Florida Football content to bide time, let FSU self destruct, and pull away to win

Saturday night was an opportunity for Florida Football to eviscerate FSU so badly that even the most skeptical Gator fan would be forced to crack a smile or two. But for the better part of three quarters, that didn't happen. The Gators were never in danger of losing, but it wasn't until late that any amount of doubt was removed from the game.

The end result was a rivalry win that lacked any signature moments until after the final whistle when the Gators planted a flag at midfield, but gave Florida its seventh win of the year with the hopes of a better showing during bowl season.

Florida Football: Survive and advance

If Saturday night had been an NCAA Tournament game in basketball, one might say Florida did what they had to do to win, and we shouldn't worry about the style points.

But it must be stated that FSU might have trotted out an offense so inept that we're not convinced there is anyone worth grabbing from the transfer portal, even if the whole unit were to enter.

Florida's defensive line lived in the backfield of the Seminoles and collected 14 tackles for a loss and eight sacks on the night. When FSU wasn't getting sacked, their next plan was to put the ball on the ground, as the Seminoles lost five fumbles on the night, two of which were completely unforced.

The frustrating part for Gator fans hoping for a night of catharsis is the offense never really took advantage until late like a top-tier offense would. DJ Lagway made some Superman plays but also struggled to find a rhythm with his wide receivers and missed a handful of throws that he will need to make next season if he plans to take the next step.

It wasn't until Montrell Johnson busted loose in the fourth quarter to make it 24-3 that any doubt of the final outcome was put to bed. At yet for all the frustration, when Lagway found Tony Livingston in the endzone with a little more than two minutes to go, Florida went north of 30 points for just the fourth time this season.

After two straight years of falling just short to FSU, a win is a win. Florida finishes the regular season 7-5 and will try to win a bowl game to make it 8-5 on the year, while the Seminoles are relegated to the shadow realm this offseason.

But make no mistake, Florida will face a much stronger opponent in their bowl than what they saw in Tallahassee and, as such, will need a much stronger showing from the offense if they plan to keep up.