GAINESVILLE, FL (352today.com) – Florida is looking to capitalize off of their momentum after a huge win over Vanderbilt Saturday.
The Gators defeated the Commodores 38-14 – a dominating win for their homecoming game, putting them back in the right mindset for the rest of the season.
This win is what the team needed after a tough loss on the road at Kentucky. Florida head coach Billy Napier acknowledges that it’s a marathon, and not a sprint.
“You don’t just get to the top of the mountain in one day, you’ve got to climb the mountain, ” said Napier.
He says despite the win, there are many areas the team can still improve on. Decision making and the team’s discipline when it comes to penalties are some he noted.
Napier also pointed out the pressure of playing in a SEC matchup away from home and what that can entail in a press conference earlier this week.
“You can’t depend on some of that energy and some of those things that you benefit from being at home. You get the opposite of that at the other place,” said Napier. “Any play that doesn’t go your way on the road, there’s a resiliency and a toughness that you have to overcome from the momentum that you feel,” Napier added.
The last time the Gators and Gamecocks faced off in November of last year, they completely dominated on both sides of the ball. Their performance helped them come out with a 38-6 win over South Carolina. However, that was a home game.
The last time the Orange and Blue traveled to Columbia, they suffered a significant loss in Gamecock territory, falling to South Carolina 17-40.
Can Florida survive the pressure of passionate Gamecock fans and an intimidating atmosphere in Williams-Brice Stadium to bring home a win? Tune in to find out. They’re set to face off at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday. You can watch the game on the SEC network.