preparing for LSU
Posted: Mon Oct 01, 2007 3:37 pm
Florida coach Urban Meyer said he felt the offensive line was not blocking well against Auburn. That's one reason why junior running back Kestahn Moore had only three carries for seven yards, both season lows. Injuries to Maurkice Pouncey and Maurice Hurt did not help the cause.
But ninth-ranked Florida might have to figure out a way to attack opponents running the ball more effectively – other than relying on sophomore quarterback Tim Tebow – because LSU's defense is one of the strongest nationally and the Gators visit the top-ranked Tigers this weekend.
"The one thing about when you hand the ball off, a lot of times they can plus you," Meyer said Monday. "I'm very concerned about running the ball with unblocked defenders. I didn't feel we were blocking them during the course of that game. It wasn't like, let's not get Kestahn the ball. To run the football you need to have five guys up front handling their business and like I said I don't think that was one of our better games."
Moore had double-digit carries in Florida's first four games and scored four touchdowns against Western Kentucky and Troy. But LSU is not Western Kentucky or Troy. It is probably the best defense Florida will face all season. The Tigers have allowed 39 rushing yards per game and 1.3 yards per carry.
LSU has outscored its opponents 199-32 and have two shutouts in five games. Two other teams were held to single digits and South Carolina scored the most against LSU in a 28-16 loss.
Nine players have at least one sack, senior defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey leads the team with three sacks and has added 25 tackles, and senior safety Craig Steltz has four of LSU's 10 interceptions. Florida's offense will have its hands full. Sophomore quarterback Tim Tebow knows what the Gators face this weekend.
"The No. 1 thing for us on offense is putting ourselves and keeping ourselves in manageable situations where we have opportunities to get first downs and not getting ourselves in second-and-15," Tebow said. "Against a great defense, you can't keep getting first downs in long situations. If we put ourselves in manageable situations where we have third-and-5, third-and-short we can keep getting first downs.
"To put ourselves in long situations where we have to force the ball down the field, then it's going to be tough."
Tebow leads the team with 433 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on 89 carries. Moore has 286 yards and four scores on 56 attempts. Sophomore wide receiver Percy Harvin has 174 yards and one touchdown on 24 carries. No one else has more than nine rushing attempts.
Tebow has thrown for 1,297 yards with 11 touchdowns and two interceptions. Harvin leads the team with 28 catches for 455 yards and three scores. Redshirt junior Cornelius Ingram (17 receptions) and sophomore Riley Cooper (six catches) each have three receiving touchdowns as well.
Getting Andre Caldwell (knee) back to 100 percent strength this week should be crucial. Concerns the offense has become two-dimensional with either Tebow or Harvin having too much responsibility is overrated, Meyer said.
"I probably worry about that too much," he said. "We have some dynamic playmakers. Last week in practice, Bubba, Percy and Riley Cooper didn't practice. All of a sudden the speed of the offense drops a little bit. There's timing. There are other issues.
"Bubba can help us. I'm not so worried about the touches because a lot of time the defense dictates that. A lot of the times the defense dictates where the ball is going to go."
Said Tebow: "That really hasn't been the game plan. It's kind of what the defense is giving us. That's why we've shared it like that. Other guys have gotten the ball but some guys have been banged up. We've still tried to spread the ball around. It's kind of how the game has gone."
LSU Notes
LSU coach Les Miles said Monday sophomore wide receiver Brandon LaFell got bruised in the 34-9 win over Tulane this past weekend but Miles expects him to practice this week and play against Florida. Senior wide receiver Early Doucet (groin) is still day-to-day.
Miles on Tebow: "He is a big, strong man. He is very competitive. I have a lot of respect for him. There can't be a more marked guy in a Florida uniform. Everybody wants the quarterback anyway. Now, he's a 12 to 20 snaps a game ball carrier. They do a good job blocking for him."
On being ranked No. 1 in The Associated Press poll: "It also tells you the voters didn't get up early in the morning to watch our game. They kind of slept in and got kind of caught up on the score later in the day. We can't afford to play like that anymore for any length of time, whether it is a half or whatever. I can tell you that the compliment won't do a thing to us.
