Bleacher Report - Articles by Sean Crawford

Percy Harvin Is Now the "Achilles' Heel" of SEC Defensive Coordinators

Sean Crawford — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 15:22:52 -0400

SEC defensive coordinators may need to start buying Tylenol nighttime for the lack of sleep that's ahead of them.

"Percy will show NO MERCY." This quote may become a reality starting Sept. 20, when the Florida Gators play Tennessee at Rocky Top. Florida Gator running back/wide receiver Percy Harvin is now something he's never been while at the collegiate level—100 percent healthy.

Watching Harvin in 2006 and 2007 was a semblance of freakish athletic ability. His change of direction and "cut-it-loose" speed was something that everyone in the country recognized and respected.

Winning the Most Valuable Player award at the SEC Championship in 2006 was quite an accomplishment, especially considering he was only 18 years young.

Harvin missed some playing time in 2007, along with the opener against Hawaii this year, due to a nagging heel injury he's been suffering since high school. Harvin was also limited in the game against Miami.

In the offseason, Harvin received heel surgery and has been recovering ever since. Harvin is now fully healed, and he seems to be feeling the best he's ever felt before. This is also the strongest and biggest Harvin has ever been in his entire life.

Recording a bench press of 420 pounds, I guess you can say that No. 1 has beefed up. He came to Florida at 178 pounds. He is now at 205. So with the addition of an extra 25 pounds of muscle and the same 4.3 speed we've seen in the past two seasons, this kid may put the nail in the coffin for identifying himself as the most electrifying player in the country.

I have yet to acknowledge the scary parts of Harvin's improved situation.

Harvin may have the fastest and deepest supporting cast in the nation.

First off, the youngest player to ever win the Heisman trophy is his quarterback (his name is Tim Tebow, if you haven't heard of him). Jeffrey Demps and Chris Rainey will both share some time next to Harvin in a two-back set or perhaps the wishbone or spread formation.

Demps is the fastest teenager in America and Rainey is very close to having the athletic ability of Harvin. Wide receivers Louis Murphy and Deonte Thompson both have faster forty times than Harvin (if you missed that part, Percy runs a 4.3).

So how can you match up all of those players and Harvin at the same time? If you find an answer, let John Chavis and other SEC defensive coordinators know, because I'm sure finding a solution to stop that Florida offense may cause some anxiety issues.

You can bet your backside that defensive coordinators are going to be keying in on Harvin as if they were Philly Fulmer attacking those Krispy Kreme circles of joy. In other words, Harvin is going to be in the back of everybody's mind.

To stop Harvin, they are going to have to double-team him every time he steps on the field. He is just too athletic to be left in a one-on-one matchup. But they also have to worry about those other speedsters getting in the open field. I'm sure No. 15 taking the rock himself is another possible problem for defenses.

Seriously, the Gators have so much talent that it's scary. If the Gator offense starts to click and get momentum, there are just too many playmakers on Florida's offense to prevent the Gators from scoring.

I know there are some skeptics out there saying "what about the Miami game?" Percy only touched the ball six times that game. Double the six to 12, you're probably talking about another 50 yards and possibly another touchdown in the books. Yes, Harvin is that good.

Miami did a good job of mixing up the blitz packages, and that's what defenses are going to have to do to prevent the Gators from putting up points. Pressure Tebow and prevent the Gators from producing numbers on the ground.

I guess you can say that this offense has the potential to be almost unstoppable. With Harvin now at full-go, expect bigger numbers from Urban Meyer's explosive offense.

Percy Harvin's Heel Won't be Devastating to Gator Offense

Sean Crawford — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 12:50:16 -0400

The most electrifying player in college football is suffering from a minor injury and everybody seems pretty excited about it.

By everybody, I mean everyone outside Gator Nation.

The heel of Harvin has been bothering him since surgery in April.

The media seems to believe that this will hurt Florida's offense dramatically.

I find the media's reaction quite humorous. I guess they forgot about Tim Tebow and the majority of his offensive line returning.

Does the media realize that Percy missed two games last season, Florida won both, and played unhealthy for about 75 percent of last season?

Do the names Jeff Demps, Chris Rainey, Louis Murphy, and Deonte Thompson ring any bells? All four of these players run under a 4.3 in the 40.

I guess that's considered fast since three of those 40 times beat Harvin's.

Not to mention Florida has the best depth chart, as far as running backs, since Urban Meyer has been at Florida.

So to all of the skeptics and Defensive Coordinators in the SEC, let me put it in perspective for you.

There is a chance that Florida's offense may struggle due to this off-season tragedy, but it's not good in your favor.

