LSU 28, Gators 24

Sorry for no post yesterday. I was still too upset slash still recovering from the hangover caused by me drinking my sorrows away after the game on Saturday night.

I'm still a little too bothered by the game, so I'm not even going to give a recap. We all know what happened. I'm going to start looking forward to next week and pretend the LSU game never happened.

Friday Bites

A few things from around Gator Nation:

• The charges against Tony Joiner have been dropped. "There's no victim so we have no crime."
• Meyer is still obviously upset about Joiner's actions, however, and while he will travel with the team, Joiner will suffer the consequences of his actions for the next four weeks.
• The Florida Freshmen are really good, and now they get their first taste of a big-time ballgame.
  
• Here's how ESPN rates the team match-ups.
  
• Alligator Army points out that all 5 of Urban Meyer's losses have been fairly significant.
• Urban Meyer remembers all too well his last trip to Tiger Stadium.
• The Gators practiced in inclement weather, and they might be playing in it too.
• Here are some predictions for the UF-LSU game.
• Oh, those growing Gators.
• For some reason, I really like the Lou Holtz Pep Talk feature on ESPN, and this week he gave his pep talk to the Gators. Go Gators!

Thursday Bites

A few things from around Gator Nation:

• Like the Gators did last year, LSU is using a two-QB system. And both are pretty good.
• Joiner has apologized to the team for his arrest. Ok, so now can we move on?
• Although he apologized, Urban Meyer still stripped Joiner of his captain status.
• Go here to listen to Tebow's comments on his roommate and teammate.
• Judge for yourself: here are the 911 calls from the night of Tony Joiner's arrest.
• The game vs. LSU is a giant opportunity for the Gators to make a statement and inject their season with some energy.
• If Joiner is out, which seems likely now, Munroe will step in.
• According to Coach Meyer, the "old" Bubba Caldwell is back. And that's a good thing.
• No one can ever criticize the Gators for their academic performance.
• LSU sees the Gators as "wounded." The Gators see LSU as "we beat you last year."
• There are still some growing pains going on for the young Gators' D.

Wednesday Bites

A few things from around Gator Nation:

• Go here to check out all the hullabaloo about the arrest of Tony Joiner.
• The State Attorney has yet to make a decision on Tony Joiner's case.
• Once again Billy Donovan has reloaded his Gators basketball team with top talent.
• Here's a comprehensive preview of the Gators vs. LSU.
• What does history have to say about the upcoming game?
• It's going to be a hostile environment for Gator fans attending the game in Death Valley.
• Defense wins championships. But will it help LSU beat the Gators?
• LSU is not perfect! Tim Tebow is.
• As he should, Urban Meyer is being cautious with Bubba Caldwell in order to ensure his health for Saturday night.
• Kestahn Moore is a team player.
  
• UF Fan Appreciation Day is October 21st.
• A high school QB, Joe Haden has adjusted very nicely to life as a CB.
• The last thing the Gators need right now is a distraction. The only thing they need is a W vs. LSU!

Tony Joiner Arrested

Tony Joiner, the Gators' best player on defense and rated as the best safety prospect for the upcoming NFL draft, has been arrested for burglary.

Apparently Joiner was trying to get his girlfriend's car out of an impound lot, and essentially did so without paying beforehand. There is some confusion about the situation, and even the owner of the property is upset that Joiner was arrested. Joiner had contacted the lot's dispatcher prior and agreed to pay, but when he showed up no one was there to accept the payment, so he decided he would take the car and pay later. He was confronted and immediately returned the car. The owner of the lot had this to say:

"What he did was wrong,'' Forron said, according to Florida Today. "We're not saying he's an angel and shouldn't pay. But why all of a sudden is he being arrested for something that happened numerous times throughout the years and nobody else has been arrested?''

Joiner was calm and cooperative. It seems like this is a minor incident that is getting blown out of proportion because of the burglary charge. I would expect all charges to be dropped based on the facts given in the article. The Gators cannot afford to lose him!

