No decision on Tebow yet
Posted: Wed Oct 07, 2009 3:52 pm
The decision to play or sit Tim Tebow Saturday night when number one-ranked Florida (4-0, 2-0 SEC East) travels to Baton Rouge to face fourth-ranked LSU might not be made until game time Saturday according to Florida coach Urban Meyer. Speaking on the Southeastern Conference Coaches Teleconference Wednesday morning, Meyer said, “This will not be a decision made today. We’re game planning as if there’s a chance Tim can play or there’s a chance he won’t play.”
Tebow’s every move is being monitored by a team of physicians including Dr. Mickey Collins from the concussion program at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, who will be in Gainesville throughout the week. Even the decision to allow Tebow to practice is a day-to-day evaluation by the team of physicians.
“I’ve never seen the attention to detail and I guess you should expect it here at Florida,” Meyer said. “This is not 1-2-3, it’s many, many people involved with the evaluation phase of Tim and yesterday the perfect example. I think there were 12 people that we had in the meeting at 1 o’clock to clear him to practice, not play ... to clear him to practice. That will be an ongoing communication and evaluation up until game time.”
One of the ongoing concerns is how Tebow will react to the deafening crowd noise at LSU’s Tiger Stadium, which is well known as one of the loudest venues in all of college football. When there are continuing issues with a concussion it often shows up in the way someone reacts to crowd noise.
“If noise is a factor, then Tim won’t play,” Meyer said. “That really hasn’t been discussed. If noise is bothering Tim, then Tim won’t be in the game. That means he’s still symptomatic.”
The Tiger Stadium crowd tends to keep the decibel level at a high rate throughout games. Like most SEC crowds, Tiger fans are at their loudest when the other team has the football in an attempt to make it impossible to hear in the huddle or communicate on the sideline.
To prepare for the kind of crowd noise they’ll face at LSU, Meyer has the Gators practicing with taped crowd noise from Tiger Stadium piped in, which gives Tebow and backup quarterback John Brantley a chance to get accustomed to communicating under those conditions.
“Noise is legit and it’s not just at the line of scrimmage,” Meyer said. “It’s calling the plays, it’s communication on the sideline. There is somewhat of a misunderstanding that crowd noise causes an issue with the snap count. Most people don’t use a snap count. It’s just a functioning of the plays offense and defense. It’s so complicated now from what it used to be with protection checks, play checks and those type of things. That’s where it becomes an issue. There will not be an issue with Tim or with John.”
HIGH EXPECTATIONS FOR BRANTLEY: Brantley is in a difficult situation. He has to prepare as if he’s the starter although he knows that Tebow will get the start if doctors clear him to play and Tebow proves to Meyer that he’s ready. Meyer said he’s told to prepare every day as if he will start.
“John will be fine,” Meyer said. “John will be good. He’s had one heckuva week of practice. He’s preparing to go play the game.”
IT’S NOT THE STADIUM, IT’S THE PLAYERS WEARING LSU JERSEYS: For all the hype about Tiger Stadium at night, Meyer said that’s vastly overrated. Meyer said the game is about the players and not about stadium mystique.
“I was at Colorado State and we went down there and beat them --- this was a long time ago [1992] --- and the stadium wasn’t a factor. That’s because the team wasn’t very good. What makes LSU, the stadium and environment and the fans are those guys wearing the jerseys that are very good players.”
Meyer said players come to Florida to play at The Swamp and to go on the road to play in tough SEC venues like the ones at Tiger Stadium and at Alabama where the fans are loud and passionate about their teams. The crowds only seem to be a factor, however, when the teams are really good.
“We had an experience at Alabama [in 2005],” Meyer said. “That’s the loudest I’ve ever heard because they won ten games that year and had a really good team. All that other stuff is a little overrated.”
Meyer has always contended that it is a players’ game and it’s no different this week when the Gators travel to Baton Rouge.
“With all due respect to LSU, what makes LSU is the guys wearing those jerseys,” he said. “They’re really good players.”
