The No. 8 Florida Gators (10-1, 7-1 SEC) needed overtime to survive and earn a 20-14 win over the Florida Atlantic Owls (2-9, 2-5 CUSA). It wasn’t pretty, not many of the Gators’ wins since Will Grier was suspended have been, but the end result continues to move the Gators forward.
The most concerning thing wasn’t the final score. Not the fact that punter Johnny Townsend had more punts (9) than starting quarterback Treon Harris had completions (8). It’s not the fact that Townsend had more net punting yards (391) than the Florida offense had total yards (252). It wasn’t even the fact that FAU outgained the Gators on the ground and in the air, had more first downs and ten tackles for a loss, the most troubling thing that happened on Saturday was the way the Florida Gators showed up today on the field.
“You guys watched it. Very disappointed in our effort,” Jim McElwain said in his post game press conference.”
The Gators came out on Saturday against FAU and played like a team that thought showing up was good enough. That the talent gap on paper would ensure a win, no matter what they did or what kind of effort they brought to the field.
“How many opportunities did they give us down there? I mean, guys, this game wasn’t close. Let’s face it. But, we made it close,” said McElwain. “Yet, we also figured out a way to win.”
One of the keys for Florida to come away with a win against FAU was to start fast, hit the Owls in the mouth and make them feel as if they didn’t belong on the same field. They did the exact opposite. The Florida offense punted on their first three drives, missed a field goal and punted again on their final drive of the first half.
Give the Florida defense credit; Geoff Collins’ unit was down Joey Ivie, Alex McCalister and Caleb Brantley. Vernon Hargreaves left early in the second quarter with a stomach bug. Taven Bryan went down with an ankle injury and Jon Bullard missed some time in the first with a knee injury. Even with missing pieces all around the defense, the unit forced five punts in the first half and held FAU scoreless.
“No matter where it’s at, at the 1-yard line, 50, anywhere. We feel like we can go out there and get a stop,” sophomore cornerback Jalen Tabor said. “We’ve been through that before, you know, the offense having struggles last year. So we know how to go into it when they struggle a little bit and we feel like they gave us 20 points today, easy. If the offense gives us 20 points, we should win.”
Florida’s offense may have given the defense 20 points but they also spotted FAU seven points. Treon Harris was sacked with eight minutes left in the fourth quarter by Ocie Rose. Rose fell on the fumble in the end zone and the ensuing PAT tied the game at 14.
The play left a sick feeling in the stomach of every fan in the stands, but it wasn’t surprising. The offense had struggled all day long and it was the defense that would need to save the day.
FAU won the toss before overtime and elected to play defense first. Harris picked up nine on a quarterback draw then, Kelvin Taylor moved the chains with a three-yard gain of his own. McElwain dialed up a roll out to Harris’ right. The sophomore quarterback took the snap out of the shotgun, rolled to his right with his eyes down the field. He stopped on a dime, turned to his left and floated a pass to senior tight end Jake McGee, who hauled it in with two defenders in front of him.
“I think I get made fun of the most about my lack of mobility and juking people,” said McGee.
The senior caught the ball and was greeted by two FAU defenders in his face when he turned around. Thanks to some fancy footwork, McGee made both defenders miss, colliding into one another.
“Great execution. Jake did his job. Treon sold it real well,” McElwain recalled about the play. “Obviously, Jake might be a contestant for Dancing with the Stars. That was a pretty good little move he made on those two guys.”
Austin Hardin lined up for the extra point.
Blocked.
What a sick turn of events. The offense that had been stagnant all game had finally gotten a big explosive play in a crucial time would be let down by a kicker who had missed two field goals inside of 35-yards already on the afternoon.
The defense came out needing a stop.
The Owls picked up five yards, three yards, eight yards on a quarterback draw and hope started sinking out of Gator Nation. Johnson picked up three more yards to get the 12.
Now it’s second down and Brian Poole comes through with a pass breakup. Quincy Wilson was in tight coverage on third down for another incomplete pass.
Fourth down.
The line brought pressure, Jacquez Johnson moved around in the pocket and found Jenson Stoshak in the end zone but Brian Poole was there again. The senior broke up the pass and released the Gators out on to the field in a frenzy.
It was win number 10. More of a relief than a celebration.
If the Gators learned anything on Saturday it should be that they’re not good enough to just simply show up and roll the ball out on the field. Their next two opponents won’t lull them to sleep. Instate rival Florida State has won the last two games against Florida and Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide will meet them in Atlanta. The Florida team that showed up on Saturday would finish those two games with decisive losses. They need to bring a better focus and energy.
“We can’t have that. It’s too big a time in the year; things have been going too well,” McGee said. “We really have to just push through it. From here on out if you can’t get up for these games you really shouldn’t be playing football.”
Our offense has some serious issues indeed. But I like our chances in a rival game at home. Go Gators.
The Gator coaches have much more info than we do, obviously. As armchair QBs, it is hard to watch. Believe it or not, there are gameplans when your OL is outmanned, and the QB play is subpar. This won’t be a mystery to the coaches. Can the players execute, and will luck be on our side?
You’re right, most of our games haven’t been pretty since Treon took over. But then again Mizzou, UK, Tennessee, and ECU weren’t pretty either with Grier. I wish he was here, but he’s not. Plus, Treon has faced mostly better defenses (3 top 25 vs 1) with less time afforded by the line. No coincidence that both games We’ve been missing David Sharpe and thus have a more jumbled o-line, have been our worst offensive performances.