Florida didn't give up on the 2013 season, but it couldn't do much to slow down No. 2 Florida State in a 37-7 loss.
Florida had a very good first quarter, intercepting Jameis Winston and outgaining the Seminoles more than 2-to-1. The Gator defense bothered FSU's offense quite a bit, as the quarter ended with just a 3-0 lead for the visitors from Tallahassee. Florida got a 50-yard run from Trey Burton to set up a long field goal attempt, but you must remember that this is 2013 Florida. The field goal missed, of course, and Burton went out for the game with an injured shoulder on the tackle. Florida had planned to have Burton play as Wildcat quarterback for about 35 plays according to Will Muschamp in his halftime interview, but that plan died after just two carries for the senior.
In the second quarter, Florida State found its footing as the Gators began to run out of both tricks and gas. FSU's star receiver Kelvin Benjamin had a rough first quarter with a couple of drops, but he was brilliant the rest of the way. He finished with 212 yards on nine receptions with three touchdowns. FSU's Heisman candidate Winston had an uneven game, finishing 19-of-31 for 10.5 yards per pass (321 total) with three TDs and an interception on a deflection. Yes, despite that rather nice line, it was obvious he didn't play his best game with a few missed throws and a lot of trouble handling pressure early on. Winston is that good, folks.
As for Florida, the Brent Pease era almost certainly ended after the Gators netted just 193 total yards. The plan to use Burton seemed a good one after his long run, but again, it didn't last more than half a quarter. Skyler Mornhinweg completed 20-for-25, but it was just for 115 yards (4.6 per pass). The running game could get going much as Florida played from behind throughout, and Kelvin Taylor and Mack Brown combined for just 41 yards on 14 carries. Had Florida's defense kept up its pace from the first quarter the team might have had a chance, but it was shorthanded, lost more players during the game, and simply ran out of gas.
This game could have been so much worse, and it still was a 30-point loss. That is where these two programs are right now. The Gators are likely now going to search for a new offensive coordinator and offensive line coach, close out the recruiting class, and perform every ritual cleansing rite in existence to get rid of the bad injury luck.