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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Wednesday, October 7, 2009

CFB: No decision on Tebow's return for No. 1 Florida


Associated Press

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Tim Tebow's status against No. 4 LSU appears as if it will be a game-day decision.

Florida coach Urban Meyer said Wednesday that his medical staff told him to prepare as if there is a chance the injured Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback will play Saturday night in Baton Rouge.

"Is it an advantage, us not telling?" Meyer said. "I'm not worried about that right now. We're game-planning as if there's a chance Tim could play. There's a chance he won't play. That's going to be pretty much the response until the foot hits the ball down there."

Tebow practiced Tuesday for the first time since suffering the first concussion of his career Sept. 26 against Kentucky. He was hospitalized overnight, and there has been much speculation about whether he should return against the Tigers.

Meyer has left the decision up to the team's medical staff, but there's little doubt he would rather have Tebow running the show in Death Valley instead of sophomore John Brantley making his first career start on the road and in front of a hostile night crowd.

Tebow and Brantley split repetitions Tuesday and were expected to do the same later Wednesday.

Tebow was given partial clearance to practice Tuesday, with team doctors telling him to avoid contact for now. A little contact could come Wednesday, Meyer said, with one concussion expert advising the Gators to start with a few light shots to Tebow's chest.

Regardless, Florida intends to err on the side of caution.

"Yes. Absolutely," Meyer said. "I've never seen the attention to detail. I guess you expect that here at Florida. This is not one, two, three. It's many, many people involved in the evaluation phase of Tim."