No. 1 Gators Cap Perfect SEC Season

The No. 1 University of Florida volleyball team turned in its most balanced performance of the season, led by a team-high nine kills from senior outside hitter Callie Rivers (Winter Park, Fla.), to cap a perfect Southeastern Conference season with a 3-0 (25-14, 25-16, 25-12) win against South Carolina on Friday evening in the Volleyball Competition Facility.

The Gators (27-1, 20-0 SEC) became the first team in league history to record a perfect 20-0 record in SEC play, as the 20-match double round-robin format was instituted prior to the 2006 season. It marks the 12th perfect conference season in program history and the team’s first since 2003.

“This was a perfect ending to a perfect SEC season,” Florida head coach Mary Wise said. “To go through a double round-robin schedule undefeated is special, but to end the regular season with one of our most complete performances of the season is also a great way to enter the NCAA Tournament.”

Florida charted 15 total team blocks in the match, marking its second-most of the season next to 17.0 total team blocks at Auburn on Nov. 7, 2010. It marked the Gators’ most blocks in a three-set match since recording 16.5 rejections vs. St. John’s on Nov. 25, 2006. Florida out-blocked South Carolina 15.0-3.0 in the match.

The Gators hit at a sizzling .416 clip in the match, marking the team’s highest hitting efficiency since hitting .418 at Georgia on Nov. 5. Florida has hit better than .400 in four matches during the 2010 campaign. The Gators limited the Gamecocks to just a .081 hitting percentage, marking the eighth time this season that Florida has held its opponent under .100 hitting in a single match.

Rivers’ nine kills came on .368 hitting with six digs and two service aces for 11.5 total points. She was one of five Florida players who tallied five or more kills in Friday’s match. Junior right-side/setter Kelly Murphy (Wilmington, Ill.) totaled seven kills on 11 swings with no errors for a .636 hitting efficiency with 12 assists and four digs to complement four service aces and a season-high-tying five blocks. It marked Murphy’s third errorless match this season and went down as her eighth match of the season hitting .500 or better.

Junior outside hitter Kristy Jaeckel (Littleton, Colo.) registered seven kills on .500 hitting with a match-high10 digs and four blocks, while senior middle blocker Lauren Bledsoe (Long Beach, Calif.) added eight kills on .538 hitting with four blocks for 10.0 total points. Junior middle blocker Cassandra Anderson (Bakersfield, Calif.) recorded five kills on .500 hitting with an impressive nine blocks.

Sophomore right-side Tangerine Wiggs (Seattle, Wash.) posted four blocks, while freshman setter Chanel Brown (Tempe, Ariz.) dished out a team-high 17 assists to go with seven digs. Senior libero Erin Fleming (Orlando, Fla.) added seven digs.

The two teams battled evenly to begin the first set before the Gators broke a 5-5 tie with a 3-0 run that was highlighted by a block by Bledsoe and Jaeckel on the outside that gave Florida an early 8-5 advantage. Out of a South Carolina timeout, the Gators used a 4-1 run to go up 12-6, capped off by a kill and a block solo by Jaeckel on back-to-back plays. Florida kept rolling and, two kills by Rivers on three plays put the Gators ahead 18-9. A kill by Anderson and a service ace from Rivers sparked a 3-0 scoring spree that gave Florida a 21-10 advantage.

 Trailing 22-11, South Carolina used a kill and an ace by freshman Juliette Thevenin on back-to-back plays to cut within nine, 22-13. A put-down by sophomore middle blocker Betsy Smith (Atlanta, Ga.) coupled with a Murphy ace brought the Gators to set point at 24-13. A service error by the Gamecocks closed out the 25-14 victory for Florida. The Gators limited South Carolina to just a .045 hitting efficiency in the opening frame.

The Gamecocks scored the first two points of the second set before Rivers and Jaeckel answered with consecutive kills to knot the score at 2-2. After two more ties, an attack error by Thevenin and a block by Anderson and Murphy on the right side gave the Gators a 7-5 advantage and forced a South Carolina timeout. Out of the break, a block by Anderson and Jaeckel jumpstarted a 5-1 Florida run that was capped off by an Anderson ace that put Florida in front 12-6 and forced South Carolina head coach Ben Somera to burn another timeout.

