GAINESVILLE, Fla. — When a young Gators squad steps onto the field to face Tennessee on Saturday, Florida coach Urban Meyer doesn’t expect his players to act like they’ve been there before.

“That would be a phony act,” Meyer said. “I want them to be excited. I want them to hyperventilate a little bit. … The atmosphere is going to be a touch different” than the first two games.

The Gators are expected to start true freshmen Joe Haden at cornerback and Maurkice Pouncey at offensive guard, and there are a slew of other players who will be key players in a big game for the first time.

Meyer said it is important that the players are confident in themselves when they walk off the practice field Thursday, their final practice before the rivalry showdown.

“When I’m walking off this field [that day], this team has got to be feeling great about themselves,” Meyer said. “When the play’s called, if they’re thinking about their assignment, there’s a good chance they’ll fail. They had too much of that today. I saw guys thinking ‘where do I get lined up?’ Tomorrow we have to be there.”

SIGN STEALING

With the New England Patriots caught in a sign-stealing controversy, Meyer weighed in on the issue Wednesday.

“We always look [at the other team’s signals],” said Meyer, a good friend of Patriots coach Bill Belichick. “We don’t video it.

“If we did, I wouldn’t tell you we did,” he joked.