Florida stuns South Carolina on late Graham Mertz TD pass
COLUMBIA, S.C. — In the afterglow of a win he and his players desperately needed, UF coach Billy Napier hugged quarterback Graham Mertz and receiver Ricky Pearsall closely in a delirious locker room.
His new coach’s words echoed in the ears of Mertz, a Wisconsin transfer: “That’s why you come to Florida.”
The Gators (5-2, 3-1 SEC) had just earned a long-awaited road win in dramatic fashion when Mertz connected with Pearsall for a 21-yard touchdown pass with 47 seconds remaining to stun South Carolina (2-4, 1-3).
The 41-39 win Saturday at Williams-Brice Stadium was a rare victory away from the Swamp and moved the Gators within a win of bowl eligibility.
“We came here today to prove something,” Napier said. “What a way to win a football game.”
Two teams hungry for a win would not give each other an inch much of the day as a sellout crowd of 79,247 looked on.
When push came to shove, Mertz turned to Pearsall.
The first time, Mertz’s pass bounced off Pearsall’s fingertips and into the hands of freshman Eugene Wilson III, who darted for a 22-yard gain.
Of the play, Napier channeled former coach Steve Spurrier, “I would say God smiled on the Gators today.”
Following a 5-yard loss by Montrell Johnson Jr., Mertz and Pearsall worked their magic to culminate career days for each.
“I know this guy, I know what he’s thinking,” Mertz said. “He made a great play. He’s the best route runner I’ve ever seen.”
The Gators’ veteran receiver finished with a career-high 10 catches for 166 yards while Mertz finished 30-for-48 passing for a career-high 423 yards and 3 touchdowns.
“Those two guys are pace-setters,” Napier said. “They set the tone. They’re tough. They’re students of the game. They work hard.”
A pair of struggling offenses ranked at the bottom of the SEC found themselves embroiled in a shootout between dueling transfer quarterbacks, Mertz and Spencer Rattler, pushing to keep their teams relevant entering the season’s second half.
With his team trailing 27-24, Rattler seized control with a pair of touchdowns passes, culminating with a 33-yarder to Joshua Simon with 9:11 remaining. A failed two-point conversion left the score 37-24 and the Gators with a Herculean task ahead.
Mertz, a veteran of 39 starts, was unfazed.
“For me it was deep down,” he recalled. “‘Just make the next play. Lead the guys. How do I keep the guys engaged?’”
Meanwhile, Pearsall let his feelings be known.
“We’re going to go down and win,” he said. “That’s what I told all the guys.”
With time slipping away, Mertz led consecutive touchdown drives, converting long fourth downs on each.
Mertz found tight end Arlis Boardingham for 14 yards on fourth-and-11 to keep the Gators on track for a 14-play, 75-yard drive ending with a 4-yard touchdown toss to Boardingham.
After forcing a punt, UF took over again on its 25 and needed just nine plays, including a few that will not fade from memory for a while.
After three incompletions to start the drive, Mertz found Pearsall for 26 yards on fourth-and-10. Wilson’s catch and Pearsall’s game-winner were soon to come to cap the wildest win of the Napier era.
“We needed every play,” the 44-year-old coach said. “I’m just proud of the players’ resolve.”
Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com
