Tim Casey / Alligator Staff
Quarterback Chris Leak pitches the ball during Saturday's loss to LSU. Tuesday Coach Urban Meyer quelled any notions that reserve Josh Portis might take over Leak's starting job.

If Urban Meyer hopes to revitalize the Gators, he'll have to do it with bags under his eyes.

Meyer admitted he hasn't slept much since UF fell to Louisiana State 21-17 on Saturday.

And his sleep mirrors quarterback Chris Leak's production in UF's two losses this year - it is non-existent.

"Losses are horrible," Meyer said. "Especially when you invest so much ... and we invested a lot in that last game. That was a lot of investment by everybody involved."

After an off-season full of promise and hope, two ESPN.com analysts are now predicting the Gators to finish the season in the Music City Bowl in Nashville - a bowl game that occurs on Dec. 30.

It would be UF's second consecutive non-January bowl game, marking a step backward for a program that many expected would end up in the top 10.

"You've got to regroup and regain your composure," Leak said. "The main thing is not to panic and keep playing."

On Tuesday, Meyer spoke to the media for the first time since an emotional press conference following Saturday's loss.

With most of the questions directed at UF's offensive failures, Meyer defended Leak on more than one occasion while criticizing UF's offensive line.

Leak completed just 11 of 30 passes for 107 yards on Saturday - his worst performance as a starter at UF, but Meyer put to rest any speculation that true freshman Josh Portis could compete for any of Leak's playing time.

"Chris Leak is our quarterback," Meyer said. "To put the whole blame on him is absolutely not fair. It's everyone involved."

After last year's breakout season when Leak led the Southeastern Conference in most of the major passing categories, the junior currently ranks just fifth in passing yards per game and total offense, and sixth in pass efficiency.

Meyer and offensive coordinator Dan Mullen completely revised the offense in the off-season in an attempt to try to mirror what they did successfully at Utah. This meant installing a spread offense while calling on Leak to run the option at times - a tall task for a quarterback that has thrived in a traditional vertical attack.

But this also meant that UF's offensive line, which was among the best in the SEC, would have to learn a complex zone-blocking scheme.

More than halfway into the season, the line is giving up the most sacks in the conference while ranking next to last in the SEC in penalties per game.

"When you don't have time to set your feet and throw it's just a different ball game," Leak said.

While Meyer and senior center Mike Degory said the line showed improvement against LSU and allowed DeShawn Wynn to become a viable running threat, it is still struggling overall.

"Obviously we've got far too many sacks, far too much pressure, so it's a combination of issues," Meyer said. "It's a little bit slower than we had hoped."

It doesn't help UF's offensive woes that a receiver has not stepped up in the absence of Andre Caldwell, lost for the season against Tennessee with a broken leg.

Leak has just two reliable receivers - Chad Jackson and Dallas Baker - while the third, Jemalle Cornelius, continues to recover from an ankle injury.

But the team also realizes that there's plenty of talent on the roster, and all it takes is a win against No. 4 Georgia for the Gators to get back in the SEC East race.

"We have four games left and we're just going to try to prove everybody wrong," Degory said. "That's the big focus for us offensively, to really show that this works. We know it does."