Biggest hurdle ahead
Dawgs on their minds as Gators enter bye week
GAINESVILLE — The Florida Gators left South Carolina focused on a Nov. 2 showdown with Georgia for the SEC East lead and a clear path the conference title game five weeks later.
To reach this point, coach Dan Mullen’s team has ridden the right arm of one-time backup Kyle Trask, overcome key injuries on defense and rallied three times on the road during the fourth quarter, including Saturday during a 38-27 win against the Gamecocks.
Mullen’s team — 17-4 under UF’s secondyear coach — now has won eight games when trailing entering the fourth quarter, also accomplishing the feat this season against Miami and Kentucky away from the Swamp.
“We have a very resilient team,” Trask said. “We’re never gonna panic, no matter the situation, and I think this is a special group of guys because we all got each other’s backs and know we always make plays when we need them.”
The No. 7 Gators (7-1, 4-1 SEC) now enter a week off with a half-game lead in the East over Georgia while hoping to get a mental break from the grind and return to full strength on defense. Veteran edge defenders Jon Greenard and Jabari Zuniga sat out against Saturday with lingering ankle injuries.
Mullen said he is “extremely optimistic” both will be ready to practice no later than Tuesday of Georgia week.
“It’s good credit to the guys, our team, of next-guy-up to get us in this position with all the injuries we’ve had to deal with this year,” Mullen said. “But hopefully we get healthy moving forward. We’ve got a big break and have got a big three-game stretch after the bye to try to win the SEC East.”
No. 10 Georgia is the two-time defending East champion, with back-to-back wins against the Gators by a combined score of 78-24.
The overwhelming favorite to win the East for a third time, the Bulldogs (6-1, 3-1) have not been overly impressive much of the season, including during an Oct. 12 home loss in overtime to South Carolina. On Saturday, Georgia struggled again at home, failing to pull away until late for a 21-0 win against a Kentucky team with wide receiver Lynn Bowden lined up at quarterback due to injuries.
The Gators, of course, are sure to inspire a better effort from their rival Bulldogs.
“That game is always a huge one, both teams always have great athletes and a great record going into that game,” UF senior linebacker David Reese said. “I’m excited. We control our own destiny. Just to know that … we’re ready to control our own destiny and see where it takes us.”
For much of Saturday afternoon at South Carolina, the Gators looked like they might lose their grip on their destiny and fall to the Gamecocks, just as Georgia had a week earlier.
Instead, many of the usual suspects stepped up to carry the Gators to their 11th win in 12 games, dating to last November’s comeback win against South Carolina.
In Columbia, Trask was unflappable, shaking off a slow start by the Gators’ offense to finish with a career-high four touchdown passes, including three during a fourth-quarter blitz.
“He was just trying to do a little too much at times,” Mullen said.
Tight end Kyle Pitts’ five catches tied for the team lead and gave the sophomore safety-valve 18 receptions during three games in October. While Pitts totaled just 29 receiving yards, he caught a nine-yard pass on fourth-and-three from the South Carolina 34 to set up the go-ahead touchdown. Pitts’ 5-yard touchdown grab on the Gators’ next possession effectively iced the game.
Senior receiver Freddie Swain scored for the fourth time in five SEC games, this time on a twisting, diving 25-yard catch for the go-ahead touchdown.
Reese added 13 tackles to give him an SEC-leading 66 stops. Reese and UF’s run defense found itself out of position and hung up on Gamecocks’ blockers at key moments, including a 21-yard touchdown that gave South Carolina a 17-10 lead following a draw play on third-and-11.
Ultimately, though, Reese and Co. made stops when it mattered. The Gators’ three fourth-quarter touchdowns followed a three-and-out possession by South Carolina, a strip-sack by defensive lineman Zach Carter and a fourth-down stop to gain possession on the Gamecocks’ 37.
“Huge,” Reese said of Carter’s sack. “He’s a great talent, and I’m just happy he actually got his opportunity to get some shine to show the coaches a little bit what he can do. He probably is going to be trusted more to play more in big-time games.”
Other than the Carter, the Gators received key contributions from backups who could play key roles down the stretch.
Redshirt wide receiver Jacob Copeland’s breakout performance — three catches for a game-high 89 receiving yards — was a long time coming. The top-rated recruit in the 2018 class, Copeland has developed strong practice habits in recent weeks, allowing him to take advantage of his rare athletic ability at South Carolina.
A a leaping 37-yard second-quarter touchdown grab in traffic tied the game at 10-10 and gave the Gators’ offense needed a spark. Earlier, Copeland’s 32-yard gain on a slant route helped set up a field goal.
“The last two weeks he’s been much better in practice, a different player in practice than he was,” Mullen said. “I’ve watched him make plays. This a different player in the discipline in what he’s doing and knowing his assignment, knowing how to run routes, which I think for young guys that’s the hard thing.”
Other than Swain’s acrobatic touchdown grab, sophomore tailback Dameon Pierce may have had the play of the game on offense. Pierce answered South Carolina’s third-down touchdown run with a 75-yard touchdown on first down, tying the game at 17-17 in the span of just 14 seconds.
A week after UF had four 75-yard touchdown drives — each at least eight plays — during a 42-28 loss at LSU, the Gators’ four second-half touchdowns took a total of 13 plays.
“It shows we don’t have to go eight plays for a touchdown,” Swain said. “We could go one and done and take big shots and run big runs and just be electric on offense.”
This week, though, the Gators finally can unplug, recharge and get ready for the biggest game to date of the Mullen era.
“It will be a big one,” he said.