DEFENSIVE TACKLES: The defensive tackles were widely thought to be the Gators' weakest position heading into the season, and Meyer said he is still not happy with their progress.
"We're getting a little more excited about them," Meyer said. "But 'pleased' is when you start saying we've arrived. And the standard was set a couple years ago. … And we're not at that level."
Meyer acknowledged that some of his players are getting better, and he is encouraged by their improvement.
Defensive line coach Dan McCarney said he felt most comfortable with sophomore Terron Sanders and freshman Matt Patchan as his top two guys.
The defensive tackles will have their work cut out for them against Tennessee, as they are charged with stopping running back Arian Foster all day. Foster had 100 yards on only 12 carries against Alabama Birmingham last weekend.
McCarney understands the urgency of keeping Foster locked up.
"It's one of the real keys," McCarney said. "They're averaging 6 yards a carry. That's a lot. … I've seen a lot of great backs. I got into Division 1 football as a player in '71, I've seen a lot of great ones, and he's a great one."
INJURY UPDATES: A day after listing junior linebacker Dustin Doe as "probable" for UF's game against Tennessee this weekend, Gators coach Urban Meyer said not much had changed in Tuesday's practice.
Meyer said Doe did not participate in practice and should know more about his status for the Tennessee game later in the week.
"Straight-ahead speed is not an issue (for Doe)," Meyer said. "It's just lateral movement. … 'Probable' is the right word."
Meyer also said backup quarterback Cameron Newton sprained his ankle in practice, but the small injury should not be a problem against Tennessee.
Redshirt freshman defensive tackle John Brown had hand surgery on Tuesday because a broken bone was not healing correctly. McCarney said he would miss at least a few weeks of practice, but Brown was not performing well enough in practice to warrant playing time even with a healthy hand.
"He wasn't even close to the two-deep," McCarney said.
