Florida v. Georgia

by Arnaldo

The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party, or how it's known today, politically correct, Florida-Georgia.  Is it really the largest cocktail party?  Who knows?  I certainly don't care, but it is quite the event.  The game has historically been played in Jacksonville, for reasons unknown (also, no one cares) other than two years when Jacksonville Municipal was under construction.  Tailgaters take a three day weekend and arrive from Gainesville and Athens on Thursday while the city of Jacksonville suspends their open container laws for the weekend.  Combine this with the following tidbit: SEC stadiums are prohibited from selling alcohol.  Jacksonville Municipal is not an SEC stadium.  The end result becomes what we know and love to be the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party.

When asked, some people would say that Florida State is Florida greatest rival, and these people are called idiots.  While it is a great rivalry which in the past has had huge National Championship implications, it's no longer the '90s.  Sure both programs are back on the rise, but Florida-Georgia has ALWAYS somehow determined the SEC East champion.  Florida and Georgia have been playing each other for 33 years before Florida ever consistently met Florida State.  The Bulldogs lead the series all-time 47-40-2, but the Gators have won 18 of the last 22 meetings. 

These guys...

The stakes in this game are high, but like I said, the stakes are always high in this game.  This particular match-up is starting to feel like the Cocktail Parties of the Urban Meyer era: top 10 meeting, SEC/National Championship implications, all that's missing is some bad blood and unfortunately, Will Muschamp (UGA alumnus) and Mark Richt seem to get along just fine.  If Florida wins, they clinch the SEC East to meet the ultimate victor between Alabama/Mississippi State/LSU, while if Georgia wins, they take control of the East and must win out their SEC schedule to make it to Atlanta.

Florida side.

Georgia side.

Okefenokee Oar - Trophies are a staple in any true rivalry game, but the Florida-Georgia game has never really had one.  Interestingly in 1986, the city of Jacksonville offered the goal posts to the winner of the game so the fans wouldn't storm the field and destroy them like the two years prior, but neither school was interested.  What do you do with extra goal posts as trophies anyway?  In 2009, an anonymous party donated the Okefenokee Oar to both student body presidents.  The trophy is still not an official trophy, because it does not belong to the match-up and athletic programs, but still, it beats nothing.  The Oar is supposedly carved from a 1000 year old cypress tree from the Okefenokee swamp, on the Florida/Georgia border.


The Match-Up


Defense and Special Teams -  There's absolutely no argument that will ever convince me that the Gators don't have the second or third best defense and the single best special teams in the country.  I've heard the argument that the special teams benefit from being made up of mostly starters, which is uncommon in college football, but last I checked, you play the game to win, and Florida's special teams had the biggest hand in beating a No. 7 South Carolina, handing the offense two turnovers and great field position.

Aaron Murray - He's second round NFL talent.  Florida has gone up against some elite SEC quarterbacks this season but it almost seems as if I've overestimated each of them.  Tyler Bray was a joke.  Johnny Manziel is talented, but his team was overwhelmed.  Murray is tied for third in the SEC in yards (1,914) with 16 touchdowns and 4 interceptions.  His favorite targets include Tavarres King, who has caught for 511 yards and 5 touchdowns, and Michael Bennett, who has accumulated 345 yards and 4 touchdowns.  The Bulldogs, however, run a very balanced offense, ranking 30th in the country in both passing and rushing yards per game (281.7 and 205.1 respectively) due in part to two very talented tailbacks, Todd Gurly (622 yards rushing and 9 touchdowns), and Keith Marshall (488 yards and 5 touchdowns).

Jarvis Jones - Jones is a beast.  At linebacker, he's another Jadeveon Clowney all over again.  While the Gators' tackles Xavior Nixon and Chaz Green kept South Carolina's Clowney in check last week, Jones has tallied 5.5 sacks in just five games coming off the blitz.  Jones is also recovering from an injury that forced him to sit the Kentucky game and isn't likely to be 100%.

Attacking the Line of Scrimmage - I feel like a broken record, I really do.  And yet here I am repeating that the Florida defensive front needs to continue rolling with their momentum.  I stand corrected from when I voiced my fears that this defense was just playing at their opponents in skill: they're absolutely for real.  As usual, expect one of the nation's best front four performances in defensive tackles Omar Hunter and Shariff Floyed, and ends Domique Easley and Lerente McCray.  Continue expecting stellar performances from back-ups in the most effective "next man up" defensive philosophy this side of Alabama, from freshman DE Dante Fowler Jr. or LB Antonio Morrison. 

