2002 SEC Football Previews

 
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    UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA "GATORS"

    QUICK FACTS

    Location: Gainesville, Fla.
    Founded: 1853
    Enrollment: 45,937
    Stadium: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Florida Field (83,000)
    Chancellor: Dr. Charles Young (Cal-Riverside, '55)
    Faculty Representative: Dr. Nicholas Cassisi (John Carroll, '54)
    Athletics Director: Jeremy Foley (Hobart, '74)
    Head Football Coach: Ron Zook (Miami, Ohio, '76)
    Off. / Def. Systems: Multiple / Multiple 4-3
    All-Time Record: 574-349-40 (.617)
    SEC Championships: 6 (1991, 93, 94, 95, 96, 2000)
    Bowl App. / Record: 29 / 14-15 (.483)

    2001 IN REVIEW

    2001 Record: 10-2 (.833)(5-1 H, 3-1 A, 2-0 N)
    SEC Record/Finish: 6-2 (3-1 H, 3-1 A) / 2nd Eastern
    Bowl: FedEx Orange Bowl (Jan. 2) - Florida 56, Maryland 23
    National Ranking: 3rd - USA Today/ESPN; 3rd - AP
    Home Attendance: 512,590 (85,432)

    SEC/NCAA Statistical Rankings
    Total Offense: 1st / 2nd (527.5)
    Rushing Offense: 11th / 85th (122.4)
    Passing Offense: 1st / 1st (405.2)
    Scoring Offense: 1st / 2nd (43.8)
    Total Defense: 1st / 9th (290.2)
    Rushing Defense: 2nd / 12th (100.1)
    Pass Efficiency Defense: 1st / 13th (101.1)
    Scoring Defense: 1st / 5th (14.1)


    2001 RESULTS
    (10-2 Overall -- 6-2 SEC) 

    Sept. 1		MARSHALL (ESPN2)		85,445	 W	49-14
Sept. 8		LOUISIANA-MONROE		85,011	 W	55-6
Sept. 22	at Kentucky (JP)		66,126	 W	44-10
Sept. 29	MISSISSIPPI STATE (CBS)		85,579	 W	52-0
Oct. 6		at LSU (CBS)			92,010	 W	44-15
Oct. 13		at Auburn (ESPN)		86,063	 L	20-23
Oct. 27		*vs. Georgia (CBS)		84,401	 W	24-10
Nov. 3		VANDERBILT (JP)			85,052	 W	71-13
Nov. 10		at South Carolina (ESPN)	84,900	 W	54-17
Nov. 17		FLORIDA STATE (CBS)		85,732	 W	37-13
Dec. 1		TENNESSEE (CBS)			85,771	 L	32-34
Jan. 2		vs. Maryland (ABC)		73,640	 W 	56-23
		(FedEx Orange Bowl - Miami, Fla.)
    * - Jacksonville, Fla.


    2001 STATISTICAL LEADERS 

    RUSHING    	G    	ATT  	YDS  	AVG  	PG	TD	
* E. Graham	9	125	650	5.2	72.2	9
R. Gillespie	11	94	395	4.2	35.9	1
* R. Carthon	11	36	162	4.5	14.7	0
Florida		11	324	1346	4.2	122.4	16
Opponents	11	347	1101	3.2	100.1	14	
 
PASSING		G    	ATT  	CMP  	INT  	PCT  	YDS	TD
* R. Grossman	11	395	259	12	65.6	3896	34
B. Berlin	 8	60	36	1	60.0	483	 9
Florida		11	464	299	13	64.4	4457	43
Opponents	11	365	201	12	55.1	2091	 5

RECEIVING	G	REC	YDS	AVG	RPG	TD	
J. Gaffney	11	67	1191	17.8	6.1	13
R. Caldwell	11	65	1059	16.3	5.9	10
R. Gillespie	11	41	445	10.9	3.7	2
* T. Jacobs	11	38	712	18.7	3.4	7
Florida		11	299	4457	14.9	27.2	43
Opponents	11	201	2091	10.4	18.3	5

PUNTING		NO   	YDS  	AVG  	LP	BLK
* M. Leach	26	1044	40.2	54	0
Florida		26	1044	40.2	54	0
Opponents	74	2875	38.9	65	2

KO RETURNS	NO   	YDS  	AVG  	TD   	LP
L. Sheppard	7	171	24.4	0	40
* K. Ratliff	7	121	17.3	0	26
Florida		24	468	19.5	0	45
Opponents	66	1003	15.2	0	68

PUNT RETURNS	NO   	YDS  	AVG  	TD   	LP
L. Sheppard	26	246	9.5	0	28
* K. Ratliff	6	63	10.5	0	38
Florida		36	369	10.3	0	38
Opponents	10	84	8.4	0	23

TACKLES		TOTAL		TFL		SACKS		INT	FC-FR
A. Davis	107 (68-39)	10 (-35)	2 (-14)		1	1-2
* G. Scott	75 (49-26)	7.5 (-28)	3.5 (-16)	0	2-0
* T. Johnson	72 (46-26)	0		0		0	0-2
* M. Nattiel	66 (37-29)	1 (-3)		0		1	0-1
    * - Returning Player

    TEAM INFORMATION

    LETTERMEN
    Returning: 50 (23 Offense, 22 Defense, 5 Specialists)
    Lost: 21 (12 Offense, 8 Defense, 1 Specialist)

    STARTERS RETURNING -- 14
    Offense (5):
    LG Shannon Snell (6-5, 307, Jr.)
    RT Max Starks (6-8, 345, Jr.)
    TE Aaron Walker (6-6, 257, Sr.)
    QB Rex Grossman (6-1, 223, Jr.)
    RB Earnest Graham (5-10, 215, Sr.)
    Defense (5):
    NT Ian Scott (6-3, 300, Jr.)
    DT Tron LaFavor (6-2, 280, Sr.)
    WLB Mike Nattiel (6-0, 224, Sr.)
    SLB Byron Hardemon (6-1, 227, Sr.)
    FS Todd Johnson (6-1, 198, Sr.)
    Specialists (3):
    P Matt Leach (6-1, 182, So.)
    SN Jonathan Lively (6-1, 271, So.)
    H Brian Stone (6-0, 189, So.)

