GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- As each game passes the Nick Savage effect on the Florida program is even more pronounced.

The Gators Director of Strength and Conditioning has changed the culture around the program. According to Director of Sports Nutrition for Florida football, Collier Perno, the team has bought in, which makes her life easier.

"We work very closely together," Perno said. "Whether it's just going through weights on Monday and making sure we figure out what guys we really have to focus on, or just really his impact on having him to back me up - making sure guys are staying hydrated, making sure they are getting to meals, making sure they are eating right. We really work on a team basis with that."

"We get a lot of support from the strength staff," added Florida nutrition staff member Mike Childs. "They have been very great about pushing hydration, pushing recovery, and making sure you get your meal when you need it and how you need it."

"He really emphasizes things," said Perno. "We will meet and if I have an issue, he will totally have my back and really the team buys in on that."

"The strength staff has been very incredible working with us with nutrition," said Childs.

There is no question Florida is a changed team physically from the team that suited up last season.

One just has to look to the last few games where the game was decided deep into the fourth quarter.

“I think we’ve been really fresh," safety Donovan Stiner said. "That’s a big thanks to Coach Savage and the strength program and all the summer workouts. I think that’s been really advantageous for us.”

However, it is not just about the team's physical freshness. Savage's program has taught the Gators how to mentally push through their limits.

"You’ll hear Coach Savage say it all the time, strain, strain, strain," defensive lineman Kyree Campbell said. "You know after they [LSU] scored the first time, most teams would have gave up. We just kept straining and hold on, it’s mental.”

"When you get punched in the mouth you just gotta keep on, keep on fighting," quarterback Feleipe Franks said. "That's what our players did and just strain through the fourth quarter. Not giving up, not letting down and think that's one of the best things we could've had happen to us in the offseason, becoming more mentally strong."

A lot of the offseason adds up. Nick does a great job with different, special work outs that we do," said Florida head coach Dan Mullen. "We have our St. Valentine's Day work out. We have Stadium runs... I think those have a lot to do with our success because when you get into those games, you need something to look back on. And the fact you can look back on and say, 'hey, I trained so hard and put myself through so much in that offseason training with so much intensity, I did it for this moment, -- not when you're up big -- I did it for when we are down in the fourth quarter and we have to find a way to make a play to win the game."

Mental toughness is something this staff has emphasized since their arrival in Gainesville. However, one of the bigger lessons from the offseason is understanding that individual gains can only get you so far.

"One of the things that was different with the stadium run was we did one with the rope, where you did it with your specific team," said Mullen. "So you had to do the stadium run and everyone had to hold the rope for the stadium run. You had o-linemen and receivers both on that team and you had to hold that rope. So it's not like a skilled guy can go faster on those.

"Just don't let go of the rope. Sometimes, it's, 'I want to go faster, I want to go slower.' But you're as good as your teammates are," added Mullen. "And we are as good as we are as a team, not, hey, you see how fast I can run the stadium? That's great, but you left your teammates behind so that does us no good. It's we are as good as our team is."

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