Coach Meyer: “I’m very pleased with the leadership that the team is providing right
now; there are examples all over the place. One of the more notable
examples being when the young freshman Percy Harvin scored a touchdown
and threw the ball on the ground and we don’t do that here. We throw the
ball to the official and we have a rule that you go find a lineman and
give him a hug…”
Coach Meyer
“…I didn’t have to tell him that. I heard Dallas Baker explaining it to him. That’s a good indication that some of these old players are taking the baton and working with the young guys.”
“The University of Tennessee is one of the most talented, if not the most talented team in the SEC. Once again, I thought they were a year ago. They are really doing a great job on offense. That quarterback is throwing with much more confidence, accuracy, and is just a much cleaner picture for them.”
“I think this is a great match up. I think this is what college football is all about. This is why you get up in the morning, and go to work and shave and take care of yourself because you want to coach and play in a game like this.”
On playing on the road:
“I knew this going into all the research that we put into it. We talked with many people who have had success with road games. We actually brought someone in to talk with all the guys. It all comes back to, I kinda go through the frivolous things like what time we leave, do we wear socks or not wear socks, but that really has nothing to do with it. Tough football teams find a way to win on the road, and we were not a tough football team a year ago. We were talented, front running, a bunch of good guys who played hard, and if we got up on you last year, watch out. Tough teams win on the road. You have to play great defense on the road, not good defense, great defense.”
On Florida offense entering Tennessee week compared to last year:
“We had a much more experienced offensive line last year. This group has not faced anything like we’re getting ready to face. The problem with this group is that we’ve got two people who have never played a team of this quality * Steve Rissler and Drew Miller. That’s the biggest difference. We’re a little bit behind where we were last year because of experience when you face talented teams like Tennessee.”
On eliminating distractions on the road:
“I still go back to the toughness element. I think it’s very important that you have a football team that makes it to every summer practice, and that works very hard and believes in one another. Coach Holtz says it best, that the best teams he’s ever been around have confidence, not false confidence. The toughest team will win the game Saturday.”
Chris Leak
On the Tennessee game:
“One of the main things we need to do is to get started early and get into a rhythm, especially when you are away from home. You don’t want to loose the moment um in the game. Getting off to a good start is very important to us.”
On playing at Tennessee:
“I’ve been out there so many times, it’s almost like I’m used to the atmosphere. Its’ going to be a special moment though for myself and my family. My family is going to be there and my brother graduated from there. I’ve been watching them (Tennessee) for years, ever since I was a kid. It’s always been a great game. I’m just going to soak it all in a make sure my teammates have a great game.”
On explaining the Tennessee game to the new players:
“You really can’t explain it to them, you can try as best you can but there is nothing like experience. I can tell them from experience that it is going to be loud, and it’s going to be a big game. It’s going to be a back and forth game. There is going to be two great teams going at it and that’s just the tradition of the Florida Tennessee rivalry. But that’s about all I can tell them, the rest they are going to have to gain from experience, I mean there is not better teacher than experience.”
Ryan Smith
On what it takes to win on the road:
“Since camp started, we have talked about how they had a little trouble on the road last year. It has been a big emphasis for Coach Meyer to win games on the road, and we will be preparing for that all week. You have to be tough on the road in terms of the crowd. It is a different element when you are away from here and you have to be ready for that.”
On preparing for Tennessee:
“We have a week to prepare for them right now, just as we do with any other game. Preparation starts today and ends when the ball is kicked off. Between now and Saturday, we just have to do everything we can to be fully prepared.”
NOTEBOOK:
University of Florida wide receiver Percy Harvin (Virginia Beach, Va.) has been named the Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week, the league office announced on Monday.
Harvin caught four passes for a team-leading 99 yards and a touchdown in the Gators’ 42-0 home win over UCF on Saturday. The scoring catch – the first of Harvin’s career – came in the first quarter when he caught a short pass over the middle from senior quarterback Chris Leak (Charlotte, N.C.), eluded several defenders and raced 58 yards for the touchdown. He also carried the ball twice for 11 yards, giving him 110 total yards on a day in which UF gained 637 total yards as a team, a figure that ranks as the sixth-highest total in Florida Field history.
For the year, Harvin has seven receptions for 132 yards (18.9 yards per reception), as well as six carries for 69 yards (11.5 yards per rush). Four of his seven catches on the season have gone for first downs, while six of his 13 touches on the year have moved the chains.
Harvin is the second Florida player to ever garner the Freshman of the Week honor, joining current sophomore Markus Manson (Tuscaloosa, Ala.), who received the honor on Nov. 5, 2005. The 2005 season was the inaugural campaign for the rookie award.
Time Announced For Florida-Kentucky Kickoff
Kickoff for the University of Florida football game against Kentucky, scheduled for Sept. 23 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, will be at 7:45 p.m. (ET). The game will be televised by ESPN.
The Gators, who defeated Kentucky, 49-28, last season in Lexington, are 18-18 all-time in games televised on ESPN.