Tag Archives: South Carolina Gamecocks

Late Thanksgiving Thankfulness: Thankful The Florida Gators Only Face Jadeveon Clowney Once More

  By The Bull Gator | January 2, 2013 - 2:32 pm | SEC Football
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Thanksgiving has come and gone. It wasn’t even last month at this point. It was days and weeks and months ago. But I’m thankful for something I’d like to add to my list from last year. I’m thankful the Florida Gators only have to face South Carolina’s Jadeveon Clowney once more. He has to leave after his junior season, right? I present to you the No. 1 overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft.

Florida Gators 44 – South Carolina Gamecocks 11; Gators Take Control Of SEC East In Big Victory

  By The Bull Gator | October 20, 2012 - 7:28 pm | Uncategorized
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With a 44-11 win over the South Carolina Gamecocks, the Florida Gators took control of the SEC East. At 7-0 (6-0 SEC), the Gators have two more conference games to get through before a possible trip to Atlanta for the SEC Championship Game. It seemed a year away before the 2012 season began, but after seven games, it’s now a very real possibility.

Florida Gators Fans

Watching the first half, you felt that the Gators had control of the game despite a (beyond) subpar offensive performance. It was an odd feeling, but when the Gators entered the locker room leading 21-6, there was a definite aura of victory. While Florida wasn’t moving the ball particularly well, they were winning by two scores and the defense was playing up to its high expectations. If you told me a team with 29 total yards of offense could lead a football game by 15 after 30 minutes of play, I would have told you that you were out of your mind. But you would have been right and that’s all that matters.

The second half was more kind to the Gators offense. Although, after 60 minutes, Florida was still outgained. The Gators scored an unfathomable 44 points on 181 total yards. Turnovers and special teams will do that for you though. And it doesn’t hurt to have a ridiculously unbelievable statline like this one…

Jeff Driskel – 11/16, 93 yards, 4 touchdowns, 0 interceptions

Amazed? Well, here were the numbers at the half…

Jeff Driskel – 5/7, 15 yards, 3 touchdowns, 0 interceptions

The Gators have passed for less than 100 yards in three-straight games for the first time since before Steve Spurrier roamed the home team’s sidelines. They have also won all three of those games and two against top-10 teams. I’ll say that again to be sure you’ve heard me. The Gators have won three-straight games–two against top-10 teams–while passing for less than 100 yards in each.

In this one, they didn’t run it particular well either. That’s saying something for South Carolina’s defense and not necessarily a lack of production from Florida. The Gators had trouble blocking the Gamecocks front four to no surprise to anyone. It’s a talented South Carolina defense, but Florida managed to do enough to win. I would say just enough by looking at the stats, but then I glance at the final score. A 33-point win classifies as much more than “just enough.”

There you have it Gators fans. Another win–the seventh off the season. During Will Muschamp’s first season as head coach, the Gators won a total of seven games and needed the bowl game to hit that mark. This time around, it took seven games to get to seven. If you’re out tonight celebrating the victory, go ahead and order yourself a seven and seven. You deserve it. We all do. But the biggest congrats goes to the Florida Gators; our Florida Gators. 7-0 is so sweet and it’s always great to be a Florida Gator.

Preview: Florida Gators Vs. South Carolina Gamecocks; SEC East Control Up For Grabs

  By The Bull Gator | October 20, 2012 - 8:00 am | Florida Gators Football
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The Florida Gators host the South Carolina Gamecocks today in what could amount to a battle for control of the SEC East. I’ll keep this short because the die-hards among you have already joined the tailgate of champions. The weather is pretty close to perfect and Fall is here. That makes for a great day of football, not only in Gainesville, but across the SEC.

Jarvis Moss - Florida Gators

As you await kickoff and another matchup between two great programs, build your anticipation for this one accordingly. Yes, I used the word great for the Gamecocks as well. Our once head coach has led them to heights never before experienced in Columbia and good for them. Rivalries are a great part of the sport and this one may never have reached this level without an injection of Steve Spurrier.

