Just one week after Dan Mullen was let go as the Gators' head coach, Florida was able to set aside all distractions and close the season on a positive note by beating in-state rival Florida State to clinch bowl eligibility.

The game was not pretty, but there are a handful of players who really stood out on both sides of the ball that we at Gators Territory will be awarding game balls to.

Running Back Dameon Pierce

Pierce had the most exciting play of the day in the red zone, where his helmet popped off and he continued to power his way to the goal line, eventually diving into the end zone while taking a hit from three Seminole players. That play alone would be enough to give him a game ball in my opinion, but it wasn’t just that.

When the Gators needed to sustain a drive and move the ball down the field, Pierce made it happen, running with unmatched effort and energy. He routinely ran through arm tackles and was a nightmare for Seminole defenders to tackle. He ended the day with 12 carries for 62 yards and a touchdown.

Quarterback Anthony Richardson

Richardson came in early in the second half after Emory Jones struggled with a three-interception first half and did well.

While he didn’t set the world on fire, Richardson was able to sustain a couple drives, and most importantly, did not turn the ball over. He went 5-of-7 for 55 yards and a beautiful touchdown pass to Justin Shorter that dropped in just over the outstretched hands of an FSU defender. He also ran the ball 11 times for a total of 27 yards and was able to use his legs to extend plays.

I really wanted to put Brenton Cox in this list because of his four-sack performance, but he just continued to make too many mistakes, jumping offsides several times and giving up on plays.

Linebacker Ty’Ron Hopper

Hopper has really been improving his play the last few weeks and continued that against the Seminoles. He racked up a total of nine tackles, including a half tackle for loss and a forced fumble.

He was flying around, making good tackles in the open field and trusting his eyes to lead him to the right spot. On a defense that has struggled this year, Hopper has been one of the few bright spots, especially when thinking about the future.

Safety Rashad Torrence

Torrence has seemed to find his stride at safety late in the year and continued to play well this afternoon. He totaled six tackles, including one for loss, a pass breakup and an interception. The Georgia native flies around the field, tackles well and has been a key contributor to a Florida defense that has been better the last two weeks.

If he stays at Florida, Torrence should be a defensive captain next year based on what we have seen from him the second half of the year.

Punter Jeremy Crawshaw

Crawshaw had a solid day punting the ball, doing so five times for an average of 48.6 yards per punt. That included a monster punt early in the third quarter that sent FSU’s return man back and forcing him to muff it after misplaying it in the air. That muffed punt, which was recovered by Xzavier Henderson, led to a touchdown for the Gators.