Q. What do you credit the defensive turnaround these last six quarters particularly to?
GERVON DEXTER SR.: Really just, we're just finally buying in and trusting to what Coach PT is calling, and we're all just trying to do our job a lot better. We finally, I think like once you see it work once, it's like okay, it works.
So when he calls it again, do the exact same thing we did last time. I think it's just we're just buying in a lot more.
Q. It seems like effort-wise, the energy seems higher. Like the gang tackling, it just looks like more guys are flying to the ball.
GERVON DEXTER SR.: Yeah, we're practicing that way, and it's translating to the game. It's going to the game. We also noticed that, if we practice that way, that's what will happen to the game.
So we have like in practice, we'll do like for the D-line, we've got an award that's called get out that stack, and the award is given to the player who pursues to the ball the most in practice, who gets to the ball first in practice, and who's flying around, even after the play is over, who's getting out the stack, who's flying around. That's shown a lot as well.
Q. Who's winning?
GERVON DEXTER SR.: So right now I got it the first two weeks, and Chris McClellan got it last week. We've been doing it the last three weeks. I'm 2-1.
Q. Professional jealousy that Dez got the fumble and started running with it?
GERVON DEXTER SR.: No, no jealousy. It was a great sight to see. I was really happy for him when I seen him get the ball.
I wish he would have scored it. I would have been a little more happy for him, but it was a great sight to see.
Q. Which is more surprising that he got it or that he has the presence to switch hands and stiff-arm the guy?
GERVON DEXTER SR.: I don't know. It was a great script, but I think his athleticism for him to be able to switch the ball and stiff-arm him, that probably got it. Yeah, Heisman pose.
Q. How many times did that tackle get showed in the D-line meeting?
GERVON DEXTER SR.: We replayed it a couple times to see. He had a pretty good reason on why he got tackled, I would say, but we showed him. We watched it a couple times.
Q. Did he agree?
GERVON DEXTER SR.: So he say, when he was switching the ball, it started to slide, and he was just wanting to go down with the ball to be able to celebrate with the ball instead of losing the ball. So yeah.
Q. I was curious what he thought.
GERVON DEXTER SR.: Yeah.
Q. How much has the strength in the edge play helped the interior line?
GERVON DEXTER SR.: It helps a lot when you have two edge rushers competing and getting after the quarterback, it sometimes opens a lot of doors for interior D-linemen, and that way the tackle can't come down on the three technique when he has somebody rushing with all of their ability. So it really helps.
Q. Where have you seen Antwaun and Princely make the most strides the past three weeks with their increased opportunities?
GERVON DEXTER SR.: I think they both got a great first step. They both have the great ability to rush the quarterback, so I think that's what, as an offensive tackle, you have to see that. You have to game plan for two guys that can rush the quarterback on both sides.
So I think that's been the main thing that they have been focused on, just rushing the quarterback and putting all their ability into rushing the quarterback.
Q. You guys are tied now with I think Tennessee for most turnovers forced in the SEC. How much pride have you taken on in the defense? How much work has gone into that? How much work do you do each week with the turnover circuits?
GERVON DEXTER SR.: Like I say, we practice that. We have like a tackling circuit, and three of the tackling circuits is just us like punching the ball out, stripping the ball, getting on the ball when a fumble is recovered, stiff-arms and all the stuff like that when we do get a turnover. We practice that a lot. We actually practice that every Wednesday practice.
So that's just coming from practicing, and we do it every week, and it's just starting to show up.
Q. How important has it been for the offense to control the ball, because they've been running these big drives, take up five, six minutes. How important has that been for the freshness of the defense in the second half?
GERVON DEXTER SR.: It's been very important for us. All of this stuff we do, we just trust the game plan. Coach, he always says that he wants his defense up first. So when we go up and get the ball, get on defense, we just try to stop the ball and let the offense come to score.
If that's not the case, we just keep competing, and we just try to -- like I say, we just trust the game plan.
Q. What makes Montrell so difficult to bring down?
GERVON DEXTER SR.: When I see -- this just is my opinion, but when I watch Montrell, I see a lot of Dameon Pearce in his game. So I think that helps him because he actually can get outside and get out of there or he can run it down the middle. He's a very strong running back, powerful back. It's going to take more than one to tackle him often.
So that's just in my opinion. I see a lot of Dameon Pearce in him as he plays.
Q. How do backs like him seem to get stronger as the game goes on? Is there a common trait in those guys?
GERVON DEXTER SR.: In my opinion, I haven't played a running back like Montrell yet. The thing that helps us, the Gators, is right after you see Montrell, you have to go against Etienne, so it's a lot harder. I haven't played against two backs that can do what those two can do either. I haven't faced any.
Q. It seems like you guys have been seeing a lot of mobile quarterbacks in the SEC. What about Wright? He's coming off a game where he rushed for over 100 yards. What have you learned that you can take into this game?
GERVON DEXTER SR.: With running quarterbacks, we try our best to rush thicker, run up the field. We try to contain them. We try our best to rush four, things like that.
Like I say, the biggest thing is not running past him, containing him in the pocket, and getting him when we get to him.
Q. Billy said the team rule this week is you guys can't talk about the weather?
GERVON DEXTER SR.: He really don't too much like distractions. So he told us yesterday it was going to be cold, and that was the last thing we needed to say. That was the last thing we were going to talk about that.
Q. Can we ask you about the weather then?
GERVON DEXTER SR.: No, I don't know about it.
Q. You received a lot of buzz from the NFL Draft knowing that the last home game was this week. Did you give any thought to that like it was your last game in The Swamp?
GERVON DEXTER SR.: I haven't. I was focused on South Carolina last week and this week. I'm locked in on beating Vandy.
Q. Did it feel good to get to the quarterback, you and Princely together?
GERVON DEXTER SR.: It felt good. I haven't got to him in a little minute, so I took my anger out on him.
Q. Three and out to start the game. How good does that make you feel about the defense, and how much do you feel that shows how far you guys have come?
GERVON DEXTER SR.: It felt good. Even just wanting to -- we played some pretty good ball in Texas A&M. And our goal is to start the game how we ended the game against A&M. I think that's what we showed and how we played against.
Q. I'm also going to put you on the spot. Have you been able to stay off the Twinkies?
GERVON DEXTER SR.: Yeah, I haven't ate a Twinkie ever since Miss Kelsey got here. I've been off of them.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports