It's the halfway point in the 2008 Florida Gator season and I have made some grades for each group of positions on both sides of the ball. Here they are...
Offense - We average 38.5 points/game which is 16th in the country, 415.2 total yards/game which is 36th in the country, 193 rushing yards/game which is 29th in the country, and 211.3 passing yards/game which is 61st in the country.
Quarterback - Grade A-
If Tim Tebow's 2007 campaign was everything that you would ever want out of a quarterback, then you would have to say that this season has lacked a bit. However, his play has been pretty damn good, and I wouldn't trade him for any other college quarterback.
Tim Tebow (Jr)- Yes he hasn't put up the gaudy numbers he did last year. However, he hasn't really had to. All he's done is lead the Gators to a 5-1 start, and a #5 AP poll ranking. On the season, he is 93/149 for 1235 yards, 10 touchdowns, and one interception. His 152.85 passing efficiency is good for 17th in the nation. On the ground, he has 73 carries for 179 yards and three touchdowns. This is the major reason people are claiming that he is under-performing. In reality, the offense has changed a bit, to the point where we down have to rely on him to make as many big rushing plays. The emergence of Jeff Demps and Chris Rainey hasn't hurt either. His passes were going a bit errant earlier in the season, but I think he's fixed that. I expect him to be fully healthy when we are going to need him the most, which is later in the season, against Georgia, FSU, and possible SEC and BCS championship games. Anyways, didn't you watch his post-game press conference after the Ole Miss loss? I got chills. I expect big things for the rest of the season.
John Brantley (So)/Cam Newton (So)- They are a combined 3/6 for 33 yards, 0 TDs, 0 Ints. They have also rushed 6 times for 11 yards, and a TD. Brantley came in late against both Arkansas and LSU. Does this mean the coaching staff is leaning more toward him as the #2 man? I want to pay close attention to this for the remainder of the season, as Tebow may be gone to the NFL.
Running Backs - B+
The running backs have been quite surprising this season, and thank god for that! Taking the load off of Timmy has allowed this offense to flourish. However, we still lack that every down bruiser back that you can count on to move the chains in times of need (if you don't count Tebow)
Jeff Demps (Fr)- This freshman has been incredible so far this season. He has rushed 23 times for 307 yards, and 4 TDs. He's also caught 5 balls for 36 yards. Every time he passes the D-Line, you think he has a chance to take it to the house. He's very explosive. I'm just a little worried about his size and possibly taking a wrong hit. But, the coaching staff seems to use him correctly, which is not up the middle, but around the corners.
Chris Rainey (So)- In his sophomore campaign, he's making a bigger and bigger contribution with each game. He has rushed 42 times for 286 yards, and 2 TDs. He's also caught 1 ball for 10 yards. As with Demps, I'm impressed with his explosion, but fearful because of his lack of size. Substituting the two often has been a great asset to the offense, and will probably lighten the load off of Tebow and Harvin.
Emmanual Moody (RSo)/Kestahn Moore (Sr)/Brandon James (So) - They have combined to rush 37 times for 167 yards, and 2 TDs. They have also caught 10 balls for 85 yards, and 1 TD. Moody has been a bit of a disappointment, since he was this highly talked about transfer from USC that was supposed to be the thunder to Harvin/Rainey's lightning. Injuries haven't helped. Hopefully he'll be able to make a good contribution from this point further. Moore, a senior, has been quite overshadowed by the speedsters at the top. He still surprises a few people with his power. BJ hasn't really had to do much on offense. But, him coming into the game does create a spark for the offense at times.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends - B-
The receiving core has been up and down this season. At times, the wide receivers have made some big plays. They are certainly fast, but that explosive first move off of the line doesn't seem to be happening.
Percy Harvin (Jr)- He is easily our most dangerous player, and I'm thankful that he's a Gator! He's caught 25 balls for 396 yards, and 5 TDs. He has also rushed 29 times for 190 yards, and 2 TDs. Percy is the main playmaker in times of need. He has no fear, catching plenty of balls on slants over the middle. He is so deceptively strong. He NEVER goes down on first contact. Watch for it next game, it's incredible. I just hope he'll be able to stay healthy for the remainder of the season. He has a bad history with respect to injuries. His health will play a big role in us fighting for a BCS championship game spot.
