From Gatorsports.com:

With Thompson out Saturday, the Gators had no down-field passing game to speak of. That was partly due to Tennessee’s zone coverages and partly to conservative play-calling by UF.

Meyer said in retrospect, maybe he should have opened things up a little bit more in the offense. But he said the Vols were making no effort to win the game and there was no reason to take any unnecessary risks.

“I didn’t feel like they were going after the win,” Meyer said. “They wanted to shorten the game. I think that was the plan. There are 10 minutes to go and they’re not in a no-huddle. It’s 23-6 and no urgency (on UT’s part).

“The way we lose a game there is throw an interception. Why put yourself in that position. Let’s find a way to win the game. We’re not trying to impress the pollsters, we’re trying to win the game. A lot of it had to do with the way they were playing. It made our life a little easier.”

This is a very telling quote. Not only do we have a very savvy coaching staff, but Kiffin was coaching for the moral victory from the opening kickoff.

Think about the difference between our fanbases: even in the Zook years, Gator Nation expected to win every game. Can you remember a time you were glad just to avoid the blowout? No? Me neither. You win them all. That is the goal. There is no secondary goal. There are no warm-fuzzies in losing. Unless you’re Lane Kiffin, head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers.

Last season, Florida finished its regular season and SEC tournament schedule with 21 wins. End result: NIT.

In the midst of a two-game losing streak, this season’s total remains at 21.

For all practical, rational purposes, even a two-game winning streak probably won’t get UF back into the Big Dance. The Vols were the best practical shot at a marquee conference win. Mississippi State isn’t exactly the road win the tournament crowd will be seeking. Even Kentucky stands at 8-6 in the conference.

The only thing that will stop a second consecutive trip to the NIT: winning the SEC tournament and the automatic bid that comes with it.

Even then, the Gators will likely have to go through LSU to do that - not a sure thing given that the Tigers have gone 13-1 in the conference while South Carolina, the next best squad, is just 9-5.

And it could be a long offseason as well. Nick Calathes may very well decide to use his outstanding individual season as leverage to declare for the NBA. Walter Hodge, the last remnant of both national championship squads, is graduating. The impending senior leader is known for shooting a lot of bricks.

And, as scary a thought as it sounds, Billy Donovan could very well begin to feel just a tiny bit of warmth in his seat. Going to the NIT once with an entirely different squad is understandable.

Going twice in a row with ten of twelve players being sophomores or freshman is excusable.

Going three times, with a transfer center expected to contribute, with a top prospect in the backcourt headed to Gainesville, with a candidate for SEC Player of the Year who could likely return, and with a conference in a downswing, is unacceptable.

It’s going to be a long, long offseason. Luckily, spring practice for football begins on March 25.

With the current bru-ha-ha regarding University of Tennessee Coach Lane Kiffin I wanted to weigh in.  Quite frankly, I don’t see what the fuss is about.  Sure, Kiffin has made several verbal gaffes and deserves to be admonished but folks . . . it’s over.  Or at least it should be.  Unfortunately I see several Florida websites who are absolutely obsessed now with all things Tennessee.

How did this mess start?  Florida fans were not happy losing Marsalis Teague and Nukeese Richardson to Florida at the last minute.  Teague, a Tennessee native was understandable but Nuke came off as nothing but a lying piece of crap.  Not only did Nuke repeatedly lie to people about his trip (stating it was his teammate who was taking the trip and not he) but he also adamantly told coaches and friends that he was in fact going to attend UF.  I don’t have a problem with Richardson going to Tennessee but kid, be a man.  Don’t lie to everyone.  Doing so ended up costing other players who would have loved to get a scholarship offer to Gainesville.

As a player, Nukeese was never going to be the next Percy Harvin that some of his backers made him out to be.  He was going to have to work hard to be the next Brandon James.  I watched him struggle in the Under Armor game against top competition dropping passes, not showing much elusiveness, etc.  I believed he was worthy of a scholarship if the coaches felt he was but never in my wildest dreams did I have him in the same class as Andre Debose.  Not only is Debose more explosive, more elusive and athletic but Debose is 6′0″, 180lbs while Nuke is a 5′9″, 160 soaking wet on his tippy toes. - hardly a primary offensive threat you can build an offense around.

