Bleacher Report - Articles by M. Black

Chips, Crowds, Carries and Catches: How The Gators Clicked On All Cylinders

M. Black — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 13:16:49 -0400

The chip on their shoulders was more like a boulder.

The Gators had something to prove to the nation; They had to avenge the game that got away last season in Baton Rouge, and they had to prove to the football world that the Ole Miss game was an anomaly.

With cries from fans and the media alike claiming the supposedly vaunted offense was a predictable variation of Tebow and Harvin, something needed to be done.

They needed a spark. Some motivation. Some life.

And then Ricky opened his mouth.

"If we get a good shot on [Tebow], we're going to try our best to take him out of the game," the LSU defensive lineman said.

Like a rock scraping flint, a fire was born.

"I don't think it's ever a good thing to talk trash, because I think all it does is really fire your opponent up," quarterback Tim Tebow said in reaction to Jean-François' comments. "At least I know that's how it is for me."

Everyone was in on it. From coaches to players. Offense to defense. Special teams to the guys on the bench. The team that seemed so lackluster against Ole Miss and in the first few quarters of the Arkansas game now had a burning desire for payback and redemption.

"We've got...a fire in our eyes to kick somebody's butt," Gator linebacker Brandon Hicks said days before the showdown in the Swamp.

Now all the Gators needed to do was execute and take advantage of the "fire."

Before two full minutes ticked off the clock in the first quarter, they did just that with a 70-yard aerial strike from Tebow to Harvin. With that play, the chains were broken and the 51-21 rout ensued.

The Gators were able to get everyone involved—the crowd especially.

"I want to thank the crowd tonight," head coach Urban Meyer said. "That was as fine of a crowd as I have ever seen."

The Swamp reverted back to its old self by becoming a hostile, deafening vat of noise, wreaking havoc on opposing teams.

"It was a great environment to play in," LSU freshman quarterback Jarrett Lee said after the game. "The crowd was so rowdy; they made us have a lot of communication problems.”

"We fed off the crowd," UF defensive tackle Lawrence Marsh said. "It fired us up to hear the roar."

It was not hard for the crowd to get into the game, however, with the big play-makers on offense like Percy Harvin and Tim Tebow doing what they do best; but the real spark on offense lies with the "little backs," Jeff Demps and Chris Rainey.

The speedy freshmen combined for 195 of the 265 rushing yards the Gators racked up against LSU.

Tebow finished with 232 total yards and three scores (two passing and one rushing), and Harvin accounted for 125 total yards and two receiving touchdowns.

With the offense firing on all cylinders, it was up to the defense to put the Tigers away–and they did just that.

"[Florida's] defense took us out of the game," LSU wide receiver Chris Mitchell said. "We couldn’t execute the things we wanted to. They made us pay for all of our mistakes."

The Gator defense forced three turnovers in the game. Brandon Spikes, the clear emotional leader of the defense, intercepted Jarrett Lee twice, returning one for a 52-yard touchdown, and linebacker A.J. Jones recovered a Charles Scott fumble in the 2nd quarter.

LSU was able to cut the lead to six, trailing 20-14 early in the second half, but the Gators quickly scored 21 unanswered points to make the game 41-14 and never looked back.

The fire never smoldered.

"It was a great win for us," Tebow said. "We knew it was a big game coming in...We wanted to start strong and we did that. They rallied back and made it a game, but we responded with maturity and took over at the end."

A Note on The Florida Gators' Offense

M. Black — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 16:55:48 -0400

So I bet you sat on your couch or your lucky blue suede chair from the 1970s and "got your popcorn ready" to see the Gators take on the struggling Vols.

But you may have been disappointed; it wasn't the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey's extravaganza you were expecting. It wasn't 59-30. At times, it wasn't even fun to watch.

But it was magnificent.

For months now, we've been hearing about one of the best offenses in the nation. How opposing teams should be running and finding a rock to hide under because the mighty Gators are coming to town.

But, the potent, high-flying, circus of an offense seemingly did not show up for parts of the Miami and Tennessee games. At least that's what appears to be the case.

Was it lack of potential? Hardly. The reigning Heisman winner, four of the fastest all-around players in the nation, a transfer stud from the University of Southern California, and an experienced offensive line would have you believing otherwise.

The first drive showed great promise for another blowout against a futile, Fulmer-led Volunteer team. But what happened? Only two total offensive touchdowns and none running?

Was it lack of coaching? Try the opposite. This apparent "lack of production" was, in my mind, and probably those of the coaches, just what the doctor ordered.

They proved that they could gun it down field and run over any defense with that first drive; it was time to show that they could control the game and the tempo of it.

