They Said It: Quotes from the Gators after upset win of LSU

Will Muschamp picked up his biggest win as head coach at Florida on Saturday, upsetting No. 4 LSU 14-6 at home in The Swamp. Here are some of the best quotes from postgame interviews with Muschamp and players.
 

DEFENSIVE END DOMINIQUE EASLEY

"Honestly, we wanted to come into this game and win, but more we wanted to come in and hurt them. we wanted them to feel the pain that we had last year. We had hurt in our hearts, so we wanted them to feel the pain that we had."

On pain of last year's loss...

"That's one thing that we felt, like I said, last year. It was hurtful how we got beat. It was real hurtful. So that game, it stuck with us just for the fact that we got our ass kicked."

On wearing down LSU in second half...

"Third quarter, them boys were huffing and puffing. I was looking at people's eyes and they were scared. We want to take somebody's will. We like to take people's will, not just win the game. Take their will and make them remember this night."

"I knew it was over, but I knew we still had more business to do. We wasn't going to let off until that clock said 0:00."

SAFETY MATT ELAM

On his game-changing forced fumble...

" I had to make a play, I had to stop him. My plan was to stop him from getting into the end zone. Ball came out, so thank God for that."

"Hustle play. It’s all instincts. I’m not going to say I tried to do it. it was all on instincts. Be hustling, give a great effort, and it’ll pay off."

On the feeling coming into the game...

"We had to come in and hit them in the mouth. They beat us down last year, so we had to come back. We had a plan, 'hit 'em in their mouth.' We had a great gameplan and we executed and we were victorious."

On the feeling afterward...

"I mean, it's great to beat a top-five team, beat LSU. Everybody talking about it and to be the underdog and get a win. Coming into this game, nobody think we was gonna win. To be the underdog and get a win is a great feeling. It's another step to Atlanta, and that's our goal. I feel like the sky's the limit from here."

On finishing games well…

"In the offseason that was our thing. Finish. That was our problem last year, we couldn’t finish, and you’ve got to be finishing in the SEC. You’ve got to play 60 minutes, and we did."

On what win means for program…

"It’s a great win. Our goal is to great to Atlanta. We took another step to get to Atlanta. And beating LSU, top-five team, we talked about not having a chance and things like that, and we were victorious. Coach had a game plan, we followed it, we executed it, and we were victorious."

RIGHT GUARD JON HALAPIO

On wearing down LSU with the rushing attack...

"There was one point in the game where I was looking -- I don't even know his name -- No. 77 (senior DT Josh Downs), I was looking in his eyes and he was dead tired. It's a great feeling, it means we did our job. It just gives us the extra measure of intensity for the next play in order to motivate us to finish him off. We come in there in the fourth quarter and our strength coach was just reminding us all the prowlers, all the 110s that we did, we prepared for this moment right here."

RUNNING BACK MIKE GILLISLEE

On the test going against LSU's defensive front...

"It was just like any other team to me. It wasn't really a test. It was just that, me having faith in the offensive lineman, knowing that they was just going to keep on doing what they was doing, and I was going to keep on pounding the ball."

Is the swagger back?

"Well we never lost our swag. A lot of people just keep on doubting us. I think the swag never left."

On doing to them what their RBs did to you guys last year...

"Yeah we had a saying coming in, 'Now or never,' and I pretty much worked with my offensive line throughout the game. I kept telling them 'Now or never.'"

QUARTERBACK JEFF DRISKEL

On Muschamp calling this team "soft" last year...

"We're not soft. No one can call us soft now. If we didn't have people's respect, we gained it today. We're a physical team on both sides of the ball and special teams."

WILL MUSCHAMP

On finishing the game with 25 straight runs...

"That was fun."

(More Muschamp coming later.)

Comments

[SUICYCO]

GATORS beat LSU by running up their gut, over and over and over, and smothering the Tiger's offense. GATORS are SEC TOUGH baby. No finesse here. Just power ball up the gut.

[Gator Mike]

Great win! Listening to the talking heads re-hash the game. Why is no one giving Kyle Christy props for pinning LSU inside their 20 for most of the game? When a shaky offense has to drive 80+ yards every time they get the ball, they'll eventually crumble physically and mentally.

I say he gets the player of the week parking spot outside the stadium.

[jls14234]

We got one of the best defenses in the land and our rushing attack is second to none. With that combo we will go far. When Driskel and the passing game catch up to the rest of the team it will be scary for the rest of the league. Go Gators!!

[jls14234]

Gator Mike we got the best punter and kicker tandem in the country and they are a great part of our success so far.

[Ole Ball Coach]

LSU in SEC play this year on Offense.... 6 field goals.
wouldnt be so cocky after beating them at Home

[Sean Allen]

I made the front page!

[jls14234]

Coach that may be so but they still sport a top rated defense. To run them over and score 2 TDs in the process is a great feat and the sign of a strong and disciplined team.
I don't see anyone on this blog being "cocky". Fact is the Gators have a top defense, a top rushing attack and two of the best kickers in the land.
Driskel could use some more experience and we could have a better passing attack and we could have a better return game, but if we had all that we would be a pro team and have no competition.
We can win with what we have, like we are doing now.

[John in Pinecrest]

14-6 home win beats a 41-3 throttling by Notre Dame on the road!

But I forgot " we will play anyone, anywhere"! ... How's that working out for you?