Out of the break, Murphy had two kills and an ace in a 3-1 run that widened Florida’s margin to seven, 15-7. The two teams then began trading points before the Gators, leading 17-10, scored three in a row, including an Anderson kill to double the score at 20-10. Florida kept rolling to a 23-11 advantage thanks to back-to-back blocks. From there, the Gamecocks ran off five of the next six points to cut within eight, 24-16 on an attack error by junior outside hitter Stephanie Ferrell (Los Angeles, Calif.). Ferrell redeemed herself with the set-winning kill to give the Gators the 25-16 second-set victory.

Florida raced out to a 4-1 advantage in the third set, capped off by back-to-back kills by Rivers. After a pair of South Carolina points brought the Gamecocks within one, 4-3, the Gators used three consecutive kills to take a 7-3 advantage heading into a South Carolina timeout. Florida ran off two more in a row after an ace from Rivers and a block by Anderson and Murphy to go up 9-3. The Gamecocks struggled to find their rhythm and an ace from Murphy gave the Gators a 13-5 edge. Florida kept building to a 17-7 advantage and never looked back en route to the deciding 25-12 win.

The NCAA Division I women’s volleyball selection show takes place at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday and will be aired live on ESPNews. As a result of winning the 2010 SEC regular-season title, the Gators have already earned the SEC’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, marking the team’s 20th consecutive appearance and 21st appearance overall.

Undefeated League Season Big Motivating Factor for No. 1 Gators

There wasn’t much celebrating in Barnhill Arena in Fayetteville, Ark., last Friday night.

It was on that evening that the No. 1 University of Florida volleyball team defeated Arkansas, 3-1, to clinch the 2010 Southeastern Conference title outright. It was the fulfillment of one of the team’s goals, especially for the Gators’ senior class, which had vowed to win back the conference title after not winning in 2009 for the first time in 18 years.

“There wasn’t a whole lot of celebrating after Arkansas,” senior libero Erin Fleming said. “There won’t be unless we accomplish our goal of being undefeated SEC Champions. I don’t think we’ll celebrate unless that’s done.”

While Florida achieved a goal by winning the SEC title, the Gators know there are still many goals they want to accomplish this season, beginning with Friday night’s 7 p.m. ET tilt at South Carolina. The Gators are looking to become the first team in SEC history to go 20-0 in conference play.

“We’re in a position on Friday night to do something that hasn’t been done since 2003 and that’s to go undefeated in the league,” Florida head coach Mary Wise said. “I was one of the people who said that I don’t know if we will see an undefeated SEC team again. There’s just too much parity, too many good players and a double round-robin schedule is just grueling.”

It would mark the 12th time that Florida has gone undefeated in conference play in its program history and the first time any SEC team has gone 20-0. The league instituted a 20-match double round-robin format prior to the 2006 season in lieu of playing a conference tournament.

“This year, we wanted to focus on being, hands down, the best team in the SEC,” Fleming said. “We still have to get through South Carolina. Hopefully we will win and that will be a great accomplishment.”

WBB Defeats South Alabama in Opening Round of Dead River Company Classic, 61-51

Azania Stewart (Wood Green, England), Kayla Lewis (Decatur, Ga.) and Jordan Jones (Suwanee, Ga.) each tallied 10 points and the Florida women’s basketball team overcame a poor shooting night to defeat South Alabama, 61-51, at Alfond Arena Friday evening in the first round of the Dead River Company Classic hosted by the University of Maine.

The Gators (4-1) used a 20-4 run during a six-minute span midway through the second half to blow open a tight game and then held on as the Jaguars (2-3) made a late rally. All five of Florida’s games this season have been decided by 10 points or less.

“Tonight was definitely the battle we fully expected. Although we expected it, we didn’t play like we did in the first half. We played really soft,” UF head coach Amanda Butler said. “I was proud of the way we responded in the second half. The way we came out of the locker room and played in those first three minutes set the tone for the rest of the game.”

