It wasn't the first time that "SEC" chants rained down onto Florida Field. But this time there was something different about them.
This time, they seemed to be rhythmic sighs of relief, rather than a celebration of inter-conference dominance.
Under the bright lights of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, with an ESPN skycam overhead, the College Gameday crew in attendance and the specter of six losses past overhead UF escaped with as narrow a 23 point victory as could be imagined.
Offensive lineman Mike Pouncey high-fived a young fan in the first row, thanking the young lad for his support, cornerback Joe Haden received a kiss on the cheek from a young lady clad in orange, thanking him for his performance.
A fan further back in the stands held up a sign which read "Superman Fears no Cane," and while that may be true, the Hurricanes did appear to be armed with a bit more Kryptonite than the Gators caped crusader, Tim Tebow, had been accustomed to in his time as a starter.
All told, a matchup intended to be a mismatch was a bit more. A clash of a possible team of the future in Miami and the team that hopes to hold the rights to the present, in UF, a game worthy of the top-billing it received, despite the lopsided score.
"That was one of the best environments in college football," Coach Urban Meyer said. "Obviously, it was a very tough win and we have to give a lot of credit to our opponent, they played hard, especially on defense."
Tebow, who seemed a bit frazzled by the Hurricane's defense, played the role of game manager most of the evening.
Wide receiver Louis Murphy, played a variety of characters in the past week. Starting with Hurricane motivator just a week prior when he claimed that the nickname "The U," should belong to the Gators, to potential scapegoat through three quarter and game hero following his fourth quarter touchdown reception.
Coach Meyer said that Murphy asked his team for forgiveness after he made those comments.
They didn't just forgive him, they supported him when it seemed the pressure of his comments were 20 pound weights placed on his shoulders as he ran his routes.
"He did have a tough night and it's the first time anything like that has happened," Tebow said. "But he had faith and we had faith in him and he came back and kept making catches and made some big ones.
"I think it's a great example for all of our skill guys that even if they make a mistake and they're not having a good night we're going to stick with you."
And as the crowd breathed that sigh of relief, Murphy put his arm around tight end Aaron Hernandez, as if the weight had been lifted, but searching for rest after a week of feeling weary. He looked content, as if he knew he'd escaped a tough matchup as a hero of the day and a leader for life.
"He's the guy that opened his mouth and you can count on Louis Murphy not doing that again," Meyer said. "That's not Louis Murphy. He apologized to the team and to me he's a great player."
