Florida fifth-year senior kicker Jonathan Phillips has had to take a backup role to sophomore Caleb Sturgis this season, but coach Urban Meyer said making the decision wasn't an easy one.

"It was real hard,'' Meyer said. "I love Jon Phillips. Jon Phillips would give his life to Florida football. But it's also performance-based. Caleb won the job.''

Phillips set single-season SEC and school records for most PAT's last season with 78. He played in two games this season, hitting 14-of-15 extra points, but he missed a 39-yard field goal attempt against Troy, and Meyer reopened the kicking competition.

Meyer said Phillips, who is a first-year law student, and the rest of the team understands that when changes are made, it's in the best interest of the team, no matter how difficult. And it's nothing personal.

"When (former kicker) Chris Hetland was struggling (in 2006), if someone had beat out Chris Hetland, we would have made that move. Our guys understand the competition in this program. Jon is a tremendous person and we're still going to need him at some point this year.''