After a full week of lamenting the loss to Miami, the Gators, media and fans can finally move on from that disappointing loss and turn their attention to the SEC schedule.
Florida kicks off their SEC schedule this week against Tennessee and will play their entire SEC schedule consecutively (8 games).
Kicking off the day with the media was quarterback Jeff Driskel, who received a lot of criticism after his performance against Miami. He recapped the game, what Florida did during the bye week and looked forward to Tennessee.
On his sprained knee
- Driskel said that his knee is feeling good after a week off.
- Driskel confirmed that he hurt his knee on the play in the second quarter where he was hit high and low after pump faking to Quinton Dunbar. Driskel said his foot stuck in the ground and his knee twisted. He did not feel like the knee affected his performance the rest of the game.
On what the team worked on during the open week
- Driskel said the team spent the open week working on themselves rather than looking forward to Tennessee.
- Driskel said that nobody has been able to stop them when they don’t turn the ball over or shoot themselves in the foot with penalties.
- Driskel said that the team needed to work on those things and the bye week came at a good time for them.
- When asked about how he needs to eliminate turnovers, Driskel said that he needs to not try and do too much as a quarterback.
- Driskel said that the offensive line is not as deep as they were in the offseason but “that’s the game we play.”
Focusing on Tennessee
- Driskel said that the Tennessee game from last season was the first time he felt like he had really taken over a game. (He did, it was, and still is the best he has played for Florida.)
- Driskel said that the offense needs to be ready for a new defensive scheme from Tennessee but that they faced a new scheme last year against the Vols and had success.
- Driskel – “Beating Tennessee is always fun.”
- When asked if the playbook was more open last season in Knoxville, Driskel disagreed and said the playbook is always open but what the defense does dictates how much of the playbook the team uses.
- Driskel said that the fact that Florida has dominated the series doesn’t take anything away from it’s importance. He knows that beating Florida would make Tennessee’s season.
On the rest of the team
- Speaking about Demarcus Robinson, Driskel said that it’s difficult for a freshman to get on the field early. He said Robinson is still working and learning but that the receiver isn’t getting discouraged about his production.
- Speaking on Clay Burton, Driskel said that Burton has done a nice job blocking all year. Burton hasn’t registered a catch but Driskel said that he just needs to keep playing hard.
- When asked about Kent Taylor and Colin Thompson earning more playing time, Driskel said he isn’t sure about the personnel, that it isn’t his decision to make but that both players are working hard and doing what the coaches ask them to do.