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Gators squeak past Vols

Florida rides out this challenge on road without backing downReceiver Dallas Baker scores two touchdowns, putting his Tennessee troubles behind him.

By JOHN ROMANO
Published September 17, 2006

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Turns out, tough guys can dance.

They can hug one another without shame, and they may even shed a tear of joy when safely hidden behind closed doors.

Who knows, maybe this particular group of tough guys boogying after a 21-20 victory against Tennessee can even win a Southeastern Conference championship.

For on this perfectly suspenseful evening, the Florida Gators were the baddest of the bad.

When beaten, they rallied. When pushed, they pushed back. When taunted, they shut up a crowd of more than 106,000.

When asked, they answered their coach's challenge.

This is what Urban Meyer had in mind when he concocted the idea that a victory on the road was a test of one's virility. It was a theme he pushed all week.

Talent didn't matter. Neither did mystique. It was not a question of play calling or game planning. It was all about toughness.

Frankly, the psychology major in Meyer was showing.

What he did was personalize the game. No need to worry about Tennessee players or a pep band incessantly playing its signature tune. No sense crying about what the other guys were doing, because it was all about the Gators.

In effect, Meyer was appealing to the egos of his young players.

Are you tough enough?

It is a simple, and effective, question.

Forget the crowd. When it is third and long, are you tough enough? Forget the stakes. When the ball is in the red zone, are you tough enough? Forget the referee. When the clock is winding down, are you tough enough?

It was a Karl Rove-like stroke of inspiration. It turned the game into a question of a player's manhood. No extenuating circumstances. No excuses.

The truth, of course, is more complicated. Did the Gators go 1-3 on the road last season because they weren't tough enough? Hardly. In a couple of cases - Alabama and South Carolina -- they may have been outsmarted by the opposing coaching staff.

That is why, for Meyer, the road issue was larger than this game.

He is, no doubt, among the brightest coaches in the game. But if there is a nagging question, it is Meyer's performance in road games.

Between Bowling Green, Utah and Florida, Meyer is 33-2 when playing at home or a neutral site. In road games, he was 17-9 coming into Saturday. Not bad, but also not the work of a genius.

You could explain it by saying home/road records almost always involve a noticeable disparity. You could also point out most teams fatten their home records against weaker nonconference opponents.

You could say whatever you like, but the bottom line is Meyer's only road win last season was at Kentucky.

So Meyer brought Lou Holtz in during the offseason to talk about winning on the road. He picked Bill Belichick's brain.

Maybe none of this mattered. Maybe the Gators were simply the better team. But it certainly seemed like Florida was the tougher team when it mattered Saturday.

You could start with questionable calls that went Tennessee's way.

There was the tripping penalty that was never called on a punt return. The blocking in the back penalty on another return that probably shouldn't have been called. The intentional grounding penalty that should have been called, and should have led to a Tennessee safety.

For some, those calls might have been the excuse they were looking for.

Instead, Florida pushed forward. The Gators declined to panic, and refused to give in. When it was over, they proved to be tougher. Physically and mentally.

A young Gators offensive line was able to provide a running game. A veteran defensive line kept the pressure on UT quarterback Erik Ainge.

No one, however, showed more toughness than quarterback Chris Leak.

If Meyer was hungry for the victory, than Leak was desperate for it.

Meyer will be back next year, and the year after that. For Leak, time is quickly running out. This was his last shot at Tennessee and, perhaps, at an SEC title.

Leak was not perfect Saturday night - far from it. But he took the Gators on two touchdown drives in the second half, and completed what may turn out to be his signature victory at Florida.

He was poised. He was patient.

Mostly, he was tough.

[Last modified September 17, 2006, 02:00:51]