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Post by Deleted on Jul 11, 2015 10:48:50 GMT -5
2015 Florida Gators Football Media Guide: www.gatorzone.com/football/media/2015/media_guide.pdfAnthony Harrell (MLB), graduate transfer from Georgia Tech, doesn't appear in the media guide as he transferred too late in the process for inclusion in the guide. From the roster at Gatorzone: 0 Anthony Harrell LB 6' 2" 237 RSR TR Tampa/Jesuit/Georgia Tech
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Post by Deleted on Jul 11, 2015 11:50:06 GMT -5
If Jake McGee has the kind of season he's capable of, the UF O is going to surprise everyone in the nation. I still vividly remember how depressed I was after losing McGee and how upbeat lz was because UF had blown out a one-way ticket patsy. I knew the moment McGee was hurt so badly that it was an injury that would have a negative impact throughout the season. Fortunately for UF, if McGee goes down again, there are a couple of TEs on the roster who are miles ahead of the hands of stone converted DEs to TEs that Muschamp demanded UF play with because they could block. McGee was injured on a running play when big OL Trenton Brown rolled up on his leg and broke it. The blocking TEs were sitting on the bench. Such was life under Muschamp:
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Senior Jake McGee has been named to the 2015 John Mackey Award preseason watch list on Wednesday, which is given annually to the most outstanding collegiate tight end.
The Mackey Award recipient will be announced on December 9, 2015 and then presented live on December 10, 2015 at The Home Depot College Football Awards Red Carpet Show on ESPNU.
McGee, who transferred to Florida in the summer of 2014 after graduating from Virginia where he played for three seasons, suffered a season-ending injury in the first half of the season opener last year. He received a medical redshirt and was granted another year of eligibility by the NCAA.
During his final season (2013) at UVA, the Richmond, Va. Product led the Cavaliers with 43 receptions and 395 receiving yards. In addition, 26 of his 43 receptions (60.5 percent) went for a first down or a touchdown. He had a career-high eight receptions against then-No. 2 Oregon and later equaled that with eight receptions at Maryland.
In that contest against the Terrapins, McGee had a career-high 114 receiving yards against Maryland and became first Cavalier tight end to surpass 100 receiving yards in a game since Tom Santi had 128 yards receiving against Minnesota in the 2005 Music City Bowl.
Other key dates include the announcement of the 2015 Mackey Midseason Watch List on October 12, 2015, the 2015 Mackey Semi-finalists on November 16, 2015 and the 2015 Mackey Finalists on November 24, 2015.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 12, 2015 21:21:50 GMT -5
HOOVER, Ala. -- If there is a common theme attached to the Florida football team heading into the 2015 season, it's that the Gators are a known commodity on defense and a nearly blank canvas on offense.
The Gators return several key defensive starters, including a secondary considered one of the deepest and most talented in the country.
However, on offense there are questions at quarterback and on the offensive line, and at running back and receiver, more playmakers are needed.
But the biggest question of all is what impact head coach Jim McElwain, a longtime offensive coordinator who won a pair of national championships at Alabama before turning around Colorado State's program the past three seasons, will have in his first season in Gainesville.
McElwain has spent the majority of his 30-year coaching career west of the Mississippi other than for his four-year run at Alabama from 2008-11. He got the job done on Nick Saban's Crimson Tide staff and Gator fans are hoping for similar results in his return to the SEC as a head coach.
It's only mid-July, so we won't know what the Gators will actually look like on the field until Sept. 5 when they host New Mexico State in the season opener.
Meanwhile, the preseason officially kicks off Monday with the start of SEC Football Media Day.
Senior defensive lineman Jonathan Bullard, sophomore receiver Brandon Powell, and junior cornerback Vernon Hargreaves will join McElwain here Monday as they meet with media from around the country to preview the upcoming season.
GatorZone.com will be providing live coverage throughout the day with a live blog that will be posted Monday morning. The SEC is using the official hashtag #SECMD15 on social media.
