GATOR STORYLINES The 2003 Florida roster features 52 freshmen, including 33 who have seen their first career game action this year.

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1 at LSU SATURDAY, OCT. 11, 2003 TIGER STADIUM (91,600) BATON ROUGE, LA 3:30 P.M. WEEKLY GAME NOTES RELEASED: OCT. 5, 2003 UF LOOKS TO BOUNCE BACK ON THE BAYOU FLORIDA FOOTBALL AT LSU UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 2003 GATOR FOOTBALL THE MATCH-UP Florida and LSU are meeting for the 50th time, including the 26th time in Baton Rouge. The Gators lead the all-time series including wins in 13 of the last 15 meetings. Florida enters the contest with a 3-3 overall record and a 1-2 mark in the SEC after a setback against Ole Miss last Saturday. LSU is back in action after a bye week. The Tigers own a 5-0 overall mark and are 2-0 in the league. Under Nick Saban, the Tigers are 20-4 at home. TOUGH SCHEDULE AHEAD Florida s schedule over the next few weeks marks one of the toughest stretches in school history. UF will play three consecutive ranked opponents on the road for only the second time in the history of the program. In 1997 UF faced No. 14 LSU on Oct. 11 and lost, 28-21, and then defeated No. 6 Auburn, 14-10, the following week before losing to No. 6 Georgia, 37-17, in Jacksonville after a bye week. UF faces No. 6 LSU, No. 7 Arkansas (where the Razorbacks are 17-5 under Houston Nutt in Fayetteville) and No. 8 Georgia in consecutive weeks this year. UF has already faced two ranked opponents this year (No. 3 Miami and No. 12 Tennessee) and has a game with No. 5 FSU to end the regular season. The school record for most ranked teams played in the regular season is six by the 1987 and 1991 teams. The 1987 team faced five teams in the top 10 in the regular season, while the 1986, 1997 and 2002 teams faced three opponents in the top five of the polls during the regular season. CONNECTIONS Ron Zook and Nick Saban met for the first time on a football field in Nov. 11, Both Zook and Saban were defensive backs for Miami of Ohio and Kent State, respectively. In that game, Saban s Kent State team defeated Miami of Ohio, 21-10, marking one of only four losses Zook had in his college career. Zook and Saban both have been the defensive backs coach at Ohio State. Zook coached the unit from , while Saban was the secondary coach from UF offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Ed Zaunbrecher served at LSU in the same capacity for seven seasons from Zaunbrecher helped the Tigers to SEC titles in the 1986 and 1988 seasons. Gators defensive coordinator Charlie Strong and LSU assistant head coach and linebackers coach Kirk Doll coached at Notre Dame together for four seasons, from Doll was the linebackers coach as Strong was the defensive line coach under then head coach Bob Davie, and prior to that current South Carolina head coach Lou Holtz. Florida linebacker coach Bill Miller and LSU strength and conditioning coordinator Tommy Moffitt were both at Miami in the 1998 season. Miller went on to become the defensive coordinator at Michigan State from In 1999, Miller was a part of Nick Saban s staff at Michigan State. OL Sylvester McGrew will return to his home state when the Gators take on the Tigers of Louisiana State. McGrew is from New Orleans where he played at St. Augustine High School. Reggie Lewis, a freshman wide receiver for the Gators and Amp Hill, a freshman wide receiver for LSU both hail from First Coast High School in Jacksonville, Florida. Tigers offensive lineman Steve Arflin is a graduate of Fletcher High School also in Jacksonville. LSU defensive back Keron Gordon was a standout at Plant High School in Tampa where he competed against Florida s Andre Caldwell (Jefferson) and Zach King (Woodberry). The South Florida connection runs up to the bayou with the Tigers junior cornerback Travis Daniels who comes from South Broward High School in Hollywood, Florida, senior defensive tackle Torran FOOTBALL CONTACTS: STEVE McCLAIN, ZACK HIGBEE, ALECIA PYNN (352) ext FAX (352) GATOR STORYLINES The 2003 Florida roster features 52 freshmen, including 33 who have seen their first career game action this year. Overall, 44 players have seen their first action in a Gator uniform this fall. According to the NCAA, UF s strength of schedule ranks as the fifth toughest in the country (as of Sept. 27). For the first time in school history, UF will face three straight teams ranked inside the top eight away from The Swamp. GAME SETUP THE POLLS UF LSU Associated Press NR 6th ESPN/ USA Today Coaches ARV 6th THE RECORDS UF LSU Overall Conference TELEVISION The game will be broadcast on CBS. Verne Lundquist (play-by-play), Todd Blackledge (color) and Jill Arrington (sideline) comprise the broadcast team. Live extended postgame coverage airs on the Sunshine Network immediately following the game. DELAYED TELEVISION Sunshine Network with David Steele (play-by-play) Nat Moore (color) and Steve Babik (sideline) will show the game at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, Oct.12 on Sunshine s Breakfast with the Gators. The show will also air on Tuesday, Oct. 14, at 10:30 p.m. THE GATOR RADIO NETWORK Mick Hubert (play-by-play), Scot Brantley (color) and Steve Babik (sideline) will team to broadcast the contest. WFXJ radio (930-AM in Jacksonville) serves as UF s flagship station. The pre-game show begins two hours before kickoff. 90-minute show following the conclusion of the game. DID YOU KNOW? There have been eight times in the history of the SEC title game that a team has reached the contest with two-or-more losses in the league. This has happened seven of the last eight years. In 1992, Florida went to the first-ever SEC Championship game after starting the SEC slate off 1-2. The win came against Kentucky and the two losses came to Tennessee and Mississippi State. 1

2 SERIES NOTES AND A LOOK L AT THE TIGERS... Williams (Miami by way of Dodge City Community College) and Tigers sophomore offensive guard Terrell McGill and freshman wide receiver Dwayne Bowe are from Miami s Norland HS. A YEAR AGO A look at the stats shows the Gators have improved in over 25 different categories (based on totals after six games this season and after six games in 2002): Category Scoring Offense Scoring Defense Rushing Yds. (Off.) Rushing TDs Avg. Yds Per Pass Kick Return Yds Punt Return Yds Kick Return Avg Punt Return Avg Category Interceptions 4 9 Avg. Yds. Per Punt Net Punt Average Touchdowns Scored Fumble Recoveries 6 8 Fumble Return for TD 0 1 Sacks 9 13 Tackles for Loss Blocked Kicks 2 3 Individual Statistics Category Individuals with 250+ RushingYds. 2 2 Individuals with 1+ Rushing TD 4 6 Individuals with 5+ Rushing TD 1 2 Starting QB Passing Efficiency Individuals with 200+ Yds. Receiving 2 2 Individuals with 1+ TD Receptions 3 6 Individuals with 1+ Interception 3 7 Individuals with 200+ Total Yards 4 7 Individuals with 10+ Solo Tackles 9 14 Individuals with 2+ Sacks 1 3 Individuals with 2+ TFL 6 8 SERIES NOTES Two of LSU s last three wins in the series (1987, 1997) have been at Tiger Stadium. LSU is the only SEC opponent which Florida never has faced at a site other than the schools campus. The SEC foes have met on an annual basis since 1971, with Florida holding an series edge over that 32-year time span. LSU remains an annual opponent for Florida, as the SEC switched to one permanent inter-divisional game per season. Florida has claimed victories in 13 of the last 15 meetings, with the losses including a upset victory for LSU in 1997 in Baton Rouge. The loss was Florida s first in SEC play after winning 25 straight conference games. The other Gator defeat occurred last year, when the Tigers shocked Florida 36-7 in front of its home crowd at The Swamp. SCOUTING LSU LSU is 5-0 to start the season. It is the school s first 5-0 start since 1973 when LSU won its first nine games. In his fourth season at LSU, Nick Saban has put together a 20-4 mark at home, which includes a 10-3 record in SEC games. Under Saban, the Tigers are 5-2 vs. Top 25 teams in Tiger Stadium. Through five games LSU has given up only 43 points with only 36 of those coming against the defense. The defense has a streak of nine straight first quarters without a touchdown dating back to last season. Through 20 quarters this season, LSU s defense has held the opponent out of the endzone in 14 of those. Georgia is the only team to score in the first half. The Bulldogs connected on a field goal in the first quarter SEC STANDINGS EASTERN DIVISION Team SEC Pct. Overall Tennessee Georgia Florida Kentucky South Carolina Vanderbilt WESTERN DIVISION Team SEC Pct. Overall LSU Auburn Ole Miss Arkansas Mississippi State Alabama* * - Not eligible for conference title THE SEC THIS WEEK Oct. 11, 2003 Alabama vs. Southern Mississippi Arkansas vs. Auburn Georgia at Tennessee Kentucky at South Carolina Ole Miss vs. Arkansas State Mississippi State vs. Memphis Vanderbilt vs. Navy TRACKING OPPONENTS SAN JOSE STATE (1-4) vs. SMU Last week: L, 28-24, at Rice Next week: Bye at MIAMI (5-0) at Florida State Last week: W, 22-20, vs. West Virginia Next week: vs. Temple FLORIDA A&M (4-2) vs. Howard Last week: W, 28-14, vs. Jackson State Next week: vs. North Carolina A&T TENNESSEE (4-1) vs. Georgia Last week: L, 28-21, at Auburn Next week: Bye at KENTUCKY (2-3) at South Carolina Last week: Bye Next week: vs. Ohio OLE MISS (3-2) vs. Arkansas State Last week: W, 20-17, at Florida Next week: vs. Alabama at LSU (5-0) vs. Florida Last week: Bye Next week: at South Carolina at ARKANSAS (4-0) vs. Auburn Last week: Bye Next week: vs. Florida vs. GEORGIA (4-1) at Tennessee Last week: W, 37-23, vs. Alabama Next week: at Vanderbilt VANDERBILT (1-4) vs. Navy Last week: L, 30-21, at Mississippi State Next week: vs. Georgia at SOUTH CAROLINA (3-2) at Kentucky Last week: Bye Next week: vs. LSU FLORIDA STATE (5-0) vs. Miami Last week: Bye Next week: at Virginia 2003 FLORIDA FOOTBALL AT LSU 2

