TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2005 N ALLIGATORI W,


UF QUARTERBACKS

New shoes propel Leak's game


 By LOUIS ANASTASIS
 Alligator Staff Writer
 lanastasis@alligator.org

 UF followers have been quick to
criticize Chris Leak's ability to run
the spread offense.
 What they failed to consider was


one important change in the junior's
game he's wearing new kicks.
 Sporting his upgraded and
lighter Nike Shox after trashing
his Nike Barracudas, Leak traded
over the Wyoming Cowboys in UF's
debut of the spread offense. He com-
pleted 26-of-34 passes for 320 yards


Chris Leak broke the UF record for consecutive completions against
Wyoming, but the junior quarterback also showed running ability.


and three touchdowns, breaking a
school record in the process.
 "[Leak] got rid of those big cleats
and got lighter cleats so he can start
running a little bit now," junior re-
ceiver Chad Jackson said.
 It was Leak's arm that did most
of the shouting, however. When he
completed a shovel pass to Andre
Caldwell during the third quarter,
he broke Steve Spurrier's 39-year re-
cord of 16 consecutive completions.
 "That's a heck of a record," UF
coach Urban Meyer said.
 Save for some missed reads
and an occasional overthrow, Leak
shined in his first crack at Meyer's
Spread 'n' Shred offense.
 "Once I got in a rhythm it just felt
like everything was repetitions and
just getting a better feel for every-
thing ... Leak said. "The more reps
I get the more comfortable I think
everybody will be."
 The burning question all along
had been whether Leak could mo-
tor fast enough to make the spread
offense work. Leak answered with
a wait-and-see "yes" Saturday by
displaying an array of runs. In the
second quarter alone, he picked up
a crucial first-and-goal on a 5-yard
draw and found receiver Dallas
Baker for a 7-yard pickup after spin-
ning away from a sack.
 "Chris didn't run the ball too
much, but when he did, I believe he
stopped most of the criticism about
whether he can run," Baker said.
 Later, on a crucial 3-and-7 at the
Wyoming 9-yard line, Leak scram-
bled to the right, picked up 8 yards,
a first down and a licking by three
Cowboys out of bounds.
 "If you play in the SEC you're
going to get hit, so I'm used to that,"
Leak said. "I've run the ball the past
couple of years so that's really not a
big adjustment to me."
 Leak passed his first test with
straight A's, but the question re-
mains how his legs will fare against
Southeastern Conference speed.
 "I think he'll probably be ready
further down the road, but I think
[the spread] might be a little too
much for him," Wyoming comer-
back Derrick Martin said.


 footall erfomancs ofthe eek.The o. 1 player will receive five~

points, No.2 player tree pointsand No. 3 layer one pint. At th


1. Chad Jackson, WR, Jr.
10 rec.. 138 yds. 3 tds.,
1 rush, 5 yds. 1 td.


2. Chris Leak, QB. Jr.
26-wf-34 passing comp.,
320 yds, 3 tds.. 0 int..
10 rusnes, -11 yas.


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 Michelle Stewart, Andrew Abramson / Alligator Staff


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