Remember the comedy classic "Dumb and Dumber" with Jim Carey as Lloyd Christmas.

Put yourself in Lloyd's shoes when he asked Mary Swanson what the chances were that they "got together."

Mary responded with the answer of "one in a million."

We all knew Lloyd didn't have the qualities to get a girl like her, and I believe that SEC coaches will realize that Florida just has too many offensive playmakers to be stopped.

Here are a couple other names on the Florida offense that will do some damage.

Brandon James(WR), Riley Cooper(WR), Kestahn Moore(RB), Aaron Hernandez(TE), Carl Moore(WR) and Emmanuel Moody(RB).

If Percy does miss playing time this season, Offensive Coordinator Dan Mullen has at least eight solid playmakers to give the rock to.

Overall, Percy may miss the Hawaii opener, possibly the Miami game. But he will still make an impact on this offense and will make SEC coaches lose sleep whether he is healthy or not.

If Percy is on the field, he will produce big plays.

2008 College Football season will demand a playoff in the future.

Sean Crawford — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 18:10:00 -0400

2008 will without a doubt be the most memorable season of the century.

There are so many teams on the radar for that number one spot come early January, that you can't even count with two hands.

The Georgia Bulldogs are number one entering the season for the first time in school history. They are led by last year's freshman sensation, and upcoming sophomore Knowshon Moreno.

Georgia has a solid team on both sides of the ball, but playing through that schedule may effect Georgia's chances to play in Miami for the BCS Championship. That schedule is like walking through a mine field; you're highly unlikely to make it out in one piece.

We all know reigning Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow is hungry for a championship. The Florida Gator quarterback has a pretty strong supporting cast to win the SEC in Atlanta.

With the emergence of Chris Rainey and USC transfer Emmanuel Moody, the running game of Florida will be much more productive in 2008. This will lead to a healthier and stronger Tebow. If Percy Harvin can manage to get healthy, this offense will be scary.

Florida's only worry is the defense. If the defense makes a couple third down stops this season, the Florida Gators may win it all.

The Auburn Tigers look to beat out the 2007 BCS Champion LSU Tigers for the SEC West.

While that is taking place, Florida and Georgia will be battling in the East.

November 1st may be the biggest game of the Cocktail Party's history.

Looking at the West Coast, USC is coming into 2008 with arguably the best defense in the country. Led by linebacker Rey Maualuga, the Trojan defense plans to lead Southern Cal to glory.

Unfortunately the Trojans play another very well-rounded team on September 6th:

The Ohio State Buckeyes.

Led by Heisman hopeful running back Chris Wells and defensive force linebacker James Laurinaitis, the Buckeyes plan to make a statement by making their third straight appearence to the BCS Championship game and winning the Big 10.

Whoever wins on September 6th has a good chance of playing in Miami on January 8th.

The Sooners of Oklahoma seem to be the favorite of the Big 12. Quarterback Sam Bradford hopes to avoid the "sophomore slump" and lead his Sooners to an undefeated season.

The Big 12 is loaded this year, so Bradford will have some competition.

With the Harrell-Crabtree duo at Texas Tech and Chase Daniel-Jeremy Maclin show at Missouri, the Sooners don't have an easy road ahead of them.

Over in the ACC, the early favorite is Clemson. It doesn't look like anybody is going to put up a fight either.

The same situation exists in the Big East. West Virgina, led by quarterback Pat White seem to have a very explosive offense with the addition of Noel Devine, who will be entering his second season.

The only team who may sneak up on the Mountaineers will be the Pitt Panthers.

Another team that may send shockwaves is BYU. They may be the next Boise State or Hawaii.

This year in general may be the biggest year of college football.

So sit back and enjoy, its gonna be a long and exciting year of college football!

Is Georgia Quarterback Matthew Stafford Receiving Too Much Hype?

Sean Crawford — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 19:41:04 -0400

"Houston, we have a problem."

This quote may be in the back of the mind of Texas native Matthew Stafford.

Stafford is coming into 2008 as the leader of the Georgia Bulldogs, the No. 1 team in the country. I'm sure that must be pressure for any athlete, but I believe Stafford has got the weight of the Peach State on his shoulders.

The Georgia faithful have extremely high expectations. That's nothing out of the ordinary, but the hype of Bulldog Nation has definitely reached its peak.

The Bulldogs are No. 1 starting the 2008 season for the first time in school history.

The Bulldogs ended the 2007 season as arguably the hottest team in the nation.

