Saturday's game against Kentucky as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury. He did not play against Tennessee.

- Freshman guard Trip Thurman had shoulder surgery Monday morning and will miss the remainder of the season.

- Sophomore linebacker Dee Finley will return this week after serving a one-game suspension. Finley was arrested last Monday on charges of driving with a suspended license and resisting arrest with violence, a third-degree felony. That charge was reduced to a misdemeanor last Tuesday.

Rainey and Sturgis Garner SEC Weekly Honors

Gators’ redshirt senior running back Chris Rainey (Lakeland, Fla.) and redshirt junior kicker Caleb Sturgis (St. Augustine, Fla.) have been honored by the SEC for their play in UF’s 33-23 victory over Tennessee this past weekend, the Conference announced today. Rainey was named co-Offensive Player of the Week, while Sturgis took home Special Teams Player of the Week accolades.

Rainey, who takes home his third-career SEC honor  and first-career SEC Offensive Player of the Week honor, tallied 233 all-purpose yards, scored a touchdown and blocked his fifth-career punt, a new school and SEC record in the Gators’ seventh-consecutive win over the Vols.

With his 108 yards rushing and 104 yards receiving against UT, Rainey became the second Gator to record 100 yards rushing and receiving in the same game joining Percy Harvin who accomplished the feat against Vanderbilt in 2007. Additionally, Rainey became the second player in the country and first in the SEC to accomplish the feat this season.

For the season, Rainey is leading the Orange and Blue in both rushing (306 yards on 48 carries, 6.4 avg., two touchdowns) and receiving (214 yards on 11 receptions, 19.5 avg., two touchdowns), one of only two players in the nation to lead his team in both categories. Additionally, he is tied for sixth in the country with 520 yards from scrimmage and ranks second in the nation with 8.8 yards per touch among players with 50+ touches.

Sturgis takes home his second-career SEC weekly honor after scoring a career-best 15 points against Tennessee. Sturgis went a perfect 4-for-4 on field goals with a long of 46 and converted on all three of his extra point attempts, the four made field goals were also a career-best. Additionally, Sturgis helped pin the Vols back by averaging 65.4 yards per kickoff with three touchbacks.

For the season, Sturgis is a perfect 9-for-9 on field goal attempts, the top total in the nation.

Rainey, Sturgis and the Gators (3-0, 1-0 SEC) return to action on Saturday, Sept. 24, when they face Kentucky (2-1, 0-0 SEC) in their first road contest of the season at Commonwealth Stadium. The game kicks off at 7 p.m. and will be carried nationally on ESPN.

SEC Players of the Week – Week 3

Co-Offense – Chris Rainey, RB, Florida; Marcus Lattimore, RB, South Carolina

Defense – Trey Wilson, DB, Vanderbilt

Special Teams – Caleb Sturgis, K, Florida

Offensive Line – Wesley Johnson, C, Vanderbilt

Defensive Line – Bennie Logan, DT, LSU

Freshman – Odell Beckham, WR, LSU

Florida Football Matchup at Kentucky to Air on ESPN

The Florida Gators will take on the University of Kentucky Wildcats on ESPN on Saturday night. The Sept. 24 SEC matchup is slated to air at 7 p.m. This marks the third straight season the two teams have played on ESPN. Mark Jones and Ed Cunningham will broadcast the game, with Cunningham as the analyst and Jones giving the play-by-play. Samantha Steele will be reporting from the sideline.

Sept. 24 – Florida at Kentucky – ESPN – 7 p.m.

Florida Football Moves Up to No. 15 in Both Polls

The Florida football team moved up to No. 15 in both the AP and USA Today Coaches’ poll, released on Sunday. The Gators have moved up from their preseason ranking of 22nd in the AP poll and 23rd in the USA Today poll. Last week, UF was ranked No. 16 in the AP poll and No. 17 in the USA Today poll.

There are five teams from the Southeastern Conference currently ranked in the polls. Among the 12 teams on Florida’s schedule, there are four teams present in the Week 4 polls, including two of the top three teams in No. 2/3 LSU and No. 3/2 Alabama.

AP Top 25					USA Today Poll
RK	TEAM	RECORD	PTS		RK	TEAM	RECORD	PTS
1	Oklahoma (37)	2-0	1471		1	Oklahoma (50)	2-0	1463
2	LSU (14)	3-0	1424		2	Alabama (4)	3-0	1402
3	Alabama (7)	3-0	1402		3	LSU (5)	3-0	1373
4	Boise State (2)	2-0	1309		4	Boise State	2-0	1212
5	Stanford	3-0	1212		5	Stanford	3-0	1208
6	Wisconsin	3-0	1170		6	Oklahoma State	3-0	1126
7	Oklahoma State	3-0	1092		7	Wisconsin	3-0	1121
8	Texas A&M	2-0	1043		8	Texas A&M	2-0	1033
9	Nebraska	3-0	911		9	Nebraska	3-0	966
10	Oregon	2-1	899		10	South Carolina	3-0	876
11	Florida State	2-1	896		11	Virginia Tech	3-0	852
12	South Carolina	3-0	891		12	Arkansas	3-0	851
13	Virginia Tech	3-0	830		13	Oregon	2-1	804
14	Arkansas	3-0	781		14	Florida State	2-1	801
15	FLORIDA	3-0	669		15	FLORIDA	3-0	670
16	West Virginia	3-0	579		16	West Virginia	3-0	529
17	Baylor	2-0	521		17	South Florida	3-0	485
18	South Florida	3-0	496		18	Texas	3-0	464
19	Texas	3-0	402		19	Baylor	2-0	391
20	TCU	2-1	273		20	TCU	2-1	310
21	Clemson	3-0	272		21	Michigan	3-0	243
22	Michigan	3-0	266		22	Clemson	3-0	181
23	USC	3-0	260		23	Michigan State	2-1	119
24	Illinois	3-0	106		24	Georgia Tech	3-0	118
25	Georgia Tech	3-0	59		25	North Carolina	3-0	99