Video: Eli Carter on Florida Gators Team Effort

It was a game of so close but just not enough.

After keeping undefeated and No. 1 Kentucky on the ropes for the majority of 40 minutes, the Florida Gators faltered late and lost 68-61 to their SEC foe. The loss drops the Gators to 12-11 (5-5 SEC). Kentucky continues their ‘pursuit of perfection’ with a perfect 24-0 record.

The loss raises the water as the Gators continue to try to stay afloat and above .500 this season, but the play that went into it was a nice gulp of air for an otherwise floundering squad.

Head coach Billy Donovan said it was the first time in 23 games he felt like his team played to win, adding that fact was disappointing since it meant it took 23 games to get there.

But it was guard Eli Carter who summed up the game and seemingly the entire season when he said “it’s kind of shocking honestly, how good we can be when we play unselfish and with a lot of energy and fight for each other.”

This is the message Donovan has been preaching and saying all season, and now that his team is seeing it, he says the biggest questions will be “what do we do with this moving forward.”

The Gators next matchup will be Thursday at home versus Ole Miss.

Watch below to hear more from Eli Carter and his thoughts on the teams effort throughout the season and versus Kentucky.

Kassidy Hill
Born into a large family of sports fanatics and wordsmiths alike, sports journalism came natural to Kassidy. It’s more than a passion; it’s simply a part of who she is. Hailing from Alabama in the midst of typical Iron Bowl family, she learned very quickly just how deep ties in the SEC could run. She came to Gainesville after college to pursue a degree as television sports reporter but quickly realized she missed writing. She’s excited to now marry the two aspects for Gator fans. She loves Jesus, her daddy and football; wants to be Billy Donovan’s best friend and firmly believes that offensive lineman are the best people on earth. Follow her on Twitter @KassidyGHill