Florida 24, Ole Miss 17
Q. What did you see on those two interceptions late in the game?
BRYCE THORNTON: I just seen the ball in the air, and I just told myself, it's time to go make a play.
Q. The deep ball, it was a little bit overthrown, but did you get a sense that you had a really good read on it?
BRYCE THORNTON: Yes, I think it was Shemar James that was in coverage. He played real good coverage underneath, and it gave me time to see the whole picture so I could go make a play.
Q. Coach Napier mentioned that he had seen you every week in the training office working your way back from injury. What does that time that you put into that mean to you now that it paid off with a career high in tackles?
BRYCE THORNTON: Oh, it means everything. Coming off injury, it was big for me because I never had an injury that put me out. So just trying to stay mentally locked in and all the coaches, all the players helping me, so it really meant a lot.
Q. I want to go back to the Georgia game over in Jacksonville because that was 20-20 against the No. 2 team at the time in Georgia. You came out of there losing that game, but did the confidence start to grow at that point? With DJ being out at that point who knows what could have happened. It seems like this team has started to roll since then. Do you suspect that, as well? Talk about what it has been like this last month.
BRYCE THORNTON: I feel like the team, I feel like everybody is just coming together. I feel like that's the biggest thing with this team, especially the seniors. They helped a lot with this, trying to get the team together. Even after the losses, still trying to stay as one. I feel like after that game it really showed everybody we have glimpses. We're just trying to put it on full display.
Q. What have you been dealing with physically, and have you ever had a two-interception game in your life?
BRYCE THORNTON: I had a little ankle problem, but I'm out there, so I feel good. I only had a two-interception game one time, sophomore year. It's good to bring back memories.
Q. Aaron Gates goes out there, play of the game. How much did everyone have to step up in the secondary without him?
BRYCE THORNTON: Aaron Gates going down meant a lot to me. I'm very close with Aaron, so it kind of affected me, and I just thought, I've got to play for Aaron. I thought everybody came together, especially in the back end, and came together, like we're going to do this for Aaron.
Q. Billy talked about the open date practice and then the Tennessee game and said those were kind of turning points. Would you talk about how those affected you guys because it seemed y'all were kind of down in the dumps leading up to that open date.
BRYCE THORNTON: I feel like especially the leaders and the seniors came and brought the team together and we was like, how do we want the season to be. I feel that played a big part, and we all said we don't want to go out like this, so I feel like everybody came together and we started working even harder and I feel like it's starting to show now.
Q. A lot of progress from the first game up until now. Looking ahead to this next week with FSU, how excited are you guys about this game? How much confidence do you have going into that game? What are the expectations that you guys are setting upon yourselves for the end of the season?
BRYCE THORNTON: I feel like we're all even keel. I feel like we don't get too high, too low. I know it's a rivalry game. I feel like we're going to come out there in practice and do everything we've been doing to be a great defense. So I feel like coming into this game, it's just a rivalry game, but we're going to show up.
Q. When you look at everything that's happened throughout the course of the year, I know we went back to the Georgia game, but even you go back three games in and you're 1-2. Talk about the changes with the coaching staff and where you are now with the different things they were working on with you guys?
BRYCE THORNTON: I feel like the coaching staff has changed, but I feel like the players out here, I feel like individually and as a whole, we just all came together and we wanted to change how Florida was looked at. I feel like that's the biggest thing with us, just trying to show everybody that we can do it.
Q. What's it say about this defense, obviously Ole Miss came in No. 1 offensive team, they got 456 yards in this game but you guys bent but didn't break this whole game?
BRYCE THORNTON: I felt like this defense, everybody played a part, and the D-line had a great game. I feel like they helped, especially the back end contain, made him throw -- especially for my pick, difficult throws, and I feel like the linebackers played a big part in my picks, also, just getting him to overthrow the ball, and then the DBs, we're always going to be together. So I feel like just the whole, we're always coming together.
Q. How much fun has it been the last two weeks to come into the locker room after beating ranked teams?
BRYCE THORNTON: Oh, it feels great. I feel like we should be ranked, so we're going to keep performing, and I feel like everybody is going to see how Florida is supposed to be.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports