The Florida Gators left Kroger Field dejected, Kentucky Wildcats fans storming the field around them after their team just upset the No. 10 in the country.
Now, Florida attempts to move on with their sights set on Vanderbilt, who comes to town for Homecoming.
“Losing is unacceptable,” wide receiver Jacob Copeland said. “We’re gonna work harder each and every day we step on that practice field. And when it comes to game day, everybody will be ready and focused.”
Focus. The word didn’t seem to apply to Florida in Lexington last week. The Gators painted the field yellow, racking up 15 penalties for 115 yards in the 20-13 loss, including eight false start penalties on offense.
“We gotta limit our mistakes,” tight end Kemore Gamble said. “Limit those mistakes and keep staying focused… Don’t let that game bring me down, just keep playing hard. Keep up for your family, your friends, the fans and most importantly, your teammates.”
Sophomore cornerback Tre’Vez Johnson echoed a similar sentiment to his teammates, but he said the team needs to bounce back and not dwell on the loss.
“The only way we're gonna move forward is staying positive and coming out here ready to work,” Johnson said.
Johnson added that the team came out ready to work through the first few days of practice this week, which he felt was good to see.
“You can’t want it for somebody else,” he said. “So, it’s good seeing everybody out here with a positive attitude.”
While the SEC Championship may be a pipe dream at this point, Florida still has over half its season left.
“You got something to play for each and every week,” Gamble said. “Just keep focusing on that one game.”
Vanderbilt could be easy to overlook. The Commodores are 2-3, beating Colorado State 24-21 and taking down Connecticut in the game of the century, 30-28. Vandy has scored just 16 points per game.
Johnson emphasized the team has just one goal in mind, though.
“Beat Vanderbilt.”
The Gators attempt to get back on track in The Swamp Saturday at noon.
Contact Michael Hull at mhull@alligator.org. Follow him on Twitter @Michael_Hull33.
Michael Hull is a fourth-year journalism sports & media major and a sports writer at The Alligator. He hosts the weekly sports podcast and has worked on staff for five semesters. In the past, Hull has served as the sports editor, the men's and women's golf beat writer, the volleyball beat writer and the football beat writer.
