Florida Gators 31 – Tennessee Volunteers 17
Just win. How much easier would the life of the average Florida fan be if that was the typical feeling? Think of all the schools out there where that’s all it really is. Arkansas, Auburn, Michigan State, Wisconsin…all of their fans woke up on Sunday morning with a smile on their faces ready to look ahead to the next opponent. Most Gators fans woke up thinking the offense still wasn’t right and the defense blew a few assignments. They’re thinking “just win by 35,” not “just win.”
I propose a change in the mentality of the Gator fan. When your team heads into the home of one of your biggest rivals and comes out with a two-touchdown win, be happy. Be ecstatic. There are alternatives. Bad ones. Like getting beat on a trick play in overtime. Or having your returner get tackled at the one as the first half ends only to find out that one yard really would have made the difference. Or like any number of teams so far this season, losing to a FCS opponent.
Florida hasn’t done any of those things. The Gators are undefeated with a win over an up-and-coming instate program and a victory on the road against a SEC East rival. And, oh yeah, no game has been decided by less than 14 points. That’s three wins, zero losses, and a 20-point margin of victory.
It also includes a quarterback that has shown some definite growing pains, but has yet to throw an interception; a running back with breakaway speed who apparently has the ability to carry the ball more times in a game then we ever expected (which despite the low yards per carry average, is good to know); a defensive line that continues to improve; a turnover generating defense; and some definite plusses on special teams.
There were points in the game where frustration easily could have set in, but consider what’s at play. John Brantley was starting his first road game in front of one of the largest crowds in the entire nation. The offensive line is still trying to find the ideal lineup. And you know what? The Gators still won. Florida still beat one of the teams you love to hate.
Room for improvement is obvious. Brantley needs to continue to ease into the role he has inherited. The jitters need to go away. When he’s on, he’s deadly accurate and has a rocket for an arm. But he’s still off from time to time. With experience he’ll learn that he can go through his progressions and find the open man. No need to force it and then overthrow the ball. Perimeter blocking by the wide receivers will also help in opening up the field for Jeff Demps. We’ve already seen some improvement in this area, but there is definitely more room to get better. The defense also needs to keep its head on straight for the entire game. No easy scores. Make the opponent work a little harder for those.
On the positive side, great play call on the fake that sent Omarius Hines rumbling down the field. Again, although Demps didn’t have the yards per carry numbers we would like to see, it’s great that he can get the ball that many times. And the defense has to receive praise again. Jon Bostic is becoming a star right before our eyes and who knows what would have happened if he hadn’t been there to ruin what should have been a scoring drive for the Vols.
What makes Florida fans most nervous is probably that the Gators are now less than two weeks away from Alabama. October 2 is no longer a month from now. It’s 12 days away. Watch the Gators play and then watch the Crimson Tide do the same and you’re dreading that matchup. But at least let it play out first. I’m nervous too. I’ve watched the same Florida team you have. But look ahead to Kentucky first. One game at a time. Just win.