Saturday, September 25, 2010

Gators in a game of numbers against Wildcats

By Sean Doyle
CFRT Contributor
Orlando, Florida 

0, ¼, 10, 23, 100 and 200. 
These are the numbers that jumped out to me thinking about the Gators game tonight against the Wildcats.
Let’s start with the fraction.

1/4
This number has significance in two ways for this team and the season so far. 
As my good friend Mike DaRoza pointed out earlier this week, we are ¼ of the way through this football season!
And the Florida Gators have yet to score in the first quarter of a game this year!
Just a few weeks ago the Gator Nation had dreams of seeing a high-flying offense with long, tight spiral passes to fleet-footed receivers running wide open down the field.
Seems that the UF coaches didn’t read the same newspaper clippings. 
They are either purposely hiding an offense of mass production until ‘Bama, or we’re watching a team trying to define their offensive identity after three straight years of T-Bone ball.
I say it is a combination of both at play. 
Look for the offense to open the playbook up a bit against a susceptible UK defense. 
But, just enough to make ‘Bama go “hmm,” when putting together a game plan for UF next week.

10 vs 0
That’s 10 interceptions chomped up by this Gator D, leading to a national-tying 12 total turnovers for the season. 
Today should be a challenge for the ball-hungry Gator defenders as they go against a ‘Cats offense that has 0 turnovers for the season.
Averaging 44.3 points and 497.3 yards a game, don’t look for Kentucky to go conservative.
Believe me, there is a bunch of guys wearing Orange and Blue drooling from smelling that pigskin that’s about to be served up.

23
In the world of basketball, that is a sacred number. Unfortunately for Kentucky - although a true basketball school - that signifies the Wildcats’ losing streak to the Gators. 
We’ll see that streak move to 24 in a row. 

100
That's the amount of wins Urban Myer is looking to reach with a win tonight. 
He would be the sixth fastest coach to reach that milestone, doing it in an amazing 118 games! 
Sixty of those wins have come walking the sidelines for the University of Florida - including two national titles! 
With a winning percentage of .846, Meyer ranks best out of every active coach in college football today.

200 
That is a number that has a big bulls eye on it. 
Incredulously, John Brantley has yet to reach 200 yards passing this season. 
Meyer has reportedly made improvements on offense a priority in practices this week. 
And with a Kentucky team that is suspect against passing teams this year, look for that number to be blown away and not be an issue this game - or the rest of the season. 
The key is balance. 
Kentucky likes to sell out to stop the run. 
And with legitimate home run threats in the running game, look for the safeties to bite on run reads, giving Brantley plenty of open targets with yards and yards of green grass to pile up for the passing game!  

2 comments:

  1. I guess we all didn't see the real number that was in the Gators favor coming.....8!

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  2. Right on Anonymous! Look for my follow up and the importance of the #8 in this game in,
    "Gators Play Parlor Games With The 'Cats".
    This game also presented a bundle of firsts. Including perhaps the 1st time this season Gator fans watched a win that felt like a win. And not another, "we won, but", reaction.

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