Florida Looms as Practice Games End

I posted this for no particular reason at all.

I was at the Akron game on Saturday and I am still feeling the effects of having a great time. Let me hit some highlights before I talk about the game and Florida:

• We saw Orlando Antigua cruising in a golf cart with some recruits


• We also saw Enes Kanter, Eloy Vargas, Stacey Poole and Terrence Jones cruising as well


• Coury, Monster Mash and I defended the honor of a lady against some undergrad douche bag


• Coury and I got our pictures taken with Scratch


• Coury got his picture with Enes Kanter


• Kanter was wearing an Undertaker shirt


• We all met DeQuinn Evans, Moncell Allen and Derrick Locke at Two keys Tavern


• Monster Mash asked a girl at Tolly Ho the ingredients of her milkshake and was mocked unmercifully


• If I had to do it over again I would have attended UK. The atmosphere is electric.

Back to the football analysis. The Cats started out sluggish but after a fiery speech on the sidelines by Joker Phillips, they turned it on and never looked back. The back ups were in by halftime. Derrick Locke ran for over 160 yards and eclipsed the 2,000 yard mark for his career, Randall Cobb caught a TD pass but dropped a number of balls, Chris Matthews scored again and DeQuinn Evans recorded his first sack.

Mike Hartline is looking phenomenal. He has the 8th ranked quarterback efficiency rating in the country, he hasn't turned it over and he is getting the entire offense involved by completing passes to multiple receivers every game. There are no questions about his status as the starter. For now.

UK's schedule has not been, how do I put this, difficult thus far. Yes, I know that Louisville gave Oregon State a run for their money but the fact is that they are still 1-2. WKU is 0-3 with a near miss at IU this past weekend 38-21 and Akron is 0-3 with an embarrassing loss to Gardener Webb. That is a combined 1-8 for our opponenets. UK looked dominant in all three games but they should have looked that way. If they hadn't then I would be writing abut how Florida is going to blow them out.

But I'm not. I have hope. The offense can play with any team in the country. The defensive run game is lacking in some areas but they have improved steadily over the past few weeks. I did just read some troubling news that Moncell Allen has a hamstring injury and starting right guard Stuart Hines has an ankle injury. Both are doubtful for the game Saturday. Without those two key starters our chances would decline.

Coach Joker Phillips had this to say: "It's a great opportunity for us to put a huge stamp on this program and on this football team, to show the character, to show the maturity of our football team. It's a great opportunity for us."

He's right in everything he said. I'm not ready for my prediction just yet. I'll give that on Friday.

Rare Props to the Cards: I can't take any shots at the Cards this week. They played their hearts out in a close loss at Oregon State. They were down big early and fought all the way back to make the Beavers sweat a little in the end. (Eeeewwww) Props to Coach Strong and his players. You're still 1-2. Damn it! I can't help myself.

Monster Mash: Post those pictures ASAP!