Last season, at least according to UF coach Urban Meyer, the Gators' running backs were "non-functional."
Now they can drop that pesky prefix. The Gators have 19 rushing touchdowns, and Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps have more than 300 yards each on the ground this season. New running backs coach Kenny Carter has made his debut a successful one.
"Fundamentally and statistically, (Carter's) done a very nice job," Meyer said.
The improvement has been felt by the players, too. Last year, the Gators relied mainly on quarterback Tim Tebow and receiver Percy Harvin on the ground game.
"There's a big improvement. We've got more depth," junior Brandon James said. "We've got (Chris) Rainey and (Jeff) Demps and Kestahn Moore and (Emmanuel) Moody and me. There are a lot of playmakers. They just feel like they can make plays, and when they get in the games it carries over."
Recruits on the line:
The Gators are going head to head against Georgia in more than one way on Saturday. Florida has eight players from Georgia, and Meyer gave a quick response when asked how important on a scale from 1 to 10 this game is for recruiting the state.
"10. 10. 10. 10. 10. 10," Meyer said. "Very important. We've got some very good players from Georgia and vice versa."
Injury updates
Senior LG Jim Tartt practiced Tuesday, but his status is still uncertain for Saturday's game. Tartt is still having trouble getting strength back in his surgically repaired shoulder. Freshman CB Janoris Jenkins did not practice Tuesday, but he is expected to practice today with a "bruised shin," according to Meyer. Redshirt sophomore RB Emmanuel Moody also practiced. Moody has been out since the Ole Miss game on Sept. 27.