The four-day event is broadcasting live on the SEC Network. McElwain's press conference is scheduled from 3:30 to 4 p.m. ET on Monday. McElwain also has a live appearance scheduled on SportsCenter at approximately 1:45 p.m. ET, and on "College Football Live" between 2-2:30 p.m.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 13, 2015 9:17:15 GMT -5
UF has 76 ship players going into SEC Media Days today. It's likely a couple of ships will be awarded towards the end of fall practice to walkons. That would put UF in the upper 70s heading into the season presuming we don't have any season ending injuries during fall practice.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 13, 2015 15:42:53 GMT -5
UF SEC Media Days - A Non-Event, Pretty Much:
By Pat Dooley Staff writer
Published: Monday, July 13, 2015 at 4:06 p.m.
HOOVER, Ala. — Jim McElwain was his sockless, relaxed self when he met with the media Monday afternoon. He seemed eager to get practices started, said he’s had great reports from the weight room and raved about the three players he brought to SEC Media Days.
Especially Brandon Powell.
McElwain thinks Powell can be a hybrid receiver/running back and although he didn’t mention him, it sounded like he wants to use him the way Urban Meyer used Percy Harvin.
“We’ll find out when we come back this fall how far along we are,” McElwain said. “Part of the reality of being in this conference is that you know it doesn’t happen overnight.
“There were some good things in place. We just need to pick up from that and move forward. It’s kind of great to have the expectations (of turning it around).”
McElwain talked about his patchwork offensive line and said his goal is to find seven or eight players who can play multiple positions.
“How they grow is how we’re going to grow,” he said. “Guys are going to get their chances to take some reps.”
For all the talk about the OL, I'm thinking how the QBs play will be equally if not more important. Will Grier ended spring practice with a slight lead.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 13, 2015 16:03:17 GMT -5
A couple of player updates - neither are big surprises:
Andrew Spivey @andrewspiveygc
Jay-nard Bostwick is still dealing with some personal issues right now.
Expand Reply Retweet Favorite
1h Andrew Spivey @andrewspiveygc
No timeline for Antonio Morrison's return. Mac says he has came a long ways
I had hoped Jay-nard Bostwick would have had his personal issues resolved by now. While I originally thought he had a school work issue, I'm leaning towards a physical issue with his weight down to 283. He has gone from NG size to SDE size in 6 months.
Morrison was already known not to be ready by the start of the season. Hopefully, he'll be back for the SEC season, but I'm not holding my breath on that. Getting Anthony Harrell, 6'2"/237 graduate MLB transfer from Ga. Tech, may prove to be the best pickup of the offseason transfers.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 13, 2015 17:32:28 GMT -5
That's great news on Trip Thurman. Every bit of good news on the OL is welcome:
By SCOTT CARTER GatorZone.com Senior Writer
Updated (6:10 p.m.)
HOOVER, Ala. -- Florida head coach Jim McElwain updated the media on some injuries at Monday's SEC Football Media Days.
Offensive lineman Trip Thurman, whose career appeared in jeopardy in the spring due to a chronic shoulder injury, is ready to go in camp according to McElwain. That's good news for the Gators since Thurman has 12 career starts -- the only offensive lineman on the roster who has started for the Gators in the wake a career-ending injury to Roderick Johnson in spring camp.
McElwain said senior linebacker Antonio Morrison continues to recover from an injury in the Birmingham Bowl and will not be full-go when camp starts.
Meanwhile, sixth-year tight end Jake McGee (leg) and junior defensive lineman Bryan Cox Jr. (hip) are in good shape to start fall camp.
