Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Gators rout Hawkeyes
Chauncey Gardner named MVP in Outback Bowl
TAMPA — Moments before kickoff during Monday’s Outback Bowl, UF linebackers Jarrad Davis and Alex Anzalone strode to midfield wearing sweat pants for the coin toss with Iowa.
It was not a good look for an injury-ravaged defense, nor did it bode well for the Gators’ chances against a bruising Big Ten opponent.
But with six defensive starters, including two team captains, sidelined and an interim defensive coordinator at the helm, the backbone of the Gators stood tall during a 30-3 rout of the hapless Hawkeyes.
Freshman safety Chauncey Gardner earned MVP honors, freshman linebacker Vosean Jotie. seph delivered big hits all over the field and redshirt junior safety Marcell Harris made perhaps the key play of the game. Harris stopped Iowa tailback LeShun Daniels for a two-yard loss on fourth-and-goal to maintain a 3-3 “That was huge,” senior defensive tackle Joey Ivie said. “In my head, I was kind of like, ‘That was like LSU.’ ”
Harris led the charge during Florida’s unforgettable, game-ending goalline stand at LSU. The Nov. 19 upset win was the high point of the Gators’ season.
Since then, coach Jim McElwain’s squad had been on a downhill slide, suffering one-sided losses to Florida State and Alabama.
But Monday’s win at Raymond James Stadium snapped the two-game losing streak for No. 17 UF (9-4) and ended the 2016 season on a high note.
“It speaks volumes for our guys and their approach to what they were willing to do to get ready to go win a bowl game in January,” McElwain said. “Just so proud of them.”
Given last season’s Citrus Bowl collapse against Michigan, McElwain challenged his players to avoid another season-ending skid.
But the Gators stumbled badly out of the gate against Iowa (8-5). UF’s first two series ended with interceptions by Austin Appleby, both on passes deflected by the Hawkeyes’ defenders.
Iowa cashed in with a field goal after Appleby’s second pick. The Hawkeyes, however, would drive inside the Gators’ 40-yard line two more times — and came up empty.
Meanwhile, Appleby and the offense came alive following the goal-line stand. Two possessions later, tailback Mark Thompson turned a short throw into the longest touchdown pass in Outback Bowl history.
Thompson shook off a couple of would-be tacklers, followed his blockers and then broke free to give his team a 10-3 lead.
“I’m going to go tell everybody that I had an 80-yard bomb,” Appleby joked.
From there, UF’s playmakers began to shine. Star receiver Antonio Callaway finished with seven catches, tight end DeAndre Goolsby caught a touchdown and tailback Jordan Scarlett rushed for 94 yards on just 14 carries.
“It shows what we’ve been capable of doing all year and we’re only going to grow on it moving forward,” said Appleby, the only senior starter on offense.
With Monday’s win, the future on defense suddenly looked as bright as the scorching Tampa sun that beat down on Iowa’s sunburned, downtrodden fan base.
UF’s defense could have to replace up to eight starters and has been expected to take a major step back in 2017. McElwain said he will speak today with draft-eligible juniors.
But Gardner, Joseph and Shannon shifted the narrative a bit during the Outback Bowl.
In presumably the final game for junior cornerbacks Jalen Tabor and Quincy Wilson, Gardner stole the show with a pair of interceptions, including a pick-six to push UF’s lead to 24-3. With UF’s top three linebackers out, Joseph had six tackles, including one for a loss and two other for no gain.
Ivie said Shannon changed Collins’ defense “quite a bit” for the bowl game. The game plan turned the Hawkeyes into a one dimensional team. Iowa finished with 55 passing yards and three interceptions.
The Gators, on the other hand, showed the depth of character they failed to display a year ago against Michigan. McElwain’s team now enters 2017 with a sense of pride.
“They put the preparation in and they weren’t going to be denied,” he said. “You know what, they didn’t take no for an answer. That was good see.”