Did Coach Mullen Take the O with him to Miss St.
Seven games into the 2009 season and the sputtering offense is the hot topic. It seems to be the question that Coach Meyer is asked week in and week out now. Last week leading into the Mississippi State game he had this to say about the offense:
Did Coach Mullen Take the O with him to Miss St.
Seven games into the 2009 season and the sputtering offense is the hot topic. It seems to be the question that Coach Meyer is asked week in and week out now. Last week leading into the Mississippi State game he had this to say about the offense:
Ric Roberts takes a look at UK football after a 2- 0 start.
Let me start out by saying that I am a former student of the University of Kentucky and would like nothing more than for them to win every game in every sport, especially football (unless they play my beloved Ohio State Buckeyes). But when a team that had been a perennial doormat in the SEC East all of a sudden becomes a respectable team by going to three straight bowl games, it is natural for expectations to be elevated.
The problem becomes that while seeing the team continue to improve over the last few years, the view of those expectations can become skewed. There is a fine line between being a fan with high hopes about the potential of this year’s team and being totally delusional to the state of the Wildcats compared to the rest of the teams in not only the SEC, but in all of the FBS.
Here are a few quotes I have seen posted on the Internet and on the local news broadcasts after the 31-27 win over in-state rival Louisville:
“After today’s game, the rest of the nation needs to look out because we proved we are a Top Ten team.”
“The Wildcats are now a legitimate SEC contender.”
“UK showed that they belong in the conversation with the elite of the SEC.”
“After seeing how Florida struggled with Tennessee, Kentucky’s win over Louisville proves that the Gators may be in trouble next week.”
While all of these are meant with the best of intentions and show how deep the love is of the fans, I don’t think that Kentucky’s 2-0 record warrants a total overhaul of the SEC football pecking order just yet. Beating two teams that you are suppose to beat does not a automatically make one a Juggernaut.
Kentucky beat a Miami, OH team that lost its first two games by a combined 90-0, and didn’t score its first points until the third quarter of their third game. The RedHawks still lost that third game 48-26 after the other team called off the dogs in the fourth quarter. Doesn’t make UK’s rout on a neutral field look as impressive as it once did.
The Troy Trojans have had their own Tim Tebow this week. Redshirt freshman Cory Wilkes has ran the scout team QB for Troy. Still no word yet if Chuck Norris wears Cory Wilkes pajamas.
Troy’s special teams try to prepare for the Gator pressure. The Gators were able to block two punts the last time the Trojans came to The Swamp.
Mother Nature worked with the Gators this week and gave Coach Meyer just what he wanted: Heat! The heat helps Gators prepare for Troy with for an early kick off time of 12:21 pm at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
2009 SEC Football Week 2
Riley Angel takes a look at Week 2 in the SEC
Week Two begins the start of conference play for several SEC teams. The SEC had a good opening week, going 11-1, with the only loss being Georgia to No. 9 Oklahoma State. Here are the predictions for SEC teams in the season’s second week.
Troy at Florida
Troy came into this season as a projected favorite of the Sun Belt Conference. After a surprising loss to Bowling Green, however, the team comes into Gainesville trying to regain its footing.
South Carolina vs. NC State
Thanks to our friends over at The ACC & SEC Blog
NC State vs South Carolina
Thursday, Sept 3 Raleigh, NC
Line: NCST -4
The college football season kicks off with an ACC vs SEC matchup at Carter-Finley Stadium as the Wolfpack of NC State look for redemption against the South Carolina Gamecocks. Last season, South Carolina thumped the Wolfpack 34-0 in Columbia aided by 171 yards on the ground, their highest total against an FBS opponent all year.
NC State Offense vs South Carolina Defense…
NC State returns ACC Freshman of the year Russell Wilson at QB. Wilson was knocked out of the game last year when the Wolfpack were still in contention. His pinpoint accuracy is very unusual for a young player and he has wheels to make plays with his feet. But expect the sophomore to stay in the pocket more this year because those hits he took on the run contributed to his numerous injuries last year. Redshirt freshman Mike Glennon is backing up Wilson this year and drew rave reviews in the Spring.
