11/16: Addazio discusses Pouncey, Gamecocks

Florida Gators offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Steve Addazio spoke to the media Tuesday as he took a final look back on the tough loss against the South Carolina Gamecocks and ahead to this week’s game.

HE’s BAAAAAAAAAACK

Perhaps the most important note coming out of Addazio’s availability on Tuesday was him confirming what head coach Urban Meyer said a day earlier – plans are for him to return as offensive coordinator for the Gators in 2011. Asked if he felt his job was safe next year, Addazio furrowed his brow and replied, “Yeah. Absolutely. I think coach addressed that, didn’t he?” When the question about Addazio’s desire to come back in the same role was broached, he was also quick to respond with, “Absolutely. Absolutely.”

POUNCEY A TOP 10 DRAFT PICK?

There is little doubt that Florida senior center Mike Pouncey will be a first round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. Whether that will be as a center or a guard is anyone’s guess. According to Addazio, he is hearing that Pouncey could go higher or at least in the same range as his brother did a year ago.

“He’s at the pinnacle of his game right now. He’s projected to be a top 10 pick. Playing lights out,” Addazio said. “That’s the feedback. I’m not an NFL prognosticator, OK? So if he ends up 17 or he ends up 16, is that bad?”

Addazio also discussed the Pouncey twins and why both have been so successful. “They’re really bright guys. They really get it,” he said. “They get it from a schematic standpoint. They understand defenses, blitzes, pressures, packages. Obviously Maurkice – that was evident through the interview process after the season as he went through the combine. The comments and feedback back were he was probably one of the most prepared offensive linemen to come out of college football. That’s why he’s had such a remarkable rookie season. […] Mike can play all three positions. Mike knows everything that goes up in that. He’s a heck of a football player and extremely intelligent.”

QUOTES (After the break…)

On the team regressing offensively and struggling against South Carolina: “The players are working hard every week. They come out ready to roll. We had a great two weeks going into this last game. We had a great plan. We had a great two weeks. Everyone felt good from the players to the coaches about it. We were not able to move the chains and we were not able to get into the flow and the rhythm of what we wanted to establish going into that game with our tempo. We couldn’t get it going. You can’t do that if you don’t sustain drives. That didn’t happen and that’s where it is.”

On going away from the gameplan in reference to Meyer saying they panicked: “You got to get in a rhythm; you got to get going. You got to have enough plays to be able to rotate guys. […] I think we ran 19 plays in the half. At that point you can’t get your tempo going. […] We couldn’t get into a flow because we didn’t convert. You got to convert first downs to get that [the up-tempo offense] going. It just has to happen. We didn’t do that, that didn’t happen. […] Most disappointing was the fact that we couldn’t get our plan going that we felt great about going into the game. We could never get it going.”

On freshman demanding playing time: “Anytime you’re involved with great players, that’s pretty normal. You’re recruiting guys that are very, very competitive guys. They’re talented guys, they want to come in [and play]. There’s so much hype and build-up and they want to play early. That’s what makes a great player – that they want to play early. That is a part of the sport right now. Period. It’s a little human nature.”

On why running backs sophomore Mike Gillislee and redshirt senior Emmanuel Moody had limited snaps last week: “Not a lot of snaps to be had.” He added that the second half was a throwing game due to the deficit and that both freshman quarterback Trey Burton and redshirt freshman Jordan Reed getting carries reduced those for others.

On the health of junior RB Jeff Demps: “We’re just trying to rest him as much as we can rest him during the week. It’s a real day-to-day, week-to-week situation. He’s doing the best he can with that.”