AJC > Sports > Columnists > Archives > 2007 > September > 15 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USYoung Florida makes it look easy
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Jeff Schultz
Gainesville, Fla. — The basketball team received their rings before the game. Then the football team played its first SEC game as if last season’s title was the start of another trend.
You thought this was over?
“We haven’t gone anywhere,” running back Brandon James said. “We believe we’re this good.”
Again.
Nine starters were lost from the defense. The quarterback was making his first SEC start. You think, “There’s a window this season.”
Not so much. Georgia fans, your nightmare continues.
Florida dumped Tennessee 59-20 on Saturday. Weird things can happen between now and bowl season. But young college teams seldom start this strong and then fall apart. They get better.
The Gators played 46 freshmen and sophomores. They’re supposed to be on this side of the learning curve. So who was learning and who was teaching Saturday in the Swamp?
This was second-year quarterback Tim Tebow’s first SEC start. He threw for two touchdowns and ran for two more. He threw for 299 yards and rushed for 61. In short, he personally outscored Tennessee, 28-20, and outgained the Volunteers 360-298.
“He passed his first test — he’s got 40 left in his career,” said coach Urban Meyer, who seemed determined not to have the postgame news conference turned into a Tebow-for-Heisman campaign. “All he does is he comes in, he works out and he sits in the office all day long. But it’s one game. We’ve got a long way to go.”
Yes, but few could have anticipated this. The Gators already have an improbable basketball-football-basketball threepeat going. Now they have opened the season looking at least as strong as a year ago, winning three games by a composite score of 167-54.
They have won 10 straight since a loss at Auburn 11 months ago. There should be tape of the game somewhere, in case you’re looking for evidence.
Even David Pollack, the former Bulldog in attendance as a broadcaster, had to begrudgingly admit: “They’re good.”
He stood on the field for the final few minutes, surveying the sea of screaming, blue-shirted fans in the stadium. Then he held up his hand with a Georgia class ring, saying, “Still representin’ the G.”
But when asked how he imagines Georgia fans are feeling about more potential Gator domination, Pollack smiled and put on his TV hat: “I’m not supposed to talk about that anymore.”
Talk about this:
The first Gator to touch the ball was James. He returned a punt 83 yards for a touchdown.
The second Gator to touch the ball was Markihe Anderson. He intercepted an Erik Ainge pass at the Florida 9.
Tennessee had three straight red-zone possessions that went interception-field goal-field goal. Florida had three straight possessions that went touchdown-touchdown-touchdown and covered 198 yards in less than eight minutes.
They scored on a punt return.
They scored twice on quarterback keepers.
They scored on a 19-yard reverse by Percy Harvin.
They scored on an 18-yard fumble return.
The quarterback also threw for two scores. How so very boring.
The backup quarterback, Cameron Newton, ran over a Tennessee defender.
Meyer? It was hard to tell if he was trying to get people to forget about Steve Spurrier or remember him. In the fourth quarter, with a 49-20 lead, he elected to go for it on fourth-and-1 from the Gators’ 35. Of course, Tebow gained a yard for the first down. On the next play, he completed a 44-yard pass to Louis Murphy to set up a field goal.
A little piling on?
Get used to it. Meyer is now 7-0 against Florida’s biggest rivals (Tennessee, Georgia, Florida State), and he appears to be stepping on the gas pedal early.
Defense figured to be an issue this season, but the Gators held the Volunteers without a rushing first down. This was the worst loss in Phil Fulmer’s career, the school’s worst in 26 years.
Tebow was near flawless. He completed one pass while falling, and two others underhanded. Overall, he was 14-of-19. He didn’t get sacked. The lone interception was the result of his receiver cutting a route short.
He was Mr. Air and Ground, and Tennessee couldn’t stop either. After the game, he circled the field, slapping hands with fans, soaking it up.
Another celebration. You should be used to it by now.
Permalink | Comments (24) | Post your comment | Categories: Jeff Schultz, UGA / SEC
Comments
By Two Men & A Truck
September 16, 2007 1:47 AM | Link to this
Beginning of the end of the Fulmer regime at Rocky Top. Florida,South Carolina and LSU have streaked past the Vols like they were standing still.Tennessee has no playmakers,no defense and no spirit.Painful to watch them give up in 3rd quarter.Florida’s receivers ran around db’s like they were orange traffic cones.Big ? now : who will be the next Vol head coach ?
By Paul in J-Ville
September 16, 2007 9:01 AM | Link to this
Fat Phull of $s** deserves every A$$ whipping he can stand! I hate the Gaytors but hate the Vowels worse. Urban has no worries about being classless with the talent he has stock-piled, but he runs with classless mullet heads from GAYesville anyway so why bit-ch about it.
