Florida looks flat in close win over Miami (OH)

The No. 3/4 Florida Gators (1-0) pulled out a 34-12 win Saturday against the Miami (OH) RedHawks (0-1) at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL, but not without raising plenty of questions about how prepared the team is to play this season.

Senior center Mike Pouncey had trouble with his snaps all day, tossing numerous balls past redshirt junior quarterback John Brantley right from the get-go; Brantley also had problems reeling in many of Pouncey’s snaps, letting one get by in the beginning of the first quarter which led to an early Miami field goal. There were a total of 13 “questionable” snaps experienced throughout the game by the offense and eight total fumbles, three of which resulted in turnovers after being recovered by the opposition.

Redshirt junior wide receiver Chris Rainey coughed up the team’s second fumble in the first quarter, but Florida was able to negate the miscue with an aerobatic interception by sophomore linebacker Jon Bostic on the following drive.

After failing to score early, the Gators got on the board quickly just minutes into the second quarter when junior cornerback Janoris Jenkins intercepted RedHawks QB Zac Dysert and returned the ball 70 yards for a touchdown.

Seeing their first punt of the game blocked, Miami completed a fake punt on their next attempt but failed on another fake later on, allowing Florida to take over on their 21-yard line and score their first offensive touchdown of the season on a 10-yard pass from Brantley to sophomore WR Omarius Hines.

Florida’s defense stayed on their toes, leading senior safety Ahmad Black to the team’s second pick of the quarter, which he returned for 40 yards to the RedHawks’ two. Two plays later, freshman QB Trey Burton scored on a keeper, putting the Gators up 21-3.

Miami would then go on to score three-straight field goals against Florida, cutting the lead to 21-12 in the fourth quarter. On the first play following the RedHawks’ final field goal, Gators junior running back Jeff Demps propelled his team to a 27-12 lead by taking a hand-off 72-yards for his first touchdown of the season.

Looking for some positives late in the fourth quarter, head coach Urban Meyer allowed Florida to go for it on 4th and 15. Brantley completed a pass to Hines to get UF into the red zone, but sophmore RB Mike Gillislee fumbled the ball just one play later while fighting for additional yardage. After an interception by Gators redshirt sophomore CB Jeremy Brown (initially ruled incomplete but overturned), Gillisslee made up for his mistake with a powerful 41-yard run down the field.

Another bad snap forced Florida into a 4th and 21, which Meyer once again had the Gators attempt. Brantley, running out of bounds, threw up a prayer into the end zone that was luckily brought down by Rainey for a 25-yard score to put Florida ahead 34-12.

Adding to UF’s mistakes, junior kicker Caleb Sturgis missed a 44-yard field goal early in the game and shanked the extra point on Demps’ TD.

Brantley finished the day 17-of-25 for 114 yards and two touchdowns, while Miami’s Dysert went 24-of-42 for 188 yards with four picks. Demps led the Gators with 97 yards on eight rushes; Gillislee posted 57 yards on six carries. Hines was Florida’s leading receiver, hauling in three balls for 48 yards; Rainey caught a team-high seven passes for 36 yards, and redshirt junior WR Deonte Thompson finished with only three grabs for 24 yards after dropping a TD early in the first quarter.

Florida looks to rebound from its shaky start next Saturday when they take on the South Florida Bulls at The Swamp. Kickoff is set for 12:21 p.m., and the game will air live on SEC Network (check your local listings).

Photo Credit: Rob C. Witzel/The Gainesville Sun