Urban Meyer feels the pressure every day. Whether it’s walking through the halls of the football complex or simply taking the walk to and from the practice fields every afternoon, he knows the weight that is on the shoulders of his number one-ranked Florida Gators.
“Whether it be ball security or a defensive guy getting out of his gap, or a quarterback that if the initial read isn’t there, sometimes he wants to get that first down so bad, I see guys just pressing,” Meyer said Wednesday on the Southeastern Conference Coaches Teleconference. “I feel it around the office. We want to play perfect because the expectation is to play at an extremely high level. That’s what’s great about where we’re at. I’ve been at places before where the expectation level is trying to get a first down.”
There is plenty of pressure to go around. It’s on the offense because the quarterback is Tim Tebow, college football’s best and most charismatic player. It’s also on the Brandon Spikes-led defense, which returns the entire two-deep roster from last year’s national championship team.
After giving up just 32 points in their first five games, the Gators gave up 20 last Saturday to Arkansas and Meyer could sense the enormous disappointment from his defensive unit.
“Our defense was crushed after that game,” Meyer said. “I mean crushed. I didn’t see it that way. In the locker room, I saw a very good Arkansas team that beat a very good Auburn team. I don’t see it that way as much as I see the players and assistant coaches feeling that way. One of my jobs, and I try to preach it to them constantly, you don’t have to be perfect, but you have to be the better team on the field that day.”
High expectations in Gainesville aren’t anything new and certainly not a surprise to Meyer, who realized in a conversation he had with former UF coach Steve Spurrier exactly what Florida fans expect and even demand.
“I think it was there in ’06,” Meyer said. “The problem you have at Florida is in the ‘90s when Steve Spurrier started winning at an extremely high level. He even said it to me one time when he said you’ve got a little problem when ten wins isn’t enough. It’s the Florida Gators, and the Florida Gators have high expectations, but that’s why all these kids choose to come here.”
PLAYING FORMER STAFF MEMBERS: When Dan Mullen left his job as offensive coordinator at Florida to become the head coach at Mississippi State, the Florida coaching staff knew there would be an adjustment to be made.
Replacing the coach who called plays on the way to two national championships for Florida is not an easy task, but Meyer is comfortable with the progress the offense has made.
“Anytime you lose a good coach you have some challenges,” Meyer said. “There’s always a challenge, but you try to better yourself and better the program. There are certainly challenges but I’m comfortable with where we’re at and what we’re doing.
The good thing about Tim is his maturity level is off the chart. Once the game starts, he’s got a very clear job to do. Personalities are taken out of it and all that. I don’t want to downplay it, but it really doesn’t have an impact at all. Obviously it’s kind of odd and before the game or after, but the professional level of Tim and Dan, that doesn’t have an impact.”
But Mullen wasn’t the only coach who left Gainesville for Starkville. John Hevesy left his position as assistant offensive line coach and tight end coach to become the offensive line coach at Mississippi State.
Hevesy and Meyer spent eight years together. When Meyer took the job at Bowling Green, he hired Hevesey away from Brown. Hevesy followed Meyer to Utah in 2003 and then to Florida in 2005.
“He’s a great coach,” Meyer said. “He was our line coach at Bowling Green and we got him from Brown, then Utah. We went 12-0, and if you’d have to say why, sure Alex Smith was fantastic, but that offensive line was the nuts and bolts of our team. He did a tremendous job at Florida, too. Danny, without a guy like John, they wouldn’t be having the success that they’re having. He’s got a great understanding of zone blocking and the intricacies of the spread offense. He sat in the meetings when we first put that thing together nine years ago.”
DEFENSIVE DOMINATION: The health of Meyer’s defense is one thing that worries him this weekend. Justin Trattou is out for the game, while Jaye Howard and Brandon Spikes remain probable. Defensive line coach Dan McCarney said on Tuesday that Lawrence Marsh is doubtful.
These injuries have hurt the depth of the defensive tackle position, which is a key spot against a running back the caliber of Anthony Dixon, who is the third leading rusher in the SEC.
“We’re down four or five starters,” Meyer said. “I feel like we had a little bit of a drop off, but not really. I thought they played great. There’s only a couple ways to analyze it. Are you winning games and are you doing a good job? If we’re not number one in the country, we’re number two and there are some good defenses in this league.”
One position Meyer knows he doesn’t have to worry about is cornerback where he is blessed with two of the top cornerbacks in the entire SEC in Joe Haden and Janoris Jenkins.
These two players allow Meyer and defensive coordinator Charlie Strong to call more complex defenses, because they know they don’t have to worry about their cornerbacks playing in man-to-man coverage.
“I think Joe Haden is one of the best players in college football,” Meyer said. “I kind of felt that way last year. It’s his special teams performance, his energy at practice and obviously his play. It’s the same with Janoris Jenkins. If you had to go draft two corners, I know who I’d pick, and we’ve got them.”
TEBOW RUSHING STATS: Tim Tebow remains two rushing touchdowns behind former Georgia running back Hershel Walker for the career rushing touchdowns lead in the SEC. For Meyer, that is truly a special statement.
He knew all about Walker while growing up. In fact, the running back even made Meyer cheer for the red and black as a kid.
“I was a Hershel Walker fan, like nuts about him, when I grew up,” Meyer said. “It was when I was in high school, and I was actually a huge Georgia Bulldogs fan because of Hershel Walker. I got to meet him at the Heisman ceremony. He’s first class. He represents Georgia and the Southeastern Conference. My era was Hershel Walker, and now here’s a guy I get to see every day in the same category. That’s powerful.”