3 TODAY S MAT CHUP TEAM STATS SCHEDULES Florida Category Opponents Passing Offense Rushing Offense Total Offense Scoring Offense Passing Defense Rushing Defense Total Defense Scoring Defense st Downs For rd Down Conv th Down Conv Sacks By-Yards Penalties-Yards Fumbles-Lost :51 Avg. Time of Poss. 33:09 LSU Category Opponents Passing Offense Rushing Offense Total Offense Scoring Offense Passing Defense Rushing Defense Total Defense Scoring Defense st Downs For rd Down Conv th Down Conv Sacks By-Yards Penalties-Yards Fumbles Lost :46 Avg. Time of Poss. 27:14 INDIVIDUAL LEADERS Rushing Florida G Att. Net Avg. TD YPG Carthon Wynn LSU G Att. Net Avg. TD YPG Carey Addai Passing Florida A-C-I Pct. Yds. TD YPG Leak Martin Dickey LSU A-C-I Pct. Yds. TD YPG Mauck Randall Receiving Florida G Rec. Yds. Avg. TD YPG Kight Troupe LSU G Rec. Yds. Avg. TD YPG Clayton Henderson Defense Florida UT-AT-TT TFL S INT FF FR Dixon Lamar LSU UT-AT-TT TFL S INT FF FR Hunt Turner FLORIDA FOOTBALL AT LSU FLORIDA (3-3,1-2 SEC) A30 SAN JOSE STATE, W S6 at No. 3 Miami, L S13 FLORIDA A&M, W S20 No. 12 TENNESSEE, L S27 at Kentucky, W O4 OLE MISS, L O11 at LSU O18 at Arkansas N1 ^vs. Georgia N8 VANDERBILT (Homecoming) N15 at South Carolina N29 FLORIDA STATE D6 *SEC Championship ^ at Jacksonville, Fla. *at Atlanta, Ga LSU (5-0, 2-0 SEC) A30 UL-MONROE, W S6 at Arizona, W S13 WESTERN ILLINOIS, W S20 GEORGIA, W S27 at Mississippi State, W O11 FLORIDA O18 at South Carolina O25 AUBURN N1 LOUISIANA TECH N15 at Alabama N22 at Ole Miss N28 ARKANSAS CURRENT UF PLAYERS VS. LSU Rushing Florida Year Att. Net TD Martin Carthon Carthon Carthon Total Passing Florida NONE Returning Receiving FLORIDA Year Rec. Yds. TD Brown Carthon Carthon Total M. Jackson Kight Kight Total Perez Troupe Troupe Total SERIES HISTORY Florida Leads: At Gainesville: Florida leads At Baton Rouge: Florida leads At Neutral Sites: Never Played UF LSU W/L L L * T L * W W * W L * L W * L L * L W * W W * L L * T L * W W W L * L TOP UF PERFORMANCES VS. LSU Team Rushing Yards Attempts TD s Passing Comp Attempts Yards TD s Int Individual Rushing Attempts Emmitt Smith, 1987 Yards Emmitt Smith, 1987 TD s Fred Taylor, 1997 Receiving Catches Darrell Jackson, 1994 Yards Jabar Gaffney, 2001 TD s jabar Gaffney, 2000 Passing Comp Doug Johnson, 1997 Attempts Doug Johnson, 1997 Yards Rex Grossman, 2001 TD s Rex Grossman, 2001 Int Doug Johnson, 1997 THE COACHES Ron Zook Record at Florida: 11-8 (.578) Overall Record: Same Seasons at UF/Overall: 2/2 Nick Saban Record at LSU: (.720) Overall Record: Seasons at LSU/Overall: 4/10 UF LSU W/L L * L W * L W * T W * L L * W W * W W * W W * W W * W L * W W * W W * L Baton Rouge * Gainesville 3

4 WHAT S NEW WITH THE GATORS... GATORS IN THE RED ZONE UF in the Red Zone in the Ron Zook Era Times Total in RZ Scored Pts 79 65(50 TD/15FG) 390 UF has scored 41 of its last 47 times in the red zone. Opponents have scored TDs in just 25 of their last 40 trips inside the red zone. Florida s red zone offense has scored 26 rushing touchdowns under Zook, more than any other fashion of scoring. UF has been picked off six times in the area under Zook, which has halted 50 percent of the squad s missed opportunities. There have been five times in the Zook era that an opposing team got into the red zone one or less times during a game. Florida has missed one opportunity in the red zone in a season opener under Zook. Against San Jose State in the season opener, UF went seven of eight. The Gators were a perfect six-of- six inside the red zone in the 2002 season opener against UAB. Under Zook, the Gators have scored 35-of- 39 times inside the red zone against non-conference opponents (89.7 percent). Miami is the only program to score more than one passing touchdown against the Gators under Ron Zook in the red zone. A season ago, the Canes fired four, which made up a third of the 12 allowed with Zook at the helm of the program. In just his second season as a starter, Corey Webster has moved up to seventh place in school history in interceptions after recording his 10 th career pick vs. Georgia. The Tigers have piled up 201 points through the first five games of the season. They are currently averaging 40.2 points a game, second in the SEC. Michael Clayton currently ranks second in the SEC averaging 94.5 yards receiving a contest and his 5.60 catches per game is third in the league. Since taking over as LSU s starting quarterback last season, Matt Mauck has led the Tigers to an 10-1 mark. THE TEAM Forty-four players have seen their first action in a Gator uniform this fall. In all, Florida has used 88 different players. Last year, only 69 players saw action the entire year. Fourteen true freshmen have played for Florida this season. This amount is tied for second with 2000 for the most number of true freshmen to ever play for Florida in a single season. The true freshmen that have played for the Gators this season are Richard Brown, Andre Caldwell, Joe Cohen, Channing Crowder, Earl Everett, Chad Jackson, Chris Leak, Howard Lingard, Jarvis Moss, Marcus Thomas, Steve Rissler, Skyler Thornton, Dee Webb and Eric Wilbur. Year Total * * - SEC Champions Overall, seven freshmen have started games for the Gators this season, including five true freshmen. In addition to true freshmen Chris Leak, Channing Crowder, Steve Risller, Earl Everett and Marcus Thomas, who started for the first time against Ole Miss, redshirt freshmen Gavin Dickey and Ray McDonald have also started games for UF this season. Of the 52 freshmen on Florida s roster this year, 33 have seen action. A school record 24 freshmen (true and redshirt) played in the season opener. The previous record of freshmen playing in a season opener was 19 in of 90 players on the dress roster against San Jose State in the season opener, including 33 scholarship student-athletes, had never played a down of college football. Of the 70 players that dressed for the Miami game, 33 had never played in a road game before. Twenty-six of those Gators saw time against the Hurricanes. NEXT UP FOR THE GATORS On Saturday, October 18th the Gators will remain on the road as UF travels to Fayetteville, Ark. for a match-up against the Razorbacks. This will be the fifth meeting between the programs, and just the second in Fayetteville. The Gators hold a 3-1 advantage in the previous four meetings. Arkansas captured the first win in the series in the 1982 Bluebonnet Bowl in Houston. In 1995, the two schools met in the fourth annual SEC Championship Game in Atlanta, with the Gators posting a 34-3 win. The win gave Florida its third consecutive SEC title. In 1996 the programs met for the first time in a regular-season game, with the Gators posting a 42-7 win in Fayetteville. One season later, the Gators and Razorbacks played for the first time in Gainesville as the top-ranked Gators defeated Arkansas, Freshmen have accounted for nine of UF s 27 touchdowns this season (33 percent). Two true freshmen have scored touchdowns (Chad Jackson and Skyler Thornton). Florida has continued to dominate the second quarter as they have outscored opponents thus far in During the Ron Zook era Florida has outscored opponents in the second quarter. Florida has scored 59 points off turnovers through six games, while opponents have scored only seven points. THE OFFENSE Florida ranks third in the SEC and 30th nationally in passing offense as the Gators are averaging yards per game. In addition, UF is third in the league and 27th in the country in total offense with an average of yards a contest. The Gators lead the league in first downs with 124. Against Ole Miss, Florida held the ball for 17:02 in the first half the longest possession time in a half all season. UF averaged 5.2 yards per carry on first down against Ole Miss FLORIDA FOOTBALL AT LSU 4

