Gator Gameday

TODAY'S STORYLINES

Knocking it out of the park?

The Gators have been saying throughout the preseason that they're excited about the tailback position because UF now has three potential home-run hitters in Emmanuel Moody, Chris Rainey and true freshman burner Jeffrey Demps. Hawaii has a tough, physical defensive front seven, so hitting one out of the park today might be tough. But if the Gators get cranking in the passing game, some opportunities will be there to break one.

The man behind the man

The battle for the No. 2 quarterback role has been a relatively quiet one in the preseason, with sophomore Cameron Newton and redshirt freshman John Brantley engaging in a close competition with no clear leader. If the Gators want to run some clock at some point today, Newton probably will be the guy. If they want to see how their best pure passer does in his first game, Brantley will get the call.

Turning the corner

Throughout the preseason, Urban Meyer has praised the improved play of cornerbacks Joe Haden and Wondy Pierre-Louis, two guys who now have experience and are playing with more confidence. The big question now in the secondary is how will the Gators hold up at safety, especially strong safety. True sophomore Ahmad Black has been running with the No. 1 defense, and the coaches love how he plays. True freshman Will Hill has been inconsistent, but has shown some flashes. They will both be tested today.

Long trip for road Warriors

The Warriors have become a tough road team, winning a school-record eight regular-season games in a row on the mainland heading into today's game. This will be tougher than most because Hawaii is facing the No. 5 team in the country — and this is one of the longest road trips in school history. This is the furthest east the Warriors have been since traveling to New Jersey to play Rutgers in 1975. Now, this is a road trip.

Marsh in the middle

Throughout much of the preseason, defensive line coach Dan McCarney said sophomore Lawrence Marsh has been his only obvious starter at defensive tackle. He was somewhat of an underachiever last season who apparently has learned how to play hard on every down. The coaches will be looking to see how some of the other young tackles do today, true freshman Omar Hunter in particular.

ANDREU'S GAME QUESTIONS – Check after the game for Andreu’s Answers

1. Who will be the first quarterback off the bench for the Gators?

2. Are there signs that Florida's secondary is better than a year ago?

3. How much fullback will Kestahn Moore play?

4. Which freshmen will have the biggest impact for the Gators?

5. Will the heat be a factor for either team?

ROBBIE’S PREDICTION

Florida 56, Hawaii 10