GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- A majority of callers that flooded local radio sports talk shows late Saturday night were not thrilled with their top-ranked Florida Gators. Most complaints focused on the offense. Agitated fans moaned about turnovers, predictable play-calling and porous blocking along the line.UF had escaped with its life hours earlier over Arkansas, 23-20, but it was obvious not everyone was impressed with the Gators. Include head coach Urban Meyer and Associated Press voters in that mix, too.
Not even a restless night's sleep made it any better for Meyer, who admitted his team -- the defending BCS champion and winners of a nation-best 16 straight -- needs to get its act together. AP voters also noted UF's struggles, dropping the Gators behind Alabama in Sunday's poll.
"We kind of operate around here with urgency, and that's not something we're ashamed of," Meyer said Sunday morning during his teleconference.
"We can sit back and say we are the No. 1 scoring offense, the No. 1 rushing offense, No. 1 scoring defense, total offense ... all these categories but you still don't feel we are operating at the highest level of efficiency.
"No. 1, that's turnovers. That's the first indication. We are going to practice at a very high rate of urgency this week, and No. 2 was you found a way to win a game when you probably shouldn't have. That tells you the team really stuck together and made plays when it had to."
UF's goal of repeating as national champion nearly turned into Pig Sooey before a homecoming crowd of 90,508 at The Swamp. The Gators needed Caleb Sturgis' 27-yard field goal with nine seconds to play to survive the 25-point underdog Razorbacks. UF quarterback Tim Tebow was sacked six times, the Gators lost four fumbles and, worse yet, they went 1-for-4 in the red zone in the first half.
"It was probably the worst first half we've ever played," Meyer said.
The second half was better, but not by much. Sure, the Gators were able to overcome a 20-13 deficit early in the fourth quarter. But UF fans -- Meyer, too -- were upset by unsettling trends six games into the season.
Despite their gaudy numbers -- UF is averaging 36.3 points per game and 470.5 total yards per game -- the Gators are a minus-2 in turnover margin and have scored just 15 touchdowns in 30 trips in the red zone (inside an opponent's 20-yard line).
"Our concerns right now are our red-zone production and turnovers, which in the plan to win those are really two things we really work at," Meyer said. "Obviously, how do you fix that? You have to work at it even harder."
The Gators may have their work cut out for them this week on the road against former UF offensive coordinator Dan Mullen, now the head coach at Mississippi State. The Bulldogs (3-4) snapped a three-game losing streak with Saturday's 27-6 over Middle Tennessee.
Mullen, of course, had been alongside Meyer dating back to their undefeated season at Utah in 2004. Meyer wants his good friend to succeed -- "One thing about Dan is he's very smart. He's not going to make emotional decisions, he's very smart and I think he'll do fine," Meyer said when asked about Mullen's decision to pursue Mississippi State's head coaching vacancy -- but he has pressing issues of his own.
UF had been in the top spot of the AP poll since the preseason, but the Crimson Tide has been gaining ground for weeks by winning more convincingly than the Gators.
Alabama, which waxed Arkansas earlier in the season, beat No. 22 South Carolina Saturday night. The Crimson Tide overcame four turnovers -- doubling their season total -- and 10 penalties.
Meyer can relate, stressing that UF turnovers must be corrected.
"Guys are not going to touch the ball that we don't have confidence in," Meyer said.
"We are not in some charity program where, hey, let's try to get this guy the ball. If you are not tight with the ball, you are not going to touch it. Guys make mistakes. We are going to point it out on film, coach it and eventually if it doesn't improve those guys don't touch the ball.
"I have great confidence those guys will."
Comments (Page 1 of 1)
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Polls don't mean sh*t. Alabama was moved ahead of the Gators last year and then got got wacked by the Gators in the SEC Chanpionship Game. The Gators will repeat as National Champions again and hopefully Alabama will give a better showing in their bowl game thn they did last year when Utah beat ther butts.
arkansas was robed twice in the game by theflorida officials cmon gatorfans u didnt win the game arkansas was robbed u cant touch gator players in gainesville without being called for a penalty alabama will kill u guys
you are twisted, Mr. Pretzel.
Florida doesn't deserve to be listed as number 1. They should have lost their last two games. Tebow is a flash-in-the-pan and very immature besides having a learning disability. His childish behavior means he's not going to the NFL on "graduation." That concussion a week or so back was more serious than has been reported. I understand that it was a small fracture. Florida will not win the SEC or national championship this year. After that, Meyer moves to Notre Dame.
Cracked skull??? Where did You, of all people, hear that? So, you have access to the Gator medical team? I highly doubt that. The Gators run the table. Bring on Alabama, USC, Ohio State... who-ever.
I think its time for you to back away from the medicine cabinet and get off those mind altering drugs you take. Tebow a flash in the pan??? I can see you never played football or if you did you took too hard a hit on the head falling off the bench hitting the water bucket altering your common sense thinking. Stick to playing your game box football and leave the real game to those that know what they're doing.
roll tide ...
Actually I think both Alabama and Florida are both way overrated and honestly think both will lose games before the season is over. Watched both games yesterday and noticed a great deal of weaknesses in both teams which I am sure other coaches who will be playing both teams will see. Would love to see both teams go down as honestly neither deserve to be there.
The Florida Arkansas game reminded me of the West Virginia Pitt game several years back, West Virginia was undefeated and headed for the National Championship game, Pitt was winning and the officials tried to trow the game at the end with a bunch of bogus personal foul calls. Same thing happened Saturday in Gainsville, the SEC wasn't about to lose it's 2 undefeated darlings. No wonder Mike Slive doesnt want a playoff in college football. He has the writers.