So, now we are coming off the half and UF is getting the ball down 6. This is the quarter where the Tide either establish their dominance or allow Tebow to hang in there and survive like he did last year.
After another contained kickoff, the Gators start their 1st drive. Bama really needs to keep it short and sweet and get the offense out on the field and get them going again.
1st and 10- Tebow over left tackle for 4 Good
Given that his last 3 or 4 runs were all over 5 yards, keeping him short is a good start. Florida lines up with the tailback at Tebow's hip again, it is a high percentage run tip. Hernandez is lined up off line as an h back. Bama is in nickle but have made 2 adjustments right away. First, they are standing up Anders and not rushing him at end. McClain again goes inside and allows Tebow outside where Barron is no match, but a gang tackle effort cuts him short.
2nd and 6- Rainey rushes for a loss of 1 Good
Florida comes out in the same spread formation with Rainey on Tebow's hip. Tebow reads the corner blitz and the option dive is on. The problem Florida had with this is that Cody and Deaderick/Washington/Dareus collapsed the middle all night. This play was no different. Taking the dive away from Florida makes the spread option less of a threat because you know it is now a stretch offense and not the multiple threat.
3rd and 7- Tebow to Cooper for 6 yards Good and Bad
UF goes 5 wide. The two problems that this causes for Bama is that you have to respect Tebow taking the snap and calling his own number and you can't zone a 5 receiver formation. Bama goes dime, as it has all year, on 3rd down. They bring the slot in motion and that frees McClain to rush. The pass pressure is mild again but it is enough to move Tebow and he finds Riley Cooper for 6. The good is that they stopped them, but they were playing a little soft in coverage and almost let Cooper get a 1st.
Henry kicks his worst ball of the night, but it nets out about what it would have if Arenas fields it. Overall the defensive series is a good confidence building series. Remember in the 2nd quarter they couldn't stop them hardly. This time, they get the ball back in a hurry and let the offense take over in a descent spot.
1st and 10- Ingram rushes for 7 yards Good
Bama takes over and comes out in the I formation. Bama starts out with a dive play with the OL shifting left after the snap and Ingram shows good patience to find the gap that Dial helps create. He ends up following Vlachos who dozed through his man and got to the 2nd level. Nice start and it sets the tone that Bama is going to wear down the defense like last year. Unlike last year, they have a lead that they can salt.
2nd and 3- Ingram rushes for 2 yards Bad
Bama lines up in the Ace Shotgun with Williams and Peek at the TE spots. This time Vlachos pulls right as the lead blocker but Spikes unloads on him and it is a small gain but a manageable 3rd and 1. There were 2 blocks needed from the right end and the lead block, and neither made their block, both were stood up. This is where Vlachos struggles because he's not real smooth when he runs, he looks out of control, and he can't get down and get his pad level where it needs to be in these situations. He's better off just going north and south and getting to the next level from there.
3rd and 1- Ingram for 5 Good
This play almost evaporated before it started. Maze lines up out of position, so he doesn't know the play. When Greg gets him in position, the real motion, Jones to tackle, is rushed because the play clock is running short. The play is a good one for the Tide, it worked about all night, it is a dive play where the TE and Jones seal the left and the OL shifts right and Carpenter, Johnson and Vlachos create the run lane for Ingram to hit. It is an easy 5.
1st and 10- McElroy to Maze for 28 yards Good
Bama lines up in the shotgun with Dial split left by himself. It smells like run. From the snap it looks run, Johnson pulls right and McElroy presents the ball out to Ingram but it is play action. He does a good job of feeling the pressure and taking a hop step back to buy time. He's got man coverage on the 2 options he has. Jones running a slant to the middle or Maze on a sideline streak/wheel route. Maze ended up on a linebacker and Greg threads it. The throw has to be on the money because the linebacker is much taller than Maze, an underthrow is a pick and an overthrow is in the bench. Big play.
1st and 10- McElroy to Ingram incomplete, 15 yard late hit penalty Good and Bad
Good because the penalty gets them easy yards, but bad because the play was a bust. UF read the play and attacked it, McElroy does a nice job of evading the blitz and does a nice job of dumping it to the turf because there was not a real option out there. I know some UF fans felt the penalty was a ticky tack call, but the lineman had plenty of time to pull up and didn't. That gets called in August and December.
