11-19-2017, 07:24 AM
GAINESVILLE, Fla. â A struggling football team and its frustrated fans got to experience what it's like to win a game again. Granted, this was the Southeastern Conference vs. Conference USA, but the collective looks Saturday night on the faces of the Florida Gators were telling.
Yes, it counted.
And, yes, it felt good.
Feleipe Franks threw a pair of touchdown passes, Lamical Perine had a fourth-quarter scoring run, and Eddy Pineiro kicked five goals, including a pair of 50-yarders, as the Gators snapped a five-game losing streak with a 36-7 defeat of Alabama-Birmingham at Spurrier/Florida Field.
UF (4-6), back in "The Swamp" for the first time in 35 days and with Franks back under center after the injury last week to grad-transfer Malik Zaire, cranked out 409 yards of total offense, with 257 on the ground, but it was the Florida defense that truly set the tone and sent Interim Coach Randy Shannon to his first win since the midseason exit of Jim McElwain three weeks ago.
"Big win for us, big to be back home," Shannon said after a game that honored the military with a "Saluting Those Who Serve" theme. "This game was about family, friends and the military tonight. We wanted to put out a product we would all be proud of."
Vosean Joseph (11), Cece Jefferson (96) and the Florida defense held UAB to just three yards rushing.
The result certainly will make for a more upbeat week of preparation heading toward next Saturday night's home date against rival Florida State. That game, even with a victory, likely be the final game of the 2017 season.
"This was a confidence booster for us, something that we needed," Frank said. "It feels good, especially going into next week."
Bowl-bound UAB (7-4) came into the game as one of the nation's top rushing teams, led by star freshman tailback Spencer Brown, who needed just 28 yards to eclipse 1,200 on the season.
He didn't get it.
Florida's defense smothered the Blazers, limiting them to 180 yards and nearly moving them backward in the ground. UAB came in averaging 210.5 rushing yards per game. Brown came in averaging 117.2 by himself. Against the Gators, those numbers showed just three yards on 18 carries for the team and 17 yards on eight attempts for Brown. The UF defense also forced four turnovers, but lost its shutout when A.J. Erdely threw a picture-perfect 74-yard touchdown pass to Xavier Ubosi on the first play of the fourth quarter.
Franks completed 15 of his 30 throws for 177 yards and touchdowns to tight ends C'yontai Lewis and DeAndre Goolsby. The Gators also got a balanced ground game from a trio of backs: true freshman Adarius Lemons (11 for 89 yards) Perine (20 for 86 yards), senior Mark Thompson (13 for 78 yards). They also scored all four times they reached the end zone.
Pinerio helped on the latter front (and beyond), converting from 39, 26, 50 twice and 42 yards out. Along the way, Pineiro became the first kicker in UF history with two field goals of at least 50 yards in the same game, and just the third to convert at least five in the same game.
"The first 50-yarder didn't come clean off my foot," said Pineiro, now 16-for-17 (94.1 percent) on the season. "The second one, I put some juice on it."
The first one from 50 gave the Gators a 9-0 lead with 7:32 to go in the second quarter. On the ensuing UAB series, the Blazers tried some trickery, having quarterback-turned-wideout Kyle Binn throw a pass off a reverse that was intercepted by safety Chauncey Gardner Jr., and returned 42 yards to the Blazers' 13. Two plays later, Franks hit Lewis a swing pass to the right and Lewis went untouched into the end zone. Officials threw a flag and called UF wide receiver Freddie Swain for being illegally downfield on the play, but Shannon challenged the call, saying Lewis caught the ball behind the line of scrimmage.
After a booth review, the call was overturned and Florida took a 16-0 lead -- at the time, the Gators' largest advantage in any game this season -- with 5:49 to go in the half.
Pinero banged his second 50-yarder as time expired in the half (capping a unique 15-play, 33-yard drive) to send the home team into the locker room with 19-0 lead.
Eddy Pineiro kicks the first of his five goals against the Blazers, a 39-yarder to cap the game's first possession. UF never trailed in opening a 33-0 lead.
It turned 26-0 midway through the third quarter when Franks drove the Gators 66 yards in eight plays. He got help with back-to-back runs of 17 and 16 yards from Thompson, then a 17-yard completion to senior wide receiver Dre Massey. The touchdown came on a third-and-8, when Franks hit his target coming across the middle left to right and Goolsby dragged two defenders into the end zone at the 5:36 mark of the period.
On the next UF possession, Perine capped a 78-yard drive with his TD run.
After UAB finally got on the board to start the final quarter, Pineiro added his fifth field goal at the 11-minute mark.
"They had a lot of fun," Shannon said of his players. "All they want is a chance to express themselves."