As for redshirt sophomore defensive tackle Jay-nard Bostwick, McElwain said he continues to deal with some undisclosed personal issues that forced him to miss the spring game.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 14, 2015 17:46:50 GMT -5
Four year DL starter Jonathan Bullard on why he returned for his senior season. He appears to have the head to move on to the NFL. I just hope he doesn't have any serious injuries after coming back:
Written by Andrew Spivey, July 13, 2015
Hoover, Ala. — Jonathan Bullard had a tough decision to make. As the Florida Gators senior defensive tackle saw his junior season come to a close, he had two options — both with possibly life changing consequences. He could leave school early and g o to the National Football League, or come back for a senior season with a new head coach and a new staff.
Bullard, who has improved each season that he has been at Florida, would likely have been a mid-round draft pick had he come out last year, but that wasn’t his goal as a player.
Despite the low draft stock, the decision wasn’t an easy one for Bullard. Not only did that mean passing up on his dream of being a professional football player, but also meant playing his senior year without the coach who had meant so much to him along the way.
Making things even tougher for Bullard during his decision making process was that his mentor, and his go-to lady, his grandmother, was not there for him to lean on and to talk things through. Luckily, another close relative stepped in to lend an opinion.
“It was actually my older brother, Nelson Bullard,” he said of whom he leaned on. “To this day that’s who I go to, no matter what, if I’m down or if something’s going on. My grandma was a big factor and [Nelson] kind of understands that. I could talk to her about everything and she was a person that never wanted to hold me back. She was a big part of my life and my brother is just a great person to talk to because he had a bond with her as strong as I did. So that is who I go to talk about stuff with.”
His grandmother wasn’t around to give that advice but in the back of Bullard’s mind he knew what “Maw-Maw” (the name he called his grandmother) would’ve said to him.
“She probably would not have given me an answer, to be honest with you,” he said. “She would have probably said ‘go with your heart, you know what is best and either way you go, you’re going to kill it. If you go in the draft, it might not be where you want to go but if you stay then you can have a big year and go get it’. She would probably given me a little bit of both and said go to the Dallas Cowboys.”
After talking it over with his older brother and former Florida Gators coaches Will Muschamp and D.J. Durkin, Bullard decided it was best to return to Florida and try and improve on the 52 tackles that he recorded in 2014.
The decision was a very tough one for Bullard because it meant passing up his dream of playing in the NFL and making money for another yeah, but the defensive lineman quickly realized that stuff could wait, as he wanted to make his dream of becoming a first round draft pick come true.
“My parents were not in a situation where I needed to get money fast,” Bullard said on why he came back. “I saw improvement last year but it was tough because they [NFL guys] were telling me that you will get drafted but not where you want to be. The NFL guys were telling me that I would be drafted later but not too late. I’m going to be blessed this year even if I’m not the first rounder that I want to be, but just to be drafted.”
After making the decision to return to school was final, Bullard’s next move was to meet with the man he would now call coach.
Jim McElwain was the first person to ensure Bullard that he had made the right decision, but after losing his defensive line coach after a month on the job, Bullard was starting to get a little worried.
I thought it was going to be Coach [Terrell] Williams coaching me, which was good because he had NFL experience and he knew what it took to get there and then that fell down and I was like ‘oh man’,” Bullard said. “Then they brought in ‘Rumph Shaker’ [Chris Rumph] and I had met him before at Clemson. I went to camp at Clemson my 10th and 11th grade year and he recruited me at Alabama so I had already met him and was comfortable with him. I had met his family and I knew everything about him so it turned out to be good for me. So far so good.”
Bullard is in classes and back working out with the team, but in the back of his head Bullard is still thinking of ways to make his dream of becoming a first-round draft pick come true.
One of the first things that came to mind was that Bullard — who considers himself to be a defensive end — is not considered an elite pass rusher after only totaling 5.5 sacks in three years of play.
“I want to improve my pass rush this year,” he said. “I always look at myself as a big run defender and that’s good for me. As far as pass rush, I’ve never been a high number sack guy but that’s kind of what the league is coming too so that’s something that I wrote down on my list as improvements for this year. That will help my draft stock and me as a player.”
