FSU coach Willie Taggart says Gators were being 'disrespectful' after beating Seminoles
Rivalry Week brings out the passion – and bitterness – in college football. Florida snapped a five-year losing streak to Florida State on Saturday with a 41-14 thumping and the Gators were ready to celebrate.
DB Chauncey Gardner-Johnson took one of the Florida flags to midfield to plant on the Seminole logo. First-year Florida State coach Willie Taggart, who did not go to FSU, but grew up a Seminoles fan in Bradenton, Fla., prevented that from happening.
The photo tweeted below shows the confrontation at midfield.
Caption this pic.twitter.com/Noit7qSjZr
— SBG (@ORLGators) November 24, 2018
After the game, Taggart called it “disrespectful” of the Gators.
Willie Taggart described Florida players attempting to plant their flag on Florida State’s logo as “disrespectful.” Said he didn’t necessarily want his players coming to help, but wasn’t going to let that fly.
— Tashan Reed (@tashanreed) November 24, 2018
Florida fans were quick to point out that the Seminoles have celebrated with a gator head when beating UF at Doak Campbell Stadium and in The Swamp.
— Florida Gator Content from… (@OurTwoBits) November 25, 2018
Those FSU teams, however, were coached by Bobby Bowden and Jimbo Fisher. Perhaps Taggart, yet to coach in The Swamp, won’t continue the tradition if FSU wins in Gainesville during his tenure. The Gators would obviously prefer to not find out.
Florida coach Dan Mullen also voiced disapproval with planting the flag at midfield. He left his on-camera postgame interview to tell Gardner-Johnson to take the flag over near the Florida fans and band.