Tebow - Thurs practice report
Posted: Thu Oct 08, 2009 7:34 pm
Urban Meyer admits that it’s going to probably be a game time decision about playing Tim Tebow Saturday when the number one-ranked Florida Gators visit Baton Rouge to play fourth-ranked LSU (8 p.m., Tiger Stadium, CBS). Although Tebow has had three good days of practice and has passed a battery of medical tests every day, Meyer said Thursday afternoon that things can change between now and Saturday night.
Tebow, who suffered a concussion a couple of weeks ago at Kentucky, had what Meyer called a “really good practice today” Thursday when the Gators went through their final preparations for LSU. The Gators will fly out of Gainesville at 11 a.m. Friday and Tebow can expect to be evaluated both Friday afternoon and before the game Saturday before any final decision is made by the medical team that will be traveling with the Gators to Baton Rouge.
“Once again, it’s day-to-day,” Meyer said. “They want to see how he reacts to the flight and there are all kinds of things they’re still looking at.”
Among the things the doctors have studied closely this week is how Tebow would react to the piped in crowd noise at the practice field. The noise at Tiger Stadium on a Saturday night can be close to what it’s like when a 747 takes off. Bad reactions to light and high noise levels are one way doctors can determine if a player is continuing to have physical reactions to a concussion.
Meyer said Tebow had no issues, however.
“He handled it [the crowd noise] better than I did,” he said.
Even if Tebow handles the flight and Friday’s walk through at Tiger Stadium well, there will be more testing Saturday. Meyer has made it clear that doctors will determine if Tebow is fit to play.
Thursday, Meyer said just getting Tebow on the field for practice meant passing tests at a very high level.
“It’s real lofty,” Meyer said. “Certainly, once again it’s not an ankle. When you start talking about a concussion it’s real high. It’s real high just to practice. Moses Jenkins (also suffered a concussion in the Kentucky game) hasn’t practiced yet. They keep showing me the baseline test.”
* * *
As of Friday morning, the Gators were a firm eight-point favorite to win Saturday night and that’s without knowing whether Tebow will start at quarterback or if the start will go to backup John Brantley, a third-year sophomore from Ocala. Tebow and Brantley split the practice reps Thursday nearly 50-50.
Meyer sounded extremely confident that Brantley can get the job done if called on to start Saturday.
“He’s always been a guy who can throw the ball,” Meyer said. “It’s like a running back who can just run. Now he’s a quarterback who has command of the game and the guys listen to him in the huddle.”
Fans have been expressing concern if Brantley would be able to handle the crowd noise in Baton Rouge but Meyer said that’s not a real concern.
“Everybody says it’s a big crowd and the crowd noise is an issue and the cadence,” Meyer said. “It’s silent anyway. It’s the whole mechanics of getting the play to everybody at the line of scrimmage. That’s the issue and John’s done a good job of that.”
Meyer went on to say that Brantley is prepared to handle the entire offense so this won’t be basic football.
“We’ve done that before where you kind of baby step them through,” Meyer said. “If John’s in that game it’s not baby steps. He’s going to go play.”
* * *
Jenkins, who is a valuable contributor on Florida’s kickoff coverage unit, won’t play Saturday but nose tackle Lawrence Marsh definitely will play and there is a good chance nose tackle Brandon Antwine will also get on the field. Marsh has missed three of Florida’s four games because of a high ankle sprain while Antwine suffered a shoulder injury against Kentucky that has limited him in practice.
Antwine did practice some on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday but a decision on whether he plays won’t be made until game time Saturday.
“The strength coach took him a couple of periods [of Thursday’s practice] just to give him some contact,” Meyer said. “We’ll find out more [about Antwine] but Marsh will play.”
Sophomore wide receiver Deonte Thompson will also play. Thompson missed the Tennessee and Kentucky games with a hamstring issue. He had some minor issues Monday but came back to register strong practice efforts the last three days.
“Deonte really practiced well,” Meyer said. “He’s had I think three good days now. He was a little bit tight on Monday but Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday were three good days.”
* * *
Meyer declared the Gators “ready to go” after Thursday’s practice. The Thursday session concluded a very good week of practice with focused preparation.
