Gators Chomp Owls, 41-3
GAINESVILLE (CBSMiami/AP) - No matter what vantage point Howard Schnellenberger had at Florida Field, there would have been no escaping the ugliness of this one. The Florida Atlantic Owls were outplayed every way imaginable in a 41-3 loss at No. 22 Florida on Saturday night.
Schnellenberger watched the lopsided loss from a coaching box after he experienced a leg cramp and severe discomfort in his surgically repaired hip a day earlier.
"As I watched the game unfold, it became obvious either we weren't prepared mentally for the game or we didn't expect them to be as good as they were," said Schnellenberger, who had hip replacement surgery three weeks ago. "But more important than that is I can't determine how hard they played and I can't determine how talented or lack of talent we have because we made an error on almost every play that we had on the offensive side and defensive side.
"Until we get that straightened out, it's going to be a difficult thing to know which way to go and how to get there."
Schnellenberger might have to wait a while, too. The Owls play at Michigan State and at Auburn the next two weeks.
Florida Atlantic managed just 137 yards, including 30 on the ground. There was little time for Graham Wilbert to throw and few holes for Alfred Morris to run.
"Physically, they are just a great team," Wilbert said. "New coaches or not, they still have a stacked roster and are going to win a lot of games this year."
Florida controlled both lines of scrimmage, scoring on its first four possession and forcing four consecutive three-and-outs to open the game. It was a rough start to Schnellenberger's retirement tour.
Schnellenberger, who is calling it quits at the end of this season, spent part of Friday in a hospital. The trouble began when he started doing some hip rehabilitation exercises while the bus was stopped for repairs. Schnellenberger got a leg cramp he couldn't knock and ended up calling for medical help.
He was transported by ambulance to a hospital near Port St. Lucie. X-rays were negative, and Schnellenberger eventually rejoined the team in Gainesville.
But he opted to stay off the sideline because he felt he couldn't protect himself.
"I don't like it at all and I'm not going to be up there any more," Schnellenberger said.
The outcome probably wouldn't have been any different had Schnellenberger been on the sideline. The Gators led 24-0 before Florida Atlantic even got a first down.
John Brantley looked comfortable in Florida's revamped offense, Chris Rainey scored three different ways and Jeff Demps proved once again to be the fastest guy on the field.
Brantley completed 21 of 30 passes for 229 yards and a touchdown, showing marked improvement in Charlie Weis' pro-style offense. He threw two interceptions, but the first was tipped at the line of scrimmage.
Rainey touched the ball 18 times, scoring on a 14-yard reception and a 14-yard run. He also scooped a blocked punt and sprinted 22 yards for a score that made it 31-3 early in the third quarter.
Trying to rebuild his image after last year's arrest and suspension, Rainey became the third player in the nation since 1996 to have a rushing touchdown, a receiving touchdown and a return for a touchdown in the same game.
Rainey finished with 79 yards rushing and 67 yards receiving. Demps was just as dynamic, running 12 times for 105 yards and two scores. He also caught three passes for 21 yards.
With Rainey and Demps leading the way, Florida's offense racked up 468 yards. It was a considerably better showing than the team's last opener, which set the tone for a disappointing 2010 season. The Gators had botched snaps, penalties and turnovers against Miami, Ohio, finishing with 212 yards and hearing more jeers than cheers.
Little went wrong against the Owls.
"We're very disappointed in the way we played this football game tonight," Schnellenberger said. "We knew they were one of the best football teams in America. This team will be in the hunt for the national championship and have a chance to win it."
