Gator Football Week 3
photo courtesy JWFrank.com
Three games into the 2007 football season, and the Gators have trounced their opponents by a combined score of 167-54. To the surprise of no one intelligent, Tim Tebow can indeed throw, and the Gator offense has been slicing through defenses like my Dad through a Rosh Hashanah brisket. By the end of the Tennessee game, Erik Ainge was so disheartened that with 12 minutes left in the fourth quarter, he was chucking the ball over his receivers’ heads. Not that Roger Moore wanted to catch the ball anyway – he blatantly dropped one ball to avoid being tackled. Looks like the second half of the Troy game wasn’t such a big deal after all.
In fact, the Troy game was so thoroughly over at halftime that I remarked the Troy marching band should be waving white flags. And then they did! The flagettes put down their black Troy flags in favor of a blue and mostly-white design, crying out “Please, have mercy on our football team! We mean you no harm mighty Gators!”
At which Urban Meyer smiled his Cheshire cat smile and began to cackle uncontrollably.
So, other than the fact that Tebow (who set the Florida high school records for passing yards and touchdowns) isn’t half bad, what have we learned so far this season?
For starters, UF has the fastest and most talented collection of receivers in school history, which is saying a lot. We already knew about Percy Harvin, the electric sophomore wideout who doubles as the most dangerous player in the Gators backfield. We already knew about Bubba Caldwell, who could still set the Gators record for career receptions this year. We knew about Cornelius Ingram, the bruising tight end already recognized with preseason SEC Second-Team Honors. Now get to know Riley Cooper, who made a series of dazzling catches in the WKU game. Learn the name Louis Murphy, who’s coming out party was this spring’s Orange and Blue game. Learn the name Jarred Fayson, another receiver with sub 4.4 40 speed who sees time out of the backfield. And don’t forget Aaron Hernandez or Deonte Thompson, five-star freshmen who could come into play in the tougher games on UF’s schedule.
Speaking of which, that schedule looks as challenging as ever. The toughest games? LSU on the road, LSU again in the SEC Championship, and South Carolina on Spurrier’s turf. If the Gators manage to run this gauntlet, they WILL be in the national championship game, no question. But will the defense hold up?
My sources say yes. [Written before the Tennesee game] With 9 of 11 starters gone from last year’s defense, the Gator freshmen are here to play. Take note of DE Justin Trattou, who batted down a ball at the line of scrimmage during theTroy game, and with cat-like quickness sprawled out and caught his own deflection. Torrey Davis, drawing comparisons to Warren Sapp, may soon be starting at DT. Joe Haden is already starting at corner, and if you account for Major Wright, the hardest hitter in the UF secondary, the Gators may soon have three freshmen in the starting defensive lineup. With playmakers Derrick Harvey, BrandonSpikes, and Tony Joiner anchoring the defensive units, the Gator D will have bite. Tennessee thought Cal gave them a game? Get ready for a Sep. 15 beatdown in the Swamp, on both sides of the ball.
How did my prediction turn out? Tennessee rushed for 37 yards on Saturday, and that defense is only going to get better with more experience. Can you say dynasty?