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Post by Deleted on Sept 27, 2015 17:34:01 GMT -5
I'm surprised they didn't try to move the ball 5 yards closer too. That was a bad officiating crew.
BTW, I finally got around to watching the SEC Network Gameday. Tim Tebow was the only one on the set to predict a UF win. The host, the guy from LSU, the guy from Alabama, and the bama radio homer all picked UT. Clearly, Timmy is the sharpest one on the set.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 27, 2015 17:35:42 GMT -5
9/26/2015
By SCOTT CARTER GatorZone.com Senior Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The ones who stayed were loud. The ones who left will say they stayed.
They will recall how they saw Gators freshman receiver Antonio Callaway catch a fourth-and-14 pass from Will Grier, make a curl move to the sideline and break free with the help of a block from Brandon Powell, and race to the end zone for the game-winning score in Florida’s rousing 28-27 come-from-behind victory over Tennessee on Saturday at The Swamp.
Whether you left early, stayed late, or watched on TV – and regardless of your rooting interests -- Saturday’s thriller won’t fade from memory any time soon.
The game had been over for several minutes and nearly all of Florida’s coaches and players had retreated to a joyous locker room. Meanwhile, Gators strength-and-conditioning coordinator Mark Campbell stood on the field waiting for the last players to exit.
Campbell played for the Gators under Steve Spurrier and has served on the weight-room staff of the last four Florida head coaches.
After wiping sweat from his forehead, Campbell said what thousands of orange-and-blue loyalists were thinking as they headed for the exits.
“That was the best one in here in a long time,” he said.
He speaks truth.
When Tennessee kicker Aaron Medley’s 55-yard field goal attempt on the game’s final play wiggled right of the goalpost, the Gators raced onto the field to celebrate like they haven’t done since the Tim Tebow era.
Pandemonium engulfed Florida Field.
First-year Gators coach Jim McElwain, about to do a postgame interview, broke away to embrace wife Karen for a victory hug. Grier then stopped by for a hug before racing to the corner to sing the school’s fight song with his teammates.
Nearby, running backs coach Tim Skipper had a look of disbelief on his face, and tight end Jake McGee was high-fiving anyone within arm’s length.
It was that kind of finish for the Gators in their SEC home opener, one that belonged to Tennessee for much of the evening until the Gators put on dizzying comeback in the final five minutes.
A comeback capped by Callaway’s 63-yard catch-and-run touchdown with 1:26 left in the game.
“I don’t play quarterback for a reason, because I didn’t see anything over there,’’ exhausted and euphoric Gators linebacker Jarrad Davis said afterward. “When Will threw that ball, I was like, ‘there are so many white jerseys over there.’ And here comes Antonio out of nowhere, catches it, wheels up the sideline, and my man Brandon Powell … he came in and made an awesome block, sprung Antonio and he took it to the house.”
The Grier-to-Callaway touchdown was the play everyone will remember, but the final 15 minutes will live in Gator lore for many reasons. Let's start with this: Florida trailed 27-14 with 10:19 left.
The comeback is the second-largest fourth-quarter comeback in modern UF history, second only to an 18-17 win over Auburn in 1986 when quarterback Kerwin Bell engineered a late rally from 17-0 down for an 18-17 victory over Auburn.
As the former head ballcoach might say, "God smiled on the Gators."
The Gators were 3-for-3 on fourth downs in the quarter. Grier was 11 of 18 for 141 yards and two touchdowns, the first one a 5-yard touchdown pass to Powell that finished a 17-play, 86-yard drive and trimmed Tennessee’s lead to 27-21 with 4:09 left.
That drive answered a 16-play, 70-yard drive by the Vols that had “Rocky Top” blaring from the visitor’s section for much of the quarter.
However, on the ensuing series, Florida’s defense forced a rare three-and-out to give Grier and Co. one final shot.
The Gators delivered in a signature victory for McElwain only four games into his UF career.
