06 rushing unpredictable

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In Florida, the Buckeyes are having to focus on multiple players and multiple formations. The Gators run the
ball with all kinds of players coming from all different directions.

"There's just so much different stuff I don't know if you can zero in on it," Heacock said. "Florida is really
unique. It's difficult (to defend). There's a lot to look at. There is such variety. They run some form of every
offense we've seen this year. It takes a lot of preparation and it takes a lot of discipline and it takes a lot of
film study.

"You hope you can slow them down. The key probably is to be simple enough that your guys can play hard
and fast and run to the ball, but be multiple enough that you can give (Florida's offense) some change-ups
that hopefully make them wonder what you're doing instead of you always wondering what they're doing."

Florida has made the receivers (and Tebow) such a big part of the running game this season out of
necessity, UF offensive coordinator Dan Mullen said.

Injuries to No. 1 tailback DeShawn Wynn and inconsistent play of the backups led to more carries by Harvin,
Caldwell, Tebow and others.

"We had some guys banged up," Mullen said. "We always want to be a balanced team, run and pass 50-50.
We had to find a different way to get our 50 percent run in. As it went, we started handing the ball to guys like
Percy Harvin and Tim Tebow.

"We got to see what they could do with the ball in their hands. At that point, we had to smarten up as
coaches and make sure we kept putting the ball in their hands as much as possible to keep making things
happen."

The strategy has been a boon for the offense and created some headaches for opposing defensive
coordinators looking for ways to stop the Gators' ground game.

"That's kind of always been our goal. We want to cause as many issues for the defense as possible," Mullen
said. "When we spread the field we make them account for all 11 guys we put out there. We've always
hoped that really simplifies what they do and make them play assignment football."

Sure enough, the Ohio State defensive players were talking Thursday about having to play assignment
football in Monday night's game.

"Florida is unique because they have so many people who are capable of carrying the ball out of the
backfield," OSU defensive tackle David Patterson said. "Percy Harvin and those guys do a great job.
Everyone (on defense) has to execute and handle their responsibilities because they have some great
playmakers who are going to make you pay if you don't do your job.

"You can't try to do everyone else's job. You have to be conscious of your responsibilities. When guys try to
do too much, that's when big plays happen. You have to fill gaps and stay at home."

Fellow OSU defensive tackle Quinn Pitcock said Florida's offense may appear complicated and
unconventional, but it's still just a basic offense at its core.

"There is a lot of window dressing," Pitcock said. "From watching on TV, it looks like a lot of crazy stuff.
What it really comes down to is it's still the same keys we have to read. It's about being very focused and
executing your assignment.

"You have to control the play and not have their offense control it. There are a lot of formations and a lot of
running around, but it still ends up being the same old play with different people in different places. You just
read your keys and not get caught up in all the dressing they do."

In the future, Tebow and the receivers figure to be an integral part of UF's running game. But Meyer is still
looking for that dominant tailback.

"We want to have a tailback over 1,000 yards and get that tailback position well over 1,000 yards," Meyer
said. "But the ability to come empty (in the backfield) and then all of a sudden you're running the football with
talented people, that's one of the advantages of the spread offense we run."

They probably won't.

Tebow, Caldwell, Harvin and the other wide receivers have
produced more rushing yardage than the tailback position (1,071
to 1,022) this season and that trend figures to continue against No.
1 Ohio State in Monday night's national championship game.

"It puts a lot of pressure on the defense," Caldwell said. "Getting
us involved brings a lot of speed out there in the running game,
with us hitting the corners and making big plays. We'll see if (Ohio
State) can stop it. There is a lot of speed and playmaking ability
out there. It puts a lot of stress on them."

Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Heacock is already feeling
some stress.

Usually, the No. 1 priority for every defense is to stop the run. That
usually entails focusing on one or two tailbacks and a few basic
running schemes.

Gator Football - 1/5/07

Florida's ground game has become an unconventional attack

Here we are at the end of Year 2 and Urban Meyer still doesn't have
the dominant tailback he's looking for in his spread offense.

This, of course, has created the perception the Gators are not a
very good running team.

The reality, though, is Florida has a productive running game, one
that has generated more than 2,000 yards this season without the
benefit of standout, 20-carry-a-game tailback.

The Gators have managed to do this with a running quarterback
(true freshman Tim Tebow) and by turning their fast and athletic
wide receivers into running backs - handing them the ball on
reverses, counters and as the pitch man on the option.

"When they talked about us running the ball, I didn't think it was
going to be this much," junior wide receiver Andre Caldwell said. "I
thought it was going to be about two carries a game. Percy (Harvin)
and me running the ball so often, that was a surprise to me. It's
worked so far, so why stop it?"