No Moral Victories, but Plenty of Lessons Learned in Gators' Loss to Georgia

The play looked rather obvious. After another deliberation, the replay officials upheld the call. In effect, that dissipated the positive air remaining in the crowd. The next play, on fourth down, UF turned the ball over on downs, and it became academic after that, cementing a UGA victory.

Now, officiating is rife with human error.

However, with replay equipment, the call stood. Yet, somehow, Georgia maintains an unusual streak of luck regarding replay. Remember the Auburn game, when an apparent touchdown was ruled a fumble? The SEC took an official off the game schedule, suspending him. You don't take someone out of the rotation for making regular mistakes.

Lagway Lapses

Patience is a virtue, especially when it comes to the sophomore quarterback. After leading the team to a miraculous run at the end of last season, coaches and the fan base extended Lagway a significant degree of latitude. Yet, he never really improved this season. Granted, the interceptions are an issue, but his uncanny knack to miss wide-open receivers streaking down the field needs studying.

Lagway, whether it's a lack of awareness, vision, timing, or faith in his receivers, misses too many open targets. As a sophomore, he's making too many freshman mistakes. In all honesty, if the portal opens, losing Lagway could be something the incoming coach will have to deal with.

Intestinal Fortitude

Interim head coach Billy Gonzales showed more nerve in 60 minutes than his predecessor did during his tenure. The way that he did not blink or flinch when making the call to go for it on fourth down speaks volumes. He looked decisive and calm in the face of adversity. More importantly, it showed faith in his players.

Additionally, after the game, he did not want to hear a word about moral victories when his team stayed close to the favorite—that level of confidence matters. Gonzales coached freely, unencumbered by the constraints of a contract or a hot seat.

Overview

Georgia beat Florida. UF did not capitalize on numerous opportunities, which is their own fault. The catch called mattered, but it was not the reason for the loss; it was just another circumstance.

The team may have learned that they will need to look for another quarterback in the future. Alternatively, the next coach will need to bring in an assistant who must completely overhaul his approach and help him play better in big moments.