Yes, I’m still a dawg fan through and through even though we will get throttled again this year by the GAYtors as usual. Its sad we can’t produce the same fire and intensity Fla has and until we ever do we will keep getting hammered by the good and better teams of the SEC such as Fla and LSU.
That said I’m not a gravy-training GAYtor fan who only steps up to the plate when their team has success in the good times. I remember the down years with Zook & Company and you so called Gaytor faithful turned on your players, coaches, and schools just like the in-bred mullet heads you really are. Your team is OUTSTANDING but your fans are nothing but classless chest thumping jerks who represent your school and state in a manner that is reprehesible. Unfortunately, it appears like your team is set for several years and maybe, just maybe either the dawgs or someone else will catch you on the right day and give you a little humble pie then you can show how you will turn on Urban in a bloody second.
By Brian
September 16, 2007 9:02 AM | Link to this
As a Georgia fan, I can see what is wrong with the Dawgs. Richt just doesn’t have the fire and killer instinct that Urban has. The Dawgs reflect their coach, and FL reflects theirs. Richt will never win a national title. Urban has many more ahead of him. Let’s just face it: Richt is too much Mr. Nice Guy and his football team reflects it. Urban is a go for the juggler guy and his team reflects that.
By Paul in J-ville
September 16, 2007 9:20 AM | Link to this
Brian, CMR is a “good guy” that can still do it the right way, but he has to be surrounded by coaches who also have that fire. I don’t see Meyer on the sidelines whooping it up, but his assistants are another story. Unfortunately since the departure of Brian Van Gorder we have not had ANY coach inspire the team in a vocal or as you said “go for the juggular” approach. Bobo is much of the same dull and uninspiring which for the OC may not be a bad thing, but Willie MArtinez shows nothing
By Darrin "The Vent King"
September 16, 2007 9:47 AM | Link to this
Hey Paul in J-ville, you want some cheese with that wine? Good grief, that was touching, this Gator-fan almost cried with you as you went through that little childish tirade. It’s sad to see a Dawg fan go out like that. Someone rooting for GEORGIA making redneck remarks about mulletheads? Now that’s an oxyMORON if I’ve ever seen one. Too bad that theory can’t apply to us african-american Gator fans. Even though we’re rivals, I have respect for every SEC team including GA and did not crab like that when you guys were hot back in the day. I hated it, but to attack fans like that is beyond lame and has nothing to do with the game. I hope you guys start winning soon (not against the Gators of course) because I really would hate to see the rest of the Dawg Nation lose it like that. I believe you guys put out great pro players like Hines Ward and have every reason to be proud even though its our turn right now. If any of Paul’s friends are reading this, keep an eye on him, he may need to be put on suicide watch cause this Gatordomination may not end any time soon. So in short, here’s some advice:
“Don’t hate the Gator, hate the game.”
By Jeffrey
September 16, 2007 10:04 AM | Link to this
Can’t wait until we play the pups !! Go UF !!
By Jeff
September 16, 2007 10:15 AM | Link to this
I saw this in person. I’m a Vol alum. Remember when you were a kid and your dog was hit by a car, not killed by the first hit…some active movement, but squirmming, then hit again by another car….. some movement, hit again by more cars and finally finished off by several big trucks. …and all you can do is helplessly watch. Game over.
By liferdawgfan
September 16, 2007 10:27 AM | Link to this
Richt is done soon.. FSU don’t want him, I am done too. UF makes me sick. Gainesville is a dump cause they spend all there money on the big two men’s sports. Yeah UF pushing there football budget up past 65 mil annually. Next team in the SEC was LSU at a distant 45 mil, but I suspect Bama will be catching them shortly with Saban’s college busting salary. Hey gator fans you got the best football team money can buy. Kinda like the yanks in baseball, it will work for awhile but UGA’s prez is starting to get fed up with Richt I have heard and we will get a Gator skinning coach one day, I might be 75 years old and knowing how it is today Lizards might win another 20 strait but one year UGA will have a bada** coach and the tide will turn!!!!
By Northwest Ga. Dog
September 16, 2007 11:06 AM | Link to this
In the northwest corner of the state, opposite of the southeast where I grew up, there are a bunch of traitorous Vols fans, perhaps as many as UGA fans. It makes life here in the fall an aggravating experience. Therefore, I have become a Florida fan one day a year. This weekend I can’t wait for Monday to go to work and rub a five-touchdown loss in their hillbilly faces.
The only good Vol is a humiliated Vol. They’re all good right now.
By Die Van Gorder Die
September 16, 2007 11:11 AM | Link to this
Brian Van Gorder was handed the keys to a souped up Mustang and promptly drove it into a tree. Georgia Southern fans will always hate him for the stupid, ingrate moron he is, Paul in J-ville.
By ben
September 16, 2007 11:14 AM | Link to this
and we thought Spurrier was the biggest a-hole!