Hawaii played the Bulldogs on Jan. 1 and realized that Southeastern teams from the mainland are no joke. Georgia crushed the Warriors 41-10, earning them a BCS bowl victory and a lot of momentum heading into spring.

2007 also featured the emergence of Georgia running back Knowshon Moreno. Moreno, now a sophomore, rushed for over 1,300 yards as a freshman and is considered the best running back in college football.

Stafford had his best year as a Bulldog in 2007. He led his team to a BCS bowl and won 11 games for Georgia. He is expected to have a breakout year in 2008.

It was no surprise that Georgia would be No. 1 entering 2008—at least not to Bulldog fans.

But matters recently got worse for the Georgia QB.

Along with the hype that the junior from Dallas has to manage, he has to adjust to a devastating injury.

Not to himself, but to Trinton Sturdivant.

If you don't know who Sturdivant is, he can be best described as the player that Stafford trusts the most. Sturdivant was Georgia's starting left tackle and Stafford's backside protector.

Sturdivant tore his ACL and is out for the season.

So less than a month before the season starts, Stafford has to get on a completely different trust level with his new blindside bodyguard.

A quarterback who can't trust his backside tackle is in a Whitney Houston/Bobby Brown-type relationship—in other words, not good.

To make things worse, Sep. 6 and Sep. 13 could each be a rude awakening for Stafford. The Bulldogs play their first two real games (I'm hoping the front five for UGA can stop the defensive ends of Georgia Southern and Central Michigan).

First, the Dogs travel to Columbia to play South Carolina. The Gamecocks, who defeated Georgia in 2007, have one of the best defenses in the SEC. Linebacker Jasper Brinkley, 6'4", 265, is the leader of that defense and a force to be reckoned with.

I think it's safe to say that Stafford may be a little uncomfortable coming into this contest. I'm sure the thought of losing Sturdivant will be in the back of his mind at the beginning of the game. This may slightly affect the Bulldog passing attack.

Gamecock fans will probably be listed as mentally ill because of the hectic screaming and yelling that will take place, which is another factor sure to increase Stafford's discomfort level. This is a huge test for Stafford and the Dogs.

The following week, UGA travels to Arizona State. The Sun Devils started 7-0 last season, so this game is definitely not in the bag.

If the Bulldogs are fortunate enough to start the season 4-0, they then have to play Alabama, Tennessee, at LSU, in Jacksonville against Florida, and at Auburn.

I'm very skeptical about the Bulldogs winning a National Championship with that schedule, especially with Stafford as quarterback.

Stafford is an above-average quarterback, but he is overrated.

It's fine when the media and fans say that Stafford can possibly win an SEC championship, but it gets ridiculous when people start comparing him to Florida quarterback Tim Tebow.

I wouldn't mind having Stafford lead my team, but he is nowhere close to Tebow's caliber.

Numbers don't lie, so let's take a gander, shall we?

In 2007, Stafford threw for 2,523 yards, completing 55.7 percent of his passes for 19 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. This was Stafford's second year starting.

Those are solid numbers.

Tebow threw for 3,286 yards, completing 67 percent of his passes for 32 touchdowns and six interceptions. This was Tim's first year starting.

Those numbers are the reason why Tebow was the youngest player to win the Heisman trophy. Tebow was also accountable for another 23 touchdowns and 895 yards on the ground rushing. All told, Tebow was responsible for 55 touchdowns.

Stafford ran for two touchdowns and -39 yards. Ouch!

Tebow also has three things Stafford doesn't: the Heisman trophy, an SEC ring, and a National Championship ring.

Comparing Tebow to Stafford is like comparing the intelligence of Bill Gates to the intelligence of Flavor Flav. There is no comparison.

Stafford should be kissing the feet of his running back Moreno.

Do you honestly think the Bulldogs would be where they are right now without Moreno? Would 11 wins still be in the picture last season? Without Moreno, I highly doubt that.

The only reason why Stafford is getting praised is because he was fortunate enough to get a running back who has been compared to Herschel Walker.

Moreno was the heart of the Georgia offense, not Stafford.

If Georgia had an "average" running back, would they have made it to a BCS bowl last season? C'mon, let's get real. That's very unlikely.

My final thoughts: Stafford won't play to his high expectations. Moreno, the savior of Stafford and Georgia football, will have another great year. But overall, the Bulldogs will not reach the "Glory" that is expected of them in 2008.

The Georgia football team will be watching the SEC Championship game from their couches.

Florida Gators Defense is Growing up Quickly (Uh-Oh!)

Sean Crawford — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 10:26:48 -0400

After arguably one of the worst seasons, as far as defense goes, the young Gator defense can't use inexperience as an excuse anymore.

