Florida offense fails to deliver in lopsided loss
GAINESVILLE — In the wake of Florida State’s beatdown of the Gators, Florida tight end Jake McGee had plenty of reasons to feel queasy.
On Senior Night in the Swamp and with College Football Playoff semifinal implications in play, the Gators turned in their worst performance of the fledgling Jim McElwain era.
To be run off their home field by their in-state rivals in such a high-stakes game was bad enough. But McGee felt he and the offense were personally responsible for Saturday night’s 27-2 loss.
Florida’s defense kept the Gators in the game for three quarters before collapsing from carrying the entire load.
“It’s something that really makes you sick when you see how hard they’re playing and what the type of defense that they are and you can’t give them any help,” McGee said. “You see them out there; they’re making plays left and right.
“We weren’t able to give them anything.”
Both sides of the football had worked in tandem as the Gators clinched the SEC East title. Now the No. 12 Gators (10-2) will face No. 2 Alabama (11-1) searching for an offense.
After a win two weeks ago at South Carolina, cornerback Jalen Tabor joked, “We get so bored.
“Last year we were [always] on the field. Now since they’re moving the ball, it makes it a lot easier.”
Those carefree days on the sideline seem like long ago.
By the end of Saturday’s loss, the Gators’ demoralized defense was a sieve at the mercy of Seminoles’ star tailback Dalvin Cook, who ripped off touchdown runs of 15 and 29 yards during the final 6:17.
“They played their tails off now,” McElwain said. “Shoot, they gave us every opportunity to win the football game.”
With Florida trailing 13-0, the Gators’ defense nearly made it a game but ultimately just prevented Florida’s first shutout loss since 1988. A strip-sack by freshman end CeCe Jefferson led to a safety when a mad scramble in the end zone ended with FSU quarterback Sean Maguire falling on the ball.
An illegal block on the ensuing kickoff backed the Gators up to their 14-yard line. The offense responded with its fifth three-and-out of the game following two incomplete passes by quarterback Treon Harris and a sack.
The sequence encapsulated a miserable night for the sophomore signal caller, who was the target of grumblings, even boos from an announced crowd of 90,916.
McElwain gave Harris a vote of confidence, saying: “He’s our quarterback.”
The 5-foot-11, 195-pound Harris was not nearly as resolute in the pocket. He began the game 7-of-9 passing, but completed just 11 of his next 29 throws for 107 yards.
“I think maybe [he] might have looked at the rush a little bit,” McElwain said. “We had some guys created some pretty open receivers, but we’ve got to deliver it. We’ll put a good plan in this week and we’ll go out and execute.”
McElwain has little choice but to back Harris — his backups are a wide receiver (Josh Grady) and a walk-on (Jacob Guy) — and express optimism as the Gators prepare to face the Crimson Tide. In reality, the suspension of Will Grier for violating the NCAA’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs has proven to be the end of a consistent passing game and made Florida’s offense one-dimensional.
Alabama is the SEC leader in run defense and sacks. The Gators will not be able to rely on a healthy dose of tailback Kelvin Taylor (season-high 136 yards against FSU) and their defense.
A similar formula doomed former coach Will Muschamp. It now seems to have caught up to McElwain. The Gators, however, are not giving up.
“This is a tough one, but it’s something that we gotta put this behind us quick,” McGee said.