It was a magical night in the Swamp. It was a feeling that has been few and far between for Gator fans over the last few years. The Gators got their first signature victory under Jim McElwain as they came from behind down 13 points with as little as just over four minutes left in the fourth quarter to win 28-27. It was their 11th straight victory over Tennessee when many thought this was the Vols year to snap the streak.
Will Grier found fellow freshmen Antonio Callaway on a fourth and 14 with a 1:39 remaining and he took it 63 yards for what turned into the game winning touchdown. The Gators were five for five on fourth down in the game. It was a signature win and something the program hasn’t been capable of doing.
Florida Gators fans have reasons to believe
The fans in attendance saw something truly historic and a night that will be remembered in Gator history. The ones who stayed provided an electric atmosphere much like the intimidating environment that the Swamp used to be known for in terms of being one of the hardest places in the country for opposing teams.
“That was nothing we did. That was what The Swamp did. That’s why it’s such a special place. Hats off to how our fans played the ballgame as well,” McElwain said on the atmosphere Saturday
Those people, along with every fan living and dying with every play at home on television, were the ones who never gave up hope. They are the ones who believe in the direction this program is heading. They were rewarded with an electric finish and win. The Gators are now 4-0 and the team, along with the fans, are gaining momentum and confidence as they continue to learn and work out the kinks that come with coaches and new systems.
This column isn’t for those fans, although they will read it if it comes across their feed. This is for the fans who left early on Saturday night, the ones who don’t fully believe in this team or the progress of the turn around. It’s those fans I hope to reach and ask them to take a deeper look at this team.
It hasn’t been perfect, the Gators have had stretches where they still play reckless, selfish, and sloppy which has led to the team struggling on both sides of the ball for parts of their last three games. However, the team has overcome the adversity, are learning to play more poised and confident, while gaining valuable experience in conference games. They are growing up and learning how to play more like a cohesive team each week and optimism should be high.
“Our guys didn’t panic and that was good to see,” McElwain said. “They played their hearts out for the Gators and all the Gator fans and all the Gators that played before them. I think there’s a feeling deep down, you know, that we just don’t lose to Tennessee. And they didn’t.”
The Gators showed they have plenty of heart, now they hope the team continues to mature, improve, and play smarter football. The team has always played hard but McElwain is trying to channel that hard work into smart, disciplined, productive players. The quicker guys respond and continue doing what’s best for the team, the more they will have success, especially in bigger games.
The gauntlet schedule in October will largely determine the success of this football team with the game against Ole Miss this Saturday followed by trips to Missouri and LSU before the annual neutral site game against Georgia on Halloween. They will still have conference games with Vanderbilt and South Carolina as well as the rivalry game with Florida State in November, but the outcomes of the next four games will likely determine if the Gators can earn a trip to Atlanta for the SEC Championship game. There is no time to waste. This team needs the full support of Gator Nation right now. Take a look around the SEC this season, every team is littered with question marks and there is no dominant squad in the conference so I ask you, why not the Gators?
The team is bursting at the seams with young talent. Talent that is now distributed on both sides of the ball, not just dominated by the defense.
Will Grier has had to fight for the quarterback job since the first day of spring practice. He has been in a neck and neck battle with Treon Harris that saw both guys take snaps in the first two games. However, Grier took over the starting reins in week two against East Carolina and took all of the snaps in just his second start at Kentucky a week later. With Harris suspended for this past week’s game against Tennessee, Grier played the entire game once again.
He struggled for three quarters, going 12-for-24 for 142 yards and an interception. It wasn’t until the fourth quarter that he shined locking in and going 11-for-17 for 141 yards and two touchdowns. He finished 23-for-41 for 283 yards and the two touchdowns. It was a clutch performance that will live in Gator fans minds forever. He has certainly won the starting job and appears to already be more comfortable than Jeff Driskel ever did during his Florida career. Now that the offense knows Grier is the guy, they can continue to form their offensive continuity and develop the overall chemistry to increase their offensive threat.
Some of the pressure is taken off of Grier from the stable of capable young backs that Coach McElwain has assembled in Gainesville. Kelvin Taylor has looked much better this season. He is bigger, hits the holes harder, and looks like he is physically capable of carrying the load of being an every down back in the SEC. While he will get the bulk of the carries, talented freshmen Jordan Scarlett and Jordan Cronkite have looked impressive early and will give the offense plenty of depth to lean on when they need to run the ball and grind the clock in close games.
