GAINESVILLE - Fans may lament the way Florida played late in Saturday's 45-30 win over Arkansas, but coach Ron Zook makes no apologies.
A 15-point win is just that. A win.
Florida (3-1, 2-1 SEC) led 38-7 with 3:30 remaining in the third quarter, but allowed Arkansas to score 23 unanswered points to pull within 38-30. An interception by linebacker Channing Crowder with just over four minutes left and a subsequent touchdown saved the Gators.
On Sunday, Zook bristled at the notion his team doesn't have a killer instinct.
"It's a lot of talk, that's exactly what it is," Zook said. "There has to be something. Last week it was we couldn't score in the red zone, this week it's we don't have the killer instinct, so there's always going to be something no matter what."
The players said they understand fans may be frustrated because they are, too.
"I don't know what it is," said junior safety Jarvis Herring, who had five solo tackles and one interception. "That's just the way it is with us. We're not trying to make it so hard, it just happens."
"It's not easy," center Mike Degory added. "This is the SEC and every team is just as good as us and they want to win as bad as we do. Give credit to Arkansas for making adjustments."
Zook said part of the problem was a Gator letdown, but agreed credit should be given to Arkansas quarterback Matt Jones and his offense. Questioning the Gators' desire to win, however, is personal for Zook.
"You want to put teams away and there's no question our guys want to put a team away," he said. "When people tell me we have a lack of killer instinct then they are saying that I don't have that because the team is a reflection of me.
"And I don't believe that."
NO RED-ZONE BLUES: One week after they struggled to score on numerous opportunities in the red zone, the Gators were 4-for-4.
PRAISE WORTHY: For a guy who had a game-high 11 tackles and the game-saving interception, Crowder was fairly humble afterward.
His teammates, however, heaped praise on last season's SEC defensive freshman of the year.
"Channing is a big-time player," Degory said. "And big-time players make big-time plays. I know it sounds like a cliche, but with Channing it's the real thing. He's a great player."
"It's an honor for somebody to say that," Crowder said. "I want to make big plays. ... It was my first interception here and we won, so that was fun."
The play came as a result of a "tweak" Zook and linebackers coach Bill Miller made after consulting late in the game.
"(Miller) said we were dropping too severe, getting out there to the wide field," Crowder said. "He said to just drop straight back and something is going to come back to you. It came right back to me."
WHAT IF?: Arkansas coach Houston Nutt couldn't help but wonder what would have happened without Crowder's big play. After all, the Razorbacks moved the ball nearly at will in the third and fourth quarters.
"It was an awesome effort," he said. "I would have liked to see what would have happened if we had gotten 36 or 38. We waited a little too late and you cannot do that against a good team."
