Hope was restored this past weekend when the Florida Gators pulled out its first road win of the season — and in stunning fashion.
The Gators won a shootout with the South Carolina Gamecocks, grabbing a lead late in the fourth quarter with the help from quarterback Graham Mertz. The redshirt senior threw a dart to wide receiver Ricky Pearsall who beat his man to the ball and collected it for the go-ahead touchdown.
The Athletic’s senior writer Seth Emerson is taking notes of Florida’s ups and downs but overall sees a bright future in his midseason “vibe check” of the SEC.
A large chunk of the Gator Nation has been pleading to throw head coach Billy Napier to the wolves, despite his ability to build future squads with highly-touted recruits.
“The heat is off! For now,” Emerson wrote. “Billy Napier still has a long way to go, especially when you look at the remaining schedule: Georgia, Arkansas, at LSU, at Missouri, Florida State. A 7-5 finish is very much realistic. But that still would be an improvement over last year, and Napier’s recruiting class currently ranks No. 3. That should be enough to stave off the wolves for a year.”
The Florida Gators ranked at No. 7 on Emerson’s list, in terms of overall “vibes.” The Athletic’s senior writer didn’t rank the teams based on their performances on the field, but more on how the teams and the fanbases are feeling right now.
The road win over the Gamecocks bolsters the Orange and Blue’s stock for this season, maybe not enough for an invite to a New Year’s Six game, but a winning record at the least.
The Florida Gators are back home in Gainesville and celebrating the victory during a bye week. Florida’s next contest will be in Jacksonville for the annual grudge match with Georgia on Oct. 28.
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