Let's Diversify this Offense - The media couldn't shut up last week about how many points our offense scored against how many yards they gained.  It was almost as if they were trying to negate the production altogether.  South Carolina fields the 15th best defense in points against in the NCAA, and always remember these statistics have to stand against teams from joke conferences whose teams are easier to defend.  Still, the Jeff Driskel led passing game was not convincing.  Muschamp and Pease hide nothing about the offense's identity: we are a run first team, but they cannot be pleased with the lack of diversity the Gators are showing.  Florida hasn't broken over 100 yards passing since the Kentucky beatdown.  Yes, I'm preaching to the choir at this point, having mentioned it every week since then, but passing needs to improve, and so does the pass protection.  Remember, if the Gators win this weekend, they have their tickets stamped to Atlanta for the SEC Championship game against a very likely Alabama, and fewer than 100 passing yards will not beat Nick Saban.


Georgia v. Brent Pease - The Dawgs were victorious against the Gators last year but they didn't find such luck in the out-of-conference season opener against Boise St. and a Brent Pease led offense.  The Broncos put up 390 total yards in a 35-21 victory.  Pease optimistically said, "We are running the Boise State offense, other than probably Kellen Moore couldn’t do some of the runs that Jeff [Driskel] can."  While we haven't seen the prolific Boise St. offense at Florida quite yet, the skill level difference of SEC defenses is considerable.  Here's hoping, Brent.

Arnaldo's prediction:

Florida wins 34 - 17

Tampa Bay v. Minnesota

by John Michael

Short week. After the devastating and controversial loss against the New Orleans Saints, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers must immediately turn around on short rest to take on the Minnesota Vikings on the road. This is the Buccaneers' first road game in four weeks, and first prime-time road game since 2008. It is also the first nationally televised game for the Buccaneers since their Monday Night Football appearance last year against the Indianapolis Colts.

So many yards, so little time.

The last meeting between these two teams took place last year in Minnesota, ending with a Buccaneers' victory of 24-20. The Vikings led the Bucs 17-0 at halftime, but Josh Freeman led the offense in the fourth quarter to score the game winning touchdown with a LeGarrette Blount run with only 35 seconds left. That Vikings team would go on to finish the season with a 3-13 record.

This year's Vikings team is dramatically improved from last year's squad. At 5-2, they already have achieved more wins with an offense led by former Florida State quarterback Christian Ponder and the return of running back Adrian Peterson. Peterson was injured at the end of last season, tearing his ACL. His impact at the beginning of this year was questionable, but he has proven that his injury has not slowed him down at all, leading the Vikings to seventh in the league in rushing yards. In seven games so far, Peterson has rushed for 652 yards and 3 touchdowns, along with an additional 135 yards receiving.

Percy showing no mercy.

Another huge weapon in the Vikings' arsenal is former Florida Gator Percy Harvin. Harvin plays several roles on offense, catching 53 passes for 577 yards and 2 touchdowns along with one touchdown on the ground. Harvin is also a threat in the kickoff return game, having returned one touchdown already this season.

I bet he chose "69" on purpose.

The Vikings' defense isn't the best in the league, but it is still pretty solid. Their passing and rushing defense are ranked eleventh and twelfth, respectively, and their turnover margin is at -1. But the Vikings are excellent at attacking the quarterback. Led by one of the most intimidating linebackers in the game, Jared Allen, the defense has combined to sack the opposing quarterback 22 times - tied for third in the league.

Keys to Victory

Contain Adrian Peterson. There is no stopping Adrian Peterson. But the Buccaneers can slow him down. The Bucs still have the third ranked rushing defense, and show no reason to let up. They showed they can stop a legitimate running threat in Jamaal Charles, but Peterson is a completely different animal. Should the Buccaneers keep up their stellar run defense against Peterson, the next key will come into play.

Also, he's a 'Nole. He needs to go down.

Attack Christian Ponder. The Vikings' offense has been firmly rooted in their running game. Should the Buccaneers limit the run, it would put the game in the hands of Ponder. The passing game has not been an area of expertise of the Vikings, who are ranked 27th in the league in total passing yards. The Bucs must break through the Vikings offensive line and get to Ponder consistently, hurrying the pass and causing turnovers. Giving Ponder time will prove tough for a Buccaneers secondary that has been having trouble against the pass, as the Bucs are ranked 31st in the league in passing yards allowed.

