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Gators Might As Well Savor Their Week Off

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By MICK ELLIOTT

The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 13, 2008

GAINESVILLE The Florida Gators have this weekend off.

Rest fast.

Fresh off Saturday's impressive lambasting of previously undefeated LSU, the No. 5 Gators return to action Oct. 18 against Kentucky, then there's no stop. It will be six straight weeks. Seven if they make it to the SEC Championship Game.

The good news: It's all in their hands.

After Kentucky in The Swamp comes Georgia in Jacksonville, at Vanderbilt, and South Carolina at home. Nonconference games with The Citadel and at FSU finish the regular season.

With surprising Vanderbilt suffering its first loss Saturday against Mississippi State, every team in the SEC Eastern Division has at least one conference defeat. That suggests the Florida-Georgia winner on Nov. 1 will be the likely representative in Atlanta for the SEC Championship Game.

Looking even further ahead, the potential title-game matchups are most intriguing. LSU could earn a return shot at the Gators. For that matter, Georgia — manhandled by Alabama two weeks ago — could earn a second try against the Crimson Tide.

Georgia, No. 10 in this week's poll, looks to have the more difficult task. After hosting Vanderbilt this week, the Bulldogs' next four games are all away from Sanford Stadium — at LSU, Florida in Jacksonville, at Kentucky and at Auburn.

But with Florida and Georgia positioning themselves as the prime two contenders, the Nov. 1 winner gets the nod in a tiebreaker should it get tripped up elsewhere.

SPIKES HONORED: Before the season started, Florida coach Urban Meyer suggested that linebacker Brandon Spikes, in his own way, was every bit as important to the Gators as a leader and performer as Tim Tebow.

Spikes lived up to that high praise Saturday, leading a Florida defensive effort that shut down the LSU running game and the SEC's leading rusher Charles Scott.

For Spikes' performance, he was named on Monday the SEC Defensive Player of the Week.

The 6-foot-3, 245-pound junior from Shelby, N.C., had five tackles and two interceptions, including one for a touchdown in Florida's 51-21 win against LSU. He anchored a defensive unit that held LSU to just 80 yards rushing after the Tigers entered the game second in the SEC with 206.5 yards per game.

"We know that if we stop the run we are probably going to be successful on defense,'' Spikes said. "Guys stayed in their gaps and there was no place for them to run.

"I think the guys did a great job up front, just relentless efforts. Guys were running to the ball and guys were able to make plays.''

Despite missing the season opener with an ankle sprain, Spikes leads the Gators in tackles this season with 46.

KENTUCKY GAME ON TV: The Gators' homecoming game against Kentucky on Oct. 25 will be televised on WTTA, Channel 38, the Southeastern Conference announced on Monday. Kickoff will be 12:30 p.m.

DEMPS IS LOOSE: Freshman running back Jeffrey Demps' third-quarter 42-yard touchdown run LSU was his fourth dash for 30 yards or more this season. Florida only had two as a team that long all of last year.

SEC SMATTERINGS: South Carolina quarterback Stephen Garcia, from Jefferson High, is this week's SEC Freshman of the Week after coming off the bench in the third quarter to complete 10 of 14 passes for 169 yards and a touchdown in the Gamecocks' 24-17 win at Kentucky. At the point Garcia came into the game, Kentucky led, 17-14. He led Carolina to 10 fourth-quarter points, giving the Gamecocks their first win since 2005 when trailing after three quarters. …

The SEC continues to have the nation's best non-conference winning percentage. The SEC is 27-5 (.844) against non-league foes. Since conference expansion in 1992, the SEC has won 76.0 (616-194-2) of all if its nonconference games (including bowl games). …

In 20 intra-SEC games this year, 14 have been decided by 10 points or less, the highest percentage (70.0) of any conference that has played more than seven conference games. The average scoring margin in SEC games is 10.30, which is the lowest of any conference that has played more than seven games. …

Tebow has 81 career touchdowns responsible (34 rush, 47 pass), which is tied for ninth in SEC history. He is also ninth all-time in the SEC among rushing yards by quarterbacks with 1,543 yards.

Reporter Mick Elliott can be reached at (813) 281-2534.

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