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Gator Sports Archive - September 2007
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Gator Football - 9/2/07
Young defense shows holes in Gators' romp
Dave Curtis - Orlando Sentinel Staff Writer

GAINESVILLE - Florida lost the coin toss, and referee Marc Curles asked the four Gators captains on the field which goal
their team wanted to defend. Dumbfounded, two of them turned to UF Coach Urban Meyer with their hands outstretched
and their palms facing the sky.

Meyer straightened things out by pointing to the north end zone, and the players relayed word to Curles. It would go like
that all afternoon in the Gators' 49-3 whipping of Western Kentucky -- some confusion, some kinks, but confidence that
everything would work out in the end.
Gator Football - 9/2/07
Gators: Striking show
Florida piles up 510 total yards in 49-3 wipeout
BY DAVID JONES - FLORIDA TODAY

GAINESVILLE - Keith Rambo did what Western Kentucky couldn't. He stopped the Florida Gators.

Rambo is a lightning expert who works for the school. He is consulted constantly during games when there is a danger of
bad weather. Saturday, with Florida leading 49-3 and 8 minutes, 23 seconds left in the game, both teams were pulled off the
field because of lightning.

After 1 hour and 2 minutes of delay, the game was finally terminated by the agreement of both teams and UF was awarded
a win after piling up 510 yards of total offense.
Gator Volleyball - 9/4/07
Gators sweep weekend matches
By PHIL KEGLER - Alligator Writer
Saturday's match against No. 19 Santa Clara was supposed to be the toughest test so far this season for the UF volleyball
team.

Someone forgot to remind the Broncos.

No. 7 UF (5-0) controlled the match from the beginning and never let up, defeating Santa Clara 3-0 (30-18, 30-16, 30-24).
Gator Soccer - 9/4/07
UF falls to No. 2 Notre Dame in rain-delayed match
By DANNY KLEIN - Alligator Writer

Halted by torrential rain and spine-tingling lightning, the UF soccer team was forced to wait.

With only 29 minutes passed since the start of play, Saturday's thunderstorms forced both teams to head for shelter,
leaving the Gators to mull over the first goal they had given up to No. 2 Notre Dame just six and a half minutes into the
game.
Gator Football - 9/5/07
Great expectations
Harvey is leading Gators' defense by example
BY DAVID JONES - FLORIDA TODAY

GAINESVILLE - It's almost a foregone conclusion that, barring injury, Florida junior defensive end Derrick Harvey will be
cashing checks in the NFL this time next year.

Many thought he was ready to go after making second-team All-SEC a year ago with 11 sacks, good for No. 2 among SEC
defenders. Harvey finished the year off by earning the Defensive MVP honors in the 41-14 national championship game win
against Ohio State.
Gator Football - 9/5/07
Haden's strength, speed wow Gators
The freshman has switched from offense to cornerback to help shore up the position.
Dave Curtis - Orlando Sentinel Writer

GAINESVILLE - His back against the bench, his fingers curled around the bar, 17-year-old freshman Joe Haden III exhaled
and pushed toward the ceiling. The bar's 225 pounds would fall and rise 19 smooth times before coming to rest again, with
observers whistling low and shaking their heads.
Gator Men's Golf - 9/6/07
Horschel excited about upcoming Walker Cup
BY DAVID JONES - FLORIDA TODAY

GAINESVILLE - Bayside High graduate Billy Horschel has played in NCAA championships, in the U.S. Amateur and in pro
events but his appearance Saturday and Sunday in the Walker Cup in Northern Ireland is very special.

"It's always a thrill when you have a chance to represent your country," he said. "It will be very exciting for me."

Horschel is a member of the 10-man team representing the United States in the Walker Cup Match at Royal County Down
Golf Course in Newcastle, Northern Ireland.
Gator Football - 9/7/07
No. 4 Gators get boost from 'Lakeland Dreadnaught Association'
By Mark Long, AP Sports Writer / usatoday.com

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Florida defensive tackle Clint McMillan can look in just about any direction on the practice field or in
the locker room and see one of them.
Or two. Or three. Or even more.

"There's about 30 of them up here, the whole Lakeland Dreadnaught Association," McMillan said.

Not quite.