Strength at the O-line. Jared Allen will be looking to add to his sack total this season. The offensive line must not let him or any other Viking defender through. The line has had trouble at times this season, but have improved over the past few weeks. With more time in the pocket, Josh Freeman has thrown career highs in passing yards in the past few games. Keeping the defense out of the pocket will give Vincent Jackson and Mike Williams more time to get open downfield, and help the running game establish itself early by creating holes for Doug Martin.

Going on the road in a short week, following an emotional loss to the Saints, will be a difficult challenge for this young Buccaneers squad. The Bucs have played to the end in every game this season, never losing by more than one score. But the pressure of having to play under the lights before a national audience is more than the Bucs have faced in a while. The Vikings also have yet to lose at their home field. All of these reason lead me to make a difficult choice. If this game was Sunday, the Buccaneers would have a better shot at victory. The biggest obstacle is going on the road so soon after their last game. Because of this, I pick the Vikings to win in yet another game that goes down to the wire.

John Michael's Prediction:

Vikings win 24 - 21

Tampa Bay v. New Orleans

by John Michael

Oh when the Saints go marchin' in.  Tampa Bay vs. New Orleans has always been a fun match-up throughout the years. The Buccaneers' first win in franchise history came against the Saints in New Orleans in 1977 - 33-14 - after Tampa Bay lost 26 straight to start their franchise. Since that time, the Saints have compiled a record of 23-17 versus the Bucs. And with the two teams joining together in the NFC South in 2002, the rivalry continues to grow.


Today, the two teams meet in Tampa on a mission to turn their seasons around. The Buccaneers, with an enormous victory over Kansas City last week, look to win two straight games for the first time since the beginning of last season. The Saints, coming off a much needed bye week, stumble into Raymond James Stadium with a 1-4 record with a desire to improve.

You want to hate him, but you just can't.

The 1-4 record has nothing to do with New Orleans' quarterback, Drew Brees. Brees has been the most consistent player on the Saints' roster for the past few years, and at times is the only consistent player this season. In Week 5 vs. the San Diego Chargers Brees broke Johnny Unitas' record for most consecutive games with a touchdown pass at 48 games, coupled with the Saints' first win of the season. Any defense that faces Drew Brees must always be on guard for the pass, because Brees has proven to be an unstoppable force on his best day.

Vilma looks to put a hit on Josh Freeman. ... Too soon?

The problems with the Saints lies in the defense. Torn apart by the bounty scandal, witch has taken starts away from star players such as Jonathan Vilma and has seen others leave, the Saints' defense has been picked apart all season long. They rank 31st in the league in run defense at an abysmal 172.8 yards per game, and 26th in pass defense at 283.2 yards per game. Vilma returns to action today for the first time this season; however, his potential impact has been questioned due the amount of time he has missed. The absence of their star players has hurt the Saints in drastic ways - ways that Schiano is foaming at mouth to take advantage of.

Keys to Victory

 

Run Run Run: The Saints haven't proved that they can stop the run yet, so you can bet that Greg Schiano is planning to do exactly that. With two young powerful backs in Doug Martin and LeGarrette Blount, the Buccaneer's running game potentially can have a field day. It all depends on Jonathan Vilma's return. If Vilma can make the plays that made him infamous around the league he could cause a lot of trouble. If the Bucs can establish the running game early, it will make the next key a lot easier.


Keep Brees off the Field: There is only one way to stop Drew Brees - don't let him start. The running game eats up a lot of clock, which is what the Bucs' offense should aim to do when they're on the field. Avoid Brees beating you late in the game by taking time off the clock and away from the Saints' offense. When Brees is on the field, he'll be looking to pass against the Buccaneers' secondary. Look for a turnover or two to put the Buccaneers' offense back on the field, but don't get too risky and let Brees beat you deep.


Josh Freeman: Brees will put points on the board, so it's up to the offense to match Brees. Freeman had an excellent week against Kansas City, throwing for 328 yards and 3 touchdowns. He will have to pass if the Bucs are looking up at the Saints on the scoreboard during the game. If Freeman can find the consistency today that Buccaneers fans have been waiting to see against a Saints pass defense that hasn't performed well this season, the Saints could be playing catchup to the Bucs.

Bucco Bruce in all his glory.