Louis Murphy (Sr)- He has stepped up to become a major force. He's caught 18 balls for 294 yards, and 2 TDs. He seems to be the to-go guy when Percy is in the backfield, or out of the game; a clear #2 receiver. Even though he's able to get separation, he has a tendency to drop a lot of passes. If he lessens the drops, which halt key drives, he'll be a force to be reckoned with.
Aaron Hernandez (So)- He has filled in nicely for Cornelius Ingram. However, the lack of a big time playmaker like CI has really hurt us with respect to creating mismatches. Hernandez has caught 15 balls for 145 yards, and 2 TDs. He has the ability to gain huge chunks of yardage after the catch, and I hope to see him used a little more in the upcoming games.
Riley Cooper (Jr)/Deonte Thompson (RFr)/Carl Moore (Jr)- This group has combined to catch 20 balls for 226 yards. I'm baffled as to why Cooper is getting so much playing time. Sure he's a good athlete, but he's never done anything to really impress me. In fact, he runs poor routes and drops some passes. Deonte Thompson, on the other hand, is a speedster that I can see creating mismatches deep. Hopefully the coaching staff will get the ball in his hands a bit more. Moore was a five star JuCo commit and he has been a big disappointment for me thus far. I was expecting him to come right in and make a ton of big plays. Maybe he'll be a bit healthier for the rest of the season.
Offensive Line - B
After the first two games, I was really concerned with the poor offensive line play, specifically in the Miami game, where their defense toyed with us. However, since then they have played with a purpose and they are getting better with each game. The real test will be against Georgia, when they'll be bringing the house on every play. The core group is pretty solid. It's nice having some big nasty seniors anchoring the left side of the offense in Phil Trautwein (RSr) and Jim Tartt (RSr), latte of which has missed some games due to injury. In Tartt stead, Carl Johnson (Rso) has played extremely well. The Pouncey twins (So) have developed into some solid players in the middle, creating lanes for our speedy running backs. Protecting Tebow's blindside is Jason Watkins (RSr), a 5th year senior. He's done a solid job as well.
Defense - We give up an average of 13.7 points/game which is 7th in the country, 274.3 total yards/game which is 15th in the country, 96.3 rushing yards/game which is 15th in the country, and 178 passing yards/game which is 26st in the country.
Defensive Line - C+
I expected real big things out of a lineup that was bringing back Jermaine Cunningham and Carlos Dunlap, even though they are really young. However, the defensive line hasn't been pressuring the quarterback as much as I had thought they would. They are playing well against the run, making it easier for the linebackers to make tackles, but they don't seem to be getting to the quarterback for a lot of sacks or even just making them hurry the ball. They have plenty of talent, and hopefully they start to pick it up.
Jermaine Cunningham (Jr)- He has accounted for 27 total tackles, 4.5 of which were for a loss, and 3 total sacks. He's the main force on the D-Line, bringing the most pressure toward the quarterback. I expect him to continue his good play.
Carlos Dunlap (So)- He has accounted for 15 total tackles, 4 of which were for a loss, and 3.5 total sacks. I expected huge things out of him and I'm very disappointed. He has the speed and the size to make quarterbacks cringe. He needs to man up and start playing the type of football other expect out of him.
Lawrence Marsh (RSo)- He has accounted for 19 total tackles, 5.5 of which were for a loss, and 3 total sacks. He's been a surprise for me. He seems to cause a lot of havoc in the backfield, which is necessary from a defensive end.
Terron Sanders (RSo)- He has accounted for 11 total tackles, 2.5 of which were for a loss. He hasn't really showed me anything special. I hope some others get more playing time.
Justin Trattou (So)/Matt Patchan (Fr)/Torrey Davis (So)- Trattou has looked ok in his season, being the first in line to backup anyone on the line. I want to see more of Patchan, who is coming back from a gunshot wound. He played a good deal of minutes against Arkansas. Also in that Arkansas game, I got to see Torey Davis play for the first time this season. He is a REAL big boy, and I think with more playing time, he'll turn into a stud.
Linebackers - A
The linebacking core has been solid all season, coming up with good tackles, and bone crushing hits. Outside of Brandon Spikes, I was unsure heading into the season. However, my doubts have dissipated.
Brandon Spikes (Jr)- He leads the team with 46 total tackles, 4.5 of which were for a loss, 1 total sack, and 2 interceptions. He has been pretty nasty all season. As intimidating a player as you'll ever see, he is in the middle of every play. He is the heart and soul of this defense and the main playmaker. He'll be playing on Sundays in the near future.
