The Florida Gators (6-7, 3-5 SEC) fell, 30-3, to the No. 17 Oregon State Beavers (10-3, 6-3 Pac-12). Florida finished with just 219 total yards and was nearly shut out before a consolation field goal in the closing seconds.
The loss leaves the Gators with a 6-7 record. This is the first time Florida has finished with consecutive losing seasons since 1978-1979.
Redshirt freshman quarterback Jack Miller III had a shaky start to his Florida career. Miller looked for his running back in the flat on the opening series of the game, but the pass was nearly intercepted deep in Gator territory.
Florida escaped a sloppy first possession with a punt. A sack from Florida redshirt sophomore edge rusher Princely Umanmielen led to an Oregon State punt on the Beavers’ first drive.
Miller and the Gators found their footing and moved the ball to the Oregon State 31-yard line. However, a pair of false starts forced them to settle for a 52-yard field goal attempt. Redshirt freshman kicker Adam Mihalek’s kick sailed wide, and OSU got the ball with both teams still scoreless.
The Beavers were in attack mode after the missed field goal. Following two quick runs, redshirt freshman Ben Gulbranson found sophomore receiver Silas Bolden, who laid out for a 34-yard diving grab. Oregon State capitalized on the big play when redshirt senior Tyjon Lindsey ran into the end zone from eight yards out to give OSU the early lead.
Florida moved the ball well again on the ensuing drive, but the offense stalled after crossing into Beaver territory. Miller tried to avoid the rush on third down but was dragged to the ground after a four-yard gain. On fourth-and-8, Miller was immediately swarmed by oncoming defenders, and the Gators turned the ball over on downs after an incompletion.
Oregon State and redshirt senior quarterback Tristan Gebbia started moving the ball against Florida’s defense after the teams traded punts. The Beavers slowly moved their way up the field before a pass interference penalty converted a long third down.
Redshirt junior tailback Deshaun Fenwick burst through a hole for a 29-yard gash on the next play to put Oregon State in the red zone. A false start penalty erased a short fourth down conversion, and the Beavers settled for a 27-yard field goal to take a 10-point lead.
Oregon State suffocated Florida’s offense on the following possession, leading to another punt. With Gulbranson back in at quarterback, the Beavers quickly marched down the field. However, their 33-yard field goal attempt was blocked by Florida redshirt freshman Jordan Young to keep the score at 10-0 going into halftime.
The Gators seemingly got the Beavers off the field when senior safety Trey Dean made a tackle for loss on third down. Oregon State redshirt senior linebacker-quarterback hybrid Jack Colletto took the snap on a fake punt and plowed ahead to surprise the Gators and keep the Beavers’ offense on the field.
Gulbranson found Bolden in the end zone for a 15-yard touchdown to take a 17-point lead.
The Gators fluttered and punted the ball away again on their next possession. Sophomore punter Jeremy Crawshaw was under duress, and his punt deflected off redshirt junior tight end Dante Zanders. Oregon State came away with the ball inside Florida’s 10-yard line.
Gulbranson kept the ball for a seven-yard rushing touchdown on third and goal to give the Beavers a mountainous 23-0 lead.
The Gators’ offense continued to struggle against the OSU front and punted again. Oregon State started at its own 2-yard line and ripped off a 13-play, 98-yard touchdown drive to add to its dominant lead.
Facing a 30-point deficit, Miller and the Florida offense looked for a minor spark of momentum. The Gators quickly moved inside the OSU 30-yard line after a completion to junior wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, a pass interference penalty and a run by Miller.
Sophomore running back Montrell Johnson Jr. was blown up in the backfield on fourth-and-2 at the Oregon State 20-yard line, hampering the hopes of a late Florida score.
After another Beaver punt, Miller and the offense continued to move the ball to try to put consolation points on the board. After carving through the Oregon State secondary, the Gators faced a third and goal.
Oregon State brought pressure and sacked Miller again, forcing Florida to attempt a 40-yard field goal. Mihalek’s kick went through the uprights, and extended UF’s streak of avoiding a shutout to 436 games, still a National Collegiate Athletic Association record.
Contact Topher Adams at tadams@alligator.org. Follow him on Twitter @Topher_Adams.
Topher Adams is a fourth-year communications major and in his fourth semester with the Alligator. He previously covered football, baseball and women's basketball. He also enjoys professional lacrosse and Major League Soccer.
