After struggling to get on the board early in games this season, Florida’s offense took a 7-0 lead less than a minute into Saturday’s contest, and it had a defensive back to thank for it.
Loucheiz Purifoy blitzed from the left cornerback spot on the game’s first play from scrimmage. The sophomore sacked South Carolina quarterback Connor Shaw on the Gamecocks’ 5-yard line and forced a fumble that was recovered on the 2 by Buck linebacker Lerentee McCray.
The play set the tone for the Gators in their 44-11 rout of the Gamecocks in The Swamp.
“I felt like he saw me,” Purifoy said of Shaw. “He gave me the little jab like all quarterbacks do, but I was like ‘Oh this is a kill shot. I’m going to kill him.’ When he stepped up and left the ball out I was like, ‘You messed up.’ And I slapped the ball out of his hand.”
Three plays later, the Gators scored on a 3-yard touchdown pass from Jeff Driskel to Jordan Reed.
Coach Will Muschamp said the decision to bring pressure early was one the coaches made long before kickoff.
“I told the players to play aggressive, because we’re going to call it that way,” Muschamp said. “Dan (Quinn) and I were talking in the hotel this morning and I said, ‘Let’s bring the pressure. Let’s go.’
The hit on the quarterback was the first tackle for a loss of Purifoy’s career. He hopes there are more to come.
“I love blitzing,” Purifoy said. “I got a mindset of a linebacker. … I just love hitting people. … I’m real physical.”
On the ensuing kickoff, Purifoy forced another fumble when he tackled returner Bruce Ellington at the South Carolina 21-yard line. Ellington fell on the ball at the 18.
Purifoy’s tackle was his fourth on special teams this season. In 2011, Purifoy led the team with 22 special teams tackles. Although he has seen significantly more time on defense as a sophomore, Purifoy said he still values making plays on kick and punt coverage.
“Special teams win games,” Purifoy said. “One block punt away can win a game for you. One muffed punt can lose a game for you. So that’s my goal. If they muff a punt or they don’t call a fair catch and I get a chance to tee off on them, hey, give it to them. Maybe they’ll lose the ball.”
Purifoy also made an appearance on offense. In the first six games of the season, Purifoy occasionally lined up at wide receiver, but he received his first target of the season on the first play of the Gators’ final drive of the third quarter.
On a play that began at the Gamecocks’ 44-yard line, Driskel threw to Purifoy as he ran a fly route down the left sideline and inside South Carolina’s 10-yard line. The pass was perfectly placed in Purifoy’s hands but was knocked out by cornerback Victor Hampton.
“I really did think I was going to get it,” Purifoy said. “It’ll be another opportunity.”
Muschamp said Purifoy will continue to get looks on offense and has the skills to make plays with the ball in his hands. But Purifoy’s ability to track down ballcarriers is even more valuable.
“We put a lot of pressure on our corners,” Muschamp said. “He’s played solid football for us all year. He, by far, is our most physical corner.”
Contact Josh Jurnovoy at jjurnovoy@alligator.org.
Loucheiz Purifoy (right) forces South Carolina’s Bruce Ellington to fumble during a kick return in the first quarter of Florida’s 44-11 win on Saturday in The Swamp. Ellington recovered the fumble.