5 WHAT S NEW WITH THE GATORS... The Gator offense had third and short (less than five yards) just twice in the second half and converted on one of those in the Ole Miss game. On five of Florida s 12 drives in the Ole Miss game the Gators ran six or more plays including a season long 12-play scoring drive in the first half. QUARTERBACKS Against Ole Miss quarterback Chris Leak completed 12-of-17 first half passes and averaged 15.3 yards per completion in the half. Chris Leak had two long completions in the game against Ole Miss to wide receivers Kelvin Kight (52 yds.) and O.J. Small (46 yds.) both the longest receptions of their careers. Entering this past weekend Chris Leak was the only freshman (true/redshirt) to start for a team ranked in the top 25 (espn/ap) (13 srs, 9 jrs, 3 sophs (usc, tcu, oregon) started for their teams). The list below shows the freshman (true/redshirt) that have started this season and their records as a starter: True Freshmen Player School Record Reggie Ball (Fr.) Georgia Tech 3-3 Kevin Kolb (Fr.) Houston 3-1 Chris Leak (Fr.) Florida 1-1 Brady Quinn (Fr.) Notre Dame 0-1 John Beck (Fr.) BYU 1-2 Kris Heavner (Fr.) Arizona 0-2 Redshirt Freshmen Player School Record Austin Flynn (Fr.-RS) Iowa State 2-3 Jordan Palmer (Fr.-RS) UTEP 1-0 Jerry Babb (Fr-RS) UL Lafayette 0-4 Mike Schneider (Fr-RS) Duke 2-1 Ryan O¹Hara (Fr.-RS) Arizona 0-1 Trent Edwards (Fr-RS) Stanford 1-0 Anthony Martinez (Fr.-RS) Virginia 0-1 Luke Getsy (Fr.-RS) Pittsburgh 1-0 No true freshman quarterback in school history has ever started off 2-0 as a starter and no true freshman quarterback has ever won back-to-back games as a starter. Only two of the top 15 national pass efficiency leaders are underclassmen, and both are sophomores (Chris Leak ranks 44th). Chris Leak has passed for two of the top five passing games by a true freshman starter at UF in his first two career starts. Chris Leak s start at quarterback marked the 112th time a freshman has played the position for the Gators. Florida has used a freshman quarterback in 97 games. A freshman (true or redshirt) has now started 48 games for the Gators all-time. UF is when its starting signal caller is a freshman. UF s quarterbacks are more accurate with six games behind them than they were after six last season. Florida s quarterbacks have combined to complete 61.7 percent of their passes. Six games into the 2002 season, UF quarterbacks had completed 53.9 percent of their passes. Prior to the first three games of the 2003 season, the last time Florida used three quarterbacks in a game was against UL-Monroe, Sept. 8, Brock Berlin, Jeff Creveling and Rex Grossman each played in that game. The last time a true freshman Florida quarterback rushed for a touchdown was a five-yard run by Donald Douglas on Nov. 18, 1989 in a victory over Kentucky. RUNNING BACKS Florida s 14 rushing touchdowns this season are tied with Arkansas for the most by any team in the SEC. PLAYER ANECDOTES RB DESHAWN WYNN HS coach Ken Minor put together a highlight tape, sent to his brother Ed, who lives near Gainesville to hand deliver. Minor called a couple times before the coaches got to it. When the Florida coaching staff watched it, they loved Wynn and offered him a scholarship. WR CARLOS PEREZ Learned to speak English from watching Sesame Street when he first arrived in the United States. OL MAX STARKS Parents owned a funeral parlor while he was growing up, and Starks is the former President of the Florida Junior Morticians Association, which probably helped him earn the nickname The Undertaker. Once in high school, Starks drove the hearse to school and wore a suit to class all day after working in the morning.. OL SHANNON SNELL Son of former Tampa Bay Buccaneers guard Ray Snell, a first round draft pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Ray was an All America offensive lineman at Wisconsin. TB RAN CARTHON Involved in a number of community projects, including The Special Olympics. QB CHRIS LEAK Father, Curtis Leak is a pavement contractor and former NFL camp receiver and used to put Chris and brother C.J. through mini football workouts when Chris was five. WR DALLAS BAKER Family nicknamed him foots because he wears a size 14 shoes and is always stumbling over himself. C MIKE DEGORY When he was nine Degory was told he was too big to play with those his age in the local youth football league. TE BEN TROUPE Was a high-ranking officer in the U.S. Marine Corps Junior ROTC as a high schooler. TE DARRELL CARPENTER Father Darrell played football for UF from and sister Kimsey currently attends Florida. WR OJ SMALL Models his game after Keyshawn Johnson because he s a big receiver without blazing speed. RT RANDY HAND Volunteers at the Salvation Army soup kitchen FLORIDA FOOTBALL AT LSU 5

6 WHAT S NEW WITH THE GATORS... PLAYER ANECDOTES CB JOHNNY LAMAR Looks up to his position coach, Mike Woodford, because of their similarities. Lamar came to UF as a walk-on and earned a scholarship and starting cornerback spot in the preseason of his senior year. Woodford, a former walk-on at Arizona, waited his time to earn a scholarship and starting job in his fifth-year also. LB REID FLEMING Individual he most admires is his grandfather, who fought in World War II and has shown courage throughout his life. Ran Carthon combined for 136 total yards of offense on 17 touches (8.0 yards/touch) against Ole Miss. Carthon had a career day with 15 carries for 108 yards for the first 100-yard rushing game of his career. UF ball carriers had six carries of seven or more yards in the second half against Ole Miss as UF averaged 6.5 yards per carry in the half. Six games into the 2003 season, Florida s top two runners averaged better than 43.5 yards per game. This year, Ran Carthon, and DeShawn Wynn are averaging better than 54.8 yards per contest. This season, the Gators have rushed for 14 touchdowns on the ground. The Gators had 14 through six games last season as well. Florida went on to average 1.5 rushing touchdowns per game last season. This year, the Gators are averaging 2.3 per outing. DE TRAVIS HARRIS Wears his hair in dreadlocks to honor his Godbrother Maurice Martin who died of leukemia. SS GUSS SCOTT Considered the funniest guy on the squad by teammate Shannon Snell. Guss (Scott) is kind of quiet in the open, but once he gets in the locker room, he speaks. DT SYLVESTER MCGREW Father, Sylvester, was a defensive lineman on the New York Giants 1987 Super Bowl Champion team. SS CORY BAILEY Favorite book is The Color Purple. DT MO MITCHELL Considered one of the better singers on the team. CB KEIWAN RATLIFF Mother Roslind Hayes says that he used to sleep in his football uniform and helmet and would cry if someone tried to remove it. CB TREMAINE MCCOLLUM AND CB JERMAINE MCCOLLUM The two committed to Florida at the same time and never considered attending separate schools. LB MATT FARRIOR Collected baseball cards since he was seven years old, including a prized Mickey Mantle card. DE DARRELL LEE Once shattered a backboard performing a 360- degree reverse dunk. P ERIC WILBUR Enjoys art, pottery, and surfing. K MATT LEACH Kicked a 51-yard field goal in high school. LS CASEY GRIFFITH Parents Todd and Donna both attended the University of Florida and his father was a Gator lineman in the late 60s. The Gators are averaging 4.5 yards per carry this season. In 2002, UF averaged 3.8. Ran Carthon rushed for his fifth touchdown this season against Kentucky. The total matches his career total (5) coming into the season. Six games into the season Ran Carthon and DeShawn Wynn have had games in which they have scored multiple touchdowns. Last season, Earnest Graham was the only back to do so when he scored two touchdowns in a game on three occasions. A look at the SEC indicates that UF s running backs rank near the top in terms of average size. The following chart is based on preseason or the first game s depth chart for each team and is the average weight of all running backs listed: Auburn 221 Tennessee 216 Florida 215 LSU 212 Arkansas 211 Ole Miss 200 Georgia 199 Alabama 198 South Carolina 198 Vanderbilt 193 MSU 185 Kentucky 178 DeShawn Wynn s 65-yard touchdown run against the Hurricanes is the second longest run by a player in the Southeastern Conference this year. DeShawn Wynn became the fourth back in Gator history to have a 100-yard rushing game by his second contest as a freshman. Tony Green and Emmitt Smith did so in the second games of their careers in 1974 and 1987, respectively. Earnest Graham did it in the first game of his freshman year (1999). DeShawn Wynn s 24 points scored against Florida A&M are the most by any athlete at an SEC school in a single game this season The total ties a school record for points by a single player in a game. He is the first freshman to score that many points in a game. He is also the seventh player in school history to achieve the feat. WIDE RECEIVERS AND TIGHT ENDS Against Ole Miss, Kelvin Kight and O.J. Small had stand out performances. Kight had a 46-yard reception in the third quarter, which was a career-long. His previous long catch was 41 yards. Kight finished the day with three receptions for 61 yards. Small had a career-long catch as well as he brought in a 52-yard pass from Chris Leak. It marked the second longest catch for any Gator this season. O.J. Small had already surpassed his career-high receiving yards in a game (55 yards vs. South Carolina, 2002) with more than eight minutes to go in the first half of the Ole Miss game. He finished the day with 57 yards on two receptions and had a touchdown. With his 10-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter of the Kentucky game, Carlos Perez reached 1,000 career receiving yards. Perez s 10 touchdowns have come on only 82 catches, or 2003 FLORIDA FOOTBALL AT LSU 6

