The Gators have gone on an emotional rollercoaster over the last few months.
After starting the season 3-1 and coming up just short against No. 1 Alabama, the possibilities seemed limitless. Though they didn’t view that game as a moral victory, they clearly gained confidence by the way that they played, and they publicly talked about wanting to win out and earn a rematch with them in the SEC Championship Game.
Then they lost five of their next seven games, which included three one-score losses but also a couple of ugly blowouts to Georgia and South Carolina.
With each loss, the frustrations mounted. Linebacker Mohamoud Diabate seemed to subtly criticize defensive coordinator Todd Grantham after the LSU loss.
Then-coach Dan Mullen, likely sensing his control over the program slipping away, barred players and assistant coaches from speaking with the media the week of the South Carolina game.
Grantham and offensive line coach John Hevesy were fired the day after that horrific showing against the Gamecocks, and Mullen was shown the door two weeks later.
They rebounded to defeat Florida State and earn a birth in the Gasparilla Bowl against UCF on Thursday.
That’s a whole lot of ups and downs in a short amount of time. The Gators will try to end this extremely challenging season on a high note by defeating the Knights and staking their claim to the imaginary state championship.
“It would mean a great deal for this team,” UF interim head coach Greg Knox said. “To finish strong is what we’ve always talked about. Finishing strong. And, again, we go back to the Florida State game. That was a big deal for us to finish our schedule for the year with the final game against them strong in a rivalry game. And, so, I thought they did that well, and, again, now you get one extra game with the bowl game by beating Florida State. So, it’s still about finishing strong and just capping this whole thing off.”
This game has the necessary ingredients to get ugly and not in Florida’s favor. The players have probably tried their hardest to focus on the Gasparilla Bowl exclusively, but it’s almost impossible for their heads to not be spinning in a million different directions with the new coaching staff meeting with them and decisions to be made regarding the transfer portal and the NFL Draft.
The Gators (6-6, 2-6 SEC) have only practiced a handful of times since the end of the regular season, and they’re going to play this game without quarterback Anthony Richardson (meniscus surgery), defensive lineman Zachary Carter (opt-out) and a few of the six players who have entered the transfer portal.
While none of this is ideal, interim defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Christian Robinson believes that the players are well-quipped to overcome adversity one final time.
“After everything that we dealt with in the 2020 season, I think they’ve adapted to handling ‘Hey, this is new. This is different,’” he said. “I think that our kids actually probably handle changes easier than maybe some adults do. They have done a great job. I know I keep saying that, but they’ve done a great job of handling what’s up next and being flexible with what we’ve had to do and what the new staff has wanted to do.”
While this game will pose a strong mental challenge to the Gators, the physical challenge that UCF will present shouldn’t be overlooked.
The Knights (8-4, 5-3 American Athletic) have had a bit of a down season as well in their first year under coach Gus Malzahn, at least when you consider that they didn’t lose a single regular season game during the 2017 and 2018 seasons, including that magical 13-0 run in 2017 which famously ended with them declaring themselves the national champions after beating Auburn in the Peach Bowl.
Still, they have enough playmakers on both sides of the ball to give the Gators some fits.
“They are a very impressive team,” Knox said. “Again, I’ve known Gus [Malzahn] a while. They’re well-coached, well-disciplined, and they do a great job as far as what he’s doing offensively and defensively. Matter of fact, his defensive coordinator, Travis [Williams], played for me when I coached at Auburn, so I know these guys very well. And, again, I think they do a great job, and I’m looking forward to having our guys get out there and play against them.”
Offensively, UCF has become more of a run-oriented team following the season-ending injury to quarterback Dillon Gabriel in week three. They rank second in the American Athletic Conference and 35th in the FBS with 188.7 rushing yards per game.
Isaiah Bowser (6-foot-1, 225 pounds) is a big, powerful running back who leads the team with seven touchdowns. Johnny Richardson (5-foot-7, 170 pounds) is the polar opposite, as he’s a shifty, make-you-miss type of runner. He leads them with 548 yards, and he’s averaging nearly seven yards per carry.
