The Florida Gators have punched their ticket to a bowl game. Defeating the Ole Miss Rebels 24-17, Florida got their coveted sixth win. Now sitting at 6-5, head coach Billy Napier has completed quite a turnaround. Winning two straight against ranked opponents (beat LSU last week), this team is now hitting their stride. Although not competing for a playoff berth, this season could certainly be viewed as a success. After starting 1-2, this looked like a lost year, and Napier looked on his way out of a job. However, the team remained bought in and is turning a corner. Led by freshmen on both sides of the football, the future should be bright in Gainesville. With one game remaining against the Florida State Seminoles, there is a real path to eight wins. After some heartbreaking losses, Napier and the Gators appear to have finally broken through.
Senior Day Sendoff
Although the Gators are indeed a young team, they honored a number of key seniors on Saturday. Receivers Chimere Dike and Elijhah Badger were both honored in the pregame ceremony. Despite only being in Gainesville for one season, they both had a huge impact on this program. Cornerback Jason Marshall Jr. and running back Montrell Johnson Jr. were also a part of the festivities before the game. The Gators will miss many of these players, as they helped lay the groundwork for the future of this program. Of the seniors, none received a louder ovation than quarterback Graham Mertz. Despite tearing his ACL in the loss to Tennessee, he has remained around the program, helping however he can. Taking freshman quarterback DJ Lagway under his wing, he helped him tremendously this season. Mertz may not have finished the year; however, Gator fans have nothing but love for him.
Bend Don’t Break
Defensively, the Gators’ defense made a multitude of key stops inside their red zone. Forcing important fourth down stops, Ole Miss struggled to pick up short yardage downs. Despite allowing Jaxson Dart to move the ball well (323 yards through the air), the defense clamped up when they needed to. When approaching short-yardage downs, Ole Miss preferred to put the ball into J.J. Pegues’ hands. The senior defensive tackle had not been stopped all season on third/fourth and inches. The Gators stopped him twice on fourth down in the red zone. An impressive performance, Florida embodied the bend but don’t break mentality. Allowing only 17 points from this high-powered Ole Miss offense was crucial. On a day when Florida’s offense struggled tremendously in the third quarter, the defense carried the weight. Defensive coordinator Austin Armstrong has coached up this unit well, making strides each weekend.
Ferocious Line
A week after sacking LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier seven times, the defensive line put up another solid performance. With four sacks on Jaxson Dart, they put real pressure on him late in the game. Junior defensive lineman Caleb Banks led the way with two and a half on his own. Edge rusher Tyreak Sapp added the other 1.5, as the two defenders had top performances. Adding in a total of nine tackles for loss, this defense was flying to the football. Perhaps the best offense they faced all season, this defense showed that they were up to the task. Now punching their spot to a bowl game, the Gators are steadily trending upwards. Back-to-back upsets turned some heads, and the talent is beginning to shine through. Ole Miss was fighting for their playoff lives, and have now been essentially eliminated, making the win even more impressive.
Steps Forward
Before the season, many Gators fans thought that a bowl game may be nothing more than a dream. Playing arguably the hardest schedule in the history of college football, their over/under was 4.5 wins on many gambling sites. Soaring over, they are beginning to finally take steps in the right direction under Napier. Two weeks ago, the Gators were sitting at 4-5 and simply praying that Lagway wasn’t seriously injured. Now at 6-5, they have shown some real pride in the program. Early in the season, it would have been easy for this team to roll over and quit. They started the year poorly, and the defense struggled immensely. After their first bye week, this was an entirely different unit. Despite all of Napier’s on-field struggles, the team remained bought in. The future of this program looks bright for the first time in years.
Final Thoughts
DJ Lagway showed flashes of brilliance, while also disappearing for the third quarter. Finishing with 180 yards and two touchdowns, he completed 10 of his 17 passes. Also throwing an interception, he showed off his talents, as well as his freshman attributes. With some development, he will be dangerous, and possibly one of the best in the country. Looking ahead to next weekend, the Gators travel to Tallahassee to take on their hated rival. The Florida State Seminoles have had a season to forget and will enter this matchup a dismal 2-9. With only one FBS win, Florida should be heavily favored. Nevertheless, this is still a rivalry game and should not be viewed as a free win. After finally breaking through, the Gators will end this season with a trip to a bowl. However, they must prepare for this game as if they were playing another ranked opponent.
