The Florida Gators prepared for two games last week, but you couldn't tell it by Saturday's score.

The Gators routed Central Florida 42-0 in The Swamp. And the game wasn't as close as the score.

Florida scored on five of its first seven possessions and led 34-0 at halftime. By then, Florida fans already were looking ahead to this week's SEC East showdown against Tennessee at Neyland Stadium.

Coach Urban Meyer was thinking ahead even earlier.

Don't get the wrong idea. The Gators weren't practicing against UT's offensive and defensive schemes last week. They were just preparing for the Neyland Stadium crowd.

"All our practices starting last Monday, we didn't use the snap count," Meyer said on his Sunday morning teleconference. "That's a pain in the rear end. It disrupts the flow of practice. But I'm glad we had the whole week of work."

Meyer began preparing for SEC road games in the off-season.

"We went to NFL teams," he said. "We researched the best way to get the cadence."

Meyer, who was an assistant at Notre Dame for one year under Lou Holtz, also asked his former boss for advice on road games.

"He said the best teams he had were confident and tough," Meyer said. "We were not a confident and tough team a year ago. When we got behind, we didn't dig ourselves out of a hole very well."

Florida's only conference victory on an opponent's home field last season was in Lexington, Ky. The Gators lost in Tuscaloosa, Baton Rouge and Columbia.

Florida will get its first road test of this season Saturday. Kickoff time is 8 p.m for the nationally televised game, which will give either the Vols or Gators the upper hand in the East.

UT already has upset nationally ranked Cal 35-18, and narrowly avoided a catastrophic upset with a 31-30 victory over Air Force on Saturday night. The Gators haven't been challenged while routing Southern Mississippi and UCF by a combined score of 76-7.

True freshmen have contributed to Florida's early success. Highly touted wide receiver Percy Harvin already has established himself as a big-time playmaker, and former high school All-American quarterback Tim Tebow has been an effective runner as a backup quarterback in Florida's spread option.

But Meyer is counting on his seniors to lead the way against UT.

"There's no chance the young players will have any concept -- no matter how much we beat it in to them -- what they are getting into (at Neyland Stadium)," Meyer said. "It's a different ballgame now."

Asked how his true freshman players had responded to such experiences in the past, Meyer said, "It has not been positive.

"But there are unique players. I hope Percy and Tebow are those unique players. ... The challenge is with the 22 seniors if we're to win (against UT)."

Senior wide receiver Dallas Baker demonstrated that kind of leadership Saturday night, according to Meyer.

After Harvin had scored a touchdown, he slammed the ball in the end zone. Baker talked to him right away.

"That's not how we do things here," Meyer said. "We flip the ball to the official and go back and hug our teammates."

Baker isn't the only senior to establish himself as a leader. Meyer has praised senior quarterback Chris Leak's for his leadership. The preseason All-SEC quarterback also seems more comfortable in Meyer's offense.

"Coach Meyer gave me the keys to the offense," Leak told the Gainesville Sun after Saturday's game. "It's given me confidence.

"I try to get around to everybody to see what they like and how they feel about certain plays. I go off that and script the plays with the coaches giving me input."

Calling All Playmakers: Freshmen and veterans alike have delivered big plays in Florida's first two games. Big plays will become even more crucial in conference play, Meyer said.

"In the SEC, you've got a lot of low-scoring games," Meyer said. "Having playmakers can make the difference. That's the way it has been in this league for awhile."

Tebow Time?: Meyer didn't say if Tebow would play against the Vols. The freshman from Jacksonville, Fla., had a fumble and threw an interception against UCF, but he also had a 29-yard run and led the Gators with 62 yards rushing.

"I'll have more on that (Tebow's playing time) on Tuesday," Meyer said. "If a backup has a great week of practice, he earns that right. This week (against UCF), he deserved the right to play."

Who's At RB?: Senior running back DeShawn Wynn, who has played well in the first two games, still hasn't locked up a starting role, Meyer said.

"He's done well, but there's a little case history there," Meyer said. "No, I'm not going to name him the starter (yet)."

Wynn, whose career has been marked by inconsistency and a questionable work ethic, rushed for 51 yards on nine carries against UCF.

Running back Kestahn Moore rushed for 27 yards on only three carries Saturday.

Check The Tape: Meyer said he wouldn't know how his offensive line graded out against UCF until he viewed the tape.

"I think they played better," he said. "I love their chemistry and I love their work ethic."

Florida's biggest preseason concern was a revamped offensive line that lost four starters from last season. Then, in preseason practice, the Gators lost starter Ronnie Wilson to injury.

Wilson and backup linebacker Johnny Demps are the only Gators expected to miss the UT game because of injuries.