Image Credit: Twitter / GatorsFB
The No. 8 Florida Gators escaped Orlando with a 24-20 victory over the Miami Hurricanes on Saturday night to open the 2019 college football season. It was a game that saw Florida put itself in every bad situation one could imagine, but at the end, the Gators came out on top to be the only 1-0 team in the nation.
Miami held possession 13 minutes more than Florida and won the turnover battle 4-1, but the Gators held strong, sacking redshirt freshman quarterback Jarren Williams 10 times, holding the Canes to 2-of-14 on third down and squeezing just enough out their offense to end up victorious.
Gators redshirt junior QB Feleipe Franks finished with an up-and-down night, going 17 of 27 for 254 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, plus a red zone fumble. Senior running back Lamical Perine led the team in rushing with 10 carries for 42 yards, and senior wide receiver Josh Hammond topped his position with four catches for 93 yards.
There were penalties galore for Florida, too, but ultimately that is not what fans — and former Gators following along online — will remember. In the end, it was all about Florida getting the “W” and its second victory over Miami since 1986.