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By John L. Crawford
SouthernPigskin.com Contributor
Fernandina News-Leader
SouthernPigskin.com Contributor John L. Crawford looks back on the offensive momentum Florida gained last weekend and wonders why FSU QB Christian Ponder is getting snubbed?
Florida’s 41-17 blowout of Georgia in Jacksonville last Saturday served a lot of purposes. First, it clinched the SEC East and the Gators’ primary goal of getting to Atlanta. Then there was Tim Tebow’s record 50th rushing touchdown of his career (over the most celebrated Dawg in history nonetheless). As for recruiting, 17-of-20 can’t hurt when a high school superstar is on the fence between Florida and Georgia.
But where championships are concerned, last Saturday might be looked back upon as a catalyst of sorts. Halloween 2009 might be remembered as the day when the Florida players stopped playing tight and the Florida coaches stopped coaching tight.
Florida head coach Urban Meyer admitted after a less-than-impressive win at Mississippi State on Oct. 24 that everyone in orange and blue was pressing. Coaches were trying to send in the perfect play when the Gators reached the red zone, rather than sticking to the call sheet. Tebow might have been trying to do a little too much, pulling the ball down and running when receivers were open or forcing it into coverage when they weren’t. Message boards were rife with fans wondering what had happened to the dominating offense from 2008.
But Florida’s first two drives last Saturday seemingly brought back a sense of harmony. The Gators rediscovered the vertical pass and moved the ball with ease, which had to produce a collective sigh of relief throughout Gator Nation. After weeks of frustrating offense, followed by questions about the Gators’ validity as the top-ranked team in the country, Florida should come out of the tunnel this Saturday in Gainesville with a renewed sense of confidence.
Last Saturday was indeed special as it pertained to records and championship aspirations. And when all is said and done, it might very well be viewed as the springboard to championships – as the day the Gators rediscovered themselves…
As respected and endeared as Georgia head coach Mark Richt is in Athens, one has to wonder just how many more times he can lose to arch rival Florida before his job status comes into question. The coach probably gets a pass for last Saturday simply because of who was playing quarterback for both teams. While a Joe Cox win over Tim Tebow might have resulted in a new contract for Richt, even the most ardent Bulldog fans probably didn’t expect it to happen. Next year might be a different story, however, with John Brantley stepping under center for the Gators. With the departure of Superman, the Georgia faithful will likely roll into RV City next year fully anticipating a victory. If it doesn’t happen, well, there might just be a few more logs put on the fire under Richt’s seat…
Speaking of coaching careers, Steve Spurrier can’t be having too much fun at South Carolina, where the Gamecocks seem to always flirt with relevancy before petering out in the second half of the season. Granted it’s hard to get a win over Tennessee in Knoxville, however, Spurrier did it routinely when he was the head coach at Florida. Just makes you wonder how many more times he can withstand lumps on the head from SEC teams he used to dominate…
Despite Florida State’s struggles in 2009, Christian Ponder might be the best passer in the country. The junior has already thrown for 2,453 yards with 13 touchdowns and just three interceptions and has completed about 70 percent of his passes. How he isn’t on the Davey O’Brien watch list for top quarterback honors is puzzling.
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Crawford of the Fernandina News-Leader, a veteran journalist in the Sunshine State and a high school football coach, has joined the SouthernPigskin.com Staff. His opinions will include college football but other sports as well. Share your thoughts on the SouthernPigskin.com Message Boards or email John at
Stories written by SouthernPigskin.com columnists are done independently. Views do not always coincide with those of the remainder of the staff or the ownership of SouthernPigskin.com.
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