In the case of the Gators on Saturday, a portable basketball goal left stranded on the Ole Miss sideline was the temporary reward. One by one, the Gators took turns slamming footballs through the basket as the nearby UF student section roared at each dunk.
Receiver Marcus Burke went with a windmill slam. Receiver Aidan Mizell bounced skyward, tossed the ball between his legs, and boom! Freshman running back KD Daniels performed a classic two-handed stuff.
On and on it went until the ninth-ranked Rebels equipment staff began to clear their belongings and grabbed the basket for the return trip home after Florida’s 24-17 upset victory. More than anything, the Gators’ impromptu dunk fest capped a signature moment in head coach Billy Napier‘s third season and Florida’s dramatic late-season turnaround.
After getting dunked on for much of the season, it was the Gators’ time to slam and jam.
“It feels great,” safety Bryce Thornton said afterward. “I feel like we should be ranked, so we’re going to keep performing, and I feel like everybody is going to see how Florida is supposed to be.”
Thornton did his part with two interceptions in the final two minutes. He had ample help as the Gators beat ranked opponents in back-to-back games for the first time since 2018. Florida failed to crack the AP Top 25 after its wins over LSU and Ole Miss, but the Gators are receiving votes for the first time this season, and if they win on Saturday at Florida State, Thornton might get his wish.
The Gators (6-5) returned to practice Monday in an unusual spot. They are riding a wave of positive momentum and are a 15.5-point favorite against the Seminoles (2-9), who snapped a six-game losing streak Saturday with a 41-7 victory over FCS-classified Charleston Southern. The Gators haven’t been favored since their road win at Mississippi State in late September.
“No time to play around here,” Napier opened his Monday press conference. “Obviously, pleased with the outcome of the game. It’s really, really important for our players to be able to hit the reset button. We need to continue to improve.”
Since starting 1-2, a stretch defined by lopsided losses to Miami and Texas A&M, the Gators are 5-3 and have been competitive in every game except their 49-17 loss at Texas on Nov. 9. In their two losses besides Texas in the last eight games, Florida took Tennessee to overtime at Neyland…
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