The Gators manhandled the clock, especially in the second half of the game. Tebow and his offense only had 23 plays at halftime; then they settled down. Letting Moody do his thing, letting Rainey do his thing led those two to a combined 18 carries for 92 yards—tough yards, added to Tebow's 26 and Harvin's 31.

A whole new facet to the offense was born. Something new to Meyer's spread: Smashmouth, control-the-clock football.

The Gators had 31 plays in the second half, most of which came in the fourth quarter. Now I know that people will say that it was because there was a large scoring margin, but that may not be the case, because the play calling did not change much after that first touchdown drive.

Gator fans want to see more production out of the offense, but it is essential to build up confidence in a controlling offense. LSU was able to come back and beat the Gators after being down virtually the entire game simply because the Florida offense could not control the ball and the clock (well, and a half crazy/half lucky coach calling fourth-down conversions left and right). Georgia, the same.

The fact that we haven't seen the highly touted offense yet is frustrating, but at the same time, it's very exhilarating because of what is to come.

The SEC better start to find their rocks to hide under.

What It Means To Be a Florida Gator

M. Black — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 17:11:20 -0400

Writers note: I aim to contribute more "well rounded" articles in the future, discussing more than just Gator sports, but this is something I feel I need to express and get off of my chest. It's a wonderful thing to be a Gator and wherever I end up in life, I will never forget what it feels like.

It Means Donning the Orange and Blue at a Young Age

"Train 'em while they're young!" A popular phrase among any fan base concerning their beloved team, but never in my life have I heard more people express this sentiment than Gator fans.

As babies, the little boys and girls grow up with a shirt, a football, basketball or softball with the Gator logo strewn across the front. If they're lucky, they get a jersey or a cheerleader outfit as well (I was fortunate to have a No. 12 Terry Dean jersey as my prized possession).

Watching the Gator games with your dad, mom, uncle, aunt, cousins, friends and strangers becomes a way of life as a "Gator in training."

If you don't get the game, you order it on pay-per-view and have a huge block party or go to the local sports bar. It's tradition that eventually turns into habit, turns into necessity, turns into addiction.

It Means Having More Brothers and Sisters Than You Thought You Could

Gator Nation is all around us. It is--we are--everywhere. You can venture to Alaska, California, Chicago, New York, Italy, and France and see on more than one occasion, more than one Gator fan.

All you have to say is "Go Gators" and you remember what kind of fraternity you are in: one that knows no borders or boundaries. All you have to do is hear those two words and it'll put a smile on your face as you get butterflies in your stomach thinking of the season ahead—even if you are staring the Mona Lisa straight in the eyes.

It means making allies in the office or at school as the Big 10 groupies (i.e. Ohio State) try to convince you that "three yards and a cloud of dust" will win you a national title.

It means being razzed by opposing teams like UGA, most of the time unrelentingly. But it also means giving those other teams their share (what about that Auburn dorm hall fire again?).

It means never being alone.

It Means Being on Rock Bottom

Every Gator fan knows, at least once a year, some how, some way, they will disappoint. It's a natural progression, but is never taken lightly. We prefer not to talk about the Zook years.

It was an anomaly as far as we're concerned. The 0-10-1 season, well, you don't remember that very well, because the alcohol was running through you. Or at least that is your excuse.

It means having so much passion for the game that you lose your mind (DO NOT CLICK IF YOU ARE OPPOSED TO EXTREME MELTDOWNS AND LANGUAGE!!).

It Means Being on Top of the World

Back-to back-to-back. A lovely sound to a Gator's ear and a lovely vision to behold. People find our claims to having the greatest run in collegiate sports history a bit arrogant, but we triple-dog dare any fan, any college, not to brag about that if it happened to them.

We thank Jeremy Foley for firing Zook (we try to forget he hired him, though), and for hiring Billy D. and Urban Meyer. We thank Steven Orr Spurrier for essentially putting us on the map and making the University of Florida relevant in sports (and for the unbelievably hilarious remarks towards other SEC schools and the "School Out West").

We thank Danny Wuerffel and Tim Tebow for representing the University with their outstanding characters and showing that it's more a golden arm that makes a true man.

We thank the "04's" for staying. We thank Youngblood, Smith, and Marshall for being just so darn GOOD.

Most of All, It Means Having Pride

After the youthful traditions are kept; after you've seen your 1,000th Gator fan outside the state of Florida; after you're at the lowest of lows, the highest of highs, at the end of the day, you thank your lucky stars you are a Gator.

Bleeding Orange and Blue, singing the Alma Mater and high-fiving after a tremendous dunk or home run, there is nothing like it. It's Great to be a Florida Gator.

All Hail Florida Hail.