1st and 10- McElroy to Peek for the TD Good
His best pass of the night comes at a big point in the game. Florida is on the ropes now, 3 straight first downs, a bad penalty, and they are on the verge of defeat and they know it. The play itself should look familiar, fans have clammored for it all year, it is the Wildcat. The only difference is that McElroy is in the gun and not Ingram. They line up Peek and Jones to the left and Williams on the line, Maze split right. Jones goes in motion and they fake the handoff. With Ingram this is the point where the dive starts, but with McElroy, this is a sliding pocket play. The entire line moves right to draw the D in right. Peek runs a fade route and McElroy throws a 40 yard pass for 17 yards and the score. Great concentration on Peek's part to catch one over the shoulder. A nice sig would be after the catch, they cut to the sideline and Meyer's headset is over his eyes. The key to the play is the motion, Gary calls it the Shoot Screen, most of you who played in any imaginative offense had this play it is called the shit screen because if you let the WR/TE free, like UF did, the first word out of your HC's mouth is shit.
Overall this is a big point in the game and this drive is a big drive. They now have eliminated the major worry of the missed extra point for the time being. A 13 point lead gives them some breathing room to open up the defense and start the grinding and ground and pound that Bama does when it gets a 2 score lead.
Bama does another good job on kickoff coverage and with James out, the threat is much less.
1st and 10- Tebow to Nelson for 9 Bad
This is a play that Bama has used about 5 times and Bama isn't ready for it either. They move Hernandez in motion and he is the lone receiver to the left. Trips are to the right and Rainey is his lone back. Bama's coverage is way too soft again. The nearest corner or safety is 7 or 8 yards off the LOS. There is 0 pressure and as a result Tebow has time to check down. Nelson is the safety route and is at the LOS, with nobody around him. That is a bust on Arenas or Johnson.
2nd and 1- Tebow rush for 5 Bad
The option read is on where the play is the hb sweep off tackle or QB dive. Bama is rushing the edges pre snap so this is an easy read for a veteran QB like Tebow. He also sees that Cody is out on a breather so this is all day. Dareus and Chapman get displaced fast and the yardage is easy.
1st and 10- Tebow sacked by Washington Good
This is a good play for Washington and the front line. They get a good surge and keep Tebow in front of them. Nobody loses containment on the play. Bama confuses UF on the play because they rush 3 and drop 8. The line follows left where Chapman and Deaderick are, and Anders is playing spy at the line. Washington is given 1 on 1 with the RT and gets inside his pads and drives him into Tebow where he feels the heat and trips.
2nd and 12- Tebow Incomplete to Thompson Good
Bama again rushes only 3 and drops Anders off as the spy now and McClain is now playing the flat cover area. The play is suppose to be a WR Screen or a slip screen type thing to Nelson but the coverage and confusion continues and Jackson breaks up the pass. The defense now looks to have found its legs and have started to fluster Tebow more because he doesn't know what he's seeing before, during, and after the snap.
3rd and 12- Tebow incomplete to Cooper Good
Bama again goes back to the dime on 3rd down. Barron is on the TE, Green is playing as a corner, McClain is rushing, Woodall is playing deep safety. The line runs stunts inside and Dareus gets a shot on Tebow as he's releasing the ball. Marquis Johnson is on top of the route and breaks it up. The play is made at the LOS, where Upshaw and Anders are the ends and Dareus and Washington are the tackles. On the snap, McClain engages the center and Dareus pulls inside where Rolo has created the gap. He has a free shot on Tebow and the play is busted up then.
Chas Henry crushes another punt and really out kicked his coverage allowing a small and dangerous return. Overall, Bama gets another quick series and gets some shots on Tebow. That is the key turning point for the defense is that they are now seeing that they can cover and hit him at the same time where as earlier they could hit him or cover but not both.
1st and 10- Richardson rushes for 25 yards Good
Verne and Gary start to reminisce about last year about this point, probably wishing for the same outcome. Bama is backed up deep and a drive here pretty well starts to make life hard for a UF team that lives on possession football. Bama comes out 2 WR right, 2 TE left. Peek on the line, Dial in H Back. Richardson is the best back in these situations because he always seems to make extra yards on these moments. The play is a good job up front. The linebackers are rushing and Peek and Dial do their part. Dial engages his backer, but Peek releases and lets Carpenter get him. Trent has a lead blocker now in Peek who drives a safety out of the play. He breaks a tackle and gets a quick 25.
1st and 10- McElroy incomplete to Jones Bad
Jones's subpar day continues. He has blocked real well and if it was not for that and the threat of Juilo, he'd not be out there. Bama comes out strong right, and runs play action and it works. The play action freezes the LBs and both safeties. Jones does a good job of getting separation but misreads the ball and stops on his route but if he had just kept going, he's got a TD. There wasn't a penalty because of the slow up caused it to be an uncatchable ball.
2nd and 10- Richardson for 3 yards Bad
This play looks similar to some of the plays last week v. Auburn where the line shot up too high and never asserted themselves. UF breaks containment and greets TR at the line and the 3 come on the fall forward.
