Florida coach Urban Meyer met with the media Monday afternoon. Here is what he said:
"With that kind of, I don't want to say reckless game, but with that kind of aggressive game plans on both sides, it's hard to imagine there was not a turnover in that game. The kicking game I thought changed the game.
Everybody's asking about jump passes and everything else, but the biggest play in years, we have the hands team out there with over three minutes to play anticipating an onsides kick, and to be able to knock that thing out to the 43-yard line gave us the opportunity to be more aggressive than we would be. If you're on your own 15-yard line, you run it three times and put the ball. Then obviously it's potentially a different outcome. If I had to say what won the game, it was the kickoff return game."
Can you talk about the improved perimeter blocking and the signs of unselfishness on this team?
"Some people say you can't really measure unselfish play. I disagree with that. That's absolutely incorrect. Unselfish play is your left tackle on kickoff return, and no one knows it, you're not getting a Christmas card saying boy, great job and it doesn't show up in the statistic book, but our kickoff return unit, that's blood in the water, there are sharks all over the place. Another way is perimeter blocking. The other way is the spreading around of the football and not worrying about who's getting what and who's doing this. Kestahn Moore a lead block 16 yards down the field for Bubba Caldwell's 20-yard run down the sideline where he knocked a guy's legs out. It's very easy to identify unselfish play."
After the game, you told the team this was a three-game season and then you're in Atlanta. Did you think maybe I shouldn't have lumped in the three games and just worry about Georgia, or did you want this team to have that carrot?
"I made that one statement, and it's over. Everyone's saying it, and I made that statement – it's a three-game season. It's a little like when Billy Donovan came to see our team and said it's 107 days until. When you start lumping it down and really see it's only three weeks and if you spill your guts for three weeks, but now there will be no discussion about that in the team meeting."
What did you see in Percy Harvin in high school that let you know he could do all the things he's doing here?
"He has the best first step in the game and the best first step I've ever had. If you saw the jet sweep he had, he kind of let the blocks develop and he put his left foot in the ground and was gone. The same thing on the deep ball to him at the end of the game. He locked a guy up and hit that left foot again. He's got one of the greatest first step I've ever seen and the ability to change direction and accelerate. That's what I saw on film. The other thing about Percy Harvin is he's strong. On one of Bubba (Caldwell)'s runs, he blocked the Sam linebacker, a 225-pound guy, and he got his pads underneath him. He's extremely strong. Pound for pound he's as strong a player as we have on the team. He's got very good vision. He's got it all."
Did you think the defense would be a little further along at this stage, and what are the areas you have to improve that concern you?
"Tighter coverage. At some point you have to knock a ball down or go intercept a pass, and not one that's tipped to you. You have to step in front of it to make a play, and that comes with confidence and experience. I was hoping we'd be much further along than we are, but I also appreciate and see what's going on. If I saw the give in, if I saw the tap on the top of the helmet wanting out, then the red flag's up. I don't see that at all. I see guys trying to get better and working awfully hard. Lawrence Marsh actually gave great effort when he was in there. Did he play well? No. We're starting to get a little bit of a rotation in there. Those kids should be where they are. There were too many misses in the two classes above them. There is no production out of that senior and junior class."
What is the injury status of Major Wright?
"I'll give it all. Major Wright is having surgery today on his thumb. I got great news about a half-hour ago. There's a chance he'll play. Riley Cooper, this is a new one, he has a broken finger. He's going to get two screws. It's a very small break, and they tell me he's going to play. He broke it the second play of the game, and he'll be fine. The positive about those two guys is there's not two tougher players I've been around. Carlton Medder is questionable for the game. He's got the heel (injury), but they are also saying there's a chance he'll be ready. (Tim) Tebow's fine. He's much better. He was sore after the game, but he's good to go, which you would probably imagine. Brandon Antwine is still unavailable with his lower-back muscular issue."
What did you say about Major?
"It's broken. He had surgery on it and had a little plate put in it. Major will be (wearing) a cast."
Are you looking for better play from Markihe Anderson?
"Markihe Anderson just has to play a little better. He played 46 plays, but he's still not that aggressive guy. It's just one more week of health. Bubba Caldwell's still not a hundred percent. That's the good news. It's up in the 90s, but we even expect a little more out of him."
What's been the development of Maurkice Pouncey as the season has gone along?
"He's developed at probably a greater speed than we anticipated. I didn't see that in the spring. I saw a guy get very serious about his approach to football, and obviously he's a very blessed guy. He's as blessed a lineman I've seen, and plus he's a competitor and loves the game. That position, right guard, is very solid for us for the next few years."
How concerned are you about fourth-down defense? Your opponents have converted nine of 10 in the last two weeks.
"It cost us a game and could have cost us the game yesterday. How concerned? Very concerned. We can have our fourth-down period, and to be honest with you it's no different than our third-down period. You've got to have some confidence to step in front of the player and step in front of the receiver or get a sack or knock the ball down. That comes with experience and talent and just getting it done. I'm very concerned. We just have to keep coaching them to fundamentally get better."
What makes a rivalry great?
"This is my favorite one, as far as my favorite game. I've heard about this forever. I've watched from afar as a fan. I love the fact it's a neutral site. I love the fact when you walk in that stadium it's 50 percent right down the middle of the goal posts, and you have two quality programs going against each other."
Would you talk about how Torrey Davis has come on lately and how he made a difference in the Kentucky game?
"He was in the backfield twice. No, he was in the backfield more than that. He gives us a great first step, and he's giving us a little penetration that we haven't had. He just continues to improve. He's got a good coach working with him. His biggest thing is getting in shape and his effort level, so every day after practice (co-defensive coordinator and defensive line coach Greg) Mattison is killing him, running him and running him and running him. It's starting to show up, and he made a difference in that game."
