In a continuing trend by Bloggers who seem to make ridiculous statements that eventually will be quoted as gospel truth by ignorant message board faithful and rival fans, I present our latest addition.  In the blog post by BE Coleman on collegefootballnews.com entitled Mounting Gator Injuries Bring Questions we are subjected to a new level of ignorance and blind assumptions heretofore unparalleled.  My comments to such inane stammerings are italicized in parenthesis.

Florida’s Urban Meyer knew coming into August that his offense only needed to be brushed off with the likes of QB Tim Tebow, speedsters Percy Harvin, Brandon James coming back. The returning front O-Line allowed the playmakers to lead the SEC in scoring at 42.5 points per game in 2007.

Meyer’s primary coaching focus was on his defense and getting it back into the form that carried Florida to the national title in 2006. In order to do that, players have to participate at full speed – full impact in practice, with that brings the most dreaded aspect of fall camp – injuries.

The Gators bad luck began in July when it was announced both starting Safeties in Dorian Munroe from Miami and John Curtis from Cocoa Beach would be out for the season with torn ACL’s. 

(Huh?  Both starting safeties?  Did Major Wright get kidnapped or something and I didn’t hear?  The truth is that Dorian Monroe had a very good shot at winning a starting spot but many felt that Will Hill would eventually take that slot if he lived up to the hype.  A few people felt that Ahmad Black would or Bryan Thomas would win the spot opposite Wright who was the returning starter.  John Curtis was nothing but a walk-on backup and never had a reasonable shot of playing significant minutes.)

Their loss only made things worse for the Gators pass defense that finished up 2007 at 98th in the nation giving up 258.54 yards per game, would now feature backup players with limited experience. 

(Newsflash BE, even though Monroe had the inside track on a starting spot he never brought significant starting experience to the field.  Major Wright, Joe Haden, Markihe Anderson and Wondy Pierre-Louise are all former starters who are healthy and available this year.  Those guys combine for 30+ starts . . . what’s the limit for experience?)

Before it could get better, it got worse — much worse during the second week of practice as linebacker Brendan Beal tore his ACL. Meyer had to sideline three of his starters on defense for the season, all were expected contributors. 

(Brendan Beal looked like he was going to get some playing time this year but mostly on special teams.  He was behind Brandon Spikes and Lorenzo Edwards at MLB and although he would have benefited from playing time as next year he and LoEd would have been fighting for the starting position, he was not going to play a lot of minutes barring injuries or blowouts. He was at true freshman and NOT a starter.  Apparently BE thought that this true freshman had come in and replaced preseason Lott Award nominee Spikes in his first year . . . impressive.)

While losing one player would be significant on a defensive secondary that can only look up from the bottom of SEC, losing three players brings major implications for the Gator coaching staff.  

(Ummm . . . Beal was a linebacker and therefore not “technically” considered part of the secondary which this statement seems to suggest.  Heck he wasn’t even a starter for the linebackers.  And didn’t we already establish that Curtis was not previously nor ever expected to be a starter . . . except on special teams.)

An inexperienced secondary pulls linebackers out to help cover receiver’s that places a greater burden on the squad’s defensive front. While the Gator D-Line finished first in the conference against the rush last season; the outlook will certainly be much different with these injuries — to these specific players.  

(Thus with the secondary being the second most experienced unit on the field behind only the linebacking corps that returns all THREE starters – sorry Beal – should we now expect the opposite to occur?  Will the LBs now be closer to the line of scrimmage to further limit opponent’s running games?)

Meyer said he is looking for LB Brandon Spikes to be his leader on defense just as Tebow is on the offense. Spikes a first team ALL SEC selection finished last season with 131 tackles.  

(What?  Spikes is starting?  What happened to Beal?  It must only be because of Beal’s injury right.  Dang it . . . and we would have had a first team ALL SEC backup middle linebacker.  That would have been something to brag about.)

Spikes won’t be able to guard the gaps exactly like he did last season with the current situation as it presents itself. Players that Meyer and D-Secondary Coach Chuck Heater had slated in the depth chart as number two’s, will now play in the number one slot. 

(When working with a shaky foundation we drift further and further from fact.  Ahmad Black, Bryan Thomas or Will Hill will be the ONLY “number 2” forced to play.  Despite the fact that many penciled Hill in as a starter before the season’s end – which could still happen.)

Players that were third on the depth chart suddenly find themselves as the next line of defense in the two’s spot. While there is talent at Florida, Meyer will quickly tell you that it all has to have game time experience to stop the big play capability of rival passing attacks. 

(with 9 returning starters I’d say Florida will have some experience.  Usually when you combine talent and experience good things happen.)

The Gators finished 07 in the seventh place in the conference in total defense behind LSU, Auburn, Georgia, Vanderbilt and Alabama. Meyer’s fast strike offense further complicates the situation by placing the defensive secondary on the field for greater lengths of time. Scoring fast works great; as long as the defense are veterans who can play for longer lengths of time and not give up plays that keep the offense sidelined.

Sophomore WR Justin Williams has been shifted over to Safety to provide relief. He brought some highly sought after relief for Meyer during the team’s last scrimmage by picking off two passes.

Now, it is a matter of Heater of developing him and Williams himself finding his confidence before SEC level of play hits the schedule. The Gators now have five returning starters on the defense to begin the season instead of eight.  

(WTF???  Let me do my math of returning starters.  Wright, Haden, Pierre-Louise, Anderson, Spikes, Doe, Jones, Cunningham, Estopinan, Trattou = 10 players who started games last year.  FIVE???  Ohhhh wait, that’s right.  Beal got hurt.  He was the equivalent of 5 starters.  Sorry BE, my bad.)

Little is expected of the season opener at home with Hawaii, a road trip to Miami might see the Cane’s make it interesting before Tebow’s talent puts the game out of reach. The first major test will come against Tennessee who returns the one of the conferences top receiving units for the SEC’s first big game of the season.  

(A road trip to Miami?  Wait . . . did the University of Miami relocate to Gainesville?  Those BASTARDS!!!  I wonder how far their stadium  is from Ben Hill Griffin.  You can’t trust those Canes.  Good research BE, thanks for catching that.  By the way if there is an “at” in front of a team’s name then it’s a road game, if not . . . . home game.)

The Gators defense suffered some growing pains last season and it appears there is going to be some more of that in the secondary for 2008. 

(That’s nothing compared to the pains we Gator fans had to experience while trying to make sense of your idiotic blog post.  Next time do some friggin fact checks okay???)