LEXINGTON, Ky. — Jim McElwain walked off the field at Commonwealth Stadium on Saturday breathing a sigh of relief.
Just like the first two weeks of the season, Florida came out victorious, this time taking out Kentucky 14-9 on the Wildcats’ newly renovated home turf.
But on Saturday — Florida’s first road game and first Southeastern Conference game of the season — McElwain saw something different from his players.
For the first time this season, UF’s coach saw what he needed to from his team.
The Gators weren’t perfect in any sense of the word, but to McElwain, they got the job done and gave him enough to work with for the weeks to come.
"Our guys are figuring out how to win," McElwain said. "That was a real happy locker room in there, and that was great to see. They deserve it."
In a game where offense was hard to come by, UF’s defense saved the day, just as it has become accustomed to doing.
The Gators pressured the Wildcats early, sacking Kentucky quarterback Patrick Towles six times and logging 10 tackles behind the line of scrimmage.
Senior Jonathan Bullard and redshirt junior Alex McCalister led the way with two sacks apiece, while linebacker Jarrad Davis and safety Keanu Neal combined for 19 total tackles.
"Everyone went out there and gave it their all," Bullard said. "When we needed big plays, people stepped up and did it."
Sandwiching the Gators’ pressure-filled attack were a pair of interceptions by Vernon Hargreaves III and Quincy Wilson.
The first — a 53-yard return from Hargreaves to set up a Florida touchdown five plays later — made a statement early that Florida wasn’t going to lay down.
The second — Wilson’s grab on an underthrown Hail Mary from Towles with 33 ticks on the clock before being embraced by his teammates — sealed the victory.
"We take pride in stuff like that," defensive lineman Bryan Cox Jr. said. "When we’re able to put the ball down and the game’s on us, we like that kind of pressure."
Redshirt freshman quarterback Will Grier, starting his second straight contest and first away from the comfort of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, played the entirety of the game.
He showed flashes of brilliance in front of an announced crowd of 63,040, fitting passes in tight spots and making plays with his feet when the pocket broke down.
"You didn’t feel like he was a freshman," sixth-year senior tight end Jake McGee said after the game. "Whether he scored a ton of points or not tonight, his first start, SEC opener … I was really impressed with what he brought."
But with the breathtaking completions and eye-opening runs, Grier had questionable plays creep up from around the corner, leaving more to be desired.
After leading two touchdown drives in the first half — highlighted by a 10-play, 57-yard drive to take a 14-3 lead into intermission — he failed to produce in the second half, with the Gators’ five drives in the final 30 minutes ending in an interception and four punts.
On those five drives, Florida posted just 71 yards of offense.
He underthrew a fade route to McGee in the corner of the end zone in the third quarter, an interception that resulted in three points for Kentucky instead of six for the Gators.
A pair of darts missed the mark as well, some underthrown, some questionably directed into traffic.
For the game, Grier finished with just 125 passing yards on 13-for-22 passing with an interception and no passing touchdowns.
"He’s got a lot of growing up to do," McElwain said of Grier, who also had a team-high 61 rushing yards and a first-quarter touchdown run on a dozen carries.
McElwain was hesitant following the game to name Grier the starter, saying sophomore Treon Harris — who spent Saturday watching from the sidelines — will still have reps during practice.
Another offensive performance like Florida’s second half won’t cut it if Grier is to remain the starting quarterback.
"We’ll learn from it," McElwain said. "That’s why we play the game."
And on Saturday, Florida played the game — and won it — the way McElwain wanted them to.
But with the win logged and lessons to be learned, McElwain said there’s no time to celebrate.
The Gators could easily get caught up in the moment, relishing in a 29-year win streak that started two years after McElwain began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Eastern Washington.
Instead, the Wildcats are already out of their minds. Like clockwork, a new week begins, a week that will see the Gators face a Tennessee team that — like Florida — is itching to return to college football prominence.
"You enjoy this," McGee said of the win, "but it’s just the first step."
Follow Jordan McPherson on Twitter @J_McPherson1126
UF football coach Jim McElwain walks out of the visitor's tunnel prior to Florida's 14-9 win against Kentucky on Sept. 19, 2015, at Commonwealth Stadium in Lexington, Kentucky.
