GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) -Florida’s Brandon James believes it could happen this week. If not, maybe this month. He knows it will happen this year.
James, one of the nation’s top returners the last three years, is still looking for his first kickoff return for a touchdown.
He thought he had one against Arkansas last season, but his 89-yard return was nullified by a holding penalty. He thought he had two others earlier in his career, but both were called back.
James is ready to end the drought.
“We’re going to get one this year,” James said. “We’ve just got to (avoid) the penalties. We’ve had three since I’ve been here, but all three didn’t count. We’ll get one this year. Hopefully, it’s at the beginning of the season. I want to get it out of the way.”
James will get his first chance Saturday night when the top-ranked Gators begin their quest for a third national title in four years against Charleston Southern.
ry position. Considering what James has done against other opponents, he could have a huge advantage in the opener.
The 5-foot-7, 185-pound senior has returned 83 kickoffs for a school-record 1,962 yards, averaging 23.6 yards a return. He’s made defenders miss, shed tackles and found himself in the open field several times. But he hasn’t been able to find the end zone – at least not without a yellow flag on the ground.
Former Florida running back Bo Carroll was the last Florida player to return a kickoff for a touchdown. He did it Oct. 9, 1999, against LSU. The Gators have played 123 games since without one, a streak James thinks about and hears about all the time.
Carroll even mentioned it to him this summer when they crossed paths in the team’s football facility.
“He actually got on to me about that, but I explained the same thing,” James said. “I’ve gotten three. What more do you want me to do?”
The Gators have more in store for James this fall.
After losing their top two receivers, Percy Harvin and Louis Murphy, coaches moved James from part-time running back to full-time receiver.
“Brandon is a dynamic runner. We’ve always felt that way,” Florida coach Urban Meyer said. “But with Percy back there and we needed a return guy, we didn’t use him very much. But he’s had an excellent camp.”
the field and burning defense with speed, elusiveness and big-play ability.
“A lot more involved in the offense,” said James, who was Harvin’s roommate last season. “It’s something I’m really excited about. I pretty much know everything about the position. I picked up on a lot of things he did.”
Meyer tabbed highly touted freshman Andre Debose as Harvin’s replacement back in February. But Debose injured his hamstring at the state high school track meet last spring, re-injured it during summer workouts and tweaked it on the first day of fall practice.
Team doctors initially thought it was just a pulled muscle, but tests showed there was partially torn tendon. Debose is considering surgery.
James, meanwhile, is eager for more.
“It’s my turn to step in and fill the offensive void,” he said. “I’ve been waiting on it for a long time. We had a lot of depth, a lot of playmakers. I just had to wait my turn.”
James ran 14 times for 59 yards and two touchdowns last season, and caught 11 passes for 95 yards and a score. Most of his contributions came on special teams, where he returned two punts for touchdowns. His four career punt returns for touchdowns are tied for the most in school history and ranked third all time in the Southeastern Conference.
But what he wants more than anything is to finally score on a kickoff return.
“The coaches are always on me about it,” James said. “They always remind me that we’ve gotten three, but all three were called back. We’re working real hard with the return team. I think this will be the year.”
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