In this week's SEC coaches teleconference leading up to the game, Texas HC Steve Sarkisian had a few things to say about the overall matchup and the Gators' defense.
"Exciting time for us. Obviously our SEC opener. I know a lot of other teams around the conference have kicked off conference play. There are some teams that are three games into conference play. Finally, get an opportunity to play an SEC game and an SEC opponent."
"Excellent defensive front. Sapp is a heck of a player and had a great year last year. They have really good depth on the front. They're big. They are not the most 'play on the edge, penetrating defense.' They two-gap you and they do that intentionally because they play with a lot of split safety looks."
Though Florida's defensive line has been dominant at times, they'll be without two of their top players there on Saturday. Caleb Banks and L.J. McCray have both already been ruled out for this weekend with different "longer term" injuries.
Sarkisian also praised the Gators' linebacker coach and their overall group as well. Coach Roberts is one of the more well-known position coaches in the SEC.
"It starts with Ron Roberts... They play together really well. They've got a very stout defensive front that allows them to play a lot of split safety defense. Coordinating that front with the back end puts a lot of pressure on the two LBs. Their ability to play the run and the pass is probably what makes them special."
It's obvious that Sark has a lot of respect for Florida and its personnel, and today's battle should be a fun one to watch for fans of both teams. Let's hope Arch Manning can break out and show the world what he can do at the SEC level on a consistent basis.