Number One Gators Score at Will in 2009
October 9, 2009 by Stephen Kersey
Filed under Football
Guest Post by Daniel Rigdon
The number one ranked University of Florida Gators take their score-at-will offense and beat-you-to-a-pulp defense on the road to nationally fourth-ranked Louisiana State University Oct. 10. This may be the first “real” test of the 2009 Gator bite when taking on the also undefeated Tigers in their own cage. In fact, both schools account for the last three national champions with Florida reigning supreme last year and 2006 while the Tigers were on top in ‘08.
Image: Zuma Press
Tebow Hurt
The big question posed is will star gator QB Tim Tebow not only suit up for the game, but will he be under center. Tebow suffered a concussion during Florida’s blowout win against the University of Kentucky Sept. 28 at Commonwealth Stadium in Louisville. Suffering from the flu at game start, Tebow managed to guide the Gators through to the middle of the third period when facing a third-and-six-yard to go from the Kentucky nine-yard line, Wildcat DE Taylor Wyndham nailed the 2007 Heisman Trophy winner, hitting him squarely in the chest. As Tebow went down, his head hit the knee of Gator tackle Marcus Gilbert.
He lay motionless for a few seconds, but eventually sat up and was helped off the field. He was transported by ambulance to the University of Kentucky Medical Center where he was held overnight for observation.
“He was dinged a little bit,” Florida Head Coach Urban Meyers said after the game. “They checked his memory and all that, he’s fine.”
“Fine” also translated into 123 yards rushing for the senior from St. Augustine, Fla. He moved into sole possession of second place in the SEC for rushing touchdowns after scoring two solo on the ground in the first quarter, He is one behind SEC record-holder Herschel Walker.
Records Broken
Other records booked at the expense of the Wildcats included Gator RB Brandon James setting new high numbers for return average when he began the contest with a 27-yard catch and run. He surpassed Kentucky’s Derek Abney (3,357) with this play when his total tallied at 3,370 yards returned.
As dominating as the offensive game against the Wildcats was, the Gator defense held Kentucky scoreless until the 8:48 left in the first when the Big Blue mounted a 14-play, 58-yard drive that was capped off by a two-yard TD pass caught by Ross Boque. This was Kentucky’s only score of the game.
Dominating Defense
The Gator defense has been rather stingy in the opening games of the 2009 season holding all opponents to a combined 29 points while the offense has humiliated any opposing “D” scoring a total of 182 winning points in four games. The opener against Charleston Southern was a slap-down win at 63-3. The only Buccaneer points came off junior kicker John Paglia foot as he booted one through the uprights.
The following week the Gators drowned the visiting Toy Trojans in the Swamp with a convincing 56-6 win. Again, the tough Florida defense held the opponent to no TDs. Troy had to settle for a pair of field goals as their only scoreboard points for the day.
On Sept. 19, the Tennessee Volunteers wandered into Ben Hill Griffin Stadium to give the Gators their best test of the season to date. However, Florida defeated their SEC rival in a 23-13 win. The win gave UF a new record with 13 consecutive wins.
Daniel Rigdon is a sports writer for www.sportsfantreasures.com. He would like to invite you to check out their Florida Gators Merchandise and Gators Apparel online today!