“Give the credit to those people who stayed here to root on the Gators,’’ McElwain said. “It was pretty awesome. Our guys didn’t panic. That was good to see. They played their hearts out.
“I think, feeling down deep, ‘you just don’t lose to Tennessee,’ and they didn’t.”
The victory is important for several reasons. The Gators, after a back-to-back down years, have already matched their 2013 win total and are more than halfway to their seven wins from last season.
They kept their winning streak alive against the Vols. They are 2-0 in the conference with Ole Miss coming to town next week.
But more importantly, the offense shined instead of the defense for a change. Tennessee outgained the Gators 419-392, rushing for 254 yards – or 57 yards more than the Vols had rushed for in their last five meetings with the Gators.
Not for 60 minutes, but on those two final drives, the UF offense delivered in the clutch.
“Coach showed a lot of faith in us on some [plays] that were fourth-and-4, fourth-and-6,’’ tight end Jake McGee said. “You like to see that when the head man has your back and trusts the offense.”
The defense approved. Davis flashed a teethy grin when asked to recall the Grier-to-Callaway play and what transpired in its wake.
“This was awesome,’’ he said. “I haven’t felt like that ever in a football game.”
He wasn't the only one.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 27, 2015 17:52:00 GMT -5
9/27/2015
By SCOTT CARTER GatorZone.com Senior Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – They call the play Train Right, Jill, Big Ben In.
The Gators run it each week in practice in case they ever need it. They needed it Saturday on fourth-and-13 against Tennessee.
"Just part of the offense,'' head coach Jim McElwain said.
Quarterback Will Grier made a good throw, receiver Antonio Callaway made a good catch, and receiver Brandon Powell made a great block.
Callaway’s legs did the rest on his 63-yard catch-and-run touchdown with 1:26 left to give the Gators a stirring 28-27 comeback victory against the Vols.
“You’ve just got to find the open guy, get it to him and convert the first down,’’ Grier said. “The young kid, my little brother, he just made a hell of a play. He turned that first down into a touchdown.”
A freshman from Miami, Callaway’s electrifying score capped his five-catch, 112-yard game as he became the first true Gators freshman receiver with a 100-yard receiving game since Reidel Anthony had two in 1994.
But it was Grier’s play in the fourth quarter that allowed the Gators to be in position to win their 11th consecutive game against their SEC East rivals.
A redshirt freshman making his third consecutive start, Grier had the kind of see-saw game Saturday that may have prompted McElwain to summon Treon Harris from the bench if Harris was available. However, with Harris serving a one-game suspension, it was all on Grier if the Gators were going to overcome a 13-point fourth-quarter deficit.
That possibility seemed remote for most of the game.
Grier was 12 of 24 for 142 yards and one interception entering the final 15 minutes. He was also sacked three times as Florida’s offense struggled to find any rhythm. The Gators punted six times on their first nine drives and had one end with an interception and another result in the end of the first half.
Florida’s only scoring drive over that span was a four-play, 70-yard drive that ended with a 5-yard touchdown run by Kelvin Taylor in the first quarter. Taylor’s 47-yard run was the big play.
After Tennessee scored 20 unanswered points, the Gators finally found the end zone late in the third quarter on Taylor’s 4-yard run. The drive started at Tennessee’s 29 after a fumble recovery by Bryan Cox Jr.
And then Grier and the offense took off in the final quarter.
“Probably the comfort in running the two-minute and hurry-up drill,’’ McElwain said of Grier’s turnaround. “I didn’t think our protection was great. Saw some things on weakside pressure, if we caught them, he should throw hot. That’s part of growing up as a quarterback.”
Grier led the Gators on a 17-play, 86-yard drive in the fourth quarter to trim Tennessee’s lead to 27-21 with 4:09 left in the game. His 5-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Powell answered a 16-play, 70-yard drive by the Vols to seemingly put the game out of reach.
