Florida Football: Five plays that doomed the 2023 season for the Gators
![Florida Gators quarterback Max Brown (17) gets stopped by Florida State Seminoles defensive lineman Jared Verse (5) and Florida State Seminoles defensive lineman Braden Fiske (55) during first half action as Florida takes on Florida State at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, November 25, 2023. [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape%2Fcover%2Fsport%2F6feaabc4ebf8e76103656d0a1857ac16a593dd0d299dc956055b6ffdac0705ed.jpg "Florida Gators quarterback Max Brown (17) gets stopped by Florida State Seminoles defensive lineman Jared Verse (5) and Florida State Seminoles defensive lineman Braden Fiske (55) during first half action as Florida takes on Florida State at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, November 25, 2023. [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun]")
Whether or not we want to admit it, Florida football was closer to a successful season than it felt like. There is a narrative to be crafted that if Florida scheduled a cupcake rather than Utah to open the season and flipped three plays to go their way, the Gators could be 9-3 and possibly looking at a New Year’s Six Bowl.
But they didn’t, and Florida enters the offseason 5-7, having lost five in a row, and they will not be at a bowl game for the first time since 2017.
There are a ton of moments we could nitpick from the season, but these are the five plays that stood out and doomed Florida’s 2023 season.
Florida Football Doomed Plays
- Double Trouble vs Utah
We had noted last season that special teams were a bit of a liability for the Gators. It is well chronicled at this point that Florida football does not have a special teams coach listed among their ten paid assistants.
Instead, Billy Napier delegates the duties to off-field analyst Chris Couch.
It didn’t take long for disaster to strike the unit as on opening night. With the Gators hanging around Utah early, Florida forced a punt and was set to have the ball midway through the second quarter, only down 7-3.
Jason Marshall and Tre Wilson were both on the field for the punt.
That was a problem because both players were wearing number three, violating the rules.
"Equipment violation on the defense. There were two No. 3s on the field for the Florida team. That penalty is five yards from the previous spot, results in a first down."
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 1, 2023
This was with Utah punting on 4th-and-3.
Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit explained more. 🏈🎙️ pic.twitter.com/DqSI7UvoFQ
The five-yard penalty gave Utah the ball back, and they promptly scored to make it 14-3.
Utah would take a 24-3 lead before closing out with a 24-11 victory.
This play itself wouldn’t have saved Florida against Utah, but it was symbolic of some structural issues that would cost the Gators later in the season.