After the win last week, Buccaneers fans are the most excited they have been for the team in a long time. Raymond James Stadium will be packed, and the game will be on television locally for the first time in a year. The Buccaneers will be wearing their old "creamsicle" jerseys and Bucco Bruce will be on full display as Tampa Bay honors its roots during today's game. This excitement should create a home-field advantage that the Buccaneers haven't experienced in a long time, which I believe should give the edge to Tampa Bay. If this game was at the Superdome, I'd pick the Saints, but I predict the Bucs will hold the Saints off in a close match up that will create even more excitement in the Tampa Bay area.


John Michael's Prediction: 

Tampa Bay wins 28 - 24

Florida v. South Carolina

by Arnaldo

The 'Ol Ball Coach  Steve Spurrier; you have to be the single worst Gator fan if you know nothing of this man. . .

Steve Spurrier played quarterback for Florida in the '60s. He was known for as a solid passer but also a talented kicker. He gained national notoriety in a 1966 game against Auburn where he waved off the starting kicker to attempt the winning field goal himself, winning 30-27. That season, he led the Gators through a 9-2 season and an Orange Bowl victory over Georgia Tech, and a Heisman trophy for himself, the first for Florida.


After a very successful NFL 9 year career with the San Fransisco 49ers and a one year stint with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (their inaugural season), Spurrier returned to Florida as a quaterbacks coach for a year, then moved around programs and head coaching positions before being offered the Florida job.


In the 12 years he coached at Florida, Steve Spurrier reinvented the program. He created a culture of winning. He's responsible for the standard we hold towards Florida football. He named the Swamp for God's sake, saying, "A swamp is where Gators live. We feel comfortable there, but we hope our opponents feel tentative. A swamp is hot and sticky and can be dangerous. Only Gators get out alive." Sound familiar? Spurrier inherited a team under NCAA investigations which was unranked, and had never claimed an SEC championship in 57 years.

That all quickly changed. The Gators were never unranked again after that first week in his 202 weeks of coaching. His second season had Florida claiming the SEC title in 1991, and in '93, '94, '95, '96, and 2000. Out of those 202 weeks at Florida, the Gators were ranked in the top 5 117 weeks, and in the top 10 179 weeks, an outstanding figure. Oh, and let's not forget, he coached a Heisman-winning quarterback in Danny Wuerffel in 1996, on the way to winning Florida's first National Championship. The 'Ol Ball Coach is Florida football, even he can't deny it.  At his news conference last week, when asked about visiting his alma mater, he said, "Florida is always going to be my school, I love Florida. My wife and my daughters and even Steve Jr. got a graduate degree from there.  So we’re Gators, but we’re Gamecocks now.  When my coaching days are over, I’ll be more of a Gator then.  But I’m a Gamecock now."  No attempts at hiding his true colors were made.  But the fact remains, Steve Spurrier will be on the visiting sidelines, and his No. 7 Gamecocks are the best they've ever been.  After all, leave it to the man who put Florida on the map to build a championship contender out of a school that was never supposed to have sustained success.


Much like the LSU game, this game is garnering a ton of national attention.  The popular ESPN pregame show, College Gameday, will be broadcasting from outside the north entrance of Ben Hill Griffin for the first time since FSU 2009, Tim Tebow's last home game.  Gameday has already featured Florida twice this season, at Texas A&M and at Tennessee, and it's starting to become unprecedented how much they seem to be following the Gators.  And as always when the 'Ol Ball Coach comes to Gainesville, the media can't get enough of the "coming home" subplot, especially with the new Heisman statue of Steve Spurrier outside the west stands.

The Match-Up


These two teams are very much alike, almost too much so.  They're both run-first offenses (yes, a Steve Spurrier running offense), they both play great defense, they both rely on mobile quarterbacks who often find the first-down marker with his feet.  When you get down to it, the Gators and the Gamecocks are mirrored images.  The differences will come down to physicality, condition, and subtle position mismatches.


Spurrier has South Carolina as complete as South Carolina has ever been, but this does not mean they're perfect.  They've definitely struggled at times against Vanderbilt, Kentucky, and obviously, LSU, and have been way too reliant on the now injured Marcus Lattimore (leading rusher and receiver) and Connor Shaw's scrambling abilities.

