Gators Notebook: Harris Set to Return, Debose Joins James, SEC Ruling, More Tidbits
Monday, October 13, 2014 | Football, Scott Carter
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Gators return to practice today to start prepping for Saturday's Homecoming game against Missouri.
And they'll do so with true freshman quarterback Treon Harris, who was reinstated to the team on Friday after being suspending by UF during an investigation into a sexual-assault claim.
Florida head coach Will Muschamp, weary following a difficult week and Saturday's 30-27 loss to LSU, and his team are ready for a return to normalcy.
“I'm very proud of Treon, his mother, Tranise, and his father, Tim, and how they've handled the situation,” Muschamp said. “It's a very difficult situation for everyone involved. It's a learning experience for all of us.
“Everybody is a victim in this situation, including Treon. This isn't good for anyone. No one wins in this situation. I feel sorry for all of the parties involved because this has been a difficult time for him and his family and obviously everyone else.”
Muschamp said Harris attended Saturday's game and watched from the coaches' box, where offensive coordinator Kurt Roper works during games.
“I felt like it would be a great learning experience for him,'' Muschamp said. “It was a very taxing week for the young man. He was very relieved obviously to be back in the building. He wanted the focus to be on Florida-LSU, our football game, and not him.”
AWESOME ANDRE
Florida's MVP against LSU was kick returner Andre Debose, who had two big punt returns to swing momentum to Florida's favor.
Debose returned a punt 62 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter to put the Gators ahead 7-0. It was Debose's first career punt return for a touchdown and fifth kick return for a score. He has four kickoff returns for touchdowns in his UF career.
The five career kick returns for scores ties Debose for third all-time in SEC history with five others, including former UF standout Brandon James (four punt returns, one kickoff return for touchdown).
“Andre Debose was fantastic returning the ball,'' Muschamp said. “We did a nice job of blocking, making a difference in the game there. No question he's an electric guy. He can change the field position for us very quickly. He's an electric guy with the ball in his hands. We need to get him more opportunities.”
Debose struck again in the fourth quarter when he returned a punt to 53 yards to LSU's 9. Two plays later Florida quarterback Jeff Driskel hit Demarcus Robinson for an 11-yard touchdown pass to give Florida a 24-20 lead.
“It just feels good to be contributing to the team,'' said Debose, a sixth-year senior who missed last season with a knee injury.
Debose is averaging 30.3 yards on seven punt returns this season and 22.6 yards on his 11 kickoff returns.
SEC RESPONDS
The Gators' sideline and the packed Swamp let the referees have it when officials stopped play near the end of regulation for uncertain reasons.
After Terrence Magee picked up three yards to Florida's 33-yard line to set up a potential game-winning field goal, the Tigers seemed confused as the clock ticked toward zero. When it reached three seconds, an official stopped the clock and reset it to 10 seconds.
“I never got an explanation on the sideline,'' Muschamp said afterward. 'I've never been a part of that situation. No flags thrown, I don't know. We'll find out.”
After a spiked ball stopped the clock on the next play, LSU's Colby Delahoussaye hit a 50-yard field goal with three seconds left. The SEC office explained the play on Sunday:
“On the first-down scrimmage play, the runner was ruled down with approximately 20 seconds remaining in the game. The officials determined the defensive team delayed the officials from making the ball ready for play by failing to un-pile in a timely manner. The referee stopped the game clock in order to get the ball ready for play and he reset the game clock to the time at which he recognized the delay.”
QUOTE OF NOTE I
“We've done a nice job of game-planning our pressures and our four-man pass-rush scheme. Our guys have done a good job of winning their one-on-one battles.” – Muschamp on the Gators' pass rush, which has produced 10 sacks in the past two games
QUOTE OF NOTE II
“Brandon has really good hands. He's an outstanding runner. But he's also very good in protection. He's a guy we really trust. A very smart football player and a guy we've got to get him the ball in space and let him play.” – Muschamp on freshman running back Brandon Powell, who made an impact Saturday
QUOTE OF NOTE III
“We'll be OK. This team is a well-knit team. We are as close as they come. This won't bother us much. We are anxious to get back to work. We're just going to look forward. We can't dwell on the past. We fought out hearts out, we left it all on the line. That's all you can ask for.” – Debose on team's mindset
STREAK BUSTER
Senior receiver Quinton Dunbar's 32-game streak with at least one reception ended Saturday. Dunbar dropped a first-quarter pass that could have extended streak. Instead, he falls three games shy of matching Ike Hilliard's school-record 35-game streak, and two short of a 34-game streak produced by Cris Collinsworth.
EXTRA POINTS
Gators running back Matt Jones did not play in the second half after rushing four times for 11 yards in the first half. Jones was slowed by a sore ankle and swollen knee. Jones is three yards shy of 1,000 for his career (997 yards in 22 career games) … Linebacker Antonio Morrison finished with a career-high 14 tackles, his fourth consecutive game with 10 or more tackles … Defensive end Dante Fowler Jr. finished with a career-high 11 tackles, including a sack in the LSU loss … Cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III left the game in the first half after taking a hit to the head on a tackle of Tigers running back Leonard Fournette; Muschamp is expected to provide an update on Hargreaves' status at his Monday press conference … Linebacker Michael Taylor returned after missing the Tennessee game with a knee injury. Taylor didn't start but recorded two tackles off the bench … Redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Alex McAlister now has a team-leading four sacks … Saturday marked the first time since 1989 that neither Florida nor LSU was ranked at the time of their annual meeting … LB Daniel McMillian (head injury) did not play after getting hurt at Tennessee … The victory was the 100th for Les Miles during his time at LSU; he joined Charley McClendon (137) as the only LSU coaches to reach 100 wins … The Tigers had 10 runs of 10-plus yards; Florida allowed only 11 runs of 10-plus yards in its first four games … Fournette's 140 yards Saturday were the most for a LSU true freshman since Justin Vincent gained 201 in the 2003 SEC Championship against Georgia; Muschamp was LSU's defensive coordinator in that game.
