10/25: Urban Meyer’s Monday press conference

Head coach Urban Meyer and a small group of players meet with the media each Monday before the Florida Gators compete in a game the following Saturday. OGGOA has compiled some of the most important notes and quotes from the event this week.

FOUR AREAS OF CONCERN BEING ADDRESSED

Like last week, Meyer made mention of four particular areas in which Florida is struggling and needs drastic improvement in order to turn around their season. Specifically, he said the Gators must hold onto the ball (high turnover rate), return to making big plays (only four from the running game this season), complete more passes and be more efficient in the red zone. These are all glaring issues he has seen while watching tape.

“In the last three games we’ve had five interceptions and three fumbles. The way I have always evaluated turnovers is I put it with carelessness and toughness.” Meyer said. “Fundamentals fall underneath carelessness. We’ve had more turnovers this year than we had all of ’08 already.” He continues, “Our running backs have accounted for four [big plays] for the year. Just to give in relative terms, we had five in one game last year against FSU. So that tells you a lack of production. None in the last five games from the running back position.”

HEALED INJURIES PROVIDE HOPE

Though Meyer said that redshirt freshman wide receiver Andre Debose is questionable for the Georgia game with an ankle injury, he is relatively confident that juniors running back Jeff Demps (foot) and kicker Caleb Sturgis (back) will be able to play. Demps, Meyer said, “ran on the treadmill, he’s going to practice 20-25 snaps today.” Sturgis missed three weeks with a severely injured back he had been struggling with early in the season. Senior punter Chas Henry has been filling in for him; he made two field goals against Alabama but has missed every other attempt since. “Good news on Sturgis,” Meyer said. “We’re going to try him this week, see what happens.”

RAINEY READY TO RETURN?

Redshirt junior WR Chris Rainey, who had been suspended from the team for a month, was reinstated last week by Meyer on a provisional basis. During the Southeastern Conference teleconference last Wednesday, Meyer said Rainey would be eligible for the Georgia game but would not play unless he met specific requirements laid out by the coaching staff and administration. He reiterated that fact Monday, noting that a decision on Rainey’s availability will be made on Thursday. He has been practicing with the team for two weeks and was on the sidelines in normal clothes for the Mississippi State game.

MEYER INVOLVED IN PLAYCALLING

Brushing off whether or not playcalling is an issue for the Gators, Meyer said he evaluates every play that is called each week. “We don’t have a bad play. I don’t allow that. That’s kind of my job,” he said. “There’s no such thing as saying, ‘Boy, that’s a bad play.’ It might look awful because someone doesn’t block the right guy or someone doesn’t execute. So I go back to efficiency. I evaluate every play called. I do that every week. Is there times where I would have liked to run this as opposed to this? Yeah. Is it a bad play? There’s not a bad play that goes into a game. It’s poorly executed because we didn’t efficiently practice it.”

QUOTES (After the break…)

Meyer’s opening statement: “We’ve obviously had some severe issues here the last three weeks that have been very damaging as far as the won-loss record. The issue is not finding the blame, but it’s finding a solution. That’s what we’re going to do this week. We began the task last week, and I think some are very obvious. As far as the plan to win that has been fairly successful around here – it is not being followed. The intent is not to asses blame; the intent is to get better and improve. The first thing you look at is: If there’s a lack of execution, why? Are you getting it done in practice? That’s my job.”

Meyer on needing big plays: This is alarming, and this is something I didn’t realize because we’re just trying to get a first down. Our goal in 2005 was to have the fastest team in college football. I know there’s injury issues, all kinds of excuses that maybe we’re not hitting the big plays. However, the not-so-obvious to the outside but on the inside is maybe it’s the lack of execution, lack of blocking the edge. And that’s what we’re going to really work on this week. Our running backs have accounted for four [big plays] for the year. Just to give in relative terms, we had five in one game last year against FSU. So that tells you a lack of production. None in the last five games from the running back position. […] So that has to be addressed. What’s the solution? I have ‘speed’ written down in real bold letters right here. I have perimeter blocking and then I have execution of the play call.”

