NATIONAL CHAMPIONS 1996 | 2006 | 2008 FLORIDA SEC CHAMPIONS 1991 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 2011 FOOTBALL 1996 | 2000 | 2006 | 2008 Game 2 | No. 18/18 Florida (1-0, 0-0 SEC) vs. UAB (0-0, 0-0 C-USA) Ben Hill Griffin Stadium (88,548) | Gainesville, Fla. September 10, 2011 | 7:00 p.m. ET | FSN Release Date: Tuesday, September 6, 2011 BROADCAST INFORMATION THE STORYLINE T elevision | FSN Florida’s Will Muschamp earned his first victory as a head coach Moving on to the second week of the season, UF will look to Play-by-Play: Bob Rathbun last Saturday, beating the Florida Atlantic Owls, 41-3, in The continue fine-tuning its new offensive and defensive schemes Analyst: Tim Couch Swamp. With the win, the Gators are now 17-6 in 23 occasions against the University of Alabama at Birmingham. UAB did not Sideline: Kristina Akra when a head coach makes his UF debut. play in Week 1 and will be opening the season in Gainesville Florida saw the debut of new offensive and defensive schemes after posting a 4-8 record (3-5 C-USA) in 2010. Radio | Gator IMG Sports Network against Florida Atlantic in Week 1. The offense racked up 468 The Blazers posted a 4-8 record last season with a 3-5 mark in Play-by-Play: Mick Hubert total yards and had 18 first downs before FAU earned one first Conference-USA play. Quarterback Bryan Ellis threw for nearly Analyst: Lee McGriff down. The duo of Jeff Demps and Chris Rainey, who combined 3,000 yards and had 25 touchdown passes in 2010. Sideline: Brady Ackerman for 324 all-purpose yards. The last time that Florida played an opponent in Week 2 The Gator defense limited FAU to just 137 yards of total who hadn’t played a game in Week 1 was in 2005. Loui- 2011 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE offense, including a stifling 30 yards rushing on 30 attempts. siana Tech opened the season at Florida after the Gators September (0-0) They totaled 11 tackles for a loss of 54 yards, the most by a UF had already beaten Wyoming in their opener. UF beat the 3 FLORIda ATLANTIC (ESPNU) W 41-3 1-0, 0-0 defense since Sept. 29, 2007 vs. Auburn. Bulldogs, 41-3. 10 UAB (FSN) 7:00 p.m. ET LAST TIME OUT 17 TENNESSEE* (CBS) 3:30 p.m. ET The 2011 football season and the Will Muschamp Era began gain to put the Gators back in field-goal range. 24 at Kentucky* TBA with a “boom,” as the Gators dominated Florida Atlantic After a quick three-and-out for FAU, the Gators mounted University from start to finish en route to a 41-3 victory. For October another strong drive with Brantley continuing to look very the Gators, it was their 22nd-consecutive season-opening win, 1 ALABAMA* TBA comfortable. He connected with Frankie Hammond (15 yards) delighting a Ben Hill Griffin Stadium crowd of 88,708. 8 at LSU* TBA and Dunbar (11 yards) on third and long plays before hitting Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps combined for five touchdowns, Rainey with a 14-yard touchdown pass to put the Gators up 15 at Auburn* TBA while John Brantley was extremely efficient on the evening. 10-0. 29 vs. Georgia* (CBS) 3:30 p.m. ET Rainey scored three touchdowns - one rushing, one receiving On the Gators’ third drive, they marched 68 yards in just three and on a blocked punt return, a first by a Gator in school history Jacksonville, Fla. plays, capping it with Demps’ 35-yard touchdown run to - while he and Demps combined for 271 yards of offense to set November increase the lead to 17-0. the pace. 5 Vanderbilt* (HC) TBA Florida’s next drive was a 9-play, 91-yard effort that ended in Demps finished with 12 carries for 105 yards and two touch- 12 at South Carolina* TBA Rainey’s second touchdown of the game, a 14-yard run, set up downs, while also hauling in three passes for 21 yards. Rainey by Brantley spreading the ball around to multiple receivers. 