What Florida coach Billy Napier said about Tennessee on the SEC Teleconference

Everything Florida coach Billy Napier said Wednesday on the SEC Coaches Teleconference, as the Gators prepare for the trip to No. 8 Tennessee for Saturday night’s game (7 Eastern Time, ESPN) at Neyland Stadium:

Opening Statement

“Ok, before we get going here, obviously a lot of thoughts and prayers for all involved with the hurricane. Our team, obviously we have a number of players and families that are going to be right in the middle of this thing. So we certainly are thinking about all involved here. Our team is excited about the opportunity to go play in this historic game. 

“We’re right in the middle of the preparation here. Our schedule will be slightly different over the next few days, but overall, excited about our team, their attitude. I think we’ve improved. We need to continue to improve and that is what our current focus is with our next opportunity to get that. So we look forward to going.” 

What he saw from the Oklahoma and Arkansas defenses on tape against Tennessee

“Well, overall I would say that both teams play really good defense. Just in general. I think the, the staff there, T-Will has done a nice job at Arkansas and I do think that Coach Venables, his history on defense, the effort, the fundamentals, and a mindset. Both played really good gap integrity, played really good on all three levels of the defense and they tackled well, created, favorable down-and-distances and then had an opportunity to affect the quarterback. So in general, just really good fundamental play at all three levels of the defense. And ultimately I do think that I’ve got a lot of respect for how both those teams play defense.” 

What has changed this week for Florida due to Hurricane Milton

“Well our guys don’t have school today or tomorrow. I think we’ve moved the schedule up today to try to get everyone here sheltered before the arrival of the storm. And tomorrow is a little bit to be determined based off of what type of situation we have when we wake up in the morning. So overall, just moving things up today and then tomorrow I think we anticipate sliding things back slightly. We’ve had a huge influx of people in Gainesville from all the evacuations. So all the hotels are full. We just got quite a bit of the people that are evacuating are coming north here. So right now we’re outside of the eye of the storm and we’re anticipating getting more tropical storm-type weather.”

How he keeps players in a good mental state while storms hit the state of Florida

“I’d say you try to keep them up to date as much as you can. A couple times a day providing them with the most up to date information. And obviously we have our athletic department, our operations people meeting with the university leadership, so a couple times a day we’re able to give them kind of the latest news and information. Probably the most challenging part, which you described there, is a lot of these guys’ families are right in the sick of it down south. I think we are— we’ve been touching base with them throughout the entire week trying to provide them with the most up to date information. We have done quite a bit of planning in terms of what they need to be doing here to anticipate what’s coming and then we’ll be there as an organization and athletic department to fully support the players and any family situations that might come up where we can help. But there’s no question that we’ll have a lot of people that’ll be significantly affected by this hurricane.”

What impresses him about Tennessee’s defensive line

“Well, it’s a twitchy group. I think they’re a vertical penetrating style of play and they’ve done a nice job really recruiting and developing those players. I think they probably are as deep of a group as we’ve seen in a while. They rotate a lot of players and I think they’ve got both good players on the edge and also inside players that have density and mass and power. That can be a problem in the run game, but also they’ve got some really unique pass rushers. So it’s a big part of the challenge this week is accepting that challenge up front. We got to be ready to go on the offensive line.”

Where Florida has improved the most in recent weeks

“I think just overall the combination of the fundamentals and techniques and the overall alignment assignment, communication process on defense. And I think we have a little bit better mindset. I think the mentality’s changed a little bit. The open date was beneficial. I thought it was very competitive and I think we attacked the work last week and we need to continue to do the same this week.”

More on Oklahoma and Arkansas defenses slowing down Tennessee

“I think both teams have a great identity on defense. Both those groups play really good defense consistently across the board. They’ve got good players at all three levels of the defense. And then I think they just played with great effort and pursuit, really good fundamentals. They tackled well. They created some negatives and some favorable down and distances and then they were able to affect the quarterback. I think ultimately— I think both groups there have established coaching staff that have done a good job throughout the years. I mean, Coach Venables pedigree and certainly T Will’s (Arkansas DC Travis Williams) done a nice job at Arkansas. We played those guys last year and they’re a tough, gritty group man. I’ve got a ton of respect for how both of these teams play defense.”