Special teams living up to expectations

It's considered the favorite unit on an Urban Meyer-coached team, so you can bet Florida's special teams players are in good stead with the coach these days.

Florida's five blocked kicks this season surpasses last year's total of four, and brings to 42 the number of blocked kicks by teams with Meyer as head coach (including Bowling Green and Utah).

And then there's Brandon James, who is one of three players in the nation to return two punts for touchdowns this season, and who is tied for first nationally on the NCAA active chart for career punt returns for a touchdown (4).

In last Saturday's game, Florida blocked two punts and a field goal. Meyer said it's that kind of effort on special teams that wins games, particularly big games like this week's showdown with Georgia.

"It crushes you,'' Meyer said. "There is no worse sound than the thump-thump of a kick being blocked; especially if we are playing in another stadium. In our mind, it's hard to equate another play as significant as a blocked punt."