Barry Odom's Press Conference

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"It's good to see you guys. Start off with a salute to all the military personnel and the service folks, you know, Veterans Day was yesterday. Thank you, from not only my myself but our staff and our entire organization on all the sacrifices that go into what makes our country such a great country to live in, and we will honor in our way that we can this weekend with a helmet design and look forward to that, and pay an honor to all the all the veterans and kids are excited about having the opportunity to do that.

Look on the field. The last three weeks obviously has been a tough stretch. But I do have a great conviction and know that our program is built on the values that you really lean on during this time, and you continue to battle and you fight through that adversity. And, you know, there's not a simple solution, there's not a simple answer other than what we're doing, we've got to do better. We've got to go execute. And we've got to find a way to get back to the winner's circle. So that's our focus, excited to play at home. This week, we're going to look at the opportunity of going into very focused, prepared and then the opportunity to compete and execute against a really, really good Florida team. They're deserving of the ranking. They're good on all areas, they're solid, they've got a great scheme, players and coaches. You look just overall at Florida and what they do not only offense, defense, kicking but they're a fast football team, you look at the team speed and every area I'm impressed with. I think defensively they're one of the tops in the country in a number of categories statistically speaking. They play aggressively offensively, I've got respect for the way that Dan has designed the amount of touches that he gets everybody on the roster that side of the ball, he spreads the ball out, you know doesn't try to do too much and doesn't press. The quarterback's playing well but he's delivering the ball, and they're taking what defenses give them. They're, good in every area. They're really good in space once they get the ball out on the perimeter down the field and players are making plays, and yes we've got a tremendous challenge, and the things that that we need to do or focus on ourselves, we need to prepare, prepare, prepare. And then when it gets to the opportunity to go compete we need to find a way to play our best game.

It was a good practice today in the way that our guys approached the field and the mindset. Kelly's health with was very positive, he looked good, took every snap today with the ones, moving around, said it felt good after practice so that's a really good sign for us. Johnathon Johnson last week was sick. Also, and I didn't get into it last week, he had a shoulder strain. I didn't think it was going to be as much to keep him out as the sickness, but that has not improved to as much yet that he was able to go through all of practice today. So he's still limited, he'll be day to day, but other than that we get everybody healthy, and obviously excited about that because we will need everybody we can get. With that I can open up for questions."

"I do. Yeah, I do and i think he's gotten clearance from our medical staff on being in position to go play and he looked good today running around, was able to execute and function the way that he needed to and fully anticipate, unless there's a setback, fully anticipate him playing and playing well."

"Yeah, that was hard last week because he really wanted to. He also, being honest and open about it, he understood that he was not in a position, you know, could he go run a straight line? Yeah, he probably could but the change of direction, the things that as we got closer to game time, he would not have been able to function in the way we needed the quarterback to in that game, so it was, it was not an easy decision for him. And also, you know, the great thing you're able to put it on the ability to communicate, work together with the support staff, medicine staff and the docs and got trusting that that they're going to do the right thing for kids, and I know that for him it was the best decision for him in the position that he was and, you know, it wasn't close to 100%. As we got closer and closer to game time and thought maybe after Wednesday I thought we might be getting a little bit closer, but we told Taylor, you know as we do every week, I mean you got to be ready because you're one snap away from being the guy so never really crossed that final touch, the final line that we needed to to get in position to be 100% effectively to be able to play so it was hard. It was hard on him. Frustrated, mad and angry and disappointed. He said he felt like he let the team down, you know all those things that go into what makes a competitor a competitor, and he wanted to be out there. He wants to go battle with you guys."

"I learned some more about him. I was impressed with and respect the way that he went in and competed in that situation. He stood there all night, was cold and he went out and he played and there wasn't really anything that fazed him, and we call it we wanted him to be able to throw the ball, not just turn around the hand it off. He made some completions, he went through the progression, on the reads, the way he needed to. And he's still in the pocket. So I think, you know that that is good for us, it's good for the future, and he will have the opportunity and Taylor going to continue to work and they both know that they're going to be ready to go when their numbers called."

