The Florida Gators defensive unit was made available to the press Tuesday, three days before they face the Cincinnati Bearcats in the 2010 Sugar Bowl. Aside from every player and coach being asked about the health of head coach Urban Meyer, one of the hottest topics was the defense’s collapse in the 2009 SEC Championship against the Alabama Crimson Tide. Special thanks to the Palm Beach Post and ESPN affiliate GatorCountry for providing the quotes below.

Defensive coordinator Charlie Strong:
“Looking back, we just didn’t play well. We played well all the way up to that game, and just weren’t prepared. We didn’t do a good job of coaching that day and just didn’t play well, and it showed.”

“Guys understand we have to be prepared to play each week, and we didn’t do a good job of coaching that day. We always talk about, if there’s 10 or less missed tackles, you have a good chance of winning the game. We exceeded that in the first half.”

Senior linebacker Ryan Stamper:
“The last game was a disappointment, but we want to just come out and play hard and show that we are still one of the best defenses in the country. We just want to come out and play the way we are capable of playing.”

“Blown coverages, missed coverages, guys out of gaps – we’ve never had that many missed assignments all season. Guys just weren’t into the game. You could see that on film.”

Junior cornerback Joe Haden:
“I haven’t even looked at the game. We haven’t watched film or anything. The equipment staff, when Major [Wright] asked them for the DVD, was like, ‘Why do you want to see that?’ It’s like nobody wants to bring it up.”

Junior safety Major Wright:
“We didn’t play Florida defense. We weren’t playing physical enough. We usually go out and have fun, chest bump, every play. But it wasn’t happening.”

“[Winning the Sugar Bowl is] very important. For one, just getting the taste out of our mouth from our last game, and start the season off right. We’ve got a lot of young guys who can come out and get better, make plays and show what they got.

Junior safety Ahmad Black:
“I don’t think we were ready. They wanted it a little bit more than we did.”

New Orleans Saints defensive end Bobby McCray was arrested Tuesday morning and charged with a number of counts including driving while intoxicated, according to a report by The Associated Press. McCray was handcuffed after refusing to take a breath alcohol test during a routine traffic stop.

McCray was pulled over and arrested at 4:30 a.m. by an officer who caught him speeding. He was charged with DWI, speeding, careless operation of a motor vehicle and absence of vehicle registration. McCray was booked into Orleans Parish Prison but has been released on his own recognizance. Anyone who refuses a breath test under suspicion of driving drunk in Louisiana automatically loses their license for 12 months.

McCray was a two-time All-SEC second-team selection who played in 36 games while with the Florida Gators from 2001-04. He was drafted in the seventh round of the 2004 NFL Draft (249th overall) by the Jacksonville Jaguars.

As part of Nike‘s roll-out of their Pro Combat line of football gear, the Florida Gators sported new uniforms during the final home game of the season against the Florida State Seminoles. Senior wide receiver Riley Cooper said the players liked the look of the white “F” helmets so much that they elected to wear them for the 2009 SEC Championship against the Alabama Crimson Tide. “They look cool,” Cooper said. “We all liked how they looked.”

Head coach Urban Meyer seems to have a superstition with uniforms, shelving certain color combinations and utilizing others more often when the team has success wearing them. Such is the reason, OGGOA believes, that fans no longer see the white jersey-orange pants combination and often see the all-blue and all-white uniform choices. Even the white jersey-blue pants uniform has become a rarity, though the blue jersey-white pants combination is used often.

Though the Nike Pro Combat uniforms were only a one-time promotional ploy, the Gators’ sporting the white “F” helmets for a second straight game led many fans to worry they might end up replacing the good ol’ orange helmets with the cursive “Gators” script.

Those fans should no longer be concerned with breaking tradition, according to Cooper. “It didn’t work out for us, so I don’t think we’ll wear those again,” he said. “I’m not wearing mine.” Not that Cooper would have a chance, seeing as Friday’s 2010 Sugar Bowl against the Cincinnati Bearcats is the last game of his college career.

While Florida’s 2010 uniforms will look the same as they have in the past, it is believed that the athletic department will use some of the Nike Pro Combat gear from a technical standpoint. Better gloves, lightweight, sweat-wicking fabrics and lighter shoes are all things that can give the Gators an advantage – especially in the smoldering Florida heat.

Nike’s Pro Combat uniforms are said to be 37% lighter than current designs and utilize a four-way stretch twill that does not hold sweat or water. Additional features include Nike’s Dri-FIT technology, evaporation and cooling zones, more padding zones and improved ventilation and breathability. Players also wore Nike Vapor Trail 2.0 gloves and Nike Zoom Air cleats that are lightweight and feature better cushioning in the heel.

