Troy quarterback Omar Haugabook could not have been more apologetic after losing to UF.
Not for the way he or his team played, but for his impromptu touchdown celebration that mocked Gator Nation.
In a rare first-half Troy highlight, Haugabook capped off his keeper score by pointing to Gators recruits seated behind the south end zone.
Then he shuffled his way east, faced the Trojans band and clapped his hands in a Gator chomp.
"I wish I didn't do that," Haugabook said. "It's poor sportsmanship. I'm a better player than that."
Haugabook had more than a dozen friends and family members watching him in The Swamp.
Nearly everyone he grew up with cheers for the Gators, but Haugabook's first love was Florida State.
Perhaps he unleashed that childhood rooting interest after that first-quarter score.
"It's nothing personal, I just got caught up in the moment," Haugabook said.
His mom, Debra West, and aunt stood out in the Troy section wearing white No. 17 T-shirts with "Omar" printed on the back.
West watched as Haugabook warmed up, and she knew how hyped her son was.
"He's ready," West said before the game. "He feels good."
That feeling wouldn't last for long.
Haugabook showed signs of frustration as he constantly faced pressure in the pocket and missed opportunities for big plays.
He ripped his helmet off as he headed toward the locker room at halftime.
The Gators led 49-7 at the break.
"We were better than the (deficit of) 42 points," he said. "I felt like we left a lot on the field."
But Haugabook rebounded and helped make the final result a little more respectable.
He finished 29-of-52 for 283 yards with four total touchdowns and one interception.
There was some thought Haugabook would not be able to start Saturday.
He injured his thumb in the fourth quarter against Arkansas last week and could not finish the game.
X-Rays came up negative, and he diagnosed it as a jammed thumb.
Injury Report: Wide receiver Andre Caldwell injured an MCL late in the game and went for an MRI afterward.
Coach Urban Meyer hoped Caldwell would be back for this week's game against Tennessee, but he did not know the results of the MRI.
Caldwell had a game to forget before exiting, as he dropped a would-be touchdown in the first half and lost a fumble on his only catch of the game.
Return specialist Brandon James sprained an ankle after an exceptional first half.
Like Caldwell, his status for the Tennessee game is unknown.
James, reportedly suspended for last week's game, reeled off a 59-yard kickoff return the first time he touched the ball in his first action of the year.
That set up the Gators at Troy?s 37-yard line for a short scoring drive.
James took his first punt return for 32 yards, side-stepping would-be tacklers with the same speed that helped him break through as a freshman last season.
He also lined up at running back and as a wideout in five-receiver sets.
He carried twice for 10 yards and looked to have the backup running back job locked down.
Brown cleared to play: Freshman defensive tackle John Brown has been allowed to play by the NCAA Clearinghouse, Meyer said after the game.
"It's great news," Meyer said. "The University of Florida did a great job of working together with other places around the country. We did a phenomenal amount of work."
The announcement ends a month-long saga that saw Brown exhaust two weeks of practice eligibility in August as he waited for academic clearance.
Brown is not yet on scholarship, but Meyer said that was an issue to be worked on.
