Crimson Red Sports

September 27, 2011
GAINESVILLE, Fla.— No one has to tell Gators coach Will Muschamp how difficult Alabama running back Trent Richardson is to bring down.

Twenty months ago in the BCS National Championship Game at the Rose Bowl, Richardson ripped off 109 yards, teaming with former backfield mate Mark Ingram (116 yards) to help Alabama shred Texas’ No. 1-ranked defense in a 37-21 win over the Longhorns.

With Demps a two-time NCAA 60-meter indoor champion and Rainey perhaps as fast, there may not be a faster backfield in the nation. While Alabama’s Richardson and sophomore Eddie Lacy provide a mixture of speed and power, Rainey and Demps are more pure speed threats. Florida has 36 runs of 10 or more yards in the first four games.

In Saturday’s highly anticipated matchup, both teams’ running games figure to play a prominent role. The Gators, coming off a 48-10 win at Kentucky in which they ran for a season-high 405 yards, lead the SEC in rushing (259.0 yards per game). Alabama is second at 230.8 yards a game.

Meanwhile, Alabama’s run defense (45.8 yards per game) tops the league with the Gators (56.5 ypg) ranked third.

ESPN:Alabama-Florida, Oct. 1. Marquee SEC rivalry lost its juice last year when the Gators tanked on the season and were routed in Tuscaloosa. It says here that the Gators' rush defense, ranked fifth in the nation, is a mirage created by facing teams that cannot run the ball (FAU last in the nation, UAB 114th, Tennessee 112th, Kentucky 90th). Stopping Trent Richardson and Eddie Lacy will be a different deal.