Death Valley awaits:
Florida passed its first test, but can it walk the SEC gantlet?
❚ LSU’s Burrow puts record year on line, Page 19
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Consider what it must have been like for Lamical Perine and his Florida running back friends Oct. 5. All game long they kept slamming into a wall. No room to run. Sometimes, it probably seemed against those monstrous Auburn defenders, nowhere to hide.
Then, suddenly, opportunity opened wide. It was getting late and Florida was clinging to a slim lead when Perine bounded through a rare hole. Bounced off a linebacker. And bolted 88 yards down the home sideline for the clinching touchdown.
“It almost brought tears to my eyes,” he said.
Well, sure. A 24-13 victory against Auburn was terrific, yes. Important, no question. In the moment when Perine broke free, Florida Field’s decibel level rocketed from ear-crackling to painful.
When the game was over, the party kept going for a while.
“Just a big-time atmosphere, big-time crowd,” Perine said. “I’m glad I was able to make that big-time play.”
Enjoy it, Gators. Revel a little in the program’s biggest win since – well, when? – and that 6-0 record, and the rise in the rankings. But do it quickly, and then reset. Up next: A visit to LSU.
“You know what winning a big-time game like this means?” Florida coach Dan Mullen said. “You’ve got to show up and get ready to win an even bigger one next week. That’s life in the SEC.”
At least for Florida, Auburn and LSU, that’s exactly right. For those three teams, which finished September unbeaten, this month features a round robin of destiny. Or doom. Nothing but slamming into each other, over and over again, hoping to exploit a sliver of opportunity.
Auburn is the first to go down (and still has LSU awaiting). This week, we get Florida heading to Baton Rouge. Come November, they all get their shots at Alabama or Georgia (or in Auburn’s case, both). But well before then, they’ll be defined by this triangulating schedule.
Give Round 1 to Florida. And give the Gators some leeway if the postgame celebration was accompanied by more than a hint of defiance. Of the five Southeastern Conference teams ranked in the Top 10 last week, Florida was the easiest to deem unworthy – and the Gators knew it.
“A lot of people doubted us, said we were overrated and stuff,” junior safety Donovan Stiner said. “I think our record speaks for itself.”
If not, how about now? “We just want everybody to know that we’re here,” Perine said.
But where, exactly, are they? The 11-point final margin was more than a little deceptive in a game that was either a defensive slugfest, a futile slog by anemic offenses, a quasi-comedy of flawed but fun teams trading errors – or maybe all of the above.
Florida won despite four turnovers, and because a ferocious defense clamped down on Auburn and because of a gutsy performance by quarterback Kyle Trask, who returned after a scary-looking knee injury (which Mullen called a sprained ligament) to play solidly.
Or else the Gators won because of Auburn’s four turnovers and an erratic performance by Tigers quarterback Bo Nix, who played like a true freshman.
Let’s go with the first theory: Florida’s defense was dominant. Auburn managed 92 yards and two first downs in the first half. In the second half, the Tigers threatened but never found the end zone. And Perine’s run provided just enough cushion to overcome Auburn’s own very good defense. That combination might not be good enough to dub Florida a true SEC contender, but it pushes the Gators one step closer, anyway, to getting there.
“We’re building,” Mullen said. “I know what the Gator standard is. I know what the expectations are. Trust me, my expectations are higher than that.”
Later, he added, “We’ll get there.”
Still, here’s how close they were to going somewhere else. Trailing 17-13 late in the third quarter, Auburn began moving the ball on the ground. It set up a deep shot by Nix. Seth Williams was wide open, several steps beyond the defense.
“It could have been a changing play in the game,” Perine said.
But that’s the point. The ball was overthrown. Williams strained to catch it, but instead of scoring he tumbled to the ground at the 13. Three plays later, Nix’s pass into the end zone was intercepted by free safety Donovan Stiner. Auburn’s bid for the lead was finished.
A few moments later, Perine took the handoff on an outside zone play.
He broke out of the grasp of linebacker K.J. Britt, avoided safety Daniel Thomas – and was gone.
“The offensive line had a lot of ups and downs,” Perine said, “but at the end of the day, they just blocked it up perfect for me. I made two guys miss, and it was just a great thing to see open field like that.”
It was the longest touchdown run by a Florida player since 1988. It clinched what seems like the biggest win since – well, in a very long time – and set up an even bigger opportunity against LSU. These Gators are flawed.
But they’re unbeaten, headed for another showdown. They’ll keep trying what finally worked against Auburn, hoping for a similar result. As Mullen put it:
“Pounding away, nothing happening – bang!”