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SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE MEDIA CONFERENCE

December 1, 2008

Maurkice Pouncey

CHUCK DUNLAP: Could you start us off with just your general thoughts about the upcoming game with Alabama?
MAURKICE POUNCEY: I mean, we're just excited that we're there. We're just happy that we made it and that we can go out there and represent the Southeastern Conference.

Q. I know that you guys are really just focused on the opponent and you don't really care about this stuff, but you guys are playing undefeated No. 1 Alabama and you guys are coming in with all the ESPN hype and you guys are favored by ten points. What's it like being in that situation?
MAURKICE POUNCEY: I didn't even know until you just said that. I mean, I'm glad they've got us to win. We just want to go out there and play a great game, go out there and play hard and do what we do best.

Q. And for you, I mean, just talk about what it's like going out there and playing after what you and your brother have been through in the past week?
MAURKICE POUNCEY: I mean, we just want to take it our way, we always do, try to look over what happened, the accident with my dad and everything. Just know that he's in our hearts and just go out there and play a great game.

Q. Can you talk about going up against a guy that's 375 pounds at least?
MAURKICE POUNCEY: I mean, he's going to be a big guy to move in there. He's a great player. We've watched him on film. You've just got to go out there and play hard and physical.

Q. What does it say about this freshman class that you guys brought in this year that they've had such a big impact, and here you are at 11 and 1 playing for an SEC Championship?
MAURKICE POUNCEY: Those guys came in very mature. We've got a lot of guys contributing to the team and I'm happy that their careers are starting off well for them, and I just hope they keep it up.

Q. I want to go back to the end of the Ole Miss game and just kind of Tim Tebow, his comments after that game and his leadership since then. We in the media have made a big deal about it. I was just wondering from someone who's been there, how much did it really impact the way y'all have played this season?
MAURKICE POUNCEY: I mean, what Tim said was very emotional to everybody. He's one of the big-time leaders on the team, and everybody looks up to him and just respects what he does. We just wanted to look past that loss, and now we're just playing with great emotion and just love for the game now.

Q. You and Alabama both have just gotten off to great starts in each game this season, just put teams behind the 8-ball early. With that in mind, how important is it going to be for somebody to get off to a fast start, take an early lead Saturday?
MAURKICE POUNCEY: We just want to play all 60 minutes, go out there and play a hard, physical game.

Q. I know Joe Haden was talking about after the Ole Miss game, that's when y'all really started to play better in the first quarter. Have you noticed that, as well, that y'all started getting off to better starts after that one loss you had this year?
MAURKICE POUNCEY: Yeah, it shows a lot, but we just want to go out there and play, like I said, just go out there and do what we love to do.

Q. How would you describe Urban Meyer's coaching style if you had to?
MAURKICE POUNCEY: Coach Meyer loves the game. He's a family guy, loves all of us to death and loves what he does, and just a great guy to be around.

Q. He seems like a fairly high-intensity kind of guy. Did that surprise you when you got there, or was that something you expected?
MAURKICE POUNCEY: I mean, some of that I expected. He'll tell you in recruiting how it's going to be and the way he runs the show, and he's just a great guy.

Q. I just wonder, someone asked about Tim's reaction after the Ole Miss game. I wonder what you thought of that after it happened, whether it was just a one-game thing, or you guys would actually be in this place? He basically said you weren't going to lose a game the rest of the year.
MAURKICE POUNCEY: I mean, everybody was emotional. Tim is our big-time leader on the team, and what he said really touched everybody and made us want to go out there and play even harder and practice even harder and just go out there with a lot more emotion.

Q. In your heart of hearts, though, did you think you guys would be where you are right now after that?
MAURKICE POUNCEY: I can't tell you, man. We just want to go out there and play 60 minutes.

Q. Have you played anybody like Cody this year, as wide as he is or as low to the ground as he is?
MAURKICE POUNCEY: Not that I can say, but we play great players every week, though.

Q. On film what do you see? When guys have success against him, what do they do?
MAURKICE POUNCEY: What did you say?

Q. When guys have success against Cody, what do they do?
MAURKICE POUNCEY: I don't know, just go out there and play hard, get physical with him. He's a great player, great athlete, and we've just got to go out there and play physical.

Q. Can you just talk about the workouts in the off-season this past year and what it was like being in that weight room with all those guys and how you guys got closer through that?
MAURKICE POUNCEY: I mean, all the way coming off the season before this one, it was just, we all wanted to go out there and just grind out there and be the best at what we do and just go out there and just take everything one game by one. We just love being around each other and the chemistry around the team, just got a great bond together, guys hanging out, and it just turned out well for us.

Q. Is that when you guys started to hang out more and got closer?
MAURKICE POUNCEY: Yeah, I mean, especially a lot during the summer.
CHUCK DUNLAP: Thank you for joining us. Florida student athletes, thank you, and we'll see you at the Georgia Dome on Friday.

End of FastScripts

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