Harrison Moore did not need much of an introduction to the Georgia rivalry when he arrived at Florida.
The veteran offensive lineman previously faced the Bulldogs while at Georgia Tech, including last season’s eight-overtime loss in Athens. Now Moore gets another opportunity against Georgia with a different uniform on his back, and he acknowledged there is some common ground between his old school and his new one: neither is particularly fond of the Bulldogs.
Moore also enters the matchup encouraged by what Florida’s offensive line put on tape against Texas. He credited improved execution, greater confidence and a willingness to strain through blocks for helping the Gators rebound after consecutive losses to Missouri and South Carolina.
Here’s
everything Moore had to say ahead of Florida’s matchup with Georgia.
On what Florida’s offense did better against Texas
I think our execution was a lot better. You can see that on the tape. It was all 11 guys doing what they were supposed to. Usually when that happens, good things are going to come.
On top of that, I think we played with just more strain and just kind of cut it loose and played like how we did the first four weeks, which was really good to see.
On Buster Faulkner facing Georgia again
Obviously, coming from Georgia Tech, you think about that game the last week of November the whole year. Then it’s the same thing here. Georgia week is a very important week for the guys here at Florida.
Everybody’s amped up. Everybody’s ready to go. We’re all excited to go play in Mercedes-Benz this weekend.
On balancing the rivalry’s importance with normal preparation
I think there’s a fine line there. Like you said, not doing too much, going over the top. But everybody woke up today with a little bit more juice knowing who we’re going to play against this Saturday. Just knowing that it means just a little bit more.
You can just do what you’ve been doing, but take it up just that notch a little extra. A little more preparation, get a little more sleep each night, hydrate a little better. Everything has to rise to that next level this week.
On the bigger opportunity against Georgia
All I’m worried about is going 1-0 this week. Obviously, all those things are going to come if we do what we’re supposed to, but I’m really not worried too much about what’s in the future, what’s down the road. I’m kind of worried about what can we do to win this Saturday?
On Tramell Jones Jr.’s performance against Texas
I think he stepped up big. Something we preach a lot here is next man up. You never know. Everybody’s one play away from their role changing or stepping into the light.
I think he did a really good job, and that boils down to he prepared like he was a starter every single week. Then when he became the starter, we didn’t skip a beat. He played phenomenal. I’m really proud of him.
On the similarities between Jones and Aaron Philo in the huddle
I think they’re both pretty similar. Just really good leaders, very commanding in the huddle, making sure everybody’s on the same page.
Sometimes during camp they would switch so much I wouldn’t even be able to tell who was back there, just because they both do such a great job.
I think he did a really good job making sure everybody was on the same page, and that helped lead to the execution being at a higher level last week.
On Jones settling into the Texas game
Obviously, first half I think we were one for nine on third downs. That’s not all on him. That’s on the line, that’s on the running backs, that’s on the receivers. That’s on everybody.
But in the second half, coming out of the locker room after we scored that first touchdown right before halftime, I think him, along with everybody else, was kind of like, let’s go. This is the moment we’ve trained all year for. This is kind of where we want to be.
We got the ball coming out of halftime, scored again and then it was anybody’s ball game from there. I think he did a good job of just not trying to be the hero and make a play every play. Just do his job. Along with everybody, just do your job every play and good things are going to come.
On Georgia Tech’s eight-overtime game against Georgia
That was a crazy game. We were up, I believe, like 14 with like five minutes left. A couple things didn’t go our way and then it ended up going to eight OTs, which was crazy.
I played a little bit that game. That one made playing Georgia mean a little bit more, just seeing that environment, seeing how close we were to getting that win.
Then last year came down to the last play again. So hopefully this year we can just go out, execute our job and good things are going to happen.
On whether there is a redemption element for the former Georgia Tech players
I try not to look at it as much like worrying about last year, worrying about all that. But obviously this means a lot to our fans. It means a lot to everybody in the locker room.
I went from one school that doesn’t like them to another school that doesn’t like them, so it’s kind of a common place that I’ve found. Definitely excited and ready to go play this Saturday.
On his previous playing experience against Georgia
My first start was actually North Carolina at tight end, but I did play a good bit in the Georgia game.
I was playing left guard that week.
