South Florida Sun-Sentinel Palm Beach (Sunday)
Gators roll, snap FSU’s 36-year bowl streak
TALLAHASSEE — The Florida State game always meant a little bit more than the other ones to UF quarterback Feleipe Franks.
The stakes also were higher than usual for the Florida Gators on Saturday during their quarterback’s first game at Doak Campbell Stadium.
With family and friends traveling from nearby Crawfordville to cheer on their native son, Franks and the No. 11 Gators shook off some shaky moments before dismantling the Seminoles 41-14 to snap UF’s fivegame losing streak to their in-state rival.
Franks finished with three touchdown passes, all in the second half, as the No. 11 Gators (9-3) stretched a slim 13-7 halftime lead into their largest margin of victory in the series since a 27-point decision in 2009.
Franks’ second-half performance might rank as his best stretch of football to date at UF, but the victory definitely tops his personal list.
“I’ve been wanting to beat them for — I’ve always wanted to come here and play because I’m literally from eight minutes down the road,” Franks said. “So it’s always been a dream of mine to come here and play against Florida State. And like I said it was a big game.
“Nobody on our team has beaten Florida State before and we came out and battled and it definitely ranks at the top.”
Meanwhile, FSU (5-7) rarely has been lower as a program.
The loss ended the Seminoles’ record 36-season run of bowl game appearances and left them with their first losing season since 1976.
UF coach Dan Mullen’s first meeting with FSU’s Willie Taggart showed how quickly the fortunes of each program has reversed a season after both went through unexpected coaching changes.
Mullen’s Gators ended the day with 532 yards — their third straight game with more than 500 yards.
“I think they’re finding themselves,” Mullen said of his Gators.
Few players have made more significant strides than Mullen’s embattled quarterback.
On a dreary, overcast day in Tallahassee, Franks and the Gators’ offense started off slowly against the Seminoles. On several occasions, the 20-year-old redshirt sophomore looked tentative and held onto the football, even as receivers broke open.
A career-long 74-yard touchdown run by tailback Lamical Perine gave UF a 10-0 lead. Otherwise, the first half was rife with missed opportunities as the Gators managed just six points on three trips inside the FSU 20-yard line.
But the Gators quickly seized control of the game to open the second half.
UF started out with six consecutive running plays, culminating with a 12-yard run by Franks to the FSU 32. A 16-yard completion to Trevon Grimes moved the Gators into the Florida State red zone for the fourth time.
This time, UF found the end zone when Franks connected with Josh Hammond for a 3-yard touchdown to complete a 12-play, 75-yard scoring drive.
After the teams traded three-and-out possessions, UF pass-rushing phenom Jachai Polite forced a thirddown fumble of FSU quarterback Deondre Francois on the Seminoles’ 22. On the next play, Franks found Grimes for a touchdown.
“I think he really settled down,” Mullen said of Franks.
Meanwhile, Francois and the Seminoles were rattled for the rest of the day.
FSU did cut the Gators lead to 27-14, but Francois threw two second-half interceptions and ended the day taking five sacks, including 2.5 by Polite.
Polite now has 11 sacks this season, two shy of Alex Brown’s school record set in 1999.
“That’s a man against boys,” UF defensive back Chauncey Gardner-Johnson said.
Polite will have one more chance to break Brown’s mark. The Gators believe it should come in should be a New Year’s Six bowl game.
“Absolutely,” GardnerJohnson said. “You look at it, we fought. We’ve been fighting all year.”
Bids will be handed out next Sunday following Saturday’s slate of conference title games, but UF is well positioned to land in either the Peach or Fiesta bowls.
Earlier this month, the Gators’ future was less cer- tain. Since back-to-back losses to Georgia and Missouri ended its hopes of a SEC title, UF has won three straight games, including their first against FSU since 2012.
“I’m really proud of our guys of battling back,” Mullen said. “After that little stretch where you go to compete to be a champion, and you think you’re going to have an opportunity to compete for a championship, and you lose it. Went on a little skid, and they’ve really buckled down from that point and finished the season strong.”
Gardner-Johnson said he was confident the Gators would end the season on a high note, despite some Seminoles guaranteeing victory last week.
“All week, we weren’t worried about this game,” Gardner-Johnson said. “We knew we were the better team.”
The final gun at Doak Campbell Stadium set off a long-awaited Gators’ celebration.
Gardner-Johnson waved the school flag and at one point looked to plant it at midfield. Franks joined fans in the south end zone, at one point bellowing at the top of his lungs.
As UF’s offensive coordinator, Mullen was key to f o u r c o n s e c u t i ve wi n s against FSU. This victory as a head coach, though, was much sweeter — especially given the Gators’ recent run of futility.
“I t ’s a g r e a t r i v a l r y game. It always is,” Mullen said. “To be down there on the sidelines and get a win, to finish off getting a win over your rival in Year 1 is huge.”