TebowFanatic
Gator Fan
Like a year ago, Florida loses in a stunning upset to Auburn, the Gators' first loss of the season.
Like a year ago, there is an emotional scene in the UF locker room Saturday night, followed by an intense 7 a.m. team meeting Monday.
This may look like history repeating itself, but Florida coach Urban Meyer says it is not. This is a different season, a different team and a different situation from a year ago. There is no comparison, Meyer said.
So the Gators are taking a different approach in the aftermath of this loss to Auburn.
"I have been asked how this compares to last year and I think we are on a different planet than a year ago," Meyer said Monday. "Our whole intent is to make sure that we get a little better. That is it.
"There is not going to be a big rally cry and we're not going to have a bunch of slogans around here. It's just to get a little better."
After the loss at Auburn a year ago, Meyer had a much different messages for his players the following Monday. He played them an audio tape made by former UF Heisman Trophy winner Danny Wuerffel talking about how the 1996 UF team overcame a heartbreaking loss to Florida State to win the SEC and the national championship.
To companion the audio, Meyer stressed to the Gators they were still in the championship hunt and had everything to play for. Every Monday after that, Meyer would stand up at the meeting and update his team on the BCS standings and where UF fit in the national championship picture.
Meyer said a similar approach would not play well with this year's young team.
"Every Monday I'd talk to the team about what was going on around the country," Meyer said. "We actually talked about (the BCS). This year, there is none whatsoever because we're not at that point yet. For me to waste time talking about that (would not be appropriate).
"The only thing that matters is coming out today and having a good practice, not putting our caps on backward for rally caps or turning them inside out. We have to get better."
The players said Monday morning's team meeting was much different than the one a year ago following the Auburn loss. Meyer's message was different.
Meyer told the players to put the painful loss behind them and move on.
"That's all you can do," junior defensive tackle Javier Estopinan said. "Coach Meyer wanted to make sure the leaders were making sure everyone was upbeat today and ready to go to work.
"A lot of guys were down and out. We're a young team and there are a lot of guys who don't know how to take losses yet. Sometimes things don't go your way and you make mistakes. That's just part of the deal sometimes. Coach Meyer emphasized we've got to pull together. We can't be living in the past. We just have to have faith in each other and play our hearts out this week because we have a tough one (against No. 1 LSU)."
Quarterback Tim Tebow said the players' reaction to the loss Saturday night is a positive sign.
"The great thing about this team in this loss is everybody was heartbroken over it, agonizing," Tebow said. "That shows how much guys care and they're going to bounce back. I think we'll have a really good week where we rally around the leaders and the coaches."
Tebow said the goal this week is to recapture the work ethic Meyer and his teams are known for.
"We'll kind of get back to basics, Coach Meyer and his system," Tebow said. "It's what the University of Florida is built on, and that's discipline, doing things the right way on and off the field.
"It's working hard, winning the game in special teams and just outworking teams in everything we do. That's what (the meeting) was about. We're going to get back to that. That's how we've been successful. That's how we've won games. That's how we're going to be successful in the future."
The Monday after last season's loss to Auburn, the Gators listened to the Wuerffel tape, then Meyer handed out cards to the players with Wuerffel's message printed on them.
Tebow said the Gators don't need any props to help with motivation this time.
"I don't think this is a week we'll need cards or anything said by anyone else," Tebow said. "We already have the motivation. We're motivated by each other and by not letting each other down. The motivation is going to be there and we're going to play hard."
Like a year ago, there is an emotional scene in the UF locker room Saturday night, followed by an intense 7 a.m. team meeting Monday.
This may look like history repeating itself, but Florida coach Urban Meyer says it is not. This is a different season, a different team and a different situation from a year ago. There is no comparison, Meyer said.
So the Gators are taking a different approach in the aftermath of this loss to Auburn.
"I have been asked how this compares to last year and I think we are on a different planet than a year ago," Meyer said Monday. "Our whole intent is to make sure that we get a little better. That is it.
"There is not going to be a big rally cry and we're not going to have a bunch of slogans around here. It's just to get a little better."
After the loss at Auburn a year ago, Meyer had a much different messages for his players the following Monday. He played them an audio tape made by former UF Heisman Trophy winner Danny Wuerffel talking about how the 1996 UF team overcame a heartbreaking loss to Florida State to win the SEC and the national championship.
To companion the audio, Meyer stressed to the Gators they were still in the championship hunt and had everything to play for. Every Monday after that, Meyer would stand up at the meeting and update his team on the BCS standings and where UF fit in the national championship picture.
Meyer said a similar approach would not play well with this year's young team.
"Every Monday I'd talk to the team about what was going on around the country," Meyer said. "We actually talked about (the BCS). This year, there is none whatsoever because we're not at that point yet. For me to waste time talking about that (would not be appropriate).
"The only thing that matters is coming out today and having a good practice, not putting our caps on backward for rally caps or turning them inside out. We have to get better."
The players said Monday morning's team meeting was much different than the one a year ago following the Auburn loss. Meyer's message was different.
Meyer told the players to put the painful loss behind them and move on.
"That's all you can do," junior defensive tackle Javier Estopinan said. "Coach Meyer wanted to make sure the leaders were making sure everyone was upbeat today and ready to go to work.
"A lot of guys were down and out. We're a young team and there are a lot of guys who don't know how to take losses yet. Sometimes things don't go your way and you make mistakes. That's just part of the deal sometimes. Coach Meyer emphasized we've got to pull together. We can't be living in the past. We just have to have faith in each other and play our hearts out this week because we have a tough one (against No. 1 LSU)."
Quarterback Tim Tebow said the players' reaction to the loss Saturday night is a positive sign.
"The great thing about this team in this loss is everybody was heartbroken over it, agonizing," Tebow said. "That shows how much guys care and they're going to bounce back. I think we'll have a really good week where we rally around the leaders and the coaches."
Tebow said the goal this week is to recapture the work ethic Meyer and his teams are known for.
"We'll kind of get back to basics, Coach Meyer and his system," Tebow said. "It's what the University of Florida is built on, and that's discipline, doing things the right way on and off the field.
"It's working hard, winning the game in special teams and just outworking teams in everything we do. That's what (the meeting) was about. We're going to get back to that. That's how we've been successful. That's how we've won games. That's how we're going to be successful in the future."
The Monday after last season's loss to Auburn, the Gators listened to the Wuerffel tape, then Meyer handed out cards to the players with Wuerffel's message printed on them.
Tebow said the Gators don't need any props to help with motivation this time.
"I don't think this is a week we'll need cards or anything said by anyone else," Tebow said. "We already have the motivation. We're motivated by each other and by not letting each other down. The motivation is going to be there and we're going to play hard."
