SEC Championship Game 2015: Florida defense can’t make up for lack of offense
The 2015 SEC Championship Game is in the books, and the Florida Gators were completely overmatched on one side of the ball.
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The Gators were significant underdogs to the Alabama Crimson Tide, and for a while it looked like the boys from Florida might have a shot at an upset, but the lack of offense from Treon Harris and the Gators was too much for their talented defense to overcome, and Alabama rolled to a 29-15 win in Atlanta.
Alabama’s defense and Florida’s defense butted heads in a war of attrition for the better part of three quarters, but when you’re in a game against a team as talented as the Crimson Tide, you can’t afford mistakes that give them second chances.
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Dumb penalties are mistakes, and a couple of them – in particular a roughing the passer call – cost the Gators dearly in a game with no room for error.
The only bright spot for the Gators outside of some fine defensive play was an Antonio Callaway 85-yard punt return for a touchdown. Florida’s anemic offense was only able to muster 15 rushing yards (it sat at minus 3 yards until there were 3 minutes left), no first downs, and didn’t score any offensive points until garbage time when the score was already 29-7 in favor of the Tide.
Alabama proved why they are one of the top four teams in the nation; Florida proved just how weak the SEC East really is this season, and the difference in this game was quite simply – quarterback play.
While this loss might be tough for the Gator Nation to swallow, there is some solace in the fact that they were able to secure this spot in the conference title game without the services of starting quarterback Will Grier for the last half of the season, and the future is looking bright for a program that had been on the ropes for the last two seasons.
The Gator defense performed valiantly, but with the offense unable to provide a breather they finally cracked under the constant pounding of Derrick Henry (189 yds, 1 TD), who broke Herschel Walker’s single-season SEC rushing record (although Herschel did it in two less games).
The title goes to Alabama. The applause goes to Jim McElwain on a job well done in year one with the Gators. This team is no fluke, and will be absolutely dangerous with even a mediocre offense.