Tennessissy Falls Again

It's kinda hard to get all medieval on UT now that Kiffen has moved on (and Fulmer before him). That new coach seems like a nice guy. And pretty smart. Forget that he has a full pedigree from a Georgia football family, if you can.

The game seemed to lack some intensity. They were pretty pathetic, really...about time someone on the field was more pitiful than the Gators. But we didn't run them out of the stadium either...it's a sad thing when your offense is so impotent that it takes a fake punt to wake them up. But it's beautiful when it works!

After that, things seem to fall back into place.  It worked out as it should.

Gillislee, Hammond and Burton, Oh My!

And of course, there was some Defense...

Haven't said anything about Rainey, and won't.

But the best part of the game was at the end, when we found Waldo!

Bumper Sticker of the Week:

I used to be indecisive, but now I'm not so sure.

USF ... BullsNot Today

Ah, the same letters as those of another team that's going to get mauled by the Gators, just scrambled around. The South Florida Bulls--another pretender to the King of the Florida Hill! They didn't look so fake on that first drive, though--96 yards...yikes! Fortunately, they couldn't get much going the rest of the day. Their QB completed a lot of passes, but quite a few were to the guys in the orange pants.

Ahmad does it again!
 Justin gets a pick 6!
 Maybe this had something to do with the interceptions...
So, the D saved us again. Without Ammad's interception at the close of the half, we'd have been behind at the half! Outrageous! But at least the snaps were good.

Actually, the offense wasn't all that bad once they got rolling. First we used the 2 - 3 punch on them.

Then, when that got boring, we used the 23 punch.








And did I mention the D?
Bumper Sticker of the Week:

Take my advice...I'm not using it.

Guest Pass to Beach Week

The kids all (all but Shelley and Brantley) gathered at Anna Maria for the perennial Beach Week, and Jane and I popped over for the day. It was Labor Day, so it is appropriate they spend it with their mother. As to Brian and Pete, not sure what that connection implies, other than it's work to stay sane when the Stockton clan gets together.

I had just gotten my new EVO Droid phone and was dying to show it off to the iPhone crowd from out West. It has all the good stuff like a nav program, internet access, etc.  So we were rolling along on our way to Anna Maria using the nav function of the phone. As we turned west towards Bradenton, Jane asked me something about a song...I think it was who wrote "My Way" by Frank Sinatra.  Of course, I had to look it up on my phone, and though I ultimately found it, i was using the phone at a critical point in the navigation.  I was already irritated by the voice, so I had turned the volume down.  by the time we were on the big bridge, I realized something wasn't quite right, as we were heading back to St. Pete.  Pulled off, turned around, and cranked up the Tom Tom to head back over the bridge towards the island.  Made for a late arrival, but I learned a lesson about trying to use too many functions at once.

The house was lovely, and close to the beach. It was fun to see everyone again, though I wonder if the twins remembered us--they seemed preoccupied with the pool, as young children can be.  Pierce was a doll, as usual, and we had a smooth visit. I tried to let him beat me at ping pong, but I couldn't play that badly. Great to see everyone, even if only for a short while, and the absence of B & S was noticeable.  On to the wedding!!

Miami of Ohio

Who knew that would be so tough...or we would be so bad? Everyone looking for another blowout win (like last year) for the first game was treated to a W that just blew. (Or sucked, depending on your preference.) Bad snap...fumble...bad snap....fumble...etc. WTF?

Here are some pieces from the G'ville Sun that cam out before the game...very clever.

"Last season we knew what the present was. We knew what the team was going to look like, feel like. We knew what the players would say about the coaches and the coaches about the players. We knew that team would win big. We just weren't sure how big.

This year, we aren't really sure what's hidden underneath the fancy wrapping.

And that's what every season is, isn't it? A present under the tree, waiting to be opened and played with. Friday night is like Christmas Eve, butterflies trying to escape your belly. The stadium is your living room, the goalposts the tree. Let's see what Santa Urban brought us this year.

Happy season."

AND

"It's Opening Day, a day like no other. Miami of Ohio has been paid handsomely to be the Washington Generals. As great as it will be for Gator fans to finally see their team, they will also know the real tests are down the road.

It will be hot. It will be sticky.
Someone will pass out, for one reason or another.
You won't feel like your seat is wide enough or your drink cold enough.
You will get goosebumps when the video starts before this team, your new team, runs out onto the field.
You will second-guess and second an emotion.
You will eat food you wouldn't serve at home.
Typical Christmas."

