9/21-22: Gators players, coaches speak to media

A number of Florida Gators players and coaches spoke to the media on Tuesday and Wednesday as the team looks ahead to its game against the Kentucky Wildcats at home on Saturday (airing on ESPNU at 7 p.m.).

Check out what offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Steve Addazio, assistant head coach and defense/defensive line coach Dan McCarney, senior center Mike Pouncey, redshirt junior left guard Carl Johnson, redshirt junior defensive tackle Omar Hunter, sophomore left tackle Xavier Nixon and redshirt senior wide receiver Carl Moore had to say…after the break!

COACH ADDAZIO
On the offense’s early struggles: “There’s no question that we’re slow-starting. Tennessee game I think we ran I believe it was 10 plays in the opening series. One of the things we’re looking at right now is just better first down production overall. Our explosives are unbelievable right now, especially in the run game, we have huge ones. Our time of possession is excellent, it’s almost 32 minutes which is a lot. Our first down production, we’re off-schedule too much. Whether you run or pass, you like to stay on schedule. I think we need to do a better job of that. Slow-starting, a little bit has to do with we’re young. I think those things weigh in there a little bit. I think we’re still trying to find those right combinations.”

On what the offense is doing right: “The kids have a great attitude. Our guys are playing really hard right now. They’re playing really hard and really physical. So now it’s just a matter of being more efficient.”

COACH MCCARNEY
On Kentucky athlete Randall Cobb: “He’s got speed, he’s got toughness, he’s got jumping ability. He’s dangerous no matter where he lines up. He’ll make a great living at the next level on Sundays, we just don’t want him to make a great living here Saturday because he’s really a good player.”

On senior defensive end Duke Lemmens: “He’s a joy to coach. No one is having more fun and playing better on our defense than Duke Lemmens.”

C POUNCEY
On the freshmen playing on the road: “They made the plays that we needed them to make and they played real well. [They] stayed composed.”

LG JOHNSON
On the last time he was under 300 pounds: “At birth, I think. Somewhere around there.”

On a media member’s cell phone ringing: “Come on. No cell phones. You killin’ the vibe. That’s a $50 fine. I expect that to be paid on next Monday.”

On flying home without Tebow after the Kentucky game last year: “We were [in the] same old mood, having fun on the plane. You can’t hurt Jesus.”

On the Gators not putting together long drives: “I really don’t think we should ever start from our own 10. That’s what special teams is for. I’m fat. Listen, I don’t want no 90-play drives. I’m telling it like it is. I love them 40-yard drives.”

DT HUNTER
On head coach Urban Meyer saying WR Omarius Hines would have scored on the fake punt if he took his block: “I told Omarius that, he would’ve. He would’ve scored if he would’ve followed me. He saw what he saw and got a first down.”

LT NIXON

On the health of his knee: “It’s back up to 100 percent.”

On preparing for Kentucky: “Just staying steady in the boat. Keeping our minds set on this game, nothing else. Just going to practice, working hard.”

On not looking ahead to Alabama: “It’s not hard at all. It’s still SEC football. They can put up a challenge just like any other team in the SEC. We take them seriously.”

WR MOORE
On getting hit on the field after coming back from injury: “My back, I haven’t really been too worried about it because I took some shots in camp, too. The game wasn’t the first time I had taken a shot, so I wasn’t too worried about it out there.”

On the importance of edge blocking: “We understand that we got some fast guys back there and if they can get to the outside, that’s going to be touchdowns. Our receivers are really just taking a big, big emphasis on blocking this week and making sure that Jeff Demps can get the lane and go.”

Special thanks to the Palm Beach Post for Johnson’s quotes.