Florida tied a season-low 33.3 percent shooting effort, hitting just 26-of-78 from the floor, including 2-of-11 three-pointers and sank only 7-of-16 free throws, but dominated the boards, with a 57-42 advantage that the Gators turned into 20 points thanks to 29 offensive rebounds. Florida did hit 40 percent during the deciding second half.

“Rebounding is one of the areas that helped sustain us in this game,” Butler said. “South Alabama is a very good rebounding team and to pull down 57 total rebounds against them showed great effort and desire on our part.”

Stewart , who hit 5-of-8 from the field while charting three blocked shots, corralled 10 rebounds to net her second consecutive double-double and third of the year, while point guard Lanita Bartley (Jacksonville, Fla.) also grabbed a career-high 10 rebounds.

In addition to her third double-figure scoring effort of the year, Jones dished a team-best four assists and hit 5-of-6 free throws in the final 32 seconds to secure the victory. She also hit one three-pointer, extending her streak to eight consecutive games dating back to last season of sinking at least one from long range.

Ndidi Madu (Antioch, Tenn.) provided a huge spark off the bench with eight points and nine rebounds, as did the play of senior Ebonie Crawford (Decatur, Ga.) and Lily Svete (Granger, Ind.). The Gator bench accounted for 25 points.

“The play of Ndidi Madu was significant because she brought great energy to the floor,” Butler said. “

“Ebonie’s charge in the first half was amazing,” Butler praised. “She hasn’t taken one since she suffered a concussion in practice three weeks ago. That was a huge, gutsy play and made us confident in the first half because we didn’t have a lot to be confident about in those first 20 minutes.

“Lily had a huge play for us in the second half when our shots weren’t falling and really got our team fired up,” Butler continued.

Florida advances to Saturday’s championship game and will play Navy beginning at approximately 2 p.m. ET.

The Mids defeated Maine, 65-43, in their first round game. The consolation game between South Alabama and Maine will be played at noon.

Saturday will be the second all-time meeting between Navy and Florida, which won the 92-67 decision on Nov. 21, 1981, at the Virginia Tip-Off Tournament held in Charlottesville, Va.

The Gators will be aiming for their second Dead River Company Classic title, having also captured the 2000 championship in the program’s only other trip to the state of Maine.

Florida roared out of the locker room with a 6-0 run to build on its 24-23 halftime lead. Stewart hit a jumper in the paint, before Bartley converted a layup on a dish from Jones and Madu capped the spree with a 16-footer from the top of the key.

The Jaguars chipped away at the Gator lead, and staged an 8-2 run to close within one, 32-31. After another bucket from Stewart, the Jags scored the next four points and held a 35-34 lead with 14:04 remaining.

That’s when the Gators dug deep and ripped off the game-changing run, as Jones started it with a driving layup, followed by an inside jumper from Deaundra Young (Titusville, Fla.) and one from Bartley on an assist from Deana Allen (Houma, La.).

During Florida’s next possession, the Gators went cold from all over the court, but collected six offensive rebounds between one missed USA attempt, before Svete drove hard to the hoop, made the bucket and was fouled, earning a standing ovation from her teammates on the bench.

The teams traded scores for the next couple of minutes, before Stewart’s offensive put-back sparked a 10-0 run and the Gator lead swelled to 15 points, 54-39, with 6:10 remaining in the game. Madu and Lewis also chipped in during the spree.

The Jaguars refused to fold and staged a 12-2 run of their own and closed within five points, 56-51, with 56 seconds remaining.

Bartley had a chance to extended UF’s lead from the free throw line, but missed the front end of a one-and-one. Stewart, however, was there to collect the miss and keep the possession with the Gators.

South Alabama was forced to foul and Jones stepped up to secure the victory, as she hit 5-of-6 from the line in the final 32 seconds to polish of the win.

Florida easily had its worst shooting performance of any half this season, hitting just 26.8 percent in the opening frame, yet still managed to squeak out a 24-23 halftime lead.