At the start of 2007 practice, Head Coach Urban Meyer and Defensive Coordinator Charlie Strong knew they had some pretty big shoes to fill. Losing nine starters from a dominating National Championship defense, the Florida staff knew they had some work to do.

Losing four of the five defensive line rotation, losing both corners, losing an All-American Safety, and losing all three starting linebackers had the Gator coaches experiencing a little bit of anxiety.

Opening the 2007 campaign, three true freshmen, five true sophomores and one redshirt sophomore were named starters to the Florida defense. All of these players were making their debut as defensive starters.

We all know what the outcome was at the end of the season.

A Florida defense hasn't given up those kind of numbers through the air since the 1970s.

When you have no pass rush or not one experienced cornerback, what else can you expect?

Since spring practice, Urban Meyer has seen his young defense grow up to be more mature football players.

The corners, Joe Haden and Wondy Pierre-Louis, actually look like they know what they're doing. Last year, they had to learn the steps and were constantly thinking about not "screwing up." But now they have the steps down, and they know what to expect this year.

According to Pierre-Louis, who is now a junior, they are going to try to make plays and not just go through the motions like last year. Sophomore Joe Haden is also confident about the upcoming season.

Being placed on the freshman all-SEC team in 2007, Haden suddenly looks like an experienced corner.

Haden came out of high school as a quarterback and started as a cornerback his first year as a college player. If you've never played football, you don't know how hard it is for a player to switch schemes, or in Haden's case, switch positions.

Haden received some high recognition from Coach Meyer this August. Meyer said Haden is now playing like an SEC corner.

When Meyer praises you, that's when you know you've done your job.

The Gators have two solid corners, and new cornerbacks coach Vance Bedford is awfully excited to see them play.

True freshman Janoris Jenkins and true freshman Jeremy Brown are competing against Markihe Anderson and Jacques Rickerson for playing time at the cornerback position.

Safety is probably the one position that Coach Meyer is still skeptical about.

With only two scholarship safeties on the roster, some changes had to be made by the Florida coaching staff.

Ahmad Black has now been moved from corner to strong safety. Wide Receiver Justin Williams has also made the transition to safety.

It looks like the free safety position has been locked up by sophomore Major Wright.

Wright, who started last year as a true freshman, showed the capability he has deep in the secondary. If Wright stays healthy, the free safety position should be in good shape.

True freshman Will Hill enters the competition for the other safety job. Hill, who was voted the No. 1 athlete by rivals.com, is trying to get used to the speed of college rather than high school. Once Hill does adjust to SEC speed, he will be lethal and should make an impact in 2008.

Williams showed immediate skill during a scrimmage in the second week of practice. Williams will be a quality backup if he doesn't step up and grab the starting free safety position.

Because of Ahmad Black's experience in the secondary, I look for him to start on Aug. 30 against Hawaii.

Defensive line coach Dan McCarney has been fortunate enough to bless the Gator coaching staff with his experience. The departure of Greg Mattison left McCarney with the opportunity to coach a defensive line unit with plenty of depth.

Jermaine Cunningham returns at starting defensive end. The junior showed potential to be a great DE at Florida last year, recording 17 tackles against LSU.

Cunningham will be joined by true sophomore Carlos Dunlap, who has freakish size and speed. Dunlap's 6-foot-6, 290-pound frame and 4.6 forty speed will have quarterbacks constantly worrying about the backside.

Dunlap and Cunningham could be the best pair of defensive ends in the SEC.

Sophomores Duke Lemmens and Justin Trattou are joined by true freshmen Earl Okine and William Green to compete for the backup defensive end positions.

Defensive Tackle really struggled last year due to injury and lack of depth. But things have really turned positive over the past couple of months.

With the arrival of Omar Hunter, the second-best DT in the 2008 class, and Matt Patchan, the defensive tackle position will be a hard job to win due to the level of competition.

John Brown looks to show his skill as a redshirt freshman. Brown missed last season due to academics, but he received a redshirt and is ready to contribute.

Terron Sanders and Brandon Antwine both suffered injuries last season and look forward to playing this season.

Ronnie Wilson joined the team as a walk-on after an off-the-field incident in 2007. Wilson was a guard and played on the 2006 National Championship team.

Wilson showed good footwork and explosion this off-season and may receive a decent amount of playing time on the defensive side of the ball.

Jaye Howard made the move from end to tackle and looks like he will do some damage this season. He came to Florida at 230 pounds and is now at 270. He may be a huge surprise in 2008.