1 » Though the players who, you know, have actually played under and been coached by offensive coordinator Steve Addazio are singing his praises, a host of former Florida Gators are not happy with the decision made by head coach Urban Meyer to make Addazio his interim coach. A number of them sounded off to the Sporting News:

Center Cal Dixon: “I have concerns about Addazio because of the offensive struggles this past season. It’s hard to gauge how much of the struggles were due to Addazio’s play-calling or from the loss of great personnel like Percy Harvin. I have seen Addazio work with the offensive line and I like his passion, intensity and teaching at the offensive line position level, but…”

Wide receiver Jack Johnson: “I’m not sure that I believe in Addazio enough to manage the ship for one year. In my mind, he has proven that he wasn’t ready to be an offensive coordinator at UF so I know he isn’t ready to be the head coach…”

WR Travis McGriff: “Steve Addazio is a very bright coach. I think he struggled a little bit this year as an offensive coordinator. It was his first year in that role and I think it was a learning process. I think he possesses many traits that you want in a head coach but I’m not quite sure he is ready for this…”

OL Reggie Green: “I don’t think an interim coach is the best decision because of the lack of permanency. I don’t think players and coaches are as focused on a long-term basis, a season, knowing the situation can change at any time. It promotes confusion…”

2 » Following up on his colleague’s story about four-star cornerback Joshua Shaw (Palmdale, CA) and the reaffirmation of his commitment to Florida, JC Shurburtt of Scouts, Inc. caught up with Shaw to pick his brain some more. “[Coach Meyer and I] just agreed that we would talk on Sunday and not jump to any conclusions at that time,” Shaw said. “We agreed I wouldn’t try to de-commit and call up other schools. Then I just left it in God’s hands. The next morning, I got to talk to Urban. He told me that he basically isn’t going anywhere. We have a father-son relationship basically. I talked to him before he had his press conference and he was letting me know basically it was still safe for me to attend Florida.” Shaw plans to recruit hard for the Gators this week and hopes to bring four-star wide receiver Chris Dunkley (Pahokee, FL) on board. “I am hoping that Chris Dunkley will be a Gator,” Shaw said. “No doubt about it.”

1 » Cincinnati Bearcats wide receiver Mardy Gilyard is the most explosive (and most vocal) member of his team. Though he may run his mouth on the sideline, in the huddle, on the line of scrimmage and after the play, one place Gilyard is not talking is his dreams – which have always included the Florida Gators in one way or another. Growing up in Bunnell, FL, Gilyard rooted for the Gators and always dreamed about either playing for or against Florida in a big game. “It’s always a real close game, going back and forth, and right before the end of the game I wake up,” he said. “So I’m anxious to see how it’s going to go.” ESPN’s Brian Bennett has written a great piece on Gilyard and the trials and tribulations he has experienced throughout his life.

2 » Another Bearcats player who has overcome adversity and won over the media with his charisma is defensive tackle Alex Daniels. Calling Friday’s 2010 Sugar Bowl “my national championship game,” Daniels defied the odds by making it out of a bad neighborhood in Columbus, OH, and turning his life around as a football player. “I’m playing against Tim Tebow in the Sugar Bowl,” Daniels said. “It’s Florida, man, come on! This experience, to be in New Orleans – I have to embrace Bourbon Street, to see the Big Easy. I’m soaking it all in.”

3 » There is no question that Gators senior quarterback Tim Tebow is going to go down as the greatest player in the history of the program. It should come as no surprise that he is considered by many to be possibly the best player in the history of the sport on a collegiate level. Those beliefs are exactly why other Southeastern Conference teams are foaming at the mouth for Tebow to call it a career on Friday. Chris Low of ESPN, the site’s SEC blogger who lives in Knoxville, TN, and covered the Tennessee Volunteers as a beat writer for 10 years, relates a quote that tells the story of a conference which decided that rather than try to beat Tebow, it would be best to wait him out. “The playing field’s going to be level for everybody else when Tebow is gone,” numerous people in the SEC told Low. But, of course, the story turns to question the future of the Florida program: “Life after Tebow [is] one big unknown for the Gators,” Low titles his piece.

4 » Gators head coach Urban Meyer‘s name is popping up every time a reporter speaks to a head coach these days whether said coach is leading a college football team or not. It should then come as no surprise that Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban was asked about Meyer’s situation on Monday. “I think college football is a lot better off with people like Urban Meyer in our profession,” Saban said. “He’s a true professional in what he does. He’s done a fantastic job every place he’s been. He does it with a lot of dig­nity and class and profes­sionalism. We not only have a lot of respect for him as a person, but also the wonderful job that he’s done everywhere he’s been, especially at the University of Florida.” Tight end Colin Peek echoed Saban’s sentiments. “I think it’s very sad to see a coach in his prime have to deal with a situation like that,” Peek said. “I thought it was going to be cool to have this rivalry of Florida vs. Alabama hopefully every year in the SEC Championship. I have so much respect for the man and the program that he’s built.”