7 WHAT S NEW WITH THE GATORS.. one touchdown per every 8.2 receptions. Kelvin Kight ranks ninth in the SEC in receptions per game. Kight is averaging 4.0 per game. Carlos Perez leads the Gator receivers with three touchdowns. The total is one shy of his total for the entire 2002 season and already matches his production in Against Kentucky, he had the second multiple TD game of his career. The first came at Ole Miss a season ago. Florida players have combined to catch 121 passes through six games. At this point a season ago, UF had 107 catches. UF has five different receivers who have caught 10-or-more passes this year, six games into the 2002 season five had done so as well. Carlos Perez has12 catches but three of those are for touchdowns. He leads the team with his 19.5 yards per reception. Tight end Ben Troupe has had 21 catches this season after having 15 all of last season. He has more than three times the amount to this point than he did after six games in UF has spread the ball around plenty this season. Four times this year, UF has had eight-or-more players catch the ball in a game. UF is averaging 13.1 yards per catch this year after averaging 11.4 in Six different Gators have caught a touchdown already this season. Only Taylor Jacobs, Carlos Perz and Aaron Walker had done so six games into the 2002 schedule. Two true freshmen receivers (Andre Caldwell and Chad Jackson) have caught a total 16 passes for 155 yards and a touchdown. Andre Caldwell led the Gators against Miami with four catches for 29 yards. Kelvin Kight has 24 catches to lead all receivers. The total is better than two of his three previous seasons as he had six catches in 2000 and eight in His two touchdowns this season matched his season high of two in the 2001 campaign. OFFENSIVE LINE After missing a start at Kentucky, Max Starks returned to the starting lineup against Ole Miss as he lined up at left tackle. Randy Hand has started the seven of the last eight games at right tackle after starting against South Carolina, Florida State and Michigan last year for the injured Jonathan Colon. Max Starks and Shannon Snell have combined to start 57 games in the past three years. Furthermore, Max Starks, Shannon Snell and Mike Degory have a combined total 77 starts between them in their collegiate careers. Degory has started each of the first 19 games of his career. THE DEFENSE Through six games, the UF defense is ahead of itself in nearly every major statistical category as compared to a season ago through six games: Tackle For Loss Interception 4 9 Pass Deflection Fumble Recovery 6 8 Forced Fumble 6 11 Block 2 3 Total Florida has intercepted a pass in each of the six games this season. This is the longest streak since UF picked off at least one in the first nine games of the 2000 season. Florida s three defensive touchdowns this season are tied with Alabama for the most by any team in the SEC. A season ago, the Gators had seven interceptions. UF already has nine interceptions through six games this season. Despite totaling only seven interceptions in 2002, the UF defense ranked seventh nationally in passing yards per game allowed with just PLAYER ANECDOTES... WR ANDRE CALDWELL Brother Reche, was a former Gator standout wide receiver and now plays for the San Diego Chargers. Baseball was his favorite sport growing up, but he began playing football after watching Reche play. Caldwell moved from quarterback to wide receiver before his senior year. Seven of his high school teammates signed DI scholarships his senior year (NC State, Maryland, Georgia Tech, San Diego State, USF, Auburn). LB RICHARD BROWN Not the typical freshman: He s 26 and married (wife: Tara) with two children (Alyssa, 8, and Trinity, 2). Richard spent the last seven years in the New York Yankees organization. He was recruited by Mark Richt at Florida State and signed as a HS senior in Was selected in the second round of the MLB draft. DT ERIC HOLCOMBE Gained 15 pounds of muscle in the off season since arriving at Florida in the winter of WR REGGIE LEWIS Starred as a dual-threat quarterback his senior season at Jacksonville s First Coast High School, passing for 1,798 yards and rushing for 798. His primary target was fellow Gator freshman receiver Kenneth Tookes. DT MARCUS THOMAS Was born in Japan. RB JOE COHEN Wears No. 20 in honor of James McGriff, a childhood friend from Melbourne who drowned April 17,1998. McGriff was a Gators signee that year and was buried in a No. 20 jersey. DB DEMETRICE WEBB He ran summer track, qualifying for the Junior Olympic team in the 100-meter (10.6) and was the anchor on the 4 x 400-meter relay. FRESHMAN NOTES Since the NCAA allowed true freshmen to begin play in 1972, the University of Florida has had 190 different student-athletes do so. In addition, 18 players have achieved All-America status as a true freshman with the Gators. The nine true freshmen who played against San Jose State were the second-most in school history in a season opener. The most was 12 in A school record 24 freshmen (true and redshirt) played in the season opener. The previous record of freshmen playing in a season opener was 19 in FLORIDA FOOTBALL AT LSU 7

