Florida - 45, Samford - 7
Q. How impressive was DJ?
TYREAK SAPP: Oh, man, I love that kid. I already knew the night was going to be successful for him just by the way he works and the way he carries himself.
He carries himself like a starter. He carries himself like a starting quarterback. I didn't -- I honestly almost wasn't even surprised because the kid works so hard, and he tries his best to understand the game. He keeps up with Graham, and he takes from him.
So I watch that kid closely, and he works super, super hard. So I already knew what was ahead of him for tonight.
Q. You guys came out of the gates firing on all cylinders, forcing a turnover right away, creating all kinds of pressure in the backfield. What was your guys' mindset after obviously a rather turbulent performance against Miami in week 1? What were you guys trying to do this week and just set the tone?
TYREAK SAPP: I think get our confidence back because it did take a shot at our confidence. It took a shot at just the way we felt about our whole team.
I think just through leadership and the way we carried ourself throughout this week, we wanted to prove to not just the Gator fans, but I call them -- I love the Gator faithful because the Gator faithful is what keep me going. They don't shy away from us when we do bad or good. They're always with us.
But we just wanted to show the Gator faithful that we actually have this team, and the things that we preach about, we can actually put that on tape and perform for them. That was just the main thing, just getting our confidence back.
Q. Just elaborating on this a little bit more, just how difficult was the last week after the Miami loss, and how important was it to kind of wipe the slate clean?
TYREAK SAPP: It was difficult. It was difficult that night. It was difficult the next day, and it was difficult the next day. But the thing about this game, it will be difficult regardless because you've got to be able to handle success and you've got to be able to handle the failure as well.
It was difficult, but I feel like we picked ourselves up, and we said, you know, we dust ourselves off, and we say, you know what, that's not us, and that's not a reflection of the brand of football we play. That's not a reflection of our effort, and that's not a reflection of our execution.
Q. When you go now after this win, the locker room is going to be amped up. I'm sure the locker room is going to be amped up. How does that go into playing an SEC team next week against A&M?
TYREAK SAPP: As far as?
Q. As a unit now, and you've gotten this win and then the momentum pushing forward.
TYREAK SAPP: Yeah, it's given us momentum, but I know we're going to be realistic with ourselves. We're going to enjoy this win obviously, but we're going to be realistic with ourselves and fix the things we need to fix and tighten the bolts in places we need to tighten the bolts at because we understand there's better competition ahead, and we're going to have to take ten steps forward in order to be prepared to compete against those guys.
So we understand that, and I think this confidence, we're going to let this boost us, and we're going to enjoy this for tonight. But when our head comes off our pillow in the morning, it's going to be a whole different mindset, and I think everybody understands that from a leadership standpoint all the way down to the younger guys.
Q. Head comes off that pillow, I'll tell you, you're good, man. So when you see your coach under fire the way he's been -- I know you guys really like Billy, you like how he's worked with you guys and what he instills, and to see him under fire like that and people wanting him gone, does that like -- I mean, you got fired up when people picked you to finish 12th, but does that kind of motivate you and anger you guys when you're seeing that?
TYREAK SAPP: Yes, of course it fires us up because we believe in everything he has told us. Honestly, he has never lied to me. He has never lied to this team. So we believe in the work. We believe in him, and we believe in what he pushes.
I think that what he pushes is a great thing, and it can get us success. But I think us as players has to do our part. We've got to be better in certain areas. I think we took accountability this week, but now it's time to take action, like you saw what the accountability did out there. Now you're going to see what the action is going to be leading up to next week and the way we prepare.
Obviously everybody's going to have something bad to say. We're the Gators. Everybody's going to have something bad to say when you're up. Everybody's going to have something bad to say when you're down. Regardless of that, it is what it is honestly.
Q. Billy mentioned that George Gumbs was a walk-on receiver and a tight end and a defensive end.
TYREAK SAPP: Oh, man, G-Money.
Q. What's it been like? What has he brought to y'all's room? Can you believe he was a former receiver the way he gets after the quarterback now?
TYREAK SAPP: Oh, man, G, he's one of the lights of my day, man. He's one of the purest people you could ever meet, but the kid works so hard. I call him the Avenger because he is literally built like an Avenger. If you see him take his shirt off, you would think he was probably in the penitentiary for about a few years.
(Laughter).
The kid just works that hard. When he came in, he came in ready to learn. He came in ready to soak in. What he's done from when he got here till now, it's incredible. I love that dude because he comes in every day ready to work. He's trying to find some ways to get better. I kind of know his journey, know his story, where he came from at NIU and how that went for him.
Where he's at now, it's incredible. He's a freak of nature. I call him a super hero. He's an Avenger.
And congratulations as well. Congratulations, man, on the baby girl.
Q. Tyreak, you mentioned, obviously you guys get the turnover, first drive of the game. Just talk about is that when things immediately just switched for the defense, getting the fumble, first forced fumble of the season?
TYREAK SAPP: That was like a great thing, but I feel like this defense, what I love about us, we're never satisfied. Like things like that happen, and we kind of almost put it -- not like put it behind us, but we kind of almost forget about it in a way because we want more.
We understand we can do so much more. We can be so much more dominant. We just have to continue to get to understand each other and continue to work together as a defense.
I think tonight was a great stepping stone to doing that, and I know this week we're going to work our tails off to get ready to pull this one off on Saturday.
Like this defense is hungry. That's what I love about them. They are never satisfied, and we always want more. That's just the big thing. That's what I love about this defense.
Q. You mentioned obviously you started with DJ firing really on all cylinders, especially in the second half. Talk about as a defense, you guys get a stop, and then all of a sudden the offense is building a lead. Essentially compared to last week where it was almost the opposite. How, I guess, uplifting was it for the unit to see that?
TYREAK SAPP: Yes, it's uplifting. I feel like you go into a game like this, I always tell my guys, I tell the whole team, don't disappoint them. A team like that is coming in here, and they know what's about to happen, but you can't disappoint them, though, because when you disappoint them, you give teams like that hope.
I don't want a team like that walking away from here even have a thought in your mind, you can't have a thought in your mind that you can beat me. In your dreams, when you wake up, I don't care who you look at. No, I want you to be like, I could never, ever beat them no matter what I did.
So I always tell the guys, it's expected. Not one fan walked out of there and was worried about us failing or losing, unless you wanted us to lose. Other than that, yeah.
Q. I don't know if you've seen it, but there was a video posted a couple days ago of you looking into your locker after the loss to Miami. It seems with your answer you take these things very personally, you take football personally. With that said, what went into this week with your preparation heading into this game?
TYREAK SAPP: I think being calmer. I'm a very high tempo, excited guy. I think calming everything down and kind of waiting until I get to the game to kind of wind myself up.
Of course I love this game, and I love my brothers. It's more so the football is one part. I like football. I love my team. That's just the honest to God truth.
I want to make sure I put something out there that they can be proud of, and I want to be somebody they can trust. When I'm on the field with Sapp, he's going to give me his all and make sure he takes care of his.
Q. Having gone against both quarterbacks in the spring and the fall, how potent do you think this offense can be utilizing both Graham and DJ?
TYREAK SAPP: I say pick your poison. You want to get bit by a rattlesnake, or you want to get bit by a king cobra? Pick your poison. Either way, I think you're going to die.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports