[ad_1]
Manic and frenetic Saturday, when the Florida Gators inducted the famous quarterback Tim Tebow into their Ring of Honor, another quarterback, Feleipe Franks, channeled his inner Tebow and gave the Gators their biggest win at home for years on LSU , fifth in the standings.
While UF was celebrating 10 years of his national championship team in 2008, Franks – just like Tebow did a decade ago – charged the Gators on his back in the fourth quarter and ran, threw and even took his field team for what turned out to be the winning touch of the game.
Florida 27, LSU 19.
Tebow immortalized, Franks legitimized.
Maybe, just maybe, these Gators have a little bit of 2008 in them. As Tebow explained about the team he played at the national championship a decade ago, "we had a lot of talent, but we had very competitive guys. We had a whole team of guys who thrived in the big moments. When the lights are on, we are not afraid of big moments. We loved them and kissed them. "
Well, Timmy, that was the most important moment you could have in Dan Mullen's first year as head coach of Florida. Mullen, offensive coordinator and quarterback for the 2008 national championship season, called on the Gator nation to get up and give the marsh back its hoarse, roaring, thrilling and intimidating state of life. The mission was completed on Saturday, when the Gators had their first total battle in three years and the swamp was delusional and deafening, as it was once at Tebow.
"It's Florida that I know and Florida that I love," said Mullen, who was so excited before the game that he began to jump frantically into the tunnel before throwing himself onto the field with his team. . "The marsh was a daunting place today."
Tebow was honored at the end of the first quarter when his name was unveiled on the facade of the North End Zone, where he joined five other Ring of Honor legends: Steve Spurrier, Jack Youngblood, Wilber Marshall, Emmitt Smith and Danny Wuerffel.
The fans stood up and chanted his name: "Te-bow! Te-bow! A striking montage of his four years of glory at Gator erupted in the JumboTron stadium. At the end of his brief speech, Tebow provoked a frenzy among the crowd saying, "I was born of a Gator, I played as a Gator and I will die like a Gator."
That day, the Gators refused to die. They scored their first touchdown shortly after Tebow's induction – a coincidence or a fate? – with Franks passing a perfect 35-yard pass to Josh Hammond on the 3-yard line. And, at the next play, Franks made a small swing from Tebow to the goal line, then took a step back and kicked a 3-yard pass to tie the score 7 at all.
No, Franks was not brilliant at all. He completed only 12 passes out of 27 for 161 yards with a touchdown and an ugly interception, but he managed to do it when he had to.
Let's be honest, the Gators relied heavily on their defense in road wins against Tennessee and the Mississippi State, and their defense was certainly impressive again on Saturday (see Brad Stewart's safety choice for the touchdown with a time remaining at 1:45). . But before the pick-6 and after LSU rushed 80 yards in just four innings to take a 19-14 lead, Franks was absolutely Tebowesque.
He did it all by leading the Gators with 75 yards in nine games for the touchdown. He completed a superb 26-yard pass to Von Jefferson. He ran the option and threw the ball to Lamical Perine for 17 yards. The third and seventh, he ran the ball into the bowels for 12 yards. He then threw the ball towards the tight end, Lucas Krull, before Krull threw him back to Franks, who caught the pass for 15 yards at LSU 2. Perine then spun to take a lead of 20-19 UF.
At the end of the match, Franks raised his fist in the air, with marveling fans, during a celebratory round around the stadium, and was congratulated by Tebow.
"It was great to have it [Tebow] and the team at this national championship in the swamp, "said Franks. "They helped define the Gator standard and today it was a great way to show that the Gator standard is about to get back to where it should be."
A historic day for Tebow; a euphoric day for the Franks.
Hi to the marsh.
Living and teeming with passion and fury once more.
Write to me at [email protected]. Hit me on Twitter @BianchiWrites and listen to my Open Mike radio show every day of the week from 6 am to 9 am on FM 96.9 and AM 740.
[ad_2]
Source link