The Gators out-rebounded the Jaguars 30-21 during those first 20 minutes, with 15 coming on the offensive end, but couldn’t take advantage as they missed countless put-back buckets.

All 12 Gators saw action during the first stanza, including Ebonie Crawford (Decatur, Ga.), who played for the first time this season. But the lone Gator senior didn’t just play, she sparked the Gators by hitting her first field goal attempt of the season, coming with 1:58 on the clock and gave UF a 22-21 lead. Crawford then took a charge on the Gators’ ensuing defensive stint.

Florida turned the ball over on its next trip down the floor and USA’s Cylenthia Kennon converted a pair of free throws that swung the lead to the Jaguars.

The Gators missed a couple put-backs, but stood tall and Jordan Jones collected a loose rebounds with 21 seconds remaining, as Florida called a timeout to set up the final possession of the half, which worked to perfection as Jaterra Bonds inbounded the ball to Kayla Lewis, who caught the pass and coolly nailed the six-footer in the paint with two seconds remaining and the Gators took a 24-23 lead at the break.

For Crawford, the field goal was her first points since Dec. 12, 2008, when she converted her only field goal attempt against Florida A&M.

South Alabama didn’t shoot that much better, hitting 29.6 percent from the floor, but did connect on one more three-pointer and four more free throws, as the Gators missed all of their three attempts.

UF missed its first seven shots of the game before Deaundra Young (Titusville, Fla.) ended the cold spell with a tough bucket inside with 16:37 on the clock, as the Gators evened the score at 2-all.

South Alabama took an 8-2 lead, as UF continued to struggle with its shot and Butler rotated the lineup searching for one with chemistry and intensity.

Brittany Shine (Sacramento, Calif.), Stewart and Jaterra Bonds (Gainesville, Fla.) each converted a bucket and drew fouls on their makes, but none completed the three-point play yet tied the score.

Neither team led by more than three the rest of the half, with South Alabama holding that largest margin last at 3:05 with a 21-18 score.

Madu nailed a deep jumper before Crawford entered the ball game and added a spark with her bucket and charge. Two free throws by USA to take a 23-22 lead set the stage for the waning seconds when the Gators converted the final shot of the half to take the halftime lead.

On a side note, the Gators awoke Friday morning to snow-covered roads and a steady falling of snow, the first ever sighting of it by Jaterra Bonds (Gainesville, Fla.), Deana Allen (Houma, La.) and Deaundra Young (Titusville, Fla.).

Ponder lacking Florida win in quarterback resume

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) -Christian Ponder will close out his Florida State home career by trying to stop a six-game losing streak to rival Florida.

Ponder goes into Saturday's game against the Gators with a 20-12 record as the Seminoles' starting quarterback. He ousted three-year incumbent Drew Weatherford from the job in 2008.
Neither Ponder nor Weatherford, who finished his career 20-13 as a starter, have engineered a win over the Gators.

Ponder and the 22nd-ranked Seminoles (8-3, 6-2 ACC) are 2 1/2-point favorites Saturday - a four-touchdown reversal from last year, when they went to Gainesville a 24 1/2 point underdog and came home a 27-point loser. The Gators (7-4, 4-4 SEC) are unranked.

Random Stop In Gainesville Changed The Gators' Fortunes

By SCOTT CARTER
GatorZone.com Senior Writer

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – If you have spent much time around Tallahassee the past four years or live next door to a Florida State fan, you probably know that Gators senior center Mike Pouncey and his brother Maurkice are liked about as much as – well, think LeBron and Cleveland – by FSU fans.

Garnet and Gold one day, Orange and Blue the next.

That’s at the heart of the story of the Pouncey twins.

Maurkice is now a rookie with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but on Saturday at Doak Campbell Stadium, Mike Pouncey will play his final regular-season game in the stadium his family used to call their weekend home in the fall.

“Our whole family grew up Florida State fans,’’ Mike said earlier this week. “One weekend changed our whole life.’’