Injuries - First and foremost, Marcus Lattimore.  As South Carolina's starting running back and most targeted receiver for that matter, Lattimore saw 40 carries for 212 yards and 3 touchdowns two years ago at the Swamp, and up until last week, had been putting up similar numbers.  Against LSU, he was held to only 35 yards and was sent out of the game with a bruised hip.  He's missed most of this week's practices and will not start against Florida.  He will dress and may play, but will not be providing his usual impact either way.  The Gamecocks will rely on Kenny Miles, who is much smaller, and hasn't had the same experience, despite being a fifth-year senior.  Both South Carolina's defensive tackles, Kelcy Quarles and Byron Jerideau, are nursing various injuries and may not be at 100% and splitting snaps.  Look for the Gators to exploit this key weakness in their interior defense.


While South Carolina is getting thinner, Florida is getting deeper.  Both Jelani Jenkins and Dominique Easley are expected to start after being shorted play time against Vanderbilt, while their subs, Antonio Morrison and Dante Fowler Jr. have filled in well. At the offensive line, left guard James Wilson, left tackle Xavier Nixon, and center Jon Harrison all sat some to all of the Vanderbilt match with injuries.  There was also a flu bug running rampant in the South Carolina locker room.  While none of the players are sick, they have had some symptoms and dehydration in the past week, which takes a toll on the body.  Watch for what effect this has against the ever present physicality of the Florida defense.


Containing Connor Shaw - South Carolina quarterback Connor Shaw is a scrambler, but when well contained, is not the most reliable passer.  Against an LSU team that held him to -1 yards rushing, he threw 19/34 for two touchdowns and two interceptions.  LSU also forced him to throw by containing Marcus Lattimore to only 35 yards.  Replicating the LSU defensive performance could be just as beneficial for Florida.


Gators special teams - It seems every week I'm more and more impressed with the special teams tandem, punter Kyle Christy and kicker Caleb Sturgis.  They are by far college football's best duo.  Christy has pinned opponents within their own 20 yard line 9 out of 24 punts while Sturgis is 84.6% on field goals and perfect on PATs.  As games like LSU have shown, the SEC is a defensive, running league now-a-days where the field position battle is key, and three points anywhere can make a difference.  Look for Florida to have the special teams edge.


Arnaldo's prediction:

Florida wins 27 - 20

Tampa Bay v. Kansas City

by John Michael

1-3. A quarter of the way through the NFL season, this is where the Buccaneers stand. Despite the change in leadership under Greg Schiano, despite a promising showing by the defense against Carolina in Week One, and despite keeping every game within one score so far, the Buccaneers have only managed to win one game. This week, with the Kansas City Chiefs coming into town, presents the best opportunity for the Bucs to end their losing streak and possibly right the ship for the remainder of the season. But like any week in the NFL, victory does not come easy.

The best looking backup QB this side of Tim Tebow

Kansas City (1-4) limps into Raymond James today after suffering the loss of their starting quarterback, Matt Cassell, to a concussion, handing over the offense to former Notre Dame star, Brady Quinn. Quinn has not started a game in the NFL since the 2009 season with the Cleveland Browns, and had not played a down since until Cassell went down last week.


With Quinn at the helm, the Chiefs will look to rely heavily running attack behind running back Jamaal Charles, a solid player who is having quite an insurgence after suffering a season-ending injury last year. Charles is averaging 5.4 yards per carry on 103 touches, scoring two touchdowns on the ground and one in the air. Kansas City is second in the NFL in rushing yards averaging 180.8 yards, largely due to the attack of Charles.

Kansas City’s defense is nothing to ignore either. Though they have allowed a lot of points in the early weeks, the Chiefs’ defense only let up 9 points last week to a Baltimore offense that many are considering as Super Bowl contenders. They are a top 10 team in passing yards against (205.8 yards) and have combined for 12 sacks.

Adderall... He was suspended for adderall
like some sort of college junkie.

Tampa Bay enters this game with problems of their own, however. The secondary has been awful, surrendering a league worst 345.3 yards per game in the air. With Aquib Talib out for four weeks with a suspension, and being replaced by E.J. Biggers, this secondary situation could possibly become worse. The Josh Freeman led offense has largely struggled to produce positive results, letting opportunities slip right through their fingers (literally, at times) to find victories. Perhaps the only slimmer of hope has been the run defense, ranked fourth in the league at 73.8 yards per game, but with such a horrible secondary, teams aren’t wasting their time with the run game.


