TT ain't too bad at that either. :-)
Cee
----- Original Message -----
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Sent: Thursday, December 03, 2009 9:18 PM
Subject: RE: [gatortalk] RE: [gatornews] [espn.com] Maisel: Coaches: Tebow is
the difference
This is the biggest game of the year. I don't think you have to worry about
them being fired up or having passion. Meyer is a master and getting teams
prepared and focused on big games
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: [gatortalk] RE: [gatornews] [espn.com] Maisel: Coaches:
Tebow is the difference
From: "Wanda Barry" <[email protected]>
Date: Thu, December 03, 2009 9:03 pm
To: <[email protected]>
I truly believe that unless the Gators get back the PASSION they had last
year in the SECCG, we will not win this game!!! The PASSION is what brought
them from trailing in the 4th quarter to win both the SECCG and the NCG.
Wanda
----- Original Message -----
From: [email protected]
To: gatortalk googlegroups
Sent: Thursday, December 03, 2009 2:42 PM
Subject: [gatortalk] RE: [gatornews] [espn.com] Maisel: Coaches: Tebow is
the difference
I agree. Tebow is in their minds. They are convinced that they can't
beat Tebow. They are convinced that next year - the Gators will suck because
Tebow will be gone.
In huge games - I agree that Tebow is a difference maker. But next year
I expect our offense to be better. Better passing QB and better use of all
those weapons.
Alabama is not some second rate team. Even if Florida is better -
Alabama could still win if Florida turns the ball over.
Remember all those ugly wins we had this year?
Urban Meyer has been planning and practicing for this game all year.
Protect the football - at all costs - on offense, use the special teams to
control field position, and expect the defense to play lights out.
I hated those games as much as anyone. But going into the biggest game
of the year - I'm feeling confident.
We got some big uglies up on the OL that can wall out mount cody. We got
some play makers that can take it to the house whenever they touch the ball.
We've got a mismatch TE - sometimes FB, sometimes wideout that could be our
most potent weapon. We have so much depth that a first round NFL draft pick is
ineligible, our star running back has a high ankle sprain, one of our leading
receivers (Carl Moore) is out, our next Percy (Debose) is out, plus I think it
is Hobbs, Monroe, and several other players out or with injuries - and its no
big deal.
But just in case we lose - I'll stop by Home Depot and pick up some wall
patch repair stuff.
This game is too close to call. It will be a game that everyone talks
about for decades.
Thank god superman is on our side.
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [gatornews] [espn.com] Maisel: Coaches: Tebow is the
difference
From: Badrish <[email protected]>
Date: Thu, December 03, 2009 3:19 pm
To: [email protected]
Originally Published: December 2, 2009
Coaches: Tebow is the difference
By Ivan Maisel
ESPN.com
Archive
The four Southeastern Conference coaches ESPN.com surveyed to analyze
the league championship game Saturday between No. 1 Florida and No. 2 Alabama
have one thing in common: All four went 0-2 against the Gators and the Crimson
Tide this season.
[+] Enlarge Don McPeak/US PresswireIf there was any team that knew Tim
Tebow, it was Dan Mullen's Mississippi State squad.
They have one other thing in common, that is, with the fans and the
media: They didn't stop talking about Gators senior quarterback Tim Tebow. But
on that topic, the coaches' mileage did vary.
There was the conventional stance of Tennessee head coach Lane Kiffin,
who said, "If it wasn't for Tebow, it's easy. Alabama wins the game."
There lies the conundrum of defending against Florida. The coaches also
said the key to stopping the Gators' offense is to put the ball in Tebow's
hands. Well, not in so many words. Let them explain.
Tebow will make plays, as the saying goes. But he doesn't make big
plays.
"They don't have the quick-strike capability they had with [Percy]
Harvin and [Louis] Murphy," South Carolina defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson
said, referring to the star wideouts of the 2008 team. "The teams that played
them early didn't realize it. They've got real good receivers, but not like
Harvin and Murphy. They are a little more blue-collar."
Mississippi State tried to make Tebow and the Gators' offense execute
long drives. The strategy of head coach Dan Mullen, Tebow's offensive
coordinator for the quarterback's first three seasons, worked well. Florida
scored only two offensive touchdowns, only one of which came on a drive that
began in Florida territory.
"We really encouraged them to run Tim Tebow," Mullen said. "One thing
with Tim is he will wear you down but he will not beat you with the big play.
They moved the ball on us, but we stopped them in the red zone."
How They Fared ...
