Jim McElwain, Gators discuss Florida’s shocking victory over Tennessee

Jim McElwain met with the media today after Florida’s extraordinary 26-20 win over Tennessee. Naturally, the Gators’ head coach was in better spirits this week.

You can view the press conference in its entirety at the link below.

Here are some quotes from McElwain’s time at the mic:

• “That was a lot of fun” - don’t worry, he also noted that it “wasn’t pretty.”
• On the atmosphere in The Swamp: “It was a great crowd. They had a lot to do with (the win) and caused their team trouble.”
• “I think everybody found out that Feleipe can throw the ball a long ways in the air.” We sure did.
• On the injury front: Chauncey Gardner "was in and out" and played through an ankle injury, and Duke Dawson was pulled because he “got hit in the head.”
• McElwain confirms the game plan for the final drive was to get in range for a field goal attempt from Eddy Piniero. When asked what that range was: “You were about to find out.”
• On Feleipe Franks: McElwain stated that Franks will continue to get better, and that he hopes he carries the confidence from the end of this game to next week.
• Asked about the tenor of the locker room: "I just enjoyed seeing them and their excitement. Because I know how hard they've worked."
• When asked what improvements he wants to see: "Playing with some consistency, playing with some energy."
• On Kadarius Toney: "There's something that's pretty cool about having a human joystick out there."
• Assessing the offense: “It’s almost like, I talked to them, sometimes in life it’s not about being afraid to be wrong but rather think what it is to be right. And we just wait to shoot ourselves. Afraid to make a mistake instead of just cutting it loose and going. It doesn’t matter the play. Just go play it fast and don’t be afraid to go make a mistake. We’ll get there, but we’ve got a lot of work to do.”

Florida’s game-winning duo, Feleipe Franks and Tyrie Cleveland, also took their turns at the podium. Their press conferences are available below.

• Franks first thought about “running it” on that last play before he saw Cleveland.
• Franks says this win is great for the players’ confidence going forward. He also noted that it was a great win for the fans.
• Franks: “We’re only going to improve.”
• Cleveland: "I've always dreamed about getting that game-winning touchdown."
• Naturally, Cleveland was asked about Doug Flutie’s Hail Mary. Cleveland’s response? "I haven't heard of Doug Flutie."
• On that game-winner, Cleveland says: "Before the play, I looked at Feleipe, and told him 'Give me a chance.'" He added that he “made it his business” to come down with that ball.

And here are the highlights from today’s win.