Maybe the Gators didn’t approach Saturday’s matchup against the Volunteers like any other game.
Their secondary didn’t, at least.
Following the 33-23 Florida win, safety Matt Elam walked out of the locker room and flashed a laminated poster to a group of reporters huddled around him.
“Y’all seen this?” he asked.
It featured Tennessee’s star receiving duo of Da’Rick Rogers and Justin Hunter, and displayed quotes about how the two were going to take advantage of Florida’s young, inexperienced secondary.
All of Florida’s defensive backs had it hanging in their lockers throughout the week.
“These two guys were talking a lot of trash about what they were going to do to us, about how we were too small, too slow,” Elam said. “They were basically saying how they were in a groove and how they were going to dominate us.”
For all the talking between both sides, Florida tried to let its game speak for itself in both teams’ Southeastern Conference opener and the first true test for the Gators’ secondary.
That test came back with mixed results Saturday.
Florida’s defensive backfield forced two takeaways and limited the Vols’ one-two punch of Rogers and Hunter to a combined 74 yards and one touchdown. But Hunter left the game with a knee injury in the first quarter after recording a catch on UT’s first series.
“Coach was in our ear all week saying, ‘They’re talking trash, they’re talking trash. They’re not coming in our house and talking trash,’” Elam said. “It motivated us and pumped us up.”
However, the secondary also committed seven penalties, dropped several would-be interceptions and blew assignments that resulted in touchdowns.
Junior safety Josh Evans picked off Tennessee’s Tyler Bray on the first play of the second half for Florida’s first interception of the season, and Elam snagged an overthrown ball late in the fourth quarter to seal the game.
Still, Bray threw for 288 yards and three scores against Florida — two of which coach Will Muschamp described as mental errors in the secondary.
“We did our job, he was just getting the ball out quick,” Elam said. “For a secondary, you really can’t do nothing if the quarterback gets the ball out quick. ... All you got to worry about is tackling. You can’t get beat by a ball thrown over your head.”
Bray’s numbers could have been gaudier if not for 100 yards worth of penalties against Florida’s secondary, including five pass interference calls for 75 yards.
Elam attributed the penalties to Florida taking a physical approach to a Tennessee passing offense that entered the game ranked ninth in the nation. Still, Muschamp would prefer fewer flags.
“I don’t want no pass interference,” Muschamp said. “I don’t want a call. But we’re going to play aggressive. We’re not going to play soft, I can tell you that.”
Overall, Muschamp was pleased with the group’s physical effort Saturday, as was Elam.
“We’re young in the secondary and we stood strong and handled our business,” Elam said. “We followed the coaches’ plan and we ended up being successful.”
Contact Tom Green at tgreen@alligator.org.
Gators sophomore safety Matt Elam said the secondary hung posters of Tennessee receivers Da’Rick Rogers and Justin Hunter in their lockers.