The Gators took over with 2:18 left in the game on their final drive and after three plays resulted in a 3-yard loss by Taylor and two incompletions, Grier connected with Callaway on a play that Florida fans – and Tennessee fans, too – will remember in this rivalry for a long time.
“I’m super impressed with what Will has been able to do,’’ tight end Jake McGee said. “The offense, it took a little while to get going tonight. There was no wavering with the guy behind the wheel. He stepped up under pressure when we needed him.”
Grier completed 11 of 18 passes for 141 yards and two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, finishing 23 of 42 for a career-high 283 yards.
He was under pressure most of the game and showed some impatience in the pocket early.
However, he was in charge when it mattered most, showing signs that perhaps he is Florida’s quarterback of the present and future.
“I think the whole team saw things in there. That was really good,’’ McElwain said. “There were a whole lot of guys contributing. I think his development at that position, having that confidence that you can take drives down and stick ‘em in end zone when you need to, that really helps.”
“He actually looked pretty steady in the pocket on those two drives.”
The Gators finished with 392 yards of total offense, an improvement over their 245-yard outing at Kentucky the previous week.
Grier’s play provides the offense short on playmakers and veteran offensive linemen a boost with Ole Miss stopping by The Swamp in six days.
“It just shows he can make big plays,’’ Powell said. “He stood in the pocket and delivered the ball well and helped us win the game.”
Grier said Tennessee’s defense was showing some different schemes than the Gators saw during their film preparation. Once the offense adjusted, the game began to slow down.
“We were able to figure out what they were doing and kind of as an offense pull together and start moving the ball a lot better,’’ Grier said. “That’s part of it. You have to make adjustments on the fly. You got through a rough patch like that.
“As an offense we just kind of took turns making mistakes that we’ve got to correct. I’ve got to play better throughout the game. I did some things that I wish I could go back and change, but at the end of the day, when it mattered, we got the win. That’s the only stat that I care about, that W in the win column.
In Grier’s most meaningful performance yet at Florida, he showed a toughness that earned the respect of his teammates.
It was a welcomed change of pace for the Gators. Instead of the defense having to carry the load in the final quarter, the offense flipped the script.
And Grier was the one in control.
“It gives a lot of confidence in him. I believe in him,’’ safety Keanu Neal said. “Will’s a guy who’s a great competitor. He did his thing today. He manned up and he finished the game out correctly. He gave us a win.”
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Post by Deleted on Sept 27, 2015 18:03:57 GMT -5
4 down & 11 to go.....
Next up, Ole Miss in The Swamp next Saturday night - The game will be televised on ESPN at 7 PM EDT.
Series History | Florida 10, Ole Miss 12 -- The two teams first met in 1926, prior to the formation of the Southeastern Conference, with the Rebels taking a 12-7 decision in Gainesville. Florida earned its first win in the series in 1945, 26-13, in Jacksonville. The lone tie between the sides came by a 13-13 score at Florida Field in 1934. The two schools have faced off in a bowl game with UF losing, 7-3, to the Rebels in the 1958 Gator Bowl. The 23 meetings between the Gators and Rebels are the fewest between UF and any active charter member of the SEC, other than Missouri and Texas A&M.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 27, 2015 23:49:37 GMT -5
It is absolutely imperative that the Gators continue to improve week to week with the increasingly harder schedule. Over the next four games, the Gators face three top 10 ranked teams:
Schedule 2015 Date Opponent Result / Time 9/5 vs. New Mexico State W 61 - 13 9/12 vs. East Carolina W 31 - 24 9/19 at Kentucky W 14 - 9 9/26 vs. Tennessee W 28 - 27 10/3 vs. 3 Ole Miss 7:00 ET 10/10 at Missouri TBA 10/17 at 9 LSU TBA 10/31 vs. 8 Georgia 3:30 ET 11/7 vs. Vanderbilt TBA 11/14 at South Carolina TBA 11/21 vs. Florida Atlantic TBA 11/28 vs. 11 Florida State TBA
UF has played poorly in 2 trips to Columbia, Mo. since the tigers joined the SEC. Hopefully, that changes this season.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 28, 2015 10:24:20 GMT -5
Screw you AP and Coaches - I reject any ranking recognition for UF - Preseason, Phil Steele had UF outside his top 55 and several pubs that ranked all 128 CFB teams had UF 65 or higher. They couldn't have all been wrong. It won't matter anyway after Ole Miss slobberknocks UF in The Swamp this weekend:
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Florida's comeback win over Tennessee on Saturday night -- and its 4-0 start -- earned the Gators a return to the national rankings on Sunday.