The weekend Pouncey is referring to came in the spring of 2006. The Pouncey twins had already committed to FSU early in their careers at Lakeland High. However, on the way home after a visit to Tallahassee, the Pouncey boys decided to pull off Interstate 75 and stop in Gainesville.

While in town they met Florida coach Urban Meyer, who had just completed his first season, and some of Meyer’s assistants. No one seemed to mind the Pounceys wore Florida State gear.

Four years later FSU fans still lament the recruiting loss, which also helped the Gators land senior safety Ahmad Black and redshirt junior fullback Steven Wilks. Maurkice is already in the NFL, and Mike and Black are expected to join him there next season.

“We knew what we had there and it’s been a heckuva ride,’’ said Steve Addazio, Florida’s offensive coordinator/offensive line coach. “[The Pouncey brothers] are great players. Obviously, we’re really grateful that they were able to be here. It was great because we knew we had landed two big-time guys that we felt had great, great futures ahead of them.’’

After they committed to Florida, the brothers had two really difficult phone calls to make. One was to their mom, Lisa Webster, a lifelong Seminoles fan. The other was to FSU defensive line coach Odell Haggins, a former FSU player who had established a strong relationship with the Pounceys during the recruiting process.

“My mom was like, ‘What are you all doing?’ She was crying and she didn’t know what to do,’’ Mike sad. “We felt like we made the best decision for us.’’

Meanwhile, you can imagine the reaction of Meyer and Addazio in contrast to FSU’s coaching staff.

“They were thrilled,’’ Mike said. “It was tough on [Coach Haggins]. It was tough on us to have to make that phone call to him because we had a good relationship all throughout high school. It was emotional for him and for us.’’

Mike started his career as a defensive lineman before switching to the offensive line late in his freshman season. Saturday will be his 53^rd game for the Gators and second in Tallahassee. If the Pounceys hadn’t stopped in Gainesville that day, he would likely be taking part in Senior Day at FSU on Saturday.

Instead, an emotional Pouncey played his final home game at The Swamp in last week’s 48-10 win over Appalachian State.

Webster was there and totally at peace with how her sons’ decisions altered the family’s weekend plans the past four years.

“If you think about what the Pounceys have done for this program … to see their mom out there emotional as she was [on Senior Day] and what Florida has meant to their lives and what it means to us, that's an amazing deal,’’ Meyer said.

An important player in making everything fall into place was Gators junior receiver/running back Chris Rainey, who also starred at Lakeland High. Rainey committed to Florida before the Pounceys reversed field, and during the entire recruiting process – Rainey lived with the Pouncey family in high school – he tried to swing the Pounceys toward the Gators.

Meyer acknowledged Rainey’s role as an important factor in helping the group of Dreadnaughts – Lakeland won 45 consecutive games during their time there – become Gators.

“Chris Rainey was kind of the lead nut in that whole deal, the lead recruit,” Meyer said. “I first met him at an FCA banquet in Tampa at an Outback Bowl deal, and we developed a great relationship. And from then, the Pounceys jumped and Ahmad Black jumped and Steven Wilks jumped, and obviously that high school team will go down as probably one of the best ever.’’

Pouncey also said his decision was made easier by his perception that former FSU coach Bobby Bowden, the man who built FSU’s program into a national powerhouse and one of his mom’s idols, was detached from the Seminoles’ interest in him and his brother.

“That was one of the big keys why I didn’t go there,’’ he said. “I was committed there for like a year or two and I talked to Coach Bowden probably twice, and it was real short,’’ Mike Pouncey said. “So I guess they had somebody better than me and my brother coming in.

“At times I did meet him, he’s a great guy. You could tell he know a lot about football.’’

With the way Pouncey’s college career started, it seems fitting in some ways that his final regular-season game is in Tallahassee. After all, that’s the way it was supposed to end.

“I love playing this team because this is the team that I grew up loving,’’ he said. “I wanted to go to Florida State. It was a dream for me.’’

Pouncey’s dream turned into a nightmare for the Seminoles.

Florida and Florida State is always a special football game

Florida at Florida State
Florida football team gets ready to face off against Florida State football in Sunshine State rivalry.

