GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- When Florida coach Urban Meyer was
hired last December, he vowed to tailor the spread offense around
the strengths of his players.
Ten months and two losses later, Meyer acknowledged that the
coaching staff has done a poor job accomplishing that task.
"I don't think we've done a great job of adapting the system to
the players," Meyer said. "The job of a coach is to adapt the
system. I've always said there really is no system. You have to
adapt to the personnel. I don't believe we've done a great job of
that."
The No. 16 Gators tried to correct the problem during their bye
week as they prepared for Saturday's game against No. 4 Georgia in
Jacksonville.
"In this conference, you're not going to roll out 50 points
right now," Meyer said. "Maybe you will as you develop a little
bit. It comes down to guys going out there and making plays and
coaches getting them in a position to make plays. That's what we've
not done in big games."
The Gators essentially managed one legitimate scoring drive in
games against Tennessee, Georgia and LSU. They had an 80-yard drive
in the first quarter against the Vols, were held without a
touchdown at Alabama and might not have scored at LSU had it not
been for four turnovers deep in Tigers territory.
Quarterback Chris Leak, as well as his receivers and offensive
linemen, have struggled in the new system.
"We have a tremendous amount of work to do offensively," Meyer
said. "Execution in the pass game is not anywhere close to where
it needs to be. So how do you improve that? You've got to get your
playmakers making plays. You've got to get your quarterback
comfortable and protect him, and we have to do a better job as a
staff putting the players in position to make plays.
"It's hard to add plays. You just change how you do them.
There's no question we have to get (Leak) comfortable. It's hard to
do that in a week without a bye. We've done some things to make him
comfortable."
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^TALK ABOUT SPECIAL:@ Georgia's special teams -- especially the
kicking game -- have been a big reason for the team's success.
Brandon Coutu is the SEC's top field-goal kicker (16 of 19) and
leading scorer with 72 points -- 18 more than anyone else in the
league. Gordon Ely-Kelso ranks third in punting (42.6) and has put
55 percent of his kicks inside the opponent's 20.
Both players figure to play a key role in Saturday's game
against Florida. The No. 4 Bulldogs (7-0) can clinch a spot in the
Southeastern Conference championship game with a victory over the
16th-ranked Gators (5-2), but they'll have to do it without
starting quarterback D.J. Shockley, who's out with a knee injury.
"The kicking game is always crucial in a game like this,"
coach Mark Richt said. "Coutu and Ely-Kelso -- I don't think
there's anyone better than that combination. I wouldn't trade them
for anyone."
Last week, both players had key roles in a surprisingly close
23-20 victory over Arkansas.
Coutu kicked three field goals, including a 48-yarder. Ely-Kelso
averaged more than 48 yards on six punts -- three of them forcing
the Razorbacks to start possessions inside their own 10. The last
one was a 49-yarder that was downed at the 6 with just over two
minutes remaining, ensuring Arkansas would have too far to go for a
tying field goal.
"I'm really pleased with what they've done in the clutch,"
Richt said. "Field position, momentum and points. That's what
those guys have meant for us."
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^THE OTHER IRONS:@ David Irons was overshadowed by his brother's
rushing performance against LSU, but the Auburn cornerback also had
his best game last week.
Irons had five tackles and a pass deflection in No. 19 Auburn's
20-17 overtime loss. It's not as statistically impressive as Kenny
Irons' 218-yard rushing effort, but it was another sign that the
rust has worn off for David Irons.
The junior college transfer sat out last season with a knee
injury.
Coach Tommy Tuberville said it was his best game.
"David's got great acceleration, tremendous speed," Tuberville
said. "Sometimes he doesn't have confidence in himself because of
his knee injuries and because of his lack of playing time the last
three years."
One thing that David Irons doesn't have to worry about is losing
his knack for trash-talking, which he put to good use against LSU
after costly drops by their receivers.
"I was like, 'You left your hands at home," he said. "You
know I had to say something smart. They weren't listening to me.
They have to hear it from me, then they have to hear it from their
coach. They'd probably rather hear it from me."
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^SWITCH:@ Moving quarterback Robert Lane to fullback was a
success after one week for Mississippi.
The former high school All-American quarterback caught three
passes out of the backfield for 38 yards last week against
Kentucky, and could play an even bigger role this week at No. 19
Auburn.
"It's a big team sport, and he took one for the team,"
quarterback Micheal Spurlock said.
Lane only began practicing at his new position last week and is
still adjusting.
"We'll be able to go more with him as he gets more accustomed
to all we're doing," offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone said.
"One thing Robert's got is football savvy. The guy's a true
football player. The more we go to him, the better he's going to
become."
Each of Lane's catches against the Wildcats came in the first
quarter, and after that, he said Kentucky figured out how to
neutralize him.
"I'm sure we'll have a few more plays for me this week," Lane
said. "But it's not about me. It never has been. I just want to go
out and try to make plays for this team."
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^HONORS:@ South Carolina's Syvelle accounted for 126 total yards
and three touchdowns in a 35-28 win over Vanderbilt to earn SEC
offensive player of the week honors. The bad news: Newton tore his
left Achilles' tendon on an 11-yard TD run and will be lost of the
season.
He rushed for 80 yards on 15 carries and a TD, completed 3-of-4
passes for 46 yards and two TDs and also caught an 8-yard pass.
Alabama linebacker DeMeco Ryans was defensive player of the week
with 11 tackles, a recovered fumble and an interception in a 6-3
win against Tennessee. The Tide's Jamie Christensen was special
teams player of the week for his 34-yard field goal with 13 seconds
left in the game.