Austin Appleby walked to the lectern with the confidence one would expect from a backup quarterback who’d just led his team to a Southeastern Conference win.
One week removed from a devastating 21-point loss to Arkansas, he spoke clearly and confidently about his team’s 20-7 victory over South Carolina.
“I’m proud of the way that we played,” he said. “We left a lot out there.”
The No. 21 Gators’ 13-point win over the Gamecocks did more than earn Jim McElwain a win over his predecessor, Will Muschamp, who lost on Saturday to many of the players he once recruited.
It silenced the critics for at least a week.
But even though Florida’s offense looked revitalized under Appleby, it faces its biggest test of the season next: a bout with No. 16 LSU in Death Valley with a second-straight Southeastern Conference East title on the line.
“We know what’s at stake,” Appleby said. “We want to go back to Atlanta, and this is the next step in order to get there.”
But to take that next step, the Gators know they still have areas to improve upon.
UF’s three turnovers, including Mark Thompson’s early fumble and Appleby’s second-quarter fumble near the goal line, might be too much to overcome against any SEC West team, let alone a stout Tigers defense.
“As long as we don’t hurt ourselves and we take care of the football, we could put points on the board as much as we want to,” receiver Ahmad Fulwood said.
But there were also plenty of positives Florida will need to continue into Baton Rouge.
UF will likely keep the shackles off running back Jordan Scarlett, who received the bulk of the carries. He ran wild for a career-high 135 yards on 20 rushes.
Antonio Callaway, an inconsistent punt returner all season, finally returned to his 2015 form. He averaged 25 yards per return, and even returned a punt for a touchdown that was later negated by a holding penalty.
And maybe most importantly, Florida’s young players that stepped in with injuries to starters — like the linebacker duo of David Reese and Kylan Johnson, who combined for 18 tackles — will need to sustain the high level of play they illustrated against South Carolina.
“The game wasn’t too big for them,” McElwain said. “Not one time did they lose their eyes. They knew exactly what they were supposed to do, and they executed it.”
With UF now down nine regular starters, including five on defense after safety Marcus Maye suffered a season-ending arm injury Saturday, questions still surround the team.
But despite those questions, Florida’s players aren’t worrying.
“We’ve got a lot of guys dinged up,” Appleby said. “With that said, the next man’s up.”
Contact Patrick Pinak at ppinak@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @pinakk12.
Austin Appleby runs during Florida's 20-7 win over South Carolina on Nov. 12, 2016, at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
