Notebook: Gators in tune with UT mission

It's Tennessee week for No. 4 Florida and that means Rocky Top is on the Gators' mind.

The scene is so bad that Tennessee's fight song blared throughout the Gators' locker room Monday morning.

"They play Rocky Top probably 100 million times before we play the game," sophomore cornerback Joe Haden said. "The whole week that's all that's on and we just listen to that song. When we get there, I'll know the song by heart, so I'll probably start singing."

UF coach Urban Meyer said he will play the Boudleax and Felice Bryant tune ad nauseam until the game Saturday to get his team ready for one of the rowdiest environments in college football.

"Our video guys do a great job and we hear that thing all (week)," Meyer said. "That's college football, man. That's what it is. That's SEC football."

But this game isn't about a song. It's about two bitter rivals opening SEC play against each other. UF's defense has been stellar through two games, but Saturday will be the unit's biggest test thus far.

"(They are) as talented a team as I've ever coached against from the first game to this game," Meyer said. "That was my first SEC game as a head coach and I was like, ‘My goodness.' You get ready to play them and then you get out there and they are big, thick and fast athletes."

As is the story every time these two teams get together, stopping the run is the key to victory. The Gators are No. 1 in total defense in the SEC (190.5 yards per game) and are sixth in rushing defense — giving up only 60 yards a game. They face a Tennessee team that is averaging more than 221 yards a game.

"Our defensive coaches feel their running back is going to be one of the best we've seen," Meyer said. "Their offensive line is going to be their strength and then they try to take shots down the field. They're very good on offense. We think they're gonna want to establish the run and try to pound the ball at us.

"If they run the ball all over us, we won't win the game, that's really clear."

It's not just stopping the run for UF. It's playing sound football across the board and Meyer said he wants to make it clear that winning Saturday will come down to playing a solid, fundamental game on both sides of the ball.

"It will clearly be said as it's ever been said: If you wanna go win this game, let's not say, ‘Hey, let's go beat Tennessee,'" he said. "You better play great defense. You better have toughness and you better take care of the football or there's no chance of winning that game."

UF has to find its timing that has been here and there through the first two games. Meyer said he doesn't blame the poor timing on his players and that the speed and toughness of the Hurricanes was a major problem for most of the last game.

"Who you play has as much to do with timing," Meyer said. "I'll hear people watching games say, ‘Boy, they look good.' I look and they're playing a really bad football team when they look in sync.

"What happens is you have two football teams of equal talent and sometimes those kids on scholarship on the other side of the ball make a play.

"Look who we're playing this week again and it's again and it's again and it's again. I don't see that weak team on our (schedule)."

Ole Miss game

The game against Ole Miss at The Swamp on Sept. 27 will be televised by Raycom Sports. Coverage of the game is scheduled to begin at 12:30 p.m. and will be aired in Gainesville on Fox.

No cupcakes

For the first time in a while, the Gators stepped away from playing the obvious cupcakes to start the season and played a BCS team in Hawaii and a traditional power in Miami.

Neither certainly is a premier program this season, but each posed problems for the Gators. Meyer, however, said Monday he missed playing two traditional lightweights to prepare for conference play.

"There's times when I wish we played two (Division I Football Championship Subdivision teams)," Meyer said. "Not (Appalachian) States, but really bad 1-AAs to get your twos and threes in there. You score 75 points and you're doing your deal and your kids are smiling after, hugging their moms because they got to carry the ball.

"There's something to that, but we made a decision to play to teams that were (good).

"I feel good where we're at. We're not where we need to be statistically, but we're 2-0 and we've been battlefield tested."

Injuries

Meyer said redshirt senior offensive lineman Jim Tartt (shoulder) is healthy and should be ready.

"Coach (Steve) Addazio is all excited about it, so is our entire staff," Meyer said. "We've been really smart with him. I'd like to thank our doctors and trainers. I was like, ‘Get him in. Get him in,' last (Saturday). He wasn't quite ready and now you got Jim Tart ready to go play."

Receiver Carl Moore (hip pointer) isn't taking contact, but Meyer said he should be running full speed Monday and is expected to play Saturday.

Dustin Doe (groin) is limited and Meyer said he's "probable" for the game.