Tuesday Bites

A few things from around Gator Nation:

• Dan Mullen toughed it out during the game on Saturday, not taking any painkillers for his appendectomy until afterwards.
• Four former or current Gator players were questioned about a shooting that took place at a Gainesville nightclub, but none are suspects.
• Phil Trautwein and Chris Rainey are out for the year. Trautwein will receive a medical redshirt.
• Bubba is back.
• October will be the month that makes or breaks the Gators' year.
• Even though Auburn beat the Gators, their season is relatively meaningless.
• Urban Meyer is not jumping to any conclusions. The Gators will be fine.
• It sounds cliche, but the Gators are going back to the basics. You mean like letting Tim Tebow rush 20 times a game? Oh wait...
  
• Now your loved one can become part of The Swamp. Literally.
• Major Wright had an excellent game I thought against Auburn, and he is starting to establish himself as a solid starter.
• The young Gators are growing up, and the future looks very bright.
• Here are some quotes from the Gators on Monday.

Monday Bites

A few things from around Gator Nation:

• Was a loss against the Auburn Tigers inevitable? The only thing I think is inevitable is Tim Tebow winning a Heisman.
  
• Did an emergency appendectomy the night before the game affect Dan Mullen's play calling?
• A lot of negative things about this year's Gator team were exposed last Saturday night, according to the St. Petersburg Times.
• Auburn came into Gainesville as Gator Bait, but left victoriously.
• As I already highlighted, the Gators have dropped to #9 in the AP Poll. Staying in the top 10 is easy: they just have to beat #1 LSU, #8 Kentucky, #11 Georgia, and #12 South Carolina--all away from home.
• It's time to move on, regroup, and beat the next set of Tigers.
• Here's the Gators' report card for the game vs. Auburn. Overall: C-.
• An early preview of the LSU game. I think they Gators know what's coming. Let's just hope they can shake off the loss to Auburn and avoid complete disaster.
• Some are calling the loss to Auurn "Deja Blue."
• Over the last two seasons, Florida is 0-2 vs. Auburn and 17-0 vs. everyone else.
• Penalty on the Gators. Penalty on the Gators. Penalty on the Gators. Penalty on the Gators. Penalty on the Gators. Penalty on the Gators. Penalty on... well, you get the point.
• Upset Saturday hit Gainesville, and this article points out three reasons why.
• A Gator recruit had to cancel his trip due to a concussion suffered in his high school game.
• Brendan Beal's trip to Gainesville went extremely well.
• With all the big games coming up, the Gators don't have much time to figure things out.
• The question everyone's asking: can the Gators rebound? Keep the faith people!
• Tommy Tuberville said that their victory came down to one thing.
  

AP Poll - Week 5 - Gators #9

AP Top 25

1. LSU (33) 5-0 1,593

2. USC (32) 4-0 1,591

3. California 5-0 1,475

4. Ohio State 5-0 1,420

5. Wisconsin 5-0 1,271

6. South Florida 4-0 1,203

7. Boston College 5-0 1,172

8. Kentucky 5-0 1,143

9. Florida 4-1 1,031

10. Oklahoma 4-1 992

After the loss to Auburn, the Gators dropped to #9 in the poll this week. Not too bad. Florida still managed to jump Oklahoma, who also lost. Interestingly enough, Kentucky moved ahead of the Gators to #8, something that I can't remember ever happening before. Also, South Florida jumped to #6 in the poll after their big win vs. West Virginia, and they are ahead of the Gators for the first time ever. And finally, LSU is #1. This is good news for the Gators because it means a victory in Death Valley will be that much more valuable.

With match ups against two top 10 teams on the road (at LSU, at Kentucky) in the next two weeks, the Gators have the opportunity to make or break their season. Two victories would get them right back in the National Championship picture, one victory would keep them in SEC contention, and two losses effectively would end the Gators' hopes for any sort of major accomplishments. Beyond that, Georgia is now #12 and South Carolina is #11, so the Gators have the opportunity for some major victories, but they'll have to do it away from The Swamp.

Auburn 20, Gators 17

Well, it had to happen sometime, I guess. The Gators' D couldn't get the stops when they needed them and the offense never seemed to get in sync against the brutal Auburn defense. It looks like the Gators have their work cut out for them heading into next week's match up against the Tigers of LSU.

In related news, there are reports that Tim Tebow may in fact be human. He still posted solid numbers (276 total yards, 2 TDs), but threw an interception and couldn't get the offense going at the end of the 4th quarter when they really need to.

Auburn drove the ball down until there were only a few seconds left on the clock and then their kicker nailed the game-winning field goal (twice).

