27-3 Over Vandy? We’ll Take It

It was, once again, not the prettiest of wins, but it was a decisive one. Vandy played hard and picked up a few yards, but never got a shot at more than 3 points.
While the offense showed some of the same drive-killing tendencies it has all year, and the 375 combined yards Tebow & Co. put up was rather a low total against a team of Vandy’s caliber, Tebow’s stats are surprisingly good. Little Timmy completed 15 of 20 for 208 yards and 1 TD, plus ran for another 27 and a rushing TD. His rushing totals would be much higher if he hadn’t been sacked four times. Florida’s pass protection, plus Tebow’s willingness to hold onto the ball for many seconds after it should be launched downfield, were both contributing factors.
Still, UF converted only 4 of 13 3rd downs, and shot themselves in the foot with 9 penalties for a loss of 68 yards. Tebow’s lone TD pass sanguinely bounced off of Riley Cooper’s hands and into David Nelson’s open arms in the end zone — last time that occurred, the Bulldogs of Mississippi State ran it back for six. But hey, we’ll take it.
Let’s sum up the questions with which Gator Nation is tormenting itself:
1) “Why isn’t this offense playing better when we have All-World players?”
2) “Why is Tim Tebow holding on to the ball so long, and looking so hesitant in the pocket?”
3) “If Florida can’t wipe inferior squads off the map, how will they beat teams like Alabama or Texas?”
4) “Why does a 9-0 record and a 19-game school-record winning streak feel so ‘bleah’?”
Now, take the first three of those questions, scrunch them up into a tight little ball of paper, and throw that negativity blob into the trash.
Yes, the offense has issues, and yes, we’d all like to see this unit ring up pinball scores like they did in years past.
Will this offense suddenly explode at this point? Unlikely. What we see is basically what we’ve got. Offensive line play rarely shows dramatic improvement throughout a season, and that’s probably the weakest link on this unit — not the receiver corps. No, I fully expect Florida to continue grinding out close wins against good competition, and slowly pull away from weaker teams like Vandy.
So, I’ve got a suggestion for you: forget about it. Because the answer to 1-3 is: “It doesn’t matter.” Because our defense is that good. Because Caleb Sturgis is starting to fulfill the promise and potential he brought to the Gators’ kicking game. Because we still have the best player in the history of college football lining up under center. Because we have a tough, physical, grind-you-to-dust rushing attack. Because our players expect to own the 4th quarter, and have excelled each and every time the crowd stops swaying to ‘We Are the Boys’. Because we have the best coaches in the business, coaches who have already adjusted our scheme and gameplanning to accentuate Florida’s strengths and minimize its weaknesses.
Because, at the end of the day, Florida is still the best team in the country, warts and all. Which team has clearly proven that they deserve #1 instead of Florida? I’d be happy to acknowledge it if it were true. But if you think Florida’s offensive woes are troubling, it’s far worse at ‘Bama. Texas? Sure, they’re good, and Colt McCoy is a great quarterback, but the college football institution learned a lesson about the value of wins against Big 12 defenses vs. their SEC counterparts at the conclusion of the 2008 season.
Florida is undefeated in the nation’s toughest conference, has survived everything from flu, to off-field distractions, to on-field distractions, and has secured a berth in Atlanta.
There’s a lot to be happy about, folks.
We have to let this offensive ennui we’ve collectively endured reach its nadir and then disappear. This is our team. Our team is not perfect. Our team will not reach the offensive heights they did in ‘08. If you’ll recall, our ‘06 team is one of the greatest in Florida history, and that was a team that was far more troubled offensively than this one. Defense wins championships, ladies and gentlemen.
By playing tough. By playing with discipline. By squeezing the life out of our opponents. This is how our team wins games. And I fully expect them to win five more.
The answer to the fourth question? “It’s all in your mind.” So get your mind right, Gator Nation.






Everybody take a deep breath. Notice how the air seems sweeter, the colors more vivid? That stale hot dog which you’d have spat out just 4 short weeks ago tastes better than the finest sirloin? That simply means that college football has finally, mercifully, arrived.











