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Harvin Status Still Unknown

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 6, 2008

ATLANTA - Florida coach Urban Meyer watched Percy Harvin run Friday during practice at the Georgia Dome and made his decision on the injured playmaker's availability for today's SEC title game against Alabama.

Meyer just didn't tell anyone outside the Gators family the conclusion he reached.

The first 15 minutes of the workout were open to the media; Meyer didn't make his decision until the end of the session.

Harvin, who sprained his right ankle last week against Florida State, has been in and out of the training room this week, trying to get his sprained right ankle healthy enough to play today against Alabama. Also, the ankle has been kept in a boot the entire week.

Although Meyer may be keeping quiet, speculation is running at full sprint - especially considering Harvin played for two seasons with nagging foot problems before having surgery in the spring.

"If I was Florida and could choose one guy to have a bad ankle, it would be Percy Harvin," CBS college football analyst Gary Danielson said. "He's been playing with a bad ankle for 21/2 years.

"He'll play. Play calling, or strategy, is always 50 percent what you have and 50 percent what they think you have. So even if Harvin is not 100 percent, Urban Meyer and offensive coordinator Dan Mullen are going to take advantage of the 50 percent the other side thinks you have. I would be shocked if he does not in some capacity play."

GETTING DEFENSIVE

During Friday afternoon's pregame news conference, Florida's offensive-minded Meyer was asked about the challenge of going against Alabama's tough defense.

Reporter: "As a competitor, when you face this type of a defense on a team, is this something that you really enjoy, the competition of facing a defense that as you said is in the top five in pretty much every defensive category?"

Meyer: "No, I really enjoy the ones that are awful, and in the third quarter you're thinking about something other than the game. You think I'm kidding? I'm serious.

"No, do I enjoy the challenge and the fact that we study coaches' defense. I mean, we put a lot of time, a lot of effort into this. All you want as a coach is to put your players in a position to win that game. It's not coach versus coach, it's not all the chess match stuff, it's just get your guys into position to somehow make a play and win the game, and I think we've done that."

LONG HISTORY

Alabama and Florida will be meeting for the 35th time with the Crimson Tide holding a 21-13 edge in the series. The teams are meeting for the sixth time in the SEC Championship Game, with the Gators holding a 3-2 lead.

FOURTH AND DEPENDABLE

Alabama has converted an NCAA- and SEC-best 89 percent (8-for-9) of its fourth-down situations this season. The only miss came on a fourth-and-12 play against Auburn that resulted in a 10-yard gain.

The next-best mark in the SEC is Florida, which converted 11 of 16 tries.

GOVERNORS MAKE WAGER

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist agreed to a wager with Gov. Bob Riley of Alabama on today's game between the Gators and Crimson Tide.

If the Gators swamp the Crimson Tide, Crist will receive a rack of ribs from Tuscaloosa's famous Dreamland barbecue restaurant. If the Tide roll over the Gators, Crist will send Riley a box of Florida oranges.

Mick Elliott

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