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AUBURN, Ala. -- Emmanuel Moody said Monday that God, not Gators coach Urban Meyer, would decide whether Moody deserved to crack Florida's tailback rotation. At some point this week, Meyer must have climbed to the top of Space Mountain -- or maybe it was Big Thunder Mountain -- and come down bearing a stone tablet that read "Thou shalt hand off to No. 21." Moody made his debut as a significant piece of Florida's offense in Saturday's 30-6 win at Tennessee, and it appears he may have been the missing piece.
The Gators already had national championship-caliber special teams. Returner Brandon James proved that again Saturday with a 78-yard punt return for a touchdown. Florida already had a steadily improving defense, and it seemed that group got quite a bit better in the two weeks between wins against Miami and Tennessee. Florida already had a defending Heisman Trophy winner at quarterback (Tim Tebow) and the most electrifying offensive weapon in the country (Percy Harvin). All the Gators needed to put USC, Georgia, Oklahoma and the other national title contenders on notice was a running back who could take some pressure off Tebow. That back is Moody.
Moody, a transfer from USC who sat out last season, didn't post mind-blowing stats. He carried nine times for 55 yards (6.1-yard average), but most of those yards came from runs that started between the tackles. Those runs keep a defense honest. They set up play-action passes. They allow smaller, faster backs such as Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps to get the ball in space, where they have a chance to break a long run. Most importantly, those nine carries represented nine times Tebow did not get hit. Last year, Tebow would have had to gain all those yards. That pounding takes a toll, as Florida learned last year when Georgia controlled Tebow, who was nursing a bruised shoulder suffered the previous week at Kentucky.
If Moody can average four yards per carry running mostly between the tackles, opposing defenses will struggle against Florida. How would you defend the Gators? If you load the box, Florida will throw short to tight end Aaron Hernandez or go up top to Harvin or Louis Murphy. If you lay back, Moody, Tebow, Rainey and Demps will grind you into dust. To make matters worse for the other SEC teams with designs on a title, Florida got lucky with its schedule this season. Unlike 2006, when the Gators ran through a meat-grinder to a national title, Florida avoids Alabama and Auburn. Georgia, Alabama, Auburn and LSU all must face one another head-to-head, leaving Florida with fewer chances to fall victim to SEC-on-SEC cannibalism.
Speaking of eating your own, we may have watched the end of an era today in Knoxville. Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer, a former Tennessee player and the dean of SEC coaches, may have sealed his doom. The knock on Fulmer used to be that while his teams came into games flawlessly prepared, Fulmer and his staff couldn't make proper in-game adjustments. Saturday, Tennessee looked as if it hadn't watched a second of Florida tape. After James swung the field-position balance against the Vols in losses to Florida in 2006 and 2007, it would seem logical that some Tennessee coach would forbid the kickers from putting the ball within 20 yards of James. What did the Vols do? They kicked it straight at him. That's just one example. Another is Tennessee's final drive of the first half, a Jackson Pollock painting of a possession that included poor play-calling and poor clock management and ended with an interception in the end zone on fourth-and-goal.
Fulmer has done so much for Tennessee's football program. It's a shame he probably won't get to leave on his own terms. But unless things get a lot better quickly -- and that doesn't seem likely with upcoming games against Auburn (next week), Georgia (Oct. 11) and Alabama (Oct. 25) -- the Tennessee faithful won't allow that to happen. Yes, Fulmer did sign an offseason contract extension that lasts through 2014, but the Vols will pass the hat to raise the $5 million buyout if necessary.
Gotta go, Nova (the eagle) just landed on the 50-yard line here at Auburn's Jordan-Hare Stadium and devoured two live mice. SEC football: It's fannnnnnnntastic.
Kim Cloutier
Deanna Clover
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Comments (18) Add A Comment
I agree with the analysis that Fulmer may be losing his touch. Except Tenn lost two early games last season and bounced back to beat GA and others. Tennessee's loss to UCLA is inexplicable. Perhaps the trip west is taxing. We'll see how GA handles the trip against a solid ASU. I also noted that Miami slaughtered A&M. Arguably A&M may now be almost at the bottom of the Big 12, but they are talented. Perhaps Florida's struggle with Miami was due more to Miami talent than Florida shortcomings.
CharMit
Las Vegas , NM
Total Comments (1717)
Somebody at UT needs to get fired for this. Period. This is supposed to be a rivalry, not a yearly blowout. Tennessee is better than how they looked and there's only one way to place the blame, one the coaches. A change is needed.
ChitTownVol
Chicago , IL
Total Comments (2)
people, this isn't rocket science. Tennessee is terrible this year. You don't lose to an even more terrible UCLA and expect to do anything against Florida. Florida's "new found" running game will quickly disappear against upcoming good SEC games. And for the love of pete, even a blowout by Georgia isn't going to mean ANYTHING. People, Arizona St lost to friggin' UNLV last week. They are not good.
ehood
Allen , TX
Total Comments (52)
for ehood - Perhaps SEC teams should follow the leads set by Texas & Tex Tech and schedule some really tough competition.
CharMit
Las Vegas , NM
Total Comments (1717)
Florida did look good but we don't know how bad Tennessee is. Georgia is dominating Arizona State.
KingFootball
Total Comments (2898)
Fulmer played in the SEC title game last year, along with notching a10 win season. He's got a new QB, gimpy no less, with a new offensive coordinator - not to mention that new contract. He's not going anywhere. Also, isn't UF favored to play for the NC? Losing to the Gators, even impressively, is not such a crime if this is true.
UF-G8R
Colorado Springs , CO
Total Comments (147)
Did anyone watch the same game as me? Florida looked average at best. Tennessee turned the ball over TWICE inside the two yard line. They fumbled on an easy pass in the flat on their own 20. Florida's vaunted offense hasn't showed anything particularly impressive today. I'm not sure if their defense has been THAT good or if the teams they're player are THAT bad.