Winning tends to bring out the smiles in a bunch of young men. These smiles were 49 days comin
http://floridagators.com/news/2017/11/17...ov-18.aspx
Yes, it counted.
And, yes, it felt good.
Feleipe Franks threw a pair of touchdown passes, Lamical Perine had a fourth-quarter scoring run, and Eddy Pineiro kicked five goals, including a pair of 50-yarders, as the Gators snapped a five-game losing streak with a 36-7 defeat of Alabama-Birmingham at Spurrier/Florida Field.
UF (4-6), back in "The Swamp" for the first time in 35 days and with Franks back under center after the injury last week to grad-transfer Malik Zaire, cranked out 409 yards of total offense, with 257 on the ground, but it was the Florida defense that truly set the tone and sent Interim Coach Randy Shannon to his first win since the midseason exit of Jim McElwain three weeks ago.
"Big win for us, big to be back home," Shannon said after a game that honored the military with a "Saluting Those Who Serve" theme. "This game was about family, friends and the military tonight. We wanted to put out a product we would all be proud of."
Vosean Joseph (11), Cece Jefferson (96) and the Florida defense held UAB to just three yards rushing.
The result certainly will make for a more upbeat week of preparation heading toward next Saturday night's home date against rival Florida State. That game, even with a victory, likely be the final game of the 2017 season.
"This was a confidence booster for us, something that we needed," Frank said. "It feels good, especially going into next week."
Bowl-bound UAB (7-4) came into the game as one of the nation's top rushing teams, led by star freshman tailback Spencer Brown, who needed just 28 yards to eclipse 1,200 on the season.
He didn't get it.
Florida's defense smothered the Blazers, limiting them to 180 yards and nearly moving them backward in the ground. UAB came in averaging 210.5 rushing yards per game. Brown came in averaging 117.2 by himself. Against the Gators, those numbers showed just three yards on 18 carries for the team and 17 yards on eight attempts for Brown. The UF defense also forced four turnovers, but lost its shutout when A.J. Erdely threw a picture-perfect 74-yard touchdown pass to Xavier Ubosi on the first play of the fourth quarter.
Franks completed 15 of his 30 throws for 177 yards and touchdowns to tight ends C'yontai Lewis and DeAndre Goolsby. The Gators also got a balanced ground game from a trio of backs: true freshman Adarius Lemons (11 for 89 yards) Perine (20 for 86 yards), senior Mark Thompson (13 for 78 yards). They also scored all four times they reached the end zone.
Pinerio helped on the latter front (and beyond), converting from 39, 26, 50 twice and 42 yards out. Along the way, Pineiro became the first kicker in UF history with two field goals of at least 50 yards in the same game, and just the third to convert at least five in the same game.
"The first 50-yarder didn't come clean off my foot," said Pineiro, now 16-for-17 (94.1 percent) on the season. "The second one, I put some juice on it."
The first one from 50 gave the Gators a 9-0 lead with 7:32 to go in the second quarter. On the ensuing UAB series, the Blazers tried some trickery, having quarterback-turned-wideout Kyle Binn throw a pass off a reverse that was intercepted by safety Chauncey Gardner Jr., and returned 42 yards to the Blazers' 13. Two plays later, Franks hit Lewis a swing pass to the right and Lewis went untouched into the end zone. Officials threw a flag and called UF wide receiver Freddie Swain for being illegally downfield on the play, but Shannon challenged the call, saying Lewis caught the ball behind the line of scrimmage.
After a booth review, the call was overturned and Florida took a 16-0 lead -- at the time, the Gators' largest advantage in any game this season -- with 5:49 to go in the half.
Pinero banged his second 50-yarder as time expired in the half (capping a unique 15-play, 33-yard drive) to send the home team into the locker room with 19-0 lead.
Eddy Pineiro kicks the first of his five goals against the Blazers, a 39-yarder to cap the game's first possession. UF never trailed in opening a 33-0 lead.
It turned 26-0 midway through the third quarter when Franks drove the Gators 66 yards in eight plays. He got help with back-to-back runs of 17 and 16 yards from Thompson, then a 17-yard completion to senior wide receiver Dre Massey. The touchdown came on a third-and-8, when Franks hit his target coming across the middle left to right and Goolsby dragged two defenders into the end zone at the 5:36 mark of the period.
On the next UF possession, Perine capped a 78-yard drive with his TD run.
After UAB finally got on the board to start the final quarter, Pineiro added his fifth field goal at the 11-minute mark.
"They had a lot of fun," Shannon said of his players. "All they want is a chance to express themselves."
Winning tends to bring out the smiles in a bunch of young men. These smiles were 49 days comin
http://floridagators.com/news/2017/11/17...ov-18.aspx