It was a terrific day to be a Gator on Saturday as Florida went into Doak Campbell Stadium and destroyed the Florida State Seminoles. The Gators defeated the Noles 41-14 on their home turf. This win snapped Florida’s five-game losing streak against the Seminoles. Florida State also lost their 36-game bowl streak as they have finished the 2018 season 5-7. It was a great game for the Gators overall. The offense put up a lot of points and had over 500 yards of offense. The defense put pressure on the quarterback and forced three turnovers. Florida State head coach Willie Taggart finishes his first season as the FSU head coach with a 5-7 record.
Florida State Seminoles
It was a sad day in Tallassee as the Florida State Seminoles season comes to a close with a loss to their in-state rival, the Florida Gators. There will be no bowl games for Florida State as the next time they’ll be in pads will be for spring camp. It was a miserable day for the Noles quarterback Deandre Francois. He completed 14-of-29 passes for 154 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. Francois also had eleven carries for 41 yards and a rushing touchdown. The lead rusher for the Seminoles was Jacques Patrick. The senior running back had ten carries for 52 yards in his last college football game. Redshirt-freshman Tamorrion Terry led Florida State in receiving with three receptions for 78 yards. Sophomore running back Cam Akers caught a one-handed 15-yard touchdown pass off his facemask.
On defense, the Florida State Seminoles continued to have their issues as Florida had tons of success on offense. The Noles only had one sack in the game by safety Jaiden Woodbey. The freshman also led the Noles in tackles with eleven on the game. The junior defensive end, Brian Burns, didn’t record a sack but did have six tackles and two QB hurries. Defensive lineman Dontavious Jackson led the Seminoles in tackles for loss with 1.5. Hamsah Nasirildeen also had a solid game as he had ten tackles including seven solos versus the Florida Gators.
Florida Gators
The Florida Gators finish the regular season with an impressive 9-3 record with wins versus LSU and Mississippi State. First year head coach Dan Mullen has made a huge impact on the Gators especially on offense. Redshirt-sophomore Feleipe Franks played one of his best games as a Gator. Franks completed 16 out of 26 passes for 254 yards and three touchdowns. Florida’s rushing attack led the offense with 282 yards on the ground. Junior Lamical Perine led the way with thirteen carries for 129 yards including a 74-yard rushing touchdown. Jordan Scarlett had twenty carries for 88 yards and a score. Sophomore wide receiver Trevon Grimes led the Gators in receiving with five receptions for 118 yards and a touchdown. Ole Miss transfer Van Jefferson caught four passes for 92 yards and a touchdown. Josh Hammond also caught a three-yard touchdown pass early in the third quarter.
The Florida Gators defense played a great game as they did everything they needed to do. The Florida defense had five sacks on the Florida State quarterback Deandre Francois. Junior defensive end Jachai Polite had an incredible game with six tackles including 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble. Polite is tied for first in the country in force fumbles. He also two sacks away from Florida sack record set by Alex Brown. Jabari Zuniga also had a sack in the game with his four tackles. Senior defensive tackle Khairi Clark recorded his first sack on the year. Freshman cornerback Trey Dean caught his first interception on the season and returned it for 44 yards. Sophomore safety Donovan Stiner caught his second pick on the season as well.
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