Meyer Cautious of FSU; More Senior Talk

In his weekly teleconference, Florida head coach Urban Meyer was asked about his thoughts on Florida State and the threat they pose this weekend. Their recent demise doesn't represent the threat they are on the field according to Meyer and he knows his team understands that. He also loves the group of veteran players he is taking into The Swamp some of them for the last time.

The Florida Gators have everything to lose this weekend. They certainly enter the game with FSU with more talent and a better team, but that doesn't mean that the Seminoles can't create an upset of epic proportions. Urban Meyer and his team know exactly what they are facing on Saturday.

“I am concerned about their quality of players,” Meyer said via teleconference Wednesday. “There isn't a guy on FSU's roster that we didn't recruit. That tells you the respect we have for their players. There is no lack of talent.”

Meyer's team will be close to full force for the match up, however there will be a couple of players missing and a couple of more that are likely to play that were injured last week. Staring SAM linebacker A.J. Jones will miss the game as Brandon Hicks (a starter there last year) will replace him. Junior running back Emmanuel Moody may also miss the game, but everyone else that was available and played in the FIU game should be close to 100%.

“Hicks will start and is running with the one's,” Meyer said. “You also have some flexibility with Dustin Doe and Ryan Stamper. (Doe could start moving Stamper to the SAM spot)

“Terron Sanders had a great practice yesterday,” Meyer said. “Moody is still hobbled and is questionable for the game. Sanders is going to play.”

The last couple of years Meyer has had a young team heading into this game. Eve last year's national championship team was relatively young with few seniors. There still aren't many seniors, but the one's he has have been through a lot and are very experienced.

It isn't all about Tim Tebow and Brandon Spikes, there are some other seniors that have played a big role for this program that are going to be walking out to greet their parents on senior day Saturday. Two of them are Riley Cooper and Dustin Doe and both have made significant contributions.

“Riley Cooper was a special teams contributor his freshman year,” Meyer said. “His second year he was okay, last year by the end of the year he was one of our better players and this year he is arguably one of our best, if not our best receiver. We aren't in this situation without Riley Cooper.”

“Dustin Doe was a starter as a sophomore and was beaten out as a junior. He has battled back as a senior and I think playing the best he's played. We wouldn't be here without either one of them.”

Of course Tebow will go down as the most beloved football player in football history for his on the field accomplishments and his lifestyle off the field. Meyer has been amazed at Tebow being able to maintain his same demeanor his entire time in Gainesville, where the fans treat him like a rock star.

“The ability to stay Tim Tebow,” is what surprised Meyer so much. “So many times you see the athlete that gets all the recognition...all of a sudden becomes someone he is not. Sometimes they get surrounded by people that have destructive motives. You just want them to stay who they are and with the same people. But they let destructive people in their lives. Tim has kept the same people...the important people in his life. He has not allowed himself to be something other than that.

This senior class is the winningest in Southeastern Conference history and will have a special place in the hearts of all Gators. They have a chance to put a special stamp on a four-year run that may never be duplicated again. Saturday should be very special.