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UF Wins Despite Sluggish 2nd Half

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By ANDY STAPLES The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 9, 2007

Updated: 09/09/2007 01:44 am

GAINESVILLE - University of Florida football coach Urban Meyer said he looked around the locker room during Saturday's halftime and saw 'confused' looks. His team had just dominated Troy on offense, defense and special teams for 30 football minutes, and Meyer could tell by the expressions on some of his younger players' faces that the second half wouldn't go so smoothly.

It didn't.

After a first half just shy of perfect, the fourth-ranked Gators stumbled over their own feet for a quarter and a half before settling and finishing off the Trojans for a 59-31 win. Meyer said he hopes his team - which played 33 freshmen and sophomores Saturday - learned a lesson from the sluggish second half, because when the Southeastern Conference schedule begins with this week's matchup against Tennessee, the 49-7 halftime leads will be few and far between.

'Reality sets in,' Meyer said, 'when we hit the SEC this week.'

Speaking of hitting, a car collided with the bus carrying the Troy defense to Florida Field on Saturday In order to keep pace with the bus' police escort, the driver kept going after the crash. By the time Florida scored its seventh touchdown in seven possessions, Troy players probably wished they'd been stranded on the side of the road.

'It looked like we had never seen a football field,' Troy coach Larry Blakeney said.

Florida's Roderick Blackett blocked a punt on Troy's first possession, giving the Gators first-and-goal at the 6-yard line. Three plays later, Florida tailback Kestahn Moore plowed in for a 1-yard score.

The Gators' next six first-half scores seemed almost as easy. After the Trojans tied the score with a 17-yard Omar Haugabook touchdown run, Florida's Brandon James returned the ensuing kickoff 59 yards to set up a 37-yard touchdown drive.

Thanks to stout defense and opportunistic special teams, Florida's average drive in the first half started at the Troy 47. The Gators needed an average of 2 minutes, 6 seconds to reach the end zone and six different players scored touchdowns.

Next weekend's visit from the Volunteers should provide a better gauge for measuring Florida's offense, but the Gators have looked unstoppable at times in their dress rehearsals. In the first halves of wins against Western Kentucky and Troy, UF scored 11 touchdowns on 12 possessions.

Maintaining focus with the lead could be an issue, though.

On the first play from scrimmage in the second half, receiver Andre Caldwell - who injured the medial collateral ligament in his right knee Saturday - lost a fumble, setting up a Troy field goal. Troy marched for a touchdown. On the ensuing kickoff, freshman Chris Rainey returned the ball to the 40-yard line before losing a fumble.

When the Gators did keep the ball, they didn't fare much better. Florida gained 17 yards in the third quarter. Meanwhile, Haugabook and the Trojans found the holes in Florida's defense.

Haugabook (283 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, two rushing TDs) led Troy on three second-half touchdown drives. Troy cut UF's lead to 49-24 before the Gators stirred back to life.

'You don't have to do a whole lot but ask the team some questions in the locker room during the half,' Blakeney said. 'I'm proud of what we accomplished in the second half.'

The Gators snapped their funk with a nine-play, 80-yard, fourth-quarter touchdown drive that included six runs by quarterback Tim Tebow for 55 yards. For at least a few hours, Meyer said he'd simply celebrate being 2-0.

'I'm good. I'll take it,' Meyer said. 'Today, I'll be screaming and yelling and throwing coffee cups against the wall.'

Reporter Andy Staples can be reached at (352) 262-3719 or astaples@tampatrib.com

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