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Florida Football: 5 most gut-wrenching Gator losses of past decade

By Briley Hughes

GAINESVILLE, FL - AUGUST 30: Head coach Will Muschamp of the Florida Gators looks on prior to the game against the Idaho Vandals on August 30, 2014 in Gainesville, Florida. The game was terminated for weather and unsafe playing conditions. (Photo by Rob Foldy/Getty Images)
GAINESVILLE, FL - AUGUST 30: Head coach Will Muschamp of the Florida Gators looks on prior to the game against the Idaho Vandals on August 30, 2014 in Gainesville, Florida. The game was terminated for weather and unsafe playing conditions. (Photo by Rob Foldy/Getty Images) /
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ATLANTA, GA – DECEMBER 03: Head coach Nick Saban of the Alabama Crimson Tide shakes hands with head coach Jim McElwain of the Florida Gators after the Crimson Tide defeated the Gators 54 to 16 in the SEC Championship game at the Georgia Dome on December 3, 2016 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA – DECEMBER 03: Head coach Nick Saban of the Alabama Crimson Tide shakes hands with head coach Jim McElwain of the Florida Gators after the Crimson Tide defeated the Gators 54 to 16 in the SEC Championship game at the Georgia Dome on December 3, 2016 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

4. Alabama stomps Florida for SEC title (2016)

In the first two years under coach Jim McElwain, the Gators racked up lots of win, yet never instilled belief in Gator Nation. This was in part because the offense sputtered while a historically good defense carried the team to weekly ugly victories.

This dynamic – and an unprecedentedly weak SEC East – allowed Florida to stamp a ticket to the SEC Championship game versus Alabama in both 2015 and 2016.

Though they lost, Florida maintained respectability and remained within striking distance of the Crimson Tide in 2015. The same could not be said of 2016.

After becoming the first team in 17 quarters to score a touchdown on the Alabama defense, the Gator offense couldn’t keep pace and went into halftime down 33-16. And then in the second half, Alabama scored 19 unanswered points to secure their second straight SEC title over Florida to the tune of 54-16.

This embarrassing loss marked the beginning of the end for the Jim McElwain era in Gainesville. After losing back-to-back SEC Championships to Nick Saban and Alabama, Gator Nation realized the stark reality that even though the Gators were winning games, they were not close to competing for a national championship.

Less then a year later, McElwain was fired.

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