Guess we all got underwear.

Dempsie looked good.

Pouncey looked horrible.
Odd that I can't find pics of Brantley scrambling back to recover the errant snaps from Mike.

Rainey did well.

The defense was pretty sharp, all things considered. 

Trey scored a touchdown short, but generally the offense couldn't do squat...no timing, no rythm, very frustrating.  Still, the Gators were never in danger, as attested by Urban's going for it on 4th down repeatedly. Would have been better to have made a few of them.

Bumper Sticker of the Week:

Shoot first and call whatever you hit the target.

Welcome Caylee!!

Here she is ... Miss ...Los Angeles? She is a beautiful baby, just like her sisters. Jane and I went out a few days early, to be supportive, even if Andrea wasn't sure when our little angel would decide to arrive. It's always fun to be around the girls, even if they aren't entirely sure who we are at first.

The pier with the merry-go-round was a hit, and dinner was Italian with the whole clan. Paul let me borrow his Porsche again, so I felt very LA while we were there.

The big day came and Andrea went in early, while Jane and I found ways to turn a 20 minute trip to the hospital into an hour and a half adventure. Did find Rodeo Drive though.

Another beautiful baby, and a happy crowd all around. Here are a few pics, first day and beyond.

first picture and one of Grrpa and Caylee:

Jane was kind enough to agree to fix dinner the night before we left--I'm not sure exactly how that came about, but I seem to recall it was a bet or a challenge from Paul. Whatever. But she did her usual superb job, even with minimal time and a strange kitchen. All I did was buy everything (especially the wine and beer--imagine my surprise that I ended up drinking most of it). I wonder if there is something about Jewish tradition I don't understand...I thought there was a close tie between Judaism and wine. I seem to have all Jewish friends who don't like wine, or else I don't understand the procedure (or the proper type). Whatever...more for me!

Well, we'll look forward to seeing little Caylee again, in person and in pictures.



And now, your moment of zen...my favorite picture of the 3 cousins (so far)

Kids at the Beach

First week in April, we were blessed by a visit from Tracy and the "little ones." What amazing little gentlemen they were too. Pierce and I played much (way too much) Lego Star Wars, until we wore out two remotes. Then I showed him the various sword games in Wii Sports Resort, and he was entertained the rest of the visit. He wore out the other two remotes....What frosts me, though, is that he beat me one-on-one on the big tower!

There was also beach time, with Tracy trying to get a unique tan using silly string as a pattern. Later it was baseball time--what a slugger Pierce has become! If only I had friends who could field....There were some jigsaw puzzles with which Pierce could uphold the family honor, and he did so admirably. Iron Man was a gas! Hope the $ Store has some new ones in for the next visit!

Bryce was also amazing, not so much for what he did, but what he didn't do. I can count on one hand the times he was the slightest bit fussy, and then with good cause. In all my years of staring at babies--a recent development, to be sure, as before that it was babes--I have never seen a baby who will make and maintain eye contact as much as Bryce. Not sure what it means, but it's insane to lose a stare-down with a 6 month old! And he has no fear of strangers--we passed him around like...oh, well, nevermind, too much nostalgia...and he didn't bat an eye (literally). He just seems happy, no matter what. Let's hope that continues.

I tried out my new small HD video cam, so let's see if it worked. It's about the size of a PDA, and takes huge files. But very sharp. (It takes an eon to upload though.) Most of what I took is too big to post, but I will try to cut it back and add it in later when I get a chance, if I can find the software. I got some great shots of Bryce splashing in the tub, which are appealing if you're fascinated by infant genitalia (which, for the record, I am not). For the sake of posterity, I won't post those. You can thank me later, Bryce.

And the return of the long missing
Bumper Sticker of the Week/Month!
(In honor of the kids' visit, this one is dedicated to mothers everywhere.)

I'm not tense, just terribly, terribly alert.

Look Out Tahoe!

After agonizing over where to go to get my snow fix--Whistler, Colorado, New Zealand (oops, wrong season) I ended up cutting the baby in half. Went to California...well, that is if you can sayTahoe is in California completely. It's almost in a world of its own, really, though we stayed on the Cali side. I eventually chose Northstar, even though I had heard less than complimentary things about it, primarily because Dave's company owns it, and we thought we could get some perks from the management folks. Sort of yes and sort of not so much. I did get a few days of lift passes and some help with baggage transport, but it was pretty hectic the rest of the time.