3rd and 7- UF offsides 5 yard penalty Good
This bails out the offense some because 3rd and long has not been gracious most of the year. They play was a bust and mostly because of the penalty, but it wasn't a great play either way.
3rd and 2- Ingram for 5 yards Good
Bama comes out trips right, split left. Jones slides in to the tackle, and at the snap the line plows right while Peek and Jones seal left giving Ingram a nice hole to hit. Ingram avoids a tackle at the 1st down line, and falls ahead for 3 more. Good job up front and good job by Ingram to continue to take what he gets. If you go back to last year, it was at about this point in the game where he missed the read and stalled the drive. Amazing what a difference a year makes.
1st and 10- Ingram for 3 Good
Bama is now at midfield, burning clock and wearing down the defense. This play is just more about continuing the punishment than making a big play. Bama comes out with the 2TE shotgun look. It is a zone read to the left and he finds the gap behind Johnson and gets what he can.
2nd and 7- McElroy incomplete to Jones Bad
Bama comes out in the Ace 2TE again, they run play action left, waggle right. McElroy makes 2 errors on the play, and it is one of the few on him all night. First, he has Williams all alone and has the 1st down if he gets it, but checks down wanting to get Jones the ball. However, he holds it too long and throws it behind him. Bama is now back to a 3rd and long.
3rd and 7- McElroy to Jones for 10 yards Good
Bama at this point is 5 of 8 on 3rd down, and most of those are on short yardage situations. Bama comes out in the 5 wide set. Florida makes a mistake before the snap. Greg hasn't fully picked up where the blitzers are, but they give it away with 8 on the play clock. He now knows where his passing lanes are and that Jones is single covered. He just has to make the throw through the lane and not be off on it or else the linebacker will pick it off or swat it. Jones is alone at the marker and gets it with ease. Any route where Jones can square his shoulders is a play he feels comfortable with. This one is a simple hook in and he hooks it and gets the 7 plus 3 on the flop.
1st and 10- Upchurch rushes for 5 Good
Anytime you get more than 3 on first down, you've done good. Bama comes out in the power I again with Upchurch at fullback. The quick fullback dive is a good play with Upchurch because he attacks the hole faster than the other 2 do. Florida's front line defenders legs show their fatigue as they just get drove back 3 yards and Upchurch does the rest. If he breaks the one tackle, he scores. It was that close.
2nd and 5- Ingram rushes for 4 Good
Bama now goes back to the shotgun and spreads the field with the 3 WR. 2 to the left, one right, and Peek is on the line to the right. Like UF, when Ingram lines up off the QB's hip, it is a run tell. Florida rushes up the middle, but Johnson is pulling right and Ingram follows him for a nice gain. Again, you can see the defense starting to buckle now as they have gone 3 long quarters.
3rd and 1- Ingram for 2 yards Good
The defense has now been out there for 5 straight minutes and none of it has been good for them. Bama is now running downhill and on this play it doesn't net much but on a 3rd and inches situation, it doesn't have to. They line up in their base I formation with Peek as the H back and Williams at TE lined up on the right. The dive play makes what it needs and the drive motors on.
1st and 10- McElroy fumbles loses 5 Ugly
As is tradition for the 2009 Tide, Vlachos must duff one snap per game or the quota has not been met. This play was bad on a lot of levels. They were not lined up right, they were having trouble getting set, and never did, Vlachos duffs it and leaves skid marks on the ball, and Florida just swarms McElroy. I would guess that McElroy's teachable moment will be to check the formation. He is responsible for that not the WRs.
2nd and 15- Ingram rushes for 10 Good
Bama comes out with Dial and Jones to the right, they run offtackle right, and again you can see the fatigue of the Florida D showing. Carpenter shoves his guy 3 yards, literally, and Davis and others drive their defenders out of the play. Ingram takes a helmet in the ribs and bounces it for an extra 6.
3rd and 5- Ingram rushes for 10 Good
Bama starts out unbalanced left, but shifts right. Florida does not shift or change to this and nobody covers the slot, it is almost as if they are willing to concede the play to get off the field. As is, the power right is on and Florida is rushing from the left. Ingram sees the lane open up between Vlachos and Johnson and he cuts back and hits his stride.
1st and 10- Ingram rushes for 1 Bad
Bama gets a little too cute here. They bring Peek in motion l to r, and Florida does adjust this time. They have Florida heeled and they should be able to drive the line at will. However, Johnson or Vlachos miss their guy and he shoots through and blows the play up.
That ends the quarter. Bama's offense has chewed 8 minutes off the clock and held it 10 of the 15 minutes. Overall it is a statement quarter that has Florida scrambling because they are not getting the stops on defense and can't keep the offense on the field. Ingram and McElroy are red hot at this point and you can feel it in the air that Bama is just about to score and ice this thing.
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