My projected starters are redshirt sophomore Lawrence Marsh and JUCO transfer Troy Epps. Marsh has the size, (6-foot-5, 305 pounds), and he showed the coaches he really wanted to make an impact this season. Epps impressed the coaches in the off-season and will be a big part of the defensive line unit.

As you can see, we have plenty of depth on the defensive line. Torrey Davis and Javier Estophinan are two other names in the defensive tackle mix.

The linebackers are probably the most experienced group in the whole defense.

Led by second-team All-American Brandon Spikes, this unit looks to raise some eyebrows this fall.

Spikes, a junior, led the team in tackles last season with 131 and earned a spot on the SEC first team. He is considered the leader of the defense and will remain at middle linebacker in 2008.

Dustin Doe has really impressed Coach Meyer and Coach Strong this summer. Doe started all 13 games last year and will be someone running backs will look out for. Doe will hold off the outside.

The other Outside linebacker is still in the air.

AJ Jones will look to keep his spot, but Lorenzo Edwards and Brandon Hicks may have something to say about that. All three know what it will take to win the job. I honestly have no clue who the starter will be come Aug. 30.

Overall, the defense has made a complete 180 since last year. Signs of maturity and leadership have impressed the entire coaching staff.

Even Heisman-winning quarterback Tim Tebow can notice better play by the secondary. Tebow says they are playing with a higher confidence level and it shows.

If this defense stays healthy, especially in the secondary, they will help the Gator offense put up more numbers.

Florida Gators Offensive Line Heading into 2008 with Plenty of Motivation

Sean Crawford — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 20:36:08 -0400

The most underrated offensive line in college football resides in Gainesville. Not one All-American has been named off the front five from UF.

The preseason magazines that people are forced to read aren't reliable. For example, Athlon's College Football preview listed the top 10 O-lines in college football. Guess where they ranked the boys in Orange and Blue?

If you guessed not ranked, then you are CORRECT!

Doesn't this group deserve more credit? I can think of at least 55 reasons why this unit deserves more respect and recognition. A man by the name of Tim Tebow would probably agree with me.

23 rushing TDs and 32 TDs through the air: Those were the numbers of Tebow's 2007 season. Tebow earned college football's most prized award and became the youngest player to ever win it.

We all know that Tebow is an alpha male and can scare the Boogeyman away. But I'd be more likely to ruin my underwear playing against an SEC linebacker than having an encounter with a dark shadow wearing a mask.

In other words, that O-line gave Tebow enough time to throw for well over 3,000 yards last season and made lanes for Tebow to run for 800-plus yards.

Tebow will be the first one to acknowledge that the Heisman was a team award and not an individual award. The '07 Gator offense was third in the nation in scoring and first on third down conversions.

So where is the love? Can we at least get one or two preseason third teamers?

The Gators are losing only one starter on the line from last season. Jim Tartt, Phil Trautwein, and Jason Watkins played on the 2006 National Championship team. Trautwein and Tartt both started while Watkins got a significant amount of playing time in 2006. Tartt and Watkins both started last season.

In the summer of '07, Trautwein suffered a season-ending foot injury that was actually a blessing in disguise, according to coach Urban Meyer. Trautwein received a medical redshirt and worked on his technique, along with his strength, during his time off the playing field. Now No. 75 is looking and playing better than ever.

The other two spots on the line are held by what I like to call "The Twin Towers." Yes, Mike and Maurkice Pouncey are actually identical twins. Their 6'4", 310-pound frames make them a pretty intimidating identical duo.

Maurkice started at guard last season and is making the transition to center, while his brother Mike switches from starting defensive tackle to starting guard, where he belongs.

The Gators have more depth at DT, which allowed Mike to play next to his brother at the guard spot. Tartt remains at the other guard while Watkins and Trautwein fill the tackle positions.

The starting front five for the Gators has more than enough experience to lead the Gators to Atlanta.

Another thing the media doesn't realize is the depth of Florida's offensive line. Carl Johnson, James Wilson, Marcus Gilbert, and Maurice Hurt can play anywhere in the SEC, according to O-line coach Steve Addazio.

Addazio plans to use this depth to constantly have fresh legs in the game. If someone isn't at 100 percent, the Gators have more than enough talent to substitute. Urban Meyer believes this is his best offensive line he's had at Florida.

Once again, why isn't this unit getting the recognition it deserves? After reading this, I think you can agree that the Gator O-line is a wee bit underrated. With the RB position deep with talent, this special group is going to put up huge numbers. August 30 can't get here fast enough.

GO GATORS!