Bullard has made it through his last offseason as a college football player and was rewarded by getting a trip to SEC Media Days on Monday.
August, however, is a big month for Bullard because he will finally get the chance to starting working with Rumph on getting better in the areas he has written down where he wants to improve. With Bullard’s motivation and work ethic, the NFL should pay close attention to him.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 15, 2015 13:49:13 GMT -5
Robbies Playbook QB battle looming Tuesday, July 14, 2015 at 1:20 by Robbie Andreu
The last time the Gators had a quarterback competition this close (in 2012), it seemed to create a divide within the team. All-America cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III said it won’t happen this fall because of the way he expects Treon Harris and Will Grier to handle the situation in preseason camp.
“They are good friends, but they both understand what’s at stake and they’re both up to compete,” Hargreaves said at SEC Media Days. “I think that’s what I like most about both of them. We don’t know who’s going to start. They don’t know who’s going to start. They understand it has to be one, there’s only one quarterback. I think that since they understand that it makes everybody else a little bit easier, knowing they know one of them is going to get picked.”
Grier ended the spring slightly ahead of Harris, but UF coach Jim McElwain said he’s not even close to naming a starter. He said he’ll wait to see how the two perform in camp and how the other players respond to them when they’re running the offense.
Hargreaves said the two QBs have different skill sets, and both are capable of leading the offense in their own way.
“I feel like Treon is more athletic. More of just a natural football player where Will is definitely your quarterback. Your normal quarterback who is strong armed and can throw it anywhere across the field,” Hargreaves said. “I don’t know how it is going to happen. I don’t know how it is going to go down. I don’t know if athleticism is going to happen or is Will being more of a quarterback going to prevail? We’ll find out.”
Said sophomore slot receiver Brandon Powell: “I really like both of them. They throw the ball well. Coach is going to make the best decision.”
There has been some talk of possibly playing both quarterbacks, but Hargreaves said it’s probably better to settle on one guy and go with him, leaving little doubt about who’s the leader of the offense.
“I haven’t seen many successful two-quarterback operations,” he said. “I feel like for them, they wouldn’t want to do a two-man rotation. Just knowing them, hanging out with them and them knowing each other, I feel like somebody has to start and that’s how it has to be.”
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Post by Deleted on Jul 15, 2015 13:53:44 GMT -5
No OL No QB No Playmakers
It's no wonder why UF is being picked 5th or 6th in the SEC East and why Phil Steele didn't bother to rank UF in his preseason top 55. If you can't score, you can't win.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 16, 2015 8:25:23 GMT -5
Poll at the Gainesville Sun - I fall in the 46% camp:
Going into the game against #17 Mississippi, what do you think the Gators record will be?
0-4 1% 1-3 1% 2-2 14% 3-1 38% 4-0 46%
Number of votes cast: 1168
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Post by Deleted on Jul 16, 2015 12:06:19 GMT -5
7.16.2015
HOOVER, Ala. -- The competiveness of the Southeastern Conference was showcased in the annual media voting at SEC Media Days, as for the first time in the 23-year history in the poll, media were divided on divisional champion and overall SEC Champion. By a narrow margin, the Auburn Tigers were picked by media in attendance to capture the 2015 SEC Championship. Auburn received 96 SEC Championship votes, while the Alabama Crimson Tide was close behind with 80. The Georgia Bulldogs were third with 28 votes.
Alabama, however, was picked to win the SEC Western Division with 1,405 total points, while Auburn was second with 1,362. Alabama received 92 first-place votes in the West, while Auburn collected 108. The Crimson Tide won the Western Division vote due to receiving just three votes for fourth place or lower in the Western Division, while Auburn received 26 such votes. Points were awarded on a 7-6-5-4-3-2-1 scale.