The Gators are ranked No. 25 in the AP Top 25 and 23rd in the Amway Coaches Poll. Ohio State remains at No. 1 in both polls.
Florida hosts No. 3-ranked Ole Miss (AP Top 25) on Saturday in another big early season test. The Rebels (4-0) defeated Vanderbilt 27-16 Saturday and already have a road win at Alabama.
Florida is off to its first 4-0 start in three years thanks to a thrilling come-from-behind victory over Tennessee. The Gators trailed 27-14 in the fourth quarter before quarterback Will Grier led the Gators on a pair of touchdowns in the final 10 minutes.
Grier's 63-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Callaway with 1:26 put the Gators in front. Tennessee missed a potential game-winning field goal on the game's final play.
Florida's return to the national polls has been two years in the making. The Gators dropped out of the national rankings after a loss at Missouri in Week 7 of the 2013 season. Florida finished 4-8 during an injury-plagued season.
During a 7-5 season in 2014, the Gators never cracked the national rankings.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 28, 2015 10:55:53 GMT -5
UF vs. UT scored the highest college football rating of the weekend:
CBS Sports PR @cbssportsgang
. @seconcbs scores highest college football rating of the weekend for Tennessee @ Florida, earning a 3.2/7 metered market rtg, +14%
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Post by Deleted on Sept 28, 2015 14:13:39 GMT -5
Antonio Callaway - SEC Freshman of the Week - I'd have given it to Will Grier who had good numbers even though his receivers had 3 drops of perfectly thrown balls, one by Callaway - just too much put on the game winning catch - Will directed an excellent drive before that to bring UF closer at 27-21:
Monday September 28, 2015
Antonio Callaway Named SEC Freshman of the Week
University of Florida freshman wide receiver Antonio Callaway earned the Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week honor for his performance in the Gators’ 28-27 victory against Tennessee on Saturday, the league announced Monday.
Callaway caught the game-winning 64-yard touchdown on fourth and 14 to give Florida the comeback victory against Tennessee. The Miami, Fla.,-native hauled in five catches for a career-high 112 receiving yards.
The UF wide receiver became only the second true freshman in Florida Gator football history to record a 100-yard receiving performance. Callaway is also the second true freshman to haul in 100-plus receiving yards in a game this season
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Post by Deleted on Sept 28, 2015 14:27:25 GMT -5
SEC Announces 10.10.2015 TV Schedules - Gators get Mizzou on the night game of the SEC Network - Regardless of what happens this week against Ole Miss, UF needs to go to Columbia and play good football for the first time:
Monday September 28, 2015 Florida-Missouri Game Time Announced: 7:30 p.m. on SEC Network Gainesville, Fla.
The SEC Office on Monday announced the start times and television networks that will televise its games of Saturday, October 10.
The schedule is comprised of four conference games and two non-conference matchups.
The weekly SEC Network triple-header will feature New Mexico State at Ole Miss, Troy at Mississippi State and Florida at Missouri.
