Austin Appleby walked to the lectern with the confidence one would expect from a backup quarterback who’d just led his team to a Southeastern Conference win.
One week removed from a devastating 21-point loss to Arkansas, he spoke clearly and confidently about his team’s 20-7 victory over South Carolina.
“I’m proud of the way that we played,” he said. “We left a lot out there.”
The No. 21 Gators’ 13-point win over the Gamecocks did more than earn Jim McElwain a win over his predecessor, Will Muschamp, who lost on Saturday to many of the players he once recruited.