Gators chew up Hawaii

GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA -- Hawaii started this season the same way it ended the last one - getting blown out by a Southeastern Conference power.

Fifth-ranked Florida scored on offense, defense and special teams and routed the Warriors 56-10 in the season opener for both teams Saturday.

Even without injured speedster Percy Harvin (heel) and linebacker Brandon Spikes (toe), the Gators dominated every aspect of this one and handed Greg McMackin a lopsided loss in his debut as Hawaii's head coach.

It looked very much like the Warriors' last game, a 41-10 drubbing against Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. The biggest difference was Florida didn't face Heisman Trophy finalist Colt Brennan.

Instead, the Gators faced backup Greg Alexander. And it showed.

Starting in place of Brent Rausch, Alexander threw two early interceptions that Florida turned into touchdowns and fumbled twice.

The Gators were much more efficient on offense.

Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow was 9-of-14 passing for 137 yards and a touchdown. He ran nine times for 37 yards, most of them scrambles behind spotty protection. When the Gators got close to the goal line in the third quarter, coach Urban Meyer pulled Tebow in favor of backup Cam Newton - a possible indication of how the Gators plan to minimize potential pounding on their star.

Florida also plans to rely more on its running backs, who showed why Meyer has been raving so much about them the last three weeks.

Jeff Demps ran for 76 yards, including a 62-yarder for a touchdown. Chris Rainey added 58 yards on the ground, including a 33-yard score.

Demps, a freshman, sliced through the line, cut left, broke a leg tackle and then found himself alone in the open field. Steve Stepter had one final chance at him. But facing the guy who owns the fastest 100-meter time of any high school athlete, Stepter really had no chance.

Demps raced by him and trotted into the end zone to make it 35-0 early in the third quarter.

Tebow's lone TD came on the next possession, a 48-yard hookup with Louis Murphy. Newton's 1-yard plunge made it 49-0 late in the third, then Ahmad Black intercepted Rausch's deep pass on the ensuing possession and returned it 80 yards for another score.

The Gators relaxed the rest of the way, playing plenty of backups in the fourth. By then, they looked every bit ready for next week's game against rival Miami.

The defense, the biggest question coming into the season, harassed each of Hawaii's quarterbacks and forced several turnovers.

Major Wright picked off a pass from Alexander in the second quarter and ran untouched 32 yards for a score. Alexander was sacked three times before giving way to Rausch, who missed several recent practices because of a sore right throwing arm.

Rausch didn't last very long, turning things over to Inoke Funaki. Funaki led Hawaii to both of its scores - Dan Kelly kicked a 31-yard field goal with 9:38 to play and Funaki found Greg Salas for a 13-yard score with 1:37 left - but he also threw an interception that was the sixth turnover of the game for the Warriors.

Florida's special teams players did their parts, too.

Brandon James returned a punt 73 yards for a score and a 21-0 lead in the second. He scooped up the ball after several bounces, cut right, outran two tacklers, sliced through two more defenders, then outran everyone else down the sideline.

James also had a 1-yard TD run for Florida's first score.

The only negatives for the Gators were five offside penalties in the first half and a roughing-the-kicker penalty, still not enough to keep Hawaii from getting blown out again.