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Tebow Back To Playing His Type Of Game

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By MICK ELLIOTT | The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 12, 2008

Updated: 10/12/2008 01:11 am

GAINESVILLE - Have fun.

That was the message Florida's coaching staff continually delivered during the week to QB Tim Tebow.

While the 2007 Heisman Trophy winner has played solidly and hard this season, his numbers are nowhere close to last year's and, at times, he appears to be pressing in an attempt to make things happen.

Instead of winging the ball around as in the past, Tebow's passes often have appeared guided.

"Just plays the game," offensive coordinator Dan Mullen told his quarterback before Saturday's game. "Don't think about it. React."

The Gators believe the answer was to simplify things and stress fundamentals and fast play.

Tebow had the ultimate "game face" on for the pregame "Gator Walk" into the stadium. Usually arriving with high energy, he arrived in a march, not responding to any fans or comments.

Something worked. Tebow completed his first six passes and was 8-for-10 in the first quarter for 149 yards and two touchdowns.

"Tim threw the ball tremendously," UF coach Urban Meyer said.

PREGAME HEADLINES

LSU DT Ricky Jean-Francois did not get to deliver the hit to Tebow that he had warned would be punishing.

In a bit of bravado earlier in the week, Jean-Francois said Tebow was facing "a car wreck without a seatbelt," adding that, "if we get a good shot on him, we're going to try our best to take him out of the game."

As it turned out, it was Jean-Francois who didn't even make it to the game. It certainly weakened the Tigers defense, but not terribly.

The deepest position on LSU's team is the defensive line. The Tigers had played 10 different players up front defensively this season.

SUPPORTED EVENLY

While everybody knows it's only for entertainment value, Florida going off as a 6-point favorite pretty much evenly split bettors' support.

Among food for thought was that going into the game, the underdog in the series had covered the spread five of the past six times, while Florida had covered only once in its past six home games against a team with a winning record.

GATOR BITES

The Gators' opening-drive touchdown - Tebow to Percy Harvin for 70 yards - was the first first-quarter touchdown given up by the LSU defense this year. ...

Florida hasn't been shut out since Oct. 29, 1988, when it lost to Auburn 16-0. That's 248 games, the third-longest streak in the nation. ...

The Florida-LSU series dates to 1937 and the schools have played every season since 1971. Even after the SEC divided into the Eastern and Western Divisions, the Tigers and Gators remain permanent scheduling partners. ...

Florida has scored on its first drive in four of six games this year. ...

LSU tailbacks had 385 consecutive carries without a fumble before Christopher Scott fumbled with 9:46 to play in the first half. ...

Harvin has scored a touchdown in each of his past eight games. His two touchdown receptions in the first quarter, a single-game career high, brought his season total to five. In 2007, he had four TD receptions. ...

Tebow's 70-yard TD pass to Harvin is the longest scoring toss in the QB's UF career.

Mick Elliott

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