COLUMBIA, SC — It wasn’t pretty, the weather or the game, but the Florida Gators continued doing what Dan Mullen preaches on a daily basis. They found a way to win.
The No. 9 Gators traveled to Columbia reeling after its first loss of the season. Tropical storm Nestor blanketed the gulf coast and into South Carolina forcing the Gators and Gamecocks to play in weather even ducks would have thought was too wet. It took its toll on Florida early.
South Carolina drove the ball 75-yards for a touchdown on the very first drive of the game and the Gators’ offense responded with three incomplete passes and confusion.
“You know, started really sloppy,” Dan Mullen said after the game. “Sloppy first half for us with execution. I mean, and not just, ‘Oh, OK, well we didn’t block’ or this, I mean guys just going the wrong direction, getting the wrong signal, running the wrong plays. So that was kind of disappointing.”
The rain wasn’t an excuse, either. Florida had their quarterbacks throw wet footballs in practice leading up to the game and it’s a regular part of practice in the spring and fall camps. The Gators were just off in the first half. There was no excuse for the lack of communication or the lack of execution of the gameplan. None was offered by the coach or the players but perhaps it was the mental and physical toll of the season thus far.
“18-to-22 year-olds grinding trying to go to school, get a degree, learn a plan, having to play a tough schedule. You know, this is a really good team that we played. Don’t get anything wrong on this, when you go look at this, like I said, we’re going, everyone said right now the 4 game stretch that we’re 3 games through is probably the toughest in college football that anyone has to play this season,” Mullen said. “If you’ve got a hard time, you’ve got to jump up and down to see the schedule that South Carolina’s had to play, it’s probably one of the toughest schedules. You know, and so, they’ve played pretty well all year. They’re a pretty good football team.”
Florida rebounded in the first half. Kyle Trask settled down, finding Jacob Copeland for a 32-yard gain, the longest reception of his career at that point. The drive stalled but Florida connected on a field goal to pull Florida in closer. The Gamecocks would kick a field goal of their own before Florida was able to put together a drive and tie the game.
All season the Gators have struggled to run the ball but they have seemed to find some hope the last two games. Their first touchdown drive was powered by the ground game. Dameon Pierce and Kyle Trask picked up the hard yards before Trask found Jacob Copeland for 37-yards, a score and a tie.
The Gators wouldn’t take the outright lead in the game until 9:54 left in the game when Trask found Freddie Swain for a touchdown. The redshirt junior threw four touchdown passes on the road Saturday. Trask is the first Gator since Tim Tebow to throw 4 TDs in a road game (Tebow threw 4 @ Kentucky on 10/20/07).
The game wasn’t pretty. Florida didn’t play well for 30 minutes but they held on to the rope, didn’t flinch and found a way to win. The Gators are 7-1 with a much needed bye week ahead before a rematch with a Georgia team that took them to the woodshed in 2018.
“You’re heading into November in control of your own destiny and what’s going to happen,” Mullen said. “That’s where we want to be, that’s where we expect to be at Florida.”