A.J. Jones (Jr)- He has accounted for 26 total tackles, 1 of which were for a loss. He has stepped up nicely as a starter. He should be in line to play a bigger role next season.
Dustin Doe (Jr)- He has accounted for 13 total tackles, 1 of which was for a loss. Unfortunately, he's missed the last two games with an injury. When healthy, he's a menace. Reports say he might be back for the Kentucky game.
Brandon Hicks (So)- He has accounted for 15 total tackles. I think he is going to be the next great Brandon, following Siler and Spikes. He has filled in nice in spot starts for the injured Dustin Doe.
Ryan Stamper (Jr)- He has accounted for 13 total tackles, 1 of which was for a loss. Along the same lines as Hicks, he has filled in nicely when the injuries started to come in.
Defensive Backs - A+
This group was one of the biggest reasons we didn't win more last season. They were all very young and everyone was concerned about this same group coming into this season. They have made a complete 180, and turned into a fierce group of playmakers.
Joe Haden (So)- He has accounted for 37 total tackles, .5 of which were for a loss, .5 total sacks, 1 interception, and 3 passes defended. He has played some lights out defense. Last season he made some big plays, but allowed even bigger plays. This year has been totally different, leading the DBs in tackles.
Major Wright (So)- He has accounted for 34 total tackles, 2 interceptions, and 3 passes defended. Does he make some bone-crushing Reggie Nelson-esque hits or what?! This guy brings fear into the hearts of opposing receivers. I dare anyone to run a crossing route deep over the middle.
Janoris Jenkins (Fr)- He has accounted for 22 total tackles, 1 of which was for a loss, 1 total sack, 1 interception, and 5 passes defended. He has come right in from high school and made an immediate difference. He could be our next shutdown corner.
Ahmed Black (So)- He has accounted for 28 total tackles, 1 of which was for a loss, 2 interceptions, and 1 pass defended. If you stood next to him, you would never think has a football player, let alone a good strong safety. He has come in and played some great football, reminding everyone of Rudy in the process.
Will Hill (Fr)/Jacques Rickerson (Jr)/Markihe Anderson (Jr)/Wondy Pierre-Louis (Jr)- They have combined for 40 total tackles, 1 interception, and 1 pass defended. Will Hill will end up starting at some point, maybe over Black or take over if Wright leaves for the NFL. The other juniors are going to be a little overshadowed by the younger guys. However, they have come in and played a ton of minutes in this rotation the coaches have going, so they'll still see their fair share of playing time.
Special Teams - A+
Our special teams have made the difference in many games so far. Whether it be on kick returns, kickoffs, punts, or field goals, the field position game has stayed in our favor all year. You can see that success by the fact that no opposing team has started a drive on our side of the 50 yard line.
Jonathon Phillips (Sr)- He's been very solid so far, going 9 for 9 in field goal attempts and 28 for 29 on extra points. Unfortunately his only mishap came at the worst possible time, with a blocked PAT late against Ole Miss. Him kicking off really upsets me, but it seems those responsibilities are being limited.
Caleb Sturgis (Fr)- He will be a stud as a place kicker once Phillips is gone. He has one hell of a leg, and it shows on his deep kickoffs. He does need to control his accuracy however, kicking a couple out of bounds this season. Expect multiple 50 yarders from him in the future.
Chas Henry (So)- This guy is turning into one of the most important players on our team. Whenever we are pinned back in our territory on 4th down, he seems to boom a high and long punt way down the field. He single-handedly changes the game with respect to field position. The one thing he lacks is the ability to angle his short punts out of bounds, a skill Eric Wilber mastered. Most of them bounce into the endzone, which really hurts his net average.
Brandon James (Jr)- BJ might be our most exciting player. Every time he awaits a punt or a kickoff, you know he has a chance to take it all the way back. Not only has he returned two punts for touchdowns this season, but he is averaging 20.88 yards/punt return and 29.25 yards/kickoff return, which rank him 5th and 9th respectively, in the nation. He is a stud and I'm very happy that he's a Florida Gator!
All in all, we've started the season well and I believe that we will only improve from here on out. We have a chance to be a special team, and it all hinges on these players. Here's to a great second half of the season! GO GATORS!
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