The offensive line continues to struggle but the coaches came into the season knowing this was the biggest area of concern. There were points on Saturday where they were playing three true freshmen and that could be the case more often than not going forward. They will be prone to mistakes and missed assignments every once in a while but the hope is they will also continue to gel.
The Gators are no longer a one dimensional run heavy offense many of you came to despise the past few years. The main weapons of the offense may not reside on the outside with the talented trio of wide receivers Demarcus Robinson, Brandon Powell, and star of the Tennessee game Antonio Callaway. Powell’s move to the slot from running back along with the emergence of Callaway have suddenly given the Gators play makers in the passing game. Callaway had five catches for 112 yards and the game winning touchdown that was sprung from a Powell block. Powell had five catches for 64 yards and a touchdown as well. Robinson emerged as a play maker last season and as Grier gets more comfortable and gains chemistry with each guy, the production should only improve.
The wide receivers aren’t the only guys getting in on the action. The tight end, which is a position that has been non-existent in recent years, is now a focal point of the offense. The coaching staff has been finding all sorts of different ways to get these guys open and part of the passing game. They will need to continue to do so and use them to move the chains against some very good defenses. DeAndre Goolsby has been Grier’s favorite target of the group and their presence helps give the Gators a tougher persona which has translated over onto the field. This is a hard working group that is looking to smash the other team in the mouth.
The defense has been doing the same and has been dominant at points with the secondary shutting down receivers and giving the front seven time to rush the quarterback or lock in on the opposing running game. They need to continue to work on their communication and being able to make adjustments on the fly to react to what the opposing offense is doing. They have been caught confused a few times this year allowing big passing plays and they need to make sure they doesn’t happen in a key situation during a close game.
The Gators have gone through growing pains as they learn the Coach McElwain way and have struggled to fully shred their old habits, but they have continued to improve every week and really do seem to be transforming into a whole new team. The old finesse, selfish, undisciplined play will no longer be accepted and is being slowly flushed out. They have been undergoing this transformation and have still managed to stay perfect at 4-0. They are right where they hoped to be heading into a huge showdown with third-ranked Ole Miss in the Swamp on Saturday and they need ALL of Gator Nation.
The Rebels have been terrific on offense but haven’t seen a defense with anywhere near the athleticism of the Gators. Florida will be able to prove it’s one of the best by going up against one of the best offenses in the country. I fully expect them to embrace this challenge and come out highly motivated and focused. Vernon Hargreaves covering Ole Miss star receiver Laquon Treadwell will be a key match-up. He may be one of the few guys in the SEC capable of shutting Treadwell down and forcing quarterback Chad Kelly to look elsewhere. The Gators have the athletes to match-up everywhere else on defense and could be the first team to hold the Rebels in check.
The Gator offensive line is going to have a tough day at the office against this Ole Miss defensive front. The Rebels make good offensive lines look bad and the Gators could have three freshmen playing in just their fifth (or fewer) collegiate game. They will need to try to get the ball out of Grier’s hands quickly with screens and quick passes and anything else to get him comfortable and away from making mistakes. The running backs will likely see more action while they use more multiple tight end sets.
This is the first match-up of ranked teams in the Swamp since 2013. It’s the biggest game that Gator Nation has seen in a few years and while Coach McElwain said the atmosphere was incredible Saturday night, I know some of you were and still might be skeptical. However, it’s time to show the rest of the country what being a Gator is all about and show the opposition why when you visit the Swamp only Gators get out alive. Last Saturday was one of the most incredible nights in the history of the Swamp and the Gator program. Gator Nation needs to embrace the moment and no matter how much adversity this team may face on Saturday, they need your full support, all of you. Believe in the direction of the program and make the Rebels hear and feel the electricity of the Swamp. Let this team know you are behind them. Sing “We Are the Boys From Old Florida” extra loud. Clap a little harder and cheer a little louder. Most importantly, I don’t want to see anyone heading for the exits until long after the Gator band is finished playing while you sung your heart out to Alma Mater and Fight Song and the celebrating players have left the field.
[Quotes courtesy of gatorzone.com]
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