Florida Gators vs Miami (FL) Hurricanes Match Player Stats On Sep 07, 2013

SportsDirect Inc. staff
Sep 7, 2013

No. 24 Miami 21, No. 9 Florida 16: Stephen Morris threw a pair of touchdown passes and the Miami defense forced five turnovers in an upset of visiting Florida.

Morris was just 12-of-25 passing for 162 yards but was picked up by an opportunistic defense that recovered three fumbles and intercepted a pair of passes. Duke Johnson rushed for 59 yards and a clinching touchdown with 3:29 left as Miami (2-0) beat the in-state rival Gators in Florida for the first time since 2003.

Jeff Driskel passed for 291 yards, threw a touchdown and ran for a score but was picked off twice and fumbled for Florida (1-1). Solomon Patton hauled in a score among six catches for 118 yards for the Gators, who outgained the Hurricanes by over 200 yards.

Florida turned the ball over three times in the first half, and Miami turned the first into seven points when Morris found Herb Waters in the corner of the end zone for a 7-yard score 7:24 into the game. Driskel ran in from nine yards out after a blocked punt later in the first but Morris hit Phillip Dorsett with a 52-yard strike down the middle on the ensuing possession and Miami took a 14-6 lead into the break.

The Gators got on the board with a field goal in the third but turned it over on consecutive possessions in the fourth, including a fumble by Driskel deep in Miami territory that Johnson turned into seven points with a 2-yard touchdown run. Driskel drove Florida right back down for a touchdown but the Gators could not recover the onside kick and the Hurricanes were able to close it out.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Gators RB Matt Jones was making his season debut after sitting out last week with a viral infection. He finished with 47 yards on 18 carries. … Florida DB Loucheiz Purifoy also made his debut after serving a one-game suspension and blocked the punt in the first quarter that led to the Gators’ first touchdown. … The Hurricanes, who allowed a school record 366 points last season, have surrendered 22 in the first two games of 2013.