The Wolfpack return the core of their offensive line that improved as the year went on. With continued improvement, this unit could be one of the best in the ACC. Last year, NC State was breaking in several lineman that had been switched over from the defensive side of the ball. In their last six regular season games, State ran the ball for 149 yards or more in each game.
Wilson’s top targets look to be receivers Owen Spencer and Jarvis Williams who combined for over 1000 yards last season. But I am guessing State’s main mode of transportation in this game will be on the ground with Toney Baker and Jamelle Eugene. Baker is coming off a two year absence but has shown explosiveness in his twelve career starts.
Looking to stop the Wolfpack is a South Carolina defense that smothered NC State in the opener last year allowing just 138 total yards. Coming off the edge will be two really good pass rushers in Eric Norwood and Cliff Matthews. The Gamecocks allowed 133 yards per game on the ground last season which was about middle of the pack for the SEC, but they allowed an average of 237 over their final three.
South Carolina’s secondary is replacing 100 career starts. The back four will need the front four to put some pressure on NC State’s QBs.
Russell Wilson will contend for ACC Player of the Year, if he stays healthy
Take a Look at The Tide
Alabama Preview by Jimmy Reno
Gone is running back Glen Coffee and his 2,458 yards and 16 touchdowns. Gone is quarterback J.P. Wilson, the record holder in almost every single University of Alabama passing category. Gone is left tackle Andre Smith, the All-American, Outland Trophy winner.
The Alabama offense has some huge holes to fill in 2009 if the team has any hopes of a repeat trip to Atlanta to play in the SEC championship game.
Quarterback
Redshirt junior Greg McElroy surprised many when he grabbed the starting job and didn’t look back. McElroy has been solid through the spring and in the beginning of fall camp.
McElroy showed flashes of his potential last season. His 34-yard touchdown pass to Marquis Maze in the annual Iron Bowl game against Auburn ignited the excitement of Alabama fans everywhere.
In McElroy’s first season as a starter at Carroll Senior High School in Southlake, Texas, he threw for 4,636 yards and 56 touchdowns. Clearly, he knows how to pass the football.
McElroy is a very accurate passer and a student of the game. He’s a very smart player who has put in extra work in the film room.
Redshirt freshman Star Jackson, blue chip freshman A.J. McCarron, and walk-on Thomas Darrah have battled for the No. 2 position on the team.
Jackson, an athletic, mobile player, has struggled to completely pick up on some aspects of the offensive schemes. Still, coach Nick Saban has praised the quarterback in recent days for his leadership, effort, and athletic ability.
McCarron, a true freshman with a strong arm, is a bit undersized and needs to bulk up to take the pounding of a full SEC schedule. Reports out of spring and fall camp have indicated McCarron has been very impressive in his passing ability. He’s displayed a strong arm and nice accuracy.
Darrah, a walk-on player, has a really strong arm, but has struggled with consistency.
Jackson appears to be the leader for the number two position, while coaches hope McCarron can have a redshirt year to learn the offense and have a year under the strength and conditioning program to add some size to his 6’4″ frame.
Erik Kuselias and Rod Gilmore discuss which teams could pose a problem for Florida in the SEC.
SEC Blogger Chris Low breaks down the conference as he sees it.
THE MODERATOR: We will continue with our final coach of the day, Florida head coach Urban Meyer. Coach, welcome.
2009 SEC Media Day Gators Wrap Up
COACH MEYER: Thank you all for coming. Honored to be here and represent the SEC and the University of Florida. Also here to clear up that mystery that I’m the guy that didn’t vote for Tebow.
Good to be here. Have a very good football team. Very appreciative of the leadership of our program. It’s as good a summer as I’ve been around in coaching as far as dealing with our guys and watching our strength staff work, talking to them about the professionalism. That was the key word throughout the month of January as we prepared for the championship game and December preparing for the SEC game. That has continued through spring practice and the summer.
The key is let’s get to August 6th. I’ve never been more anxious to coach a football team.
With that said, I’ll open it up for questions.
Q. There’s a lot of expectations for your team. What are your expectations for this team?
COACH MEYER: Well, I want to get through these next two weeks. We go real hard for a week, then they have a week off and we start camp. I don’t look much past that.