There are those among us that still love Spurrier–I’m one of them. There are also those that don’t feel anything positive toward the man. My guess is that second group has calmed its stance slightly after the Urban Meyer situation. Hopefully they realize what Spurrier did for the mighty Florida Gators. Without him, mighty may not be the right descriptor. But today, he’s the enemy. We can praise his accomplishments as a player and a coach at the University of Florida and we can thank him for what he did. One day, I’ll tell my son about the man that propelled the orange and blue to greatness. Not today.

Today, Spurrier is just that man leading the other team. He is Derek Dooley, Les Miles, Nick Saban and Jimbo Fisher. There is no connection today. Today he must be beat. The winner controls the SEC East. Both teams control their own destiny; all they have to do is keep winning to punch their ticket to Atlanta. It’s about who wants it more. We know which side we’re on and we’re ready to see those mighty Florida Gators take care of business once more.

Enjoy the weather. Enjoy the fall. Enjoy another college football Saturday. And, as always, Go Gators!

Talking Florida Gators Vs. South Carolina Gamecocks On WACH Fox With Leftover Hot Dog

  By The Bull Gator | October 19, 2012 - 10:00 am | Florida Gators Football
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I had a chance to talk with Tyler Ryan of WACH Fox out of Columbia, SC and Billy Kohler of the South Carolina blog Leftover Hot Dog. We discussed our thoughts for the game between the Gamecocks and Florida Gators, Marcus Lattimore, and (begrudingly) gave our predictions on the game. Not to worry, they were on location, so you don’t have to stare at my ugly mug; I called in. A big thanks to those guys for asking me to appear and represent the Gators side of things, though the feelings might not be so friendly come Saturday.

Bruised Hip May Limit Marcus Lattimore; Florida Gators Game Plan Shouldn’t Change

  By The Bull Gator | October 17, 2012 - 10:54 pm | Florida Gators Football
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When news broke on Wednesday that South Carolina star running back Marcus Lattimore had missed practice with a bruised hip, the outlook of Saturday’s game changed. With their offensive star far from 100%, the Gamecocks’ chances against the Florida Gators took a hit. That is, if he is truly limited.

Marcus Lattimore - South Carolina Gamecocks

At this point, we’re hearing that Lattimore “might not start.” That’s very different than “will be out.” If Lattimore doesn’t start, but is available, it means he can play if needed. If South Carolina takes care of business without him, Steve Spurrier and the rest of the Gamecocks’ staff would be comfortable with him watching from the sidelines. That, though, isn’t desired. South Carolina wants Lattimore to play and may even need him to play.

The Gamecocks are much more than Lattimore and what he brings to the team, but there’s no denying his star status and what he brings to their offense. He has three 100-yards games and has scored each time South Carolina has taken the field this season. If you need proof of what he can do, you can simply go to his stat line from the 2010 game against the Gators: 40 carries, 212 yards, three touchdowns. He was a true freshman at the time and the Gamecocks won by 22.

But, as I said, he isn’t the entire team. South Carolina took care of business in 2011 against Florida without him. Sure, it was a very different Gators’ team just one season ago, but a win is a win is a win and the Gamecocks are 6-1 in games he hasn’t appeared in. Think about that for just a moment. They are 20-7 with Lattimore, but their win percentage is actually better without him. Is he an important part of their offense? Definitely. Can they win without him? They sure can.

For now, his status is uncertain. It shouldn’t matter to the Gators though. In the first half of the regular season, Florida has proven to have one of the better defenses in the nation. The Gators are playing fast (which is nothing new), but are also playing a physical style of football that was missing at times the past two seasons. Marcus Lattimore or not, the Gators’ game plan doesn’t change.

If Lattimore can go, they have to contain him. If he can’t, they shift their attention to Kenny Miles and Mike Davis (yes, that Mike Davis). Miles, a senior, has gone over 10 carries 11 times in his career. Six of those times came way back in 2009. Davis, a freshman, has 13 career carries to his credit. He’s averaging 9 yards per carry, but that number is lifted by a 50-yard gain against UAB. There isn’t a lot to the Gamecocks’ run game from the running backs not named Marcus Lattimore, but the Gators should still stick to their plan. And they will.