GETTING BETTER ON DEFENSE: Meyer wasn’t pleased with the way the Gators played defense in their first three games and particularly after the Tennessee game week three. However, the effort was much better in week four against Kentucky on the road where the Gators held the Wildcats to -1 yards of total offense in the first quarter. The Wildcats managed only seven points and 179 yards of offense for the entire game. That game propelled Florida into first place in the NCAA national rankings for total defense (212.8 yards per game). The Gators are second nationally in scoring defense at 7.3 points allowed per game.
“The defense is playing at a high level,” Meyer said. “We didn’t feel against Tennessee --- which I think has one of the best running backs in the country (Montario Hardesty) --- that we played great defense. We played good defense against a good offensive team. The one thing we take pride at is the guys running to the ball and that was not Florida-like.”
In the week leading up to the Kentucky game, defensive coordinator Charlie Strong emphasized better pursuit to the football both in watching film and in practice.
“I think against Kentucky we played like ‘08 which means the pursuit to the ball was relentless,” Meyer said. “That’s what makes our defense ... good players and relentless pursuit to the ball. It’s not a magic scheme, it’s intensity and effort to the football. At this point after last week we’re playing at a very high level.”
LET THEM CELEBRATE: While praising SEC commissioner Mike Slive and director of officials Rogers Redding, Meyer did take issue with the excessive celebration rule that cost Georgia dearly in last week’s game against LSU. Wide receiver A.J. Green made a tremendous catch in the end zone to give Georgia the lead late in the game but he was flagged for excessive celebration. The penalty cost Georgia 15 yards on the kickoff. LSU got a good kick return into Georgia territory then scored the game winning touchdown.
Meyer felt Green didn’t do anything that merited a flag and feels officials need to let kids celebrate a good play as long as they don’t taunt or show off. If there is taunting, then there should be a flag.
“If you bring attention to yourself, if you don’t celebrate with your teammates or if do something that’s obvious, then throw the flag but if not then don’t you dare throw the flag,” Meyer said. “Just don’t do it or you won’t be officiating.”
Meyer said certain elements of the rule need to be changed to “take judgment out of it.” Give officials a clear cut idea of what is celebration and what isn’t and make them abide by it uniformly.
Tebow’s every move is being monitored by a team of physicians including Dr. Mickey Collins from the concussion program at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, who will be in Gainesville throughout the week. Even the decision to allow Tebow to practice is a day-to-day evaluation by the team of physicians.
“I’ve never seen the attention to detail and I guess you should expect it here at Florida,” Meyer said. “This is not 1-2-3, it’s many, many people involved with the evaluation phase of Tim and yesterday the perfect example. I think there were 12 people that we had in the meeting at 1 o’clock to clear him to practice, not play ... to clear him to practice. That will be an ongoing communication and evaluation up until game time.”
One of the ongoing concerns is how Tebow will react to the deafening crowd noise at LSU’s Tiger Stadium, which is well known as one of the loudest venues in all of college football. When there are continuing issues with a concussion it often shows up in the way someone reacts to crowd noise.
“If noise is a factor, then Tim won’t play,” Meyer said. “That really hasn’t been discussed. If noise is bothering Tim, then Tim won’t be in the game. That means he’s still symptomatic.”
The Tiger Stadium crowd tends to keep the decibel level at a high rate throughout games. Like most SEC crowds, Tiger fans are at their loudest when the other team has the football in an attempt to make it impossible to hear in the huddle or communicate on the sideline.
To prepare for the kind of crowd noise they’ll face at LSU, Meyer has the Gators practicing with taped crowd noise from Tiger Stadium piped in, which gives Tebow and backup quarterback John Brantley a chance to get accustomed to communicating under those conditions.