Georgia was selected to win the SEC Eastern Division with 1,498 points, including 166 first-place votes. Tennessee was second with 1,231 points and 36 votes to win the division, while Missouri was third with 1,196 total points. The two-time defending East representative in the SEC Championship game also received 20 votes to win a third consecutive division title.
Five times since 1992 the SEC Media Days predicted champion has proceeded to win the SEC Championship, including Alabama last season.
The preseason All-SEC Team will be announced on Friday.
SEC Champion
School Points
Auburn 96 Alabama 80 Georgia 28 LSU 9 Arkansas 3 Ole Miss 3 Tennessee 2 Texas A&M 2 Florida 1 Mississippi State 1
Eastern Division (1st Place votes in parenthesis)
Place School Points
1. Georgia (166) 1498 2. Tennessee (36) 1231 3. Missouri (20) 1196 4. South Carolina (1) 830 5. Florida (1) 768 6. Kentucky (1) 534 7. Vanderbilt 243
Western Division (1st Place votes in parenthesis)
Place School Points
1. Alabama (92) 1405 2. Auburn (108) 1362 3. LSU (10) 870 4. Arkansas (6) 821 5. Ole Miss (3) 732 6. Texas A&M (4) 628 7. Mississippi State (2) 482
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Post by Deleted on Jul 16, 2015 13:13:06 GMT -5
This is probably the best and most likely preview of UT at UF that I've seen. I'm certainly taking the points and UF when the game come up in our pick'em contest:
Florida Gators Season Preview: Game four, Tennessee Volunteers
Posted on July 9, 2015 by Neil Shulman Screen Shot 2015-06-18 at 5.01.50 PM PREVIOUSLY PREVIEWING
Game One: New Mexico State Aggies
Game Two: East Carolina Pirates
Game Three: Kentucky Wildcats
TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS
Coach: Butch Jones, 3rd year (12-13)
2014 record: 7-6 (3-5 SEC), def. Iowa in TaxSlayer (Gator) Bowl
Last meeting: Florida 10, Tennessee 9 (2015)
All time series: Florida, 25-19
Streak: Florida, 10
The skinny: The Tennessee Volunteers have long been considered irrelevant in the SEC East race. Last year was the first year they even made a bowl game since 2010, and was just their second winning season since 2007. Their ineptitude against Florida has gone on for even longer. Not only has Florida won ten straight in the rivalry, but the Gators have also won 18 of the last 22 as well as 23 of the last 29. The Gators haven’t just dominated the series the past decade. Their ownage of Tennessee dates back to the 1970’s, well before the teams became annual opponents. Tennessee swears this is their year, and although their fans have been saying that for several years now, this time I might be willing to believe them.
Offensive breakdown
Returning starters: 10
A year ago, this offense had little to no experience. This year, experience is all they have. Tennessee returns 10 of 11 starters on the offensive side of the ball, the most notable of whom is QB Joshua Dobbs. He basically came out of nowhere in 2014, going from the third team QB to the starter who guided the Vols to a bowl game (and bowl win) in a matter of weeks. OK, so each of his four wins as the starter came over teams with six or more losses, but that’s still better than most other Tennessee QB’s have done in recent years. He’s a true dual threat QB, and has even been mentioned in a few non-Tennessee message boards as a dark horse Heisman Trophy candidate.
But Dobbs was helped by a great set of skill players last year, and he’ll have each of them back again this year. It starts with the running game. Between Jalen Hurd and Alvin Kamara, Tennessee could quietly have the nation’s best backfield. Hurd tallied 899 yards on the ground last year, including 122 in the Gator Bowl victory against Iowa (I refuse to call it the TaxSlayer Bowl, as that feels so wrong). To boot, they have an offensive line that returns all five starters- Kyler Kerbyson, Marcus Jackson, Mack Johnson, Jashon Robertson and Coleson Thomas- from a year ago, the first three of whom are seniors. Just one problem: that offensive line yielded the most sack yardage of any Big Five conference school. So the experience they have isn’t necessarily good experience.