By Airheadmotorcycle
September 16, 2007 11:28 AM | Link to this
I read all summer from guys like NASCARfan how one-demensional Tebow is. He can’t throw. Stafford is the best QB in the SEC, and Meyer has just been lucky.
Admit it Dawgs, Tebow is a competent SEC QB, Meyer is a hungry, young, fantastic coach, and we might be able to repeat just like our basketball team did.
I respect Stafford, he’s a good one and his best years are ahead of him. Unlike NASCARfan, I don’t need to put down a QB on my rival’s team to make my QB look good. Georgia had an excellent recruiting class this year, and for once they all qualified. Georgia will be back, but right now UF is a young, super-talented, hungry football team. As Brian said, Urban is hungry and his players play like they’re hungry too.
This is a great time to be Florida Gator!
By Die Van Gorder Die
September 16, 2007 11:29 AM | Link to this
After doing a Google news search to read about Georgia Southern’s win over Coastal Carolina yesterday (if the AJC has something about it on this site, I can’t find it. Thanks loads guys from me, West Georgia fans and all other non-Division 1A fans) I see that the Eagles rushed for 512 yards. Last week it was 477 yards. Van Gorder was so stupid, he saw a tradition of averaging 330 yards and 30 ppg as a bad thing and brought in a pro-style offense. His 3-8 record was the result of his brilliance. Chris Hatcher, a smart, classy winner, came in with the reputation of being a passing coach. He has apparently seen the strengths of the players he inherited (most recruited to run the triple option) and has adjusted. So far he’s just one win behind Van Gorder two games into his first season. You see, Van Gorder is a scumbag idiot. Thanks for getting me started Paul in J-ville. It felt good to vent.
By Voice Of Reason
September 16, 2007 12:22 PM | Link to this
I have a feeling alot of teams are going to make it look easy against Tennessee this year. The defense is a doormat and the running game is a laughing stock. Florida did what they had to do and won convincingly, but I think we should tone it down a notch with the hype. Florida is very young and there is plenty of football left to be played.
By Gator
September 16, 2007 1:01 PM | Link to this
I am a die hard Gator, but lets not start the National Championship, Tim Tebow Heisman stuff. It’s kind of like what Spurrier said after last weeks win over UGA, “we didn’t exactly beat a powerhouse”. UT is not very good and they showed it again this week. Glad UF won but there is a long way to go and lots of football to play.
By RxDawg
September 16, 2007 1:36 PM | Link to this
They looked freaking unstopable. Tebow looks like he should win the heisman this year. And no, im not at all happy about it. It could get ugly down in Jax if we dont get it together in a major way.
By bob
September 16, 2007 2:19 PM | Link to this
Very good column, Jeff, on the Vol rout. Anybody who didn’t go away unimpressed by Florida is lying to himself. But Georgia is full of liars. Richt will be burning a lot of midnight oil and not on Florida; that’s a long way off. Look what Alabama did, and what might happen this Saturday.
By GatorSteve
September 16, 2007 4:10 PM | Link to this
As usual, IT’S GREAT TO BE A FLORIDA GATOR!
By OaktownGator
September 16, 2007 4:29 PM | Link to this
I loved seeing the Gators play as well as we did, and I fully expect us to play well and beat Georgia this year.
But “The Voice of Reason” is right. UT is not that good, and we are very young. I think we’ll keep getting better, but an unexpected stumble is not out of the question with this young a team, and LSU is still likely to beat us in their place. There is a lot of ball left to be played.
Also, if Paul in J-ville has any Dawg friends in the audience, please get him back on his Xanax, before he hurts himself.
By Jerry
September 16, 2007 4:51 PM | Link to this
liferdawg, you are so wrong on so many levels. first, florida’s budget will exceed 80 million this year, more than any other sec school. second, florida does not put all it’s eggs in one basket. florida has the best overall athletic department in the SEC and one of the best nationally. florida has one the sec all sports trophy for 15 out of the past 16 years and has a nationally ranking in the top 10 for 24 consecutive years. florida, my friend, in an athletic powerhouse.
By Bill
September 16, 2007 7:20 PM | Link to this
Wow, I would imagine that a lot of the hate towards the Gators didn’t exist when Georgia had Dooley beating the crap out of them in the 80’s. Like the old ball coach said….they only hate you when you are beating them.
By RJM
September 16, 2007 7:22 PM | Link to this
Jerry,
Thanks for educating the uninformed. I could not have said it better myself. Go Gators!
By Dean
September 16, 2007 7:38 PM | Link to this
That was a great game yesterday, but Ole Miss at their place might not be the cakewalk. This staff wins though because they know how to be consistent and keep the players focused. Richt seemed like a good enouch coach a few years ago and he still is. People have short memories in the SEC
By Roland
September 17, 2007 3:37 AM | Link to this
Go Braves!!