We lucked out on the lodging, getting a 3 BD condo for roughly $150 per night. No, that is not a typo, nor is it a per person price. As the kids today say, s-w-e-e-t. It wasn't Interlude or Thunderwolf, of course, but it was very serviceable. I flew out earlier than the rest, so I got the big loft room; I had offered to share it with one of the guys, but no one wanted to get that personal. Waldo would be laughing up his sleeve. There were beds for everyone, though they were small and uncomfortable. A small price to pay for a small price.

The timing was off for the Stockton/Loescher/Schwartz clans (new jobs, new baby, soon to be new baby...all very understandable), so I solicited the Coyle clan. Of the group, only Dave could get away. It was, after all, a business trip for him, and my impression is that he will go anywhere any time if snow is involved. Dave brought his buddy from school, RJ, and his cousin Adam. A small but robust group. RJ hadn't been on snow in quite a while, and Adam was often struggling himself, but we managed to escape serious injury nonetheless.

Adam

RJ

I went out a few days early to get in shape (and because I could) and it was mucho funo.

I flew into Sacramento and took a quick sidetrip on the way to the slopes via the Bogle Winery just south of the city. It was gorgeous, very European feeling, and I got to sample a bit. Just a tad, as it was a 2 hr drive to the mountains.

 Of course, I got some paraphernalia and almost a case of various wines (red, of course) thinking the guys would help with it. Who knew?

The first day I piddled around and got out for a half day; success was measured by the fact I came home in one piece. I have no other recollection of it. The second day (Monday) I bopped over to Squaw Valley and found that this was the 50th anniversary of the Olympics there. Seemed pretty small to me at the time, and maddeningly unmarked. An interesting concept, they colored the lift lines on the map according to what types of terrain that lift served. Then you were on your own getting down. Crazy, but I hear the locals love it. The best part about it was that the lift ticket worked for night skiing also; I hadn't intended to push it that hard so early, but when I picked Dave up at the Reno airport late that afternoon, ... well, one thing led to another, and you know how boys are... we scurried back to Squaw for a few runs. It turned out it was only a few by the time we found the entrance to the tram and got back down (another story). The cable car was HUGE, holding I think over 50 people, though not that night.

As is the case with most night skiing, the snow was hard and often crusty. It was chilly, to say the least, but we managed. Dave was a bit rusty at first, but that soon passed and we piddled around the top for a bit, then headed down. Somewhere along the way, a funny thing happened. Dave slowed next to a sign that it was too dark to read, and which (as we found out later) pointed down to drop off that looked icky. Of course the only reasonable thing was to keep going straight. Also unbeknownst to us, that wasn't where the lighted trail was--we were on a regular blue trail that ended at the bottom during the day, but was closed at night. Shades of War Dance! We finally figured something wasn't right when we looked across the ravine and saw the light poles (and lights) way over on the other hill. Well, I sure wasn't climbing back up the few hundred yards we had come to get back to the trail--I had been down that run earlier and knew it was doable. Guess I forgot that "earlier" meant it was light then. It was kinda fun to have to turn blind, or by the scraping sound of the person in front (Dave), but a few of the sharp drops were, shall we say, exciting in the dark. Why is it I always end up riding with people who say "That's the last time I'm following you anywhere!"?

All was copacetic when we got to the bottom and we sturggled back to the tram. There was time for another run, and, at the indicated spot, we took the drop toward the lights in what was the most thrilling, fastest, and most uncontrolled 100 yards of the day. Thought I was dead, fer sure...or at least broken up a bit. But, in the end, neither of us fell, enabling us to cheat death once again.

The rest of the trip was a blur as RJ and Dave did all they could to injure themselves in the trees and the terrain parks, and on the ungroomed blacks. Now, Northstar didn't get the nickname "Flatstar" for nothing, and the blacks there are essentially blue or, at worst, dark blue in places like Colorado and Utah. But they still aren't to be trifled with if you're a mediocre rider. We trifled. My mistake was trying to follow the two pairs of 30-something legs down ungroomed, choppy slopes. My thighs and knees have seen too much other territory to hold up to that for very long. But...once we finally stumbled onto a groomed black run, (name) the tables turned dramatically. Even Adam liked those better, as proper technique is golden when it's smooth and steep. I have a fond memory of looking back uphill to see RJ on his ass cursing loudly. Technique, my man. Finally he and Dave took off into the woods to tease the reaper instead. All in all, a tiring and good day. And the ski-in part of the lodging was very much appreciated.



