rexvol
The Minister of Defense
- Joined
- Apr 29, 2006
- Messages
- 18,124
- Likes
- 54
Wednesday, 09/19/07
UT can't gripe over late scores
What's worse than losing to a rival by 39 points?
Whining about it afterward.
A handful of Tennessee players complained that Florida piled up points after the outcome was long since settled last Saturday.
For the record, the Gators scored 24 fourth-quarter points and 10 in the final five minutes.
"In the fourth quarter, you left a couple of your starters in," UT defensive tackle Demonte' Bolden said. "That was all good. It was just like … did you have to score that?"
Defensive end Xavier Mitchell took it a step further, suggesting that an orange-tinted reprisal could be forthcoming but also noting that UT Coach Phillip Fulmer would never add insult to injury on the scoreboard.
"What goes around comes around," Mitchell said. "Coach Fulmer's not that type of coach. If he's up 50, the game's in the bag, and I respect Coach Fulmer for that."
To his credit, Fulmer has taken the high road, although his tone suggests that he thinks Gators Coach Urban Meyer was guilty of overkill.
"People choose to do things for their own reasons," he said. "As I said after the game, it's our job to stop them. We shouldn't have gotten ourselves in that situation.
"I know there's mixed feelings about that, but I'm not going to sit here and say all I think."
Shut up and play
This just in, guys: None of this is covered in the rules of engagement in college football. They don't hand out etiquette books at the coaches' convention. If you don't want to give up 59 points, tackle somebody.
Sure, some coaches abide by a gentlemen's agreement. They don't rub each other's noses in it. They'll take a knee rather than risk hurting a colleague's feelings.
To each his own.
As for the suggestion that Fulmer might extract a measure of revenge somewhere down the line, Meyer doesn't seem concerned. Nor should he. The trend lines of the two programs are going in different directions. The talent and coaching differential is wide … and getting wider.
In short, I don't see UT getting a chance to hang half-a-hundred on the Gators anytime soon.
UT can't gripe over late scores
What's worse than losing to a rival by 39 points?
Whining about it afterward.
For the record, the Gators scored 24 fourth-quarter points and 10 in the final five minutes.
"In the fourth quarter, you left a couple of your starters in," UT defensive tackle Demonte' Bolden said. "That was all good. It was just like … did you have to score that?"
Defensive end Xavier Mitchell took it a step further, suggesting that an orange-tinted reprisal could be forthcoming but also noting that UT Coach Phillip Fulmer would never add insult to injury on the scoreboard.
"What goes around comes around," Mitchell said. "Coach Fulmer's not that type of coach. If he's up 50, the game's in the bag, and I respect Coach Fulmer for that."
To his credit, Fulmer has taken the high road, although his tone suggests that he thinks Gators Coach Urban Meyer was guilty of overkill.
"People choose to do things for their own reasons," he said. "As I said after the game, it's our job to stop them. We shouldn't have gotten ourselves in that situation.
"I know there's mixed feelings about that, but I'm not going to sit here and say all I think."
Shut up and play
This just in, guys: None of this is covered in the rules of engagement in college football. They don't hand out etiquette books at the coaches' convention. If you don't want to give up 59 points, tackle somebody.
Sure, some coaches abide by a gentlemen's agreement. They don't rub each other's noses in it. They'll take a knee rather than risk hurting a colleague's feelings.
To each his own.
As for the suggestion that Fulmer might extract a measure of revenge somewhere down the line, Meyer doesn't seem concerned. Nor should he. The trend lines of the two programs are going in different directions. The talent and coaching differential is wide … and getting wider.
In short, I don't see UT getting a chance to hang half-a-hundred on the Gators anytime soon.