But the seven freshmen from Lakeland High have made an impact for the fourth-ranked Gators this season. Three of them
played in the season opener, and Maurkice Pouncey started at right guard.
Gator Football - 9/7/07
Tag Team
By BRIAN STEELE - Alligator Staff Writer

They sit together, side by side, arms resting on their legs and slightly leaning forward.

They let out small chuckles and their dimples resonate on their schoolboy faces.

Then the questions from reporters continue: Do you finish each other's sentences?

"We always do it," they say in unison.
Gator Football - 9/10/07
Prediction time: Tebow will be one of best ever
Mike Bianchi - Orlando Sentinel

Allow me to go Beano Cook on you for the next few minutes.

Here goes:

Tim Tebow will win multiple Heismans before he leaves the University of Florida.

No, I'm serious.

This guy will go down as one of the greatest quarterbacks in college football history. He's got the talent, he's got the team,
he's got the arm, he's got the legs, he's got the courage, he's got the coach. He's got it all.

We're only two games into Tebow's first season as a starter and I've seen all I need to see. The Gators have won their first
two exhibition games against Western Kentucky and Troy by scoring a combined 108 points with Tebow throwing for six
touchdowns and running for three more.
Gator Football - 9/11/07
The greatest ever _ Wilber Marshall
Gators' Marshall recalls legendary game against Southern Cal
Pete Kerasotis - Florida Today

Wilber Marshall was having fun.

So were Florida Gators fans.

This was back in the day, back when the opponent was your father's Southern Cal Trojans, a football factory that
manufactured Heisman Trophy running backs. Student body right. Student body left. USC was the measuring stick if you
wanted to raise your game as a college football program.

Twenty-five years ago today, that's exactly what the Gators were trying to do.

Wilber Marshall did it for them.
Gator Volleyball - 9/12/07
Freshmen see increased roles for Gators
By EVAN DREXLER , Alligator Writer

With a starting lineup full of veterans and a deep bench, it's hard for the new girls in town to get on the court for the UF
volleyball team.

But this weekend against Utah and last Wednesday against Florida State, two freshmen saw significant spikes in playing
time.

Defensive specialist Erin Fleming had played in seven total games before Wednesday but equaled that amount in the most
recent two matches.

Fleming, who had tallied just four digs this season prior to Wednesday, totaled 13 digs in Gators' wins against the Utes
and Seminoles.
Gator Soccer - 9/12/07
Defender of Faith
By KARL HYPPOLITE , Alligator Writer

Shelley Lyle walks onto the UF soccer practice field beaming her familiar smile, brightening an overcast afternoon.

Lyle serves as the perfect complement to an already energetic team. She makes bringing a ray of sunshine to the lives of
others not just a casual endeavor, but also something to live for.

Lyle, a devout Christian and a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, was one of 30 soccer players from around
the nation - 15 men and 15 women - to take part in a three-week mission trip to Brazil this summer. There they played
soccer and preached the Gospel to children as young as 4 and as old as 15.
Gator Football - 9/12/07
Tennessee game vital to recruiting
By MIKE MCCALL , Alligator Staff Writer

As always, UF's showdown with Tennessee on Saturday will impact much more than just the Southeastern Conference
standings.

Beyond the hopes of a national or conference title and the importance of the rivalry, the winner of the matchup will also
gain an edge in the recruiting world.

Several high-profile recruits will be visiting Gainesville this weekend to take a serious look at joining the Gators in 2008,
and a win against the Volunteers would go a long way toward securing a few commitments.
Gator Football - 9/13/07
Life As A Legend
By ANDY STAPLES - The Tampa Tribune

GAINESVILLE - Legendary even before he took his first snap at the University of Florida, quarterback Tim Tebow stiff-
armed his way into the hearts of Gator Nation almost a year ago when he crashed through Tennessee's defensive line on
fourth-and-1 to keep Florida's rally alive.
Gator Women's Golf - 9/14/07
Experienced Gators open season with lofty goals
By ANDY HUTCHINS , Alligator Writer

UF coach Jill Briles-Hinton has had good teams in the past, but this team, she says, is different: "I've never really had an
old team before."

The Gators are one of the most experienced teams in the nation, with four seniors - Sandra Gal, Tiffany Chudy, Whitney
Myers and Eleanor Tucker - and a host of underclassmen with multiple years in the program.
Gator Football - 9/12/07
CSTV's SEC Pregame Tailgate Show - Live from Gainesville on September 15th
The show will be broadcast live at NOON, ET every week from the site of CBS Sports' SEC Game of the Week. For the
GATOR / TN game this Saturday, CSTV's CHICK-FIL-A SEC TAILGATE set will be located next to the O'Dome.

