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UF Tailbacks Make Impact

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By MICK ELLIOTT | The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 7, 2008

Updated: 10/07/2008 12:11 am

GAINESVILLE - "You look at great rushing teams and it's not so much the 4-yard gain, 4-yard gain, 4-yard gain," Florida football coach Urban Meyer is saying. "It's a 4-yard gain, 5 yards and then, suddenly, 75 yards. And those two cats bring that to the table."

The targets of Meyer's enthusiastic praise Monday were freshmen RBs Chris Rainey and Jeffrey Demps, who combined Saturday for touchdown runs of 36, 48 and 75 yards, and, with added support from Brandon James, earned Florida's tailback position the honor of offensive player of the game.

"We gave it to a position because our tailback spot was dynamic statistically," Meyer said, citing a combined 19 total rushes for 210 yards, four pass receptions and four touchdowns. "That's Brandon James, Rainey and Demps. Obviously, height is not a characteristic of our tailbacks."

The truth is all three look like the neighborhood paper boy. James is listed at 5-foot-7 but only he believes it. Demps measures in at 5-8 and Rainey 5-9. But each one, as the old saying goes, can flip off the light switch and be in bed before it gets dark.

"I turn into a fan when those guys hit the second level because they are really good," Meyer said. "They are just so young."

And LSU's defensive line is so big, talented and statistically imposing.

The 4-0, 2-0 defending national champion Tigers come to The Swamp for Saturday night's SEC showdown allowing only 69 rushing yards per game - 10th best in the nation. LSU has been more susceptible to the pass, but putting together a consistent running threat will be of utmost importance for Florida.

However, it can be done.

"Our offensive line is pretty good," Meyer said. "You take away those penalties and our offense line played their most physical game last week. Our objective as an offensive lineman at Florida in the run game is we have to get that speed to the second level.

"When speed gets to the second level of the defense, good things happen. We have a different type of tailback right now at Florida. We have very, small fast players. So it's a little different deal. You blink and you see what happened."

GATOR SPOTLIGHT: Two Gators were honored by the SEC for their play against Arkansas.

Demps is the conference's freshman of the week and sophomore C Maurkice Pouncey is offensive lineman of the week.

At the request of several "team leaders," Meyer scheduled a Sunday evening practice and gave the Gators Monday off.

"Game plan-wise I've never believed in that," Meyer said. "I think Sundays are players' time off for themselves, but it's also not bad to be a student on Monday. Other than coming in and getting some treatment for an injury, they're off Monday. From what they tell me, Tuesday's practice will be much more crisp."

SOCCER: The No. 15-ranked women's team improved to 9-2-1 and 4-0 with a two-overtime, 3-2 victory at Kentucky, thanks to a goal by freshman Lindsay Thompson.

The performance earned Thompson honors as SEC freshman and offensive player of the week.

VOLLEYBALL: Right-side setter Kelly Murphy is SEC freshman of the week after strong performances against Alabama and Mississippi State. Florida (12-1, 6-0) has claimed the SEC's top freshman award in five of the six weeks of the 2008 season.

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