With Florida riding high following its 27-3 win against Georgia on Saturday, and the prospect of having the chance to clinch a spot in the Southeastern Conference title game this weekend, coach Jim McElwain is preaching one thing to his team this week.
Cut out all the distractions and stay focused on the task at hand.
The objective? Focus on getting a win against Vanderbilt on Homecoming and avoid any letdowns that come with a potential berth in the SEC title game on the line.
McElwain wants to see how his team responds following a rivalry win and getting prepared for a Vanderbilt team that stands in the team’s way of getting to Atlanta for the first time since 2009.
"To me this is an opportunity to see how far we’ve come as an organization," McElwain said.
"We’ve got an opportunity to go win a ballgame and solidify us being in Atlanta. That’s the way it should be. That’s why you come to the University of Florida."
When he was coaching at Alabama, McElwain learned from one of the best in the business — Nick Saban — on how to avoid letdowns when presented with opportunities similar to the one the Gators are facing.
McElwain said that Saban constantly would tell his team to take things one day at a time since it was the better way to keep his team focused.
It’s the same mindset the first-year UF coach has brought with him from his days with the Crimson Tide.
"It’s instilled along the way that it doesn’t matter what the task is, that’s what you’re supposed to do. Go out and do your job," McElwain said. "Obviously something that Nick (Saban) does an outstanding job of. You can’t get too high and you can’t get too low.
"You’ve got to understand, you’ve got to take care of what you can take care of now, because whatever the event is, whatever that is, you’re preparing for success."
With a 7-1 record and the No. 11 ranking in the country, distractions could come easily for Florida.
But the Gators have shown they’ve been able to handle all the adversity that has come their way this season.
Whether it was the whirlwind of Will Grier’s suspension or Deiondre Porter’s arrest, the team has shown that it’s capable of cutting out distractions.
It’s no different this week and the Gators are taking McElwain's advice to heart, focusing on the task at hand.
"I don’t see why you would want to look a month ahead when there’s a lot of fun and a lot of football left to be played." senior tight end Jake McGee said.
With the pressure the team is facing now, and all the national attention the Gators have garnered, being able to focus and prepare this week is what McElwain wants to see.
"There’s a lot of clutter out there, a lot of white noise out there, a lot of stuff that means absolutely nothing," McElwain said.
"I’ll be excited to see how they handle it. That’s part of the growing experience."
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UF coach Jim McElwain roams the sidelines during Florida's 27-3 win against Georgia on Oct. 31, 2015, at EverBank Field in Jacksonville.