Source: secsports.com
Gator Football - 9/17/07
Gators dominate Volunteers, take three straight in series
By NICK ZACCARDI , Alligator Staff Writer

It was supposed to be a shoot-out at The Swamp, but only the Gators came armed.

UF, backed by an all-blue home crowd, romped over Tennessee 59-20, marking the biggest blowout in the rivalry series
since 1990.

For the third straight time, Urban Meyer got the best of Phillip Fulmer.
Gator Football - 9/14/07
Gator / TN Game Online
CSTV and CBS Sports will supplement broadcast television coverage by offering the SEC Game of the Week live online
again this season. Gator fans can purchase the game for $9.95 at CSTVPPV.com.
Gator Football - 9/17/07
Gators' lopsided win should send shock waves through SEC
By Mark Schlabach - ESPN.com

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- College football's defending national champions have nine new starters on defense. They have a new
starting quarterback, new tailback and two new starting offensive linemen.

And by the end of the season, Florida might be better than it was a year ago, when it finished the season by annihilating
Ohio State 41-14 in the BCS National Championship Game.
Gator Men's Basketball - 9/17/07
Men's hoops receives championship rings
By JENNA MARINA , Alligator Staff Writer

The 2006-07 UF men's basketball team may have received its national championship rings Saturday at Ben Hill Griffin
Stadium, but former UF forward Chris Richard got a sneak peak at the piece of jewelry in an unlikely location.

The Minnesota Timberwolves forward said he saw a diagram of it in a newspaper clipping, which was hung in a bathroom
stall of Ballyhoo Grill restaurant.

"It didn't look too good on the drawing," Richard said.
Gator Football - 9/19/07
Tough task for former Gators assistant coach
BY DAVID JONES - FLORIDA TODAY

GAINESVILLE - Ole Miss defensive coordinator John Thompson had the same position at Florida under Ron Zook back in
2002 before leaving to take the head coaching job at East Carolina.

He was at South Carolina briefly after being fired at ECU and it looked like his coaching career might be over last year,
when he took the job as athletic director at Central Arkansas, his alma mater.
Gator Football - 9/20/07
UF's Mullen lives football
Dave Curtis - Orlando Sentinel Writer

GAINESVILLE - To pass time during lectures at Trinity High in New Hampshire, Florida offensive coordinator Dan Mullen
would doodle football plays in his spiral notebooks.

At Ursinus College, where he spent two years as a down-on-the-depth-chart quarterback, Mullen would spend meeting
and film sessions throwing out ideas for offense and peppering teammates and coaches with questions.
Gator Football - 9/20/07
Mississippi anything but a state of hospitality for UF
By Michael DiRocco, The Times-Union

GAINESVILLE - Drew Miller will not have a job waiting for him in the Mississippi tourism office when he graduates from
Florida.
Gator Football - 9/21/07
Speed on defense: Young Gators are fast learners
New starters mold into an effective unit.
By ANTONYA ENGLISH, St. Petersburg Times

GAINESVILLE - It was the biggest question surrounding the Florida football team entering the 2007 season, yet
whenever the subject came up, Urban Meyer's answers seemed reassuring.
Gator Football - 9/23/07
FLORIDA 30, OLE MISS 24 TEBOW REIGNS SUPREME
QB's spectacular effort keeps Gators unbeaten
Dave Curtis - Orlando Sentinel

OXFORD, Miss. - After 3 hours and 22 minutes, after a day of impressive quarterbacks and humbled defensive backs and
almost comebacks, Florida receivers coach Billy Gonzales formed a "V" with his arms.

"Victory," he screamed, his actions and words the signal for UF's final formation.
Gator Football - 9/23/07
Near-Miss for Gators
Tebow rushes for 166 yards; Gators survive Rebels
BY DAVID JONES - FLORIDA TODAY

OXFORD, Miss. - Third-ranked Florida got a win for the first time in the Magnolia State since 1994, as Tim Tebow set
school quarterback records with 27 rushes for 166 yards in the Gators' 30-24 win at Mississippi on Saturday.