The offense is rounded out by a veteran group of receivers. Marquez North will look to rebound from his 2014 season ending injury, and getting him back would be a boost for an offense that would have plenty of capable receivers without him anyway. Pig Howard and Josh Malone combined for just shy of 1000 yards last year despite the turbulence at the QB position, and starting tight end Ethan Wolf returns as well. So there you have it. Tennessee’s offense is pretty experienced. Will it be explosive? Maybe, maybe not. But definitely experienced.
Offensive Grade: B+. Tennessee returns all but one starter on its offense, which is good. But like with Kentucky, there’s a difference between Tennessee returning 10 starters and Florida returning 10 starters. Still, there’s lots of promise with Dobbs at the controls. The Vols could win some shootouts.
Defensive breakdown
Returning starters: 8
Tennessee’s front seven could quietly be one of the best in the nation. The Vols get back Curt Maggitt (11 sacks in 2014) and Derek Barnett (10) to form the SEC East’s top pass rushing duo. Maggitt also plays linebacker at times, making him a sneaky weapon for defensive coordinator John Jancek to play around with.
At the linebacker spot, Jalen Reeves-Maybin is coming off a breakout sophomore season, but pending what Jancek does with Maggitt, the rest of the second level is a question mark. Jakob Johnson, Chris Weatherd and Cortez McDowell will all compete for playing time, but none have ever seen much action yet. They’ll have to step up and fill the void left by departed linebacker AJ Johnson, or else this whole defense could be in trouble.
The secondary should again be stout. Cameron Sutton returns to his corner position, while seniors Brian Randolph and LaDarrell McNeil return to their strong and free safety positions, respectively. The only key departed starter back there is nickel cornerback Justin Coleman, but Rashaan Gaulden has received nothing but praise in his campaign to replace him. Plus, Tennessee has added JUCO cornerback Justin Martin, who’s also drawn high praise from the coaching staff.
Defensive Grade: B-. Tennessee could have the best pass rush in the SEC East. But questions at the linebacker position make me hesitate on saying that this defense is ready to win them games in the SEC.
Tennessee wins if… they’re able to score touchdowns in the red zone. Florida’s defense is probably too good to let Tennessee get inside their 20 a whole lot of times, so the Vols must capitalize with seven points when they do get there. Settling for field goals in a game where points could be at a premium is not the way to pull off the upset in the Swamp.
Florida wins if… they don’t turn the ball over. The Gators tried really, really hard to lose to the Vols each of the last two years with an ugly array of “what the hell is wrong with you” type turnovers, but miraculously didn’t. Screw the opening Vegas betting lines, when you win 10 straight and 23 out of 29, you’re automatically the favorite to win. But self inflicted wounds are every favorite’s kryptonite.
Three things to watch for:
1) The Gators need to contain the edges and make sure Josh Dobbs doesn’t get any funny ideas, like rolling out and then taking off for 30 yards because everybody’s focus was downfield. Dobbs is athletic enough to make some plays with his legs. Florida can’t just turn their back on him and make Dobbs’ work easy, or Dobbs will make easy work of Florida.
2) Not only can Florida not turn the ball over, but they need to sustain drives and keep the ball out of Dobbs’ hands as much as they can. The Tennessee offense could be dangerous if it gets going, and one way to ensure that it doesn’t get going is to hold onto the ball for long periods of time. They’ll need a great performance from their offensive line in order to do this, and they’ll need Kelvin Taylor, Adam Lane and Jordan Scarlett to all be ready to chip in. This is also important because it’s going to be the first true big game Will Grier (assuming he wins the job) has played in, so taking the pressure off him with a great rushing performance would help him immensely.
3) We know Jonathan Bullard is a beast. He’ll probably give Tennessee some trouble. But what about the other side of the line? Taven Bryan, Bryan Cox and Alex McCallister will likely all see playing time against the Vols, and it’s time for one- or more- of them to step up and declare himself a playmaker on this defense with a solid performance. It’s a good test for Tennessee’s offensive line, and will determine if all that experience really means anything.
