KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee Coach Lane Kiffin says he put his Volunteers in the best position they could be in to beat Florida. Then he took one more shot at Gators Coach Urban Meyer.
Meyer said Sunday that he kept his game plan conservative in No. 1 Florida's 23-13 win after he felt the Vols didn't appear to be playing for a victory. He also said several of his players had been hit by the flu.
On Monday, Kiffin said he didn't want to respond to Meyer's comment. But asked whether he was worried about the flu also hitting Tennessee, he said: "I don't know. I guess we'll wait and after we're not excited about a performance, we'll tell you everybody was sick."
Tennessee (1-2, 0-1 SEC) was tagged as a 30-point underdog thanks in part to some of Kiffin's offseason comments about Florida.
The Vols' first-year coach pledged to sing "Rocky Top" after beating the Gators at the Swamp and accused Meyer of an NCAA violation in trying to hang on to a recruit who eventually joined Kiffin at Tennessee.
OKLAHOMA Bradford throwing
NORMAN, Okla. - Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford attempted to go through quarterback drills with Oklahoma on Monday as he rehabs from a sprained right shoulder.
Offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson said after practice that Bradford "was doing more today than he's done."
"Don't read anything into it," Wilson said. "There was more going on but I think as you do more, you see the next day where it is or [after] two days where it is. I think any time you come off deals, you try to push through things. Do you push and is it positive, or is there a little regression?
"Until you get to the point where you start pushing through it, we'll see how it plays out." BOISE STATE
RB out with ACL tear
BOISE, Idaho - Boise State running back D.J. Harper likely will miss the rest of the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.
Harper, the team's second leading rusher, was injured in Friday's 51-34 victory over Fresno State when he was gang-tackled in the backfield.
He is one of two tailbacks who share carries for the No. 8 Broncos (3-0) and rushed for 292 yards and 3 touchdowns on 44 carries. Harper ran for 88 yards against Oregon, added 89 yards against Miami, Ohio, and had 107 yards, including a 60-yard touchdown run, before leaving in the second half against Fresno State.
Sports, Pages 18 on 09/22/2009