Florida Football Set To Take On Crimson Tide
Monday September 26, 2005
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Gainesville, FL
University of Florida football head coach Urban Meyer and several members of the team took time to discuss their thoughts on Florida's game at Alabama this Saturday:
UF head coach Urban Meyer
On Alabama…
“This is going to be a big time test. Their defensive backfield is as good as we’ve gone up against. They are experienced, and they have a lot of players back on defense. They are running the odd, three-down front around 75 or 80 percent of the time, and we have a history of struggling against that mentality. Out West, that was all you saw.
“On offense their quarterback (Brodie Croyle) makes them go, and they have a terrific returner (Tyrone Prothro). This will be, from what I’ve heard, a loud environment, and the approach we are going to take is that it is loud because the Gators are coming into town. We will be honored and not shocked by it. It’s going to be loud because it’s two great football teams playing against each other in a great environment. We’re going to get ready to go.â€Â
On Alabama running back Kenneth Darby…
"I asked our coaches to compare him to (Tennessee running back) Gerald Riggs. They said Riggs may be bigger, but this guy is much quicker. We had better get both hands on him. He's in the same class as Riggs as one of the premiere backs in the SEC."
On the wide receivers…
“Dallas (Baker) played very well as did Jemalle Cornelius. I’ve had a lot of questions about if I was surprised by Jemalle’s play, and I am not surprised at all by him. I love Jemalle as a representative of this University and if you are a graduate of UF then you should love Jemalle. He’s all about Florida football, and he played terrific. Kenneth Tookes has really come along strong lately, and he’s done a nice job for us.â€Â
Quoting QB Chris Leak
On protecting the ball…
“One of our priorities is protecting the ball. That’s a big part of winning football games. It’s a big part of what we do. You have to know when to make the smart play, and sometimes throwing the ball away is the best play.â€Â
On Chad Jackson returning to his home state (Jackson is from Hoover, Ala.)…
“He has a lot of friends there. He knows a lot of the players on the (Alabama) team. I can’t imagine how special this moment is for him and his family. He’s going to be able to play a big-time game in front of his family and friends.â€Â
