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Florida opens title defense vs. Western Kentucky

Sep 1, 2007 - 12:08 PM WKU at No. 6 Florida 12:30 pm EDT

GAINESVILLE, Florida (Ticker) -- Western Kentucky will be the first team to have to deal with Tim Tebow on a full-time basis.

Tebow will make his first career start Saturday as No. 6 Florida opens defense of its national championship against the Football Championship Subdivision - formerly Division I-AA - Hilltoppers.

As a true freshman last year, Tebow came in to spell senior quarterback Chris Leak, usually to run the ball, and the combination - coupled with a nasty defense - helped the Gators win the Southeastern Conference title and their first national title since 1996 with a 41-14 rout of top-ranked Ohio State.

"Always at the University of Florida there will be pressure," Tebow said at Florida's media day. "There will be some as the starting quarterback coming off a national championship season.

"Everyone is always coming for you here. You can't worry about that. You can only worry about what you can control, which is going out and practicing as hard as you can. You can't focus on what everyone says, just what you can do and how you relate to your teammates and how hard you go out there and work."

While Florida's offense may be even more dynamic this season, the Gator defense may take a step back with only three starters returning.

However, one of them is junior defensive end Derrick Harvey, whom offenses would be wise to double-team, having registered 11 sacks last year.

Western Kentucky went 6-5 last season, including 4-3 in the Gateway Conference. The Hilltoppers are slated to move up to the Football Bowl Subdivision - the erstwhile Division I-A - in 2009, when they are to join the Sun Belt Conference.

The teams will be playing for the first time.