Three touchdowns, all passing, no rushing, and a 148.8 passer rating.

Last year, those would have been below average stats in a game for Tim Tebow. Instead, they’re his total first the first two games.

Apparently, when Urban Meyer said that he wanted to used the star QB less, he meant it. And that’s a good thing for Florida.

But Tebow is on a pace to account for fewer touchdowns this season than he scored in rushing alone in ‘07. By stats alone, he looks a shadow of his former self.

But more disconcerting is what he’s doing on other plays. Yes, there has been improvement, but I’m seeing a Florida offense that looks vaguely familiar to the one last season. As in, Tim Tebow taking the ball to get things going for three quarters when Florida only leads 9-3. As in receivers not catching wide-open balls. As in the lack of an every-down TAILback. You dig?

To outsiders, the Gators are the Denver Nuggets of college football, beating teams by offense alone. The defense has made major strides, no doubt. The team looks more dangerous than ever.

But if these Gators are to make strides toward greatness, they must stop trying to feed off of the accomplishments of the 2006 championship season and run their own race. There are so many differences from just two seasons ago that comparing the two squads ultimately does neither justice. This team has its own battles to fight. Tim Tebow has morphed from a highly touted backup to a Heisman winner. Major Wright, not Reggie Nelson, is the hard-hitting sheriff in town. Dan McCarney stepped in for Greg Mattison, Kenny Carter for Stan Drayton. And so on, and so forth.

This team has the opportunity, not only to win the SEC, and the national title, but also become the winningest squad, and consequently, the best team, in school history.

And that isn’t going to happen unless some players not named Tebow, Harvin, or Spikes gain enough confidence in their own abilities to star in their own right.

As a journalist, I hate to criticize the character of athletes. I really do. But this team has too much potential for greatness to not address these issues.

And if Florida doesn’t address its own issues, someone else will. Someone like Tennessee, or Georgia, or LSU.

One month, folks! One month, I tell ya! Okay, so it’s actually five weeks. But with Hawaii edging closer and closer, I have an overactive imagination.

From a statistical perspective, where will Tebow’s numbers stand with the greatest Gators in history? These predictions assume that Tim stays through his senior year and plays 26-28 games in his two remaining seasons.

Starting with the most important left arm in Gainesville.

Passing

Career yards: Tim already has 3,644 in two seasons (358 as a freshman, 3,286 as a sophomore) Regardless of his PR with students, Chris Leak leads with 11,213.

Thus, in order to break his record, Tim will need to average 3,785 yards over his next two seasons. Which probably isn’t happening, especially not in the SEC. And throwing an average of 3,616 to pass Danny Wuerffel (10,875) for second doesn’t look all too feasible, either.

However, with two good 3,000-yard seasons, he could very well pass Shane Matthews for 3rd on the list. And he only needs 2,761 each year to pass Rex Grossman for 4th. In other words, barring injury, he is a near lock to be one of the Gators’ five greatest passing QBs, but that’s not all.

Remember, Leak and Wuerffel were four-year starters. So Tebow’s place on this list is all the more impressive considering the year he spent as Leak’s understudy.

Touchdowns: Wuerffel is first with 114 bombs, and Leak is a distant second with 88. Tebow has 37 in two years, including 32 last season. Rex Grossman and Shane Matthews have 77 and 74.

He’ll need to throw 34 over each of the next two seasons to pass DW, which is a stretch. But he only needs 52 (26 each year) to pass Leak for second, which is realistic.

I call 2nd place when it’s all said and done. Remember, Wuerffel had four years.

Efficiency: He hasn’t had enough completions yet, but it’ll be a close one between him and Wuerffel.

What the heck, he’ll probably finish on top. Thirty-two touchdowns to only six interceptions speaks for itself.

Interception percentage: Leak has the lowest number with 2.88%. Tebow’s in really good shape with 1.83%, even without the 500 attempts. He’s doing so well that he could have 4 more picks and still remain on top.

Maybe my vision is faulty, but I just don’t see him not finishing on top. After all, he’s never had multiple interceptions in a single game.

