Meyer liked idea of game against Utah

Florida coach Urban Meyer said after Saturday's practice that there were some talks to have Utah replace Charleston Southern in the season opener - and he would have loved to have played the game - but the two schools couldn't get the switch done. It would have been in Gainesville.

Meyer led the Utes to a BCS bowl prior to taking the Florida job after the 2004 season. Utah finished undefeated a year ago and has been vocal about feeling it deserved a shot at the national title - which went to the Gators after a win against Oklahoma.

"I've got my opinions," Meyer said about possibly playing Utah. "I said, 'Sure, let's go do it.'"

Meyer said he wasn't directly involved in the talks but he's talked with current Utes coach Kyle Willingham, on Meyer's Utah staff, about playing.

"I was not in deep enough," Meyer said. "That was (UF athletic director) Jeremy (Foley) and I think ESPN and all that. Kyle's one of my closest friends and it was kind of exciting. Somehow they just couldn't get everything worked out."

NO SHOT AT ZOOK: Meyer said he didn't intend comments he made about locker room atmosphere upon his arrival at the school to be directed at previous coach Ron Zook, now at Illinois.

"There absolutely was not (any criticism of Zook)," Meyer said. "It was about the locker room and the way the locker room setup was. Our staff has never been critical of any staff."

Expansion of the locker room has corrected that issue.

Contacted Friday night, Zook was unaware of the comments. When read some of them, he reacted more in amusement and was in a joking mood. He even said he doubted anybody in Gainesville even remembered him.

But a few hours later, Zook released a statement that appeared in Illinois and was more terse: "I was surprised to see that, once again, five years later, we're blamed for something else at Florida. But by now I guess I shouldn't be. This one was most disappointing because it implies we didn't look out for our players. From someone who wasn't there at the time. I can assure you I've never, ever been accused of that. I thought I was too much of a players' coach. The implication is incorrect - there is no place for hazing in college football and we've put a stop to that if we've ever seen it. I applaud Florida for fostering what they say is a wonderful family atmosphere."

TEBOW FINE: Meyer, saying rumors tend to take on a life of their own, said QB Tim Tebow does not have a serious back injury. He said Tebow was held out of live situations in practice the past couple of days because the staff wanted to get backup John Brantley more work.

"His lower back was a little sore," Meyer said. "No disk issue and he's full speed Monday. ... He's fine - 100 percent."

LB Brandon Spikes was among other veterans also held out of "some live stuff" but he's healthy.

With school starting next week, two-a-days are officially over.

"I want our guys feeling like they have been hammered," Meyer said. "And they have been hammered pretty good."

NOTEWORTHY: Freshmen Jelani Jenkins (hip flexor) and Jon Bostic (sore neck) have been slowed. ... If Brandon James plays a bigger role on offense this season, Joe Haden, Lakeland's Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps could get a shot at some returns. ... UF worked a lot on "game mechanics" in Saturday's scrimmage - like running on and off the field. ... Meyer said LB A.J. Jones has had "a great camp."