Gator storylines

GATOR STORYLINES

��Florida begins its 102nd year of football. Through

101 years, the Gators own a record of 628-372-

40 (.623).

��Urban Meyer begins his fourth season at Florida

with the Gators ranked in the preseason top 25

for the 18th-straight season.

��Coach Meyer enters the 2008 season as the

third-winningest active coach in college football,

with a 70-16 (.814) record, among individuals who

have been a head coach for at least five full seasons.

��Including bowl games, bye weeks, mid-week

games and season openers, Urban Meyer is 23-

3 (.885) all-time when having more than one week

to prepare for a game.

Associated Press 5th ARV

Overall 0-0 0-0

Conference 0-0 0-0

TELEVISION

The game will be broadcast on Raycom Sports.

Dave Neal (play-by-play), Dave Archer (color) and

Dave Baker (sideline) call the action.

Sun Sports , with David Steele (play-by-play), Nat

Moore (color) and Steve Babik (sideline) will air

the game at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 31, on

Sun Sports “Breakfast with the Gators” and again

Tuesday, Sept. 2, at 11 p.m. (replays available in

SEC territory).

THE GATOR RADIO NETWORK

The Gator Radio Network team of Mick Hubert

(play-by-play), Lee McGriff (color) and Steve Babik

(sideline) will broadcast the contest. Scot Brantley

and Travis McGriff join Babik as co-hosts of pregame.

WFXJ radio (930-AM in Jacksonville) serves

as UF’s flagship station. The pre-game show begins

two hours before kickoff. There is also a 90-

minute show following the conclusion of the game.

SATELLITE RADIO

Florida football can be heard on XM Satellite Radio.

Fans can log on to www.xmradio.com each

week for information regarding specific channels.

��The University of Florida football program opens its 102nd year on Saturday, Aug. 30, at 12:30 p.m.

vs. Hawaii. UF head coach Urban Meyer begins his fourth season with the Gators. Under Coach

Meyer, the Gators own a 31-8 (.795) overall record.

��Today’s game marks the earliest opening to a season in school history. Including this year, UF has

started the year in the month of August five times since 1996 after opening in the month just once

(1986) in the previous 89 years of play (1906-95). The Gators have never lost a contest in the month,

as they have combined to outscore opponents 230-47 in the five previous contests.

OPENING THE SEASON

��UF enters the game looking for its 19th-consecutive season and home-opening victory. Florida has

won an SEC-best 18-straight season-opening games. UF’s last loss in a season opener was in 1989,

when it suffered a 24-19 setback to Ole Miss at Florida Field. UF’s last loss to a non-conference

opponent in a season opener came against Miami in 1987 (31-4). Florida is 77-24 in its previous 101

season openers, including a 60-6 mark in the 66 openers held in Gainesville. Furthermore, UF is 38-

1 in the last 39 season openers on its own turf, a mark that dates back to the start of the 1949 season.

��Coach Meyer has never lost a season opener as a head coach (7-0). His teams have averaged 36.7

points in the first game of the season and have limited opponents to 14.0 points per game:

Year Site Opponent Score

2001 Away Missouri 20-13

2002 Home Tennessee Tech 41-20

2003 Home Utah State 40-20

2004 Home Texas A&M 41-21

2005 Home Wyoming 32-14

2006 Home Southern Miss 34-7

2007 Home Western Kentucky 49-3

��Dating back to his first year in collegiate coaching (1986, Ohio State, Graduate Asst.), Coach Meyer

has a record of 17-5 in season openers, including 14-straight victories. His last loss in a season opener

came on Sept. 4, 1993, while he was the wide receivers coach at Colorado State. That season, the

Rams opened the year with a 23-9 loss to Oregon.

��Today’s game is the 21st for head coach Urban Meyer at home. Through 20 games, UF is 19-1

(.950). Florida’s record since Coach Meyer’s arrival is tied for the second-best nationally during the

span:

Boise State 19-0 None

Florida 19-1 L, 23-20 to Auburn (9/29/07)

Wisconsin 19-1 L, 20-10 to Iowa (11/12/05)

USC 18-1 L, 24-23 to Stanford (10/6/07)

Oklahoma 18-1 L, 17-10 to TCU (9/3/05)

��Again this season, the first game of the year will start with the alumni football players forming a tunnel

for the current players to run out of moments before kickoff. Coach Meyer initiated the event, which

took place for the first time prior to the Wyoming contest in 2005.