“Noise is legit and it’s not just at the line of scrimmage,” Meyer said. “It’s calling the plays, it’s communication on the sideline. There is somewhat of a misunderstanding that crowd noise causes an issue with the snap count. Most people don’t use a snap count. It’s just a functioning of the plays offense and defense. It’s so complicated now from what it used to be with protection checks, play checks and those type of things. That’s where it becomes an issue. There will not be an issue with Tim or with John.”
HIGH EXPECTATIONS FOR BRANTLEY: Brantley is in a difficult situation. He has to prepare as if he’s the starter although he knows that Tebow will get the start if doctors clear him to play and Tebow proves to Meyer that he’s ready. Meyer said he’s told to prepare every day as if he will start.
“John will be fine,” Meyer said. “John will be good. He’s had one heckuva week of practice. He’s preparing to go play the game.”
IT’S NOT THE STADIUM, IT’S THE PLAYERS WEARING LSU JERSEYS: For all the hype about Tiger Stadium at night, Meyer said that’s vastly overrated. Meyer said the game is about the players and not about stadium mystique.
“I was at Colorado State and we went down there and beat them --- this was a long time ago [1992] --- and the stadium wasn’t a factor. That’s because the team wasn’t very good. What makes LSU, the stadium and environment and the fans are those guys wearing the jerseys that are very good players.”
Meyer said players come to Florida to play at The Swamp and to go on the road to play in tough SEC venues like the ones at Tiger Stadium and at Alabama where the fans are loud and passionate about their teams. The crowds only seem to be a factor, however, when the teams are really good.
“We had an experience at Alabama [in 2005],” Meyer said. “That’s the loudest I’ve ever heard because they won ten games that year and had a really good team. All that other stuff is a little overrated.”
Meyer has always contended that it is a players’ game and it’s no different this week when the Gators travel to Baton Rouge.
“With all due respect to LSU, what makes LSU is the guys wearing those jerseys,” he said. “They’re really good players.”
GETTING BETTER ON DEFENSE: Meyer wasn’t pleased with the way the Gators played defense in their first three games and particularly after the Tennessee game week three. However, the effort was much better in week four against Kentucky on the road where the Gators held the Wildcats to -1 yards of total offense in the first quarter. The Wildcats managed only seven points and 179 yards of offense for the entire game. That game propelled Florida into first place in the NCAA national rankings for total defense (212.8 yards per game). The Gators are second nationally in scoring defense at 7.3 points allowed per game.
“The defense is playing at a high level,” Meyer said. “We didn’t feel against Tennessee --- which I think has one of the best running backs in the country (Montario Hardesty) --- that we played great defense. We played good defense against a good offensive team. The one thing we take pride at is the guys running to the ball and that was not Florida-like.”
In the week leading up to the Kentucky game, defensive coordinator Charlie Strong emphasized better pursuit to the football both in watching film and in practice.
“I think against Kentucky we played like ‘08 which means the pursuit to the ball was relentless,” Meyer said. “That’s what makes our defense ... good players and relentless pursuit to the ball. It’s not a magic scheme, it’s intensity and effort to the football. At this point after last week we’re playing at a very high level.”
LET THEM CELEBRATE: While praising SEC commissioner Mike Slive and director of officials Rogers Redding, Meyer did take issue with the excessive celebration rule that cost Georgia dearly in last week’s game against LSU. Wide receiver A.J. Green made a tremendous catch in the end zone to give Georgia the lead late in the game but he was flagged for excessive celebration. The penalty cost Georgia 15 yards on the kickoff. LSU got a good kick return into Georgia territory then scored the game winning touchdown.
Meyer felt Green didn’t do anything that merited a flag and feels officials need to let kids celebrate a good play as long as they don’t taunt or show off. If there is taunting, then there should be a flag.
“If you bring attention to yourself, if you don’t celebrate with your teammates or if do something that’s obvious, then throw the flag but if not then don’t you dare throw the flag,” Meyer said. “Just don’t do it or you won’t be officiating.”
Meyer said certain elements of the rule need to be changed to “take judgment out of it.” Give officials a clear cut idea of what is celebration and what isn’t and make them abide by it uniformly.
