Wednesday is SEC teleconference day and both Florida Gators head coach Jim McElwain and Tennessee Volunteers head coach Butch Jones were on the call to take questions from the media.
Gator Country was on the call and brings you a notebook of what both coaches had to say on Wednesday as they prepare for the game on Saturday at 3:30 in Knoxville, Tennessee.
First up we will bring you updates from Jim McElwain.
- This game should be a fun one because you get to go on the road and play in front of 100,000 plus fans that will boo you. Mac says that has to excite you.
- It’s a great opportunity for Austin Appleby to jump in and play, plus a great opportunity for both freshmen quarterback Kyle Trask and Felipe Franks to get reps according to McElwain.
- When asked what is his favorite part of the rivalry, McElwain says that’s that the Gators have three rivalry weeks each season. McElwain says he has been at places where you have to make up rivalries.
- Receiver Antonio Callaway tried to go on Tuesday and ran around a little bit in practice. McElwain says he’s expecting Callaway to have it and do everything he can to play on Saturday.
- The Gators are pumping in crowd noise this week but McElwain says they aren’t playing Rocky Top because they hear that enough on Saturday.
- With the crowd noise being loud in Neyland on Saturday, McElwain says they are really working on their four silent snap counts this week. He says he has four so that the defense can’t get a beat on it.
- The young guys who have never been to Tennessee should be excited for the trip and opportunity according to the Gators head coach.
- Injured Gators quarterback Luke Del Rio is preparing like he’s playing and he will travel with the team this weekend. Del Rio is out at practice signaling in plays and going through the game planning stuff.
- McElwain was asked if he has seen Quincy Wilson’s comment and he says he hasn’t but that Wilson must go out and back up whatever he said.
Butch Jones was up next and here’s what he had to say.
- Everything this week is about preparation and trying to execute better. Jones says his team has had a lot of drops and things this year and they’re continuing to grow from it.
- The Florida Gators defense is one of the best Butch Jones has faced since he has been at Tennessee. Jones says the defense is full of first and second round draft picks.
- Jones hasn’t seen Wilson’s quote but says he educates his guys on what they should say.
- The magnitude and passion of this rivalry is what stands out to Jones in this game. Jones says that this game means a lot to everyone on both sides.
- When asked about injuries to his team Jones says that it’s football and that he’s looking forward to seeing his young guys go out there and have the opportunity to compete.
- Jones says having Appleby starting this week doesn’t change his game plan because Austin has played a lot of football.
- Jones says he expects that Florida is telling Appleby that he doesn’t have to go out and win the game by himself.
- The Gators have a lot of playmakers around Appleby, a big physical offensive line and good running backs according to the Tennessee head coach.
- When asked why he doesn’t hype up the Florida game more, Jones says it’s a consistent approach and that he doesn’t like building one game up more than another.
- He says you can’t make more of this then it’s but his team knows it’s rivalry week.
- Tennessee didn’t have to remind its team about last year as Jones said “they understand.”
That’s all from both head coaches form the teleconference. Stay tuned to GatorCountry for more information on this week’s game.