8 UNIT NOTEBOOKS... A STRONG DEFENSE... From the time he arrived in Columbia, S.C., to the day he left, new Florida defensive coordinator Charlie Strong made several improvements. Listed below are where the Gamecocks ranked in several key defensive categories the year prior to Strong taking over the defensive coordinator role at USC and where things left off following last season: Total Defense (10) (10) Rush Defense (12) (9) Pass Defense (8) (7) Scoring Defense 33.0 (10) 21.8 (8) Tackles Sacks Interceptions 5 (12) 9 (T6) Fumble Rec. 10 (9) 12 (T5) TFL Pass BrUp ( ) - SEC rankings for categories kept. SINCE 1990 FLORIDA IS when holding opponents to 21 or less points when it rushes for 150 or more yards in a game and when held under 150 yards when it rushes for at least 100 yards in a game and just when held under 100 yards when a back rushes for 100 or more yards in a game when UF outrushes its opponent and just when it is outrushed when UF scores first and when opponent scores first when leading at the half and when tied or trailing at the half. UF has been outrushed in 30 of the 34 games it has lost. The Gators have posted a record when they hold an opponent to less than 100 team rushing yards. UF is 23-3 in games in which it blocks a punt. The Gators returned seven interceptions for 187 yards a season ago. This year, the Gators have taken their nine interceptions back 193 yards. For the second consecutive year, Eli Manning didn t throw a TD pass against the Florida defense. Last year was the first time as a starter he did not throw for a TD. In 28 starts, he s had four games without a TD pass, two against the Gators. Ole Miss had 13 possessions and nine lasted less than three minutes. Nine of the possessions lasted six plays or less Ole Miss ran the ball 36 times and 24 of those runs were for less than four yards (five were for zero or negative yards and 19 were for 1-3 yards). The Rebels gained 262 yards passing on 29 attempts, but 209 of those yards came on just nine passing plays. On the other 20 attempts, Florida allowed just 53 yards an average of just 2.65 yards per attempt. Ole Miss was just 1-of-3 on third downs in each quarter. UF gave up 485 total yards of offense to Ole Miss on 65 plays 328 of those yards came on four rushes and nine passes. On the other 52 plays, Ole Miss averaged just 3.02 yards per play. Through six games the Gators are +3 in turnover margin, which ranks as the 40th best total in the country. UF finished the 2002 season -9 in the category. Florida has held two of their first six opponents to under 100 yards through the air. The Florida defense has held opponents without an offensive touchdown in 14 of 24 quarters this season. The Gator defense has not allowed a touchdown in the first quarter in 14 of 19 games under Ron Zook. Between Ron Zook (eight), Charlie Strong (five) and Bill Miller(17), the Gator coaching staff has 30 years of experience at the defensive coordinator position. LINEBACKERS Of the LBs on the two-deep (Matt Farrior, Howard Lingard, Reid Fleming, Taurean Charles, Earl Everett and Brian Crum) there were a combined 14 tackles in 2002 and no statistics in any other category. This group had five starts between them entering the year and 1,049 plays between Matt Farrior and Reid Fleming. Earl Everett has started the last two games for the Gators as he became one of five true freshmen to start for the Gators this season when he lined up at linebacker to at Kentucky. Reid Fleming opened the season with seven tackles in the first three games. Over the last three he has had 22. Matt Farrior s interception in the second quarter of the Ole Miss game was his first of the season and the second of his career. DEFENSIVE LINE With his start against Ole Miss Marcus Thomas became the first true freshman to start on the defensive line since David Barnard and Johnie Church did so in After having no sacks in the first three games of the season, Bobby McCray has recorded five in the last three games combined. The Gators are in games played in the state of Florida (75-9 in Gainesville, 11-1 in Jacksonville, 2-1 in Orlando, 1-0 in Miami, in Tallahassee, 0-1 in Tampa) vs. unranked teams at game time. Bobby McCray and Ray McDonald lead the team with five and three sacks this year, respectively. Florida s leaders in the department a season ago (Clint Mitchell and Bobby McCray) finished the year with 2 1/3 sacks each. Ray McDonald leads the team with seven tackles for a loss. He is one of 18 different Gators to have recorded a tackle behind the line this season. Sixteen Gators had tackles for a loss six games into the year in SECONDARY Since the hail mary that ended the first half of the game against Tennessee, Florida has not 2003 FLORIDA FOOTBALL AT LSU 8

9 UNIT NOTEBOOKS... allowed a team to pass for touchdown in 10 straight quarters. All of the top three tacklers on the squad are from the secondary. Free safety Daryl Dixon leads the Gators with 56 stops to date. Cornerback Johnny Lamar is second with 44, while strong safety Guss Scott is third with 31. Current members of the UF squad are responsible for 13 of the 16 interceptions in the Zook era. The three senior starters (Daryl Dixon, Guss Scott and Keiwan Ratliff ) have each played in 113 of a possible 113 games over their careers. Ratliff and Scott have played in 42 over the last four years, while Dixon s came during his first three years (1999, 2000, 2001) and a start in each of the last six games. SPECIAL TEAMS Keiwan Ratliff s blocked field goal at Kentucky marked the fourth kick the Gators have blocked this season. In 2002, UF finished the year with only four total blocks (field goals and punts) Blocks FG Punt vs. San Jose St. J. McCollum vs. Florida A&M Ratliff J. McCollum at Kentucky Ratliff All four of Matt Piotrowicz s kickoffs against Ole Miss were 61-yards or longer. Piotrowicz booted a 71-yard kickoff in the second quarter. Eric Wilbur s average of 43.6 per punt ranks as the second best in the league and the 19th highest total in the nation. Wilbur has had punts of 50-yards-or-more in four of six games this year. Florida s 13.8 yard average per punt return is tops in the SEC and 16h in the nation. UF s Keiwan Ratliff ranks first in the SEC and 19th nationally as he averages 14.5 yards per punt return. Florida s Matt Leach has connected on 31 straight extra point attempts dating back to Nov. 2, 2002 against Georgia. UF went 8-of-8 against San Jose State, 3-of-3 vs. Miami, 9-of-9 against Florida A&M, 1-of-1 against Tennessee and Kentucky and 2-of-2 against Ole Miss. Matt Leach has made 32 of 35 kicks this season (extra points and field goals). Leach has made 11 of his last 14 field goals from inside 40 yards. This season Keiwan Ratliff has returned 14 punts for 203 yards as he is averaging 14.5 yards per return. Ratliff returned 32 punts for 341 yards in 2002 for a 10.7 yard per return average. UF s punt return average is 13.8 after 10.4 per return in UF has had 289 yards on 21 punt returns after six games. UF was seven games into the schedule last year before the Gators had more than 289 punt return yards. UF never had more than 75 punt return yards in a game last year. Eric Wilbur s 75-yard punt against Tennessee was the fourth longest in school history. Wilbur averaged 50.8 yards per punt against the Vols, the second best single-game average in school history. It was the longest punt for Florida since Shayne Edge boomed a 76-yarder against Vanderbilt in Punter Eric Wilbur is the third freshman punter Ron Zook has worked with during his time at Florida. Ingle Martin saw extensive action last year as a punter, and Zook also worked with Robby Stevenson in 1995, his last as an assistant at UF: Year Punter Punts Yards Avg. Long Blkd Eric Wilbur Ingle Martin Robby Stevenson OFFENSE NOTEBOOK In 2002, Ron Zook s first season in Gainesville, the Gators led the SEC in passing offense (270.7) and total offense (406.9). The Gators have led the SEC in passing offense each of the last two years and eight of the last 13. In addition, UF has led the league in total offense in four of the last eight seasons. Since 1990, UF has thrown for 300 or more yards in a game in 98 of its 169 contests. The Gators threw for 300 or more yards in a game just 14 times in the previous 83 seasons of play ( ). FIRST-YEAR COACHES... Checking in with the 13 head coaches that were in their first year in a new place a season ago reveals that Florida s Ron Zook was the second most successful among that group in 2002: Coach School Record Tyrone Willingham Notre Dame 10-3 RON ZOOK FLORIDA 8-5 Jeff Tedford California 7-5 Chan Gailey Georgia Tech 7-6 Steve Roberts Arkansas State 6-7 Tom Craft San Diego State 4-8 Gerry DiNardo Indiana 3-9 Rickey Bustle UL-Lafayette 3-9 Phil Bennett SMU 3-9 Buddy Teevens Stanford 2-9 Bobby Johnson Vanderbilt 2-10 Paul Johnson Navy 2-10 Mark Mangino Kansas 2-10 TOTALS The six coaches with no previous head coaching experience at a four-year college went in The following indicates how coaches have done in that situation over the past few years: Year Won Lost Pct ON THIS DATE... The Gators have played on this date 11 times in the history of the program and own a record. Oct. 11, Florida vs. Kent State UF 52 - Kent State 9 - Gainesville, Fla. The Gators posted a homecoming win against the Golden Flashes of Kent State. Rodney Brewer, who made his first collegiate start since replacing the injured Kerwin Bell, took advantage of the opportunity completing 13 of 16 passes for 230 yards and two touchdowns. The totals included an 8-of-8 performance in the first quarter. The 537 yards of total offense, also included a season-high of 306 rushing yards. Led by freshman Octavius Gould (three touchdowns) and junior Dwayne Ferguson, the Gators tallied their best point output since Oct. 11, Florida vs. LSU LSU 28 - UF 21 - Baton Rouge, LA Capitalizing on five Florida turnovers, 14 th - ranked LSU downs the top-ranked Gators before 80,677 fans at Tiger Stadium and a nationally televised ESPN audience. The loss snapped Florida s 25-game SEC winning streak, the second longest win streak in SEC history. On the bright side, quarterback Doug Johnson set career highs in attempts (57), completions (32), and yards (346) FLORIDA FOOTBALL AT LSU 9