This time last year, we had some real tough injuries. So we’ve given a lot of thought to how we’re going to practice to keep that edge, to make it a very difficult training camp, yet safe, make sure we can get to the show, and that’s our first game.
Expectation as far as the season, our goals are always the same as it was in 2005, as it is in 2009, and that is we want to do everything we can to get to Atlanta. That’s our whole we wake up every morning to try to achieve that goal.
Q. Would you talk about during this off season, I know you intended to make it the most difficult that Florida has ever had. Are you satisfied they did have that?
COACH MEYER: Well, I’ll find out when we get ‘em. We get them Coach Marotti turns over the team to me on August 6th. According to our players, who I have great confidence in, when they communicate to me, it has, we’re not finished with it. You can usually tell once we get started in training camp what kind of off season they’ve had. We’ve had good ones, not so good ones. According to our players and strength coach, this has been one of the best, if not the best.
Q. With so much depth, how have you kept everyone happy so far?
COACH MEYER: I think we’ve really promoted the competition and we’ve promoted team first. Great things happen when you have an unselfish team. Last year’s was arguably the most unselfish I’ve been a part of. They got to wear a championship ring, compete in the SEC championship game. That’s what we have going for us right now. I really believe our guys love it at Florida. More importantly, I really believe they care for each other. It’s a good situation right now in that locker room, in the weight room, and when they’re together. That’s not easy.
You have 105, 120, 18 to 22 year olds from every stretch, some overrecruited, some underrecruited, some overrated, some underrated. And to keep those guys happy and motivated, that certainly a difficult task. The only way to get it done is with great leadership on our team and our staff does a heck of a job.
Q. Is Riley Cooper returning?
COACH MEYER: I’ll know that today. Is today Wednesday?
Q. Thursday.
COACH MEYER: I’m going to know it by the end of the week, or the weekend, is what I’m hearing.
Q. Everybody knows you grew up idolizing Woody Hayes. In the heart of Alabama, did you ever study Bear Bryant, read anything about him, take anything from his coaching philosophy?
COACH MEYER: Well, a great story, my first season as coach of Florida, walking in that stadium, I’m standing near the goalpost. They flip that scoreboard on. Bear Bryant is right there talking to me. I’ll never forget that. That guy is not supposed to be here any more.
Up north it was Woody Hayes. Had great appreciation. Read the Junction Boys. Obviously followed Bear Bryant. However, Earle Bruce would often talk about Coach Bryant. That was one of his sources of information and sources of expertise. He would often talk about Coach Bryant. Of course, I have. Not to the same degree of Woody Hayes.
Q. You joked about Tebow and the All SEC team. What do you think of the story that’s become this week?
COACH MEYER: First of all, Pat Dooley told me to do that. Second of all, no one laughed, so it wasn’t a very funny joke. Someone asked me if that’s going to motivate Tim. Whoever asks those questions, don’t know Tim. Tim has a lot of things to motivate him. That’s not one.
Didn’t mean much by it.
Q. There’s been some concern about Tebow not getting under center enough in the past, especially concerning his future in the NFL. Do you see he’ll get under center a little bit?
COACH MEYER: There’s a lot made of that. The concern is not from the professional coaches that I have a lot of conversation with. That never comes up. Tim Tebow, we can’t make this more complicated than what it is. If you want Tim Tebow under center, teach him to get under center, he’ll probably do it better than anybody else.
Are we going to place him under center? A lot of it depends on the quality of our tailback. To play an under center offense, you better have a monster back there at tailback that can take the pounding involved in that style of offense. I was involved in an offense I think 15 years. So we know that offense. Coach Addazio was very familiar. A great offense.
It’s very personnel based on your fullback, on your tailback, your tight end. We’ve not had that luxury. This year, if T.J. Pridemore comes back, is a good fullback, we have three quality tailbacks. If they develop, it helps us win a game, we’ll do that.
We are certainly not trying to, because someone said Tim needs to be under center to enhance his draft status. I assure you, him playing under center has nothing to do with his draft status with the programs we talked to. If it did, we would help him because he earned that. It’s not that different.
