Carter: Rainey Quickly Joining Discussion of Nation's Elite Players
Sunday, September 18, 2011 | Football, Scott Carter
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Three days before Florida's 33-23 win over Tennessee on Saturday, Vols coach Derek Dooley was asked by a reporter what stuck out about Gators running back Chris Rainey's first two games of the season.
Rainey entered the Tennessee game as the only player at an FBS school to lead his team in both rushing and receiving.
“He just has an incredible way to impact a game, whether it's at runner, whether it's at returner, whether it's at blocking punts, whether it's returning blocked punts for touchdowns, you always see the guy at critical moments making big plays,'' Dooley said. “Players like that are very hard to stop and contain.''
Fast forward to the second quarter of Saturday's game and imagine how Dooley must have felt when he looked out onto the field and saw Rainey bouncing around looking for a lane to run through on a Tennessee punt attempt. Tennessee already trailed 10-0 as punter Michael Palardy waited on the snap.
An image flashed into Dooley's mind that haunted him momentarily.
“That was something we worked on all week,'' Dooley said. “I started seeing it and probably should have called a timeout, but we couldn't get it in time.''
What Dooley saw was Rainey ducking behind the Gators' big rushers up front and sneaking through a hole on the left side of the Vols' line. Rainey's fifth career blocked punt – a new school record and SEC record as well – gave the Gators the ball at Tennessee's 13-yard line and led to another Caleb Sturgis field goal.
Afterward, Dooley could only shake his head and be thankful he won't ever have to face Rainey again after not seeing him a year ago in Knoxville.
“That is their playmaker,'' Dooley said. “We thought we were prepared for it, but obviously we weren't prepared enough. Rainey is a great player and they do a really good job of using him the right way.''
If the Heisman Trophy was handed out after three games (of course, it's not), Rainey would at least deserve to be in the discussion for the award following another electric performance Saturday at The Swamp.
Rainey rushed for 108 yards. He caught two passes for 104 yards, including an 83-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter that put Florida up 30-7. It was the longest touchdown reception for a running back in school history. Oh, Rainey also blocked a punt, returned three punts for 21 yards and finished with 233 all-purpose yards.
Rainey's performance came a year after he missed the Tennessee game due to off-the-field troubles that included a now-infamous text to a former girlfriend.
Rainey was asked Saturday whether he is motivated in any way from some of the public perception out there following last year's incident.
“I don't care what people think,'' Rainey said softly. “They don't know me.''
Those who do know Rainey understand why former coach Urban Meyer gave Rainey a second chance last year and why new coach Will Muschamp has embraced him with open arms. Rainey is one of the team's most popular players, making friends easily with his low-key personality and fun-loving approach to the game.
“This guy competes every day. He comes to work with his hard hat on,'' Muschamp said. “He talks a lot, but he doesn't complain about anything. Playing football, playing at Florida, is really important to him and that's important to me. Since I've been here, he's been everything you want in a football player and everything you want as a competitor.''
Rainey was the game's best player and had the best play on Saturday, taking a short check-down pass from quarterback John Brantley and turning it into the longest scoring pass of Brantley's career thanks to his mix of speed, quickness, athleticism and whatever else he has in his tool box of physical gifts.
“I turned and saw the biggest hole I've ever seen in my life," Rainey said.
Brantley had a perfect view of the play and watched in admiration as Rainey caught the ball, cut up field toward the middle of Tennessee's defense, made a couple of moves down the field, and then outraced everyone to the end zone.
“Rainey is a special athlete,'' Brantley said. “He is getting better each week. He has really grown up and bought into everything. He deserves everything that he's been doing right now.''
If Rainey is getting better each week like Brantley thinks, well, that could be a scary thought for opposing defensive coordinators.
In three games, Rainey now has 306 yards rushing and 214 receiving. He became the first Gator since Percy Harvin in 2007 on Saturday to rush and receive for more than 100 yards in the same game. Orwin Smith of Georgia Tech is the only other player to do it this season.
He also blocked his second punt of the season on a play that certainly will hang with Dooley for a while.
“For me it was an emotional game,'' Rainey said. “I just did what I had to do.”
If Rainey continues to do what he feels he has to do, he will find himself in the middle of a race for a lot of postseason awards.