��The team by class:

11 Seniors 12.9 pct.

14 Juniors 16.5 pct.

31 Sophomores 36.5 pct.

9 Redshirt Freshmen 10.6 pct.

20 True Freshmen 23.5 pct.

WHAT’S NEW WITH THE GATORS...

��Entering the 2008 season, UF’s leaders in each of the following departments return: Rushing,

Passing, Receiving, Scoring, Total Offense, All-Purpose Yards, Tackles, Interceptions, Pass Break

Ups, Punting, Punt Returns, Kick Returns, Fumble Recoveries, and Fumble Returns.

��The Gators return eight starters and lose three on both offense and defense. Florida returns a total

of 28 players who made at least one start in 2007: 13 on offense and 15 on defense.

��The returning rushers accounted for 17 of the 20 rushing plays of at least 20 yards in 2007. The

returning receivers accounted for 36 of the 47 receptions of at least 20 yards.

��The 2008 Gators return 11 seniors total. The following chart reflects how many senior starters the

Gators have had each year since 1995:

1995 - 16

1996 - 14

1997 - 9

1998 - 11

1999 - 6

2000 - 14

��Going into 2007, the Gators brought only three players back that started playing for UF in the fall

of 2003 (Andre Caldwell, Clint McMillan and Carlton Medder). This season, UF brings back six

players that started in the fall of 2004 (Tate Casey, Javier Estopinan, Cornelius Ingram, Jim Tartt,

Phil Trautwein and Jason Watkins).

��Prior to the season, UF had five players with ACL injures: Cornelius Ingram (left); Jim Barrie

(right); Brendan Beal (left); Dorian Munroe (right); John Curtis (left). The injuries to Munroe and

Curtis happened prior to August practices, while the others occurred during preseason workouts.

Ingram was injured in a non-contact drill the second day of August practices.

��Listed below are coaching connections between the Florida and Hawaii teams:

Chuck Heater (UF), Ikaika Malloe (UH) ___ On same staff at Washington from 1999-2001.

Tebow (UF), Wilson (UF), Taylor (UH) ____ Each attended Nease HS

THE OFFENSE

��The offense returns eight starters after returning six in 2007. Returning to the offense are WR

Percy Harvin, WR Louis Murphy, TE Cornelius Ingam, OL Jason Watkins, OL Jim Tartt, OL Maurkice

Pouncey, QB Tim Tebow, RB Kestahn Moore. Departing are WR Andre Caldwell, C Drew Miller,

RT Carlton Medder.

��The Florida offense returns its top passer (Tim Tebow), rusher (Tebow) and receiver (Percy

Harvin). Each of Florida’s top-five rushers return and all of the top-five receivers except Andre

Caldwell do so.

��Under head coach Urban Meyer, the Gators have outrushed 33 of 38 opponents (10-of-12 in 2005

and 12-of-13 in 2006, 11-of-13 in 2007).

��Florida is one of four teams in the nation (LSU, Tulsa and USC) to pass for 80-or-more and

rush for 80-or-more touchdowns since 2005.

��Florida is one of eight teams in the nation to score 100-or-more total touchdowns at home since

2005 (105, ranks fifth nationally and first in the SEC).

��Florida’s passer rating at home since 2005 (168.6) ranks second in the nation since 2005

(Louisville, 179.1).

��Florida and LSU are tied for sixth nationally and first in the SEC with 776 points at home each

since 2005.