Penalties have dropped quite a bit the last couple of weeks. Is the main reason mental or physical?
"I don't know. I think it's just a little bit of maturity, although there were three or four significant penalties (vs. Kentucky) on offense that kind of set us back. I don't know that. Someone said that last year we were the most penalized team in America, and that was a pretty good team at the end. I don't know."
What's Tim Tebow's role in recruiting when you get guys on campus?
"He's very impressive. Obviously they all want to meet him because you keep hearing about Tim. He's very unselfish with his time and he wants to win. How do you win? You win with great players. He's as active as anybody. Brandon Siler was kind of my guy two years ago. Tebow's obviously right there now."
Do you sense that having chance to play with Tebow for a couple of years is why guys are signing with you?
"I hope. I know that would make a huge difference in my child going to school. Obviously stability at that position and a warrior at that position has a direct impact on wins and losses. I've heard some people make that comment, and it's a very true statement."
Do you like a neutral field for the Florida-Georgia game better than if you went there and they came here?
"Oh yeah. It's a tremendous opportunity for fans. It's unique. If you do that (move it to a home and home) it would be a great rivalry, two very good programs and two classy programs that do it the right way. But that's what makes it very unique. That whole setting, what do you call it, The Landing, whatever that whole setting is? Some day I'm going to go to that thing. I'm going to enjoy that."
Would you rather have any other college quarterback in the country?
"No. I'm good. I've got mine."
You seem to have a diplomatic answer about the Heisman Trophy question. Have you talked to him about that?
"You know, I really haven't. I've had to do that in the past. We've been very fortunate. We've had some guys where that's been balleyed around. As a matter of fact every quarterback we've coached, from Josh Harris to Alex Smith to Chris (Leak) we've had that discussion, but I've not had that with (Tebow). He's more interested about (winning). At the end of the game he made a wrong read, and that really bothers him. We've got to correct that read. He's not worried about other stuff."
As far as his performance against Kentucky, do you see him get in a zone sometimes where everything is clicking, or is there more to it than that?
"There's more to it than that. Once again, Tim Tebow had a great game because those guys on the edge had probably there best game. You take away Percy Harvin and Bubba Caldwell and CI and Louis Murphy and Jarred Fayson, and Tim Tebow's statistically a very average quarterback. There were a lot of great plays. That deep ball he threw to Louis Murphy, that was 50 percent Louis Murphy and 50 percent Tim Tebow."
What was the wrong read?
"It was on one of the run plays. He should have pulled it."
With even Caldwell not being 100 percent, can you talk about his return sparked the offense?
"You look at our captains, what's happened this year I've never had happen. Phil Trautwein is a tremendous captain and hasn't played a snap. Bubba Caldwell was basically nonexistent as a player, and emotionally that's hard to lead when you're not playing for four or five games, especially at the level we expect. Tony (Joiner) had an issue. Drew Miller has done a good job, and then Derrick Harvey is just awful quiet. Bubba's the one guy that has some ability to lead vocally and lead by presence on the field. Him being back was significant. I think the reason our receivers played so well was because of Bubba Caldwell because he somehow got those kids back. Dallas Baker and Jemalle (Cornelius) in the national championship game, that was as fine an effort I've ever seen on blocking the perimeter. I love hearing all the differences in the game, and they really don't understand the difference. In Saturday's game the perimeter blocking and the kickoff return was the difference."
Are you trying to find ways to get Brandon James into open space?
"Yeah, we had that discussion or we are having that discussion over and over again, but his value to the team, obviously he just won the game with a 61-yard return, and if you go back and watch that one at the end of the game, the effort by those players on the hands team going back and getting a piece of someone. That ball was at the 43-yard line. I still can't get over that happening. That changes the whole dynamics of the game."
Has the Markus Manson experiment failed? I know he's not traveling right now.
"He's been hurt. He's a nice young man. I don't want to say failed because he still has some football left, but we were hoping it would (work out at cornerback). He's an athletic young guy and a good person that has not had the ability to practice and develop at the rate we want. We actually had that discussion. He's getting close to being game ready, but it's the Monday of Florida-Georgia. We're not going to go out there four an hour and practice individual. You just don't have time."
Was the Brandon James kickoff return at the end so amazing because the hands team wasn't prepared to block for him?
"Think about it, you have 10 guys within 12 yards of the football, and they kicked it deep. He was standing on about the 12 or 15 in case they do a little pooch. They kicked it deep, it takes a perfect bounce and he catches it full stride and we have a couple of blocks and are at the 43-yard line. Typically speaking, you get what you get. On a normal kick, you knock it out past the 25-yard line. The guy kicked it right to him. If you just evaluate that little segment of the game, that doesn't happen very often. It tells you a little about Brandon, but it also tells you about the unselfishness and the effort level. Riley Cooper, Tony Joiner and some other guys got their hats on blocks. You don't practice that much. That's the first situation I've had like that in 20 years."
What's going wrong on the option runs? It doesn't look like the timing is right.
"Tim made a bad (play) on one of them. Whenever you option the defender, you have to eliminate him. If I'm going to option him, I'm going to have to stop his feet so he can't play both. The one with Bubba Caldwell, Bubba didn't exactly hit it, but the guy Tim was optioning went and made the play. There's a couple of elements to the option. The perimeter blocking (was bad) on that same one, and then also Tim didn't eliminate the pitch key. We're not running a whole lot of option. We're not a big option team right now."