View matchup stats for Florida and Florida State

In the football crazed state of Florida, bragging rights go a long way and Florida State hasn’t beaten Florida in six years. Christian Ponder and the rest of senior Seminoles are tired of hearing about it and this is their best chance to reverse the trend.

Florida State (8-3, 6-2) will try to claim the state title and — with some help — the ACC, too. The Seminoles, who already beat Miami, haven’t beaten both state schools since 1999. If they win and Maryland beats North Carolina State, the No. 21 Seminoles play in the ACC championship game on Dec. 4 against Virginia Tech in Charlotte.

The Gators (7-4, 4-4) hope to close out an inconsistent season with a win. A 48-10 win over Appalachian State last week hasn’t stopped the locals, who are used to conference and national championships, from questioning what’s wrong with the Gators. With quarterback John Brantley and the offense yet to play up to expectations, coach Urban Meyer has increasingly turned to hybrid quarterbacks Jordan Reed and Trey Burton to jumpstart the offense.

The Gators not only have routinely beaten the Seminoles; they’ve beaten them badly. The last three years, Florida has won by a combined 127-37 (37-10 last season, 45-15 in 2008 and 45-12 in 2007). This year’s teams appear to be pretty evenly matched, with neither doing anything exceptionally well, at least not consistently. Both teams enter the game scoring a shade above 31 points a game and defensively, Florida State allows 18.8 points a game while Florida gives up 20.2.

If the Seminoles are going to end their six-game losing streak, they’ll have to convert in the red zone, where they’ve scored just one touchdown in their last six trips. It won’t be easy; Florida is ranked 10th in total defense.

Brantley has thrown for 1,968 yards, completing 188 of 304. He has just eight touchdowns and eight interceptions. Jeffery Demps, who hasn’t shown the same explosiveness since an early-season foot injury, is probable. He leads the Gators with 487 yards rushing. Burton (316 yards), Chris Rainey and Reed all get carries.

For the Seminoles, Ponder has 1,817 yards passing (167 of 270) with 17 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Chris Thompson (645 yards) is the primary running threat with Jermaine Thomas doubtful with a knee injury.

Florida cornerbacks Janoris Jenkins (concussion) and Jeremy Brown (hamstring) are questionable. Florida State receiver Willie Haulstead (concussion) is probable.

College Football Odds: Florida State Small Favorites Over Florida Gators

This Saturday state bragging rights will be up for grabs, when Florida travels to No. 22 Florida State. The Seminoles moved one step closer to playing in the ACC Championship game with their 30-16 win at Maryland, but will need the Terrapins to bounce back and beat NC State, or it will be the Wolfpack representing the Atlantic in the title game.

The Gators hopes for playing for the SEC title were crushed in an embarrassing 36-14 loss at home against South Carolina, but Florida bounced back last week to beat Appalachian State 48-10. Florida coach Urban Meyer has never lost to Florida State, as the Gators have rolled off six straight wins.

The oddsmakers don’t seem to think that trend will continue, as the current college football odds have the Seminoles favored by 2.5-points over the Gators at home.

Florida (7-4, 4-4 SEC)
The Gators offense has struggled to make big plays in big games this season, whether it be in the passing game or on the ground. The Gators offense exploded for 547 yards of total offense last week against Appalachian State, but the question is can they make those same plays against a pretty solid Florida State defense.
John Brantley completed 16 of 22 attempts for 222 yards with no touchdowns and an interception. Backup Jordan Reed attempted just three passes, but completed two of them, including one that went for a touchdown. Reed did most of his damage on the ground, rushing for 71 yards and three touchdowns on just 11 carries.

Chris Rainey led the Gators with 87 yards on six carries, but it was a complete team effort on the ground, as Florida had five different players rush for at least 37 yards.
The Seminoles come in ranked 17th in the country, allowing just 115 yards a game on the ground, and if the Gators can’t get the running game going, the offense seems to stall. Brantley has to step up and have a big game for the Gators, otherwise the Seminoles are just going to load the box and really make things tough on the offense.

