GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Florida coach Urban Meyer wasn't stingy with game balls after his team's 16-7 victory over Tennessee on Saturday night at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

He gave game balls to assistant coaches and players. He also gave them to his strength and conditioning coaches.

"You heard a lot about our off-the-field (conditioning) program," Florida's first-year coach said. "Everybody bench presses. But if you don't finish a drill, your whole team has to do something. We make our players accountable. It's as much mental as physical.

"I think that's the reason the defense played so well. And our offense. To me, that was a team that refused to give in."

In winning the previous two games in the series, the Vols looked stronger in the fourth quarter. Not this time.

Or, as Meyer put it, "I think we out-toughed our opponent in the fourth quarter."

The stamina of Florida's defensive front seven was particularly impressive. The Gators rarely substituted.

"We need to substitute more," Meyer said. "We need some other interior guys to help us out."

Lack of depth wasn't an issue against the Vols. Florida even overcame the loss of defensive end Ray McDonald, who suffered a knee injury in the first half.

Joe Cohen, a former starter, stepped in for McDonald, and the defense continued to get the best of UT.

Meyer said on his Sunday morning teleconference that he would know more about McDonald's condition later in the day. He also planned to visit wide receiver Andre Caldwell in the hospital. Caldwell was scheduled for surgery after suffering a broken leg.

"It was a devastating blow losing those guys," Meyer said.

Without Caldwell, the Gators will rely more on Jemalle Cornelius, who will join Chad Jackson and Dallas Baker in the Gators' three-wide receiver set.

Former quarterback Gavin Dickey also will have an expanded role in the offense, Meyer said.

The loss of Caldwell is hardly Meyer's only offensive concern. He's frustrated with the play of the entire unit and is reevaluating his preseason plan for a team that has struggled to master his spread offense.

"We wanted second-year production out of a first-year offense," he said. "I don't want to panic, but we need to reevaluate.

"The real fact is we had basically two drives in the entire game. Everything else was gimmes (stemming from UT miscues)."

Meyer is especially displeased with his offensive line, which includes four senior starters.

"I don't think we're blocking people," he said. "I don't feel like we have command of the line of scrimmage.

"Whether you run the spread, the I or the wishbone, you can't be effective unless you're controlling things up front."