GatorCountry brings you a new podcast as we recap the Florida Gators 38-24 win over South Carolina on Saturday in the Swamp.
Andrew Spivey and Nick de la Torre break down how the Gators looked on offense on Saturday against Will Muschamp’s defense, plus how the defense looked.
Andrew and Nick also talk about what it means to have DeMarckus Bowman transferring to the Gators from Clemson.
TRANSCRIPT:
Andrew:​What’s up, Gator Country? Your man, Andrew Spivey, here with Nicholas de la Torre. Nicholas, Gators win. I don’t want to say that we kind of called it, but we did kind of call it. We said that it would probably be a lot closer than expected in the game, and it was. I know people will come out and say Florida looked really good and won 38-24. I’ll say this. I thought Florida looked sloppier Saturday than they did in Game 1 offensively. Defensively, I don’t think Florida had a great game against South Carolina, but I do think they made some slight improvements in the game, just not enough yet. I just felt like offensively they had a chance to really put their foot on the throat of South Carolina and didn’t.
Nick:​Yeah. I think offensively for sure you should have put that game away. Defensively, completely different ballgame from Week 1 to Week 2. I sat here last week saying it was just explosive plays. Florida didn’t give up long extended drives. That was South Carolina’s game plan. To me, and tell me if this makes sense to you, it looked like Florida’s game plan last year going to play was the offense is electric, we need to create long offensive drives of our own to keep their offense off the field. That’s what South Carolina did, or their plan was to do to Florida, and they executed that. You look at the time in possession. South Carolina was able to hold onto the ball. 11 conversions yesterday. We’ll get into the defense, but 11 conversions yesterday. They were able to keep Florida’s offense off the field.
Andrew:​You and I talked about this a little bit on the Friday podcast, and I said make South Carolina do that, and you’ll win the game. They didn’t make them do that, but South Carolina, for the most part, really took advantage of that. I’m looking here. The touchdown in the 4th quarter for South Carolina was an 11-play drive, only covered 39 yards, still 11 plays. Let’s see here. Their touchdown to start the game was 12 plays, 75 yards, and their touchdown in the game was 9 plays, 48 yards. Their field goal was 11 plays. When they had extended drives, they were able to capitalize, for the most part.
​Now, here’s the thing. South Carolina was Will Muschamp, definitely, for sure, in the 4th quarter. 18 plays for 74 yards. Seven minutes and 23 seconds with the game on the line, down 14 points. At times, Nick, they were snapping the ball with two seconds on the clock.
Nick:​Which came right after a total Will Muschamp play. Kick a field goal to make a three-possession game a three-possession game.
Andrew:​Yeah.
Nick:​If I’m Dan Mullen, thank you, Will. You iced the game for us.
Andrew:​Yeah. Later on in the game, when they got the ball back with seven minutes in the game or whatever it was, it kind of said maybe that made sense a little bit more, because then you didn’t have to have the two-point conversion. But at the time, when South Carolina didn’t have much momentum, they had went punt, halftime, a fumble, and a punt, and then they kicked a field goal. At that time, it was like, what are you doing there? Why are you kicking the field goal? Later on, it looked like maybe it wasn’t as bad of a move but have some sense of urgency.
Again, they got the ball back with over eight minutes to go in the game, and you went on an 18-play, 74-yard drive and took off seven minutes and 23 seconds. At times they were walking to the line with one and two seconds left on the clock, and they were subbing in entire hockey style subs in the game.