"I think we would play them both, and I don't know sitting here today on Tuesday I don't know. We'll have the discussion, you know this afternoon in our staff meeting on how they both practiced today and then we'll kind of keep moving forward with that."

"Today he practiced really well, and then he's your true freshman that's come in and it has gotten better each week that he's played. I think he's got an athletic skill set that he's going to be a really good player here. You know he's finally, the experience of the speed of the game on how that's kicked down that's really, you know, it's not slowed down yet for him, that's gonna be games and games away from now but he's understanding where he needs to be. And, you know, he's been assignment sound and he is athletic, can run and is playing disciplined gap sound football. You look defensively, think we're ninth or 10th in the country a=in total defense, fourth in pass defense, 18th or 19th in scoring defense. They're doing some really good things. But it's not just because you know Nick Bolton or Jordan Elliott, it's collectively 11 on the field, they're playing well together."

"I think the maturity for Tyree now. He's got such great skill set. True athletic ability but also it's the experience on going through it and understanding, you know he's been really good in pass coverage, has been great against the run and run support, and he's played with proper leverage, his eyes, the discipline that takes to take that and play that position, the number of snaps he's had. He's been in the right spots, and, you know, we'll get tested this week because there's so many, they create mismatches in a lot of different ways either the slot receiver, the tight end. You know, we've got to continue to make decisions on how we're going to best utilize Tyree because I think he's one of our best cover guys."

"Well, I think the combination of he and Bledsoe together they're playing really well together, and as maybe as solid, knock on wood, as we've had in those positions in a long time. They're consistent in the ways that they're doing it you know, there's not a lapse. We sure missed him, you know, it was noticeable when Tyree wasn't in the game because the targeting and, you know, the first half of Kentucky. And because we relied on that spot so much and I think Martez Manuel is going to be a really good player. But he's not to the level of Tyree. So, those guys you know they spent a lot of time together. It's been a lot of time together watching film. So they're kind of tied together and they understand and they get what it takes to play that position and it is the protector of the defense, so to speak. Now there's nobody lined up behind them and we put so much on them."

"It doesn't feel like it does it? The numbers are really close. You know, he went out last week with a sprained toe and didn't play as much down the stretch. He practiced really well today. So I was excited to see him back out with some bounce in his step. Anytime you look at expectations, you know, whatever they are, however they're placed on, you know we always expect more, and I don't know, I think maybe for Rountree hasn't had that breakout game yeah, that maybe we all had anticipated happening. And, you know, some because we're, you know, dividing the carries up a little bit more but also, you know, hopefully we'll get that here down the stretch, because we're going to need more. We'll have to lean on him a little bit more than we have. And the other two running backs as well."

"The way I described Larry is his hunger, determination, you know he's voted Captain by his teammates, he's always been this way but he understands the, you know, he's kind of the guy now. He hasn't been that yet. And, you know, he's taken the ownership of that. Early on in the year I think he was pressing a little too much. And, you know, finally is kind of settled in and just, just be Larry. Be alert, be who you are. Don't try to do something that you're not so you know he again I think he's got the ability here, you know, we gotta lean on it like I said, and I feel comfortable with the way that he's approaching each game and the things that he's doing to help us."

"Both talented guys, you know, talented, Fromm's got more experience but the Florida guy is big and strong and he stretches the field. He doesn't try to force throws you don't see him, you know, making bad decisions. If the guy's open he's going to deliver the ball. It looks like, even in the quarterback run game he's gaining confidence all the time. And so he presents some challenges, and he's a big dude, he's hard to get down when you get to him if you can get to him. And he just keeps battling. He took some shots here over the last you know you look at just the quarterback pressure tape, and you know he keeps getting up and he's battling. He's got to have some toughness about him."

"Our kids are excited about. And, you know, we obviously need to play better and we need to play well. So when 11 o'clock kicks I think all of those things that our guys you know we talked about a few things on Sunday night in our team meeting. That was one that came up about the opportunity to play well, play well at home and finish out the month of November the way we need to."

