- Sep 8, 2014
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https://www.seccountry.com/florida/...media-on-monday-to-look-ahead-to-georgia-game
- “First and foremost, it was a great week off for us. We got a lot accomplished. The guys, I think, really came back yesterday refreshed and excited about a stretch run here. Obviously going into this game Florida-Georgia is one of those games with great tradition obviously. The city of Jacksonville, the way they embrace it, the history of the event, it doesn’t matter where you’re from or where you grew up, this is one of those games you know about.”
- “We’ve got a lot of things we need to get better at. I think we answered some of those this week, and yet we’ll see on Saturday.”
- On Georgia: “This is a team that does a great job in their time of possession, obviously have some runners who can hurt you and a quarterback who can really throw it and take advantage of some of things you do defensively. … Defensively, a team that ranks 24th overall defensively and headed by a group of guys that really know what they’re doing in Kirby (Smart) and obviously Mel (Tucker) in what they need to do to shut us down. This will be a great chess match.”
- Injuries: DE Bryan Cox, DE Jordan Sherit and DT Joey Ivie all “ran around a little bit” over the weekend. He said we’ll know more Wednesday. ” … On LB Jarrad Davis: “Right now that’s one that we’ll push through the week and know this, we won’t ever jeopardize anything there. It would have to be right in all these guys’ cases.” … TE DeAndre Goolsby “did some things yesterday. … I’d say that would be questionable as well.” … RG Tyler Jordan “should be back and ready to roll.”
- On offense: “We’re nowhere near where we’re going to be, and yet we’re getting some parts that are actually starting to step up and realize how good they can be. I think that’s part of it, is understanding, you know what, you can really be good if you allow yourself to be good. And how do you do that? How you do that is a) not shooting yourself in the foot with unforced errors and, when an error happens have enough confidence in your ability to overcome that. … I like where we’re headed.”
- On addressing penalty issues: “It was addressed pretty point-on.”
- On run-blocking: “Our guys’ initial contact has been pretty good. I think we’re learning how to finish and play through the whistle a little bit more … and when we’ve gotten into the second level we’ve done a good job of making some guys miss too.”
- On RT Jawaan Taylor: “He still makes a lot of, kind of scratch your head a little bit, but then you realize he hasn’t played a ton yet. But at the same time his energy can be infectious and when you see it is when you get into that open field.”
- On QB Luke Del Rio getting to play in Jacksonville, where his dad used to be the head coach: “That, and it could be said for a lot of our guys in that area. That’s a special place, and I know as a kid when you drive by a stadium like that every day, your opportunity to go play in it is pretty cool.”
- On his relationship with Georgia coach Kirby Smart: “We sat next to each other in the staff room for our years and obviously spent time together, as did Nuss (offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier). His ability to see the game and put a plan together is really, really good. Not only that, but he’s got a great family. He’s got a wife and some great kids. He’s a lot of fun to be around and I’m happy for him to have this opportunity, especially at a place that means so much to him. … And well deserved and long overdue.”
- “The one thing that kind of puts an exclamation point on this is the neutral field deal and the split stadium the way it is. That atmosphere is something that’s big time.”
- On Del Rio vs. Missouri: “I think the biggest thing there was simply his footwork and he actually drifted himself into trouble a little bit as he was bouncing off his drops, and you’ll see he created some of that, it wasn’t pressure, but in the pocket he sort of drifted into some trouble that didn’t allow him to be as accurate as he normally is.”
- More on Kirby Smart: “He was one of the first guys to welcome me in the door, which tells you what kind of guys he is.”
- On DE Jabari Zuniga: “He’s one of those guys who got caught up a little bit in the pre-early recruiting. You get out there and some times guys blossom as they become seniors. In his case, I think he’s a guy who truly blossomed and yet still doesn’t know how big he’s going to be and how good he’s going to be.”
- On Jalen Tabor/Quincy Wilson being left off watch list for Thorpe Award: “I don’t know who makes those lists, but I’d put those two up against anybody in the country.”
- On OC Doug Nussmeier being rumored as candidate for Fresno State job: “I think it’s great. I’m a firm believer. Someone gave me an opportunity and I’ll do anything I can to help them in any way I can.”
- On Georgia QB Jacob Eason: “This guy in my opinion is the future of the SEC. He’s that good. His ability to push the ball downfield is something that is very impressive and so the learning curve is natural for anybody at that position and yet, man, he can hurt you in a hurry.”
