GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Four years ago when Dan Mullen accepted the head-coaching job at the University of Florida, he talked about re-establishing the “Gator Standard” — a standard of winning SEC and national championships like the UF program did when Mullen was offensive coordinator under Urban Meyer.
This question must be asked after this Gator-chomping, Swamp-stomping 31-29 loss to Nick Saban’s No. 1-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide in front of a deafening delirious sellout crowd at Florida Field:
Are close losses to Saban’s Cyborgs just a part of rebuilding that Gator standard Mullen talks so much about?
Let’s not forget, it was the Gators who played Alabama closer than any team last season before succumbing 52-46 in the SEC Championship Game. And now this — a game in which Florida outgained the Crimson Tide (439 yards to 324), outrushed them (258 to 91), outmuscled them and pretty much outplayed them.
And who knows what might have happened if UF’s fabulous freshman backup quarterback Anthony Richardson had not tweaked his hamstring on an 80-yard run last week against USF. Obviously, Mullen did the right thing by leaving Richardson on the bench. Better off having Richardson fully healthy later in the season against Georgia than risk him hurting the hamstring even worse against Alabama.
Still, though, a loss is a loss; especially when you’re this close to a program-altering victory. One of my Gator buddies this week told me he hoped UF would just “keep it close” against Alabama, which made me shake my head and give him a lecture on the Gator Standard.
Keeping it close isn’t the standard Steve Spurrier established at UF when he arrived three decades ago. The great Al Davis never said, “Just keep it close, baby.” He never said, “Just beat the spread, baby.” No, Davis said, “Just win, baby.
The Gators kept it close and they covered the spread, but they did not win.
In fact, there was never a moment in the game where you felt like Alabama was actually going to lose.
The Gators undoubtedly showed guts and grit and persistence and perseverance. They had every chance to fold; they had every chance to get blown out.
Alabama took its first three possessions and rolled over Florida’s shell-shocked defense en route to a 21-3 lead. Florida’s defense looked hopeless and helpless, and the offense, under new starting quarterback Emory Jones, even got booed at one point early in the second half. I’ve never understood college football fans who boo their own team and players. Sheesh, it’s not like these guys don’t have enough to worry about trying to block and tackle Alabama.
Give Jones and the Gators credit for never quitting. Not even after Alabama had just taken a 12-point lead midway threw the third quarter and UF muffed the ensuing kickoff and took over at its own 1-yard line. Jones drove his team 99 yards on 11 plays and scored himself on a 5-yard TD to make it 28-23 at the end of the third quarter.
Never had the UF fourth-quarter tradition of playing late, great Gainesvillian Tom Petty’s anthem, “I Won’t Back Down” seemed so appropriate. Most of the entire sellout crowd of 90,887 — the fifth-largest in school history — sang along to the song, perhaps even slightly changing the lyrics:
“Hey, Bama, there ain’t no easy way out.
Hey, Bama, we will stand our ground.
And we won’t back down.”
And they did not. The Gators scored on a 17-yard run by Damien Pierce to pull within 31-29, but a botched play on the two-point conversion failed. If the Gator defense could only hold Bama, Jones and UF’s offense would get the ball back one last time for a potential game-winning drive.
It wasn’t to be. The Crimson Tide ran three plays and got the first down. And then ran three more plays to essentially kill the clock.
And, so, that ended a pretty miserable weekend for Florida college football teams. UCF got beaten by Louisville and quarterback Dillon Gabriel might be out for the season. Miami got pounded by mediocre Michigan State. Florida State get pummeled by mediocre Wake Forest. And Florida suffers a heart-breaking, nail-biting loss to Bama.
Of course, there’s no shame in losing to Saban’s dynamic, dynastic program that has now won 17 straight overall games and has recorded amazing 32 consecutive victories against SEC East opponents. But if ever that streak was going to end, this seemed like the perfect time.
Yes, the Gators lost loads of talent, including starting quarterback Kyle Trask, from last year’s team, but guess what? Alabama graduated even more talent. The Crimson Tide lost six first-round draft picks, including starting quarterback Mac Jones and Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith.
Mullen, who is 0-11 against Alabama and Saban, prepared for this game all offseason. The Gators showed nothing in their first two games against two patsy opponents (FAU and USF) and were energized and galvanized by a maniacal sellout crowd of 90,000-plus in the Swamp.
“We’re getting closer,” Mullen said, “but we have to start winning these games (against Alabama). I hope we play them again this season.”
It could certainly happen after what we saw on Saturday when the Gators won in every way — except on the scoreboard.
Who would have ever thought that Mullen’s most significant step thus far in reestablishing the Gator Standard would be a loss to Alabama in the Swamp?
