WHERE IS IT?

SEC title top priority for UF

By ANTONIO GONZALEZ
Alligator Staff Writer

Tim Casey / Alligator Staff
UF senior quarterback Chris Leak gets tackled during the Gators' 27-17 loss to Auburn on Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala.

Knocked out of the national championship picture - at least for now - the No. 9 Gators went back to the drawing board Tuesday.

Coach Urban Meyer said UF's emotional 27-17 loss to Auburn on Saturday was a major disappointment, and the team will have to learn from it.

"Complete devastation," Meyer said of the team's attitude. "But you have to bounce back. The '96 football team did. The 2006 basketball team did. These guys will bounce back."

Meyer said UF's goal of a Southeastern Conference title is still intact. The Gators have three remaining SEC games - Georgia, Vanderbilt and South Carolina - and if they win each, UF will represent the SEC East in the conference championship game in Atlanta.

Quarterback Chris Leak, coming off one the worst performances of his career Saturday, said the team hasn't lost focus and UF's 23 seniors are keeping everyone in line.

"The way you bounce back is just stay strong and stay together," Leak said. "That's what you have to do to get to Atlanta."

PEEVED PUNTER: Senior punter Eric Wilbur spoke Tuesday for the first time since dropping a snap that led to the game-winning touchdown for Auburn.

Wilbur expressed his remorse and blamed himself for UF's loss to Auburn.

"I felt like shit," Wilbur said. "What can you feel like? Basically, I feel like I just blew the game."

On the play, Wilbur fumbled the snap, picked it up and attempted to punt the ball anyway. But it was blocked by Auburn's Jerraud Powers and returned 15 yards for a touchdown by Tre Smith, giving the Tigers an 18-17 lead with 4:09 left in the third quarter.

"I was looking at their front line, watching to see what they were doing," Wilbur said. "They had a couple twists going on, and from their formation, I was expecting a check and I just lost focus.

"They snapped the ball. Good snap. Good protection. It just hit me right in the hands and I dropped it."

Wilbur had an opportunity to fall on the ball, which would have given the Tigers possession around the UF 15-yard line. Instead, he tried to get off a rugby-style kick. Wilbur said he never falls on a kick, and that he saw an opportunity to get the ball off. He said he would do the same thing over again if he had the chance.

REPLAY CONTROVERSY: After reviewing the tape of Saturday's game, Meyer said officials should have called Leak's fourth-quarter fumble an incomplete pass. While the play was ruled a fumble before and after replay review, Meyer said that video evidence shows that Leak's arm was moving forward, and by rule, the play should have been called an incomplete pass.

"We've talked to the SEC officials, and they've said it was a correct ruling," Meyer said. "I can sit and scream and yell and all that, but we have too many other things to worry about. We're very disappointed with the way it worked because I should never have to burn a timeout. But they agree with that, and they're going to correct that."


HMMMM...WHERE'S LEAK'S APOLOGY? MEYER SAID YESTERDAY THAT HARVIN IS GOING TO GET MORE TOUCHES--ISN'T THAT WHAT THE GATOR NATION HAS BEEN screaming ALL SEASON? HOW ABOUT MORE TOUCHES FOR QB #2????????????