��Only Urban Meyer-coached teams, Boise State and Toledo have had offenses that have

averaged more than 235 passing yards and 184 rushing yards per game over the last seven

seasons.
EASTERN DIVISION

Team SEC Pct. Overall

Florida 0-0 .000 0-0

Georgia 0-0 .000 0-0

Kentucky 0-0 .000 0-0

South Carolina 0-0 .000 0-0

Tennessee 0-0 .000 0-0

Vanderbilt 0-0 .000 0-0

Alabama 0-0 .000 0-0

Auburn 0-0 .000 0-0

Arkansas 0-0 .000 0-0

LSU 0-0 .000 0-0

Ole Miss 0-0 .000 0-0

Mississippi State 0-0 .000 0-0

AUG. 28

South Carolina vs. NC State

Vanderbilt at Miami (Ohio)

AUG. 30

Alabama vs. Clemson (Atlanta)

Arkansas vs. W. Illinois

Auburn vs. Louisiana-Monroe

Georgia vs. Georgia Southern

Ole Miss vs. Memphis

Mississippi State at La. Tech

LSU vs. Appalachian State

Kentucky at Louisville

Tennessee at UCLA

S20 __________________________ at Tennessee

O4 _____________________________at Arkansas

N1 ____________________________ vs. Georgia^

N8 ____________________________ at Vanderbilt

N15 _____________________ SOUTH CAROLINA

N22 _________________________ THE CITADEL

N29 _________________________ at Florida State

D6 ________________ SEC Championship Game#

HC - Homecoming

^ - Jacksonville, Fla. (Jacksonville Municipal Stadium)

# - Atlanta, Ga. (Georgia Dome)

A30 ______________________________at Florida

S13 ________________________ at Oregon State

O4 __________________________ at Fresno State

O17 __________________________ at Boise State

N1 ____________________________at Utah State

N8 ______________________at New Mexico State

N22 _______________________________ IDAHO

N29 __________________ WASHINGTON STATE

D6 ____________________________ CINCINNATI

Florida Category Opponents

257.0 Passing Offense 258.5

200.2 Rushing Offense 103.3

457.2 Total Offense 361.8

42.5 Scoring Offense 25.5

258.5 Passing Defense 257.0

103.3 Rushing Defense 200.2

361.8 Total Defense 457.2

25.5 Scoring Defense 42.5

305 1st Downs For 262

.534 3rd Down Conv. .412

.538 4th Down Conv. .583

29-207 Sacks By-Yards 13-78

107-805 Penalties-Yards 83-600

16-9 Fumbles-Lost 21-9

29:18 Avg. Time of Poss. 30:03

439.5 Passing Offense 214.0

72.6 Rushing Offense 133.8

512.1 Total Offense 347.8

43.4 Scoring Offense 25.5

214.0 Passing Defense 439.5

133.8 Rushing Defense 72.6

347.8 Total Defense 512.1

25.5 Scoring Defense 43.4

347 1st Downs For 262

.475 3rd Down Conv. .296

.450 4th Down Conv. .563

91-861 Penalties-Yards 85-727

29-12 Fumbles-Lost 26-9

28:00 Avg. Time of Poss. 32:07
2008 SCHEDULES/RESULTS

Rushing

Florida G Att. Net Avg. TD YPG

Tebow 13 210 895 4.3 23 68.8

Harvin 11 83 764 9.2 6 69.5

Hawaii G Att. Net Avg. TD YPG

Pilares 11 68 388 5.7 3 35.3

Wright-Jackson 10 33 219 6.6 2 21.9

Passing

Florida A-C-I Pct. Yds. TD YPG

Tebow 350-234-6 66.9 3,286 32 252.8

Newton 10-5-0 50.0 40 0 8.0

Hawaii A-C-I Pct. Yds. TD YPG

Brennan 510-359-17 70.4 4,343 38 361.9

Graunke 137-90-6 65.7 1,234 10 154.2

Receiving

Florida G Rec. Yds. Avg. TD YPG

Harvin 11 59 858 14.5 4 78.0

Caldwell 11 56 761 13.6 7 69.2

Hawaii G Rec. Yds. Avg. TD YPG

Bess 13 108 1,266 11.7 12 97.4

Grice-Mullen 13 106 1,372 12.9 13 105.5

Defense

Florida UT-AT-TT TFL S INT FF FR

Spikes 81-50-131 16.0 1.5 0 1 3

Doe 43-42-85 5.0 0 0 0 2

Hawaii UT-AT-TT TFL S INT FF FR

Elimimian 68-73-141 12.0 1.5 0 0 0

Leonard 53-52-105 11.5 2.0 4 1 1

TOP INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

SERIES HISTORY

THE COACHES

2007 UF 49 Western Kentucky 3

(Gainesville) UF scored touchdowns on its fi rst

four possessions and Tim Tebow connected on

13-of-17 passes in his starting debut for 300 yards

and three TD and rushed for another score.