But maybe UF coach Urban Meyer explained it best when he said: "I'm anxious to get on a plane and get out of here."
Gator Baseball - 9/25/07
2007 Florida Baseball Recruiting Class Ranked # 27

Collegiate Baseball newspaper's 25th annual rundown of NCAA Division I baseball recruiting classes ranked Florida's
2007 recruiting class # 27. LSU had the # 1 recruiting class for the second time in the last four years. The Gators were
ranked # 3 last year.
Source Credit: secsports.com 9/25/07
Gator Football - 9/26/07
Wilbur Marshall's name will join the Florida Football Ring of Honor in a pre-game ceremony Sept. 29, 2007.
Gator Football - 9/22/07 8pm
Tebow Carries Gators to 30-24 Win Over Ole Miss with Historic Offensive Display
Tim Tebow rushed for a school record for a quarterback (166 yds.) and put up the 6th highest individual total offensive
output in school history with 427 yards.

The Gators struggled on the road with a well coached determined Ole Miss defense but held on for their 2nd SEC win
of 2007.
Gator Football - 9/26/07
Defense among stingiest in red zone
By Michael DiRocco, The Times-Union

GAINESVILLE - Florida might have problems with its pass rush and coverage, but the defense is excelling in one important
area: the red zone.

The Gators have allowed only four touchdowns in 15 red-zone opportunities, meaning opponents have scored touchdowns
only 26.7 percent of the time after they have moved inside the 20-yard line against UF. That's the best percentage in the
Southeastern Conference.
Gator Football - 9/26/07
UF's walk-ons 'special'
BY DAVID JONES - FLORIDA TODAY

GAINESVILLE - Florida had just stopped Tennessee on three downs and the Vols were forced to punt. As the ball lofted
into the air and back down into the waiting arms of Gators' return man Brandon James, very few in the stadium realized it,
but the path had already been cleared.

James was going to score.

Flanked out wide, the Tennessee gunners had been double-teamed. Up the middle, Roderick Blackett and Butch Rowley
stood and waited for the arrival of the designed UT player they were supposed to take out.
Gator Women's Basketball - 9/26/07
In-State Player Gives Verbal Commitment

Tailor Jones of Lake Mary, FL is the Gator Women's Basketball teams' first 2008 verbal commitment. The 5-11 guard
chose the Gators over Ohio State.
Source: gatorsports.com 9/26/07
Gator Volleyball - 9/27/07
Gators prove that if you build it, the recruits will come
By Dave Reed
Special to ESPN.com

When Marcie Hampton was 8 years old, she knew exactly where she wanted to go to college.

She might have been too young to know what she wanted to study, too young to know what a degree was, and too young
to know what she wanted to be when she grew up. But even at that young age, she was mature enough to know she
wanted to play volleyball for Mary Wise at the University of Florida.
Gator Soccer - 9/27/07
All-American Booth back from World Cup
By KARL HYPPOLITE , Alligator Writer

When Melanie Booth finally returned to the UF soccer team, the last thing she expected to receive was a standing
ovation.

Booth, who spent the past year training with the Canadian national team, traveled from the World Cup in China to Omaha,
Neb., where the No. 15 Gators were preparing for Sunday's match against Nebraska. And when UF's bus pulled up to a
hotel to pick up the redshirt senior, the reunion could only be described as joyful.

The Gators stood up and chanted Booth's name as she boarded the bus, and although appreciating the gesture she
admits she was a bit overwhelmed.
Gator Basketball - 9/28/07
UF adds to deep class with Vargas commitment
By ANDY HUTCHINS , Alligator Writer
Despite losing seven players from two national championship teams, UF's roster is beyond full heading into the next two
years.

The latest addition is Eloy Vargas, a 6-foot-10 power forward from Hollywood American Heritage High and the No. 10
player in the class of 2008, according to Rivals.com, who gave UF coach Billy Donovan a commitment late Wednesday
night.

Vargas virtually guarantees Donovan his second top-five class in as many years, joining Kenny Kadji, Allen Chaney, Ray
Shipman and Erving Walker.
Gator Football - 9/28/07
Talk of the Town
By MIKE MCCALL , Alligator Staff Writer

Every time Brandon Spikes makes a play on Saturday against Auburn, his family will move one step closer to becoming
whole again.

With each tackle he'll edge closer to improving his mother's life - a mother who toiled in a fiberglass plant for 12 hours a
day to improve his.