Let's not forget that the same thing happened and the Gators still won the National Championship! Time to move on and focus on LSU. It's a must win if the Gators plan on contending for a Championship.

Auburn Passing C/ATT YDS AVG TD INT B. Cox 17/26 227 8.7 0 0 Team 17/26 227 8.7 0 0	Florida Passing C/ATT YDS AVG TD INT T. Tebow 20/27 201 7.4 1 1 Team 20/27 201 7.4 1 1
Auburn Rushing CAR YDS AVG TD LG B. Tate 20 65 3.3 1 19 M. Fannin 13 62 4.8 0 14 K. Burns 3 5 1.7 1 6 C. Stewart 1 2 2.0 0 2 -. Team 1 -1 -1.0 0 0 R. Dunn 1 -8 -8.0 0 0 B. Cox 5 -26 -5.2 0 5 Team 44 99 2.3 2 19	Florida Rushing CAR YDS AVG TD LG T. Tebow 19 75 3.9 1 12 P. Harvin 4 19 4.8 0 8 J. Fayson 2 10 5.0 0 6 K. Moore 3 7 2.3 0 4 Team 28 111 4.0 1 12
Auburn Receiving REC YDS AVG TD LG R. Smith 9 102 11.3 0 21 M. Billings 3 56 18.7 0 25 C. Stewart 2 40 20.0 0 22 B. Tate 1 16 16.0 0 16 G. McKenzie 1 7 7.0 0 7 P. Rodriguez 1 6 6.0 0 6 Team 17 227 13.4 0 25	Florida Receiving REC YDS AVG TD LG P. Harvin 7 119 17.0 0 52 C. Ingram 4 37 9.3 1 17 L. Murphy 3 21 7.0 0 9 R. Cooper 1 9 9.0 0 9 B. James 1 7 7.0 0 7 J. Fayson 1 5 5.0 0 5 K. Moore 3 3 1.0 0 3 Team 20 201 10.1 1 52

Game Day Preview: Gators vs. Auburn

The Gators look to avenge their heartbreaking loss against Auburn last year tonight at The Swamp. The game with be nationally televised on ESPN, so the whole nation will get to see Tebow, Percy, and the rest of the Gators do their thing. Here's a look at the match up:

	W-L	PF	PA	HOME	ROAD	DIV	CONF
AUB	2-2	115	78	2-2	0-0	0-1	0-1
FLA	4-0	197	78	3-0	1-0	1-0	2-0

Individual Leaders

Auburn Passing CMP% YDS TD INT Cox 53.2 571 3 6 Burns 52.9 123 1 1

Florida Passing CMP% YDS TD INT Tebow 68.4 1096 10 1 Newton 75.0 25 0 0

Auburn Rushing CAR YDS AVG TD Tate 73 345 4.7 2 Fannin 36 205 5.7 4

Florida Rushing CAR YDS AVG TD Tebow 70 358 5.1 7 Moore 53 279 5.3 4

Auburn Receiving REC YDS AVG TD Smith 11 253 23.0 2 Rodrig... 9 108 12.0 0

Florida Receiving REC YDS AVG TD Harvin 21 336 16.0 3 Murphy 13 215 16.5 1

Friday Bites

A few things from around Gator Nation:

• Percy Harvin won't be 100% tomorrow, but who cares, it's Percy Harvin--he'd be faster than anyone on the field if he had one leg.
• Urban Meyer admits he was thinking redshit for Deonte Thompson, but now realizes that he's just too good to not play, especially given the Gators' injuries.
• Good news for the Gators' D: Brandon Antwine is back.
• Who will start at free safety remains a game-time decision.
• A few upperclassmen are adjusting to their back-seat roles with the Gators.
• The Gators have played some memorable games in Tampa over the years.
• Auburn is trying to recover from their slow start and build momentum off last week's victory. In three words: not gonna happen.
• Whenever the Gators play big games, especially in the SEC (and especially vs. Auburn if you remember last year), the special teams always need to step up and usually do.
• This writer asks: "How long can Tebow continue his dominance?" (uh, forever...)
• Several players, especially freshmen, really need to step it up starting tomorrow.
• It's been talked about before, but Tebow's new throwing mechanics have seemed to really help him improve in the passing game and stay healthy.
  

