The Quick Slant: Instant Analysis from Gators' 31-24 Win Over ECU
Sunday, September 13, 2015 | Football, Scott Carter
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Gators won.
That is the positive from Saturday night's 31-24 victory over East Carolina.
As for the rest, well, here is what Gators head coach Jim McElwain, still steaming after the mandatory cool-off period, said to start his postgame press conference: "That was embarrassing. Didn't deserve to win the ballgame. We've got a long ways to go."
McElwain was upset at too many penalties, a lack of discipline and just an overall sub-par performance in his second game at Florida.
Check back with GatorZone.com for more later.
Here is our instant analysis from Saturday's Florida-East Carolina game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium:
THE QUICK SLANT
WHAT IT MEANS: The Gators won two games they needed to win to kick off McElwain's tenure on the right foot. Now the going gets tougher as the SEC schedule looms. But after hearing McElwain talk about the game, the Gators have more to worry about than just Kentucky. They need to take care of themselves.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: The quarterback battle between Will Grier and Treon Harris continues. Grier made his first career start and had a nice 32-yard bootleg touchdown pass to tight end DeAndre Goolsby. He finished 10 of 17 for 151 yards, two touchdowns and an interception as a result of a Alvin Bailey bobble. Harris went 5-for-8 for 54 yards and had 32 yards on three carries. The offense struggled at times under Harris in the red zone, but that turned around with a key drive in the fourth quarter that led to a touchdown. McElwain said the quarterbacks played "very average."
STAGGERING STATISTIC: The Gators committed 12 penalties for 105 yards on Saturday after being flagged just once in the season opener, the first time the Gators had only one penalty in a game since 1977.
SUBPLOT: Florida's season-opening victory was an impressive way for the Gators to open the McElwain era. But after reviewing film and evaluating the performance, McElwain voiced a cautionary tone heading into the East Carolina matchup. He expected a tough game and that's exactly what it was. He also saw signs of the Gators easing up on their attention to detail during the week. And it showed up on the field Saturday. The Gators didn't help themselves with too many penalites and a pair of missed field goals by Austin Hardin. You can bet the Gators will be challenged to improve in practice this week and to play with more discipline heading into SEC play.
UP NEXT: The Gators open conference play with a trip to Kentucky. Florida has owned this rivalry for three decades -- winning 28 consecutive games in the series -- but needed overtime last season in Gainesville.