season in style as Chris Leak was 21-for-30 for

248 and fi red three TD passes, while Dallas Baker

had nine catches for 123 yards and one score.

head coaching debut and Chris Leak set a school

record with 17-straight completions on his way

to fi nishing the night 26-of-34 for 320 yards and

three touchdown passes, all to receiver Chad

Jackson (10 receptions for 138 yards).

passes and the Gators converted all seven of their

opportunities inside the Red Zone. Led by two

touchdowns from running back Ciatrick Fason,

six different players scored for UF.

2003 UF 65 San Jose State 3

(Gainesville) Running back Ran Carthon and

wide receiver Kelvin Kight scored two touchdowns

apiece as UF opened the 2003 season in front

of a then-record crowd of 90,011 at the newlyrenovated

Ben Hill Griffi n Stadium.

LAST FIVE SEASON OPENERS

Urban Meyer

Record at Florida: 31-8 (.795)

Overall Record: 70-16 (.814)

Seasons at Florida/Overall: 4/8

Record at Hawaii: First Season

Overall Record: First Season

THE COACHES

This is the fi rst-ever meeting between the

Gators and Warriors.

Florida Leads: 5-0

Team .......................................................Record

Louisiana Tech .............................. UF leads, 2-0

9/16/89 - Gators 34, Bulldogs 7 (Gainesville)

9/10/05 - Gators 41, Bulldogs 3 (Gainesville)

New Mexico State .......................... UF leads, 1-0

9/3/94 - Gators 70, Aggies 21 (Gainesville)

San Jose State .............................. UF leads, 2-0

9/7/91 - Gators 59, Spartans 21 (Gainesville)

8/30/03 - Gators 65, Spartans 3 (Gainesville)
��Florida has scored 30-or-more points in each of the last seven games. The streak is the longest

in the nation:

Central Michigan 6 39.6 4-2

Navy 6 46.2 3-2

Air Force 5 38.6 3-2

Fresno State 5 36.6 4-1

��Since Coach Meyer’s first season in 2005, the Gators have led the SEC in several offensive

categories over the span:

Rushing Touchdowns

Florida 82

LSU 81

Auburn 72

LSU 162

Kentucky 130

LSU .447 (240-of-537)

Tennessee .419 (222-of-530)

Kentucky .414 (214-of-517)

��Since Coach Meyer’s first year as a head coach at Bowling Green in 2001, his teams have had

fewer offensive turnovers than any team in the nation:

2. Minnesota 123

3. Air Force 126

4. Virginia 127

Wake Forest 127

��In 2007, UF scored on 54.0 percent of its drives (81-of-150). The percentage was the secondhighest

by a league team since the SEC kept the record in 2000 (UF 54.9 in 2001). Florida’s

touchdown efficiency mark of 47.3 (71-of-140) was the highest total by an SEC team since the

league kept the record starting in 2001.

QUARTERBACKS (FOR TEBOW RECORDS SEE PAGE 15 OF THIS RELEASE)

��Florida returns Tim Tebow at quarterback who became the only player in college football history to

win the Heisman Trophy as a sophomore. Tebow is the fifth quarterback to return to school after

winning the award joining Roger Staubach, Ty Detmer, Jason White and Matt Leinart. Detmer, White

and Leinart all finished third in the Heisman voting during the season that followed their Heisman

winning campaign.

