Gators’ late-game collapses continue in 24-20 loss to Georgia
Florida’s final moments against Georgia were fitting for a fireside horror story — that which fans will tell years from now, recounting to their grandchildren the dark ages of this resting college football power.
In the school’s first game after firing coach Billy Napier, the supposed cure for its growing list of ailments, the Gators (3-5., 2-3 in the Southeastern Conference) essentially sealed the contest by jumping offside. Georgia ran the remaining two minutes of the clock before a light skirmish unfolded, an apt bow on an evening where one team felt like it was desperately pretending to be as tough as the other.
But that penalty would have never existed had Florida not squandered two drives in the final eight minutes, both in representative fashion. The first: A failed fourth-and-short conversion, marked by an embarrassingly short effort when measured with the chains. The second: A failed fourth-and-short conversion, marked by a questionable incompletion call on what would have been a nearly 50-yard reception on third down.
Florida is still the same without Napier, displaying no resolve when pressed. This time, it was a 24-20 collapse to No. 5 Georgia (7-1, 5-1), the school that has haunted Florida to the point that almost no current student north of the border has seen a loss in Jacksonville.
“We came here to win, and we fell short. … There are no moral victories. You win or you lose.” Florida interim coach Billy Gonzales said. The pain was palpable as defensive end Tyreak Sapp walked into his postgame news conference, murmuring, “It stings. It hurts bad.”
This is a low-water mark in The Swamp. Two weeks ago, it rid itself of Napier with five games remaining — three ranked opponents, three rivals — needing three wins for a bowl berth. Under Napier, Florida was 3-12 in rivalry contests (if it can still refer to them as such), including three losses against Georgia. Saturday was a fitting test for how much of a reset Gonzales could foster.
So, a day after Halloween, there were costume changes in hopes of a program makeover. Gonzales wore a white sweatshirt, in direct opposition to the black jumpsuit synonymous with Napier, and Florida’s offense had a playmaking facelift.
After leaning predominantly on 12 personnel under Napier, the Gators appeared to be revived — save for quarterback DJ Lagway running a season-high 10 times. But any adjustments were a welcome sight after a two-month run in the bottom 40 of the FBS in scoring.
Lagway was sharper; a matching image to the freshman signal caller who passed for 47 yards and a touchdown to pace Georgia before departing with a leg injury last year. He finished 15 of 24 for 166 yards, with his most impressive moment, a 40-yard touchdown, sparking Florida early.
In the same department of starting anew, receiver Eugene Wilson III rolled the clock back two years to when he electrified the same contest with an opening-drive touchdown. He entered this season as the Gators’ presumed leading pass catcher. However, with the emergence of freshman Vernell Brown III, who didn’t play Saturday due to a shoulder injury, and Dallas Wilson, who left with an injury in the first half, Wilson III had only tallied 118 yards this year. He finished with 121 on Saturday.
“It’s always hard not to have those athletes out there,” Lagway said. “[But Tre’s] a baller. I already knew this. So it’s always great to get the ball in his hands and let him do his thing. He had a great night.”
As has been a weekly occurrence, Florida’s defense held up its end of the bargain, too. Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton threw his second interception of the season, and the Gators sacked him twice. The Bulldogs just found their way on the ground as the night continued, rushing for 223 yards — an eerily similar knock-out punch to that which Miami threw the Gators a month ago.
Every glimpse of change or hope was followed by the same porous, intrinsic habits Florida has shown all season.
Under Napier, it had become a weekly occurrence for the coach to shake off losses as a step toward something greater. In his eyes, his team had what it needed to win. It just would take time — a commodity few in the SEC can afford.
Florida had a shot at a program-defining win against the rival that tormented it the most. A chance to rewrite the tale of a seemingly vanished season, all while holding of Georgia’s patented comeback prowess.
Yet with ample opportunity, it couldn’t escape the boogeyman.