Redshirt junior transfer center Vernon Macklin led his team with a dominant post presence and career-high 18 points as the newly unranked Florida Gators (9-3) defeated the visiting American Eagles (2-11) 76-60 on Monday night at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center in Gainesville, FL. Though Florida came away victorious, an overall lackluster performance allowed American to hang with them throughout the game; the Eagles even closed the Gators’ lead to single digits after being down as much as 23 at one point in the game.

Florida dominated American in the paint as junior forward Alex Tyus bested his frontcourt mate Macklin with a game- and season-high 20 points. Freshman guard Kenny Boynton had one of the best performances of his young career from beyond the arc, going 4-of-7 (7-for-15 overall) for 19 points. Tyus also led the team with eight rebounds, while sophomore point guard Erving Walker dished out six assists.

The Gators once again struggled defending the three, allowing the Eagles to shoot 41.7 percent from downtown. Just a few weeks ago, Florida led the nation in three-point defense; they have since appeared lackadaisical when defending the three while simultaneously shooting poorly from beyond the arc. The latter was corrected Monday as the Gators shot 40 percent (6-of-15) from three as well as 45.2 percent from the field.

As a result of the team’s defensive struggles, head coach Billy Donovan held his players in the locker room for almost 20 minutes after the contest to go over game tape. “[Coach Donovan] was really disappointed about how we guarded the three-point line in the second half,” Tyus said. “We left too many guys open.”

G Nick Hendra and F Vlad Moldoveanu led American with 15 and 14 points, respectively, and Hendra also added a game-high 13 rebounds to his performance.

Florida’s last game of 2009 is scheduled for Wednesday when they will take on the Presbyterian Blue Hose (2-11) at 7 p.m. in the O’Dome.

As OGGOA reported last Thursday, it is looking more likely that Florida Gators head coach Urban Meyer will lean on assistant defensive coordinator and safeties coach Chuck Heater to replace new Louisville Cardinals head coach and former defensive coordinator Charlie Strong. While a decision remains in limbo, Heater spent a part of Monday angling for the job.

“I’m interested in having a leadership role, whatever it might be,” said Heater, according to Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald. “[It doesn’t] have to be a title or anything. I just want to be in a good room with a good exchange of ideas and good guys and that’s what we’ve had since I’ve been here.” Heater added that “chemistry […] is probably the most important part” of a defensive staff though “new ideas and perspective can be a good thing.”

Though assistant head coach and defense/defensive line coach Dan McCarney said he is not interested in becoming Florida’s next defensive coordinator, Heater admitted that having a co-coordinator is an option that may be considered by Meyer and athletic director Jeremy Foley. “I [have been a defensive coordinator] before, and I have a lot of responsibilities as assistant head coach on defense,” McCarney said. “Whatever happens, we’ll have a really good defensive staff again. I promise.”

According to Goodman, sophomore safety Will Hill said that a promotion from within would be the best case scenario for the Gators. “I would like to see someone from the team take over because he already knows the concepts and everything, so I wouldn’t want to change up everything and shake things around,” Hill said. “Coach Heater calls the plays up in the box, so you could say he’s been running it for awhile. It would just be an easy transition.”

ESPN college football recruiting reporter Greg Biggins has done a bang-up job over the last two days covering the reactions of west coast recruits to the two announcements made by Florida Gators head coach Urban Meyer about his future with the team. Biggins has reported new information on four-star cornerback commitment Joshua Shaw (Palmdale, CA) and five-star defensive end recruit Ronald Powell (Moreno Valley, CA) that that should interest Gators fans.

Shaw, who committed to Florida in November, reaffirmed his commitment to the Gators once again. “Man, I’m a Gator,” Shaw said. “My phone has been blowing up with calls from everyone but nothing has changed for me. I’m 100 percent committed to Florida and still play to enroll early there.”

He will participate in the Under Armour game in Orlando, FL, and plans to stay in-state so he can travel up to Gainesville and enroll early for spring classes. and football practice “When I committed to Florida, Coach Meyer was a big part of it but not the only reason. I love the school, the players, the city and everything else about it.”

The same cannot be said for Powell, one of the top recruits in the country who has been considered a heavy Florida lean for the last few months. Powell’s Rancho Verde High School coach, Pete Duffy, told Biggins that Powell is “pretty freaked out right now. He has been set on Florida for so long and now with the news over the weekend, he’s ready to re-open his recruitment. He loved Florida for a lot of reasons but playing for Coach Meyer was probably at the top of the list.” Duffy said Powell will consider the USC Trojans and Miami Hurricanes, both of whom are in his “top three.”

However, Duffy added that he spoke with tight ends coach Brain White “who I’ve known forever, and he assured me that Coach Meyer will be there, and I believe him. Ronald is thinking this could be about trying to save the recruiting class so he’s really [having] some second thoughts. He wants to sit down and talk with Coach Meyer man-to-man and see what’s up, and I think that’s a good idea.”

Shaw and Powell originally planned to attend the same school, enroll early and room together as freshmen. Gators fans hope those plans have not changed.

Photo Credit: Rivals.