Colleges

Meyer: Defense is 'fantastic'

By ANTONYA ENGLISH, Times Staff Writer
Published September 17, 2007

GAINESVILLE - Upon further review, maybe Florida's defense isn't so bad after all. At least that's coach Urban Meyer's assessment after Saturday's 59-20 win over Tennessee - the worse loss for UT in the Phillip Fulmer era.

The Vols came in with an offense that had produced a 100-yard rusher the previous week, a big line and a plan to run.

But the Gators, three games into trying to replace nine starters from last season, held them to 37 yards, catching Meyer by surprise and earning his praise.

"I was watching how our defense could hang in there and they were doing a fantastic job," Meyer said Sunday morning. "I'll be honest, I was a little ... I don't want to say shocked, but I was awful impressed with the way they played against the run."

Meyer said safety Major Wright will likely supplant Kyle Jackson as a starting safety, and praised defensive tackles Javier Estopinan and Clint McMillan for the way they closed the middle against the run.

INJURY UPDATE: Freshman safety Jerimy Finch, who broke his right leg in the fourth quarter, had surgery Sunday morning. "He has some ligament issue.... It's a broken bone in his lower leg," Meyer said, "so he'll be out for the season."

Senior receiver Andre Caldwell will miss his second straight game this weekend with a sprained right MCL. The status of freshman offensive tackle Maurkice Pouncey sprained right ankle and sophomore cornerback Markihe Anderson (bruised right knee) is uncertain.

MISSISSIPPI ON THEIR MINDS: In the midst of their elation over Saturday's victory, the Gators must refocus and prepare for Mississippi. Florida hasn't won in the Magnolia state since 1994.

"I'm aware of that (history), Charlie Strong has talked to me quite often about that," Meyer said of his assistant head coach who coached Ole Miss receivers in 1990. "He does have some experience with it. That's an 11:30 a.m. (CDT) kickoff against a very talented team. We will discuss that in great detail."

RUNNING IT UP?: Florida outscored the Vols 24-10 in the fourth quarter, and some UT players told several media outlets they believed UF was trying to run up the score. But Fulmer wasn't upset: "That's football. It's our job to stop them."

Antonya English can be reached at english@sptimes.com.

[Last modified September 16, 2007, 20:27:36]