Make TBO Your Home Page| Subscribe To The Paper| Advertise With Us| Contact Us| Login| Edit Profile| Register
Sports
Email
Print
Gators Say They Will Keep Fighting
ADVERTISEMENT
Published: October 4, 2008
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - University of Florida coach Urban Meyer often repeats a favorite saying when calling for a player to step up under adverse circumstances. If someone drops the rifle, Meyer's challenge goes, another player must be ready to pick it up and continue the fight.
The Gators are at Arkansas today for a 12:30 kickoff, hoping they have the right ammo.
One week after a sobering home loss to big underdog Ole Miss, the Gators (3-1, 1-1) continue SEC action against the Razorbacks (2-2, 0-1) with an arsenal of unanswered questions. Chief among them: Are they as good as projected?
Florida has shown only flashes of brilliance from an offense expected to be a scoring machine. Although averaging 5.9 yards per play when they have the ball, the Gators have appeared at times to be a shiny new sports car trying to tow farm equipment.
Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Tim Tebow has had little success throwing downfield, the running backs have yet to contribute, and scoring is way down from last season. When three turnovers marred last week's performance, it was too much to overcome.
Florida tumbled from its No. 4 national ranking to 12th this week, but it lost no ground in the SEC East race against rivals Georgia and Tennessee as both also lost last week.
"There's a lot of football out there left to play," Meyer said.
But Florida fans have been left to wonder if it will be as fulfilling as they expected.
While the defense has been a pleasant surprise, the offense has become a head-scratcher. After averaging 457 yards per game in 2007, this year the offense is averaging 359.
Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino, who fled the Atlanta Falcons late last season to accept the Razorbacks job, insists that despite the loss Florida did not show a weakness to target.
"I don't think that Ole Miss exposed them," Petrino said. "They got a couple of good turnovers that gave them great field position. They hit a go route down the sideline on a blown coverage and had a nice screen play and they hit a run opposite the blitz. Their defense must have played really good, because they had good field position. They didn't put up a lot of yards, but they got a bunch of points."
Logic suggests that if the Gators have something to prove, this would be an inviting week.
The Razorbacks are coming off a 52-10 loss at Texas and are allowing an SEC-worst 38 points per game, 113th among 119 Division I-A teams.
Florida, meanwhile, vows it is ready to begin climbing back up the national polls.
"They have reacted and responded the way we've wanted them to," defensive assistant Dan McCarney said. "Everyone is disappointed, everybody is upset. There's no smiles going on, it's not a happy time at Florida right now.
"There's just great resolve in this program, and we'll come back."
No. 12 Florida (3-1, 1-1) At Arkansas (2-2, 0-1)
At Stake
All that is at risk for the Gators is the season as they imagined it. Not only must UF come back with a win after last week's upset loss to Ole Miss to have any hope of reaching preseason expectations, it also needs to show offensive ability and play-calling that suggests it has the needed firepower for upcoming opponents like LSU and Georgia. Meanwhile, the Razorbacks insist they have some things of their own to prove after being bombed by Texas and Alabama in their past two games. "We're ticked off," Arkansas TE Andrew Davie said. "We haven't come out and performed like we can, and we're going to change that."
Keep An Eye On:
Florida - What's going on with Tim Tebow? The Heisman Trophy-winning QB is not playing the same game he did last year. He is spending more time in the pocket and running less, and he has not had success throwing the ball downfield. The game plan has been aimed at controlling the game more than last year, but that has caused Tebow to struggle to find his rhythm.
Arkansas - Junior TB Michael Smith averaged 124 yards against Louisiana-Monroe and Alabama, but last week at Texas he was held to 42 yards on 13 carries as the Razorbacks had trouble blocking and abandoned the run after falling behind early.
Injury Report
Arkansas - OL Kareem Crowell (shoulder) and RB Jelani Smith (hand) are doubtful. DE Damario Ambrose and TE Lance Thompson are probable.
Florida - OT Jim Tartt (shoulder), RB Emmanuel Moody (ankle), OL Marcus Gilbert (ankle) and LB Dustin Doe (double hernia) are out.
Key Matchup
Florida wide receivers vs. Arkansas defensive secondary. For all the weapons and speed the Gators possess, their passing game has produced few big plays. Even the 43-yard TD pass to Percy Harvin last week against Ole Miss was caught after it went through the hands of a defender who would have gone the other way to score. Only Louis Murphy, Riley Cooper and Harvin have shown any dependability.
Key Stat
The Razorbacks rank last in the SEC and 109th nationally with 90.5 rushing yards per game.
PREDICTION
Florida 34, Arkansas 12
Reporter Mick Elliott can be reached at (813) 281-2534 or melliott@tampatrib.com.
Email
Print
ADVERTISEMENT
Advertisement
TBO.com - Tampa Bay Online ©2009 Media General Communications Holdings, LLC. A Media General company. Member Agreement | Privacy Statement | Work With Us
