25 Best Moments in The Swamp: No. 3 — The Heave to Cleve – GatorSports.com

10:03 pm | July 12, 2019 | Go to Source | Author: Pat Dooley

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No. 3 — Sept. 16, 2017

The Heave to Cleve

The set-up: Both teams were floundering around the lower part of the top 25 and Florida was dealing with a missed game because of Hurricane Irma. The game itself was a snoozer for three quarters (6-3 Florida) before all heck broke loose in the final half, including Malik Davis fumbling away a touchdown at the goal line and Tennessee’s John Kelly dropping a possible game-winning TD pass. It was 20-20 with less than a minute to go when Florida got the ball.

The moment: Florida managed to get a first down on a running play — drawing boos from the Gator faithful — and had time for one play from its 37. Feleipe Franks dropped back and felt pressure so he rolled to the right and planted before firing a perfect strike to the end zone. Somehow, Tyrie Cleveland was behind the defense and cradled the ball like a newborn baby in the end zone where he was mobbed by his teammates. The final was 26-20.

The result: Florida won the next two games over Kentucky and Vandy, but things didn’t go too well for Florida after that as it finished 4-7. Jim McElwain was fired after the Georgia game and Randy Shannon took over, as Florida began its search for a new coach. But they’d always have the Heave to Cleve.

The quote: “I remember thinking that Florida has finally found its quarterback and Jim McElwain finally has an offense. That may have been a little premature. Those kinds of things don’t ever seem to happen to Florida. It was historic. It was euphoric.

“But it wasn’t a Hail Mary. It was a perfect post pattern. And it might have been the most perfect throw a quarterback ever made.” — Mike Bianchi, Orlando Sentinel.