Thursday Bites

A few things from around Gator Nation:

• It's always nice to see FSU get busted. Apparently, the teachers were giving players the answers to exams--hey, at least they can read!
• The Gators have scored 21 touchdowns in 26 trips to the red zone. In related news, Tim Tebow can't be tackled.
• Here's a look at what's going on around the SEC.
• Read this interview with Lee Corso and try to convince me that he's not the most annoying person associated with college football.
• The effect of the kickoff rule has been less than expected.
  
• Apparently all the rumbling and grumbling finally has convinced Urban Meyer to give Deonte Thompson some much-deserved playing time. "Keep that name in mind. Write that name down," Meyer said.
• Percy Harvin sat out of practice again on Wednesday. (I think he just hates embarrassing his teammates on the practice field)
  
• November 17th will be a football/basketball doubleheader in Gainesville, with the Gator football team kicking off against Florida Atlantic at noon. The basketball game against Rutgers will follow at 7 pm.
• The Gators expect to see a few squib kicks from Auburn on Saturday because of the threat of Brandon James. Says Meyer: I don't think I'd kick to him either."
• One of the keys to success for the Gators this season is taking care of Tim Tebow.
• As usual, it is defense that will determine the outcome of the Gators' 2007 season.
• Check out this video interview with stud freshman CB Joe Haden. And this one with the man, C.I.
• I like this line from the Gainesville Sun: "Most teams would have difficulty replacing players that have covered 40 yards in under 4.3 seconds but most teams aren't the Florida Gators."
• One recruit went to visit the Gators for the Tennessee game, got a scholarship offer, and nearly committed right on the spot. (I would have!)
  

Hump Day Bites

A few things from around Gator Nation:

• According to Mel "Greasy" Kiper Jr., the Gators have the best senior safety (Tony Joiner), the best junior tight end (C.I.), and the second best defensive end (Derrick Harvey). I have a feeling that if he rated sophomores and freshmen as well, the Gators would have quite a few more players on the list.
• Just in case you forgot, here's a recap of what happened last year against Auburn. I think things will be juuussttt a bit different this time around.
• Coach Meyer calls Bubba Caldwell "very questionable" for the game on Saturday, and Markihe Anderson and Bryan Thomas are game-time decisions as well. However, Maurkice Pouncey and Riley Cooper are good to go.
  
• The free safety position is up for grabs, and the coaching staff will let the players compete.
• This writer says that the Gators' opponents need to be be careful of the "Tebow thing." What he means is that Tim Tebow is better than most teams.
• Blah, blah, blah, the defense needs work, blah, blah, blah.
• I already mentioned that Tebow is #2 in the ESPN Heisman Watch, but according to this article Tebow is the leader.
• Cross your fingers: Percy Harvin sat out of practice with a hip pointer.
  
• The Gators were terrible with penalties last year, and rank #3 in the nation in penalty yardage per game this year.
  
• What everyone fails to realize is that the Gators' D has been stout against the run; they have only given up an average of 54.5 rushing yards a game.
• This article states the obvious: Tim Tebow is tough (written by Captain Obvious with help from Sherlock Holmes).
• Here are a few quotes from Urban Meyer following the Gators' "Bloody Tuesday" practice.

Heisman Watch: Tebow #2

After last week's game I said that Tebow would be the frontrunner in most Heisman watches. While I wasn't entirely correct, Tebow is at #2 on ESPN's Heisman Watch. Here's the breakdown:

Name	Position	School	Year	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	Total
Darren McFadden	RB	Arkansas	Jr.	9	2	0	1	2	57
Tim Tebow	QB	Florida	So.	3	4	4	0	0	43
Andre' Woodson	QB	Kentucky	Sr.	1	3	3	3	0	32
Pat White	QB	W. Virginia	Jr.	2	2	2	1	0	26
Steve Slaton	RB	W. Virginia	Jr.	0	2	3	1	0	19
Dennis Dixon	QB	Oregon	Sr.	0	1	0	2	1	9
Matt Ryan	QB	BC	Sr.	0	0	0	3	2	8
Colt Brennan	QB	Hawaii	Sr.	0	0	1	2	0	7
Mike Hart	RB	Michigan	Sr.	0	0	0	1	5	7
DeSean Jackson	WR	Cal	Jr.	0	1	1	0	0	7
Ray Rice	RB	Rutgers	Jr.	0	0	0	0	4	4

TT is the only player on the list to only receive votes for 1st, 2nd, or 3rd, no lower. Even Darren McFadden (the leading candidate) has three votes outside the top 3. Throw in a couple more big games in the SEC and the Heisman is Tebow's for the taking. How long until we see Percy Harvin on this list as well?

