2021 Florida Football Postgame Notes
Florida 24, Florida State 21
November 27, 2021
Ben Hill Griffin Stadium – Gainesville, Fla.
Florida Earns Fourth-Consecutive Bowl Bid, Third-Straight Win Over FSU
● Florida’s win today makes the program bowl eligible for the fourth time in as many seasons and for the seventh time in the last-eight campaigns.
● If Florida accepts a 2021 bowl bid, it will be the program’s 47th bowl appearance all-time dating back to 1953.
o Bowl record: 24-22
● With today’s victory, the Gators secure their third-straight win over the in-state rival Seminoles. o Florida improves to 37-26-2 vs. FSU including 22-12-1 in Gainesville.
● Florida has out-gained FSU, 1,360 yards to 857 (+503, +167.7 PPG) across the three-game streak. ● The winning effort was highlighted by four sacks by linebacker Brenton Cox, which is the most by any Gator since sacks became an official NCAA statistic in 2000.
o Alex Brown had five sacks on Sept. 18, 1999 vs. Tennessee before sacks were recognized by the NCAA as an official stat.
● Today’s crowd was Florida’s second largest of the season at 88,491.
Gators Offense
● Florida’s 470.1 yards per game is on pace to rank sixth in program history.
● Florida’s 5.4 yards per carry is on pace to rank fourth in program history.
● Florida’s 209.0 rushing yards per game is on pace to rank 11th in program history. ● With 357 total yards today vs. FSU, Florida’s 5,641 yards this season is its second-most through 12 games in the last 20 seasons, trailing only the 2020 campaign (6,118).
o This is Florida’s sixth-highest total through 12 games dating back to 1965.
● Florida now has 2,508 total rush yards this season following today’s 139-yard showing on the ground, which is the program’s second-highest total (2018: 2,514) through 12 games since 2009. o This is Florida’s eighth-highest rushing total through 12 games dating back to 1965. ● With today’s performance, Florida has now out-gained its opponent in 11 of 12 games this season. ● The Gators have now rushed for 100-plus yards in 10 of 12 games this season.
o Florida has rushed for 100-plus yards in 39 of its last 50 games since 2018.
● With 23 rushing yards vs. FSU, quarterback Emory Jones moved into sole possession of third all-time in program history for single-season rushing yards by a quarterback with 696.
o Jones is one of three Gators quarterbacks to rush for 600-plus yards in a season (Tim Tebow, Terry LeCount).
o Only Tim Tebow has rushed for more yards in a single season.
● Running back Dameon Pierce found the endzone with a three-yard rushing touchdown in the third quarter to bring his season total to 15 total touchdowns (12 rushing, three receiving). Pierce’s 15 total touchdowns and 12 rushing touchdowns are both tied for eight in a single season in school history.
o Pierce’s 15 touchdowns are the most in a season by a Gators player since Percy Harvin had 17 in the 2008 season.
o Pierce’s 12 rushing touchdowns are the most in a single season by a Gator since Kelvin Taylor rushed for 13 scores in 2015.
o Pierce entered the game ranked third in the SEC in touchdowns with 13.
o It took Pierce just 85 carries to get to 12 rushing touchdowns in 2021.
● Pierce had double-digit carries for the first time this season, rushing a season-high 12 times for 62 yards.
● Florida scored on its opening drive for the fifth time this season – all at home: FAU, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Samford and FSU.
● Tight end Kemore Gamble’s 47-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Emory Jones in the first quarter marked the longest reception of Gamble’s career.
o Previous career long: 46 yards vs. Samford on Nov. 13, 2021
Gators Defense
● Since sacks became an official NCAA statistic in 2000, linebacker Brenton Cox Jr.’s four sacks today are a program record as well as a career high for the second-year Gator.
o Alex Brown had five sacks on Sept. 18, 1999 vs. Tennessee before sacks were recognized by the NCAA as an official stat.
o Cox is just the fourth Gator in the last-three seasons to record at least three sacks in one game (2021: Zachary Carter; 2019: Mohamoud Diabate, Jonathan Greenard).
o Cox also forced the first fumble of his career in the game.
● Entering the game ranked sixth in the SEC and tied-for-28th nationally with 31 sacks this season (2.82 per game), the Gators recorded four sacks vs. FSU to bring their season total to 35. o Florida’s 154 sacks since Mullen’s debut 2018 season rank first in the SEC and third nationally – trailing only Clemson (187) and Pittsburgh (170).
o Florida ranked tied-for-14th in the FBS and second in the SEC with 34 sacks last season. ● With three takeaways vs. FSU, Florida’s defense has now produced 78 turnovers since Mullen’s debut in 2018, which ranks tied-for-third in the SEC and tied-for-21st in the FBS.
● Linebacker Mohamoud Diabate had six tackles to bring his season total to a team-leading 89. ● Defensive back Jason Marshall Jr. registered his first-career interception in the third quarter. ● Defensive back Kaiir Elam had a career-high 1.5 tackles for loss.
● Defensive lineman Jalen Lee set a single-game career high in tackles before the first quarter ended, recording two tackles in the opening quarter.
o Lee’s 0.5 TFLs were the first of his career.
● Derek Wingo’s 0.5 TFLs were the first of his career.
Florida Special Teams
● Jeremy Crawshaw punted five times for an average of 48.6 yards including a long punt of 61 yards, two 50-plus yard punts and three punts inside the 20-yard line.
● Chris Howard connected on a 36-yard field goal in the third quarter to put Florida ahead, 10-7. o Howard improved to 8-for-8 on career field goal attempts.
Explosive Plays
● Kemore Gamble (from Emory Jones): 47-yard reception touchdown, first quarter ● Keon Zipperer (from Jones): 17-yard reception, first quarter
● Kemore Gamble (from Jones): 25-yard reception, second quarter
● Emory Jones: 12-yard rush, second quarter
● Malik Davis (from Anthony Richardson): 22-yard reception, third quarter
● Dameon Pierce: 12-yard rush, third quarter
● Dameon Pierce: 12-yard rush, third quarter
● Anthony Richardson: 17-yard rush, fourth quarter
Series Updates
● Today’s game represented the 65th all-time meeting between Florida and Florida State including the 35th time the two teams faced off in Gainesville
● With today’s win, Florida improves to 37-26-2 against FSU and to 22-12-1 vs. the Seminoles in Gainesville.
o This is Florida’s third-straight win over FSU.
● Across the team’s three-game winning streak, Florida has out-gained FSU, 1,360 yards to 857 (+503, +167.7 PPG).
o Passing: 862-538 | Rushing: 498-353
● UF Interim HC Greg Knox improves to 2-0 in his career as a head coach.
● Of the last-six games in this series dating back to 2015, this is the first to be decided by under 16 points.
Other
● UF has scored in 422-consecutive games — which is an NCAA record.
o The Gators broke Michigan’s record of 365-consecutive games (1984-2014) against LSU on Oct. 7, 2017.
o The next-closest active streak belongs to TCU, as the Horned Frogs have scored in 367- straight contests.
● Florida Game Captains: #6 Zachary Carter, #20 Malik Davis
● Florida won the toss and elected to receive; Florida defended the north end zone. ● Attendance: 88,491
