GAINESVILLE — How to sum up No. 14 Florida’s 18-16 loss to South Florida on Saturday night on Bulls kicker Nico Gramatica’s 20-yard field goal as time expired?
The Gators had as many touchdowns as players ejected from the game for spitting (one).
As a result, the Gators fell to 1-1 heading into a three-game stretch of at LSU, at Miami and home to Texas over the next four weeks.
Gators defensive lineman Brendan Bett was ejected for spitting at a USF player, giving the Bulls a free 15 yards. On the next play, USF running back Alvon Isaac turned a short pass into a 29-yard gain to the UF 32 with 1:54 remaining.
USF’s next two plays gained 12 (pass) and 6 (run) yards to the UF 14. UF called timeout with 22 seconds remaining after USF quarterback Byrum Brown gained 6 yards. Brown kept it again up the middle for 4 yards and UF used its final timeout with 17 seconds remaining.
USF called timeout with three seconds remaining to set up Gramatica’s game-winning kick.
Fast start, stall
Florida didn’t try and fool South Florida on its first drive, using “12” personnel (two receivers, two tight ends and one tailback) on nine of the first 11 plays. Running back Jadan Baugh had gains of 14, 15, 10, 7 and 5 yards, breaking five USF tackles.
But once UF reached the red zone, the drive stalled. On first down, Lagway overthrew tight end Tony Livingston on a wheel-like route (would have been a touchdown), Bryce Lovett was called for false start, quarterback DJ Lagway threw for no gain under pressure and, on third-and-15, Lagway threw a 9-yard quick slant to J.Michael Sturdivant.
Trey Smack’s 28-yard field goal was good for a 3-0 lead.
Bad call wipes out TD
After South Florida tied the score at 3, UF chipped its way down the field, converting a third-and-4 from the USF 30 and offensive lineman Austin Barber drawing a defensive face-mask call to convert a second-and-19.
Set up with a first down from the USF 14, Lagway appeared to throw a touchdown to wide open tight end Tony Livingston. But downfield, tight end Hayden Hansen was called for pass interference on USF cornerback De’Shawn Rucker at the 3-yard line, nowhere near a spot where it impacted the play. Bad call.
UF had to settle for a 36-yard Smack field goal to complete another long drive (13 plays, 57 yards) that didn’t end in the end zone.
Another missed chance
Florida was in position to create some daylight late in the second quarter when Lagway found Hansen down the right sideline for 28 yards, immediately followed by a 24-yard gain by receiver Vernell Brown III on a pop pass.
But then, more frustration. On third-and-3 from the USF 22, clearly four-down territory, Baugh had no room and lost a yard. After the two-minute timeout, coach Billy Napier sent his offense back onto the field to draw USF offsides. A Bulls defender did jump but didn’t make contact with a UF lineman.
Smack’s 41-yard field goal gave UF a 9-3 lead. USF answered with a field goal to cut the Gators’ lead to 9-6 at halftime.
Quick snap pays off
USF took its first lead with 2:03 left in the third quarter on Brown’s 66-yard touchdown pass to receiver Keshaun Singleton.
On the play, USF quick snapped as UF was still rushing players off the field, none of its linemen had a hand on the ground ready to play and multiple players were looking to the sideline for the play call.
Singleton collected Brown’s pass at the 40-yard line and scored untouched after safety Sharif Denson fell down and cornerback Dijon Johnson was out of position.
USF led 13-9.
Special teams error
The Bulls stretched the lead to 15-9 with 13 seconds left in the third when Gators long snapper Rocco Underwood sailed his snap over the head of punter Tommy Doman. The ball tumbled out of the end zone for a USF safety.
UF’s defense forced a punt on the ensuing USF possession to keep it a six-point deficit.
Freshman gives spark
The crowd starting to boo the Gators, true freshman Vernell Brown III turned the stadium back to UF’s side with a 40-yard punt return.
Five plays later, a snap after Lagway missed open Hansen in the end zone, Lagway threw a dart to receiver Eugene Wilson III on a quick slant for a 4-yard touchdown for a 16-15 UF lead with 12:29 remaining.
It was arguably Lagway’s best pass of the game from a combined velocity/accuracy standpoint.
Suspect game management
After USF missed a 58-yard field goal with 2:52 remaining, it was time for UF to burn some clock and not give the football back.
Or not.
The Gators went incompletion (clock stopped), 2-yard run (USF called timeout) and incompletion (clock stopped). When USF took over, 2:26 remained instead of the Gators running it three times to make the Bulls use their timeouts or bounce through a few missed tackles for first-down yardage.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Takeaways from Florida Gators’ stunning loss to USF: Missed chances for Billy Napier’s team
Reporting by Ryan O’Halloran, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union / Florida Times-Union
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