Meyer on pass efficiency: “Our expectation level is about 160-165 as a passer rating. And we’re currently at 117; he last three games we’re at 98.5. It’s a multitude of issues that have to be corrected. Number one would be drops. Number two would be protection issues between the offensive line and the backs. Number three would be execution of the play.”

Meyer on red zone failures: “We’ve led the SEC the last three years. The first four games this year we were 16-of-16 in the red zone. The last three games we are 3-of-11 with three turnovers and three missed field goals. That’s execution and grind it and work at it.”

Meyer on two special teams issues: “The area we’re missing is big hits and block punts.”

Meyer on the defense: “I don’t believe we’re playing at the level we expect. We’re not dominant. However, we’re good enough to win some games around here. The area of concern will be third down and getting guys off the field.”

Meyer on modifications to the offense: “We have modified quite a bit. Things are modified. The injury issue, the personnel issue is real, so [getting people back healthy is] going to help. It doesn’t look like us out there. I want to have the thud. We all want that.”

Meyer on losing three straight: “We played a couple really good teams. That’s number one. We got smacked with an injury that just devastated us because we’re not dynamic enough. But you played the No. 1 team in the country, another team that was ranked real high and a couple real good defenses. But it’s absolutely inexcusable.”

Meyer on what he’s looking for: “I’m hoping that I come out there to watch practice today and it looks like the University of Florida.”

Meyer on extra motivation:“18-to-22-year-olds are all motivated differently. The moment I put up the standings of the SEC East and they see what’s going on…it lifted my spirits and I think it lifted a lot of guys’ spirits around here. We went Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday as hard as we’ve ever gone. As much contact as we’ve ever had for development.”

Meyer on what redshirt sophomore left tackle Matt Patchan brings to the team: “You talk about energy givers, energy takers. Everybody wants energy givers. That means you’re walking next to somebody and you feel the energy; you don’t have to motivate and hug and slapping the tail and rah-rah. ‘Let’s go real hard today, what do you think?’ He supplies energy. To me, that’s an evaluation of a player that is so overlooked. He supplies energy for the entire program, and that’s real important. That’s an intangible that a guy like Matt Patchan brings to not just offense – team. Because he’s an energy giver, tough guy.”

Meyer on if his team is talented enough to “execute:” “Sure. I have more of an issue about efficiency at practice. Fundamentals don’t improve for a lot of reasons: Number one is you don’t practice them at the game speed you need to practice them at, number two is you’re not taught very well, number three is that the players aren’t good enough. That number three is not allowed around here. You don’t say that here. That’s very clear to our staff. […] Absolutely we have the talent to execute at a high level. I’d like to see it all together at once so we can operate.”

Meyer on if the Gators are desperate: “I like the word urgency instead of desperation.”

Meyer on if he “hates” this team as much as the 2007 squad: “No. No. No. No. No. Not at all. I kind of like where our players are at. I can’t stand where we are at, but I like where we’re at as far as 7 a.m. today seeing my guys back today after… It’s all about your players. This is all about your guys, and we have good guys.”

Meyer on potential changes to starters: “Depends on health. Obviously the Dempsy issue. You’d have to ask Steve [Addazio] about the offensive line. Between Xavier [Nixon] and [Maurice] Hurt I don’t know.”

Meyer on changes to the rotation: “That’s more up to the position coaches. But the answer is, ‘Yes.’ That’s week-to-week. […] There’s not someone like waiting in the wings that’s going to blow the top off this thing. It’s guys executing and efficiency at practice time.”

Meyer on if he’s been able to watch Cameron Newton: “It’s really hard, I’ll tell you that. I don’t watch much of it. […] I think he’s a very good player, and I’m trying to watch more of the teams that we play.”

Meyer on if he wishes he was still here: “No. No. No. No. No. No. I didn’t say that.”