On whether Faulkner’s familiarity with Georgia helps Florida
He actually coached there during their two national championships, and then he came to Georgia Tech as the OC. So he knows a lot about their system. He coached with Coach Smart for a while.
But I really don’t think it’s — he’s just doing his job. He’s doing everything the best of his ability. It might be a little more personal to him. I’m not going to speak to that. But I have full faith in him and the game plan he’s going to put together to put us in a good situation on Saturday.
On the importance of Florida’s offensive line against Georgia
For sure. It all starts with the offensive line. It doesn’t really matter how good your receivers are if the quarterback doesn’t have time to throw the ball. It doesn’t really matter how good your running back is if we don’t give him an opportunity to go and play.
It definitely starts with us. They’ve got a really good group up front, a bunch of really talented guys, so we’ve got our work cut out for us. But I think we’re going to go out there, prepare during the week and go out there and play fast and physical.
I feel confident about our group.
On Aaron Philo supporting Jones while injured
Obviously, as a competitor, I think it hurt him just not being able to be out there. But I was really happy with how supportive he was of Tramell.
I saw a clip after that final kneel. He ran and he was the first person to go congratulate Trammell. That means a lot to me. Just the team and how connected we are as a group.
There are certain teams where they might have been like, this guy is kind of in the spotlight now, I’m going to be a little pissed off. I’m not really going to be his biggest fan. But I thought Philo was his biggest supporter on Saturday.
That was really cool to see.
On Philo being from the Athens area
He grew up close to the Athens area in Bogart. I talked to him this morning and he’s fired up. He’s ready to go. I don’t know exactly the injury report and all that, but I’m hoping he’s ready to go on Saturday.
Regardless of who’s back there, I feel confident in both of them to get the job done.
On where Florida’s offensive line has improved most
I would say our confidence. Going into it, we weren’t sure who was really going to be the five guys up front. There was a little bit of us playing next to different guys every day.
Now that we’re eight or nine weeks into the season, everybody feels good about the guy next to him. On top of that, I think we’ve just been straining better, especially last week compared to the two weeks before that.
I think we just need to continue to strain during practice and it’ll show up in games because you play how you prepare. You can’t not strain in practice and then show up on Saturday and play hard. That’s just not how it works.
On Jadan Baugh grinding out yards against Texas
Like you said, he didn’t have any super long ones, but you hit them with four or five yards over and over and over. That’s demoralizing to a defense, especially in the second half. He helped us stay on track.
You get into third-and-long, and that was what was happening to us in the first half. It’s just hard to convert, especially against how talented these SEC defenses are. They’re going to rush the quarterback. They’re going to have guys in protection and in pass protection. It’s just tough.
So staying on track, getting to second-and-manageable and then third-and-manageable, or maybe not even getting to third down.
I think he did a really good job of just kind of death by paper cut, over and over and over and over. But I think we’ll be able to get him some of those long runs. A lot of those, we were just one guy away from busting 40 yards right down the pipe.
So I think we’re going to get there. There’s a couple things we definitely need to clean up from the Texas game, and that’s what we did during the bye week.
On Baugh playing through being banged up
He’s definitely beat up. He’s a trooper. Like I said earlier, he practices that way.
He’s somebody that during practice, he touches the ball, he’s going to go sprint 50 yards and go score a touchdown like it was a real game. Full speed, everything.
He’s been a really good leader for us, just making sure that everybody is working really hard during practice. That’s why he’s been able to play as good as he has been.
On preparing for Georgia’s blitz packages
I think having your eyes up pre-snap and just being able to anticipate it. If you can kind of see them creeping, sometimes their demeanor changes. Their linebackers will be on their toes, or they’ll split their feet instead of being in their base.
You can just communicate that to other guys and everybody be on the same page. Then, I mean, I keep coming back to it, but preparation during the week.
Our scout team guys give us a great look, coming really hard. Malik Morris, he comes after us every single day. He’s one of the linebackers that gives us a really good look to help us prepare for Saturdays.
On getting Vernell Brown III back
Very, very explosive. Y’all were able to see it the first couple games when he was healthy. That dude can go.
I think he had like three punt return touchdowns in a row against Campbell and one of them got called back, something like that.
It’s going to be really good to have him back and hopefully he’s healthy, 100% and ready to go on Saturday.
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida’s Harrison Moore knows the Georgia rivalry from both sides
