top player set pace for excellent practice

[IHateUGAlyDawgs]

t’s only Tuesday, still four days until the Florida Gators take on eighth-ranked Kentucky in Lexington in a Southeastern Conference East Division showdown of major proportions, but already Urban Meyer is starting to see what he needs to see. The 14th-ranked Gators are coming off a bye week and there is no sluggishness, no slacking off and no lack of hustle or intensity.

It’s just what the doctor ordered for the Gators (4-2, 2-2 SEC East), who are coming off consecutive last minute losses to Auburn (20-17) and LSU (28-24). Kentucky, (6-1, 2-1 SEC East) is coming off an emotional win over then number one ranked LSU, 43-37, in triple overtime last week in Lexington.

Hanging over Florida’s head, in addition to the two straight losses, is the sadness of losing scout team quarterback Michael Guilford, who died in a motorcycle accident early last Friday morning. Meyer and about ten of Guilford’s teammates flew to Blountstown earlier in the day to attend Guilford’s funeral.

To honor Guilford, the Gators will be wearing something commemorative Saturday when they take the field in Lexington.

“I think it’s a sticker,” said Meyer. “I let them pick it.”

Although still rather somber, as you might expect after such an emotional day, Meyer got a lift from the way his team practiced Tuesday evening.

“Today was as good a Tuesday … I liked today,” he said. “Today was exceptional.”

What made the day exceptional was the way the top players on the team set the tone for practice.

“Our premier players --- our primos … everybody only has a few of them --- as one of them said to me … they kind of pulled the string,” Meyer said. “If they pull the string, the other ones follow. If they have a bad day and act like a guy that doesn’t work real hard, then they kind of let go of the string. When they pull the string everyone else [follows].”

The end result was a practice that Meyer knows his team had to have to get ready for a Kentucky team that will come into this game brimming with confidence.

“It was excellent,” he said. “At some positions, phenomenal.”

SOME OFFENSIVE SIMILARITIES: Both Florida and Kentucky will operate out of a spread attack although for the Gators, quarterback Tim Tebow is a legitimate pass-run threat while Kentucky quarterback Andre Woodson is more of your classic drop back passer. Both teams like to spread the ball around to multiple receivers so defenses can’t slow things down by locking down one guy.

“They have three guys with over 30 catches,” said Meyer. “They really spread the ball around well.”

Woodson has 21 touchdown passes and has thrown only four interceptions this season. Kentucky’s top receivers are Keenan Burton (39 catches, 511 yards, 5 touchdowns) and Dicky Lyons Jr. (32 catches, 337 yards, 3 touchdowns).

While Woodson has launched nearly 100 more passes than Tebow (245 attempts for Woodson, 148 for Tebow), Tebow is a legitimate running threat with 500 yards on the ground and nine touchdowns to go with his 1,455 passing yards and 13 touchdowns.

Percy Harvin (32 catches, 513 yards, 3 touchdowns) and Cornelius Ingram (19 catches, 293 yards, 4 touchdowns) are the leading receivers for the Gators, who will benefit from a 100 percent healthy Andre Caldwell this week. Caldwell benefited greatly from the week off. After injuring his MCL against Tennessee in game three, Caldwell has seen only spot duty in two of the last three games.

Because Kentucky has so many outstanding offensive players and the Gators are so young on defense, Meyer said, “I think our offense has to control the ball. I think our defense has to keep everything in front of them.”

PROGRESS REPORT: Meyer said that he believes the Gators have made a lot of progress this season, but at certain defensive positions he thought the team would be further along than they are right now.

It is the defense where the Gators have shown their youth and inexperience. The offense, with sophomores Tebow and Harvin leading the way, has been exceptional but the defense has not responded to the loss of nine starters from last year’s national championship game.

“I was hoping we would be further along at some positions on defense,” he said. “I really did. I saw it coming though. We went through the offseason program and spring practice, but I thought we would be further along.

FABULOUS FRESHMEN: While Tebow and Harvin were standouts last year as true freshmen and this year Major Wright has played like a vet instead of a kid that was playing high school ball last fall, Meyer said those three are exceptions and not the rule.

“All these freshmen … it’s like a four-letter word as a coach,” he said. “It gives you that feeling in your stomach because you just don’t know. It’s very rare that you have like last year we had a Tebow and a Harvin that were exceptional because they were game ready. We’ve had other guys show up and it just takes time but it’s like that all the way across the country.”

Another true freshman that is playing like he’s been here awhile is Maurkice Pouncey, who is coming off a dominating performance at right guard against LSU. Pouncey was pitted against LSU’s All-American defensive tackle Glen Dorsey in the game in Baton Rouge.

Entering the game, it was expected that Dorsey, a senior that many project as a top 10 pick in the NFL Draft next April, would get the best of Pouncey but that wasn’t the case at all. Pouncey regularly knocked Dorsey on his butt.

“Me and (Jim) Tartt (Florida’s left guard) talked before the game and said we gotta go out there and show him the way it is, All American or not,” said Pouncey.
“Tartt and me … well, we just went out there and did our job.”

Pouncey said handling Dorsey wasn’t quite as easy as it looked.

“Oh he’s a beast,” said Pouncey, “a regular animal. He kept coming at you every single play and he’d fight you and beat up on you but you just have to hold your ground and fight back.”

Meyer has called Pouncey one of the finest freshman offensive linemen he’s ever seen. Pouncey says he’s just starting to get the hang of things.

“This is a lot harder than high school but once you know the game it starts slowing down for you and gets a lot easier,” he said.

[radbag]

pouncey is a beast himself. he has heart.

during the auburn game, todd and i noticed him getting pulled right after that personal foul (hitting after the whistle) that cost us momentum on a drive that we probably would have scored on...who knows....but the point was, he left the field, stood with his helmet on and watched intently...obviously wasn't injured is my point so it kinda reinforced in MY mind that he was being disciplined.

the half ended, he trotted off, and when we resumed, he was STILL on the sidelines...mo hurt had taken his spot i believe...helmet still on, watching and waiting...eventually - he got back in the game...point is, he didn't storm off and he didn't posture, he took his medicine and displayed tremendous maturity...i like that...he's special

[TheTodd]

Love Pouncy. He and his bro are special kids. I look forward to seeing them mature into GREAT football players.