http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=5073859
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=235158" target="_blank">John
Brantley</a> dropped back on the first play of
Florida Gators'
spring game and threw it as far as he could.
<a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=235224" target="_blank">Deonte
Thompson</a> was open on the other end, hauling in a 47-yard pass that
started the post-<a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=183484" target="_blank">Tim
Tebow</a> era -- and the least the spring game part of it -- with some
flair and gave about 50,000 fans a glimpse of what to expect in the
fall.<div ="mod-inline -right"><div style="margin-left: 10px; width: 200px;">
[+] Enlarge
<div style="width: 200px;"><cite>Doug Benc/Getty Images</cite>John Brantley
will take the helm as Florida quarterback. </div></div></div>
Brantley
completed 15 of 19 passes for 201 yards and two touchdowns Saturday --
the kind of performance many expected from the highly touted quarterback
who waited three years behind Tebow for a shot to start.
"Boy,
he was good," coach Urban Meyer said. "He was good."
Facing
Florida's first-team defense and wearing a red, non-contact jersey,
Brantley showed the kind of awareness and confidence of a seasoned
starter. He even did it with four linemen sitting out for precautionary
reasons.
"I feel like it's my huddle now," said Brantley, whose
Blue team beat the Orange team 27-24. "I definitely do. That's what I've
been working on -- leadership, being more vocal in the huddle."
Florida's
spring was all about finding playmakers for an offense that lost Tebow,
center Maurkice Pouncey and four of its top five receivers.
Meyer
says his team lacks identity, adding that he doesn't have any idea what
the offense will look like when Miami (Ohio) comes to town for the
Sept. 4 season opener.
But he has some options.
<a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=378610" target="_blank">Carl
Moore</a>, who stormed out of practice two weeks ago and missed time
because of personal issues, finished with eight catches for 130 yards
and a touchdown.<div ="mod-container mod-no-footer mod-inline - right mod-no-er-footer">
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<h4>SEC blog</h4>
ESPN.com's Chris Low writes about all things SEC in his conference
blog.
"¢<a href="http://espn.go.com/blog/ncfnation" target="_blank">Blog network:
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Football Nation</a>
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The 6-foot-3 senior, who missed all of last season because of a
back injury, showed he can be a sure-handed receiver for a team trying
to replace pass-catchers <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=232015" target="_blank">Aaron
Hernandez</a>, <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=186575" target="_blank">Riley
Cooper</a>, <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=173455" target="_blank">David
Nelson</a> and <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=186583" target="_blank">Brandon
James</a>.
Thompson showed his deep-threat ability on the opening
play, then sat out the rest of the way. Moore took over from there,
consistently getting open over the middle and down the sideline. <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=381297" target="_blank">Omarius
Hines</a> (four catches for 69 yards and a TD), Frankie Hammond Jr.
(four for 20) and <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=381301" target="_blank">T.J.
Lawrence</a> (two for 41 and a score) also chipped in.
The
biggest surprise may have been <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=480211" target="_blank">Andre
Debose</a>, the No. 2 receiver prospect in the country last year who
missed the entire season following surgery to repair a torn hamstring.
Although
Debose still isn't full speed, he started for the Blue team and caught
two passes for 30 yards. He flashed the kind of moves that had Meyer
comparing him to former Florida star Percy Harvin.
"It feels good
to be back," Debose said. "It was real stressful being away from the
game. ... As the season went on, it gradually got worse and worse and
worse. Just not being part of the team and being kind of pushed away and
being on a shelf, it kind of crushed me."
An injury to Brantley
would seemingly crush the Gators. But backup quarterbacks Trey Burton
and <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=480262" target="_blank">Jordan
Reed</a> may have earned playing time with their performances this
spring and Saturday.
Burton completed 12 of 18 passes for 120
yards and a touchdown for the Orange team. The 6-foot-2, 219-pound
freshman also ran 10 times for 123 yards and two scores. He broke loose
for a 76-yard gain that set up his 20-yard TD pass to Hines.
Tebow
light?
"I'll do whatever I have to do to play," Burton said.
"I'll long snap it if I have to."
Reed, who moved from quarterback
to tight end last fall, threw for 80 yards and a score. His perfectly
thrown pass to Lawrence in the fourth quarter turned out to be the
decisive play. He also ran several times from the wildcat formation.
"It's
an aspect we don't want to lose," offensive coordinator Steve Addazio
said. "We're really fired up about what you're seeing."