This game means too much to Florida to deviate from what works and what they hope to do. Injury reports, whether real or not (as some speculate Spurrier is playing mind games with the Gators), don’t matter much. The Gators are preparing for another hard-fought SEC battle. The Gamecocks without Lattimore are still a very good, talented team. They still have playmakers on offense and a frightening defense. And that describes Florida as well. Lattimore or no Lattimore, the Gators can win this game, if they prepare for it and play it their way.

The Florida Gators Are The Nation’s No. 2 Team, With Ranking Comes Great Expectations

  By The Bull Gator | October 16, 2012 - 10:41 pm | Florida Gators Football
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Remember 2006? Of course you do. The Florida Gators would finish the season as the nation’s No. 2 team according to the final BCS standings. And 2008? There were the Gators again at No. 2. How about 2009? The Alabama Crimson Tide held the No. 1 spot in the final rankings. Just last season? Alabama at No. 2. What do those teams have in common? They would each go on to victory in the BCS National Championship Game. But where did they start? And why am I asking you so many questions?

Jeff Driskel - Florida Gators

The Gators were No. 6 in the first set of BCS standings in 2006. In 2008, Florida was all the way down at No. 10. Alabama was No. 2 in 2009 (behind then No. 1 Florida). And the Tide were No. 2 in 2011. So the Gators weren’t in the top two of the first rankings during either of their title years, but the Tide were both times they won it all. Yes, were going somewhere with this.

On Sunday, the first BCS standings of the 2012 season were released and the top two spots were occupied by the programs that have won four of the last six championships. Alabama at No. 1 isn’t a surprise in even the loosest definition of the word. It was inevitable. There really is no debate on that, even if some will try. And even if some of those that would debate it should be our own Florida Gators.

Those Gators, though, they’re right there at No. 2 with the shock you were all looking for. In my own submission in the SB Nation College Football BlogPoll just one day ago, I had Florida at No. 3. I can’t argue the No. 2 ranking and won’t even try, but I did want to put it out there again that I wasn’t as generous. For a number of reasons really, but one in particular.

With high rankings come high expectations and maybe I don’t want to believe it all just yet. I was quite enjoying being the team that’s not supposed to be up there. After a 7-6 season, most of us Florida fans were thinking 9-4 was in the realm of possibility. We could see a perfect storm producing 10 wins, but we could also envision a season that brought eight. There were so many questions to be answered and improvements to be made that we just weren’t sure. And please keep in mind that being an optimistic fan is worlds different than taking a realistic approach of the situation before you. 2012 was to be an improvement on 2011. We could have seen 6-0 coming, but No. 2 was a shock.

You know how it goes, “If the season were to end today, we’d see another all-SEC national title game.” The season doesn’t end today, but yes, if it did, the Gators would face the Tide for the crystal ball. That scares me. It shouldn’t. After all, I’m a Florida fan and have been for most of my life (I’m not sure who I cheered for before I turned 5 years old and discovered the orange and blue), but it scares me because I’m not sure they’re ready. I was thinking everything would come together in 2013 and that would be the season the Gators could really make some noise. All of that came one season early. Or did it?

We’re at the halfway point of the season with games against South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida State still to come. Just two weeks ago, all three of those teams were in the top six. Today, they each have one loss, but they’re still three of this season’s better programs. Florida faces them all. 6-0 could very easily become 9-3. Then again, it could be 10-2. How about 11-1? Does anyone dare go to 12-0? We can ask that question. Not because we have the right to, but because there’s a real chance it could happen. That perfect storm isn’t 10 wins anymore. It’s higher.

South Carolina just lost to a team the Gators beat. Georgia lost to South Carolina. FSU lost to an ACC team they weren’t supposed to lose to. None of those losses guarantee future Florida wins, but they showed that there are ways to beat those teams. Put it all together and it’s all looking mighty bright in Gator Nation.

What happens from here starts on Saturday, but losses now bring an added disappointment. Expectations will do that to you. Before I’m lit up with “ALL LOSSES HURT!!!” let’s look at that statement. Some hurt more than others. Without expectations, they’re awful. With them, they take on an entire new meaning. Tell me, what was worse? Losing to the Seminoles in 2011? Or to Alabama in the 2009 SEC Championship Game? I know my answer.