Florida State (8-3, 6-2)
The Seminoles defense forced four turnovers in their last game against Maryland, but none was bigger than the interception by Nick Moody. With the Terrapins driving down 23-16, Moody picked off Danny O’Brien and returned it 96 yards to put the game out of reach.
The Seminoles only punt came on their very first possession of the game, but only managed two offensive touchdowns the entire game, and were forced to attempt five field goals, only making three. Quarterback Christian Ponder completed 16 of 26 passes for just 170 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Chris Thompson led the Seminoles with 95 yards on the ground, with 70 of them coming on a first quarter touchdown run.
I expect the Seminoles to look to attack Florida with their powerful running game, as the Gators have had some trouble stopping the ground game this season. In their last loss to South Carolina, the Gators gave up 239 yards rushing.  Ponder is capable of throwing against this defense, but will have to be careful, as the Gators come in allowing just 168 yards a game through the air.

Looking at the Odds
I think this is the year that the Seminoles earn back those bragging rights and beat the Gators on their home field. I look for Florida State to at least control the Gators rushing attack, which is all you really need to do to keep their offense in check.

I believe Florida State will be able to really move the ball on the ground, and while this game figures to be close, I think you can count on the Seminoles winning by at least a field goal. My final score prediction is Florida State 24, Florida 20.

Florida at No. 22 Florida State, 3:30 p.m. Saturday

The Seminoles (8-3) will be trying to end a six-game losing streak to the Gators (7-4). Florida is unranked facing the Seminoles for the first time since 2004, and has struggled all season, particularly on offense. Meanwhile FSU is in the midst of a season in which it can earn nine wins during the regular season for the first time since 2003 - the last time the Seminoles defeated the Gators.
What to watch for …
Florida's four losses this season have come against teams with dual threat quarterbacks and a solid running game. Florida State QB Christian Ponder is averaging 197.6 yards of total offense, and the Seminoles average 183.4 rushing yards per game - behind an offensive line that UF coach Urban Meyer calls the best they've had since he arrived in 2005. Meyer described FSU kick returner Greg Reid as "great" and said the kickoff and return teams are a primary concern for the Gators. Reid is ranked fourth in the ACC in punt returns and No. 5 in kickoff returns. The Gators' offensive line has struggled to protect QB John Brantley and will face a defense that averages 3.72 sacks per game. While the Gators believe containing the running game is critical, establishing its own running game is also a priority. Junior RB Jeff Demps remains hampered by a foot injury and the Gators are averaging just 161 rushing yards per game, while the Seminoles are holding opponents to 131.5. Florida will again use its three quarterback system of John Brantley, Jordan Reed and Trey Burton, but Meyer said unlike the South Carolina game, the Gators won't panic if things don't start out well and will stick to the offensive game plan no matter what.

Courtesy of Palm Beach Post


The lasting image of Florida State's most recent victory over Florida was center David Castillo hoisting an alligator head above his shoulders at Florida Field while Seminoles supporters celebrated a dramatic come-from-behind.

That was so long ago that Castillo, who is in his third year of medical school, was just a sophomore; Chris Rix was the Seminoles quarterback who engineered the 38-34 victory and Urban Meyer was on his way to being named the Mountain West Conference coach of the year in his first season at Utah.

The year was 2003.

"There are teams that go on runs for stretches of four, five, six years in a row," said Castillo, who starred at Palm Beach Gardens High. "I definitely did not think that was going to happen then."

Since then, the only celebrating taking place during this rivalry has been from the Florida side as the Gators have kicked aside the Seminoles as if they were a bunch of walk-ons attempting to slow down the first-teamers.

Florida has won six straight entering Saturday's 3:30 p.m. game at Doak Campbell Stadium. And it's not just the wins, but how they have dominated.

After winning two of the first three (2004, 2006) by just a touchdown each game, the Gators have humiliated FSU the last three years by a combined score of 127-37.

That's an average of 30 points per game.

"It's a little ridiculous right now," FSU linebacker Vince Williams said.

Is this the season the pendulum swings back to Florida State? For the first time since Florida began the streak upsetting FSU at Doak Campbell in Ron Zook's farewell, the Gators (7-4) are unranked.

