Grier, Gators' Offense Turned it Around Just in Time
Sunday, September 27, 2015 | Football, Scott Carter
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – They call the play Train Right, Jill, Big Ben In.
The Gators run it each week in practice in case they ever need it. They needed it Saturday on fourth-and-13 against Tennessee.
"Just part of the offense,'' head coach Jim McElwain said.
Quarterback Will Grier made a good throw, receiver Antonio Callaway made a good catch, and receiver Brandon Powell made a great block.
Callaway's legs did the rest on his 63-yard catch-and-run touchdown with 1:26 left to give the Gators a stirring 28-27 comeback victory against the Vols.
“You've just got to find the open guy, get it to him and convert the first down,'' Grier said. “The young kid, my little brother, he just made a hell of a play. He turned that first down into a touchdown.”
A freshman from Miami, Callaway's electrifying score capped his five-catch, 112-yard game as he became the first true Gators freshman receiver with a 100-yard receiving game since Reidel Anthony had two in 1994.
But it was Grier's play in the fourth quarter that allowed the Gators to be in position to win their 11th consecutive game against their SEC East rivals.
A redshirt freshman making his third consecutive start, Grier had the kind of see-saw game Saturday that may have prompted McElwain to summon Treon Harris from the bench if Harris was available. However, with Harris serving a one-game suspension, it was all on Grier if the Gators were going to overcome a 13-point fourth-quarter deficit.
That possibility seemed remote for most of the game.
Grier was 12 of 24 for 142 yards and one interception entering the final 15 minutes. He was also sacked three times as Florida's offense struggled to find any rhythm. The Gators punted six times on their first nine drives and had one end with an interception and another result in the end of the first half.
Florida's only scoring drive over that span was a four-play, 70-yard drive that ended with a 5-yard touchdown run by Kelvin Taylor in the first quarter. Taylor's 47-yard run was the big play.
After Tennessee scored 20 unanswered points, the Gators finally found the end zone late in the third quarter on Taylor's 4-yard run. The drive started at Tennessee's 29 after a fumble recovery by Bryan Cox Jr.
And then Grier and the offense took off in the final quarter.
“Probably the comfort in running the two-minute and hurry-up drill,'' McElwain said of Grier's turnaround. “I didn't think our protection was great. Saw some things on weakside pressure, if we caught them, he should throw hot. That's part of growing up as a quarterback.”
Grier led the Gators on a 17-play, 86-yard drive in the fourth quarter to trim Tennessee's lead to 27-21 with 4:09 left in the game. His 5-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Powell answered a 16-play, 70-yard drive by the Vols to seemingly put the game out of reach.
The Gators took over with 2:18 left in the game on their final drive and after three plays resulted in a 3-yard loss by Taylor and two incompletions, Grier connected with Callaway on a play that Florida fans – and Tennessee fans, too – will remember in this rivalry for a long time.
“I'm super impressed with what Will has been able to do,'' tight end Jake McGee said. “The offense, it took a little while to get going tonight. There was no wavering with the guy behind the wheel. He stepped up under pressure when we needed him.”
Grier completed 11 of 18 passes for 141 yards and two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, finishing 23 of 42 for a career-high 283 yards.
He was under pressure most of the game and showed some impatience in the pocket early.
However, he was in charge when it mattered most, showing signs that perhaps he is Florida's quarterback of the present and future.
“I think the whole team saw things in there. That was really good,'' McElwain said. “There were a whole lot of guys contributing. I think his development at that position, having that confidence that you can take drives down and stick 'em in end zone when you need to, that really helps.”
“He actually looked pretty steady in the pocket on those two drives.”
The Gators finished with 392 yards of total offense, an improvement over their 245-yard outing at Kentucky the previous week.
Grier's play provides the offense short on playmakers and veteran offensive linemen a boost with Ole Miss stopping by The Swamp in six days.
“It just shows he can make big plays,'' Powell said. “He stood in the pocket and delivered the ball well and helped us win the game.”
Grier said Tennessee's defense was showing some different schemes than the Gators saw during their film preparation. Once the offense adjusted, the game began to slow down.
“We were able to figure out what they were doing and kind of as an offense pull together and start moving the ball a lot better,'' Grier said. “That's part of it. You have to make adjustments on the fly. You got through a rough patch like that.
“As an offense we just kind of took turns making mistakes that we've got to correct. I've got to play better throughout the game. I did some things that I wish I could go back and change, but at the end of the day, when it mattered, we got the win. That's the only stat that I care about, that W in the win column.
In Grier's most meaningful performance yet at Florida, he showed a toughness that earned the respect of his teammates.
It was a welcomed change of pace for the Gators. Instead of the defense having to carry the load in the final quarter, the offense flipped the script.
And Grier was the one in control.
“It gives a lot of confidence in him. I believe in him,'' safety Keanu Neal said. “Will's a guy who's a great competitor. He did his thing today. He manned up and he finished the game out correctly. He gave us a win.”