And now for something completely different. Something all you chaps will love.

Rushing

Yardage: Whaddaya lookin’ at me for? He’s already UF’s career leader in rushing yards by a QB! (Really.)

He’s got 1,364 through two seasons. At that rate, Errict Rhett (4,163) is hopelessly out of reach. He’ll need 796 to pass Jimmy DuBose for 10th. Otherwise, he ain’t makin’ a serious dent at the record.

Thank goodness. It’s about time somebody made a ruckus about it!

Touchdowns: Entirely different story. He’s broken the plane so many times on the ground that he’s already tied with Fred Taylor for fourth on the career list. Yes, that Fred Taylor.

He only needs two more scores to tie Earnest Graham for 3rd, three more to match Rhett for 2nd, and six to break Emmitt Smith’s record of 36. Since he still has at least two dozen games left in his Florida career, he’ll likely break the record by the time he graduates, even with the Gators’ tailback problem solved.

And chances are good that he’ll break it this year.

Yup, that’s it for rushing. All together now!

Rushing and passing

Yardage: It’s no accident that Florida’s top four passers are also their top four yardage gainers. Chris Leak leads with 11,350, Danny Wuerffel has 10,500, Shane Matthews has 9,241, and Rex Grossman has 9,031. Tebow is 10th with 5,008.

With two good 3,000 yard seasons, look for him to pass Wuerffel for 2nd and pose a serious threat to Leak’s record soon afterward.

Touchdowns: Wuerffel has 122 (114 pass, 8 rush), Leak has 101 (88 pass, 13 rush), Grossman 83 (77 pass, 6 run), and Matthews 82 (74 pass, 7 run, 1 receiving)

Guess who’s in fifth and poised to beat the last two guys this season? Yup, he could finish at the top of this list if he gets 55 more by his last game.

Conclusion: Are you thinking what I’m thinking?

The Mo Project has reached its logical conclusion at Florida with Speights taken by Philadelphia. Kenny Kadji, you’re now officially on O&B Hue Notice.

Was his decision to jump to the pros premature? Possibly, but at least he had:

1: A year learning under 2 NBA lottery picks (Horford, Noah).
2: A national championship ring without too much pressure.
3: An offseason to work on becoming a starting center
4: Plenty of information about the draft process
5: The chance to come back if he so desired, given that Jon Mitchell’s transfer freed up a scholarship.

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When looking at the 2006 version of the Florida Gators, it’s easy to notice that this is one of the most talented teams in the past two decades. But what is the best overall position group on the team?

The wide receiver position is loaded. Dallas Baker, Jemalle Cornelius, Andre Caldwell, Percy Harvin and TE/SE Cornelius Ingram are outstanding players. Each and every one could conceivably end up making an NFL roster in the future.

The linebacker play has also been very good. Brandon Siler will certainly be taken high in the NFL draft, and Earl Everett has a good shot of making it to the NFL. Brian Crum has had a very good year also, finally coming around to play his senior year with the intensity that many had expected upon his arrival.

Still, the heart of this team is its defensive line. The Gators have already recorded a whopping 19 sacks and are ranked 5th in the country in rushing defense. With players such as Marcus Thomas, Ray McDonald, Derrick Harvey and Jarvis Moss backed up by guys like Joe Cohen and Clint McMillan, it is truly an impressive group. I wouldn’t be surprised if the entire starting line ended up playing on Sundays. And unlike the WR corps, whose most exciting players (Harvin and Meyer’s MVP, Cornelius) have been hampered by injuries, the defensive line does not rely on anyone giving them the ball to make plays. Wide receivers are only in the limelight with the ball while defensive linemen can make an impact on their own.

With so many of the defensive linemen having NFL caliber talent, perhaps this argument will have to be settled another 4 or 5 years down the road. But is this the best Florida Gator defensive line in the modern era of Gator football?

I’ve looked at 6 separate years and ranked them accordingly. The research period begins in 1990 since that’s the point from which I have been able to watch them consistently. The competition is between the defensive lines from 1990, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000 and of course 2006.

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