The expectations aren’t going away and so we must accept them. Maybe even learn to like them. They increased after 3-0 and intensified after the win over LSU. Beat South Carolina and they may just be sky-high. I’ll be fine with that, but nervous. But I’ll take a good nervous over a bad one any day.

Week 7 BlogPoll: Where The Florida Gators Become (A Justified) Top-3 Team

  By The Bull Gator | October 15, 2012 - 8:32 pm | College Football
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We’ve come to the week where the college football landscape is taking shape. Teams are halfway (or more) through their regular seasons and, while some are dead in the water, others still hold on to national championship hopes. Suddenly – and rather abruptly – our own Florida Gators are among those that remain in the discussion. You may not believe it, but the polls say so, and now so does the first official BCS rankings of the 2012 season. But that’s not this; this is my ballot in the week 7 SB Nation College Football BlogPoll.

A few points:

• I don’t have Florida No. 2. I don’t have them far behind at No. 3, but Oregon is my No. 2. Tell me I’m wrong. That’s fine, but the Ducks’ ability to score in bunches makes me believe that if the two played right now, the Gators would struggle to keep up. It would be the best defense Oregon would face by far, but they match Florida when it comes to speed. It would be a great game and in a couple of weeks I’d imagine I may change my stance on that, but for now, the Ducks are No. 2. Of course, I also have the feeling this matchup could very easily become West Virginia/Texas Tech.

• Maybe I’m subconsciously keeping the Gators away from the top spot or getting them too close to it. Look what I did to South Carolina. Gave them the top spot and now they need some luck to put themselves back into title contention.

• Oklahoma didn’t just impress me; the Sooners impressed a lot of people. That’s a defining win if there ever was one. The one loss hurts, but Oklahoma looks like they’ve rebounded nicely. No, much more than nicely. Tremendously.

• I don’t know what happened to West Virginia, but it was ugly, ugly, and a whole lot more ugly. Texas Tech enters the poll, although the delta doesn’t reflect that. No they weren’t No. 17 last week; they weren’t ranked.

• Duke didn’t last long at all. They lasted one entire week. My jinx is alive and well y’all. (Taking “y’all” out for a spin there. It didn’t work, did it? No. Moving on.)

Week 6 BlogPoll: Where A New SEC Team Takes Hold Of The No. 1 Ranking

  By The Bull Gator | October 9, 2012 - 9:33 am | College Football
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It’s the week six BlogPoll and there’s a new No. 1 in town. For me, that’s South Carolina. For most, it’s probably not new at all because I’ll go ahead and predict that Alabama still holds the top spot for the entire poll. Regardless, the Gamecocks’ win over previously unbeaten Georgia was enough for me to give them the top ranking – for one week at least. We’ll see what this upcoming weekend brings.

A few points:

• Alabama has an elite defense. South Carolina has a defense I’m literally scared of. Being scared ranks slightly higher than elite status. No. 1 goes to the Gamecocks.

• The SEC took a slight hit with only three teams in the top 10 this week. Of course, that’s because the two teams that fell out were beaten by two others that stayed in.

• The AP Poll had the Gators as high as No. 4, but I’m more inline with the Coaches Poll. I was impressed with the comeback victory and am very happy with where Florida’s defense is headed, but I’m still cautious. October isn’t close to being over.

• Florida State taking the biggest dive had nothing to do with them being Florida State and everything with them giving away a 16-point lead to an unranked team. One of these years, we’ll stop saying the ‘Noles are back until we’re actually sure they’re back.

• Yes, that’s Duke at No. 23. It may not last long, but the Blue Devils make my top 25.

Day 1 Is Complete; Bring On The Rest Of The College Football Season

  By The Bull Gator | August 31, 2012 - 8:00 am | College Football
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It’s official; the college football season has begun. We were witness to it all last night. The big plays, the rusty teams, the fans – it’s all back. And it’s only the first day of five consecutive days of games. Not only is college football back, but it’s back in style.