In his excitement of landing Teague (who I think will end up being the better player for UT) and Richardson Lane Kiffin, rookie coach and apparently naive about big time college football, promptly goes out and accuses Urban Meyer of cheating for calling Nukeese during his visit to Knoxville.  While the orange creamsicle crowd went bonkers with enthusiasm, the SEC office later openly admonished Kiffin for not knowing the rules (it was in fact NOT a violation of any kind) and breaking SEC rules by criticizing the coaches of a member institution in public.  Way to go Lane, you are making quite the name for yourself. (more…)

Lane Kiffin strikes again! This time the young rookie coach stepped in it, then smeared it around. Crowing about his recruiting victory (Nu’Keese Richardson), Kiffin commented to a public crowd that Florida head coach Urban Meyer had ‘cheated’ by calling Nu’Keese while he was on his official visit to Tennessee. “They cheated, and we still got him!” was the essence of Kiffin’s comment.

Well, there are two problems with going that route, Kiffykins: first, that’s not a violation of NCAA rules. Second, criticizing your fellow coaches in such a manner is against SEC rules.

Jeremy Foley acted swiftly, issuing the following statement:

“There was no rule violation and we have confirmed this with Southeastern Conference. It is obvious that Coach Kiffin doesn’t know that there is not a rule precluding phone contact with a prospect during an official visit on another campus during a contact period. His allegations are inappropriate, out of line and, most importantly, totally false.

It is completely unfair to Urban Meyer, our coaching staff, our football program and our institution. The appropriate action at this time in my opinion is for Coach Kiffin to make a public apology. His comments not only slandered our coach, but he violated SEC rules by publicly criticizing another coach and institution.”

So did Commissioner Mike Slive, who issued a public reprimand to Can’t-Keep-His-Mouth-Shut-Kiffin:

“Coach Kiffin has violated the Southeastern Conference Code of Ethics,” Slive said. “SEC Bylaw 10.5.1 clearly states that coaches and administrators shall refrain from directed public criticism of other member institutions, their staffs or players.”

“The phone call to which Coach Kiffin referred to in his public comments is not a violation of SEC or NCAA rules. We expect our coaches to have an understanding and knowledge of conference and NCAA rules.”

So do we fans. Kiffykins, talk less and WORK MORE. You have scaled to the highest heights of the obnoxio-meter in an astonishingly short time. Your predecessor, Phil Fulmer, may have lost his way in this game but at least he knew the rules, and more importantly knew when to speak and when to stay quiet. Here’s a hint: if your gums are flapping, you’re talking too much.

Best of luck in 2009. You’re going to need it, Big Talker.

Guys, I know you don’t always play your best game, and what I’m about to show you might be perceived as being persnickety, overtly nasty, or downright blunt.

But since you flat out blew the first half, and had to try to make it all up in the second, we must begin your retraining immediately. For our purposes, a picture is worth a thousand words.

Do you know what these are, fellas? Can you provide some insight into the nature of these tempting treats?

These are turnovers. You know, like all the turnovers you had in both halves. And these aren’t just any ordinary turnovers, they are turnovers with the horrible topping of sloppy execution and all around poor ball-handling.

Take a good, long hard look at this picture. Embed it into your collective brain when you practice tomorrow.

In bakeries, turnovers are delicious. In basketball, they absolutely kill your chances to score on the offensive end. They force you to play even more defense than ever. They are deadly to winning chances.

For the next one, we’re breaking out the big guns:

This is Madison Square Garden. To most, it is the most famous basketball arena, if not the most famous all-around entertainment arena in the world.

You might remember it as the place where you played in the Final Four - the NIT Final Four.

Avoid this place like the plague. And no, I don’t mean going back to the NIT and losing before the Final Four either. You know where I’m going.

Last, but not least, you must feast your eyes upon a picture so horrible, so repulsive, and so hideous, that it is the strongest medicine that I know of to snap you out of your funk:

Alas, it is Coach Donovan, but with a sad face. You know what happens when Coach Donovan has a sad face?

He forces you to run all manner of grueling wind sprints and suicides. He brings in high-profile motivational speakers who make you sink in your seat. He makes you watch odd videos and tries to spin out pertinent lessons before each and every game. He closes your state-of-the-art practice facility and makes you do your own laundry.

Do everything in your power to turn his frown upside down. Because if you don’t, the consequences are dire.

Florida at Tennessee, on White Out Day.

Holy burnt orange suspenders, Batman!

At the core, this is a game pitting two different styles, with Florida and its perimeter-heavy game battling UT’s frontcourt.

Last season, Chris Lofton acted as the great equalizer outside, providing a 3-point threat to complement the Vols’ inside game. That, in turn, make the boys in burnt orange the clear favorites to win.

This season, it’s much more equal. Thus, whoever executes their game plan the best is going to win. For Florida, that means getting a hot start and maintaining that intensity as much as possible.