��In receiving the Heisman Trophy on Dec. 8, 2007, Tim Tebow enabled Florida to become:

-One of eight schools with at least three Heisman Trophy winners

-The first SEC school with three Heisman Trophy winners and all at quarterback

-One of two schools with three Heisman Trophy winners at quarterback

-One of two schools with multiple winners since 1996

-One of four programs to win the Heisman and have a first-team Academic All-American (Alan

Ameche, 1954, Wisconsin; Pete Dawkins, 1958, Army; Danny Wuerffel, 1996, Florida)

��Tim Tebow’s 31 career rushing touchdowns are tied for the fourth-highest total in school history

with Fred Taylor, 1994-97 (Emmitt Smith had a school record 36 from 1987-89).

��Tim Tebow has rushed for at least one touchdown and passed for at least one touchdown in 14-

straight games. The streak is the longest in NCAA history.

��Tim Tebow has not thrown an interception in his last two outings (matches his longest streak as

a starting quarterback). Tebow has not thrown an interception since the second quarter of the Florida Atlantic game in 2007. Since then he has had 81 attempts without an interception. The

streak is the longest of his career. His previous long was 80 over the course of the LSU, UK,

UGA and Vanderbilt games in 2007.

Consecutive Passes Without an Interception (UF)

1. 121, Danny Wuerffel, 1995-96

2. 118, Rex Grossman, 2002

3. 117, Chris Leak, 2005

117, Wayne Peace, 1981

5. 104, Steve Spurrier, 1966

��Tim Tebow is Florida’s active career leader in rushing yards with 1,364, which is a school

record for rushing yards by a quarterback. The previous career record for rushing yards by a

quarterback at UF was 786 by Larry Libetore (1960-62).

��Over the past three seasons, Tim Tebow has been a part of teams that have gone 35-7 overall. As

the starting quarterback at Nease High School as a senior in 2005, he helped lead the school to its

first-ever Class 4A state championship. As a freshman at UF in 2006, he played in all 14 games in

his role as the backup QB on the national championship squad. He was 9-4 as a starting QB in 2007.

��Active QBs Career Rushing Touchdowns vs. Top 25 Teams

Pat White (West Virginia) 9

3. Jake Locker (Washington) 5

��Active QBs Rushing Touchdowns at Home

1. Pat White (West Virginia) 18 20

3. Dan LeFevour (Central Michigan) 10 14

��For only the second time in five seasons, the UF running backs return more than one upperclassmen

that carried the ball the previous year (Moore and James).

��In 2007, the Florida running backs carried the ball 136 times for 761 yards and six rushing

touchdowns. As a group, they averaged 5.6 yards per carry.

��Emmanuel Moody and Mon Williams look to see action after not playing in 2007. Moody, who was

the 2006 Pac-10 Offensive Newcomer of the Year, transferred to UF from USC. Williams redshirted

in 2007 after tearing the ACL in his left knee during spring practices of 2007.

��After returning one senior (Andre Caldwell) and two juniors (Louis Murphy and Cornelius Ingram),

the group returns two seniors (Murphy and Ingram who is out for the season with a torn ACL) as

well as three juniors (Cooper, Harvin, Nelson). In addition, Carl Moore came to UF from Sierra

Community College.

��For the first time since Jabar Gaffney (2000-01), the Gators are projected to return their top

receiver from the prior season as Percy Harvin led UF with 59 catches for 858 yards in 2007. In

records dating back to 1955, there have been 13 players to lead the team in receptions in back-toback

season.

��UF returns two of its top three wideouts from the 2007 season. Last year, Percy Harvin and Louis

players that made a reception for Florida in 2007 return in 2008.

��Percy Harvin enters the year needing 40 receptions to enter UF’s all-time career chart. Currently,

Taylor Jacobs (1999-02) ranks 10th with 133 receptions. In 2007, Andre Caldwell established a new

school record by finishing his career with 185 receptions.

��Percy Harvin has already set a UF mark for career rushing yards by a receiver (1,192) and owns

the single-season record for rushing yards by a receiver (764, 2007).
��Percy Harvin has rushed for over 100 yards in each of the last three games he has played in (113

vs. Vanderbilt; 157 vs. Florida State; 165 vs. Michigan). In the last three games he has played in

Harvin has touched the ball 63 times for 689 yards (10.9 yards per touch) and he has had five

touchdowns.

