Saturday Night Special: Gators' Comeback to Beat Vols One to Remember
Sunday, September 27, 2015 | Football, Scott Carter
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The ones who stayed were loud. The ones who left will say they stayed.
They will recall how they saw Gators freshman receiver Antonio Callaway catch a fourth-and-13 pass from Will Grier, make a curl move to the sideline and break free with the help of a block from Brandon Powell, and race to the end zone for the game-winning score in Florida's rousing 28-27 come-from-behind victory over Tennessee on Saturday at The Swamp.
Whether you left early, stayed late, or watched on TV – and regardless of your rooting interests -- Saturday's thriller won't fade from memory any time soon.
The game had been over for several minutes and nearly all of Florida's coaches and players had retreated to a joyous locker room. Meanwhile, Gators strength-and-conditioning coordinator Mark Campbell stood on the field waiting for the last players to exit.
Campbell played for the Gators under Steve Spurrier and has served on the weight-room staff of the last four Florida head coaches.
After wiping sweat from his forehead, Campbell said what thousands of orange-and-blue loyalists were thinking as they headed for the exits.
“That was the best one in here in a long time,” he said.
He speaks truth.
When Tennessee kicker Aaron Medley's 55-yard field goal attempt on the game's final play wiggled right of the goalpost, the Gators raced onto the field to celebrate like they haven't done since the Tim Tebow era.
Pandemonium engulfed Florida Field.
First-year Gators coach Jim McElwain, about to do a postgame interview, broke away to embrace wife Karen for a victory hug. Grier then stopped by for a hug before racing to the corner to sing the school's fight song with his teammates.
Nearby, running backs coach Tim Skipper had a look of disbelief on his face, and tight end Jake McGee was high-fiving anyone within arm's length.
It was that kind of finish for the Gators in their SEC home opener, one that belonged to Tennessee for much of the evening until the Gators put on dizzying comeback in the final five minutes.
A comeback capped by Callaway's 63-yard catch-and-run touchdown with 1:26 left in the game.
“I don't play quarterback for a reason, because I didn't see anything over there,'' exhausted and euphoric Gators linebacker Jarrad Davis said afterward. “When Will threw that ball, I was like, 'there are so many white jerseys over there.' And here comes Antonio out of nowhere, catches it, wheels up the sideline, and my man Brandon Powell … he came in and made an awesome block, sprung Antonio and he took it to the house.”
The Grier-to-Callaway touchdown was the play everyone will remember, but the final 15 minutes will live in Gator lore for many reasons. Let's start with this: Florida trailed 27-14 with 10:19 left.
The comeback is the second-largest fourth-quarter comeback in modern UF history, second only to an 18-17 win over Auburn in 1986 when quarterback Kerwin Bell engineered a late rally from 17-0 down for an 18-17 victory over Auburn.
As the former head ballcoach might say, "God smiled on the Gators."
The Gators were 3-for-3 on fourth downs in the quarter. Grier was 11 of 18 for 141 yards and two touchdowns, the first one a 5-yard touchdown pass to Powell that finished a 17-play, 86-yard drive and trimmed Tennessee's lead to 27-21 with 4:09 left.
That drive answered a 16-play, 70-yard drive by the Vols that had “Rocky Top” blaring from the visitor's section for much of the quarter.
However, on the ensuing series, Florida's defense forced a rare three-and-out to give Grier and Co. one final shot.
The Gators delivered in a signature victory for McElwain only four games into his UF career.
“Give the credit to those people who stayed here to root on the Gators,'' McElwain said. “It was pretty awesome. Our guys didn't panic. That was good to see. They played their hearts out.
“I think, feeling down deep, 'you just don't lose to Tennessee,' and they didn't.”
The victory is important for several reasons. The Gators, after a back-to-back down years, have already matched their 2013 win total and are more than halfway to their seven wins from last season.
They kept their winning streak alive against the Vols. They are 2-0 in the conference with Ole Miss coming to town next week.
But more importantly, the offense shined instead of the defense for a change. Tennessee outgained the Gators 419-392, rushing for 254 yards – or 57 yards more than the Vols had rushed for in their last five meetings with the Gators.
Not for 60 minutes, but on those two final drives, the UF offense delivered in the clutch.
“Coach showed a lot of faith in us on some [plays] that were fourth-and-4, fourth-and-6,'' tight end Jake McGee said. “You like to see that when the head man has your back and trusts the offense.”
The defense approved. Davis flashed a teethy grin when asked to recall the Grier-to-Callaway play and what transpired in its wake.
“This was awesome,'' he said. “I haven't felt like that ever in a football game.”
He wasn't the only one.
