The Florida Gators (4-0, 2-0 SEC) 28-27 win over the Tennessee Volunteers (2-2, 0-2 SEC) left every fan in attendance hoarse from screaming and Volunteers fans searching for words. The ending to the game certainly made it an instant classic and these are five things Gator Country thinks we learned from the win.
1. Gators learning how to win
Walking out of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium last night fans were chanting the 11 consecutive years that the Florida Gators have beat the Tennessee Volunteers and I couldn’t help but think, would the 2013 or 2014 Gators have won that game?
Maybe they would have. The 2013 win with Jeff Driskel going down in the first quarter was improbable. The 10-point fourth quarter comeback in 2014 seemed impossible at the time as well.
However, according to Florida, this was the second largest comeback in school history dating back to 1966 (trailed Auburn 17-0 in the 4th quarter in 1986).
The Gators are learning how to win. They’ve won four games in four very different fashions. They went through a rough week of practice after their first win of the season because the team simply wasn’t used to success. They’ve bounced back from that and are starting to get used to and even expect winning. Brandon Powell was asked if there was any doubt that crept into the minds of the team when Tennessee took a 27-14 lead late in the fourth.
“Hell no,” he said. “They were up 17-0 two weeks ago against Oklahoma. We kept fighting.”
Florida’s learning to win and they’re starting to get some swagger back.
2. Jim McElwain trusts Kelvin Taylor
National media members lit into Jim McElwain for his sideline undressing of running back Kelvin Taylor against ECU. ESPN’s Desmond Howard went as far to say that McElwain should have been suspended by the administration for a game. In the past, that sort of penalty would have landed Taylor in the doghouse.
Not with McElwain.
McElwain put Taylor back into the game against ECU on the night in question; he ran Taylor 16 times against Kentucky and 19 more against Tennessee. Taylor’s 102 yards and two touchdowns were good enough to keep the two freshmen running backs off the field on Saturday and goes to show that McElwain isn’t holding grudges.
The video of McElwain ripping in to Kelvin Taylor on the sideline was nothing more than a teaching moment for Taylor and the rest of the team. It should go as a teaching moment to those in the media who were quick to judge a coach in his second game.
3. Quarterback battle may be over
Will Grier wasn’t perfect against Tennessee. The redshirt freshman completed 23-of-42 pass attempts (54.76%) for 283 yards, two touchdowns and one interception but often times took unnecessary punishment leaving the pocket early.
There is a lot to work on for Grier and the offense as a whole, but Grier showed leadership in crucial moments against Tennessee.
Grier continues to play lights out in critical moments. He completed all five of his pass attempts on fourth down for more than 120 yards and two touchdowns. He continues to move the offense quickly and efficiently in hurry-up situations and, maybe most importantly, he didn’t make “choices” that caused him to be suspended for a football game.
Grier has led the Gators to three consecutive wins as the starting quarterback. It hasn’t been pretty but it’s time to end the quarterback carousel and name Grier the starter. He’s the future of the program and should be afforded the opportunity to play the rest of the season without having to look over his shoulder.
4. Offensive line’s best performance
The Florida Gators offensive line has been the butt of jokes, the No. 1 Not Top Ten play on Sports Center and overall ineffective for years. The line struggled to get a push in the running game against ECU and then again against Kentucky. It appeared that Florida was in for another year of forgettable line play and then they showed up against Tennessee.
Facing the best defensive line they have played against to date, the Florida Gators offensive line stood tall. The line paved the way for Kelvin Taylor’s 102 yards and two scores and they gave Will Grier a clean pocket for most of the night, and definitely succeeded in this on critical fourth downs.
Has the line finally gelled or was Saturday an aberration? They’ll face their biggest test of the season when Robert Nkemdiche and the Ole Miss Rebels come to town this week.
5. Not freshmen anymore
Martez Ivey, Fred Johnson and Tyler Jordan all played meaningful snaps against Tennessee on the offensive line and held their own. The three freshmen offensive linemen are way ahead of the curve, especially the two tackles Johnson and Ivey. Ivey’s comeback from arthroscopic knee surgery the week before the first game is remarkable and Johnson has been a nice surprise to Gator fans, anchoring the right side of the offensive line.
How about Antonio Callaway. The freshman entered the game against Tennessee with four receptions for 60 yards. Callaway caught five passes for 112 yards and the go-ahead score on Saturday.
They might be freshmen on paper, but these young bucks are anything but that between the lines and the Gators are relying on them in key moments each Saturday.
I thought this win was wonderful for the entire team’s confidence. I must say this was the 1st Tenn, Florida game that I did not attend in the last 15 years home or away, and watching from home I counted this as a loss going into the 4th qtr 2 scores down. But, I continued to watch to see if the Gators would lie down or continue to fight. Can I tell you I saw a group of young guys grow up on Saturday. The O-Line protected Grier better than I’ve see so far this year in the final minutes. Grier made some really good decisions on crucial 4th downs, and Kelvin Taylor rarely went backwards. I think that we’ve found our QB, as he showed some really good leadership qualities on the field by staying calm, and of course he hasn’t made any bone head decisions off the field. I am starting to like this team. Things look good for the future of this program.
By the way the public and Desmond are wrong, I won’t go in to the details but, when you’re a coach, you build relationships with your players and understand what motivates them or what type of reprimands they need for them to get better. Obviously the relationship is there for that to have taken place. Mac is working to change the culture, and doing it how he’s always done it. He’s headed in the right direction I believe. Go Gators