A day meant to honor three former Heisman winners was nearly tarnished for the 53,000 spectators in the first quarter of the game as a small plane circled over Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on campus at the University of Florida bearing a banner which read: “31-7 Go Noles!”
If Florida’s new head coach, Will Muschamp, had any questions as to which game the Gators had circled on their calendars this year they were quickly answered.
Due to the injury bug wreaking havoc on the spring roster, the Gators had severely limited options when it came to the offensive line and running back positions. The Gators entered the day with only a few backs dressed for the game – Chris Rainey, Deandre Goins, and Malcolm Jones. Jeff Demps sat out this Spring for track and the rest of the running back crew – Mike Blakely, Trey Burton, Mack Brown and Mike Gillislee were also forced to watch from the sidelines.
John Brantley had rough day, with several passes batted down at the line. Jeff Driskel also struggled, often sailing the ball well past his intended target. Driskel was able to show off his running ability, though it was eclipsed by the performance of Tyler Murphy. Murphy entered Spring listed as the second quarterback on the depth chart but now may find himself in a position to challenge Brantley later this season.
Freshman Clay Burton played a solid game and looks as though he will play apart of the defense this year. Sophomore corner back Cody Riggs had the games only interception., picking off a pass from Tyler Murphy. The game’s first touchdown came on a 10 yard pass from Tyler Murphy to Ben Sams. The final touchdown came with less than a minute to play as Christian Provancha threw a 39 yard bomb to Robert Clark. The late touchdown sealed the deal for the Blue team, who defeated the Orange squad by a final score of 13-10.
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2011 Orange and Blue Debut – University of Florida Spring Football
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