Billy Gonzales is having a case of deja vu.
The UF wide receivers coach remembers a series of events two years ago where the Gators lost a midseason game - Percy Harvin was injured against FSU and then he returned to earn MVP honors in the Southeastern Conference Championship Game a week later. The then-freshman had 105 yards and a touchdown on six carries and caught five passes for 62 yards and another score against Arkansas.
Two years later, is an encore about to occur?
There wasn't much of a status update Monday as coach Urban Meyer still labeled Harvin as questionable with a sprained ankle for Saturday's game against No. 1 Alabama.
"The great news in the training room today, it's very positive, very positive, a lot of thumbs up, including from the player, a big thumbs up, a smile on his face," Meyer said. "He's as competitive a human being as I've ever been around. He's doing everything he can possibly do, and our training staff's the best in college football. That's all positive.
"The negative is it's a sprained ankle, and we know what sprained ankles mean. We're going to boot him, and he will not do anything until later in the week."
Meyer admitted game plans will be made for both possibilities - with Harvin or without.
And if the junior playmaker can't go, it will free up some offensive touches, although it's not certain where they may go.
Running backs coach Kenny Carter said Jeff Demps and leading rusher Chris Rainey would likely see two or three more carries each.
"You put them in situations where they can get into space and make things happen just like Percy," Carter said.
Meyer mentioned Brandon James might get some Harvin-like looks, but the junior has only one carry and one catch in the last five games.
Wide receiver Louis Murphy, second on the team with 32 catches and 525 yards, could see more balls thrown his way. Another option is tight end Aaron Hernandez, who comes off a big game against Florida State (four catches, 61 yards, 2 TDs). Wideout David Nelson has also earned praise of late with five catches in the last two weeks after only two in the first 10 games.
But there is no easy answer for replacing the Gators' leading receiver and second-leading rusher.
"(Harvin's) such a great player and such an asset to this team, not one player can step and just completely have this offense going the way it was," Nelson said. "It's going to take two or three of us to step in at his position and moving a few key people to different positions to try and even up to where we were."
Even if Harvin plays, he likely will sit until Friday's walkthrough and that could hamper his performance. Gonzales said he will work one-on-one to keep him mentally sharp, but Harvin had only 39 yards on 6 touches against Miami, a week where he didn't work out until Friday due to injury.
"No matter how good you are or who you are - it definitely helps when you're gifted - but ultimately you play your best ball when you have a chance to get those reps throughout the week," Gonzales said.
But he has some credibility after his standout performance two years ago.
Gonzales said he and Harvin realized the similarities on Sunday and laughed about it.
The playmaker is making sure his head coach notices too.
"He plays well in this game," Meyer said with a chuckle Monday. "He made that very clear to me - a couple thousand times in the last two days."