Tahoe is beautiful if you ride the lake side. Here's why.



Sugar is sweet, my love ...

Ah, the Sugar Bowl...that marvelous consolation prize that came from one bad game in the SEC championship. I will have to think of much more to say about this, but I am glad to get that dumb post about the Alabama game off the top of my blog.

Christmas in Atlanta

Another Christmas in Hotlanta! A quick trip but a wonderful time had by all. Well, almost all. Maitlyn was sick most of the time, and teething, so the parents had some rough nights, but the twins were still cute as can be. And Pierce is such a little man! It melts me. Bryce--a bit young to have fun with, but what a little doll. Adorable, quiet, smiley...all great things in a babv.
When I get some pictures, I will post.

Sad, Sad, Sad

McElroy, you done ripped my heart out and stomped it flat.

I am sad beyond my ability to express it. Vicariously hurting for the guys who came back for one more shot at the gold ring. . . who were "living the dream," as one player said.

The dream became a nightmare in the second half. Too many mistakes, not enough key plays.

This is Tim, being not happy with his and his team's performance. We didn't get to see this much in 2009.

Best wishes to the Bama fans, let's hope they destroy Texas!!

We will have something to prove in the Sugar Bowl.

(anyone noticed we don't play the big games well when it's close and we're ranked ahead of the other guys, but kick ass when we're lower ranked?)

We still love you, Tim, and all the other Gators who had such a fabulous year (4 years actually).

Go Gators!!

Perfect Ending

An emotional beginning ... followed by... well, you know. Urban described it...

"I'm not sure what perfect is," he said, "but that was a perfect night."

The first 12-0 regular season in Gators' history! Most excellent. And against the Noles, even more so. Another beatdown, six in a row, Tim had a great game, and Johnny B even got in the game. It was all you could ask for -- except maybe another 30 points (but the O&B did beat the spread). It seemed like the only thing that could keep the Gators from scoring was the sportsmanship not to.

If that game didn't win Tim the Heisman, the thing is rigged (yeah, it probably is anyway, but I hold out a scintilla of hope for that second statuette--when he doesn't win because the media hype throws it elsewhere, we shouldn't be upset... it's become a joke...like the Nobel now).

I know I skipped 2 games in sequence, but had to get something posted for this game--as the Pointer Sisters said long ago, "I'm So Excited...." What a great day for the Gators and, even better, a great day for the SEC. 3-0 against the Almost Competitive Conference, and some great SEC matchups to boot. I'm burnt.

I don't usually crib from the talking heads, but this is some good stuff from Pat Dooely in the Gainesville Sun (and there will be lots of pictures):

"...Tebow said. 'It has been a long day. I was telling (Riley Cooper) when we got on the bus it seems like everything is in slow motion today.'
No, that would be FSU's defense.
The Seminole defense cured pretty much everything that had been ailing the Florida offense this season. The big plays were back. The touchdowns were scored without an FSU hand touching the Gators who scored them.
And so it was a complete victory. The defense toyed with FSU's offense like a killer whale with a wounded seal."

. . . .
"We may never see anything like him [Tim] again. We may never see a class like this senior class. What was it Jermaine Cunningham said when he spoke to the team before the game? 'I'm living the dream.'"

A few more things were said about Tebow.

David Nelson (perhaps biased): "Tim is the best college player ever to play the game. All the credit he gets, I think he deserves even more."

Bobby Bowden (perhaps shellshocked): "It's like like playing against 12 people. He presents so many problems. Tim Tebow is a great player."

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At the end of the game Urban thanked the fans. "I want to thank the Gator fans for showing up pregame and sending off one of the greatest groups of players to come through Florida," Meyer said. And that they are....

The day we all dreaded came ... and went. This is Tim's final TD at the Swamp!

And a view of that play from the end zone.... You don't see any FSU jerseys in the photo because there weren't any nearby.

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Bring on the Tide!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

F-I-Ueeeeww

Golden Panthers? You're joking, right? Where's the SPCA when you need it?

The Gators looked like they wanted to make this endangered species extinct, with a crushing, score-at-will game that ended with Johnny B getting more touchdown passes than Super Tim. Not surprising, as he played almost as much as Tebow and the first string did. Of course, Tim got to show off his moves and his speed with a 55 yard run to pass Kevin Faulk for most all-time TDs scored in the SEC (54). With 3 games to go to add to that total...wow.

