Well, it’s the morning after and many of us have a headache. It was ugly, but it was still a win… The Gators finished the game with a score of 34-12, but it was as ugly a win as ever. Overall, it felt like the team was in a daze after realizing Tim Tebow actually was gone and they would have to do it on their own.
There were more fumbles and turnovers in this game than could be considered “acceptable.” It appeared as though someone sheathed the ball in a silk cover, dipped it in some Wesson oil, and then topped it off with a little 10W-30. Not only were the Gators having their problems, Miami was in on the fumble-stumble, too.
It made for an interesting game, with a lot of high expectations and groans. The really surprising thing about the game was the lack of offense. The offensive squad only made 25 yards in the first three quarters. The Gator Nation would have to ask, “Wassup with that?” It just wasn’t right.
John Brantley, the redshirt junior quarterback who has stepped into Tebow’s shoes, has shown a lot of promise during the previous 16 games he played as backup. During his UF career, he threw 10 touchdowns and a total of 645 yards. Still, there seemed to be a little lack of confidence in the air and Brantley’s last pass of the game somewhat typified the performance of the first part of game, along with the feeling it was a lucky win after throwing the fourth down pass with 1:21 left on the clock. As the ball sailed into the end zone, Chris Rainey finally grabbed it as both the offense and defense bobbled it around. Apparently, it still had quite a bit of the 10W-30 stuck to the silk covering.
The Gator offense was definitely behind the ball throughout the first three quarters. Many of the Gator Nation were probably more nervous than a turkey in late November by the time the fourth started. And even though the game was rough, there were moments of sheer promise; like a sore thumb, the talent stood out and the capacity for a great season was obvious.
All the team has to do is realize they can do it on their own—without Tim.
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© 2010 J. Clark
