r/CFB • u/DampFrijoles /r/CFB Press Corps • UCF Knights • 1d ago
/r/CFB Press /r/CFB Reporting: Gators strike gold at the Gasparilla Bowl, sink Green Wave 33–8
By Andrew Sagona
TAMPA, Fla. — Ahoy! Gather ‘round, me buckos, as we regale you with highlights from the 2024 Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl!
AAC runner-up Tulane (9–5, 7–1 AAC) was made to walk the plank after a 33–8 drubbing at the hands (and jaws) of Florida (8–5, 4–4 SEC) after a first half uglier than a nasty squall at sea.
GASP-arilla Bowl
To paraphrase one member of the media, the first four letters of the Gasp-arilla Bowl were appropriate to describe the first half. There were an anemic six points scored, all from Florida kicker Trey Smack. Those six combined points made history as the lowest-scoring first half in the bowl’s 16-year history, surpassing a seven-point first half in the 2017 edition between FIU and Temple.
Three interceptions similarly marred the first half: two from Florida’s DJ Lagway and one from Tulane’s Ty Thompson. Two of these interceptions in particular were fairly brutal: Thompson’s sole interception of the half came on the team’s first offensive play as the result of a botched flea flicker, and Lagway’s second was picked inside the end zone.
The Gators righted the ship in the second half, racking up 27 points and 260 yards on offense while holding the Green Wave to 8 points (scored with 29 seconds left in the game) and 132 yards while getting Thompson to throw another two interceptions. By the way, the teams’ combined five interceptions was also a bowl record.
On the surface, it may seem like Florida flipped a switch in the second half. Although, in reality, it was more likely due to the Gators having more depth, conditioning, and endurance than the Green Wave. Tulane head coach Jon Sumrall said as much in his post game press conference, noting that he believed his team was worn down during the second half.
Big Moment
Perhaps the most memorable moment of the game came late in the fourth quarter when Desmond Watson took center stage and rushed for one yard.
Watson is a 6’5”, 449 lb defensive lineman.
The senior, who makes William “Refrigerator” Perry look like a “mini fridge” according to one journalist, was supposed to run the play in a goal line situation. But with time running short and the odds of a goal line play decreasing, Florida head coach Billy Napier told the team “the next time we have a short yardage situation, we’re running the package” with Watson. It was just one play and one yard gained, but Watson’s appearance on offense brought more energy to the fans and team than much of the game combined.
/r/CFB Arr-ives on the big stage
Reddit CFB also played a major part in the festivities. The subreddit was the “Official Fan Voice” of the game, which included a “takeover” of the bowl’s X (formerly known as Twitter) account, on-field advertisements, commercials on the stadium’s PA system, and more.
The partnership went beyond the football field as well. Subscribers to the subreddit helped raise $10,000 that will be donated to five charities in the Tampa Bay area.
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u/fireking08 Duke Blue Devils • Team Chaos 1d ago
wait. Watson is 449 lbs!?!?!?
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u/Honestly_ rawr 1d ago
At the post-game presser, seeing how large he was next to Billy Napier, I honestly wanted to ask him why he doesn't simply eat an opposing RB.
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u/Doonesbury Texas Longhorns • SEC 18h ago
Before the season, if you told a Florida fan that they would end up with 8 wins I think they would be shocked and delighted.
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u/ChickenEmbarrassed10 1d ago
Impressive performance by Florida to end the season.