Florida Gators

THE QUICK SLANT
No. 10 FLORIDA 41, No. 7 MICHIGAN 15  

WHAT HAPPENED: Third-year sophomore quarterback Feleipe Franks cranked out 247 yards of total offense and accounted for two touchdowns, junior defensive back Chauncey Gardner-Johnson intercepted a pair of passes, returning one for a score, and the 10th-ranked Gators overwhelmed seventh-ranked Michigan on both sides of the ball in putting up a shiny maize-and-blue exclamation point on Coach Dan Mullen's debut season with a blowout victory in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Four Florida players rushed for at least 36 yards against a UM defense that came in ranked 17th against the run and allowing just 116.6 grounds yards per game, having not surrendered 200 yards in game all season, yet was gouged for 257 on 40 carries. Franks completed 13 of 23 passes for 173 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions, while keeping it another 14 times for 74 yards. Junior tailback Lamical Perine carried six times for 76 yards, including a 53-yard touchdown on what was a third-and-20 give-up play with just under 10 minutes left in the game and Florida leading 27-13, blowing things open. The Gators used a run of 21 straight points that bridged the second and third quarters to seize command, with Franks' 20-yard up-the-middle dash on a quarterback draw putting UF in front 13-10 with 2:34 to go in the first half. UF would not trail again. An interception and 53-yard return by Gardner-Johnson led to a scoring pass of 5 yards from Franks to Perine. A UF defensive stop on the next UM possession was answered by an eight-play, 63-yard march that was finished with a 1-yard touchdown run by Jordan Scarlett (9 carries, 59 yards). The score was 34-15 late in the fourth quarter when Gardner-Johnson snared a tipped ball and raced 30 yards to the house to further ice an outcome that was over well beforehand. Worth noting: UF was beaten 33-17 by UM to open the 2017 season. Much has changed since. 
 
WHAT IT MEANS: After four previous cracks (including one by Tim Tebow), the Gators finally have a win over the storied Michigan program. More importantly, they have a 10-win season to trumpet (the program's 15th all time), and it comes just one year after a dismal 4-7 mark under Coach Jim McElwain, who was fired midseason. Mullen became just the third coach in college football history -- joining Stanford's Clark Shaughnessy (1940) and Auburn's Guz Malzahn (2013) -- to inherit a program currently in the Power 5 that had won five or fewer games and guide it to at least 10 wins in his first season. This will be a very satisfying offseason in Gator Nation. 

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Think Gardner-Johnson likes playing in bowl games? Better question: Think Gardner-Johnson excels in bowl games? Two years ago in the Outback Bowl at Tampa, Johnson became the first UF player to record multiple interceptions in a bowl game since Ahmad Black did it in 2011. Gardner-Johnson picked off a pair of Iowa passes and returned one 58 yards for a touchdown garnering Most Valuable Player honors in UF's 30-3 smashing of the Hawkeyes. His interception and 53-yard return on the first Michigan possession of the second half flipped field position and completely turned the game's momentum. Instead of the Wolverines perhaps marching to a score to tie or take the lead to start the third period, Gardner-Johnson gave his offense the ball at the Michigan 44. Six plays later, Franks' touchdown pass turned the score into a two-possession lead for the Gators. Remember, Johnson announced soon after the regular-season finale win at Florida State that he was staying to compete in the bowl game, bucking a recent trend of players shutting down their college careers to start training for the next level. Compare Gardner-Johnson's act -- and what it meant to his teammates -- to the four Michigan players, including star linebacker Devin Bush (team-high 68 tackles, 5 sacks) and tailback Karan Higdon (1,178 rushing yards), who bailed on their teammates to start preparing for the NFL draft. The kid went out in style. Probably furthered his draft stock, as well.



STAGGERING STATISTIC: Michigan's aforementioned defensive statistics against the run were one thing, but the Wolverines' success at running the football also was stifled. Michigan started the day averaging 214.3 yards per game rushing, with a run of 11 straight games with at least 160 yards on the ground. The Florida defense, a mere 11th in the Southeastern Conference and 74th nationally in stopping the run (169.7 yards per game), walled up the Wolverines to the tune of just 77 yards on 30 carries (that's 2.6 per attempt). 

UP NEXT: Into the offseason the Gators (10-3) go with a lot to be excited about regarding the future of the program under the leadership of a coach who inspires. With 10 wins, the first defeat of rival FSU in six seasons (a blowout victory on the road, no less) and a demolition job of Michigan, the Gators can lay claim to being at the top of the state's Power 5 food chain, at least for the next eight-plus months, when they open the 2019 season against Miami on Aug. 31, 2019 at Orlando.