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After 260 days, gameday finally returned to The Swamp. However, after just one half of football, the Gators’ season opener against the No. 19 Miami Hurricanes felt over before it even began.
The Miami Hurricanes (1-0) defeated the Florida Gators (0-1) 41-17 Saturday night at the Swamp. Canes quarterback Cam Ward finished the game with 350 passing yards and three touchdowns.
OFFENSIVE WOES: The Gators amounted just 82 yards in their first five drives of the game. Other than a 71-yard touchdown run by senior running back Montrell Johnson Jr., Florida couldn’t get anything going offensively in the first half.
Gators quarterback Graham Mertz struggled to find any openings to throw to, and when he did, his passes were often behind his receivers or untimely. With just 91 passing yards, Mertz was taken out of the game after taking a hard hit to end the third quarter.
Consequently, five-star freshman quarterback DJ Lagway made his collegiate debut. Lagway’s first drive was unmemorable. His first play was a handoff to Johnson, then a two-yard quarterback rush and it finished with an incompletion, leading to a three-and-out.
Lagway finished his day by completing 3-of-6 passing attempts for 61 yards and an interception. He added 24 yards on the ground on four carries.
ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD: Ward had all the time in the world to do what he wanted to in the pocket. Florida’s defensive line couldn’t apply any pressure to the Canes’ offensive line. There were times where Ward looked as if he was playing in slow motion. He stood in the pocket, scanned the field for his receivers, and delivered dart after dart. Ward’s presence elevates the Canes to a playoff-caliber team, and I would be surprised if Miami finished the year without an ACC Title.
SECOND TO NONE: Miami’s secondary was something I looked at closely heading into the matchup. Other than veteran cornerback Daryl Porter Jr., I believed there would be some openings in the secondary, providing plenty of opportunities for Florida’s talented receiver room.
However, I was wrong. Miami blanketed Gators sophomore receiver Eugene “Tre” Wilson all throughout the game, and offered little openings for any of Florida’s other receivers. Mertz couldn’t connect on any of his deep-ball attempts, which was partially due to his inaccuracy and inability to anticipate where his receivers would be.
ON THE OTHER HAND: Florida’s secondary struggled immensely. Ward found every opening and spread the ball to all sides of the field. Canes receiver Xavier Restrepo tallied seven receptions for 112 yards and a touchdown.
I expected Miami running back Damien Martinez to be utilized more heading into this game, but the Canes quickly figured out they could be successful even with a pass-heavy offense. Martinez finished the game with 65 yards on 15 carries. Backup running back Mark Fletcher Jr. touched the ball just seven times but finished the game with 23 yards and two touchdowns.
MOVING FORWARD: This season is far from over for Florida. The Gators opened their season against what should be a playoff-caliber team. The Canes had all the pieces last season, and now with Ward at the helm of their offense, it seems as if it’s playoff or bust.
It’s easy to overreact with as contrasting as a performance the two teams demonstrated on the field Saturday. And although these programs shouldn’t be in different places, they are. The Gators’ tough schedule this season will make it difficult to contend for a bowl game, but that should be the goal for this year. The Canes are at a different point in their rebuild, and they proved that Saturday.
UP NEXT: Florida (0-1) will host the Samford Bulldogs at 7 p.m. Saturday at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. The game will be broadcast on SEC Network+.
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