Tuesday Bites

A few things from around Gator Nation:

• Defense remains the Gators' biggest concern and Achilles heel.
• Wide receiver David Nelson is the new Tiger Woods (except on the golf course). Oh, and the new Chris Leak too (except he can't throw a perfect spiral 100% of the time).
  
• The Gators have been fairly lacking when it comes to offensive line recruits, but a big tackle from Miami just might improve that situation.
• Patience is a virtue for the Gators.
• The game film from last Saturday's game at Ole Miss will be a crucial learning tool going forward (and a great promotional item for the Tim Tebow Heisman kit).
• Tebow is the SEC Offensive Player of the Week for the second time this year already.
• More and more people are starting to believe that the Pac-10 is stronger than the SEC this year.
  

Good Gator, Bad Gator

In a little segment I like to call Good Gator, Bad Gator, I will examine three things are are good about the Gators and three things that are bad (I know, incredibly clever name right?). Anyway, here we go:

Good Gator

1. The Tim Tebow Factor
• We saw it on Saturday. Tim Tebow can absolutely take over a game. The kid can run fast, run hard, throw short, throw deep. He seems mature beyond his sophomore status, and you can credit Urban Meyer for that because he gave Tebow some great experience last year. His legend grows by the hour, and the Gators finally have a idol they can depend on week to week. If Tebow can continue to show the poise that he has so far this season, the Gators ultimately will have a very successful season.
2. Diversity, Explosiveness on Offense
• Let's take a look at the options the Gators have on offense: Tim Tebow, Harvin, Caldwell, Ingram, Murphy, Moore, Cooper, Fayson, James, Rainey. That's 10 players, all of whom could be described as "explosive." Not only does this give the Gators the ability to spread the field and keep the defense guessing, but it gives them security against injuries. The Gators have the ability to take it to the house every play and with that threat it's hard not to be successful on offense.
  
3. The Offensive Line
• We've all heard the saying that the war is won in the trenches. Well, it's true. Despite all the talented skill players the Gators have on the offensive side of the ball, they would be rendered useless without a solid O-line. This group was called "young and inexperienced" last year, and the Gators won the National Championship. Now, the unit is basically all back from last year and some young guys have really stepped up. The line can only get better, and that's good news for everyone mentioned in #2.
  

Bad Gator

1. Pass Rush (or lack thereof)
• The defense has been serviceable up to this point, some would argue even surprisingly overachieving, but the pass rush has been virtually non-existent. They have 7 sacks in 4 games, but it seems like a lot less. Derrick Harvey has played well and has looked like the stud he is capable of being at times, but also has had the tendency to disappear for awhile. He has 3 of the Gators' sacks. We all saw last year's game vs. Ohio State and it was evident that the Gators' D-line won that game. Defense wins championships, and it all starts with the four men upfront. It's time for them to step it up.
  
2. Injury Bug
• A number of Gators have been affected by injuries this year, most notable being the injuries affecting Jerimy Finch, Bubba Caldwell, and even Percy Harvin. Last year the Gators were able to stay relatively healthy throughout the entire year, and avoiding injuries is one of the intangibles necessary for an elite team. The Gators have the depth on offense to deal with a few here and there, but the young defense really needs to do their best to stay out of street clothes. Let's hope it's not contagious!
  
3. October
• The month of October is do or die for the Gators, and the road is not easy. It all starts with the Game of the Year at LSU on October 6. Then the Gators have what will be a much needed bye week, only to have to head up to Kentucky to battle a dangerous Wildcats squad. Next, and certainly not least, the Gators head to Jacksonville for the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party to take on the always Gator-hating Georgia Bulldogs, who are led by stud QB Matthew Stafford. It definitely should be a month to remember, let's just hope that it's not one Gator fans will want to forget. My advice: give the ball to Percy.
  

Monday Bites

Sorry for the late post today. It seems I've come down with a bad case of the Mondays. Anyway, here are a few things from around Gator Nation:

• The kickoff time for the game this weekend has finally been announced: 8 pm. A night game at The Swamp on ESPN woot woot!
  