By the way, Pac-10 sucks.
ceteris paribus
Athens , GA
Total Comments (172)
Fulmer is a terrible man to have in charge of a college football program. Peyton Manning isn't walking through that door, and for that matter, neither is Tee Martin. The program has diminished so much since that National Championship- first it became a halfway house, then the criminals coming into it weren't too good at football. A change has been needed for five years. Someone with integrity and someone who can actually coach and recruit.
stevendungan
Vienna , VA
Total Comments (141)
I think Fulmer's time has passed. He has served his alma mater well, but the game is passing him by and he and his staff are not recruiting the blue chippers like they used to. Not that I think it will happen, but I wish he would step aside out of realizing it is in the best interest of the program and the school. Sadly, that doesn't happen very often in this type of circumstance.
Tacy
Winston Salem, NC
Total Comments (26)
I think Urban Meyer is approaching this season much like an chess game; he's playing to win and keeping his "wrinkles" under wraps until he needs them. In today's world of information, secrecy is the most valuable team asset. Why show what you can do until you absolutely must? Cremating a team and exposing all of your plays just to make a point is lunacy - the margin for error is too slim in the SEC. Meyer's approach is both cerebral and deliberate.
UF-G8R
Colorado Springs , CO
Total Comments (147)
There are a lot of comments on here RE: the Gators competition. Well, the Gators held Miami to 3 points. That same Miami team traveled to the state of Texas and stomped Texas A&M, scoring 41 points in the process.
And some people are saying that Florida's offense looks pedestrian. That may be true, but think of how good this team will be when the offense starts clicking. They've won all 3 games by more than 20 points and are allowing less than 7 points per game.
Headpunting
Gainesville, FL
Total Comments (47)
If an eagle mascot can eat live mice to start a game, I think the Gators should get a live alligator as a mascot and feed it a dog before each game.
Sports Fan 2008
Marietta , GA
Total Comments (8)
I have been watching VOLS football for over 30 years, and I truly bleed orange, and yesterday was perhaps the saddest UT game I have ever watched in all that time...not because we lost to our hated rival Florida or even that we lost by 24 (that we have become used to), no, it was because we LOOKED so unprepared, outclassed and outcoached more than I have ever seen before. The Vols used to be one of college football's elites...indeed we rank in the top 5 or 10 in all-time wins, all-time bowl appearances and all-time wins, but we now look (and play) as if we are a mediocre program with no history at all. I have always like Fulmer, but it seems to me that the game has passed him up and it's time for a change.
TexasVol
Tomball , TX
Total Comments (1)
UF-G8R and Headpunting,
I'm not suggesting that Meyer doesn't have series of plays he hasn't showed yet. What I am suggesting is that what he has showed hasn't been very good. Florida's special teams have been great thus far.
I've watch both the Tennessee and Miami games and a portion of the Hawaii and have been unimpressed by what Florida has done on offense. Their special teams has been great, no question about that. Their defense has looked good but I'm starting to wonder how good the defense is. Holding Hawaii to nearly no point is hardly an accomplishment, they're a shell of the team they were last season. Texas A&M lost to a directional school in week one and nearly lost to New Mexico in week two.
My point is: When Florida plays teams that have stout defenses like LSU, South Carolina, Georgia we'll see how they do.
ceteris paribus
Athens , GA
Total Comments (172)
Mr. Staples,
Although you meant it humorously, your comments about God were flippant and disrespectful. Some people don't believe in God, but others of us revere God. Please refrain from making these kinds of comments in the future.
Fred
Fred in Chicagoland
Total Comments (2)
Mr. Staples,
Although you meant it humorously, your comments about God were flippant and disrespectful. Some people don't believe in God, but others of us revere God. Please refrain from making these kinds of comments in the future.
Fred
Fred in Chicagoland
Total Comments (2)
The Gators are 3 and 0 and the Gator Nation likes that. I've been a Gator fan since the 1960s so I have been through the high-and-lows of Gator football. As a layman I have studied Gator football as a hobby and a passion for decades. I think Urban Meyers knows that he has probably the best Gator offense since the 1996 National Championship team that was made of Gator legends. But, our offense has not played up to its potential and it will be until we play LSU and Georgia to give the anxious Gator Nation a full understanding of how good the offense really is. It seems, finally, all the pieces are falling into place. We finally have a pounding tailback and his name is not Tebow. Tebow won't have the stats and numbers he had last year. He doesn't need to. It seems the offense is becoming a TEAM and Superman does not need to carry the team like he did last year.
Obviously our defense, so far, seems vastly improved over last year especially the play of the secondary. Last year they were awful. So far this year the secondary looks so much better. Front seven looks really strong against the run. Can't wait to see how they defense Georgia's star running back. That will be the test and all us Gator are already chompin' for that game.
Our special teams seem to be off-the-charts, but how long will that last? Well, if the other teams insist on continuing to kick to Brandon James and go mano-a-mano the Gators will have a highlight reel of special teams plays this season.
The Gators look good in the first three games and have the good fortune of having a relatively easy SEC schedule this season. So do the Gator go undefeated and win another National Championship this year? Well, if not this year most certainly next year.
Dr. D
Dr. Gator D
Ocala , FL
Total Comments (1)
Sometimes Florida's spread offense looks like crap. It has been this way since Meyer installed it. I sit there wondering who is calling the plays and if I could do better. Eventually, it will come alive for a quarter or drive, like the 4th quarter of the Miami game, and they will make it look easy. But admittedly, it can be painful to watch sometimes - especially against an SEC defense.
ala_gator
Wetumpka, AL
Total Comments (1)
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