SEC Television Schedule for Saturday, October 10, 2015
LSU at South Carolina, 12 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. CT on ESPN
New Mexico State at Ole Miss, 12 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. CT on SEC Network
Georgia at Tennessee, 3:30 p.m. ET / 2:30 p.m. CT on CBS
Troy at Mississippi State, 4 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. CT on SEC Network
Arkansas at Alabama, 7 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. CT on ESPN
Florida at Missouri, 7:30 p.m. ET / 6:30 p.m. CT on SEC Network
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Post by Deleted on Sept 28, 2015 15:19:36 GMT -5
If Mac wants 90% of Gator Nation to turn on him immediately, announce Harris is starting over Grier against Ole Miss. Grier would have been 26 of 42 without the 3 drops and over 300 yards passing. While he is still growing into the starter position, I thought he won the job before UT. I see no reason to consider Treon Harris as anything other than the #1 backup and especially so after his failed drug test and suspension from the UT game. I hope Treon gets a few series to keep him happy, but that's it:
By Robbie Andreu Staff writer
Published: Monday, September 28, 2015 at 2:36 p.m.
Redshirt freshman quarterback Will Grier came up big in the clutch Saturday, leading Florida on two late touchdown drives to pull out a victory over Tennessee. But those two drives, which included three fourth-down conversions on Grier completions, have not solidified his role as the starter, UF coach Jim McElwain said Monday.
“No,” McElwain said. “Those two drives at the end are what he's supposed to do. That's what you do when you play the position. We practice it that way and he executed it. There were a lot of drives there that weren't executed, so we've got a long ways to go.
“And he knows it too, he sees it on film and realizes how he can get better. There's a certain expectation level that you need to have as a player. And there's a lot of plays you want back. There's a lot of great plays he made, but that's part of the maturation process of being a quarterback.”
Saturday's game was Grier's third consecutive start and second in a row where he's gone the distance. Early last week, McElwain said the plan for the Vols likely would include playing two quarterbacks, but that changed when sophomore Treon Harris was suspended from the game Wednesday for a violation of university rules.
With Harris returning this week, McElwain hasn't ruled out the possibility of playing both quarterbacks in Saturday night's game against No. 3 Ole Miss.
“You know, we'll see, we'll see how it goes this week in practice,” McElwain said. “I thought Will did some real good things in the game, but there are some things he's got to get better at, too.”
Grier missed some open receivers early in the game and went through a long stretch of inconsistent play heading into the fourth quarter. But with the game on the line and UF trailing 27-14, Grier responded in the two-minute offense, leading the Gators on two touchdown drives.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 28, 2015 15:31:43 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Sept 28, 2015 15:50:57 GMT -5
Impact on Ole Miss preparation - 9 players have the flu so it's no telling how many will end up with it:
Written by Nick de la Torre, September 28, 2015, 0 Comments, Print Friendly
Tennessee Volunteer fans probably felt sick after watching the Florida Gators come back from a 20-7 second half deficit to win their 11th straight game in the series, but it’s the Gators that are feeling under the weather on Monday.
“Right now probably our biggest problem is the flu bug,” Jim McElwain said on Monday. “We’ve got about nine guys out today that came in, in fact today was our flu bug shot day. But obviously our timing is impeccable.”
McElwain wouldn’t say which players came in sick on Monday morning but nine players is a lot to come in sick on the Monday before the biggest game of the young season. The Gators are ranked inside the AP Top-25 for the first time since 2013 and will host No. 3 Ole Miss in the first matchup of two ranked teams in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium since 2012.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 28, 2015 19:35:38 GMT -5
By Chris Harry GatorZone.com Senior Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- If the date with Tennessee started a run of games against “glass-eaters and fire-breathers,” as Coach Jim McElwain declared last week, then what sort of monstrous adjectives can he come up with to describe the wrecking-ball crew at Ole Miss?
Welcome to Octoberfest, Florida Gators style.
* Saturday: Home against the Rebels (4-0, 2-0), the nation’s No. 3-ranked team and recent dismantler of Southeastern Conference king Alabama (on the road, no less).