• Oct. 3: Alabama 38, Kentucky 20
• Oct. 17: Alabama 20, So. Carolina 6
• Oct. 24: Alabama 12, Tennessee 10
• Nov. 14: Alabama 31, Mississippi St. 3
• Sept. 19: Florida 23, Tennessee 13
• Sept. 26: Florida 41, Kentucky 7
• Oct. 24: Florida 29, Mississippi St. 19
• Nov. 14: Florida 24, South Carolina 14
Tebow has rushed for 796 yards on 193 carries this season. But he has
only six rushes of more than 20 yards. His rushing totals are skewed by sacks,
which is another issue. Florida has allowed 28 sacks, 10th in the SEC.
Kentucky head coach Rich Brooks thinks Tebow took a step back after the
Wildcats' 41-7 loss to the Gators on Sept. 26. Kentucky defensive end Taylor
Wyndham's full-speed sack of Tebow ended in a concussion for the quarterback.
"He isn't doing it like he was doing it earlier," Brooks said. "He's
been sacked a whole bunch of times. They are one of the worst teams in terms of
protecting. He looks a little indecisive in the passing game. ... He goes away
from the first read and gets indecisive and starts running around and gets
sacked."
Unless he doesn't. The problem with putting the ball in Tebow's hands
is that you're putting the ball in Tebow's hands. No one is better at
converting third downs. Kiffin summed up a defense's dilemma well.
"People are coming free versus Florida," Kiffin said. "But Tebow is so
hard to tackle."
If stopping the Florida offense means taking away the big play,
stopping Alabama is the polar opposite.
"With Florida, let's see you execute 14 plays," Mullen said. "That's
what Alabama wants to do. You want to force Alabama to take shots."
Alas, the Crimson Tide cruised to a 31-3 victory over the Bulldogs.
"We wanted to force them into making big plays," Mullen said. "They
made four of them."
Greg McElroy threw touchdown passes of 45 and 48 yards in that game,
while tailback Mark Ingram ran 70 yards for a fourth-quarter touchdown. Ingram
took over the fourth quarter against South Carolina as well, getting all 68
rushing yards on the final touchdown drive to finish with a career-high 246
yards in a 20-6 victory.
[+] Enlarge Marvin Gentry/US PresswireCan quarterback Greg McElroy make
enough plays for Alabama?
"A lot of our game plan was predicated on getting to the quarterback,"
Johnson said. "I got greedy and allowed Ingram to break out of the box. ... The
quarterback is a very limited kid. He's had some good drives. You can't rattle
him mentally. Our pressure package was totally focusing on making that
quarterback make mistakes."
Johnson put it simply: "If Alabama can run the ball, they'll beat
Florida."
That is not easy to do. The Gators allow 89.9 rushing yards per game,
second in the SEC to Alabama (77.1). The coaches admire both defenses. To a
man, they raved about the speed and athleticism of the Gators, especially in
the secondary. None would venture a guess at the effect of the suspension of
defensive end Carlos Dunlap. Brooks said it's hard to gauge the inner dynamics
of a team.
"They could rally and say, 'We're not a one-man team,'" Brooks said.
"Or it could be a major distraction, this close to the biggest game of the
year."
The Alabama defense drew admiration for head coach Nick Saban's ability
to take very talented players and concoct a scheme to confound the opposing
quarterback.
"They are so schematically sound," Kiffin said. "If you do start to
beat them, Nick and Kirby [Smart, the defensive coordinator] are so good. They
adjust. They are an NFL staff. NFL offenses will expose you, but can you
adjust?"
Kiffin called Saban's Crimson Tide "the best-coached team in the
country. They have few penalties. They allow few sacks. They're very
disciplined. They don't give up big plays."
And yet, the Crimson Tide don't have a quarterback who has started 22
consecutive victories, has won a national championship and a Heisman, and is
34-5 overall as a starter. Alabama doesn't have Tebow.
"The biggest difference, when Florida has the ball, when you get to the
big game, is experience at the quarterback position when the game is on the
line," Mullen said. "Not that Alabama can't do it. The guy did it last week.
It's the experience. Maybe he'll do it in the big game. Tebow plays his best in
the biggest games."
Ivan Maisel is a senior writer for ESPN.com and hosts the ESPNU College
Football podcast. Send your questions and comments to Ivan at
[email protected].
--
GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY!
1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions
2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions
2008 National Football Champions |
Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel
(1996),
Tim Tebow (2007) - Visit our website at www.gatornet.us
--
GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY!
1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions
2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions
2008 National Football Champions |
Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel
(1996),
Tim Tebow (2007) - Visit our website at www.gatornet.us
--
GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY!
1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions
2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions
2008 National Football Champions |
Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996),
Tim Tebow (2007) - Visit our website at www.gatornet.us
--
GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY!
1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions
2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions
2008 National Football Champions |
Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996),
Tim Tebow (2007) - Visit our website at www.gatornet.us
--
GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY!
1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions
2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions
2008 National Football Champions |
Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996),
Tim Tebow (2007) - Visit our website at www.gatornet.us