• This shouldn't come as a surprise: The Florida/LSU game will be televised nationally.
• The Florida/Auburn game is usually a major contest, but it may not even be the biggest game in the state of Florida this week.
• Not a single player on Auburn's roster has ever played a game in The Swamp. (Can you say Gator Bait?)
• According to this columnist, Tim Tebow is the offspring of Matt Leinart and Tommie Frazier. (I'm not sure I really like the thought of that, but I get the point)
• Brandon Cox pretty much sucks, but his teammates still support him.
• Here are a few questions the Gators must answer this week in order to be victorious.
• Donde esta el pass rush de los Gators?
• Even though the Gators are still undefeated, Saturday's game has left some lingering concerns.
• Here's what Urban had to say about the team's performance last weekend and the upcoming match up against Auburn.
• The recruit whose flight got canceled before the Tennessee game will be on hand for the showdown at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium this week.

AP Poll - Week 4 - Gators #4

Another victory for the Gators, but they slipped a spot in the polls due to Oklahoma's impressive showing and the close-call at Ole Miss. Here is the latest AP Poll Top 10:

AP Top 10

1. USC (43) 3-0 1,601

2. LSU (22) 4-0 1,580

3. Oklahoma 4-0 1,456

4. Florida 4-0 1,417

5. West Virginia 4-0 1,388

6. California 4-0 1,263

7. Texas 4-0 1,196

8. Ohio State 4-0 1,193

9. Wisconsin 4-0 1,030

10. Rutgers 3-0 1,008

Quote of the day

This quote from defensive star Derrick Harvey pretty much sums up the game vs. Ole Miss:

"We were nervous for a while," defensive end Derrick Harvey said. "But thank goodness we've got Tim Tebow on our team."

TGFT. Thank God For Tebow.

Tim Tebow 30, Ole Miss 24

Whew! A game that looked like it could be another blowout turned out to be a bit of a nail-biter. In a season where it seems anything can happen, I'm not going to lie, I got a bit worried. The Gators didn't really play poorly, but they seemed a little hungover from last week's effort and all the hype surrounding that game. This was their first test on the road and with a ton of young players, it could have been predicted that the Gators would be a little flat.

Regardless, Tebow basically took over the game and carried the entire team on his shoulders (Literally. He can do that). Tebow wound up setting the Florida QB record for rushing yards and gave a Heisman-worthy performance. He had 426 total yards and a hand in all of the Gators' touchdowns (2 passing, 2 rushing). He also sealed the win with some tough runs. I guarantee you people will start talking about Tebow as the front-runner for the award now. Percy Harvin also came up big and got the opportunity to put up some big numbers as well. Here's the breakdown:

Florida Passing C/ATT YDS AVG TD INT Tim Tebow 20/34 262 7.7 2 0
Florida Rushing CAR YDS AVG TD LG Tim Tebow 28 164 5.9 2 13 Kestahn Moore 11 62 5.6 0 18 Brandon James 2 20 10.0 0 12 Percy Harvin 5 0 0.0 0 6 Team 46 246 5.3 2 18
Florida Receiving REC YDS AVG TD LG Percy Harvin 11 123 11.2 1 24 Louis Murphy 2 57 28.5 1 37 Cornelius Ingram 2 40 20.0 0 25 Kestahn Moore 2 18 9.0 0 9 Brandon James 1 13 13.0 0 13 Aaron Hernandez 1 6 6.0 0 6 David Nelson 1 5 5.0 0 5 Team 20 262 13.1 2 37

Percy Harvin: Nobody's sidekick, not even Tim Tebow's

We all know the legendary tales about Tebow, and I'm sure we've all been to TimTebowFacts.com. If you haven't, here are a few lines from the site:

Tim Tebow played Russian Roulette with a fully loaded gun and won.

There are no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, Tim Tebow lives in Florida.

Tim Tebow's hand is the only hand that beats a Royal Flush.

Tim Tebow doesn't bowl strikes, he just knocks down one pin and the other nine faint.

When you open a can of whoop-ass, Tim Tebow jumps out.

Tim Tebow won the Tour de France on a unicycle to prove to Lance Armstrong it wasn't a big deal.


Superman wears Tim Tebow pajamas.

