Florida passed its final exam with flying colors in the 40 - 17 dismantling of Florida State. The Gators put themselves in great position to be chosen for one of the elite “New Year’s Six” bowl games. Most likely, the Cotton Bowl or the Orange Bowl, but we’ll know more after next week’s conference championship games.
This week, Florida played well on both offense and defense taking advantage of the struggling and unfocused (13 penalties) Seminoles. By five minutes into the second quarter the Gators were never really threatened. The few opportunities Florida State generated quickly dissipated behind sacks or untimely penalties. Injuries and an ejection further hampered the Seminole effort.
On offense, the Gators showcased their deep and talented receiving corps by distributing the ball to ten different receivers, eight of whom had three or more catches each. Seniors Van Jefferson, Josh Hammond, Tyrie Cleveland, and Freddie Swain will all be hard to replace next season. Kyle Trask made good decisions and threw for 347 yards and three touchdowns. Emory Jones completed 5 of his 6 attempts and also ran for 47 yards. On a day when Percy Harvin served as “Mr. Two Bits”, Florida showcased its most similarly elusive athlete, Kadarius Toney. Toney had several electrifying plays including a slip screen that went for 47 yards and a 12 yard punt return.
Jonathan Greenard led the Florida defense with three of the team’s eight sacks. With the exception of a 45 yard pass play on the first FSU drive and a 50 yard Cam Akers touchdown run in the third quarter, Florida completely shut down the Seminole offense. The success on defense for Florida was a clear reflection of total team relentless effort. The rivalry atmosphere ensured the intensity stayed high from start to finish.
Special teams play was uneven. Evan McPherson’s missed his first extra point in 92 attempts, but drilled two field goals, one from 50 Yards. Tommy Townsend had one short punt and was stopped short on an ill-advised fake punt, but neither play ended up hurting the Gators. Tyrie Cleveland had a 40 yard kickoff return. Freddie Swain had his first muffed punt of the year erased by an FSU penalty.
Lamichel Perine, David Reese, and Adam Shuler also played their last games in the Swamp as Gators. Each have been incredible team leaders and strong on-field contributors. It was nice seeing these three and the 23 other seniors go out with a win to cap an undefeated HOME season. They’ve played a large role in restoring Gator football to prominence.
On a final note, the ten win regular season and prominent bowl game coupled with down seasons for both FSU and Miami will position the Gators to close the 2020 recruiting cycle very strongly. The 2020 class should be a top ten class with the 2021 group to be even stronger.
