ATLANTA - Somehow, UF has discovered even more offensive firepower.
On a day when the Gators needed to replace the irreplaceable, they did. With star do-it-all junior Percy Harvin sidelined with a high right ankle sprain, No. 2 UF opened up its toy chest of playmakers and discovered a few new, shiny knickknacks in the Gators 31-20 win Saturday afternoon in the Southeastern Conference Championship.
Juniors David Nelson, Riley Cooper and Carl Moore each caught one of Tim Tebow's three total touchdowns.
"We can't replace Percy," Cooper said. "That's obvious."
The Gators sure did their best to make that a vague concept against the Crimson Tide. And it wasn't just the fact that they caught the touchdowns. It was when they did it. Cooper caught what ended up being the game-clinching score with 2:50 left on third and goal from the 5. That catch made the game 31-20 and officially made it out of reach for Alabama's run-oriented offense.
Then it was Moore's catch which gave the Gators the momentum at the beginning of the game, and Nelson's grab put UF up at halftime.
"I basically told (the team) this is it," said Harvin, who addressed the team before the game. "Don't come back in the locker room if you ain't leave it all out on the field or you'll have to face me and look me in the eye and tell me you hadn't given everything."
Just a few weeks ago, it was hard for even Nelson himself to see this coming. Nelson has been known primarily as a blocking receiver, but the past few weeks - and especially Saturday - showed he's developed into more than that.
"I didn't come in a superstar. I didn't come in a starter," Nelson said. "I had to work my way up. I'm not even a starter now. I just stepped in for Percy. It's an unbelievable feeling."
Wit the way Nelson has been playing, it's a feeling that may continue. The trio of Moore, Cooper and Nelson all had been quiet early in the season - and some even expected Moore, one of the top-rate junior-college players in the country last season, to start - are starting to find their groove.
"Now playing, actually doing something, it's special," Nelson said
Making plays can take its toll on you, though.
"I was so out of breath celebrating, I sort of had to push everybody away," Cooper said.
Maybe he should gasp for air more often.
