GAINESVILLE FL - SEPTEMBER 11: Jeffery Demps #2 of the Florida Gators runs during a game against the South Florida Bulls at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on September 11 2010 in Gainesville Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
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The press sits in a big room, talking together for four hours, so it is no surprise that the St. Petersburg Timesgame story and Pat Dooley's Gainesville Suncolumn have the same theme; the Gators are finding themselves. No, UF isn't taking a semester off to backpack through Europe, but being a run -heavy, defensive team is the opposite of the last 20 years of Florida football. The little, old ladies in the South End Zone will throw their hands at the lack of deep passes, but Jeff Demps, Mike Gillislee and Emmanuel Moody are better than Deonte Thompson, Carl Moore and whoever else tries to catch a pass.
Speaking of Demps, he was the offensive star again. It is nice to have a home run hitter like Demps who can also hit for average (your standard five-yard gain). But UF can't rely on big plays to change momentum. They need to build long grinding drives that choke out the opposition, not hope for quick knockout punches.
Before you get too excited about beating USF, realize they had a running back playing quarterback, no matter what the St. Petersburg Timessays. Against Tennessee, UF will face Matt Simms, who wasn't spectacular for the Vols last night against Oregon. Then it's Greg McElroy and Stephen Garcia. Let's lay off the idea that the pass defense is that great.
In addition to the defensive line still playing pillow soft and Jon Bostic playing the first half like a JV player, we still don't know what is going on with Will Hill. I tweeted during the game that it was nearly impossible to get a two-game suspension in the Meyer Era, considering a DUI is only one game.
It is interesting to note how the The Gainesville Sun, St. Petersburg Times, and The Tampa Tribune featured the game on their front pages. The Sun gave it a small blurb, focusing more on how Gainesville is a progressive, tolerant town, not one that burns holy books. On the Timesfront page, you need a magnifying glass to find the score (and Bucs preview). The Tribune gives a poor treatment, too. This is more reflective of the fact that UF beating USF is no big deal, even in USF's town.
Finally, an awesome line from my friend Natalie in Los Angeles; "Don't worry, FSU, you'll always be really good at being optimistic and talking shit."
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