UF o-line stifles running game

Florida had its lowest rushing output of the season in its 20-17 loss to Auburn Saturday.

Sophomore quarterback Tim Tebow leads UF in rushing for the third time this season, but this time his 19 carries for 75 yards and a touchdown were not enough to get past unranked Auburn.

"We showed a lot of spirit and we fought them hard, but you have to give them all of the credit," Tebow said of Auburn. "We need to be able to do a better job of staying focused and having stronger communication."

Communication by the offense was a major problem for UF, especially in the running game. Florida coach Urban Meyer said he felt the lack of carries for junior running back Kestahn Moore had to do with the poor blocking that his offensive line showed throughout the game.

"We had the right calls at the right time, people were just hearing different things," fifth-year senior offensive lineman Carlton Medder said of the offensive line's communication issues. "We've got some linemen doing different things so that's the reason we didn't click in the first half."

But the running game still revolved around Tebow in the second half with him running the ball 13 times.

"At no point during that game did we feel like we were blocking well enough to turn and hand the ball off," Meyer said.

Heading into the game, UF averaged 237.5 yards on the ground. Saturday, UF only ran for 111 yards.

After UF was stuffed for only five yards total its first two drives, the offense relied heavily on Tebow's arm and feet. With no real threat of a running game, the offense could never get into a rhythm. Meyer says that for his offense to be effective it must establish the running game. That never happened Saturday.

Moore carried the ball one time in the first half for only three yards and finished with a measly three carries for seven yards.

One of UF's most deadly of weapons - whether running the ball or catching it -sophomore receiver Percy Harvin was nonexistent in the running game, finishing with 19 yards off four carries.

UF had a chance to put six points on the board early in the third quarter after Tebow connected with Harvin on a 52-yard strike to the Auburn 3-yard line. Instead of handing the ball off to Moore - each of his four touchdowns this season have come from three yards out or less - UF called a draw to Tebow who was quickly wrapped up for a four-yard loss. After two incomplete passes, the Gators were forced to kick a field goal.

But the most perplexing call of the night was an option pitch to Moore to the right on UF's final offense drive on a second and 16. Moore gained nothing and UF punted two plays later.

"They gave us a certain defense and we checked into something," Meyer said of his reasoning behind calling the option play. "We didn't block it very well."