10 POLL NOTES... CURRENT CONSECUTIVE SEASONS IN THE FINAL COACHES POLL Rk. _ School Years 1. Florida State Michigan FLORIDA Georgia 6 Texas 6 6. Virginia Tech 5 Miami 5 CURRENT CONSECUTIVE GAMES WITHOUT BEING SHUTOUT A look at the leaders nationally as well as SEC teams consecutive games without being shut out: NATIONAL LEADERS 1. BYU Texas Washington Michigan Washington State Oregon Florida State FLORIDA Colorado Arizona 140 SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE LEADERS 1.FLORIDA Tennessee Georgia Arkansas Ole Miss Alabama Mississippi State LSU 8 9. South Carolina Vanderbilt Kentucky Auburn 4 PASSING YARDS SINCE 1996 Since 1996, the Gators rank third in the country in combined passing yards: NATIONAL LEADERS 1. Louisiana Tech 30, Marshall 29, Florida 27,232 During the past seven seasons ( ), UF has posted yard passing games, which is tied for the most in the nation: 1. FLORIDA 53 Louisiana Tech Kentucky 51 The Gators have gone a school-record 185 games without being shutout, dating back to a 16-0 loss to Auburn in Over that same span, the Gator defense has posted nine shutouts. Since 1990, Florida has ranked in the top 10 in total offense in the final NCAA stats in seven of the last 13 seasons. THE DEFENSE Florida has allowed more than 200 yards passing in just six games during the Zook era and allowed only two opponents QB (John Navarre, Mich., and Brock Berlin, Miami) to throw for more than 300 yards in a game. Since 1990, Florida has led the SEC in rushing defense six times and ranked among the nation s top 20 teams in total defense on seven different occasions. UF has held its opponents to less than 50 net rushing yards 23 times in its last 94 games since the 1995 season. In the last 107 games, UF has held 49 opponents to 100 net rushing yards or less. Since 1990, Florida has ranked in the top 10 in rushing defense in the final national stats seven times. SEC TELEVISION EXPOSURE The Gators have appeared on live network television in 65 of their last 67 SEC games. Since the start of the 1994 season, the Gators have had 73 of their 78 SEC games televised live on network TV. THE SCHEDULE In 2003, the Gators will be on the road on five different occasions marking the second time in school history (1979) that UF has had to play on the road more than four times in a season. This year, every league team plays five road games except South Carolina (four) and Mississippi State (six again). As a result of the SEC scheduling, UF will not play Auburn this year ending a series that had run uninterrupted since The 80-game series with the Tigers is tied with Georgia for the longest in school history. According to the NCAA, the 2002 Florida Gators faced the sixth toughest schedule in the nation and UF probably will rank highly again in strength of schedule for its 2003 slate. Florida will play seven teams this fall that made appearances in bowl games during the 2002 season. The Gators will square off against eight teams that had enough wins a year ago to be bowl eligible, including Kentucky. In fact, every team in the SEC plays at least five bowl eligible teams from Florida plays seven bowl teams from last season, which equals the total of Auburn, Mississippi State and Vanderbilt for the third highest total among SEC members Opponents in 2002 Bowls Team Bowl Ohio State, 31 vs. Miami, 24 (2 OT) Fiesta Maryland, 30 vs. Tennessee, 3 Peach Ole Miss, 27, vs. Nebraska, 23 Independence Texas, 35 vs. LSU, 20 Cotton Minnesota, 29 vs. Arkansas, 14 Music City Georgia, 26 vs. Florida State, 13 Sugar 2003 opponents are in bold A look at the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Preseason Poll shows that UF will play the second most preseason top 25 teams this season with five. Florida, Alabama and South Carolina are the only members of the SEC, which will play five opponents this season that are ranked in the top 25 of the poll: NATIONAL LEADERS Ohio State 6 Florida State 6 Florida 5 Miami 5 Notre Dame FLORIDA FOOTBALL AT LSU 10

11 THE STADIUM... ATTENDANCE NOTES The attendance for the game against Tennessee on Sept. 20, 2003 of 90,332 established a new school record and was the largest crowd ever to watch a football game in the state of Florida. The previous school record stood at 90, 087 and was set against Florida A&M on Sept. 13, The attendance for the season opener against San Jose State (90,011) was the largest opening day crowd in Florida history. The previous record was 85,575 against UAB in last year s opener In 2002, the Gators sold all available season tickets (72,000). That figure continues to rank as the second highest in the state of Florida history for any team - collegiate or professional. The Gators have ranked among the nation s top 15 schools in average home attendance in each of the last 21 years ( ) and ranked among the nation s top eight schools in each of the last 12 years ( ). UF s average of 85,493 fans per home game in 1999 ranked as the best single-season mark in school history. UF averaged 85,432 in 2001 and 85,185 during the 2002 season. Florida has a current streak of 88 consecutive home sellouts dating back to the 1989 season. Here is where UF ranks nationally for current consecutive sellouts: BEN HILL GRIFFIN STADIUM A look at the Gators at home since 1990: Overall: 75-9 SEC: 42-6 SEC East: 24-2 SEC West: 18-4 Non-Conference: 33-3 Top 25 Teams: 17-8 Top 10 Teams: 9-5 Top 5 Teams: 7-4 Unranked Teams: 57-1 At Night (6 p.m. or later) 24-1 Florida s home winning percentage of.892 (75-9) ranks third-best in the nation since AT FLORIDA FIELD THE SWAMP AMP The Gators had two significant streaks at The Swamp in the 1990s: A 23-game win streak from and a 30-game streak from In 84 home games since 1990, UF has scored 30 or more points 65 times and has held its opponent to 14 or less points 44 times. Since 1990, UF has outscored its opponents at The Swamp by a combined total of (an average of 41.4 to 15.6 for an average victory margin of 25.8). Since 1990, Florida has lost only three times at home to a team ranked below the top five. HOME RECORDS SINCE Nebraska Florida State FLORIDA Kansas State Texas A&M Nebraska Notre Dame Michigan FLORIDA FLORIDA FOOTBALL AT LSU 11

12 HEAD COACH RON ZOOK... THE RON ZOOK FILE 25 years of coaching experience 19 year collegiate coaching experience (Florida, Ohio State, Virginia Tech, Tennessee, Kansas, Cincinnati, Murray State) Six years professional coaching experience (Pittsburgh, Kansas City and New Orleans) Coached for three NFL franchises (Pittsburgh, Kansas City and New Orleans) Coached on three NFL Division Champions (1996 and 1997 Steelers - AFC Central, 2000 Saints - NFC West) Coached on five SEC Championship teams (four at Florida, one at Tennessee) Participated in 14 bowl games (three as a player and 11 as a coach) Coached at four schools that are members of college football's premier conferences (SEC, Big Ten, Big 12, Big East). PERSONAL Birthdate: April 28,1954 Hometown: Loudonville, Ohio Alma Mater: Miami of Ohio (1976) Family: Wife, Denise; daughters Jacquelyn, Casey COACHING EXPERIENCE Florida 2002-Present Head Coach New Orleans Saints Defensive Coordinator Kansas City Chiefs 1999 Defensive Backs Coach Pittsburgh Steelers Special Teams Coach Florida 1995 _ Assoc. Head Coach/ Special Teams Coor. Nickelbackers and Strong Safeties Coach 1994 Special Teams Coordinator/Nickelbackers Defensive Coordinator/ Defensive Backs Ohio State Defensive Backs Virginia Tech 1987 Defensive Coordinator/ Assistant Head Coach Tennessee Defensive Backs Kansas 1983 Defensive Coordinator Cincinnati Defensive Coordinator Murray State Defensive Backs Orville High School THE COACHING STAFF Jerry Red Anderson...Defensive Line Dwayne Dixon... Assistant Head Coach Larry Fedora... Perimeter Game Coordinator Mike Locksley...RB/Recruiting Coordinator Bill Miller... Linebackers Charlie Strong... Defensive Coordinator Joe Wickline... OL/Running Game Coor. Mike Woodford...DB/Special Teams Coor. Ed Zaunbrecher... Offensive Coordinator/QB ZOOK AND HIS PLAYERS While an assistant at Tennessee from , Zook once called a defensive backs meeting in the hotel room of one of his players, Charles Davis. When he realized he had forgotten to bring a pad of paper, Zook ripped off Davis bedsheet and scrawled plays on them. I went to bed with two- and three-deep coverages underneath me, Davis said. As the Pittsburgh Steelers Special Teams Coach from , Zook and his unit had an interesting pregame ritual. Before each game, the players would surround Zook, work themselves into a frenzy and push him around like a pinball. According to former Steeler running back Fred McAfee, Zook didn t always emerge unscathed. A couple of times, Zook got black eyes in there, McAfee said. I don t even come to the kickoff huddle unless I have my chinstrap buckled up. The UF players describe Zook as a players coach. He s active, available and pays attention to what they re doing. He expects a lot from us and he gives a lot of himself, RB Ran Carthon says. Zook has given his cell phone number to all the players and he has all of theirs. He lifts weights with them, spends time in the lockerroom with them, eats in the dining hall with them. During two-a-days he stayed in the hotel with them. ROOTS AND FAMILY Zook grew up in the small town of Loudonville, Ohio. The town s population is a mere 3,000, and a canoe livery was its biggest industry. As devoted as he is to football, Zook is still a family man. During his hectic first spring as Florida s head coach, Zook found the time to make a 90-mile drive from Daytona Beach to Jacksonville to watch his daughter, Casey, run the 100-meter hurdles in the district championships. Casey was ecstatic that her father would drive two hours for a 17-second race. Zook s father, a traveling salesman, was over 400 miles away in Chicago at a trade show during senior night at Ron s final high school home football game. His father drove straight in from a meeting, wheeled into the parking lot just before kickoff and immediately left after the game to get back to Chicago in time for his Saturday appointments. Zook started flying planes when he was 13 and had his first solo flight when he was 16. Zook s grandfather, Peter, came to America from Russia. When he arrived at Ellis Island, immigration officials looked at his 26-letter last name and shortened it to simply Zook. Zook s wife, Denise, tells about her husband s meticulous scrutiny of life on, and off, the football field. When he s making a decision on anything, I don t care if it s insurance, buying a house, getting a loan, getting a dog, whatever, he s going to check out everything, says Denise. You should ask the car salesman how he is about buying a car. It s hilarious. It s just how Ron is. Every single thing we buy has to be researched. ZOOK AS A PLAYER Zook s brother Bob would stand at the top of a hill behind their childhood home and roll an old tire down to Ron, who was standing at the bottom of the hill in shoulder pads and a helmet. Zook was small growing up but the drill taught him toughness. He either made a great stop or got knocked to the ground and afterwards he would get up and push the tire back up the hill and prepare for another shot. It was a toughness drill, teaching me to run through things when I tackled. You had to hit it hard, because it was a moving object, and it d roll right over you. There was also a variation where the ball was tossed to 80-pound Ron, whose objective was to run through Bob and his 120-pound neighbor. He either cried or bled, Bob Zook said. Most of the time it was both. Ron wore glasses at the time and before long there was more electrical tape on his glasses than there were glasses. As a freshman, Zook became a star quarterback and defensive back at Loudonville HS, due to his drive and preparation for the game. We had four touchdowns called back because he had faked the ball so well, and the officials blew the whistle. We re losing 14-6 to Ontario just before halftime, and we ran a belly play. Ron faked the ball to the fullback and handed it to the tailback. The ref blew the ball dead because he thought the fullback had it, but the tailback was in the end zone with it 52 yards away. Said John Burkhart, mayor of Loudonville and high school teammate. As a member of the freshman basketball team, Zook s team was down 20-0 at the half vs. Fredricktown FLORIDA FOOTBALL AT LSU 12