A victory will move Florida to within 2 of matching last season’s pre-NIT win record, and within 1 to yet another 20-win season.

Good luck at Thompson-Boling, men.

It’s time to start shifting gears and thinking about Ole Miss. But before we do, one parting shot…

That’s Joe Haden lighting up Jonathan Crompton on one of his keepers. By the way, Crompton is 6-4 and 220 pounds, Haden is 5-11, 185 pounds. Crompton immediately hopped up and started talking trash to the wrong guy. Big hits will do that to you.

There was a time — a time not long ago, in fact — when Georgia was penciled in as a ‘W’, Tennessee was a nailbiting early-season test of our team’s toughness, and Florida State was the November crucible which either opened or closed the doors to Florida’s national title hopes.

How times have changed.

Urban Meyer is 9-1 against Florida’s “Big 3″ rivals, and 11-2 if you count Spurrier’s Gamecocks. The Gators have dominated FSU and the Vols, and beaten the Bulldogs two out of three tries. That’s a hell of a record for a Florida head coach. That’s one for the books.

Today, in 2008, Georgia is the biggest threat to Florida’s success, Tennessee is a relatively minor concern, and Florida State is a complete afterthought. The fires of an intense rivalry never fully go out, but Gator Nation is down to glowing coals on these two former bonfires. FSU’s fall from grace never seems to stop; the ‘Noles have yet to hit rock bottom, staring into the yawning gape of a sub-.500 season with the threat of NCAA sanctions from Tutor-Gate still looming large. Meanwhile, Tennessee is a rudderless ship, short on leadership and bereft of talent at the QB position, counting the days until Fulmer falls on his sword — assuming he ever does.

Not a bad time to be enjoying the fruits of Urban Meyer’s renaissance of Florida football. Not a bad time at all.

But the question begs to be asked: who are Florida’s most important rivals today?

I posit that Georgia always occupies the Public Enemy #1 slot, and I hope few would argue with that. There’s no question that the Dawgs have what it takes to win lots of SEC games. And in terms of rivals, I suggest that LSU should now move to #2 on the list.

Georgia and LSU. Two consistently good teams, programs with great recent success, programs that have adapted to the modern climes of college football, and recruit lights-out year in and out.

In 2008, those are the teams we have to structure our program to beat.

LSU tends to focus on a power running game with a unique combination of power and speed (Charles Scott, Jacob Hester, etc.) and “game manager” style play from their quarterback. And their defense is arguably among the best in the nation, year after year.

Georgia tries to bring balance to the table by running more of a traditional pro-style offense which works by setting up the run and passing on play-action, but they also have big play ability from the shotgun.
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Crompton in his post-game interview:

“We shot ourselves in the foot. We should have won the ball game in my opinion. We gave up 14 points in the red zone, and they scored seven points off turnovers. We fumbled on the first drive, and that gave them three more. Those things change the whole momentum of the game.”

O&B Hue has no comment at this time.

Was I a little too hard on the Vols? My father thinks so. He points out that the Vols actually totaled 258 yards to the Gators’ 243, won the time of possession battle (barely) and threatened to score in the red zone twice. The game could have been much closer, he says, and save for a few critical miscues (which seem to be emblematic of modern-day Tennessee football) Tennessee played decently well.

Dad, you’re a great guy and I love ya, but I don’t agree. Watching the replay, Florida dominated Tennessee defensively and were efficient on offense. Brandon James consistently gave the Gators great field position, and Tennessee’s punts from within their own territory contributed to Florida’s short drives (and low overall yardage). Finally, the new clock rules (blast them!) robbed us of a great deal of football.

Florida’s drives:

Drive 1: starts at UT 44, TD
Drive 2: starts at UT 23 after UT fumble, FG
Drive 3: punt return for TD
Drive 4: starts at UF 3 after UT fumble, FG
Drive 5: kneel-down after intercepting Crompton in endzone with :02 remaining in 1H
Drive 6: starts at UF 9, punt
Drive 7: starts at UT 47, TD
Drive 8: starts at UF 38, FG
Drive 9: starts at UF 46, turnover on downs — Meyer elects not to score at UT 10 (game is over)
Drive 10: kneel-down, victory formation

As you can see, Florida started only three of their drives from within their own territory, and one of those were at the Gators’ 38-yard line. Throw in three meaningless possessions (drives 5, 9, and 10) and you have only seven meaningful offensive possessions. Of those seven, Florida failed to score on only one of them (drive 6) and at that point the defense had already proved they could stop Tennessee’s offense. Meyer had shifted into field position mode by that point.
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