"We played without the focus or intensity we are capable of. We understand it. We have a lot to fix. There will be none of our players who arrive here on Monday that feel like they have achieved any milestone in any way. It will be business as usual."
Note: An LSU press release was used in this report.
But ninth-ranked Florida might have to figure out a way to attack opponents running the ball more effectively – other than relying on sophomore quarterback Tim Tebow – because LSU's defense is one of the strongest nationally and the Gators visit the top-ranked Tigers this weekend.
"The one thing about when you hand the ball off, a lot of times they can plus you," Meyer said Monday. "I'm very concerned about running the ball with unblocked defenders. I didn't feel we were blocking them during the course of that game. It wasn't like, let's not get Kestahn the ball. To run the football you need to have five guys up front handling their business and like I said I don't think that was one of our better games."
Moore had double-digit carries in Florida's first four games and scored four touchdowns against Western Kentucky and Troy. But LSU is not Western Kentucky or Troy. It is probably the best defense Florida will face all season. The Tigers have allowed 39 rushing yards per game and 1.3 yards per carry.
LSU has outscored its opponents 199-32 and have two shutouts in five games. Two other teams were held to single digits and South Carolina scored the most against LSU in a 28-16 loss.
Nine players have at least one sack, senior defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey leads the team with three sacks and has added 25 tackles, and senior safety Craig Steltz has four of LSU's 10 interceptions. Florida's offense will have its hands full. Sophomore quarterback Tim Tebow knows what the Gators face this weekend.
"The No. 1 thing for us on offense is putting ourselves and keeping ourselves in manageable situations where we have opportunities to get first downs and not getting ourselves in second-and-15," Tebow said. "Against a great defense, you can't keep getting first downs in long situations. If we put ourselves in manageable situations where we have third-and-5, third-and-short we can keep getting first downs.
"To put ourselves in long situations where we have to force the ball down the field, then it's going to be tough."
Tebow leads the team with 433 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on 89 carries. Moore has 286 yards and four scores on 56 attempts. Sophomore wide receiver Percy Harvin has 174 yards and one touchdown on 24 carries. No one else has more than nine rushing attempts.
Tebow has thrown for 1,297 yards with 11 touchdowns and two interceptions. Harvin leads the team with 28 catches for 455 yards and three scores. Redshirt junior Cornelius Ingram (17 receptions) and sophomore Riley Cooper (six catches) each have three receiving touchdowns as well.
Getting Andre Caldwell (knee) back to 100 percent strength this week should be crucial. Concerns the offense has become two-dimensional with either Tebow or Harvin having too much responsibility is overrated, Meyer said.
"I probably worry about that too much," he said. "We have some dynamic playmakers. Last week in practice, Bubba, Percy and Riley Cooper didn't practice. All of a sudden the speed of the offense drops a little bit. There's timing. There are other issues.
"Bubba can help us. I'm not so worried about the touches because a lot of time the defense dictates that. A lot of the times the defense dictates where the ball is going to go."
Said Tebow: "That really hasn't been the game plan. It's kind of what the defense is giving us. That's why we've shared it like that. Other guys have gotten the ball but some guys have been banged up. We've still tried to spread the ball around. It's kind of how the game has gone."
LSU Notes
LSU coach Les Miles said Monday sophomore wide receiver Brandon LaFell got bruised in the 34-9 win over Tulane this past weekend but Miles expects him to practice this week and play against Florida. Senior wide receiver Early Doucet (groin) is still day-to-day.
Miles on Tebow: "He is a big, strong man. He is very competitive. I have a lot of respect for him. There can't be a more marked guy in a Florida uniform. Everybody wants the quarterback anyway. Now, he's a 12 to 20 snaps a game ball carrier. They do a good job blocking for him."
On being ranked No. 1 in The Associated Press poll: "It also tells you the voters didn't get up early in the morning to watch our game. They kind of slept in and got kind of caught up on the score later in the day. We can't afford to play like that anymore for any length of time, whether it is a half or whatever. I can tell you that the compliment won't do a thing to us.
"We played without the focus or intensity we are capable of. We understand it. We have a lot to fix. There will be none of our players who arrive here on Monday that feel like they have achieved any milestone in any way. It will be business as usual."
Note: An LSU press release was used in this report.