13 HEAD COACH RON ZOOK... After his coach walked out at halftime, Zook took over and they ended up winning IN THE CRADLE OF COACHING In perhaps the highlight of his college playing career, Zook s Miami took on Florida in the 1973 Tangerine Bowl. The game was played in Gainesville due to renovations to the stadium in Orlando, and Miami upset the Gators 16-7 in what was the first of three consecutive Tangerine Bowl victories. On the game s opening kickoff, Zook tackled Gator great and current Sunshine Network commentator Nat Moore to set the game s tone. According to ex-teammate John McVay, Zook had a great game and must ve made every tackle on the punt coverage and kick coverage. While at Miami, Zook lived in Hepburn Hall with a group of men that went on to very successful athletic careers. Zook s fellow residents of Hepburn Hall included Northwestern football coach Randy Walker, former Ohio State basketball coach and current 76ers assistant Randy Ayers, Reds first base coach Billy Doran, current Georgia Tech baseball coach Danny Hall, former NFL running backs Rob Carpenter and Sherman Smith and former Braves pitcher Charlie Lebrandt. THE ROAD TO FLORIDA Zook first began teaching science and coaching at Orville (Ohio) High School in in the hometown of college basketball legend Bobby Knight. Zook coached defense for head coach Mo Tipton, who initially placed him in the pressbox to see the field better. That lasted all of a half because Zook almost fell out three times. They had to take him out because he almost fell out three times in the first half, Zook s brother Bob recalls. They had to grab him so he wouldn t fall out. Zook s first collegiate coaching position came when Mike Gottfried now a commentator for ESPN gave him a job at Murray State. Zook then coached at Cincinnati, Kansas, Tennessee, Virginia Tech, Ohio State and Florida. After Zook had spent three seasons as the spe cial teams coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Kan sas City Chiefs Coach Gunther Cunningham tried to hire him away in When Steelers Coach Bill Cowher attempted to block the move citing a league rule that an assistant can t change teams without a promotion Cunningham created a title of supervisory for Zook. The title is no longer allowed by the NFL, but the Chiefs were finally able to hire Zook as their secondary coach. As a defensive assistant with the New Orleans Saints, Zook started every practice by running over to the offensive huddle and shouting You got no chance today, offense, no chance. By the end of practice he was as sweaty as the players FLORIDA FOOTBALL AT LSU RON ZOOK S RECORD AT UF WHEN... Overall 11-8 vs. SEC 7-4 vs. SEC East 6-1 vs. SEC West 1-3 vs. Non-Conference 4-4 Play at home 7-4 Play away 3-3 Play at neutral sites 1-1 Playing in the state of Florida 8-7 Receive kickoff to start game 8-4 Kickoff to start game 3-4 In night games (6 p.m. or later) 7-3 In the rain 2-0 Score first 7-3 Opponents score first 4-5 Lead after one quarter 6-2 Trail after one quarter 2-3 Are tied after one quarter 3-2 Lead at half 9-3 Trail at half 2-5 Are tied at half 0-0 Lead after three quarters 9-2 Trail after three quarters 2-6 Are tied after three quarters 0-0 Overtime games 1-0 Have a team pass for 300+ yards 5-3 Have an individual pass for 300+ yards 4-2 Opp. as a team pass for 300+ yards 0-1 Opp. has individual pass for 300+ yards 0-1 Have a team rush for 100+ yards 9-4 Have an individual rush for 100+ yards 2-2 Opp. has a team rush for 100+ yards 8-7 Opp. has an individual rush for 100+ yards 3-4 Commit two or less turnovers 8-3 Opponents commit two or more turnovers 5-5 Score 10 or more points 11-7 Hold their opponent to 21 or less points 8-2 Score under 10 points points points points points or more points or more points 2-0 Hold opponent to under 10 points points points points points points SEC Coaches Division I Experience Rankings 1. Mississippi State years 2. South Carolina years 3. Tennessee years 4. Florida years 5. Kentucky years 6. Georgia years 7. Auburn years 8. Alabama years 9. LSU years 10. Ole Miss years 11. Vanderbilt years 12. Arkansas years Zook Against Ranked Teams (2-6) No. 1 Miami 41 vs. No. 6 Florida No. 10 Florida 30 at No. 4 Tennessee No. 18 LSU 36 vs No. 16 Florida No. 22 Florida 20 vs. No. 5 Georgia 13 (N) No. 23 Florida State vs. No. 11 Florida No. 12 Michigan 38 vs. No. 20 Florida 30 (N) No. 18 Florida 33 at No. 3 Miami No. 17 Florida 10 vs. No. 12 Tenn 24 Gator Turnovers In The Zook Era In UF s 11 Wins...UF per game... Opp per game In UF s 8 Losses...UF per game... Opp -1.3 per game Florida Second Year Coaching Records Jack Forsythe, G.E. Pyle, Charles J. McCoy, A.L. Busser, William Kline, J.A. VanFleet, H.L. Sebring, Charles Bachman, D.K. Stanley, 6-3-1, 2-3 SEC Josh Cody, 4-7, 3-5 SEC Thomas J. Lieb, 4-6, 1-4 SEC Raymond B. Wolf, 4-5-1, SEC 1951 Bob Woodruff, 5-5, 3-3 SEC Ray Graves, 4-5, 5-2 SEC Doug Dickey, 4-7, 1-6 SEC Charley Pell, 8-4, 5-2 SEC Galen Hall,9-1-1, 5-1 SEC Steve Spurrier, 10-2, 7-0 SEC Second-Year Coaches Superlatives Overall Wins... 10, Steve Spurrier (1991) SEC Wins...7, Steve Spurrier (1991) Most Points Scored...77, J.A. VanFleet (1924) Most Home Wins...6, Steve Spurrier (1991) Undefeated at Home , G.E. Pyle (1910)...3-0, J.A. VanFleet (1924) , Charles Bachman (1929) , Galen Hall (1985) , Steve Spurrier (1991) 13

