Florida Gators Lean on Veterans to Rebound vs. Mississippi State

The Florida Gators are off to a rough start in 2024, but veterans like Justus Boone and Chimere Dike continue to battle.

Florida Gators wide receiver Chimere Dike survived a 1-3 start at Wisconsin to see his team go 9-4. / Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Florida Gators head to Starkville, Miss. for a clash with the Bulldogs with uncertainty on both sides of the ball. Players look to erase the bitter taste of the Texas A&M loss away. The Gators possess more problems than solutions. However, veterans Justus Boone and Chimere Dike provide answers.

Issues Facing Pace with No Pass Rush

Blake Shapen, leads Mississippi State at quarterback. The Bulldogs love to play fast and Shapen, when healthy, can lead an offense up and down the field. The Gators, to this point, tallied just five sacks. Justus Boone can claim none of them. However, at press availability, Boone chimed in. Also, the Gators sit at 0-8 in their last eight games versus FBS opponents. 

“Definitely the mindset of my position group and my defense," said Boone on getting pressure on the quarterback. "We are definitely frustrated, because I mean every day we go out there and we are planning to disrupt the quarterback, get to the quarterback, definitely not the success that we want but only another opportunity today to get better at it. Me personally, I’m a competitor. 

"Me and my teammates as well, everybody on my team, we’re all competitors, that’s why we came here. We were never promised, or never under assumption that we would just go undefeated, that we just couldn’t be stopped. We just take it like every other obstacle or any other thing that happens in life as far as you not getting the result you want, you go back to the board, you see what you did wrong and you fix it"

Glimmer of Hope

Chimere Dike enjoyed success and struggles at Wisconsin. He had a productive game last week vs. Texas A&M with six catches for 91 yards and a touchdown. He spoke to what the team can do to get things changed and better for the long run.

 "The work that we put in every single day," said Dike on how things can turn around for the Gatos. "Kind of, go back and draw back on some of my experiences playing when we started the season 1-3 (in 2021 at Wisconsin). Obviously being in that spot your backs against the wall. I was trying to think once that we got straight after that. Just being resilient."

 Wisconsin finished 9-4 after that 1-3 start with a front-loaded schedule that included Penn State, Notre Dame, and Michigan. Their quarterback? Graham Mertz.

"Being able to work. We have a responsibility as players at the University of Florida to uphold the standard," Dike continued. "You know, I’m going to go out there and give my all for my teammates and I’m going to prepare like it’s the biggest game of the season and go out there Saturday and try to get a win and get things on the right track."

Sounds Great, In Theory

Now, reading the quotes, that could flip opinion and make the increasingly dire situation look actually winnable. Hope springs eternal, but the Florida Gators are running out of time. Another loss greases the wheels for change, and that switch could occur before the passing out of Halloween candy.

After the trip to Starkville, the Gators are off for a week before hosting UCF and then heading to Knoxville to take on the No. 6 Volunteers.

The Florida Gators players affect games, but the question needs asking: Is it too late to salvage a dismal season and start to build back better? Step one is Saturday at Noon in Starkville.