19 Furman TBA had 11 carries for 79 yards and a score and six receptions for 67 26 Florida State TBA yards and a touchdown. Brantley finished the night 21-of-30 The Owls got on the board with 1:22 left in the half on a 27-yard field goal by Vinny Zaccario, set up after the Owls intercepted December passing for 229 yards and a touchdown. He completed all six of his pass attempts on third down, converting five times, and freshman Jeff Driskel on his first attempt. Brantley returned a 3 SEC Championship Game (CBS) 4:00 p.m. ET also rushed for a first down on third-and-short. series later and suffered the same fate, having a pass tipped Atlanta, Ga. and picked off. Zaccario was unable to cut into the Gators’ lead, The Gators dominated statistically, out-gaining the Owls, as he pushed a 34-yard attempt wide left. 468-137. Florida finished with 197 yards on the ground and FOOTBALL CONTACTS 271 through the air. The Gators gained 30 first downs while Florida dominated the first half, gaining 264 total yards while Steve McClain | Associate Athletic Director, Communications holding FAU to just 11 – and none until the score was already surrendering just 62. The Gators had 18 first downs to just (352) 379-4683, x6115 | [email protected] 24-0. three for the Owls. Brantley finished the first half 15-of-21 passing for 160 yards and a touchdown. Dan Apple | Assistant Communications Director The Gators nearly sent the crowd into hysteria on the opening (352) 375-4683, x6199 | [email protected] kick, when speedster Demps returned to the opening kick for a After getting a defensive stop in the third quarter, Solomon John Hines | Associate Communications Director touchdown, but a holding penalty nullified the score and the Patton blocked a punt that was scooped up by Rainey and (352) 375-4683, x6130 | [email protected] Gators took over at their own 20-yard line. returned 20 yards for a touchdown, his third TD of the game, all in a different variety. It was his second career returned blocked Brantley methodically marched the Gators down the field, punt, and marked the first three touchdown game of his career. with Rainey doing it on the ground and as a receiver to set up a 51-yard field goal by Caleb Sturgis. Brantley completed Demps padded the Gators lead in the fourth quarter with a @GatorZoneFB 20-yard touchdown run that put him over 100 yards rushing @CoachWMuschamp 4-of-5 passes on the drive for 40 yards, while Rainey rushed @GatorZoneNews three times for 23 yards and caught two passes for 15 more on the night. yards. The drive was derailed by a high snap over Brantley’s facebook.com/FloridaGators Sturgis added a 29-yard field goal with 1:46 left to put the head before the senior QB hit Quinton Dunbar with a 14-yard Gators up, 41-3. Gators vs. Blazers | September 10 INDIVIDUAL STAT LEADERS AT A GLANCE **UA B STATS FROM 2010** Florida UAB RUSHING Rdecor 1-0, 0-0 SEC Rdecor 0-0, 0-0 C-USA Florida G Att Yds Avg TD YPG Ranking 22, Associated Press Ranking NR, Associated Press Demps 1 12 105 8.8 2 105.0 23, USA Today/Coaches NR, USA Today/Coaches Rainey 1 11 79 7.2 1 79.0 Last Game def. Florida Atlantic, 41-3 Last Game lost at Rice, 28-23 (Nov. 27, 2010) Next Game Tennessee, Sept. 17 Next Game vs. Tulane, Sept. 17 UAB G Att Yds Avg TD YPG Head Coach Will Muschamp, 1st Year Head Coach Neil Callaway, 5th year (5th at UAB) Shed 12 157 847 5.4 3 70.6 Career Record 1-0 (1.000) Career Record 15-33 (.313) Franklin 9 11 53 4.8 0 5.9 School Record 1-0 (1.000) School Record 15-33 (.313) PASSING ABOUT THE OPPONENT Florida C-A-I Pct Yds TD YPG Eff The University of Alabama at Birmingham finished the 2010 2011 UAB SCHEDULE Brantley 21-30-2 70.0 229 1 229.0 131.79 season with a 4-8 record (3-5 C-USA), placing fifth in the Sept. 10 at Florida 7 p.m. Driskel 4-6-1 66.7 42 0 42.0 92.13 C-USA East standings. Head coach Neil Callaway enters his 5th Sept. 17 Tulane 4 p.m. season at the helm of the UAB program and has compiled a Sept. 24 at East Carolina 3:30 p.m. UAB C-A-I Pct Yds TD YPG Eff 15-33 record in his first four seasons. Callaway was a former Oct. 1 at Troy TBA Ellis 234-411-12 56.2 2940 25 267.3 130.53 offensive coordinator under Mark Richt at Georgia. UAB has 16 Oct. 8 Mississippi State 12 p.m. Bento 0-2-0 0.0 0 0 0.0 0.00 returning starters, led by quarterback Bryan Ellis, who started Oct. 15 at Tulsa 8 p.m. the final eight games of the 2010 season and threw for nearly Oct. 20 UCF 8 p.m. RECEIVING 3,000 yards with 25 touchdown passes. Running back Pat Shed Oct. 29 at Marshall 12 p.m. Florida G Rec Yds Avg TD YPG also returns after leading the team in rushing (847 yds, 3 TD) Nov.