* Oct. 10: At Missouri, two-time defending SEC East Division champ.
* Oct. 17: At LSU, currently ranked 10th and armed with a tailback, Leonard Fournette, now being likened to a cross between Herschel Walker and Bo Jackson.
* Oct. 24: Bye (much needed).
* Oct. 31: No. 8 Georgia at Jacksonville, a date that needs no build-up (although check back in a month, ‘cause we’ll do our best).
Throw in that season-ender against Florida State and the Gators have four games remaining against teams currently ranked in the Associated Press Top 10. The six other teams in the SEC East have four such games combined.
But here’s something else McElwain said last week in the aftermath of surviving a difficult road game at Kentucky: When you win games like that, you put yourself in position for even bigger games.
Such is the case, which brings us back to Ole Miss and Saturday night’s prime-time clash between a pair of ranked teams at The Swamp. Amid the fallout of that pulsating 28-27 comeback defeat of Tennessee -- a game in which the Gators did plenty to lose, yet somehow made enough plays late to win -- McElwain said Monday the lessons from that one should serve his team well for the upcoming one.
“It’s over, and now we’ve got to move forward. That’s what this is all about,” McElwain said. “Learn from it and let’s go to work, get a little bit better and go play a team that I’m sure is going to come in here and figure they should beat the heck out of us. A highly ranked opponent that has everything going for them.”
Florida, meanwhile, is lowly ranked at No. 25, but ranked nonetheless, having snuck into the AP poll for the first time since Week 7 of the 2013 season -- the same season UF finished 4-8 and lost its last seven games.
Being back in the Top 25 limelight is not what this team is after, however.
And it doesn’t impress anyone in the locker room.
“We’re the Florida Gators,” slotback Brandon Powell said. “That’s where we’re supposed to be.”
Now, here come the Rebels, two weeks removed from ransacking Alabama 43-37 on the road. Ole Miss leads the SEC in scoring (54.8 points per game) and total offense (543.5 yards per game), plus boasts the league's best passing attack (344.5 ypg).
Quarterback Chad Kelly (61.7 percent, 1,219 yards, 10 touchdowns, 3 interceptions) tops the SEC passing, which is little wonder considering he has the NFL’s top-rated prospects at wide receiver in Laquon Treadwell (22 catches, 332 yards, 1 TD) and tight end in Evan Engram, plus another wideout, Quincy Adeboyejo (10 catches, 224 yards, 5 TDs), who averages 22 yards per catch. The ground game led by tailback Jaylen Walton (269 rushing yards, 6.4 yards per carry, 3 TDs) gives the offense balance.
It’s an attack that figures to challenge a Florida defense that was strutting pretty high a week ago, ranked first in the league and second in the nation, only to have Tennessee roll into town and cranked out 419 yards, including 254 on the ground, thanks to as many as 25 missed tackles.
The Gators were on point in wrapping up ballcarriers the first three games of the season, but McElwain said his staff reviewed clips of last week’s practice and, sure enough, saw a lot of what played out in the game.
“Usually what happens Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday shows up on Saturday,” he said. “If they choose to not want to tackle, it’ll show up again. They understand how. These are prideful guys. I want you to keep writing about it. That helps.”
[Note to Gators: Hey, what about those 25 missed tackles?]
“He’s always challenging us,” sophomore cornerback Quincy Wilson said. “Our defense is real competitive, but we’re all about putting the ball down and go play.”
The Rebels show middling numbers on defense -- eighth overall (357.8 ypg), ninth vs. the run (155.5 ypg), 10th vs. the pass (202.2 ypg) -- but lead the league with seven interceptions. They also boast arguably the best defensive player in college football in 6-foot-4, 296-pound defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche, who already is being talked about as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NFL draft.
How athletic is Nkemdiche? He also has touchdowns rushing and receiving on offense.
