Remembrances this week of the scenes in Florida's post-game locker room after it lost by 10 points last season to Auburn were ugly. There was shouting and finger pointing and all kinds of nastiness.
When the Tigers stunned the fourth-ranked Gators on a game-winning 43-yard field goal as time expired Saturday night at Florida Field to win, 20-17, players who were in that locker room last season said it was a different environment this time around. Fifth-year senior offensive lineman Carlton Medder said it felt like he got stabbed.
There was more silence and heartbreak than anything else. And sophomore running back and return specialist Brandon James said it's time for Florida to start rebuilding and refocusing because next week the Gators visit second-ranked LSU.
"Just stay together as a team," James said. "It's a long season. We're only at game five. We have a lot more ball to play. We'll keep fighting it and we'll get ready for the big one next week."
Said freshman cornerback Joe Haden: "I never experienced anything like that. It hurts so bad. You could see some of the players in there. It feels like their life is almost over. Everybody was so quiet. There weren't too many people talking.
"It's going to make us more ready to come play LSU now. Having this on us is going to make us ready to go play somebody and redeem ourselves."
Caldwell plays, Rainey does not dress
Coach Urban Meyer said all week fifth-year senior wide receiver Andre Caldwell was running at practice and looked fine but would not play against Auburn. Well, he started but did not have receptions. Meyer intimated after the game that Caldwell might not be back to 100 percent just yet.
"He's close," Meyer said. "I want him full speed. He's a great player. I hope we have him. He's devastated. He's a captain. He's a leader. He didn't practice much during the week, didn't really practice at all. He did a great job on the sideline motivating, pushing guys. We have to get him back next week."
Freshman running back Chris Rainey did not dress. He left Thursday's practice in sneakers and it's unknown if he practiced. A post on GatorBait.net earlier this week stated Rainey needed shoulder surgery but that has not been confirmed by Meyer nor any athletic department spokesperson.
Upsets up and down the board
The Gators were not the only highly-ranked team to lose this weekend. Even though that might not take away the sting Florida fans feel, at least there are some equally disappointed fan bases this weekend.
Third-ranked Oklahoma fell, 27-24, at Colorado. No. 7 Texas lost at home, 41-21, to visiting Kansas State. No. 5 West Virginia lost Thursday night, 21-13, to No. 18 South Florida. Maryland beat No. 10 Rutgers, 34-24. Georgia Tech downed No. 13 Clemson, 13-3. No. 21 Penn State lost, 27-20, at Illinois. Florida State defeated No. 22 Alabama, 21-14, in Jacksonville. Even No. 1 Southern California was tested but prevailed, 27-24, against Washington.
Quotes of the day
Auburn freshman kicker Wes Byrum, who kicked the game-winning 43-yard field goal, on the kick being a dream situation:
"It doesn't get any better than that. That's a dream situation to be in with three seconds left."
On the atmosphere in The Swamp:
"It was awesome. They were yelling at me the whole game. I got called things that I never get called. It actually helped me get motivated because they were hammering me."
Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville on the game-winning kick:
"It's crazy. (Byrum) absolutely has ice water running through his veins. I couldn't even breathe and much less kick a ball in that situation…and not only one of them but two of them. The first one, he caught it just perfect. From the sideline, you just can't tell. You look for the fans' reaction. The second one he didn't hit it quite as good, but it went inside the right upright. I'm waiting for those fans to start jumping up and down and it just kind of hit me, 'Man, we won the ball game on a field goal.'"