Keys to Victory:


Shut down Jamaal Charles. Today matches up one of the top running backs against one of the top run defenses. Something’s gotta give. The Chiefs will try to establish their run game early with Quinn under center, so it’s important for the Bucs to prove early on in the game that Charles will have a difficult time running at his will. Shutting down the run game will cause a switch to passing the ball, which brings us to the next key.


Attack Brady Quinn. Quinn is starting for the first time in 3 years, so unless he has a heart of stone (he doesn’t) he will be nervous. Mistakes by Quinn are what caused him to be benched for all these years. Apply pressure, knock him down, cause Quinn to make throws he doesn’t want to make, create turnovers. Taking away any confidence that Quinn may have early on will give the Bucs an advantage if they execute the final key.


Take advantage of mistakes. Quinn will make mistakes, as well as the rest of the Chiefs’offense. Part of the Chiefs demise this season has been their turnovers, which sits at +12 going into their match-up with the Bucs. The Bucs must use these opportunities to get into
the end zone and put points on the board, which rests in the hands of Josh Freeman.



The Buccaneers have grown drastically since last years’ debacle, but still have not had much success in clinching victories. Today’s game is as close to a must-win game as the Buccaneers have faced. A victory against the Chiefs could provide that boost of confidence the Bucs need for the rest of the season - a loss could be detrimental. I believe the Buccaneers get that must-needed win today in a close game against a Chiefs team weakened by the loss of their starting quarterback. Whether the Bucs build upon it or not will remain to be seen.


John Michael's prediction: 

Tampa Bay wins 24 - 21

Florida v. Vanderbilt

by Arnaldo

Trap game.  It's the game you're expected to win.  There's a much bigger challenge the following week, and the team has overlooked the unsuspecting foe in between.  Vanderbilt is, year in and year out, the trap game that never was.  Vanderbilt hasn't beaten Florida since 1988, a streak that follows shortly behind the Florida - Kentucky win streak.  But every year, Vanderbilt sits at a sandwich week and the Gators seem to prepare for the worst, with good reason.  2005 provided the infamous "keys game" where Gator students start jingling their keys at the Commodores only being up one touchdown with two minutes left.  Jay Cutler and Vanderbilt scored with 54 seconds left to send the game into double-overtime.  The following year in Nashville, the Gators were up 25-6 while singing "We Are the Boys" into the fourth quarter when Vandy led a two-score comeback to make it one failed onside kick from a huge upset.  Don't let the streak fool you, this isn't Kentucky.  Vanderbilt is always a potential trap.

For Florida, there are two kinds of top 5 teams.  There are those that have been awarded the ranking because of an impressive win, or because they were overrated preseason and just haven't lost yet, and then there are those that are simply complete.  After fighting for some tough victories and going 5-0 for the first time since the undefeated (regular season) all-season top-ranked 2009 Gators,  Florida has kicked down doors to jump twenty spots to No. 4 (Florida was ranked 24th by week 2).  Now we're left wondering, are we truly complete?  Can we realistically contend for an SEC Championship, or daresay, a National Championship?  This is one of those games where questions may be answered.  The Gators still need to prove a lot.  Can the offense get rolling early?  Can they establish a pass game to compliment the run?  How skilled exactly is the receiving corps?  Can we be physical, focused, clean, and complete enough to stand tall with South Carolina and Alabama at the top of the SEC, and the NCAA?


The Match-Up


Vanderbilt is down, hurt, and weak, but they're not bad.  They sit at 2-3 (1-2 SEC) but have had some "quality losses" against South Carolina and Northwestern.  Recall the season opener when Vanderbilt lost a very winnable game against the Gamecocks 17-13.  The Commodores are that sleeper SEC team that can really sneak up on anybody.

Completeness - For the Gators to be complete, they need to prove they have a passing game.  It was never in the cards to air the ball around the field for Florida.  Will Muschamp and offensive coordinator, Brent Peaseb have been very vocal about that.  They want a run 'em between the hash-marks football team, and it's been an excuse to not throw the ball much.  Jeff Driskel has hit 69.2% of his passes (which is pretty good), while the Gators are 115th in the nation passing the ball.  The numbers just show we're not even trying to pass.  As long as Driskel can complete 69% or more in any given game, we should be fine, but what happens when the run game gets shut down, well read, or Mike Gillislee strains something, and Driskel is asked to make more than 15 passes a game?  Today is a day when I would like to see more passing, no matter our philosophy.


