Tim Tebow teetered back and forth on his feet for a moment and let out an "ummm."
That was the junior quarterback's response when asked about the last time the Gators defense carried the offense in a game.
It took Tebow a few seconds, but he finally said that had not happened since his freshman year.
Now, Tebow has a more recent memory to store in his brain. The No. 4 Gators (2-0) defeated the Hurricanes (1-1) on Saturday in a 26-3 win, with the defense carrying the offense through the first three quarters.
Miami's running game - which was its strength on the offensive side of the ball- managed just 61 yards on the ground. Top runner Graig Cooper had just 31 yards on 15 carries.
"A lot of games we got blamed for not being good on D like the '06 defense, so we just took that as a challenge," said linebacker Brandon Spikes, who had 11 total tackles in his season debut after missing the first game with a right foot injury. "It looks like a whole different D-line.
That challenge wasn't a very fun thing for the Hurricanes to compete with. In his college premiere, Miami quarterback Robert Marve never made a game-deciding mistake, as he went 10-for-18 passing. But the Hurricanes were never able to get a big play.
Their longest completion was 14 yards, and the longest run was 10 yards.
"Our defense played outstanding," UF coach Urban Meyer said. "They're playing with a little bit of a chip on their shoulder."
The Gators special teams also made an impact in the season's second game.
Freshman running back Jeff Demps - who had a 62-yard touchdown scamper last week against Hawaii - blocked a punt in the second quarter that led to a safety.
"It's better than scoring a touchdown," Demps said.
While the Gators offense wasn't as electric as it has been in the past, Tebow's name still came up quite a bit. On the first drive of the game, Tebow, who finished with 256 passing yards and two scores, avoided Miami's penetration and lofted a 14-yard pass to tight end Aaron Hernandez for the score. Hernandez missed the Hawaii game last week for undisclosed reasons.
Junior receiver Percy Harvin had just six touches in his 2008 debut, but he did make an impact with a 2-yard rushing touchdown. He finished with 27 yards on the ground.
After a few early drops, senior receiver Louis Murphy made some late catches to lead the Gators with 77 receiving yards and a score.
"We're not going to give up on you, we're going to stick with you," Tebow said of Murphy. "Every great receiver is going to have an off night, it's just whether you're going to pick yourself up."
On Saturday, it was the defense that picked up the offense. Last season, UF fans never heard that statement.
"Guys got more experience, and we know what to expect," Spikes said.
Now, the coaches have high expectations as well.
"If you don't go hard (on defense), you really stand out like a sore thumb," Meyer said.
The next scheduled game between UF and Miami isn't until 2013.
