Meyer, Gators seeking to avoid repeat against Tigers
Posted on Saturday, October 11, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/adg/Sports/239903/
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Everywhere Brandon Hicks and his Florida Gators teammates turned this week, they saw replays of last year’s demoralizing loss at LSU.
In the weight room. In the training room. In the hallways.
Everywhere.
Coach Urban Meyer wanted the 11 th-ranked Gators to relive every missed tackle, every blown coverage, every one of those fourth-down conversions by LSU that turned out to be the difference.
“It really did challenge our manhood,” Hicks said. “It’s one of those games you get frustrated because everything is going their way [and ] nothing feels like it’s going your way. They had the momentum.”
The Tigers converted five times on fourth down, with two going for touchdowns and three more keeping alive drives that ended with touchdowns.
Meyer showed the 28-24 loss on a continuous loop in the football facility, hoping it would motivate his team heading into tonight’s rematch in The Swamp — the first meeting between the two previous national champions since Miami and Notre Dame in 1990.
The Gators (4-1, 2-1 SEC ) are looking for every advantage they can get, knowing they can’t really afford to lose to No. 4 LSU (4-0, 2-0 ) again.
“It’s huge,” Florida quarterback Tim Tebow said. “Just for momentum, just for confidence, just for defending The Swamp again, I think it’s huge. Probably other games might be more important as far as losing in the SEC East or something, but this game is huge just based on everything else, on us losing last time we were in The Swamp, on us losing to LSU last time we played them, on so many things like that.”
Florida lost 31-30 to Mississippi at home two weeks ago, a humbling, error-filled collapse that left players, coaches and fans searching for answers. The Gators rallied around the fact that the outcome didn’t affect their chances of winning the SEC East.
A second loss could change that drastically.
“We’re expecting their best, and we’re going to respect that by playing our best,” LSU running back Charles Scott said. “We’re preparing for a knockdown, dragout, fistfight.”
That’s a metaphorical fistfight, not a real one. Though LSU defensive lineman Ricky Jean-Francois made himself Public Enemy No. 1 in Gainesville this week when he told The Orlando (Fla. ) Sentinel, “If we get a good shot on [Tebow ], we’re going to try our best to take him out of the game.”
Meyer didn’t appreciate the comment. Tebow blew it off. Jean-Francois said he was misunderstood and sort of apologized.
Oh, the drama.
There’s was plenty of that on the field last year in Baton Rouge, when the Gators visited.
Florida led most of the way, despite giving up 247 yards rushing and 25 first downs. The real problem was those fourth-down conversions.
Backup quarterback Ryan Perrilloux scored on a short fourthdown run in the second quarter. Quarterback Matt Flynn ran for 8 yards on fourth-and-5 from the Florida 25 in the third, and the Tigers scored a few plays later. And they converted three fourth downs in the fourth: Flynn hit Demetrius Byrd for a 4-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-3 and Jacob Hester ran for the other two. Hester ran eight times on LSU’s game-winning drive, including
n fourth-and-1. The second one gave the Tigers first-and-goal at the 5, and Hester scored three plays later to put his team ahead for good with 1: 09 remaining. “That game is constantly running,” Florida defensive coordinator Charlie Strong said. “I watch it. ey watch it.... It’s over with, but we know we can’t play that way Saturday night.” GEORGIA-TENNESSEE Bulldogs look to rebound
ATHENS, Ga. — Mark Richt studied Tennessee’s game film and its record for two weeks. The Georgia coach says the two don’t match.
Tennessee is 2-3 overall and 0-2 in the SEC going into the game against No. 10 Georgia (4-1, 1-1 ).
The Vols lead the SEC in defense and have depth at tailback led by senior Arian Foster, who could become the school’s alltime leading rusher.
Richt’s message to reporters this week was the same as his stern reminder to his players: Tennessee is “an outstanding football team,” no matter the record, which includes an overtime loss at UCLA and a 14-12 loss at Auburn.
“They very easily could be 4-1 and could be a top-15, top-10 team right now,” Richt said.
Tennessee has won two consecutive against Georgia and three of four. The streak includes two consecutive victories for the Vols at Sanford Stadium.
Georgia’s 35-14 loss in Knoxville, Tenn., was a low point to its 2007 season. The Bulldogs recovered to win their final seven games and finish No. 2 in the nation.
The Bulldogs were No. 1 in the preseason poll and stretched the winning streak to 11 games with a 4-0 start this season before a 41-30 home loss to Alabama on Sept. 27. VANDERBILT-MISSISSIPPI STATE
The ups and downs STARKVILLE, Miss. — Coach Sylvester Croom spliced together Mississippi State’s greatest hits of 2007 to inspire his team this week. The Bulldogs’ eight-victory breakthrough was a thumbs-up performance, full of big plays and poignant moments. Croom hopes the film inspires more than nostalgia as Mississippi State prepares to host No. 13 Vanderbilt in a game he thinks could turn around the Bulldogs’ dismal season. The struggling Bulldogs (1-4, 0-2 SEC ) don’t have to look far to find that lost mojo. Vanderbilt has clearly stolen it, using interceptions, goal-line stands and grit to go 5-0. Already off to its best start in SEC play, Vanderbilt (3-0 SEC ) can start the season 6-0 for the first time since 1928 and likely clinch its first bowl bid since 1982 with a victory in Starkville.