14 LEGENDARY STATUS... TUS... ONE OF THE ONLY SCHOOL S IN THE NATION TO: Florida s spectacular success has resulted in the Gator program being classified a major college dynasty by the NCAA in its annual records book. This is a rare and elite honor that has been bestowed on Florida, the 1996 National Champions, due to a consistent level of success that is achieving legendary status. One of three schools in major college history, and the only one in the SEC, to ever win at least nine games for a period of 12 consecutive years ( ). One of six schools in major college history to ever win 100 games during a decade (102 wins in the 1990s). The only school in modern major college history to ever score 500 or more points for a period of four straight years ( ). In the history of the NFL Draft, Florida and Miami hold the distinction of being the only schools represented for the most consecutive years in the first-round of the draft. One of only two schools in the nation to have multiple recipients of the Draddy Trophy which is presented by the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame to the nation s top football scholar-athlete. The only school in the nation that can boast of a Heisman Trophy recipient (Danny Wuerffel) who also received the Draddy Trophy which is presented by the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame to the country s top football scholar-athlete. THE ONLY SCHOOL IN THE SEC TO: The only school in SEC history, and one of only three in major college history, to ever win at least 10 games for a period of six straight years ( ). Win at least eight conference games in a season for four consecutive years ( ). Post a perfect 8-0 conference record in back-to-back seasons ( ). The only school in SEC history, and one of only four schools in major college history, to ever rank in the top 15 of the final polls in 12 consecutive seasons ( ). The only school in SEC history, and one of only six in major college history, to ever appear in a January bowl game for nine consecutive seasons ( ). Its SEC record from 1990 to the seventh conference game of 2001 is the best league record over a 100 SEC game time period in conference history. It holds the SEC record for most consecutive seasons (12) with at least six league wins, a streak that doubles the previous record of six set by Alabama from ). Ever win 70 league games in a decade (73 in the 1990s). One of only two schools in SEC history to ever win four consecutive league championships ( ). Play in seven of the 11 SEC Championship Games and has won six SEC titles over the last 11 years. GATORS JOIN EXCLUSIVE 100-WIN DECADE CLUB Florida, during the 1990s, joined an exclusive list of only six major colleges that won 100 games during a decade entirely spent at the I-A level. 1970s Alabama Oklahoma s Nebraska BYU s Florida State Nebraska FLORIDA CONSECUTIVE WEEKS IN THE POLLS (ALL-TIME) Nebraska 347 ( ) FLORIDA 226 ( ) Florida State 212 ( ) Alabama 184 ( ) Michigan 160 ( ) Notre Dame 159 ( ) Oklahoma 156( ) CONSECUTIVE JANUARY BOWL APPEARANCES Nebraska 17 ( ) Miami 12 ( ) Florida State 12 (1991-Active) FLORIDA 10 (1993-Active) Michigan 9 ( ) Notre Dame 9 ( ) Penn State 8 ( ) COLLEGE LEADERS SINCE 1990 MOST TOTAL WINS Nebraska 141 Florida State 140 FLORIDA 133 Miami 130 Tennessee 128 TOP-15 FINISHES FLORIDA 12 Florida State 12 Nebraska 10 Tennessee 10 Miami 10 Penn State 9 Michigan 9 TOP-10 FINISHES Florida State 11 FLORIDA 10 Nebraska 8 Tennessee 7 Michigan 6 FINAL POLL RANKING AVG. Florida State 5.3 FLORIDA 8.1 Michigan 11.2 WEEKS IN THE POLLS FLORIDA 226 Michigan 84 Texas 79 Virginia Tech 77 Miami 61 Oklahoma FLORIDA FOOTBALL AT LSU 14

15 FLORIDA AND THE NFL... THE SEC LEADS THE NATION The Southeastern Conference led the nation with 263 former players on 2003 National Football League opening day rosters. The Big Ten was second with 207 followed by the Pac-10 with 191, Big 12 with 187 and the Atlantic Coast Conference with 144. The SEC also had nine of its 12 schools rank in the top 40 among all NCAA institutions with former players on NFL opening day rosters. GATORS AND THE 2003 NFL DRAFT Rex Grossman s selection in the first round kept Florida s streak intact of having a first-round pick in each of the last seven years and 16 of the last 20. Florida s 26 first-round draft choices since 1983 is the second best total in the nation. Since the first NFL Draft in 1936, a Florida player has been selected in the first round 35 times covering 26 separate seasons, which ties Alabama for the fourth highest total in the country. One of only two schools to have had at least one first-round draft selection in 17 of the last 21 drafts. One of only two schools to have had multiple first-round draft selections in six of the past nine drafts. Eight former members of the University of Florida football team were selected in the 2003 NFL Draft, which was held in New York City. The total tied for the highest from any school in the nation, while also tying for the third highest total in program history. In addition, for the first time since 1957 four Gators went to the same organization. Set a NFL record for the most consecutive years (nine, ) represented in the first-round of the draft. FLORIDA NFL NOTES Florida had 40 players on 2003 NFL opening day rosters, which tied with Notre Dame for the most from any school in the country. In 2002, Florida had 23 offensive players (nine WR, seven OL, three QB, two RB, one TE, one C) on rosters. In 2002Florida s nine wide receivers on 2002 NFL rosters ranked as the top total in the nation for any school (Michigan is second with seven). In 2002Florida s seven offensive linemen in 2002 tied for the highest total in the nation (Auburn and Michigan both have seven, while Mississippi and Nebraska both have six). In 2002, Florida had three QBs on NFL rosters in 2002, a total that was the second best in the nation (Washington is first with five). Former Gator Emmitt Smith became the NFL s all-time leading rusher on Sunday, Oct. 27, 2002 with an 11- yard run against the Seattle Seahawks in Dallas. Smith surpassed the longtime record held by Walter Payton, who rushed for 16,726 yards in his 13-year. Smith was a three-time All- American at the On April 12, 2003 Florida fans got the opportunity to recognize one of their own as Emmitt Smith was honored at halftime of the 2003 Orange and Blue Spring game. University of Florida from He established 58 school records in three seasons, including a career rushing mark of 3,928 yards. Following his junior season with the Gators, Smith was a first-round selection in the 1990 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys. Smith finished the 2002 season with 17,162 career yards on 4,052 attempts, eclipsing Walter Payton s 18 year-old NFL rushing mark against Seattle on Oct. 27. On Wednesday, March 26, Smith agreed to terms with the Arizona Cardinals. FLORIDA PLAYERS ON 2003 NFL OPENING DAY ROSTERS (40) DE -Trace Armstrong - Oakland Raiders DE - Alex Brown - Chicago Bears WR- Reche Caldwell - San Diego Chargers OG - Cooper Carlisle - Denver Broncos LB - Travis Carroll - New Orleans Saints DE - Kevin Carter - Tennessee Titans K - Jeff Chandler - San Francisco 49ers OG - Mo Collins - Oakland Raiders LB - Andra Davis - Cleveland Browns WR - Chris Doering - Pittsburgh Steelers WR - Jabar Gaffney - Houston Texans QB - Rex Grossman - Chicago Bears WR - Ike Hilliard - New York Giants WR - Darrell Jackson - Seattle Seahawks RB - Terry Jackson - San Francisco 49ers WR -Taylor Jacobs - Washington Redskins QB - Doug Johnson - Atlanta Falcons DT - Ellis Johnson - Atlanta Falcons FS - Todd Johnson - Chicago Bears DE - Jevon Kearse - Tennessee Titans TE - Erron Kinney - Tennessee Titans DT - Tron LaFavor - Chicago Bears S - Marquand Manuel - Cincinnati Bengals QB - Shane Matthews - Cincinnati Bengals C - Jeff Mitchell - Carolina Panthers LB - Michael Nattiel - Minnesota Vikings QB - Jesse Palmer - New York Giants OT - Mike Pearson - Jacksonville Jaguars LB - Mike Peterson - Jacksonville Jaguars OG - Zach Piller - Tennessee Titans DT - Ian Scott - Chicago Bears CB - Lito Sheppard - Philadelphia Eagles RB - Emmitt Smith - Arizona Cardinals CB - Jimmy Spencer - Denver Broncos RB - Fred Taylor - Jacksonville Jaguars WR - Travis Taylor - Baltimore Ravens TE - Aaron Walker - San Francisco 49ers OT - Kenyatta Walker - Tampa Bay Buccaneers DT - Gerard Warren - Cleveland Browns CB- Fred Weary - St. Louis Rams SCHOOLS WITH THE MOST PLAY- ERS ON NFL 2003 OPENING DAY ROSTERS 1. FLORIDA 40 Notre Dame Florida State Georgia 36 Miami 36 Tennessee Texas A&M Michigan Ohio State Nebraska 28 Penn State 28 SEC AND NFL 2003 OPENING DAY ROSTERS 1. FLORIDA Georgia 36 Tennessee Auburn LSU Alabama 20 7 Mississippi State 18 South Carolina Ole Miss Kentucky 10 Vanderbilt Arkansas FLORIDA FOOTBALL AT LSU 15