Maybe I can post some pictures later, or you can just go to Gatorzone and examine the damage.

Here come the 'Noles.....! Can't wait.

Bumper Sticker of the Week:

I read about the evils of drinking beer, so I gave up reading.

'Cocks Were Game

The uniforms were a bit of a shock (theirs, not ours) because they were all camo and had words describing the qualities of our servicemen on them instead of the players. An excellent tribute, I'd say, but they didn't hold up like our boys in Iraq did. Of course, the sandmen didn't see a defense like the Gators'. Some perspective, if you please, from the G'ville Sun before the game:

"Meyer threw out some impressive numbers at his weekly news conference.

'Twelve of our 17 interceptions have come in the second half,' Meyer said. 'Twenty of 29 sacks have come in the second half. We've held four SEC opponents to five yards or less rushing in the fourth quarter. Unbelievable. We have held five of 10 opponents to (less than) 100 total yards in the second half.

'In the last three games, rushing yardage (allowed) in the fourth quarter is minus-two, passing yards 39. Total yards given up in the fourth quarter, 37. That almost takes your breath away. When you see something like that, it just tells you about the relentless pursuit and play of our defense.'

The defense has never been more relentless (or impressive) this season than it was this past Saturday night at South Carolina.

In the fourth quarter, the defense intercepted two passes, sacked USC quarterback Stephen Garcia four times and held the Gamecocks to minus-20 yards of offense. USC managed only 41 total yards in the second half and had five three-and-outs."

One of those interceptions was by Justin Trattou, who would have scored but for some friendly fire...he tripped over Jermaine Cunningham who was trying to block.

Impressive win, if not overly dominant. I think the Gators have what it takes to get to the Championship game, if only they don't lose sight of it.

Bumper Sticker of the Week:

If I agreed with you, then we'd both be wrong.

And then there were four...

Here's a lovely shot of the Atlanta branch enjoying the new addition. What a beautiful little clan. Both of the boys are such miracle babies (for different reasons)--it renews one's faith to see it.

Bryce is only 7 weeks old! Whoa....can we say gianormous? Those cheeks....must contain a day's rations.

Looks like the odds on him being a lineman are pretty good. Mt. Loescher? First offensive tackle to win the Heisman?

Can't wait to see him (and all the rest, of course) this coming weekend.

P.S. Damn, that Tracy is so photogenic! Always has been. Especially now in the full bloom of her womanhood. Pete is one lucky man.

Bored by the 'Dores

Vanderbilt always plays the Gators tough, but who knew they would hold us to 148 yards rushing!?!? And get 99 yards of their own with a new/old quarterback? But they did. Still, they got no touchdown....the Gator defense has allowed 6 touchdowns in 9 games, and one of those started close to the goal line (at the UF 31 in the Arkansas game). That's pretty damn impressive.



Ve vill CRUSH you...








Got nowhere to run to, ba-by, nowhere to hide...

Come here, you...now we spank you, yes?

And the linebacking corps got another interception (sorry, Mr. Spikes, none for you--they didn't throw it to the sidelines).

OFFENSE:

Passing was a bit better for us, 227 vs their 100 yards. Tebow was 15 of 20 for better than 200.

Is the passing game back? We hope. We wish. Time will tell.

Hernandez had a career night with 7 catches for a buck-20.

Nelson caught a touchdown pass. Yeah, David! Even better because Cooper let it go right through his hands at the goal line.

Rainey played well again, though Moody was second in rushing.

Chris almost got another punt block, but the guy got away.

Timmy played his usual tough game--this pretty much sums it up...

I

Individual stats were decent in this game. Besides the passing, the highlight of the game was the punting--go figure--3 punts for a 52.8 yard average. Wow. The bad news is that Henry kicked it so far Vandy got 13 return yards on us, to bring our net total for the year to 8 yards. For the year... in 9 games. Stunning.

And the Bumper Sticker of the Week:

...now where did I put that...?

Sweet Georgia Beatdown

A A A AGATORBAIT!!!!!!

To quote the Great One, How sweet it is!!

Not only to get a victory in a heated rivalry, but to win convincingly with both offense and defense (and special teams) gets the Gators back on track. The fact that Tim broke Herschel's record for rushing touchdowns was a bit of a cherry on top. I knew he would get the go-ahead TD in this game when he couldn't get it last week at MSU. I'm glad he waited--it was so utterly perfect to have a long run against the Dawgs for that special score. I was yelling and jumping, I was amped. As one of the worst actors of all time is famous for saying ...Ex-cellent!

