Florida's Loss to USF was a Team Effort

Heading into the matchup against South Florida, the Florida Gators could not afford any missteps and hiccups.

What happened? Missteps and hiccups .

For a team that ended last season on a tremendous roll, the lack of momentum and absence of urgency showed itself to be a troubling sign that could follow the Gators for the rest of the season.

While victory is a team endeavor, losing should also be, as the Gators failed to show much of any composure against a team that they owned a significant physical advantage on both sides of the ball.

People want to tout his five catches and 40-yard punt return.

However, it was the one catch in the game that proved to be highlighted and criticized.

With 2:39 left in the game, clinging to a one-point lead, Brown could have iced the game for the Gators.

Facing a 3rd-and-8, quarterback D.J.

Lagway saw that Brown had a couple of steps.

The sophomore laid the ball right in Brown's hands, and he dropped it.

Should the Gators have chosen a higher percentage pass? No.

Brown's route was the smart one, and everyone but the receiver did their job.

Under no circumstances can you drop a ball that nearly ensures victory.

Additionally, the drop stopped the clock, allowing USF to preserve timeouts.

Under no circumstances, if Napier wants to maintain control of this team, should he allow Bett anywhere near the field.

Redshirt him, let him go, anything but disgrace the orange and blue again.

Bett decided to embrace his inner Jalen Carter and spit on an opponent? In what world with cameras and officials did that thought cross his mind? Our colleague, Cam Parker, had fuller description of the incident and postgame quotes, which you could read here .

However, suffice to say, Bett needs to leave the Swamp and never return.

On top of being selfish, it is an embarrassing act that sullies the program.

One sack on 36 attempts is mind-boggling.

No one should care that USF quarterback Byrum Brown is elusive.

He's not 2001 Michael Vick; get him to the ground.

In the preseason, all we heard was praise for George Gumbs Jr.

Yet, nary a tackle for loss or sack to be had.

Converting from tight end to edge rusher makes for a great story, as does all of the work in the weight room.

However, to paraphrase Bill Parcells, "You are what your stats say you are." Gumbs Jr.

is a twitched-up player with great athleticism and little to no production, which seems to be an epidemic around the Florida defense: all show muscles and zero go muscles.

Under no circumstance, in the second game of the year, facing an opponent that you should mollywhop, are 11 penalties ever acceptable .

This isn't facing Georgia or Tennessee; it's USF, the state's perennial football safety school, the place transfers go when they act up in Gainesville or Tallahassee.

South Florida walked into the Ben Hill Griffin Stadium and put their feet on the Gators' coffee table in front of a nationally televised audience.

Not sure what Napier can say .

As embarrassing losses go, this one could top the list for him.

Moreover, it narrows his margin for error if he wants to repeat last year's win total.

The Gators need to look themselves in the mirror and understand the gravity of this defeat.

Either it will embolden them or sink the rest of their season.

Ironically, the Gators could have just lost to their next coach.

Yet, that is a rant for another day.

More From Florida Gators on SI.

This article has been shared from the original article on si, here is the link to the original article.