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.