��In 2007, Percy Harvin touched the ball 142 times (59 receptions and 83 carries) and averaged 11.4

yards per touch. He averaged 9.2 yards per carry, which was the highest by any player in the nation

in 2007 and the second-highest by any player in the country since at least 1996 (Anthony Alridge,

Houston, 2006, 10.1).

��As a group, the Florida wide receivers carried the ball 115 times for 943 yards and seven touchdowns

(avg. 8.2 yards per carry) in 2007.

��Last season, Andre Caldwell was the only receiver to enter the season with more than three

touchdown receptions. This year, three receivers each enter with six (Harvin, Murphy and Cooper).

In addition, running back Kestahn Moore has three career touchdown receptions.

��In 2007, Aaron Hernandez has had nine catches for 151 yards and two touchdowns. Seven of his

catches, 144 of his yards and one of his touchdowns came in the last four games of the year.

��Tate Casey has caught 24 passes in his career, seven of which have been for touchdowns.

��The Florida offensive line enters the 2008 season with 72 combined careers starts after beginning

2007 with 65 and 2006 with 18, which was the lowest in the SEC and second-lowest in the nation.

The chart below reflects where Florida’s 2008 total ranks in the league:

1. Ole Miss 101

2. LSU 95

3. Alabama 93

4. Tennessee 87

5. South Carolina 75

6. Florida 72

��Jason Watkins and Jim Tartt return in 2008 after starting every game in 2007. In addition,

Maurkice Pouncey returns after starting 11 of 13 games. Phil Trautwein, who started each game

in 2006 at left tackle, returns after missing the 2007 season due to a stress fractured in his right foot

suffered in preseason drills.

��Projected opening game offensive line, which on average is 6’5”, 304:

��Florida starting offensive line includes four returning starters (Ma. Pouncey, Tartt, Watkins,

Trautwein) and three fifth-year seniors (Tartt, Watkins, Trautwein).

��Jim Tartt’s 18-straight starts rank as the longest active streak on the team. Tartt’s 29 career starts

leads all Gators, while Phil Trautwein and Jason Waktins are tied with Percy Harvin and Kestahn

Moore for the second-highest total (15). Nearyly half (72-of-153) of the combined returning career

starts by UF’s offensive players are from members of the offensive line (47.0 pct.)

��Four members of the projected starting offensive line for the season opener are from the state of

Florida. In the last 13 seasons, four members of the starting day offensive line have been from the

state of Florida on eight occasions.

��Sacks allowed under Coach Meyer:

Year Total Rank (National/SEC) Note

2005 35 T94/9 One-or-less allowed in three games

2006 23 42/6 One-or-less allowed in seven games

2007 13 T5/T2 No sacks allowed in seven games

��Maurkice Pouncey will be the fourth different player in four years at starting center under head

coach Urban Meyer at Florida (2005, Mike Degory; 2006, Steve Rissler, 2007, Drew Miller). The

other three were all seniors.
THE DEFENSE

��Florida returns eight starters on defense in 2008 after bringing back only two in 2007. Returning to

the defense are DT Javier Estopinan, DE Jermaine Cunningham, LB A.J. Jones, LB Brandon

Spikes, LB Dustin Doe, CB, Wondy Pierre-Louis, CB Joe Haden, FS Major Wright. Departing are

DE Derrick Harvey, DT Clint McMillan, SS Tony Joiner.

��Entering 2008, the Gators return nine of the top 12 leaders in tackles from the 2007 season,

including each of the top three. When the 2007 season began, UF had only two of its top 12 tacklers

from the prior year and had lost both of its top two leaders in the department.

��The defensive players returning in 2008 have combined for a total of 103 career starts. Entering

the 2007 season, the total number of career defensive starts returning to the team was 36.

��Entering 2007 only three Gators had recorded a sack in their collegiate career. Entering 2008, a

dozen returnees have done so.

