Written by Brian Pohl
Atlanta, GA- Behind an all-around team performance, the Florida Gators won the 2018 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl with a 41-15 victory over the Michigan Wolverines.
Florida head coach Dan Mullen on the Peach Bowl win and how it defined the season for the Florida Gators, “You ask what a successful season is, and it’s that you got better every single day. I would call this season a success. I’m proud of all these guys up here on stage with me. But the whole team and those guys bought into believing what we’re trying to build and to get that Gator standard back.”
Leading the Gators offensively was quarterback Feleipe Franks, who delivered a performance that may just be his best yet at the University of Florida. The redshirt sophomore completed 13 of his 23 passes for 173-yards and a touchdown, standing poised in the pocket and not committing any costly turnovers. Franks was most effective, however, on the ground and really made the most of his opportunities, rushing 14 times for 74 yards and a touchdown.
That touchdown was one of several major highlights in the game for the Gators. With just under three minutes left in the first half, Florida was trailing Michigan 10-6 and needing a play to spark the team before the half. On a read option, Franks decided to keep it himself and went 20-yards right up the middle for the score. This gave the Gators a 13-10 lead over the Wolverines right before the half and they would hold the lead until the final whistle.
Feleipe Franks on winning the 2018 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl and seen being emotional on the sideline during the final minutes of play, “Coming off a season like last season to where we’re at now, winning a New Year’s Six Bowl, and that’s kind of where I was at with being overwhelmed. Just filled with emotion and just on how much I felt like I’ve improved from last season under Coach Mullen and Coach Johnson, and how much this team’s improved from last season as well.” Franks continued, “So it’s just a great feeling, tears of joy, that I’ve always wanted to be in the middle of confetti falling down on me, winning championships. Coach Mullen’s bringing that back to Florida.”
Florida had 427-yards of total offense and excelled at spreading the ball around to its playmakers. The Gators had five players rush for a total of 258-yards, while seven different players caught a pass. This was a showcase of the future potential this offense has under first-year head coach Dan Mullen, and the future looks bright.
On defense, the Gators had success bringing pressure and making Michigan quarterback Shea Patterson uncomfortable. The speedy defensive unit delivered five sacks in the game, and it made a difference in the talented Patterson’s decision making when he tried to rush a couple throws.
One of those decisions proved costly, and in the third quarter, Patterson would try to force a throw deep, letting the ball hang in the air a little too long and allowing Florida’s defensive MVP Chauncey Gardner-Johnson to intercept the pass. Gardner-Johnson would return the ball 53-yards setting up a Gators touchdown that put the momentum squarely on their side.
Gardner-Johnson had a second interception late in the game that put the game on ice, as he would take the return all the way back for the score to give Florida the final score of 41-15.
The win was a bit of a monkey off the back of Florida fans, as the Gators were 0-4 lifetime against Michigan and 0-2 in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl coming into today’s game. It’s a new era for Florida under Dan Mullen, who led the Gators to 10 wins and a bowl win in just his first season at the helm.
Dan Mullen on what’s next for his Gators, “On January 7th, [the 2019 season] starts. We’ll enjoy this until then, and we’ll get back to work. It’s going to be the hardest off-season anybody’s been through. We’ve got to take it to another step this off-season. Anothe
