GAME NOTES: The top-ranked Florida Gators are set for their second straight matchup against an inferior opponent, as they welcome the Troy Trojans to The Swamp. These two teams are meeting for just the second time, and Florida won the only previous meeting in convincing fashion.

Troy began the 2009 campaign with a 31-14 loss to Bowling Green last weekend on the road. Still, the Trojans have emerged as the most recognizable program in the Sun Belt Conference, having won or shared three consecutive league titles. Head coach Larry Blakeney, now in his 19th year at Troy, has led the Trojans to a 43-26 overall record and 26-8 league ledger since joining the SBC in 2004, and that includes three straight eight-win campaigns.

Florida is fresh off a 62-3 trouncing of Charleston Southern in last week's opener. Defending their third national title in school history, the Gators extended their SEC-best opening-day winning streak to 21 games.

"I liked our preparation for the game," said Urban Meyer. "It was very impressive, even more so than the game, was the preparation and organization."

The Gators were completely dominant last season, with the exception of the lone loss to Ole Miss. Even the national title game against Oklahoma was no contest, as the Florida defense held a record-setting offense to 14 points. That Gator defense, which ranked fourth in points allowed last season, welcomes back all 11 starters, and there are plenty of returnees for the nation's fourth-ranked scoring offense as well.

Troy got off to a promising start against Bowling Green last week, as the club led 7-0 after the first quarter on a two-yard scoring run by DuJuan Harris. Levi Brown then threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Jerrel Jernigan in the second quarter to extend the advantage to 14-0, but things fell apart from there.

The Trojans finished the game with 304 total yards, including only 41 rushing yards on 21 attempts. Brown connected on 28-of-44 passes for 263 yards and one touchdown, but he was intercepted twice in defeat. Tebarius Gill made eight catches for 102 yards, and Jernigan's 30 rushing yards on four attempts paced the squad.

"I felt great out there, but we have to do better as a team," Gill said. "We have to put this game behind us and focus on Florida next week."

Troy kept possession of the ball for only 25:21 in the tilt, including less than 10 minutes in the second half. The Trojans finished a mere 4-of-13 on third down conversion attempts and 0-of-3 on fourth downs. They also came away empty on two trips to the red zone.

Of the four touchdowns that Bowling Green scored against Troy last week, one came on an interception and one came on a drive of less than 50 yards. But while the defense can't be blamed for those scores, the unit can be criticized for surrendering two scoring drives that spanned more than 80 yards. In all, the Trojans permitted 389 total yards, including 339 yards through the air on 32 completions. They limited the Falcons to 50 rushing yards on 28 attempts and still lost the game.

"The biggest thing for us tonight was that team across the field from us," said coach Blakeney. "They were well coached, disciplined and very determined to defend their home field."

Last week, Jeff Demps ran for 89 yards and a pair of touchdowns as top-ranked Florida cruised to the 59-point win over FCS foe Charleston Southern. Senior quarterback Tim Tebow, the 2007 Heisman Trophy winner, played the first half and completed 10-of-15 passes for 188 yards and a score.

"The team played well, everyone played hard and we executed pretty well," said Tebow. "It wasn't perfect and we need to improve, but we're always going to be looking to improve. Guys stepped up and made plays so it was a good day."

Brandon James returned a kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown for the Gators (1-0), who racked up 624 total yards, including 369 yards on the ground and five rushing touchdowns.

Defensively, Florida permitted Charleston Southern to gain 323 total yards, including 228 yards through the air. However, those 228 yards came on 28 pass completions, as the overmatched squad threw the ball 49 times in an effort to catch up. Remarkably, the Florida defense was on the field for more than 37 minutes. Still, the Gators yielded only three points.

"The whole defensive staff did a great job getting us prepared for this game," said linebacker Brandon Spikes after the contest. We still need to go one game at a time."

There is no reason to believe that Troy will be able to keep the score respectable in this one, as Florida is far superior in all aspects of the game. Tebow may watch the second half from the sideline once again.