Florida Football: 3 takeaways from hard-fought loss to Alabama in Week 3

Who would have thought Florida football would put up this kind of fight against the No. 1 team in the nation that looked dominant through the first two weeks of the season? Not many people.

After falling behind 21-3 early on, it looked like Florida was going to lose big in The Swamp. The Gators fought back to make things interesting, even scoring a touchdown to make it a 31-29 game but a two-point conversion attempt was failed as the zone read for Emory Jones didn’t seem like the right play call.

All Alabama had to do in the final three minutes was hold for a big win in Gainesville, but that’s a tough ask against the Florida defense which stepped up after the first quarter.

The Crimson Tide held through the final three minutes and ended up winning on the road in one of the most anticipated games of the season.

What’d we learn from this thriller in the SEC?

3. Emory Jones didn’t crumble under pressure

When Emory Jones came out of the huddle to start the game, I believed that Alabama was going to eat him for a late lunch. Early on, that looked to be the case.

Jones was struggling early and while he made some plays with his legs, he didn’t quite do enough to keep the offense afloat through a quarter. He settled down and then looked poised throughout the final three quarters despite throwing a pick, completing 18-of-28 passes for 195 yards and he rushed for 77 more yards and a score.

While Anthony Richardson is the popular choice for Florida fans, he just wasn’t healthy enough to give it a go, apparently, and that led to Jones getting the nod. He didn’t disappoint.

Sure, you’re always going to get some shaky play from Jones, but against the No. 1 team in the country, he looked like a capable quarterback and maybe he can lead the Gators to a division title, after all.