Colleges

UF left with this: Just win

The Gators have pondered all the what-ifs. Now they move on with no room for mistakes.

By ANTONYA ENGLISH, Times Staff Writer
Published October 15, 2007

GAINESVILLE - If only.

A loss to No. 1 LSU nine days ago left the Gators with an off week to ponder just that.

If only they had been able to score in the final quarter. If only they could have held LSU on at least one of the three fourth downs it converted in the fourth quarter. If only they could have held onto a 10-point lead heading into the fourth quarter.

But the bye week has ended and the time for second-guessing is over.

Though the Gators 4-2, 2-2 SEC have lost back-to-back conference games, they remain in the hunt for the East title. The only stipulation: No more slipups.

"Every game is going to matter," coach Urban Meyer said. "It's single elimination and it's exciting."

The Gators will kick off the second half of the season with a trip Lexington to play one of the hottest teams in the league.

Kentucky. Yes, Kentucky.

The No. 8 Wildcats (6-1, 2-1) are having one of their best seasons and are fresh off an upset of then-No. 1 LSU at home. This isn't the Kentucky of old and the Gators are well aware of that.

"We've got to work that much harder to finish the game," junior receiver Louis Murphy said. "With the turnovers at the end of the (LSU) game, we really gave the game away. Turnovers and the miscues, that's something that we've got to mentally work on. We can't keep making mistakes."

Three games ago, the Gators were No. 3 in the nation and undefeated. But a failed comeback attempt against Auburn and a late-game collapse against LSU dropped Florida to No. 14 in the AP poll Sunday and out of the national championship talk.

But during a season in which every No. 1 has lost and upsets continue to spring up in the most unlikely games, the Gators said they are renewed by a week of rest and the precariousness of their situation.

"It's motivation," quarterback Tim Tebow said. "You're still in the race. The way college football is going this season, if we finish out we might have a shot at everything. ... That just gives us more motivation to keep going. You could get down after two losses, two games we should have won. You can get down for that, but I think our team is going to use it as motivation and respond."

The key is to respond.

With a secondary that has struggled with consistency all season and is ranked 65th nationally in pass defense, the Gators know containing UK quarterback Andre Woodson won't be easy.

"Woodson is a dynamic quarterback," senior safety Tony Joiner said. "He can run the ball, they do well on option screens and he can throw the ball well. So he can hurt you in a lot of ways."

Though Florida was unable to stop LSU on long drives when it counted (the Tigers were 5-for-5 on fourth-down conversions), and its defense is ranked No. 31 in the nation, co-defensive coordinator Charlie Strong said things aren't as bad as they might seem.

"They are coming (together)," Strong said. "We've taken a step but we still have miles to go. But we are getting there."

After a week off, the Gators are eager to get back on the field. Several players said the loss to LSU, while painful, gave them some unexpected, added confidence, particularly as they prepare to go to Lexington.

"We learned we know how to go on the road and battle," sophomore Jarred Fayson said. "Seventy-five percent of our team is freshman and sophomores, so it's no question we can go on the road and play anybody at their home. Now we've just got to learn to execute and finish what we started."

Antonya English can be reached at english@tampabay.com.

[Last modified October 14, 2007, 20:42:22]