The No. 22 Seminoles (8-3) have rebounded from a 7-6 record last year (its third such record in past four years) in Jimbo Fisher's first year. And FSU still has a chance at a BCS bowl, but only if N.C. State loses to Maryland Saturday, which would put the Seminoles in the ACC title game for the first time in five years.

But that is not the Seminoles' focus, not with a chance to tip the balance of power in the state back to the Panhandle for the first time in a decade.

"Everyone tells us, 'You got to beat Florida this year. You got to beat Florida this year,'" quarterback Christian Ponder said.

"I think if we went 1-11 and beat Florida everyone would be satisfied."

Fisher is attempting to do something his predecessor, Bobby Bowden, never could: Beat Florida coach Urban Meyer, who is 5-0 against FSU.

Fisher has been steadfast in his belief that it will take more than one season to change a culture that started eroding about five years ago. He says the last two wins over Maryland and Clemson, both accomplished in the final seconds after similar losses to N.C. State and North Carolina, are proof his team is learning how to win.

"They're finding ways even when the bounces don't go your way," Fisher said.

And the approach must remain the same, even if the opponents are wearing orange and blue.

"Wanting to beat them sometimes can be the worst thing that happens because it gets in the way of preparing to beat them," Fisher said.

A victory over Florida would further put Fisher's stamp on this program. Not since 1999 - the year the Seminoles were undefeated national champions - has FSU defeated Miami and Florida in the same season to win the mythical state championship.

"We win the ACC championship, that's important to us," Castillo said. "Beating Florida and beating Miami would be huge as far as recruiting.

"You have guys between Florida State and Florida and Miami if we can beat both schools they might say 'I'll go to Florida State.'"

Fisher knows nothing but Florida dominance since arriving at FSU. His first season, 2007, started the string of Gators blowout victories (45-12, 45-15, 37-10). Of course, that year coincided with Tim Tebow taking over as the Gators' starting quarterback.

"Tim was one of the great players in college football history and not only for his physical play but for the impact he had on his teammates," Fisher said. "He was a special player for them."

While Tebow has moved onto the NFL, the Gators' offense has not only sputtered under quarterback John Brantley, but fallen off the cliff when it comes to the rankings.

The Gators are 73rd nationally in total offense. A year ago they finished No. 6.

Still, a team that has shown little resistance to Florida in recent years remains wary.

"That's another step, another challenge," Fisher said of beating Florida. "It's another thing we have to accomplish. It's another thing in which we have to get ready to understand how to do.

"They're still a very, very talented football team. They've lost a couple of heartbreakers. It's a great challenge for us but it's a great opportunity also."

Punter Chas Henry excited to be among Ray Guy Award finalists

Last year for Christmas, Florida punter Chas Henry got a Ray Guy rookie card as a gift from one of his mom’s co-workers.


Since then, the joke has been that if the Florida senior wins the Ray Guy Award, given to the nation’s top punter, he’d have to get Guy to sign it.

Henry might have to get that card out of its frame in his family’s Dallas, Ga. home. He was named a finalist for the award for a second year in a row on Monday, putting him in the running with Georgia’s Drew Butler, who won it last year, and Iowa’s Ryan Donahue for the award.

“It means everything to him,” said Henry’s father, David, on Monday afternoon. “If you’re a punter, you don’t win the Heisman (Trophy). This the Heisman for punters.”

Henry leads the country with a 47.3-yard average on punts this year. That has helped the Gators (7-4, 4-4 SEC) rank first nationall in net punting with 42.24 yards per punt.

Florida has not had a Ray Guy Award winner since it was created in 2000.

“It’s a great honor, and it’s even a bigger honor, I guess, to be named twice,” David Henry said.

A national voting body of Football Bowl Subdivision coaches, sports information directors, national media and former Ray Guy Award winners voted on the finalists and will cast a second round of ballots to decide the winner.

The award will be presented on The Home Depot College Football Awards live on Dec. 9 at 7 p.m. on ESPN.