Other Week Results

11/11 Florida 41 South Carolina 21

 

You can say we got lucky when Moody scored that touchdown or when Lito Sheppard scored right before the half ended with that dazzling punt return.  I call it masterful coaching, going for it after two punt blocks and switching quarterbacks in the middle of the game to a Senior that deserved to play.

In a game that characterizes the season the Gators have had, the started slow down 21-3 and all we could hear from those CBS announcers was how masterful Lou Holtz was and his legacy.  Suddenly, the Gators start roaring back and after leading at halftime 31-21, they never looked back.

With the SEC Title on the line, Florida did not give into the early mistakes of 2 punt blocks and Rex Grossman not moving the ball.  Spurrier started taking some risks.

The risk-taking began early when punter Alan Rhine, still smarting from the two blocked kicks, ran around left end for 26 yards on fourth-and-2.  On the next play, Palmer boinked a pass off the back of USC cornerback Sheldon Brown's helmet and into the hands of Jabar Gaffney for a 40-yard gain to set up the first touchdown and trim the deficit to 11.  On the next drive, Palmer hit Gaffney for a 70-yard score -- relatively routine for this day. Then came the play that not even Spurrier could draw up. 

On third-and-goal from the 6, Palmer came under heavy pressure and unloaded a pass that deflected off a South Carolina defender and bounded into the hands of left guard Thomas Moody. Seeing the play unfold in front of him, Palmer nudged Moody toward the end zone and Moody lumbered in, mobbed by teammates after scoring the go-ahead points, and one of the strangest touchdowns in memory.

Holtz, a study in fist-pumping enthusiasm earlier, stood on the sideline expressionless after that one, wondering how it could all go so bad, so quickly.  The lead gone, Holtz seemingly lost his head for a moment, too, electing to punt to Florida's explosive Lito Sheppard with 19 seconds remaining in the half.  Sheppard juked and slashed his way for a 57-yard touchdown return, his second career score on a punt return, and the Gators led 31-21 after a remarkable first half.

Now we move on to our biggest game this season with a win over the SEMEN-HOLES we have a shot at the BCS with a guaranteed with a win in the SEC Championship and I want Miss. State and Jackie Sherrill in Atlanta.  The SEC west is wide open, but it looks like Mississippi State and I want to beat them so bad.

I will be in Tallahassee next Saturday.  Look for my personal pics.

 

Game Photos

Game Videos

Game Summary

    1 2 3 4   F    
  S. Carolina 21 0 0 0   21    
  Florida 3 28 10 0   41    

Scoring Summary

Florida- FG J Chandler 49
South Carolina- A Pinnock 1 run (Corse kick)
South Carolina- Spikes 14 blocked punt return (Corse kick)
South Carolina- Watson 2 blocked punt return (Corse kick)
Florida- Caldwell 6 pass from Palmer (J Chandler kick)
Florida- Gaffney 70 pass from Palmer (J Chandler kick)
Florida- Moody 6 pass from Palmer (J Chandler kick)
Florida- Sheppard 57 punt return (J Chandler kick)
Florida- Graham 6 run (J Chandler kick)
Florida- FG J Chandler 29

Box Score
South Carolina (25) Florida (4)
First downs 13 22
Rushed-yards 35-81 31-152
Passing yards 166 356
Sacked-yards lost 1-3 1-10
Return yards 64 71
Passes 19-28-0 27-46-0
Punts 7-43.4 5-26.2
Fumbles-lost 2-1 1-0
Penalties-yards 4-30 7-30
Time of possession 29:02 30:58

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

 RUSHING
South Carolina-A Pinnock 17-52, Watson 12-35, Petty 5-minus 1, Brewer 1-minus 5. Florida-Gillespie 14-80, Graham 10-55, Rhine 1-26, Grossman 2-0, Team 1-minus 2, Palmer 3-minus 7.
PASSING
South Carolina-Petty 19-28-0-166. Florida-Palmer 15-27-0-250, Grossman 12-19-0-106.
RECEIVING
South Carolina-Brewer 7-63, Kelly 3-41, Watson 3-14, Spikes 2-21, A Pinnock 2-14, B Scott 2-13. Florida-Gaffney 7-168, Caldwell 6-75, Haugabrook 3-42, Wells 2-19, Graham 2-14, Gillespie 2-14, Frazier 2-13, Moody 1-6, A Walker 1-3, M Jackson 1-2.


Att: 85,718 (a lot of people in The Swamp)

Last Updated November 19, 2006