Florida coach Urban Meyer blames illnesses, Tennessee for conservative game plane

Meyer: Illnesses, Vols keep Gators conservative

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida coach Urban Meyer wanted to open things up against Tennessee. If he had it to do again, he probably would.

But if the Volunteers were going to play conservatively, even when they were down several scores, Meyer figured he could, too.

Meyer said the top-ranked Gators played it safe in Saturday’s 23-13 victory against Lane Kiffin’s Volunteers because of injuries and illnesses, respect for Tennessee’s defense and a belief that the Vols weren’t really trying to win the game.

“When I saw them start handing the ball off, you didn’t feel like they were going after the win,” Meyer said Sunday in conference call with reporters. “They wanted to shorten the game. I remember looking out there and there’s 10 minutes left in the game and there’s no no-huddle, they are down, I think it was 23-6, and (there’s no) urgency.

“The way we lose a game there is to throw an interception. I do have respect for their defense. … Let’s find a way to win the game.”

Meyer said the Gators are not out to impress pollsters and fans who want to see blowouts.

“We’re trying to win the game. A lot of it had to do with the way they were playing. That made our life a little easier.”

A flu bug that hit the team — very possibly swine flu though no cases have been confirmed — might have been as big an issue for the Gators as anything the Vols did Saturday.

Running back Jeff Demps, tight end Aaron Hernandez and defensive end Jermaine Cunningham were all fighting the flu symptoms and were isolated in the days leading up to the game.

Meyer did not hide his concern for the devastating effects the virus could have on his team.

“It is a panic level of proportion I’ve never seen before,” Meyer said. “My wife, with her great insight, said, ‘Do you realize the swine flu and everything is hitting the Florida campus last week.’ My gosh.”

Several college football teams, including Wisconsin and Mississippi, have dealt with team-wide flu outbreaks in recent weeks

Meyer said team doctors and training staff were doing everything they could to prevent the bug from spreading throughout the Gators. Hand sanitizers were everywhere, and prevention checklists were posted all around the training facility.

“We’re trying the best we can, but it’s real,” Meyer said. “We go to the extremes. They get a separate dorm room for them. They get a separate hotel room for them. They put them right on whatever the flu stuff is. Our guys, our team doctors, they’re on it as fast as you can get on it.”

Demps, Cunningham and Hernandez all played against the Volunteers, but none of them were particularly effective.

So Meyer put the game in quarterback Tim Tebow’s hands.

Tebow threw for 115 yards, ran for 76 and a score, and had the Gators on the verge of sealing the victory in the fourth quarter. But the 2007 Heisman Trophy winner fumbled at the 4-yard line, a turnover that gave Tennessee a chance to pull off a huge upset.

Jonathan Crompton ended any possibility of a comeback with his second interception of the game and his fifth in the last two weeks.

Crompton might have been the main reason the Volunteers ran the ball early and often and even in third-and-long situations. He threw three interceptions and fumbled a snap last week against UCLA, and didn’t seem a whole lot more comfortable against the Gators.

When the Vols did ask Crompton to pass, they either had him throw screens and quick-hitters, or they rolled him out of the pocket and reduced his number of reads and options.

“We asked him for improvement and we got that,” said Kiffin, whose verbal jabs at Meyer and the Gators during the offseason led many to believe Florida would try to run up the score against Tennessee at the Swamp.

Florida had concerns, too.

Safety Eric Berry and Tennessee’s defense, coached by longtime NFL coordinator Monte Kiffin, gave Tebow all sorts of fits. Berry seemed to be all over the field, blitzing, tackling running backs and blanketing receivers.

So Florida ran.The Gators outgained Tennessee 208-117 on the ground.

“If I had to do it again, I would probably open it up a little bit, but maybe not,” Meyer said. “Our job is to win the game, and if we don’t fumble down there, I think it’s a 30-6 game and you’re feeling better about yourself.”

The defending national champions, the guys who openly talked about wanting a perfect season, were favored by 30 points.

Instead, the Gators had to settle for a close win.

“If there’s a way to do this, let’s go move the Florida Gators to a deserted island somewhere and let’s go play football and not worry about all this nonsense and just go play the game,” Meyer said. “I’ve never seen anything like it this past week. You just try to shelter them and make sure they focus on what’s important and not this silly nonsense.”