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The Honolulu Advertiser
Updated at 4:09 p.m., Saturday, November 29, 2008

CFB: Florida's Harvin injures ankle against FSU

By MARK LONG
Associated Press

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida could be without leading receiver Percy Harvin for the Southeastern Conference championship game against top-ranked Alabama.

Harvin sprained his right ankle today against Florida State, and coach Urban Meyer called him questionable for the title game.

Harvin, who leads the Gators with 35 receptions for 595 yards and seven touchdowns, twisted his ankle on a 5-yard run in the second quarter. Harvin limped off the field with the help of trainers — after FSU fans celebrated his injury — and he did not return.

It was the second time in as many trips to Tallahassee that Harvin left the field with an injury. He left on a stretcher two years ago after his head slammed into a linebacker's knee. He didn't play the rest of the game, but returned the following week in the SEC title game.

If Harvin can't play next Saturday, it would be a big loss for the Gators. He also has 61 carries for 538 yards and nine scores.

Harvin ran six times for 13 yards Saturday, including a 9-yard TD run to cap the game's opening drive. He extended his touchdown-scoring streak to a nation-leading 14 games.

Harvin has been hurt several times during his three years at Florida. He missed considerable time in 2006 because of an ankle injury, sat out two games in 2007 because of migraine headaches and missed numerous practices because of a hip pointer, tendinitis in his Achilles' tendon and tendinitis in his knee. He also had surgery in April to repair his right heel.

Reaction to his latest injury fired up Florida quarterback Tim Tebow.

"That kind of irritated me," Tebow said. "I told the coach to give me the ball because I really wanted to hit somebody."

Meyer obliged, and Tebow carried several defenders into the end zone from 4 yards out two plays after Harvin's injury.

"When a guy gets hurt, you cheer?" Tebow said. "There's never anything right about that."