For the second week in a row, the Florida Gators relied on their defense to bail out a punchless offensive performance. But this time, the unit could not do enough to save the day.
Despite holding the high-powered Hurricanes offense to 212 total yards and just one third-down conversion on 11 tries, No. 12 Florida lost to Miami 21-16 at Sun Life Stadium.
The defense was done in, in large part, by its own offense, which turned the ball over five times and stalled repeatedly in the red zone.
“Championship effort,” senior receiver Trey Burton said of Florida’s defense. “I can’t imagine being on the defensive side of the ball and not having the offense produce and score points. I just have to give it up to them because they were playing so hard and at such a high level.”
A week after limiting Toledo’s spread offense to 205 yards in a 24-6 victory, the Florida defense opened with an inauspicious start to the game. Miami senior quarterback Stephen Morris tossed touchdown passes on two of the Hurricanes’ first three offensive drives — a 7-yard strike to Herb Waters midway through the first quarter and a 52-yard bomb to Phillip Dorsett two drives later — to take a 14-6 lead.
Morris became the first quarterback to throw two first-quarter touchdowns against Florida since LSU’s JaMarcus Russell accomplished the feat during a 21-17 victory on Oct. 15, 2005 in Baton Rouge, La.
“We gave them too much momentum and belief early in the game,” Florida coach Will Muschamp said. “We should’ve played much better.”
Florida’s defense rebounded following the 52-yard touchdown, a gaffe that Watkins attributed to “busted coverage,” limiting Miami to a net loss of 12 yards on its next six drives.
The Hurricanes were able to muster only 36 yards in the game after Morris’ second passing touchdown. For the game, nine of Miami’s 14 drives lasted three plays or fewer.
“The defense did a good job of getting us the ball back today,” junior quarterback Jeff Driskel said. “They made a bunch of stops against a good offensive team.”
Freshman cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III contributed to the Hurricanes’ offensive futility with a fourth-quarter interception. Junior linebacker Ronald Powell was also disruptive, sacking Morris once and collecting three tackles for a loss. Florida finished with nine tackles for a loss during the game.
Hargreaves continues to be a bright spot for a defensive unit that has carried the Gators through two games.
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