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Gators Fall To Auburn, 17-6
The University of
Florida football team will head into its bye week in search of answers,
rest and healthy bodies after dropping its third consecutive game,
17-6, vs. No. 24 Auburn at Jordan-Hare Stadium Saturday night.
In
a tightly contested game, Auburn (5-2, 3-1), used a 25-yard touchdown
pass from Barrett Trotter to DeAngelo Bennett, a 14-yard run by Onterio
McCalebb and a late field goal by Cody Parkey, while Florida (4-3, 2-3)
got a pair of field goals from Caleb Sturgis.
In a game
dominated by stout defenses, Florida used three quarterbacks on the
night in an effort to provide different looks, while Auburn used two.
In the end, a pair of muffed punts by Florida would prove to be the
difference.
The injury bug hit Florida in all three
phases Saturday night as running back Jeff Demps and defensive end
Ronald Powell both missed the game with injuries suffered during last
weekend’s LSU game, while kicker Sturgis suffered an (undisclosed)
injury and missed the second half.
On the second play of the
game true freshman Jacoby Brissett, making his second career start,
tried to take a shot at the end zone but was intercepted on his deep
pass giving Auburn the ball. Auburn opened the game with seven straight
rushing attempts trying to build on what Alabama and LSU found success
with in victories over the Gators each of the past two weeks.
The
game turned on a muffed punt by Chris Rainey late in the first quarter,
although it appeared he may have been interfered with. Muschamp argued
to no avail and three plays later Trotter rolled out and Barrett won a
jump ball in the end zone, hauling in a 25-yard pass for a 7-0
lead.
Brissett finished the first quarter just 1-of-5
pass for 14 yards, facing a ton of pressure from Auburn’s defensive
line as Florida posted just 30 total yards of offense in the opening
quarter.
In the second quarter the Gators switched up their
look, going with Trey Burton at quarterback and the adjustment sparked
the offense. On back-to-back plays Rainey took an 8-yard reception from
Burton into Auburn territory and a 9-yard run with a personal foul
tacked on the end of it that pushed the Gators to the Auburn 25.
The drive stalled and Sturgis split the uprights from 47 yards out to
cut the lead to 7-3.
When the Gators got the ball back they
continued to chip away at the Auburn lead, coming up with their best
drive of the game. The Gators marched 64 yards on 11 plays, including a
nice 25-yard hook-up from Brissett to Frankie Hammond on third-and-four
to move inside Auburn territory. Hammond caught three passes for 29
yards on the drive as Florida moved all the way to the Auburn 8-yard
line. The drive was capped by a 25-yard field goal by Sturgis after
Brissett’s fade to Jordan Reed on third fell incomplete.
Auburn
marched to the Florida 28-yard line on the final drive of the half, but
Parkey pushed a 45-yard field goal attempt wide right to end the half.
Florida
finished with 104 yards in the first half, 53 passing and 51 on the
ground. Auburn finished with 102 yards, 69 on the ground and 33
passing. After a slow start, Brissett hit 4-of-5 passes in the second
quarter and finished 5-of-10 passing for 45 yards.
Jeff Driskel
entered in the third quarter and Brissett never returned. Driskel
struggled to move the Gators early, but looked more comfortable as the
game wore on, finishing 9-of-18 for 75 yards.
Auburn started its
second drive of the third quarter at the Florida 30 after a short punt,
but the Gator defense continued to hold its ground. Parkey missed to
the left on a 42-yard attempt and the Gators breathed new life.
Florida
nearly took the lead in the third quarter, calling a flea-flicker on a
second-and-inches, but Driskel overthrew a wide-open Reed.
Auburn
increased its lead to 14-6 on the first play of the fourth quarter when
Onterio McCalebb danced around the left side for a 14-yard touchdown,
capping a seven-play, 66-yard drive.
Driskel and Burton combined
to lead the Gators on an 11-play, 64-yard drive down to the Auburn 16
yard line in the fourth quarter. Trailing by eight and with an injured
kicker, Florida opted to go for it on fourth-and-four but Driskel’s
pass to Deonte Thompson fell incomplete and the Gators turned the ball
over on downs.
Florida’s defense came out stout again, forcing a
three-and-out and a punt. The Gator offense faced a fourth-and-three
near midfield on its ensuing drive and appeared ready to go for it, but
a false start backed UF into a fourth-and-eight and the Gators punted,
in what appeared to be to their advantage, pinning Auburn at its own
3-yard line. .
The Gator defense once again forced a quick
three-and-out setting up a punt from the Auburn end zone. The Gators
sent Robert Clark back to receive the punt after Rainey had numerous
difficulties all night fielding punts, however, in an ironic twist,
Clark muffed the punt and Auburn recovered at the Florida 47.
Parkey put the game out of reach with :35, hitting a 42-yard field goal after missing his two previous attempts.
The
Gators finished with just 194 yards of total offense on the night, 128
passing and just 66 on the ground. Rainey led Florida in rushing with
33 yards on 16 carries, while Hammond had a team-high four catches for
40 yards.
Auburn amassed 278 yards of offense, 155 rushing and 123 through the air. Michael Dyer had 73 yards on 23 carries.
For
the second consecutive years the Gators find themselves at 4-3 heading
into their bye after starting the season 4-0. The Gators have two weeks
to regroup before facing Georgia in Jacksonville on Oct. 29 (3:30 pm.
on CBS).
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