We had a chance to witness the SEC right away. Always a treat, even if there were plenty of kinks to work out. South Carolina got the win – which was expected – but it was hardly convincing. 67 passing yards may get you a victory on occasion, but it won’t work if you hope to maintain a No. 9 ranking. The Gamecocks will have serious troubles if Connor Shaw can’t remain injury-free – his backups combined to go 0-for-4. But where South Carolina lacked a passing game, they made up for it with a running game. Marcus Lattimore looked to have no lingering effects from last season’s injury. 110 yards and 2 touchdowns was a nice way to open the season. Shaw added 92 on the ground despite having an arm hanging lifelessly from his body. The Gamecocks’ defense was solid for the most part and will be their strength, but the offense needs to find the ability to stretch the field with the pass, otherwise that top 10 ranking will quickly disappear.

We were also treated to Mike Leach’s return to college football, although he may want that first game back. The Washington State offense was very unLeach-like, but that may have been expected early. He did put the ball in the air 45 times, compared to 16 recorded rushes, but couldn’t generate an offensive touchdown. It could be a rocky season for Leach and the Cougars, but success and excitement is ahead. (For those wondering, I made it to halftime of this game.)

Also on the slate were big wins for Arizona State, UCF and UCLA. And then there was this…

“Holy moly” is right. Welcome back college football.

Predicting The 2012 SEC Football Season Game By Game (If Each Team Played 1,200 Games)

  By The Bull Gator | August 30, 2012 - 12:00 pm | SEC Football
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I guess it’s not that weird, but it is different. We here at The Bull Gator started this last season and figured we might as well continue. (We’re still not sure where our inspiration came from, but we’ve seen similar things done elsewhere, so thanks to anyone that may be doing something like this.) This is our way of predicting the 2012 SEC football season. It’s more than just win vs. loss. Instead, it’s how many times a particular team might beat another. Averages, if you will.

Instead of picking Team A over Team B, we tried to determine how many times we thought Team A would beat Team B if they played each other 100 times. While Team A may be heavily favored over Team B, there’s always that chance of an upset and we try to take that into account. Need an example? Here you go:

If the Florida Gators and Bowling Green Falcons played 100 times, you think the Gators would win 75 of those games. You feel the same way for each of the remaining 11 games on Florida’s schedule. That’s 12 matchups and 75 wins per game. 12 multiplied by 75 is 900; 900 divided by 100 (because in reality, the Gators don’t play each team 100 times; they play each team once) is 9. Therefore, based on your win number for each game, you believe Florida will end up with 9 victories in 2012 for a record of 9-3. Yes, you have technically predicted the Gators to win every game, but a 75% chance of winning each time out is far from perfect.

We set two rules for this exercise. One rule is obvious: A single game must have consistent results. If you believe Florida would beat Texas A&M 75 times, then you also believe Texas A&M would beat Florida 25 times. The other was set to force each of us to pick an overall winner: No matchup can be 50-50. You have to go one way or another even if your chosen mark is 51-49. Ultimately, we’re attempting to predict outcomes and there are no longer ties in college football.

Now that the lengthy (although much shorter than last year’s) explanation is over, here are the results. Discuss, agree with, argue against below.

A few notes:

• The highlighted numbers under the SEC East standings are there to show the only place in the entire standings where we disagreed with each other. Although Vanderbilt ends up fourth overall, individually Willy had them fifth behind Missouri.

• The highlighted schools under the SEC West standings are for the two national title contenders. We both ended up with Alabama ahead of LSU in the SEC West standings; however, if you look at just our picks, that’s not necessarily true. I give the edge to Bama in every game they play, while Willy has LSU beating Bama 55-45. The reason the Tide still come out on top for him is because of greater average confidence in their 11 wins than the Tigers’ 12.

• Finally, the highlighted numbers in the individual team schedules show the games we disagreed on from a win-loss standpoint. Last year, we didn’t disagree on a single game! That’s right, not one. This year there were six, four of which involved Tennessee. I’m not proud to say that in all four of those, I have the Vols coming out on top, but that doesn’t change the fact that we both think their probably a 6-6 team.

There you have it, our long-winded way of predicting the SEC in 2012.