Gators Dunked on Ole Miss, Now Must Avoid Being Blocked at FSU

Running back KD Daniels dunks on a portable basketball goal on the Ole Miss sideline after Saturday's upset over the Rebels. (Photo: Jordan Herald/UAA Communications)

Gators Dunked on Ole Miss, Now Must Avoid Being Blocked at FSU

Tuesday, November 26, 2024 | Football, Scott Carter

By: Scott Carter, Senior Writer

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — They had already won the grand prize, and now it was time for the spoils of victory.

In the case of the Gators on Saturday, a portable basketball goal left stranded on the Ole Miss sideline was the temporary reward. One by one, the Gators took turns slamming footballs through the basket as the nearby UF student section roared at each dunk.

Receiver Marcus Burke went with a windmill slam. Receiver Aidan Mizell bounced skyward, tossed the ball between his legs, and boom! Freshman running back KD Daniels performed a classic two-handed stuff.

On and on it went until the ninth-ranked Rebels equipment staff began to clear their belongings and grabbed the basket for the return trip home after Florida's 24-17 upset victory. More than anything, the Gators' impromptu dunk fest capped a signature moment in head coach Billy Napier's third season and Florida's dramatic late-season turnaround.

After getting dunked on for much of the season, it was the Gators' time to slam and jam.

"It feels great,'' safety Bryce Thornton said afterward. "I feel like we should be ranked, so we're going to keep performing, and I feel like everybody is going to see how Florida is supposed to be."

Thornton did his part with two interceptions in the final two minutes. He had ample help as the Gators beat ranked opponents in back-to-back games for the first time since 2018. Florida failed to crack the AP Top 25 after its wins over LSU and Ole Miss, but the Gators are receiving votes for the first time this season, and if they win on Saturday at Florida State, Thornton might get his wish.

The Gators (6-5) returned to practice Monday in an unusual spot. They are riding a wave of positive momentum and are a 15.5-point favorite against the Seminoles (2-9), who snapped a six-game losing streak Saturday with a 41-7 victory over FCS-classified Charleston Southern. The Gators haven't been favored since their road win at Mississippi State in late September.

"No time to play around here,'' Napier opened his Monday press conference. "Obviously, pleased with the outcome of the game. It's really, really important for our players to be able to hit the reset button. We need to continue to improve."

Since starting 1-2, a stretch defined by lopsided losses to Miami and Texas A&M, the Gators are 5-3 and have been competitive in every game except their 49-17 loss at Texas on Nov. 9. In their two losses besides Texas in the last eight games, Florida took Tennessee to overtime at Neyland Stadium and was tied with Georgia late in the fourth quarter with its top two quarterbacks – Graham Mertz and DJ Lagway – watching as walk-on Aidan Warner led the team. With Mertz lost for the season to a knee injury, Lagway returned against LSU to revive the Gators.

Florida became bowl-eligible with the victory over Ole Miss and can give Napier his first win against the Seminoles on Saturday. In Florida's last trip to Tallahassee, a 45-38 Friday night loss two years ago in Napier's first season, Seminoles fans rushed Bobby Bowden Field to celebrate.

The Gators return to the scene of that awkwardness with more on their minds than beating FSU. They are showing signs of a return to relevancy and can't afford tripping in Tallahassee.

"That game means a lot,'' defensive back Jordan Castell said. "You can't look at that record. Put all that stuff aside."

The stage is set for a unique matchup Saturday at Doak Campbell Stadium, where the Gators last won in 2018. With Lagway back for the Gators and FSU's Luke Kromenhoek set to start, it sets up as the first time a pair of true freshman quarterbacks will start in the rivalry game that dates to 1958.

Lagway is 23 of 43 for 406 yards, three touchdowns and one interception since returning from a strained left hamstring. Kromenhoek threw for 209 yards and three scores in his first career start last week.

"Very talented,'' Napier said of Kromenhoek. "I worked him out here. I was impressed. We offered him a scholarship. When he's given good opportunities, he can play."

Meanwhile, Florida's bend-but-don't-break defense has consistently made big plays the past two games, including Thornton's two picks against Rebels quarterback Jaxson Dart. Defensive linemen Caleb Banks (3.5), Tyreak Sapp (2.0) and Cam Jackson (1.5) combined for seven tackles for loss.

Napier has repeatedly cited the first bye week after the Mississippi State road win as the turning point in the season. Since then, the Gators have shown drastic defensive improvement. Coupled with Lagway's emergence as the critical building block of the future, they are suddenly knocking at the door of the national rankings.

But first, the Seminoles await.

The Gators' celebratory dunks on Ole Miss won't mean much if they get blocked by FSU.

"We have a pretty big number of players that have been on the grass and on the sideline when these guys have beaten us the last two years,'' Napier said. "We have to realize all that comes with this game big-picture-wise.

"There's a ton at stake here."