Urban Meyer gets a grip on Gators football players
A two-hour full-field scrimmage Saturday marked the halfway point of spring football at Florida. And the impression from UF's seven team practices, and a bunch of winter conditioning sessions, has left Coach Urban Meyer with a solid plan for how 2008 will shake out.
"Like I told the team," Meyer said Saturday afternoon, "I have in my mind who's going to play this year. I'm almost done."
Chris Rainey looked like a lock for playing time with two long touchdowns, one each rushing and receiving. Carlos Dunlap and Brandon Spikes each had multiple sacks. And S Jamar Hornsby provided the hit of the day when he left TE Taste Casey gasping for breath on the day's penultimate play.
Sophomore Cam Newton took about three-quarters of the scrimmage's snaps, with incumbent starter Tim Tebow handling the rest. Redshirt freshman John Brantley is still battling a left shoulder injury and did not throw.
In other injury news, WR Percy Harvin and the Gator coaches will wait until at least today before deciding whether Harvin should have surgery on his injured heel. Meyer said he was scheduled to participate in a conference call Saturday afternoon with three doctors advising him on Harvin's care.
Harvin's mother Linda Harvin said Saturday night that her son's situation remained unclear.
"We're still trying to figure out what to do," Linda Harvin said.
'Canes freshmen shine
During a recent University of Miami football team meeting, everyone under the age of 18 was required to leave the room to go take a test.
It has been perhaps the only way age has separated freshman linebackers Sean Spence and Arthur Brown from the veterans.
They were two of the standouts during the Hurricanes' spring game Saturday at Lockhart Stadium. The Defense defeated the Offense 32-29 thanks to an interception by Spence in the end zone on the final play. It was Spence's second pick of the day. Brown led the team with eight tackles.
"I got a knack for the ball," Spence said. "Once I see it in the air, I want it to be mine. I hope I sent a good message."
The defense edged the offense in a game with a special scoring system. Points were awarded in several categories, including touchdowns (6), field goals (3), interceptions (2) and fumbles (2).
Seminoles nowhere close
Florida State offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher thought his offense was farther along. But after a disappointing effort in Friday's scrimmage, Fisher was forced to reassess the progress of his unit that is looking to improve from last year, when it finished fourth in the Atlantic Coast Conference in total offense.
"We're nowhere close," Fisher said. "I thought we were, and I'm disappointed. There were some good things today . . . but there are some things out there that are just annoying me a little bit that we can't let happen."
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