Ok, so we get it. Percy Harvin doesn't exactly get the same sort of fanfare, but he certainly deserves his praise and is starting to really be recognized as one of the top playmakers in all of college football.

In my opinion, he is the most explosive player in college football, especially because he can attack you in so many ways. He can be the pitchman on an option, run a fly route down the sidelines to beat the corner, run the sweep, run up the middle out of the backfield, and also go across the middle and run after the catch. I haven't seen him throw the ball yet, so I'll refrain from saying he can do it all.

The point is that Tebow might not be the best player on this Florida team. Don't get me wrong--I love Tim Tebow as much as a male Gator fan can love him. But, I personally believe that Percy is the most dynamic and the biggest threat to opposing teams. Every time he touches the ball, you can count on 8-10 yards. Period. Some might say that Tebow is Batman and Percy is Robin, but I think it's more like Harvin is his own unique superhero (and Tebow is too).

With that said, it's important to realize that in the spread option offense one of the keys to success is utilizing a bunch of different playmakers, using the element of surprise. So, we may never see the numbers that Harvin is obviously capable of achieving if he was the exclusive back or WR, but I still believe that he will be a Heisman candidate either this year or next. He might not be the next Chuck Norris like Tim Tebow is, but he certainly might be the next Reggie Bush.

Friday Bites

A few things from around Gator Nation:

• The Gators continue their recruiting dominance with the signing of 5-star prospect Will Hill, who announced his commitment at ESPN Zone in Times Square.
  
• Hill is a 6'3" 200 pound athlete (#1 in the nation according to Rivals.com) who plays QB now but will be a safety for the Gators because, as he puts it, "Quarterbacks wear skirts," (Well, except for Tim Tebow of course) "I like to hit people." (Do we have the second coming of the Eraser??)
• Here are some keys to victory for the Gators tomorrow.
• The Gators have an early kickoff tomorrow (11:30 am), and with the game being away and a lot of young players, that can be a concern.
• Do the Rebels stand a chance? (The Gators are favored by more than 3 touchdowns)
• Check out this article from a local Mississippi newspaper that likens Tebow to a God and makes the Gators seem invincible. (A different kind of locker room material, I guess)
• A major factor in the game tomorrow will be the Gators' ability to stop the Ole Miss running back with four names: BenJarvis Green-Ellis.
• Offense is the new defense in the SEC.
• Urban Meyer says he won't decide who will start at free safety until game time. (My vote is for Reggie Nelson)
• Brandon James is not the biggest and not the fastest, but he certainly has a knack for making plays.

Preview: Gators vs. Ole Miss

Matchup Preview
	W-L	PF	PA	HOME	ROAD	DIV	CONF
FLA	3-0	167	54	3-0	0-0	1-0	1-0
MISS	1-2	65	90	0-1	1-1	0-0	0-1
· Complete Standings Full Team Stats: Florida | Mississippi Full Player Stats: Florida | Mississippi

Finch out for the year, granted redshirt year

In case you haven't already heard, freshman Jerimy Finch is out for the year after breaking his right ankle in the game vs. Tennessee last weekend. He underwent surgery and is done for the year. The good news is that Finch has already been granted a medical redshirt, just like Bubba Caldwell received last year.

He was the #1 recruit out of the state of Indiana last year, and Finch had been playing great so far this season. His absence hurts the already semi-depleted and very young Gator D.

Where is Deonte Thompson?

By now I'm sure all of you have heard the rumors about Deonte Thompson wanting to transfer to Miami. Personally, I think it's false, but regardless it made me realize that he hasn't seen any action at all. He was a gem in this years incoming recruiting class, and Urban got him late in the game. When he did sign, Meyer said that Deonte was probably the biggest signing. However, he hasn't utilized him at all! I know we have an incredible core of receivers, but we also have one of the best QBs in the nation and even his backup has seen some time.

Why do you all think he's not getting more playing time? If he's so talented, don't you think he could contribute this year a la Percy Harvin last year?

It's true that the Gators are very, very deep at the WR position, but now with the rumors about him transferring, do you think it will scare Urban a little bit into maybe playing him this year in order to appease him and keep him a Gator?

I think he is absolutely doing the right thing by preserving him, especially with all the playmakers we have already, but there is something to be said about keeping a new recruit happy and following through on your promises. Let's just hope he didn't promise Deonte anything he hasn't been keeping.