That was a shared sense inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium late Saturday night for those who stayed around until the end and consumed a seesaw fourth quarter on the edge of their seats. Thanks to a botched snap that cost the Bulls 14 yards and, two plays later, a botched hold on a potential game-tying field goal with 23 seconds left, the No. 18-ranked Gators survived 31-28.
The air returned to The Swamp as soon as Bulls kicker Spencer Shrader’s 49-yard field goal attempt sailed right, sealing a nail-biter for the Gators and their 14th consecutive regular-season win against a nonconference opponent.
In his third game as Florida’s head coach, Billy Napier provided a quick assessment at his postgame press conference.
“We made it hard, but I tell you what — a lot of that had to do with South Florida and their execution,” he said.
Opinions will rage for days over what unfolded in the third all-time meeting between the Gators and their in-state foes from Tampa. They indeed flowed fast and furious on social media as it became apparent that Florida, a 24-point favorite, was not going to cruise to a feel-good win before heading to Neyland Stadium next week to face the up-and-coming Volunteers of Tennessee.
In the aftermath, the most critical fact for the Gators is that they survived. They survived another shaky outing from quarterback Anthony Richardson, who tossed two interceptions for the second consecutive game. They survived USF churning out 286 yards on the ground. And they survived USF’s final march, a 12-play, 39-yard drive that reached UF’s 19-yard line before an errant snap by center Brad Cecil resulted in a 14-yard loss.
“Could have been a better ending, obviously,” said Gators defensive back Jalen Kimber. “We didn’t want it to end like that or be that close, but we just got the dub.”
Florida escaped with that dub thanks partly to Kimber, who returned an interception 39 yards for a touchdown late in the second quarter that put UF ahead 24-10. These Gators are clearly a work in progress, with a quarter of the regular season in the books.
Napier has said so repeatedly, but the win over then-No. 7 Utah two weeks ago altered the perception of his inaugural UF team. Everyone knew that the Gators likely would go only as far as Richardson could take them, and when he played so well in the…
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