GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- Florida was already well on its way to a comfortable win over UT-Martin, but when Kyle Trask found Jacob Copeland in the endzone on the first play of the fourth quarter, the Gators bench went crazy.

"I was running on the field man, trying to run on the field but coach [Nick] Savage was holding me back," said a grinning Van Jefferson.

"It was a big thing for him. He had been waiting a long time," said Tyrie Cleveland.

"I don't think we have stopped talking to him about his touchdown," joked Trevon Grimes.

That touchdown was a long time coming for Copeland.

The redshirt freshman was a highly touted prospect coming in from high school, whose college career hit a speed bump early on. After facing several injuries his first season, Copeland is finally seeing more minutes on the field.

Several of his teammates can relate to the struggles Copeland was faced with.

"It's hard. More of a mental game. I've been through it. I had an ACL injury coming out of high school," said Grimes. "Like I said, I've talked to him, thats my roommate when you go to the hotel, and we talk a lot. It's an honor for him to go out there and show what he can do. There was a couple of times that where he got a screen and took it an extra 15 yards."

This is not a surprise to his teammates. The players and the coaches all commented on Copeland's work ethic the last year and how much effort he put into his work even from the sidelines. This is why last night was not only special for Copeland but for the team.

"I was rooting for him," Malik Davis explained. "I was very excited because watching him practice; everyone don't get to see what we see. So just watching him practice and seeing the hard work pay off in a game, it's fun to see them guys out there."

Florida receiver Kadarius Toney fell to an injury early in the win over UT-Martin on Saturday. Although Toney is expected to miss a good chunk of time, Gators head coach Dan Mullen was not ready to commit to a heavier work load for Copeland. But Mullen did not hesitate to praise the receiver.

"He looked pretty explosive with the ball, made some good catches," Mullen said. "Obviously he's got a ways to go still learning the intricacies of playing, because being hurt last year and a little bit through spring hurt him with his knowing everything -- the grasp of the offense, of being an every-down player.

"But certainly he got a lot of reps today and get some balls and he looked pretty good."

Copeland was forced to sit back and live vicariously through outs.

Not anymore.

"He always talks about it, "hey man how does it feel to score in the Swamp," recounted Cleveland. "So he scored in the Swamp tonight, and I am very proud of him. He worked hard. He faced a lot of adversity with his injuries but he kept going. He kept striving for greatness and it paid off."

"He is a phenomenal player, and he is going to be one of the best once his time comes," said Grimes.