Jeff Driskel - Against LSU, Driskel showed his ability to regress a bit as a quarterback from all the progress he had made throughout the season.  He stayed in the pocket like a sitting duck getting sacked 5 times, and was caught scrambling around the backfield when he should've done what he does best, tuck the ball high and tight and run straight forward.  Maturity comes and goes with quarterbacks so watch Driskel try to make up for last week's mistakes, and look for Pease to show the Gamecocks watching in that we can throw the ball successfully.


Pass protection - Those five sacks mentioned were not all Jeff Driskel's fault.  There were two in a row where LSU penetrated the Florida offensive line before Driskel could even regrip the football.  As much praise as the offensive line received last week for leading a great run attack against a great LSU run defense, they were also incredibly one-dimensional; not a big deal when you run the ball as much as we did, but there are some serious holes in our pass protection.  I would rather chose not to pass the ball than be forced not to pass the ball.


Jordan Rodgers - Yes, he's THE Aaron Rodgers little brother.  He doesn't always play like Aaron though so don't let that little tidbit run away with you.  He's been 57/103 this season (55.3% completion) and hasn't had that Rodgers poise, but this is the quarterback who almost led the 'Dores to a victory at the Swamp last year, losing only 21-26 and throwing for 297 yards and two touchdowns.  He has the ability to be a Zach Mettenberger, but also has the ability to be an Aaron Rodgers.


Home field advantage? - Unfortunately, Vandy doesn't have the home field that most of the SEC has.  It's not the Swamp, or Death Valley.  Hell, it's not even Commonwealth Stadium.  Vanderbilt Stadium, which seats only forty-thousand, is sold out this week for the first time since the Gators visited in 2008.  So they only sell out when excited Gator fans feel like visiting the Music City.  Moral of the story, we're playing at a mini Swamp this week.  Don't look for many "road woes".

Keep up the D - The Florida defense has been stout, it has been physical, and it has been consistent, but only just.  It's a defense that plays significantly better in the third and fourth quarters, and one that seems to just get tougher and tougher as the season rolls on.  My question is, has the defense gotten better every week, or are they playing at their opponent as the schedule has gradually gotten tougher?  With Vandy being the first real decline in the schedule, I want to see the Gators defense perform like they did against LSU from start to finish, week to week.  As always, it starts with Matt Elam, Sharrif Floyd, Jon Bostic, and Lerente McCray.


Arnaldo's prediction: 

Florida wins 41 - 17

Florida v. LSU

 by Arnaldo

Les Miles and the Louisiana State University have been the biggest thorn on the Gators' side for quite some time.  In recent years, the rivalry hasn't been the deepest-seeded but has carried some of the larger implications.  For three straight years, the winner of this game went on to win the National Championship, and almost always becomes a dominant contender in the SEC.  LSU continues to be one of my favorite rivalries to watch, and the reason is because it's not one full of hatred, but rather respect.  Gators fans don't hate LSU, they just think they smell like corn dogs.  No one knows why.  I've always thought of LSU as Florida's Bizzaro school.

Probably college football's most intimidating live
mascot, Mike the Tiger.

Besides having similar uniforms in a different set of complimentary colors, competing with us to see who can pop out more, the Tigers seem to have their own, just as great, set of unique traditions, from wearing white at home, to somehow scheduling all their home games at night.  The traditions we share are having probably the two loudest home stadiums in the nation, and a rich tradition of winning.  Most importantly, this match-up is both teams first real SEC test each year, which is why this game is often the most important of the season.


The Match-Up


The LSU Tigers are not the 4th best team in the country.  It's that simple.  Anyone with eyes can see that.  The reason they're ranked as such is because they started at No. 3 and haven't lost a game.  We learn a lot about teams in the first few weeks that no preseason stat could show, but each ranking is based off of the previous one, all the way back to the preseason rank, which is really just a guess.  So when the National Championship runner-ups bring back most starters and replace the NFL-ers and seniors with huge underclassmen talent, the preseason pollsters have no choice but to put them in the top five.  No games have been played, why not?  Today, however, we know much more about the "No. 4" LSU Tigers, and all signs point to an upset in Gainesville.

First and foremost, LSU does not look good.  They've only been proficient at shooting themselves in the foot.  In their last two games they've accumulated 19 penalties for 149 yards and have won their last two games by only an average margin of 9 points.  While that's still two scores, they were expected to win each game by at least three or more touchdowns against LSU and FCS Towson.

