Gators Notebook: Robinson Breaks Out, Jones in Clutch, Muschamp on Resolve, More Tidbits
Sunday, September 14, 2014 | Football, Scott Carter
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Near the end of the first quarter Demarcus Robinson took a pass from Jeff Driskel and turned the play into a 51-yard reception.
Former Gators receiver Lee McGriff, perched high above Florida Field in the radio booth, said what many were probably thinking at the time.
"These are things I've been hearing about but never seen,'' McGriff said.
Robinson was just getting started. By the time he walked off the field following Florida's 36-30 triple-overtime win against Kentucky, the sophomore receiver from Peach County (Ga.) High had 15 catches for 216 yards and two touchdowns.
Robinson set a school record for most receptions in a home game, a record previously shared by Percy Harvin (13 vs. Ole Miss in 2008) and Andre Caldwell (13 vs. Florida Atlantic in 2007). HIs 15-catch performance tied Carlos Alvarez's school record for most catches in a game, set in 1969 at Miami.
"The way they were playing us was a lot of one-on-one. They were bringing a lot of pressure,'' Florida head coach Will Muschamp said Sunday on his TV show. "In those situations you want to go to your matchup guys. We went to Demarcus a lot."
Yes they did, 21 times to be precise. Robinson delivered, including a pair of 9-yard touchdown grabs.
The first gave the Gators a 20-17 lead late in the third quarter. Robinson's second touchdown came on fourth-and-7 with the game on the line. Quarterback Jeff Driskel threw a pass into the corner of the left end zone that Robinson hauled in to force a second overtime.
"I was definitely nervous at the time,'' Robinson said of the play that kept the game alive. He had one thought as Driskel's pass sailed his way: "Come to me before the defender gets to me."
After a disappointing freshman season in which Robinson was suspended twice and caught just five passes for 23 yards, he has 21 catches and is averaging 169.5 yards per game two games into the season. He became the first UF receiver to surpass 200 yards in a game since Taylor Jacobs 12 years ago.
His performance Saturday night is one to remember.
"I never did that before,'' he said.
JONES CARRIES LOAD
Junior running back Matt Jones is healthy. It shows.
Coming off a season in which he missed camp due to a viral infection and played in only six games before a season-ending knee injury, Jones was at his best on the game's final drive.
Jones carried four consecutive times for 25 yards, the final carry a 1-yard plunge that gave Florida the victory. He finished with 29 carries for 156 yards.
Running back Matt Jones scampers for a nice gain Saturday vs. Kentucky. (Photo: Tim Casey)
"It was great to get back from last year and having this happen to me,'' Jones said afterward.
As for that final drive, Jones was ready.
"We had to get some tough yards,'' he said. "They just wanted to keep on pounding and pounding and eventually we were going to pop one."
On the game-winning drive, Jones had runs of 3, 16, 5 and 1 to close out Florida's 28th consecutive victory over the Wildcats.
"Matt's a guy that we felt like the inside run game was really working the way they were playing their 3-4 with their overhang backers,'' Muschamp said. "We weren't doing very much on the perimeter in the run game, but he's 235 pounds and when he gets in a pile, he moves the pile and will gain four yards when he breaks a tackle."
Jones' highlight in 2013 came at Kentucky when he rushed for a career-high 176 yards in Florida's 24-7 victory. However, he went down for the season two games later at LSU.
"He's an incredible player,'' tight end Tevin Westbrook said. "To be able to block for him and know he's going to give it his all, you can't ask for much more than that."
SECONDARY CONCERNS
Sophomore safety Keanu Neal had two interceptions Saturday, the first UF player to do that since Ahmad Black in the 2011 Outback Bowl against Penn State.
Both of Neal's picks came off deflections. Brian Poole also picked off one of Kentucky quarterback Patrick Towles' passes.
While those plays were huge for the Gators, they also had some breakdowns in the secondary. Muschamp said the Gators gave up six plays totaling 173 yards that were related to miscues on the back end of the defense.
Towles completed 24 of 45 attempts for 369 yards, the most passing yards the Gators have allowed under Muschamp.
"We had good coverage at times, but at times we can't just cut a guy loose in the secondary for a touchdown,” Muschamp said Sunday. “The big plays, we've got to stay away from. You just can't do that and win in our league consistently."
QUOTE OF NOTE I
"There's going to be a lot of good come out of that as the season rolls on here. As you hit the SEC schedule, it's a series of one-game seasons." -- Muschamp on Saturday's nail-biter over the Wildcats
QUOTE OF NOTE II
"We weren't perfect but it was a perfect effort. They left it all on the field.'' -- Kentucky coach Mark Stoops on his team
QUOTE OF NOTE III
"The way our kids responded was the right way. We never blinked. Our guys understood the situation, the task at hand and what we needed to do to be successful [in overtime]." -- Muschamp on Gators' resolve
200 AND 100
Robinson and Jones combined to do something Saturday that had been done only three other times in school history: a 200-yard receiver and 100-yard rusher in the same game.
The others to accomplish the feat:
--Tommy Durrance (117 yards rushing) and Alvarez (237 yards receiving) on Nov. 29, 1969, at Miami
--Terry Jackson (135 yards rushing) and Travis McGriff (213 yards receiving) on Oct. 3, 1998, vs. South Carolina
--Earnest Graham (182 yards rushing) and Jacobs (246 yards receiving) on Aug. 31, 2002, vs. UAB
EXTRA POINTS
The Gators improved to 4-2 in overtime games and have won four in a row ... The Gators extended the nation's longest scoring streak to 324 consecutive games. Florida has not been shut out since a 16-0 loss to Auburn in 1988 ... The Gators have won 10 consecutive SEC openers ... Punter Kyle Christy was excellent Saturday, showing a form similar to his 2012 season. Christy averaged 48.7 yards on six punts and pinned the Wildcats inside the 20-yard line four times ... Senior receiver Quinton Dunbar finished with two receptions, extending his school record of at least one catch to 30 consecutive games ... Westbrook's first career touchdown came on a 10-yard pass from Driskel in the third quarter ... Driskel, tight end Clay Burton, receiver Andre Debose and linebacker Neiron Ball served as captains.