Asked how the Gators practiced during the week, Meyer responded, “Very good but the last two days have been fantastic. This team is ready to go play. I think the best team will win [Saturday night]. It’s two good teams playing but I know the Gators are going to give good effort.”
Tebow, who suffered a concussion a couple of weeks ago at Kentucky, had what Meyer called a “really good practice today” Thursday when the Gators went through their final preparations for LSU. The Gators will fly out of Gainesville at 11 a.m. Friday and Tebow can expect to be evaluated both Friday afternoon and before the game Saturday before any final decision is made by the medical team that will be traveling with the Gators to Baton Rouge.
“Once again, it’s day-to-day,” Meyer said. “They want to see how he reacts to the flight and there are all kinds of things they’re still looking at.”
Among the things the doctors have studied closely this week is how Tebow would react to the piped in crowd noise at the practice field. The noise at Tiger Stadium on a Saturday night can be close to what it’s like when a 747 takes off. Bad reactions to light and high noise levels are one way doctors can determine if a player is continuing to have physical reactions to a concussion.
Meyer said Tebow had no issues, however.
“He handled it [the crowd noise] better than I did,” he said.
Even if Tebow handles the flight and Friday’s walk through at Tiger Stadium well, there will be more testing Saturday. Meyer has made it clear that doctors will determine if Tebow is fit to play.
Thursday, Meyer said just getting Tebow on the field for practice meant passing tests at a very high level.
“It’s real lofty,” Meyer said. “Certainly, once again it’s not an ankle. When you start talking about a concussion it’s real high. It’s real high just to practice. Moses Jenkins (also suffered a concussion in the Kentucky game) hasn’t practiced yet. They keep showing me the baseline test.”
* * *
As of Friday morning, the Gators were a firm eight-point favorite to win Saturday night and that’s without knowing whether Tebow will start at quarterback or if the start will go to backup John Brantley, a third-year sophomore from Ocala. Tebow and Brantley split the practice reps Thursday nearly 50-50.
Meyer sounded extremely confident that Brantley can get the job done if called on to start Saturday.
“He’s always been a guy who can throw the ball,” Meyer said. “It’s like a running back who can just run. Now he’s a quarterback who has command of the game and the guys listen to him in the huddle.”
Fans have been expressing concern if Brantley would be able to handle the crowd noise in Baton Rouge but Meyer said that’s not a real concern.
“Everybody says it’s a big crowd and the crowd noise is an issue and the cadence,” Meyer said. “It’s silent anyway. It’s the whole mechanics of getting the play to everybody at the line of scrimmage. That’s the issue and John’s done a good job of that.”
Meyer went on to say that Brantley is prepared to handle the entire offense so this won’t be basic football.
“We’ve done that before where you kind of baby step them through,” Meyer said. “If John’s in that game it’s not baby steps. He’s going to go play.”
* * *
Jenkins, who is a valuable contributor on Florida’s kickoff coverage unit, won’t play Saturday but nose tackle Lawrence Marsh definitely will play and there is a good chance nose tackle Brandon Antwine will also get on the field. Marsh has missed three of Florida’s four games because of a high ankle sprain while Antwine suffered a shoulder injury against Kentucky that has limited him in practice.
Antwine did practice some on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday but a decision on whether he plays won’t be made until game time Saturday.
“The strength coach took him a couple of periods [of Thursday’s practice] just to give him some contact,” Meyer said. “We’ll find out more [about Antwine] but Marsh will play.”
Sophomore wide receiver Deonte Thompson will also play. Thompson missed the Tennessee and Kentucky games with a hamstring issue. He had some minor issues Monday but came back to register strong practice efforts the last three days.
“Deonte really practiced well,” Meyer said. “He’s had I think three good days now. He was a little bit tight on Monday but Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday were three good days.”
* * *
Meyer declared the Gators “ready to go” after Thursday’s practice. The Thursday session concluded a very good week of practice with focused preparation.
Asked how the Gators practiced during the week, Meyer responded, “Very good but the last two days have been fantastic. This team is ready to go play. I think the best team will win [Saturday night]. It’s two good teams playing but I know the Gators are going to give good effort.”