��Over the past three seasons, UF has ranked first in the SEC and second in the nation in rushing

defense allowing just 89.7 yards per game. Only one other SEC team ranks in the top 20 in the

category during the span (LSU, 10th, 98.4):

Team Yds./Game

1. Ohio State 85.2

3. TCU 90.3

Virginia Tech 90.3

5. Boston College 91.0

��In the last 63 games, the Gators have scored points off turnovers in 43 games. 261 of UF’s points

under head coach Urban Meyer have come off turnovers.

�� Last year, UF did not have a scholarship linebacker that was an upperclassman. This season, UF

has three juniors (Dustin Doe, Brandon Spikes, Ryan Stamper).

��Brandon Spikes was a consensus first-team All-SEC selection in 2007. It marked the first time since

1999 (Jamie Winborn, Vanderbilt) that an underclassman linebacker earned Coaches’ First-Team

All-SEC honors in the league.

��In 2007, Brandon Spikes and Dustin Doe were Florida’s leading tacklers with 131 and 85, respectively.

In 2006, Earl Everett finished with 85 tackles to lead the Gators. A linebacker has led the

Gators in the department each of the last three seasons and five of the last six.

��In the Capital One Bowl against Michigan, Brandon Spikes recovered a fumble. He led the gators

in 2007 with three recoveries, while Dustin Doe had two. The pair combined for five of UF’s nine

recovered fumbles in 2007.

��Brandon Spikes finished first among all linebackers and second the team overall with 16.0 tackles

for a loss in 2007.

��The returning members to the secondary have 38 career starts between them. Wondy Pierre-

Louis leads the group with 13 starts. His streak of 13-straight starts is tied with three others for the

second-longest streak on the team (Brandon Spikes, Jermaine Cunningham, Jason Watkins).

��No cornerback on the Florida roster has started a collegiate game entering the 2007 season

opener. This year, the group has 29 combined career starts.

��Major Wright returns as the groups leading tackler for them 2007 season and the third-leading

tackler on the team with 67. He appeared in all 13 games as a true freshman and started seven. He

led the team and tied for first in the SEC in forced fumbles with four on the year.

��Prior to the season, Cade Holliday who was a wide receiver switched to the safety position as did

redshirt sophomore Justin Williams.
��The 2008 season marks the first time in three years that the Gators have not had two new starting

cornerbacks.

��Of the players on the 2007 team, only Tony Joiner had made an interception the previous season.

In 2007, nine players made an interception for the Gators and each return to the team except Joiner.

��The returning members of the secondary have accounted for four career interceptions combined

entering this season. For the last two years, the total has been seven. In records dating back to 1985,

four is the fewest UF has ever entered a season with (1993, 2004 and 2008).

��Florida’s defense has intercepted 85 passes since 2003, when Charlie Strong took over as defensive

coordinator. The five-year total is tied for the seventh-highest in the nation over the time period

and is the best among SEC teams:

1. Boise State 93

Boston College 93

3. Virginia Tech 92

4. Oregon State 90

��Florida has had an interception in 34 of the past 51 games. In 2006, Florida led the SEC with 21

interceptions. UF’s 16 in 2005 tied with Georgia for the highest amount by any team in the league.

��Since 2003, 35 of Florida’s 85 interceptions have come against teams ranked inside the top 25. The

total is the second-highest among all teams nationally:

Interceptions vs. AP Top-25 teams Since 2003

1. Georgia 38

��Florida returns players who accounted for 26 starts on the defensive line in 2007. Four of the starts

were by Mike Pouncey who switched back to offensive line in the spring of 2008. Entering the 2007

season, UF returned players who accounted for only eight starts the previous year. Including

Pouncey’s four starts, the returning players to this years team have made 28 career starts, which is

tied for eighth in the SEC:

1. Kentucky 68

2. South Carolina 67

3. Ole Miss 65

4. LSU 64

5. Arkansas 61

6. Georgia 56

��Defensive end Jermaine Cunningham returns to the team as the career leader in sacks (6.5) and ranks second in tackles for loss (12.0) behind Brandon Spikes (17.0)

��Entering the 2007 season only three returning Gators had recorded a sack in their career and two

of those only had one. This year a dozen returning players have had a sack in their career.

