Good, Bad and Ugly: Gators Wire looks back on Florida’s loss to FSU

Florida football finished the 2022 campaign with an even .500 record — same as last season — thanks to a loss on the road at the hands of the Florida State Seminoles, 45-38. The high-octane affair between two Sunshine State rivals was a thrilling one, but alas, the Gators were unable to keep up with their sister school from Tallahassee and lost for the first time in four tries against FSU.

Typically, the Gators Wire crew jumps on their Good, Bad and Ugly answers right after the conclusion of the game, but this week we allowed the loss to ruminate a little before giving our final takes of the regular season. Take a look below at how we felt about the disappointing loss.

Adam Dubbin - Managing Editor

Melina Myers-USA TODAY Sports

GOOD: Hey, at least it was a fun game to watch — unlike some others this season. There was even a stretch when one could envision the Gators pulling this one off. It was good to see the team play so hard against a fierce rival, but as always, hard work is not the same as smart work. Props to [autotag]Trevor Etienne[/autotag] who continues to prove that he is the future of Florida football.

BAD: Everyone expected the defense to get a lift when [autotag]Ventrell Miller[/autotag] returned from his first-half suspension, but instead, the corps belly-flopped and allowed FSU to score 17 unanswered points, taking the lead for good. [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and Co. have their work cut out dealing with the defensive ahead of the bowl game and in the offseason.

UGLY: Flags, flags, flags. Some of them were the right call, some of them were not. But at the end of the day, the torment of the zebras was mostly self-inflicted as the team simply did not exhibit the discipline we saw earlier this season. Getting flagged 10 times for 91 yards (against the Seminoles’ six times for 38 yards) just is not going to get it done.

David Rosenberg - Assistant Editor

James Gilbert/Getty Images

GOOD: Trevor Etienne is the future of this team and possibly the present. [autotag]Montrell Johnson[/autotag] is good, but Etienne has that little extra something that makes him a star. His 45-yard score to tie the game up was one of the best moments of the season for this Gators club, and next year should be something special.

BAD: Something has to change next year on defense. How many years in a row do Gators fans have to watch their team miss tackles and blow coverages for something to be done about it? Todd Grantham isn’t on the staff anymore, so you can’t blame him. Maybe it takes a year? Even Ventrell Miller’s return in the second half didn’t help too much. Jordan Travis was everything [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag] should have been in this one, and the defense helped make him look good.

UGLY: I’ll say it. The refs. From a couple of missed PI calls to the obvious facemask on the last play of the game, these refs were a nightmare for BOTH teams. That said, Florida was committing some inexcusable penalties late in the game, and that’s also worth mentioning in this week’s ugly. Napier’s thing is keeping the team calm, cool and collected, but that hasn’t been the case lately.

Also, how many times did Brock Osweiler talk about Pop Warner football on the broadcast? He must have been a legend. Chalk up the broadcasting crew for this week’s ugly as well. It’s the end of the season, and no one is being spared.

Pat Dooley - Staff Writer

Syndication: Tallahassee Democrat

GOOD: The running game bounced back after the weirdness of Vanderbilt. Florida’s dynamic duo of Trevor Etienne (129 yards) and Montrell Johnson Jr. (85 yards) got the job done.

The Gators went back to being a running team with 46 rushes vs. 27 passes. Richardson chipped in 41 yards. Florida averaged 5.7 yards a carry.

BAD: This season is almost over so Gator fans can rejoice that they don’t have to watch this defense but one more time. Even with all of the blame that gets heaped on Richardson, the demise of this team is a defense that is beyond bad.

Saturday night was more of the same for a defense that is now allowing 416 yards per game. The missed tackles were bad. The whiffs on Jordan Travis were worse.

UGLY: What happened? The promise of a disciplined team that would reduce penalties was great for 10 games. But this is two in a row that were negatively affected by Florida penalties.

Against FSU, it was 10 for 91 yards. That makes 17 for 177 yards in the last two games. That’s not how you play winning football.

Sergio Del La Espriella - Staff Writer

James Gilbert/Getty Images

GOOD: That was one massive roller coaster of emotions. The first half had some of Florida’s best moments. [autotag]Ricky Pearsall[/autotag] had an incredible first half, with over 100 yards and two touchdowns. That speaks for itself. I also loved seeing Trevor Etienne continue to solidify himself as the best running back on the roster. He is what I’m most looking forward to next season.

I know I’ve said this multiple times this season, but I loved the Goonies-esque “never say die” attitude. That culture has been established and I’m excited to see that in 2023.

BAD: The third quarter was horrendous. The playcalling went from excellent, to horrific after halftime. The defense let the Seminoles do what they wanted throughout the quarter. It wasn’t until Anthony Richardson literally dragged the team to a first down late in the quarter that they woke up. Speaking of AR, you can’t go 0/11 in passing for a stretch and expect to win the game. Especially when you guarantee a victory earlier in the week and taunt the Seminoles in the first quarter.

UGLY: The two plays where the defense made Jordan Travis look like 2012 Johnny Manziel. The penalties. Having to watch Florida State celebrate the win. It’s going to be a long offseason.

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