"You can obviously see what they’re doing in recruiting is paying huge dividends because of the players they have on both sides of the ball," McElwain said of the Rebels. "These guys are top draft picks and top players -- and were top players coming out of high school."
The Gators will have sophomore cornerback Jalen Tabor and backup sophomore quarterback Treon Harris back from a one-game suspension for violating team rules. McElwain did not pinpoint where those two fit into the plans against Ole Miss, though Tabor showed up No. 2 on the depth chart Monday behind Wilson.
Though McElwain did not say so, it’s safe to assume the return of Harris will not impact the pecking order at quarterback, where redshirt freshman Will Grier came alive in the fourth quarter in leading the Gators, down 13 points, on a pair of touchdown drives to complete UF’s largest home comeback in 29 years.
Grier finished 23 of 42 for 283 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, with his 63-yard scoring strike to true freshman Antonio Callaway coming with 1:26 to play and handing the Gators their first lead since the opening quarter. The drive before was a 17-play, 86-yard thing of beauty, also.
McElwain was only so impressed.
“Those drives in the fourth, that’s what he’s supposed to do,” he said. “He played OK [and] did some good things he needs to get better at. But the biggest thing is he had the opportunity to learn what it's like to play in an SEC ballgame in a great environment. Those are all really good, positive things.”
Without question, Grier was far from perfect in the game -- he sailed some passes and was badly off target on others -- but he was dead-solid perfect on fourth down, going 5-for-5 for 123 yards and a score. He was 3-for-3 on fourth during the first scoring drive of the fourth quarter, then hit Callaway for the catch-and-run TD on a desperation 4th-and-13 play.
The UF coaches will use these feel-good moments as reference points; no different than if the roles had been reversed and a Tennessee wide receiver had been the one to make the game-winning play.
“This will be interesting,” McElwain said. “It’s always a learning experience. Part of it is going back and explaining the ‘why’ and maybe ‘how’ you’ve had success; and maybe not putting Saturday before what we need to do now. What we try to do in everything that we go through is explain the why.”
Enter the first top-five opponent in The Swamp since 2012.
Why not the Gators?
“It’s tough to say without a crystal ball,” McElwain responded when asked if his program was ready to take a step to the next level. “I just know the approach and what it takes to be consistent. Yet, you’re going to slip up. It happens. It’s really how you learn from it. I’m really looking forward to seeing them [Monday] and getting to work on this opponent who probably doesn’t have a lot of regard for us.”
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Post by Deleted on Sept 28, 2015 21:04:31 GMT -5
By Pat Dooley Gainesville Sun Columnist
Published: Monday, September 28, 2015 at 5:12 p.m.
We probably need to give it some distance. We probably need to wait to see how this season turns out. But why wait? Let’s have the discussion. Where would you rank the Will Grier-to-Antonio Callaway touchdown in Gator history? It has to be in the discussion of the greatest plays at Florida Field. Steve Spurrier’s kick. Jarvis Moss’ block. Kerwin Bell’s two-point conversion. Callaway all the way. I’m not saying it’s No. 1. But it has to be part of any argument. By the way, raise your hand if you thought he might step out of bounds as he was running down the sideline. And, yes, the officials screwed up when they marked the ball after the first missed 55-yarder, moving it a couple of yards closer to the middle of the field. And, yes, I would put that game into any discussion involving greatest game at The Swamp. Any other questions?
There have been a lot of comparisons between Florida’s 5-for-5 on fourth downs and LSU’s in 2007 against Florida. The difference is that Florida hitting all of those fourth-down plays was way more improbable. If you add the yardage needed to get the first downs on each of those plays, Florida was facing fourth-and-37. LSU merely had to deal with fourth-and-11. Three of the Tigers’ conversions were on fourth-and-1. “We can go ahead and make those plays on third down,” Jim McElwain said Monday. Where’s the fun in that?
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Post by Deleted on Sept 29, 2015 11:46:34 GMT -5
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