In the second quarter of Saturday’s game against Florida State, UF defensive back Jalen Tabor came inches away from knocking down a pass on fourth down.
Instead, the ball slipped just past his outstretched hand and into the arms of Seminoles tight end Jeremy Kerr for the game’s first touchdown — a lapse that made the game a two-possession contest for the remainder of the night.
But the score was also a first for another reason.
"First touchdown pass I’ve allowed in my career," Tabor said. "Hurt a little bit."
For Florida to have any reasonable chance at winning a Southeastern Conference Championship against Alabama on Saturday, he had better not give up a second.
Luckily for the Gators, with the way he and his counterpart Vernon Hargreaves have been playing this season, that doesn’t seem likely.
Everyone knows about Vernon Hargreaves.
He’s arguably the best cover man in college football and all-but-surely headed for a top selection in this spring’s NFL Draft.
He only has two pass breakups and six passes defended this year, largely because he doesn’t get thrown at as much due to his reputation, but he does have four interceptions, good for fourth in the SEC.
However, not everyone realizes how good Tabor is.
In fact, the sophomore is having a better season than Hargreaves.
Tabor also has four interceptions this year, but he leads the SEC in pass breakups (14) and passes defended (18) and is tied for 10th and tied for ninth nationally in the respective categories.
Of his four interceptions, he’s returned two for touchdowns, something he gives Hargreaves — who has nearly double the return yards but has yet to find the end zone this year — a hard time about.
"That’s what I tell him — I score," Tabor said.
Score or not, the duo has provided the Gators with much-needed assurance on the outside all season by locking down their opponents’ best weapons, and they will need to do so again against the Crimson Tide on Saturday.
With Heisman Trophy frontrunner Derrick Henry in the backfield for Alabama, Florida’s defense will need to prioritize stopping the run.
As a byproduct of that, Hargreaves and Tabor will likely be forced to play on islands frequently, covering man-to-man with no additional help while defensive coordinator Geoff Collins sends defenders to load the box.
But just playing on a stage of this magnitude is a big deal for two players who have had their talent wasted on sub-par Florida teams up to this point.
Given that, this opportunity is that much sweeter.
"Oh, man, it makes it just feel that much better. Obviously I’ve never been to the SEC Championship," Hargreaves said.
"We went through a lot. We had downs in the season but everybody stuck through and we pulled through.
"We deserve to be here."
Follow Graham Hack on Twitter @graham_hack24
Teammates celebrate with cornerback Jalen Tabor after his interception during Florida's 20-14 overtime win against Florida Atlantic on Nov. 21, 2015, at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