"Well they pressure in a number of different areas, but also they've got, they've got an elite skill set. Now a couple of defensive end spots on being able to win their one on one battles, but, you know, a lot of credit to Todd and his scheme defensively, but also they get some good dudes that they can get after the quarterback and win one on one matchups. They've got length and speed, they got explosion. And they go, you get the one on one on the edge, and you get them and they get the offense in third and passing situation, they can pin their ears back and go get it and they've had a lot of success and everybody that they've gone against on getting hits on the quarterback and mostly those have turned into sacks over the past couple weeks."

"I know who we are and we're, you know, at this point last year, and every team's different, they were nine games in, were five and four, five and four nine games in this year. Okay, let's go to work. And the more that you listen and you feel sorry for yourself, nobody feel sorry for us, right? You go work and things are not going to be handed to you. It's not easy, there's not anything in life worth anything that's going to be easy. So, this is, this is another wall. This is another obstacle, is another thing that we're going to continue to battle through, and as soon as you give in to negative noise, then you failed and don't give yourself a chance to go play your best so the hunger is still there, we're going to go play well we're going to continue to prepare and we'll get 11 guys offensively ,defensively and kicking ready to go play when their numbers called. So, you know, I feel really good about the leadership in our locker room I feel really good about what we have going into the last three weeks, we got 18 or 19 days, and we got three games, three opportunities to go make something happen so I'm excited about it. I'm more excited walking off the field after this morning's practice than I was yesterday and that's going to continue Our guys are preparing, they're hungry and you know there's not anybody that wants to win more than the guy standing right here and in the locker room 115 guys who will keep on fighting. Again, you look at the the things that you lean on in tough times or good times or whatever it is. The core beliefs and values of your organization will continue. We're not going to, you know, again, we're not going to stop now. We've come too far, you know, done too many great things to be in a position to let go of the rope so to speak."

"I think you look at, for whatever reason we've struggled and I've got reasons I believe in and I've seen, we haven't been able to run the ball to the level that we need to. We also haven't been able to connect in some vertical passing game so I think that hurts a little bit. And, you know, you go three and out, and then you've got to really have your belief and your confidence level on what it takes to go get the next first down. You've got to be a mentally tough dude to continue to fight through that, and then you struggle a little bit more and you maybe turn the ball over, and you get down to the red area and you miss a field goal, those things are heavy if you allow them to be and we've let that creep in a little bit. We got to find ways. Playmakers are going to find ways to battle out of it, competitors do. And then coaches, we got to give them an opportunity and find ways to go. We got to find a way to get two and a half, the third and seven we got to get a, whatever it is, we've got to get the first first down. We do that, and kind of get the rhythm of what we are offensively. It is, it's, you know, disappointing. Worked offensively with ideas on things that can get us going and get us out of the slump, but we got to go do it. We gotta, we gotta execute. We're going to find ways to move forward because that's, you know, we're running out of opportunities to go get that done so the urgency is there and now finding ways to do it. It's obviously on us and we got to do it. We gotta go get it done."

"I think they played hard for 60 minutes. We gave up, you know the two third downs on the first drive, two or three whatever it was, you know, had a chance to get off the field, really made a nice throw over on the sideline. It's pretty good coverage on one of the third downs, another we had a missed assignment. You know that drive wasn't real good, because you want to get to find a way to get off the field, first drive out of the halftime, the long run. Other than that, our guys did some really good things too, held in my opinion one of the best quarterbacks in college football, you know, think we limited him in some of the opportunities. I think Georgia is going to win a lot of games down the stretch. They are good. On the outside their skill's getting better, they're great up front. But more than anything to take all that aside, I thought, those guys went and competed, and they didn't look at the scoreboard, they didn't look at the situation, they went to play one play at a time and play hard. And they played together. And that's something that we're going to continue to build on."

"It's like your kids, right? You know, we got three of them and they're, although there's base things that you live by, you stay by those standards, you gotta find the right buttons to push, and you know there's there's some guys that I think need to be pushed a little bit more in certain ways, there's some that can have, you know, just here's the facts and they're like, I got it. Let's go. So everybody's, like you've mentioned, every team's different, you know. Every student athlete's a little bit different so you got to find, you know not sitting around trying to give 120 different messages. But overall, you get a sense on what we need, what our team needs. Right now it's a very direct approach when we hear the facts and, you know we don't like it. Let's go find ways to fix it and get it done."