Jim McElwain is the first football coach at Florida to win 10 games in his debut season. It’s hard to imagine, however, that there is a less-intimidating 10-1 team right now than No. 8 Florida. The Gators needed overtime to defeat 2-9 Florida Atlantic 20-14 in The Swamp. UF will host archrival Florida State next week to finish out the regular season.

5 TAKEAWAYS

  • No excuses: When the Gators barely beat Vanderbilt 9-7, the Commodores’ 16th-ranked defense deserved some credit. And most SEC teams know that a conference road win, such as UF’s 24-14 victory over South Carolina, doesn’t come easy. On Saturday, however, there’s no excuse for the No. 91 Florida Atlantic defense holding Florida to two touchdowns in regulation – one set up by a fumble recovery returned to the 2-yard line, and another TD came on a 53-yard touchdown pass.
  • The defense deserves all the credit: Aside from one touchdown drive, the Florida defense completely shut down FAU. If it weren’t for DL Taven Bryan’s fumble recovery, who knows if the Gators manage three touchdowns.
  • It might get ugly: Since Florida topped Georgia 27-3 in Week 9, it has failed to impress in three victories sealed in the fourth quarter or overtime against three teams with losing records (Vanderbilt, South Carolina and FAU). In the next two weeks, the Gators will have to figure out a way to get it going against No. 14 FSU and the SEC West champion, teams with far more talent than the previous three opponents.
  • Finding a way to win: The silver lining is that Florida is a team that knows it’s never over until the very end. The Gators look to be unfazed by fourth-quarter comebacks and have avoided self-destruction when things start to go wrong.
  • Final four talk should quiet down: If any reporter asks about playoffs this week, McElwain should probably break out his best Jim Mora impression.

REPORT CARD

Offense: (D-minus) – Playing against the No. 91 defense, UF got outgained 299-252 at home. Johnny Townsend had more punts (9) than Treon Harris had completed passes (8).

Defense: (A) – The defense was missing numerous key linemen, got no help from the offense and somehow still carried the team to victory. UF won the turnover battle 3-2, something that will keep it in games even when the offense goes MIA.

Special Teams: (D-plus) – Two missed field goals allowed FAU to hang around. K Austin Hardin’s missed extra point in overtime put the Gators in danger of losing on a PAT. Townsend kept the Owls in unwanted field position.

Coaching: (D) – McElwain gave FAU prime bulletin board material last week, and then failed to get the Gators mentally prepared on Saturday. Defensive coordinator Geoff Collins’ scheme was questionable at times, but the injuries on defense were likely to be blamed.

Overall: (D) – A 20-14 overtime win over a 30-point underdog inspires no confidence for Florida’s next three contests (FSU, SEC Championship Game and bowl game).

GAME PLAN

Offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier assumed, like many, that Florida could run its basic offense against Florida Atlantic with ease. The Gators failed to score in the first half, and never showed signs of halftime adjustments. The UF strategy seemed to be to lean on the defense and hope for RB Kelvin Taylor to break off a long run. Based on the past three games, Nussmeier and McElwain will need to insert new wrinkles or trick plays into the game plan to move the ball against FSU.

GAME BALLS

  • CB Jalen Tabor: The Owls might have thought they could get a passing game going with CB Vernon Hargreaves out due to stomach problems. Tabor’s interception and five pass breakups show they were wrong.
  • LB Antonio Morrison: Bryan got the highlight glory for his 48-yard return, but Morrison forced the critical fumble that set up UF’s first touchdown.
  • TE Jake McGee: The old man of the 2015 Florida team, McGee (a sixth-year senior), busted a nifty little move to get into the end zone on his 13-yard touchdown reception in overtime for the go-ahead score.

INJURY UPDATE

  • Defensive linemen Alex McCalister (foot), Caleb Brantley (abdomen), Jordan Sherit (hamstring) and Joey Ivie (leg) did not play.
  • CB Vernon Hargreaves III (sick, stomach), LB Antonio Morrison (hamstring) and OG Martez Ivey (shoulder) left the game and did not return.