After a well-executed first half in Knoxville on Saturday, Florida looked to be well on its way towards earning its 12th-straight win against Tennessee and taking an early lead in the SEC East. Instead, the Vols mounted a furious comeback and the Gators are now trying to regroup.

Jim McElwain believes his team will be able to handle the loss and come back stronger this weekend when the Gators travel to play Vanderbilt on Saturday afternoon.

“Do you have to have a conversation with the team, reminding them they are still in it? Sure,” McElwain said of coaching up the team on Wednesday’s teleconference. “I could tell in the locker room, there were a lot of guys hurting, and it should. If it didn’t, there’s something wrong. Many teams lose and come back and have big years.”

Despite the loss, Florida is still very much in contention to repeat as division champions. Tennessee is in the midst of a brutal stretch, which could cause them to lose a game or two, and the Gators still have a matchup with Georgia.

For now, however, McElwain’s team must focus on taking it one game at a time, and that begins on Saturday against the Commodores.

“We’ve got to take care of us. We can’t worry about what anyone else is doing,” McElwain said. “I’ll be interested to see the response, I’ve liked the way they’ve been Monday and Tuesday. The focus has been really good and the leaders have been really good.”