Florida Football: 3 takeaways from huge SEC win over Auburn
By Zach Bigalke
1. Lamical Perine had a huge game when Florida needed him most
With Kyle Trask able to come back into the game at quarterback, but incapable of threatening the Auburn defense in any way with his legs, the Gators backfield needed to step up and take some pressure off the quarterback.
Malik Davis managed just 16 yards on his five carries, and Emory Jones carried three times for 13 yards when he came in to relieve Trask. Their contributions were effectively negated by sacks sustained by the starter.
Enter Lamical Perine, who came up huge on a day when his contributions were necessary for success. Perine busted off an 88-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to set the final margin of victory and lock in the win for Florida. The running back finished the day with 14 carries for 130 yards, and he also caught four passes for 15 yards to serve as a capable safety valve out of the backfield.
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The backfield could have been an albatross around the neck of the Gators offense, given the way the other players performed in the ground game. But Perine changed that narrative for Florida, allowing them to pull away from the Tigers and improve to 6-0. They will need him to have another big game on the road next weekend if the Gators hope to remain undefeated after their visit to LSU.