Mark Thompson juked, sidestepped and stiff-armed Iowa defenders before sprinting into the end zone like something out of former NFL running back Marshawn Lynch’s book with under two minutes left in the first half.
For much of the season, the JUCO transfer running back has had to brush aside critics — those that pointed out his fumble tendencies and mocked his initial 1,000-yard rushing goal by the bye week — in a similar fashion.
“He’s had his hiccups, but the sky’s the limit for that dude,” quarterback Austin Appleby said.
But Thompson’s unlikely 85-yard touchdown catch acted as a symbolic play in Florida’s 30-3 winover the Hawkeyes in Monday’s Outback Bowl at Raymond James Stadium.
Not only did the play set an Outback Bowl record for the longest completion, but it helped avoid a familiar three-game losing skid suffered at the end of last season and may have been a sign that a mostly lifeless Gators (9-4) offense could improve in 2017, no matter the quarterback situation.
“You know, this was a — and still is — a heck of a building process,” head coach Jim McElwain said. “We're headed to building it, but we're building it right.”
Before Thompson gave UF the jolt it needed, an Appleby-led attack struggled early.
The Florida quarterback threw two interceptions in the first quarter — one that was tipped down the middle of the field and the other tipped at the line — which led to an Iowa 36-yard field goal that UF quickly responded to with a 44-yard field goal of its own.
“About as unlucky as I’ve been at the casino this week,” Appleby said of his interceptions. “You just keep swinging. Two balls get tipped. We had guys open both times.”
But the Gators found luck in a series of plays involving safety Marcell Harris at the goal line in the second quarter.
Harris laid a hit on Iowa QB C.J. Beathard inside the 10-yard line before coming up with another big stop on fourth down at UF’s 1-yard line. It looked awfully familiar to Harris’ goal-line tackle against LSU.
“It’s all one effort,” Harris said. “I just happen to make the play.”
Appleby’s day, meanwhile, began to turn around with the Thompson touchdown.
In the third, the Gators marched 80 yards downfield on a 12-play drive capped by a six-yard touchdown pass to a wide open DeAndre Goolsby in the end zone that put UF up 17-3.
Then, as it has all season, the defense put away the Hawkeyes (8-5) in the second half.
Freshman defensive back Chauncey Gardner, who was named Outback Bowl MVP, intercepted a deflected pass over the middle and returned it 58 yards for a pick-six in the fourth.
And less than five minutes later, Gardner picked off Beathard once again, setting Eddy Pineiro up for a 25-yard field goal. Gardner gave all the credit to the defensive line for both interceptions.
“They got the pressure. They caused the play, so that pick six is on them,” he said. “That’s their pick six. It’s not mine.”
Pineiro, meanwhile, wasn’t finished.
The redshirt sophomore’s perfect three-for-three day concluded with a 48-yard field goal that netted Florida its ultimate 30-3 lead. He finished his first season 21-for-25 and made his last 12-straight field goal attempts.
Contact Patrick Pinak at ppinak@alligator.org or follow him on Twitter @pinakk12.
Mark Thompson dives for the end zone to cap an 85-yard touchdown catch during Florida's 30-3 win over Iowa in the Outback Bowl.