The defense stepped up big-time AGAIN. The pass defense was Spectacular (with a capital S). On top of the 4 interceptions by the linebacking corps, CBs Janoris Jenkins and Joe Haden held star receiver A. J. Green to three catches and 50 yards. Let's see now, that's

A J Green, superstar receiver:: 3 catches, 1 touch w/o catch (became a UF interception)
UF defense, peerless warriors: 4 catches, 3 touches w/o catch (knocked down or deflected)

NOTE: In two games this season, LSU and UGA, the corners have held 3 NFL quality receivers who were burning up the stat sheets to a total of 3 catches and 36 yards apiece. Un-freaking-believable. And they are a junior and a sophmore. Let's see Eric Berry do that!

Not to be outdone, the run defense held Georgia's best runner, Washaun Ealey, to 70 yards and the entire team to 121 yards (counting sacks--146 if you don't figure those in). This is the defense that has held opposing "star" runners to an average of under 70 yards per game over 6 games, and allowed only 617 total rush yards in the SEC campaign so far (729 if you don't count sacks as losses--they aren't really rushes). The only player to go over 100 yards was Dennis Johnson in the Arkansas game with 107 (and 42 of those came on one play). And it will likely get better with 2 more conference games against poor rushing teams! Might it be possible to finish the regular season allowing under 1,000 yards rushing? Wow.

In this game, the special teams were truly special--Sturgis’ 56 yard field goal was an NFL caliber kick. The Gators still have not allowed a positive punt return yard this season. Brandon Boykin was held in check on kickoffs, gaining 114 yards on six returns. (That's an average of less than 20 yards per return--on kickoffs? That's unheard of.)

Cade Holliday's tackle at the 16 yard line was unbelievable! Fight off the block, spin out and knock down the Boychild...priceless.


Chas Henry had two punts downed inside the 10. One was a 61-yarder! And, once again, zero return yardage. How special is that?

But the day was made by the offensive eruption. Defense wins games, but offense is what puts butts in the seats. And Timmy and company found themselves with a vengence. Two quick TDs were just what the doctor ordered to get the Orange and Blue out of its blue funk. The first one to Cooper was a thing of beauty, a perfect pass from Tebow. The second was even better. A perfect throw against perfect defense (Boykin again) ended in a perfect catch by Cooper. Result: 14-0 Gator lead.

Lets' see--one hand for you, one hand for the ball...yeah, that should do it.


The Bulldogs did manage to claw back to a 14-10 standoff, which then became 17-10. As the half wound down, though, it was time for the fireworks. I had worried that the Bulldogs would get tough when we got inside the 10, not wanting Tim Terrific to surpass the Holy Herschel. As the Gators drove the field as halftime loomed, I was resigned to another field goal. Third and 3 with under 2 minutes to go at the 23 yard line. Tim just wanted to get a first down (he said), and got the call. A fake right, a cutback into the line, and it was all over. TOUCHDOWN! New Record! 24-10. Perfect. Just like the Gators so far.



Outta my way, puppy, I'm heading for the record!






Tim back to being the Heisman favorite? Of course.





The UGlies got the ball after the half and were desperate to make something happen. OK, let's do it. A. J. Jones bullrushed Cox on what looked like a screen play, and Whap! tipped the pass up in the air, blew by Cox and snagged it just above the ground. As they say, The Crowd Went Wild.



A thing of beauty!




Shortly thereafter, Tim ran in a 5 yard TD to put the game out of reach. Sure, there was some more scoring, but the game was effectively over early in the third quarter. Still time for 3 more Gator interceptions, including a beautiful pick 6 by Spikes. And Stamper got his first one, especially sweet as it came after Green bobbled the ball (and got clobbered by Major Wright--reminded me of the Championship game last year!).

Facts to warm a Gator's heart: Florida is now 17-3 over Georgia over the past 20 years and has outscored the Bulldogs 90-27 in the last two contests.




The bad news...Chris Rainey went out with a shoulder injury. Could be trouble going forward.


Date of note: November 1, the fourth anniversary of Grossi's death. Doesn't seem that long ago.... a moment of silence please.

Last but not least, the Bumper Sticker of the Week--in keeping with the spirit of the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party (as it once was)


Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder.