Florida Vs. Mississippi State: Gators Go Gently Into That Good Night

Chas Henry’s 42-yard field goal didn’t bite in enough, and the snowball’s chance in hell that Florida had at an overtime victory evaporated on the spot.

For a team that seemingly couldn’t lose for almost two years, the losses are piling up.

Florida lost to Mississippi State at home tonight for the first time since 1965. The Gators lost a third straight game for the first time since 1999, and a third straight regular season game for the first time since 1988. And it feels for all the world like this 2010 edition of the once-mighty Florida Gators could be the new endpoint for a lot of future “since” stats.

Injuries play a part: John Brantley, Jeff Demps, Carl Moore, most of the offensive line, and many defenders have been dinged up or worse this year. The team’s youth hurts, too, especially on defense, where speed is the defining asset and a lack of discipline the main drawback. It hurt especially on this night, as Mississippi State ran the ball down Florida’s throat again and again, 49 times for 212 yards, only bothering to throw nine passes.

On offense, the problem seems to be scheme. Florida has problems protecting Brantley with a patchwork line, but there is a lack of coherence that stymies the Gators: Runs with small, quick running backs go up the middle of the line; Brantley is expected to run the option, which he seems less and less comfortable with each week; receivers are either not trusted to run deep routes or drop balls when they do. Steve Addazio is something beyond persona non grata in Gainesville, and he may be both the popular figure to blame for all that is wrong with this team and the scapegoat if the program wants to declare this a lost season.

But youth and size and scheme are crutches. It’s also possible that the Gators are merely getting beaten by better teams. On this night, the Bulldogs surely were.

This is a tough outfit, one with no pretensions of style. They run and fall forward with Chris Relf, then do that again with Vick Ballard, then do it some more with both. And defensive coordinator Manny Diaz throws enough confusion at opposing offenses for a ball-control attack to be enormously effective. His defense held Auburn to 17 points, has only permitted six touchdowns in four SEC games, and completely baffled Florida tonight.

This team, this year, is rock-ribbed and proud of it, and that’s leaps and bounds better than what Mississippi State has had since at least Jackie Sherrill’s tenure. If Dan Mullen can keep Diaz in Starkville while building a stockpile of offensive talent, Mississippi State could become a perennial contender in the SEC West.

And though time is on Florida’s side, it definitely seems, in the shade of this loss, these Gators might have settle for being a team that can’t win the close ones, one that might only be mighty after this down season is done.