"Was it because of all the weed?"

Last Couple Weeks - Bye weeks are always beneficial.  It gives the team an extra week to study film, build game plans, and practice accordingly.  Most importantly however, it lets a team get healthy.  These two teams are having very different previous weeks.   The Gators are enjoying their bye and getting healthy.  Jelani Jenkins, Dominique Easley, and Trey Burton are all expected to play.  Meanwhile in Baton Rouge, LSU will not dress linebacker Tahj Jones for academic issues, left tackle, Chris Faulk (their best O-lineman), who is out for the season from a knee injury, running back Alfred Blue, from a knee injury, and fullback, J.C. Copeland, also with a knee injury.  This just adds on to the preseason loss of Heisman hopeful, Tyrann Mathieu, for "breaking the rules."  While the Gators played a very easy game against Kentucky two weeks ago and rested last Saturday, the Tigers struggled against Auburn (12-10) and then still couldn't find the right chemistry against FCS Towson (38-22).  We're talking Auburn, who doesn't hit the top 50 in any statistical category, and is scoring an average of 17.5 points a game; the SEC team who's only victory has been against Louisiana-Monroe in overtime.  And then there's Towson, an FCS team who was paid graciously to come to Death Valley and take a beating.  They put up 22 points on the heavily-touted LSU defense.  This all translates into momentum, the greatest intangible in football, and the Gators have all of it right now.

Florida Consistency - Sadly, as I've previously mentioned, the Gators are lacking consistency and fast starts.  Its seems that we're hearing "Orange and Blue" being played mostly in the second halves of games, and penalty whistles in the first.  Even in the blowout against Kentucky, Florida couldn't find the end zone until the second quarter.  As many negative stats as I've mentioned for the LSU defense, they're no joke.  They're made of some of the most skilled defensive players in college football who have just not found a rhythm quite yet.  They have the ability to turn it around at any point in the season.  The Gators need to exploit their mishaps early in the game and score, to ensure an Auburn/Towson defensive performance. 

Battle of the Trenches and Rushing the Passer - The battle of the trenches is going to be one of the more deciding match-ups, especially the Gators' offensive line versus the Tigers' defensive front.  It's a front that has allowed an average of 83 rush yards per game and are exceptionally skilled at rushing the passer.  Muschamp has been vocal about how focused he is on their defensive front. "That front right there is impressive,'' he said. "Whether it's Mingo, Edwards, Johnson, Downs, Logan, Ferguson, Montgomery, it don’t matter. They all can run. They can rush the passer. They play with great motors. You’ve to maintain blocks versus these guys. They don’t stay blocked long."  This will put a lot of pressure on Jeff Driskel to move around, in and out of the pocket.  With little time allowed by the LSU line, he'll have to showcase his mobility now more than ever, which, let's not forget, is one of the top reasons we recruited him.

On the other side of the ball, the Gators defensive line needs to improve rushing the passer.  They've only recorded 5 sacks, tying for last place in the SEC, but with the return of Dominique Easley and the soft spot left from Chris Faulk's left tackle position, the stage is set for a possible emergence of defensive pressure from our front four to shaky LSU quarterback Zack Mettenberger.  Brought in as a junior college transfer to fix what Jarret Lee/Jordan Jefferson left behind, Mettenberger hasn't looked much better.  He ranks eighth in the SEC in yards per game, seventh in completion percentage, and ninth in touchdown passes.  Not to mention, he's been sacked eleven times and has fumbled the ball three times, losing all three.  I think Mettenberger handles pressure worse than Tennessee's Tyler Bray, and we all remember how malleable he became in the fourth quarter.  While LSU has a much tougher offensive line protecting him, look for Florida to try similar tactics to remove the passing game from the LSU scheme.


The Mad Hatter - The Tigers haven't beaten the Gators, at least since 2005, without using some trickeration.  Taking risks is what the Mad Hatter is known for.  Two seasons ago, he revived the over-the-head fake field goal that stole him a National Championship in '07.  Last season, punter, Brad Wing, ran a fake punt in for a touchdown, before being called for a taunting penalty.  Whether it's a deliberate trick play, or just a unexpected play call, Will Muschamp will do his best to expect the unexpected.  After all, against the Hat, that's really all you can do.


 Arnaldo's prediction:

Florida wins 23 - 19