Tennessee overall grade: B+. Watch out. Tennessee isn’t a walkover anymore. They may not win the SEC East, and they may not even be better than Florida. But they’re not the doormat they have been for the past decade
Overview: Trap. Game. For the second week in a row.
No, I’m not one of those who thinks that the number of returning starters determines how a team will fare in a given year. But Tennessee has experience on its offensive line (something Florida doesn’t have) and a true dual threat quarterback who could come out of nowhere and emerge as a stunning Heisman candidate. In previous years, I’ve laughed the Vols off and dismissed them as petty afterthoughts in the SEC East race. No longer. This year, they’re a legitimate contender in the SEC East race- and more importantly for our purposes, a threat to end the massive losing streak.
So yes, Florida will struggle against Tennessee, just like they did last year in Knoxville. But while Tennessee has gotten better, so has Florida. Grier is a major upgrade from Jeff Driskel. Florida’s secondary is not just good, it’s one of the best in the nation with everybody returning from last year. And oh yeah, Florida actually has a competent head coach on the sidelines this time around- one whose top priority is to reclaim the Swamp after the previous coach left it a quagmire. I credit Tennessee for making vast improvements and concede the fact that defeat is a real possibility, but I’m convinced that McElwain will have his team ready for this one just as much as Jones. Make it Elevenessee.
Projection: Florida 24, Tennessee 20
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Post by Deleted on Jul 16, 2015 14:23:39 GMT -5
HOOVER, Ala. -- Geoff Collins brought the juice to Florida.
Traditions like "juice points" and "get the ball award" the former Mississippi State defensive coordinator created in Starkville are alive in Gainesville.
"He still uses most of the stuff he had a Mississippi State," junior corner Vernon Hargreaves III said.
Collins left Mississippi State prior to its bowl game last year to join Jim McElwain's staff. MSU coach Dan Mullen called the decision a lateral move when it happened.
The juice Collins brought to Mississippi State is what attracted McElwain to the defensive coordinator.
"I just love his energy every day," McElwain said. "The way his teams have played speaks for itself."
Collins introduced a swag chalice, wore his hat sideways and ran up and down the sidelines more than his players during his time at Mississippi State. He brought the same energy to Florida, which has rubbed off on his players.
"He's great," Hargreaves said. " He's brings a lot of energy."
Collins implemented a new attitude but didn't change much schematically.
Florida finished fifth in the Southeastern Conference last year in total defense. The Gators recorded 16 interceptions, which ranked third in the league. Mississippi State shared the most in the league with Auburn. Both schools picked off 22 passes in 2014.
"He came in and asked us what we wanted to do,which I thought was great," Hargreaves said. "We all appreciated that. We're excited to play for him."
Contact Michael Bonner at mbonner@gannett.com. Follow @mikebbonner on Twitter.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 17, 2015 8:23:32 GMT -5
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – University of Florida junior wide receiver, Demarcus Robinson was selected for the 2015 Biletnikoff Award Preseason watch list on Wednesday, as announced by the Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation, Inc.
Last season, the Fort Valley, Ga. native had the best season by a Florida Gator receiver since 2009, totaling 53 catches for 810 yards and seven touchdowns. The junior wide receiver was named Third Team All-SEC by Phil Steele, after ranking fifth in the SEC averaging 67.5 receiving yards per game.
The Biletnikoff Award recognizes the outstanding receiver in college football. Any player, regardless of position who catches a pass is eligible for the award. The award recipient is selected by the highly distinguished Biletnikoff Award National Selection Committee, made up of a group of 275 prominent college football journalists, commentators and former receivers.
College Football Hall of Famer and Heisman Trophy winner Desmond Howard will present the 2015 Biletnikoff Award on December 10, 2015, on the Home Depot College Football Awards Show.
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