GAINESVILLE - University of Florida backup C Mike Pouncey's mouth may have unintentionally landed him on the defensive line.
Prior to the switch this week, Pouncey used to tell co-defensive coordinator Greg Mattison constantly about his tackle days in high school, but the coach liked to poke fun at the freshman.
"I always laughed at him," Mattison said. "I'd see him walking down the hall and I'd go, 'Too bad Mike. You're not tough enough to be a defensive lineman.'"
Now, Pouncey will help the Gators' depleted defensive line on Saturday against Vanderbilt by stepping in at nose guard.
Mattison said the former backup center's intelligence and athleticism helped him transition seamlessly to the line, which suffered major blows due to multiple injuries.
Florida coach Urban Meyer wasn't sure if the switch will be permanent, but said Pouncey is more than capable of handling himself on Saturday.
"He's got that big ole rear end that you need in there to stop some runs, so he's going to play," Meyer said.
As for the rest of the line, Clint McMillian and Lawrence Marsh will get the bulk of the playing time at defensive tackle. Justin Trattou and Torrey Davis also will contribute.
VANDY DEFENSE: Hopefully for QB Tim Tebow, Florida's game against Georgia prepared the Gators enough for Vanderbilt's defense.
Georgia sacked Tebow six times last week, and Meyer said Vanderbilt will blitz more than the Bulldogs.
"How Tim handles it is going to be about how the offensive line handles it and how the receivers get open," Meyer said. "But we've worked awful hard at it."
Vanderbilt leads the conference in sacks with 24 for 147 yards.
"Their personnel is SEC-caliber personnel," Meyer said. "Especially their defense. I think their defensive personnel is really good."
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