Quotes from the players and coaches on both sides of the field on the Gators’ loss to LSU.
Les Miles Quotes
Opening statement…
“I thought that Florida was as talented of a team as we have played in my time here. Their receiving corps was big, strong and fast. Their running backs and Tebow played well. I give great credit to my opponents. We enjoyed that victory. Our football team is coming together. It happens at times when you say ‘our defense just didn’t stuff them. Well you know what? We are playing a great football team. Our defense played extremely well. Our offense was not in rhythm in the first half. I enjoy the character of this football team. Down the road, that is what will sustain this team – character.”
“Our team played well from behind. The missed field goals gave us opportunities to not come back, but they kept finding a way. I am proud of this team. I am proud of this staff and our players. Some guys took some heavy hits out there and still played well. In the face of adversity and playing from behind they played very well. I am proud of this team, very proud.”
On the number of converted fourth downs…
“You have to understand this, we knew that it was a possession game. The opportunity to keep the ball was something you had to do. Their offense would give every defense in the country a difficult time. They have a quarterback that can run and make you miss and good running backs. We knew that the opportunity to go on fourth down would be there for us. We kind of loaded the play so we could do that. We were ready.”
On if he thought about kicking a field goal on the fourth and one…
“No. We needed seven (points) right there. It had the feel and Matt Flynn, who started a little rocky again with some dropped balls and things not going his way, when he internalized those things we knew that he was back. We had a nice call that we liked versus what they were showing. He made a nice little run and made a play.”
LSU RB JACOB HESTER QUOTES
On the comeback victory…
“We knew the whole time that we could win the game if we just stepped up. Things weren’t going our way until the fourth quarter. We said that if we keep moving the ball and playing our game, then everything will work out for us.
On the go-ahead touchdown…
“It was just a regular power play. We had been running it all night to the left side. We started from the left to the right, and it opened up. (Center) Brett Helms did a heck of a job, and we made the score.
On the effect the USC loss had on LSU in the second half…
“I don’t know. We were already number one!”
FLORIDA HEAD COACH URBAN MEYER QUOTES
On the turnovers in the second half …
“I thought our defense was hanging in there pretty good, but those two turnovers and the field position issues in the second half were not like the first half.”
On RB Kestahn Moore’s performance …
“I thought he ran extremely hard.”
On how the week was for the team …
“Probably about what you could imagine. It was a very, very hard week, very difficult week.”
On how the team prepared …
“I think we prepared very well. I think we played a hell of a football game. We had a couple distractions, but so does everybody else in America. I’m not disappointed with our preparation at all. I’m disappointed in a couple turnovers in the second half.”
On if the team played as well as it could in the first half …
“No, I actually thought we could have played a little better. We had a couple opportunities to knock it in, in certain situations, but I thought the energy level of our football team coming in to this environment to play shows you a little bit about the Florida Gators.
“I don’t make guarantees. I don’t know if I’ve ever done this, but I guarantee we’ll be back. The Florida Gators will be back smokin’. I don’t know when. I can’t make that one yet. I’ve got to see how everybody responds, but we’ll come back.”
FLORIDA DEFENSIVE PLAYER QUOTES
CB Joe Haden
On the outcome of the game…
“Everyone played their hearts out it just didn’t fall correctly. No one could have played any harder than we did. We played the No.1 team in the Nation. If we had beaten them it would have boosted our morale and put us right back on top.”
On the advantage early on…
“We had a really good advantage early on in the night. It turned out we lost, everyone played their hearts out. It hurts when we came out hard and end in a lost.”
On defense being on the field so much…
“We were tying to get them on third down conversions and going for it on fourth down. They had one drive that was eight minutes long and just kept the ball on the field. We could have needed a breather to get our heads back in to the game.”
On two loss thus far in the season…
“We are frustrated, but this happens. We have a bye week coming up, we will work to improve ourselves and come back ready.”