11/11: Meyer provides injury news, player updates

By Adam Silverstein
November 11, 2010

Florida Gators head coach Urban Meyer met with the media after practice on Thursday and divulged a few important notes about the team’s 10th game of the 2010-11 season on Saturday against the South Carolina Gamecocks. OGGOA has compiled some of the key details which you can check out below.

PLAYERS GETTING HEALTHIER FOR SATURDAY

After a season full of injuries, the Gators may be the healthiest they have been in quite some time going into Saturday’s game against the Gamecocks. On Thursday, Meyer said junior running back Jeff Demps (foot) will play though his snaps will be limited, redshirt freshman wide receiver Andre Debose (ankle) will play at almost full speed and redshirt sophomore defensive tackle Jaye Howard (ankle) is probable for action.

Meyer also said he expects sophomore linebacker Dee Finley (collarbone), who has missed the majority of the season, to return next week.

JENKINS’ EXTRA YEAR, EASLEY BACK IN THE FOLD

As OGGOA exclusively reported one full year ago, senior cornerback Moses Jenkins has been granted a fifth year of college eligibility due to missing two seasons with injury. Meyer officially announced the medical redshirt approval to the media Thursday.

He also provided an update on freshman DT Dominique Easley, who did not travel with the team to Vanderbilt and was in the coaching staff’s doghouse as of late for unspecified reasons. Meyer said Easley is fulfilling the obligations placed before him and is back with the team though he is not practicing yet.

QUOTES

On how redshirt junior WR Chris Rainey has been lately: “It’s what you’d expect and what we’re going to demand. Everything’s right on the point. The minute he starts to slip at all, it’ll be a terrible price to pay. We’re watching him real close. According to our academic people, he’s doing a good job.”

On the night game atmosphere: “I think it’s really great for these fans here. I love this stadium and I love to see our fans have a great time.”

On what the team will do during the day Saturday: “The preparation doesn’t stop until the foot hits the ball. So we’re going to say a lot about your assignments, your technique. The most prepared team is going to win.”

On who is returning punts: “We got three guys ready this week – Debose, Rainey and JJ [Janoris Jenkins]. I’m still evaluating that.”

On redshirt freshman tight end Jordan Reed: “What happens in this darn recruiting is when you have a guy like [Aaron] Hernandez, another kid won’t come. So you get stuck and then they leave after their junior year and you’re like, ‘Oh.’ Jordan’s future is probably at tight end. As of right now, we’re worried about Saturday’s game, not his future. And he’s worried about Saturday’s game.”

On if fans will see more of redshirt junior quarterback John Brantley: “Johnny’s our quarterback. The other guys are tempo, they’re curve balls, they’re what we’ve done around here in the past.”

On what it will take for freshman TE Gerald Christian to break through: “Keep developing. Consistency. Typical young player that you wish he was a junior in college right now. He’s got a great potential.”

9 Comments

  1. Mr2Bits says:

    This is what I like to see before the biggest game of the season. We appear to be focused, injury free and poised to head back to Atlanta which was our main goal going into the year. What seemed almost unattainable weeks ago is now within our grasp. Hope to stay injury free through the weekend and am ready for a dogfight.

  2. SacramentoGator says:

    It’s good to see Easly back on the team. Hopefully Jay H will be able to play to stop their running game.

  3. Wingtee says:

    Any time Demps is not full speed you are not injury free. He Is that important

  4. Gatorbuc15 says:

    Good to see these guys healthier, we need all of them in this game.

  5. npgator says:

    I am looking forward to Christian contributing and think it will happen soon. I think eventually he will be a like a Corneilius Ingram type player.

  6. g8ter27 says:

    Well I like everyhing I am hearing and reading except one. “Johhny is our qb” and the others are “cureballs”…I think that most readers and fans know that is BS. Reed gives us the best chance to win this game bc he can run and throw, I just hope we don’t go down two tds before we start throwing the Cocks the curveball. Adam, or anyone else for that matter…did I see the Vandy game wrong and think Reed was that much better for our system?

  7. g8ter27 says:

    Well Adam that half showed me that when we needed a yard or two on third down that he could get it. He threw a td pass as well which may not be the end all but it shows he has the ability which they do not feel with Burton. Hey, i hope i am wrong, i hope JB thorws for 400 yards and we light Carolina up, hell I’ll go down there and put him on my shoulders and carry him off the field, I just have a bad feeling about it. Go Gators!

    • The difference is that, because the Gators had healthy running backs and a better offensive gameplan, Reed was faced with a yard or two on third down whereas Brantley, for the entire season up to this point, has been faced with 3rd and 8 or 3rd and 11. What is actually impressive is how often JB converted those downs. When a team is not getting yardage on first and second down – which Florida wasn’t for a while b/c of no running backs or not using the 2-3-headed QB system – it is much tougher to run an offense and progress down the field.

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