    STARTERS LOST -- 13
    Offense (6):
    WR Jabar Gaffney (6-1, 197, So.)
    WR Reche Caldwell (6-1, 198, Jr.)
    LT Mike Pearson (6-7, 300, Jr.)
    C Zac Zedalis (6-3, 295, Sr.)
    RG Thomas Moody (6-3, 312, Sr.)
    FB Rob Roberts (6-2, 256, Sr.)
    Defense (6):
    RE Alex Brown (6-4, 254, Sr.)
    DE Kennard Ellis (6-2, 244, Sr.)
    MLB Andra Davis (6-1, 243, Sr.)
    CB Lito Sheppard (5-10, 195, Jr.)
    CB Bennie Alexander (5-9, 175, Sr.)
    SS Marquand Manuel (6-1, 204, Sr.)
    Specialists (1):
    PK Jeff Chandler (6-2, 215, Sr.)

    NOTE: Specialists include kicker, punter, holder, snapper, punt returner and kickoff returner if they are not already listed at another offensive or defensive position.

    2002 SCHEDULE 

    Aug. 31		UAB			GAINESVILLE
Sept. 7		MIAMI (FLA.)		GAINESVILLE
Sept. 14	OHIO UNIVERSITY		GAINESVILLE
Sept. 21	at Tennessee		Knoxville
Sept. 28	KENTUCKY		GAINESVILLE 
Oct. 5		at Ole Miss		Oxford
Oct. 12		LSU			GAINESVILLE
Oct. 19		AUBURN			GAINESVILLE
Nov. 2		vs. Georgia		Jacksonville
Nov. 9		at Vanderbilt		Nashville
Nov. 16		SOUTH CAROLINA		GAINESVILLE
Nov. 30		at Florida State	Tallahassee

    COACH RON ZOOK

    Alma Mater: Miami, Ohio (1976)
    Coaching Experience: 1976-77, Orville High School; 1978-80, Murray State, Defensive Backs; 1981-82, Cincinnati, Defensive Coordinator; 1983, Kansas, Defensive Coordinator; 1984-86, Tennessee, Defensive Backs; 1987, Virginia Tech, Defensive Coordinator/Assistant Head Coach; 1988-90, Ohio State, Defensive Backs; 1991-93, Florida, Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Backs; 1994, Florida, Special Teams Coordinator/Nickelbackers; 1995 Florida, Associate Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator/Nickelbackers & Strong Safeties; 1996-98, Pittsburgh Steelers, Special Teams; 1999, Kansas City Chiefs, Defensive Backs; 2000-01, New Orleans Saints, Defensive Coordinator; 2002, Florida, Head Coach.

    ZOOK YEAR-BY-YEAR
    First season as head coach

    GATOR ASSISTANT COACHES

    Ed Zaunbrecher (Middle Tennessee, 1972) - Offensive Coordinator/ Quarterbacks
    Dwayne Dixon (Florida, 1985) - Wide Receivers
    Larry Fedora (Austin College, 1985) - Running Backs
    Joe Wickline (Florida, 1981) - Offensive Line
    Jerry "Red" Anderson (Florida, 1968) - Defensive Line
    Jerry Odom (Florida, 1991) - Outside Linebackers/Special Teams
    Mike Woodford (Arizona, 1982) - Defensive Backs
    Tyke Tolbert (LSU, 1991) - Tight Ends/Recruiting Coordinator
    John Thompson (Central Arkansas, 1978) - Defensive Coordinator/Middle Linebackers

    TOP RETURNEES

    QB REX GROSSMAN * 6-1, 223, Jr., Bloomington, Ind.
    Became fifth sophomore ever to finish in the top two in the 2001 Heisman Trophy balloting ... First player since BYU's Steve Young in 1983 to lead the nation in passing efficiency (176.3) and total offense (354.9) in the same season ... AP National Player of the Year and finalist for the Walter Camp, Maxwell and Davey O'Brien Awards ... Unanimous first-team All-SEC and consensus first-team All-America quarterback ... Completed 259 of 395 passes for 3,896 yards with 34 TDs and 12 interceptions last season ... Threw for at least 300 yards in 10 of 12 games last season including 464 yards against LSU and 407 against Georgia ... NCAA Division I-A career passing efficiency leader (min. 325 comp.) (167.6 rating) ... Set an NCAA Division I-A record with 55 TD passes in freshman and sophomore seasons combined.

    FS TODD JOHNSON * 6-1, 198, Sr., Sarasota, Fla.
    First-team All-SEC by AP and second-team by league's coaches ... Logged 72 total tackles last season (46 solos) ... Also had two fumble recoveries, three pass deflections and two interceptions ... Had 17 tackles against South Carolina ... Saw action on team-high 772 plays.

    TB EARNEST GRAHAM * 5-10, 215, Sr., Cape Coral, Fla.
    Second-team All-SEC by AP ... Started 10 of 12 games ... Gators lost two games Graham did not either start of play in last season ... Rushed for 650 yards on 125 carries and nine TDs in 2001 ... Also caught 12 passes for 129 yards ... Has 2,290 career all-purpose yards, including 1,980 on the ground.