Notebook: DE Cunningham misses practice with injury

No. 4 Florida (3-0, 1-0 SEC) could be without one of its top defensive players Saturday against Mississippi (2-2, 0-1 SEC).

Junior defensive end Jermaine Cunningham was seen leaving the practice field Tuesday on crutches.

UF coach Urban Meyer said Cunningham didn’t practice Tuesday and that he suffered a hyper-extended knee while running down one of Tennessee’s running backs early in last Saturday’s game. Cunningham then continued to play the rest of the game with the injury.

An MRI revealed no ligament or cartilage damage, but Meyer said he’s “probable” for this weekend.

“If Jermaine can’t go we have enough guys that we can move around,” said defensive coordinator Charlie Strong. “There’s Duke Lemmens that can play there. There’s (Justin) Trattou, who can play there. We have enough guys that we can play there. “

Cunningham has 13 total tackles this season along with 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble.

In other injury news, redshirt junior linebacker Ryan Stamper (sprained ankle) sat out Tuesday’s practice as well and is also probable for Saturday.

Sophomore tight end Aaron Hernandez’s knee swelled up Monday from an infection, but is fine and will play Saturday.

Wild Rebels: Tennessee was supposed to be the first real test for UF’s defense, but the Vols failed to do anything significant on offense against the Gators.

UF will now face an offense led by a quarterback in Jevan Snead that is fifth in the SEC in passing efficiency (129.1) and third in yardage with 844 yards and six touchdowns.

The Rebels also have most of the receivers that helped torch UF’s secondary for 310 yards through the air and two touchdowns a year ago in Oxford.

One of them is still on the mind of sophomore cornerback Joe Haden.

“That one dude, No. 2 (Mike Wallace), I forgot his name, but he’s real fast,” Haden said.

Haden probably doesn’t remember his name because the Rebels didn’t have their names on the backs of their jersey’s last year.

The names are there this year and one name the Gators will have to get used to is Dexter McCluster.

Like Darren McFadden did before him under Houston Nutt at Arkansas, McCluster has the role of taking direct snaps out of the backfield while Snead runs out wide.

Formerly the “Wild Hog” formation in Fayetteville, the “Wild Rebel” formation is something that could give UF’s defense fits. Fortunately for the Gators, they’ve faced this scheme before.

“What gave us a chance now is that we played Arkansas and Arkansas ran that a couple years ago in the SEC Championship game and it’s the same,” Strong said. “We’ve been able to prepare for it because of that game.”

McCluster isn’t exactly McFadden, but he’s deadly none the less. The junior wide receiver has 115 yards rushing and a touchdown – a 32-yard run off a direct snap against Memphis – off 14 carries this season. He also leads the Rebels with 17 catches for 295 and a touchdown.

The Gators have the luxury of seeing the formation every day with junior receiver Percy Harvin running the show, but it’s still something that concerns Meyer.

“We gotta couple plans for it. That’s hard (to defend),” he said. “That’s real stuff. The New England Patriots had a hell of a time with it (against the Miami Dolphins Sunday). Teams have had a hard time with us.”

Meyer on not subbing out Tebow Saturday: “I don’t think very well in those situations,” he said. “I wanna get the ‘W’ and get the hell out of there. Especially, in that kind of place. I probably should have.”