Meyer Volunteers an Excuse for Close Game

Kiffin rebuffs Meyer's comments
ESPN.com news services

Florida might not have blown out Tennessee like everyone was expecting, but Gators coach Urban Meyer isn't so sure the Vols' goal was to pull out all the stops to win Saturday's Southeastern Conference spectacle.

Tennessee lost 23-13 Saturday to No. 1 Florida in Gainesville. The Vols were within a touchdown in the second half and had possession of the ball. Yet Tennessee stuck with an extremely conservative game plan offensively, as coach Lane Kiffin felt it was their only chance to stay close to the Gators.

In looking back at the game, Meyer said Sunday he probably should have opened up the defending national champs' offense. But he said there was no reason to because of the Vols' conservative approach to their own offense.

"When I saw them start handing the ball off, I didn't feel like they were going after the win," Meyer said.

"The way we lose a game there is throw an interception. Why put yourself in that position? Let's find a way to win the game. We're not trying to impress the pollsters. We're trying to win the game. A lot of it had to do with the way they were playing. It made our life a little easier."

Kiffin said he put his Volunteers in the best position they could be in to beat Florida. Then he took one more shot at Meyer, who said several of his players had been hit by the flu.

Asked whether he was worried about the flu also hitting Tennessee, Kiffin said: "I don't know. I guess we'll wait and after we're not excited about a performance, we'll tell you everybody was sick."

I know I'm continuing to sound like a Lane Kiffin apologist but I think I've got to back him up here. I understand that a moral victory shouldn't be the goal in any conference game, buts it pretty apparent that's what Tennessee was after Saturday. Kiffin's plan was to keep the game close and hope Florida made a mistake, thus Urban Meyer made not making a mistake his gameplan.

So, what's wrong with that? Last time I checked that sort of strategy is pretty common in football. I think Urban Meyer was just more than a little irked that he didn't get to have his 'I spanked the Vols' party. Tennessee played conservative, but they also refused to be Florida's whipping boy. I think that's a good thing. Not as good as this though.