The two of them, along with Mark-Antony Richards (48 carries, 309 yards, five touchdowns) could cause problems for a Florida defense that ranks 71st in the country in rushing defense and has serious depth issues in the front-7.
When the Knights have thrown the ball, they’ve done OK. Freshman Mikey Keene has completed 63.6 percent of his passes for 1,586 yards with 16 touchdowns and six interceptions. However, UCF has had some problems with protecting their quarterbacks, which should give the Gators some opportunities to create negative plays with their pass rush.
“He’s been able to manage games,” Knox said. “He’s really good. He’s good out of the pocket. He can move his feet. He can run the ball. [Richardson] is very explosive, very quick. Got to contain him. Got to contain him.”
UCF’s receiving corps is basically a two-man show. Ryan O’Keefe has caught 77 passes (third in the AAC) for 727 yards and six scores, while Brandon Johnson has caught 38 balls for 565 yards and 11 touchdowns (second in the AAC).
Perhaps their biggest weapon, however, is their tempo. Malzahn is known for running plays at a breakneck speed. The goal is to either wear the defense down or exploit a mismatch over and over again by not allowing the defense to substitute. UF’s defense has struggled to get lined up and get their play calls made in time against up-tempo teams in recent years.
“He’s going to go fast, do a lot of things, and that’s what he’s known for,” Robinson said. “I think the D-Line has done a great job with Coach [David] Turner focusing on ‘Hey, we’ve got to get lined up, play fast and beat them back to the ball.’”
On the other side of the ball, UCF has one of their best defenses in recent years under Williams.
The Knights rank 55th in the FBS in both scoring defense (25.2 points per game) and total defense (368.8 yards per game).
“[Williams] will blitz,” Knox said. “He’s going to bring pressure, and they seem to be playing really fast. He’s got them playing hard.”
They’ve been solid at all three levels. They’re tied for 28th in the country in sacks (2.83 per game) and tied for 18th in tackles-for-loss (seven per game). Linebacker Tatum Bethune leads the way with 101 tackles (fourth in the AAC), and he’s also made two sacks and two interceptions. Defensive lineman Big Kat Bryant, an Auburn transfer, is tied for third in their conference with six sacks, while Tre’Mon Morris-Brash has recorded four sacks.
Their secondary ranks 11th in the country in passing efficiency defense and is led by cornerbacks Divaad Wilson (two interceptions), Davonte Brown (10 passes defended) and Justin Hodges (six passes defended, one interception).
Though UF quarterback Emory Jones has thrown 13 interceptions this season and has announced his intention to transfer after the game, running back Dameon Pierce is confident that he will go out with a bang.
“First day on campus, I’ve seen him go through ups. I’ve seen him go through downs, but I’ve never seen him drop his chin. I’ve never seen him give up,” Pierce said. “He’s going to fight. He’s definitely a fighter. It probably didn’t go the way he wanted it to go, probably not the way he envisioned, but he’s definitely a hard-worker, and he’s never going to quit or give up on anybody.
“That’s why I said you shouldn’t have any worries about him giving his all to this team because that’s just him. That’s built into him. That’s just the type of guy he is. That’s my dawg, man.”
UCF’s only true defensive weakness is in the running game. While they create plenty of plays in the backfield, they also are giving up 155.4 yards per game (72nd in the FBS) and 4.2 yards per carry. If the Gators’ offensive line can even come close to playing as well as they did in the first four games of the season, Pierce and Malik Davis could have big games in what is expected to be their college swan song.
It’s been a long season for everybody in Gator Nation, but the end is finally in sight. And the Gators would love nothing more than to send out the old coaching staff and the senior class with one final victory.
[Knox has] never lost as a head coach,” cornerback Kaiir Elam said. “I feel like for the team, a good morale for the last time for this team to be together. So, I feel like it’ll be a great experience and something that not a lot of teams get to do. So, it’s going to be a blessing.
“I feel like we just have the utmost respect for [Knox] because it’s been a hard time for not only us but the coaches as well. So, it’d be a big blessing for us to go out and win.”