��The defensive line enters this season having lost only one player to the NFL draft from the previous

year (Derrick Harvey). Prior to 2007, the unit had four players selected in the draft (Jarvis Moss, Ray

McDonald, Marcus Thomas, Joe Cohen). Florida has had six defensive linemen drafted under

Coach Meyer. The total is the highest in the nation over the past three years.

SPECIAL TEAMS

��UF returns its punter (Chas Henry), long-snapper (James Smith), holder (Butch Rowley) and kick

and punt returner (Brandon James).

��For the second straight season, no returning player has attempted a field goal in their collegiate

career.

��Florida was the only school in the nation to allow only five punt returns in 2007. The Gators gave up

school record. The total was also the lowest allowed in any season by a team since at least 1996. The

previous low for fewest punt return yards allowed in a season was 47 yards on 11 punt returns in

1990.

averaged 18.2 yards per kickoff and 28.0 in 2007 (17th nationally, second in the SEC). In the punt return department, James had an average of 11.0 in 2006 (fifth in the SEC and 26th nationally) and

averaged 18.1 yards in 2007 (second nationally, first in the SEC).

��After blocking a school-record eight kicks in 2006, the Gators blocked four in 2007. In 2007,

Jarred Fayson was the only returnee that had blocked a kick the prior season. Each of the four

players that blocked a kick in 2007 return to the 2008 squad.

��The chart below reflects how Urban Meyer-coached teams make a difference on special teams:

Punt Returns for a TD Under Urban Meyer (6) Blocked Kicks Under Urban Meyer (37)

2007 1 2007 4 (4 punts)

2006 1 2006 8 (5 punts, 2 FG, 1XP)

2005 1 2005 5 (2 punts, 2 FG, 1 XP)

2004 1 2004 9 (7 punts, 2 FG)

2003 1 2003 2 (2 FG)

2002 0 2002 8 (7 punts, 1 FG)

2001 1 2001 1 (1 FG)

��Since his first year as a head coach in 2001, Urban Meyer’s teams have blocked the third-highest

total number of kicks among all teams nationally:

1. Texas 46

2. Fresno State 43

4. N.C. State 35

5. Virginia Tech 32

��Under head coach Urban Meyer, UF has been perfect on executing fake punts on fourth down:

10/1/05 at Alabama Everett, 32-yard reverse

10/29/05 vs. Georgia Wilbur, 20-yard run

1/2/06 vs. Iowa Latsko, five-yard run

12/2/06 vs. Arkansas Cornelius, 17-yard run

1/1/07 vs. Michigan Henry 15-yard pass to Hernandez

��Lowest Total Punt Return Yards Allowed 2005-2007

1. Florida 153

2. Iowa 240

3. Ohio State 272

THE SCHEDULE

��UF opens the season on Aug. 30, 2008, against Hawaii in Gainesville. The Gators start the year

with two-straight home games, as Miami visits “The Swamp” for the first time since 2002 on Sept.

6.

��Arkansas returns to the SEC portion of the schedule, with Florida making the trip to Fayetteville,

��UF plays seven teams that made bowl appearances last season (Hawaii, Kentucky, Florida

State, Tennessee, Arkansas, Georgia and LSU).

THE STAFF

��For the first time since his initial season, head coach Urban Meyer introduced new members of the

coaching staff as the following assistants will be in their first year in Gainesville in 2008: Dan McCarney

(Assistant Head Coach, Defense/Defensive Line); Kenny Carter (Running Backs); Vance Bedford

(Cornerbacks).

��There are 11 new coordinators at SEC schools this fall. Florida and Vanderbilt are the only two

schools in the league that have had their offensive and defensive coordinators in the position at their

school each of the last three seasons.

��The Florida defensive staff enters spring football with 102 years of combined collegiate coaching

experience: Chuck Heater (32), Charlie Strong (25), Vance Bedford (15), Dan McCarney (30).

��Defensive coordinator Charlie Strong will be entering his sixth season at the position. The last time

UF had a defensive coordinator for that length of time was Doug Knotts who held the position from