Florida Gators

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- It’s Florida-Georgia week, which means it’s time to take a look back at the annual series between the two Southeastern Conference rivals.

Each day this week, GatorNation will have a top five list that captures the colorful history of the series.

Today’s list:

Top 5 plays in series history

Run, Lindsay! (1980)

Georgia was trailing 21-20 with about a minute remaining when QB Buck Belue and WR Lindsay Scott hooked up for a 93-yard touchdown pass that gave the Bulldogs the victory.

Fourth and Dumb (1976)

UF coach Doug Dickey elected to go for it on fourth-and-1 from the UF 29-yard line in the third quarter. The play was a pitch to RB Earl Carr but Georgia DB Johnny Henderson stopped Carr for no gain. The Bulldogs went on to score 21 unanswered points and win 41-27.

Appleby to Washington (1975)

With Florida leading 7-3 in the fourth quarter, Georgia coach Vince Dooley called a trick play in which TE Richard Appleby ran the ball on an end-around and threw the ball to WR Gene Washington, who went untouched for an 80-yard touchdown.

Bobby Etter’s TD (1964)

Georgia faced a fourth-and-4 from the UF 5-yard line with the game tied 7-7 early in the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs lined up for a go-ahead field goal, but a bad snap got away from holder Barry Wilson. K Bobby Etter, who weighed about 150 pounds, picked up the ball and headed toward the end zone. He was flipped into the air by a tackler and the goal line but landed in the end zone to score the winning touchdown.

Bell to Nattiel (1984)

Florida was leading 17-0 early in the fourth quarter, but the Gators were facing third-and-7 from their own 4-yard line. Coach Galen Hall called for a deep pass. QB Kerwin Bell connected with WR Rickey Nattiel down the sideline for a 96-yard touchdown, which is still the second-longest scoring play in series history.

ESPN's GatorNation brings you the 30 things you need to know about Florida’s upcoming 2012 season. Over the next 30 weekdays, we’ll preview games, talk about trends, spotlight players and positions, and give you pretty much everything you need to know to be ready for the season before the Sept. 1 opener against Bowling Green.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Sophomores Jeff Driskel and Jacoby Brissett will continue their battle to be Florida’s starting quarterback into August. The competition, UF coach Will Muschamp has said at various Gator club gatherings this spring, is too close to call.

Neither was particularly impressive last season when forced into action because of injuries to starter John Brantley. Brissett completed 46.2 percent of his passes for 206 yards and two touchdowns with four interceptions, while Driskel completed 47.1 percent of his passes for 148 yards with two interceptions.

Brissett started the LSU game and understandably struggled against a Tigers defense loaded with NFL talent. But he and Driskel each played a half against Auburn (Brissett started), and all they could manage was six points against a defense that gave up at least 34 points seven times last season.

They should be better this season. They’re a year older, have SEC experience and are much more comfortable with offensive coordinator Brent Pease than Charlie Weis. There’s historical evidence to suggest that the one who does win the job will have a solid season. Of the 10 first-year starters at quarterback at UF since 1980, seven threw more touchdowns than interceptions, and all but four threw for at least 2,000 yards.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- It's definitely not a good sign about Florida's NFL Draft prospects when there's significantly more talent watching the pro scout day workouts than participating in them.

Quarterback John Brantley, running back Chris Rainey, defensive tackle Jaye Howard, and receiver Deonte Thompson worked out in front of NFL scouts from 24 teams and one head coach -- Jacksonville's Mike Mularkey -- on Tuesday morning at Florida Field. None of those players are projected any higher than mid- to late-round selections, which would snap the school's five-year streak of having at least one player taken in the first round.

Contrast that with the talented group of former UF players who watched the workouts. There were four first-round picks -- Maurkice and Mike Pouncey, Travis Taylor, and Percy Harvin -- and four others who were taken in the seventh round or higher: Terry Jackson (fifth), Riley Cooper (fifth) and Kerwin Bell (seventh). Mularkey was a ninth-round pick.

"We need more guys out there in position to be drafted," UF coach Will Muschamp said. "That's pretty evident as you go through our last two pro days.

"We need to do a better job recruiting. We need to do a better job evaluating. We need to do a better job of developing our players and coaching. Bottom line."

Rainey ran a 4.38 in the 40 0n Tuesday. His biggest goal was to prove to the scouts that he can catch the ball out of the backfield. As to where the 5-foot-9, 180-pound athlete fits on the next level, he said he's basically a smaller Harvin clone. He can play receiver or running back, return kicks and punts, and play on kick or punt block units.

"My goal is to confuse the scouts and they do the rest [in figuring out where he should play]," said Rainey, who finished his career with 3,948 all-purpose yards and 21 touchdowns. "If you’re going to be a playmaker on the field, that’s all that matters."

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SUNRISE, Fla. -- Florida coach Will Muschamp has interviewed at least one candidate in his search for an offensive coordinator.

According to sources close to the situation, Muschamp met with Jacksonville University head coach Kerwin Bell last Wednesday during a break in Bell’s scheduled recruiting trips. The source, which requested anonymity, said Muschamp interviewed Bell on the JU campus and the two went to lunch.

Bell has been JU’s coach for five seasons and led the Dolphins to a 36-21 overall record and two Pioneer Football League titles. He has rewritten the school’s offensive record books since his arrival, and his 2010 offense led all Football Championship Subdivision teams at 486.3 yards per game.

Quarterback Josh McGregor recently wrapped up his career with 11,230 career passing yards -- second all-time among collegiate quarterbacks in state of Florida history -- and 116 career touchdown passes.

Bell quarterbacked the Gators from 1984-87 and was part of the first team to win an SEC title (later vacated). He finished his career with 7,585 yards and 56 touchdowns passing.

Before he was hired at JU in 2007, Bell started the Ocala (Fla.) Trinity Catholic High School football program and went 45-15 in five seasons with one state title.