Remember when Florida receiver Tyrie Cleveland got behind Tennessee's secondary and caught a 63-yard touchdown pass from Feleipe Franks as time expired for a 26-20 win in the Swamp?
Of course you do. That happened five days ago.
Remember when the Gators stuffed Derrius Guice at the goal line in the final seconds last November to escape LSU with a 16-10 win? Or the 63-yard scoring strike from Will Grier to Antonio Callaway two years ago that propelled Florida to a 28-27 win over the visiting Volunteers?
If it seems like the Gators have been winning the close calls under coach Jim McElwain, you're not alone. Last weekend's dramatic finish marked Florida's fifth straight triumph in one-possession games.
OTHER PICKS
South Carolina 20, La. Tech 17LSU 34, Syracuse 13South Florida 38, Temple 21Florida State 27, N.C. State 20Clemson 35, Boston College 9North Carolina 31, Duke 28Louisville 56, Kent State 6Va. Tech 42, Old Dominion 25Miami 39, Toledo 14MTSU 23, Bowling Green 22Memphis 49, So. Illinois 16Ohio State 42, UNLV 19Southern Cal 45, California 24Oklahoma State 40, TCU 27Michigan 24, Purdue 23Oklahoma 48, Baylor 11Penn State 21, Iowa 10Notre Dame 26, Michigan St. 19
"You actually practice those scenarios, so you can tell your guys, 'We've done it,'" McElwain said Wednesday. "I don't know if that makes sense, but maybe that has something to do with it. I know we put our teams through as many different ways to end a game - 'You've got one shot, and that's it' - on offense and defense and special teams.
"Maybe that has something to do with it, but don't credit me."
McElwain is two games into his third season in Gainesville, having compiled an 8-1 mark in one-possession contests. The only one that got away from him was a 35-28 loss at LSU in 2015, which was the first game of Grier's abrupt, year-long suspension by the NCAA for taking a banned substance.
Florida prevailed 14-9 two years ago at Kentucky, which is where the Gators will play Saturday night with hopes of extending their mastery over the Wildcats to 31 consecutive games. It was anything but a one-possession contest last season, when the Gators erupted in a 45-7 rout in Gainesville.
"The confidence in which you approach a situation makes it to where it's not too big," McElwain said. "It's more like, 'Here we go. Let's go do it.' We don't make a big deal about it, other than it's a checklist thing."
Kentucky counterpart Mark Stoops is no slouch in one-possession games, either, going 5-1 since the start of last season.
Pasquali's Pix
Texas A&M vs. Arkansas: It's a noon kickoff Saturday for the Warm & Fuzzy Bowl of fan bases who simply adore their coaches. Aggies 23, Razorbacks 20.
UMass at Tennessee: Nothing gets out the bitter taste of defeat in the Swamp more than a resounding win over the Minutemen. Volunteers 38, Minutemen 13.
Pittsburgh at Georgia Tech: The Panthers are just thrilled to face someone other than Oklahoma State's Mason Rudolph after getting torched for 423 passing yards and five aerial touchdowns in the first half of last week's slaughter. Yellow Jackets 27, Panthers 24.
Alabama at Vanderbilt: Has an opinion of a Southeastern Conference coach changed more in a three-year window than that of Derek Mason? Has one changed less than that of Nick Saban? Crimson Tide 23, Commodores 10.
UTC at VMI: The Mocs are showing signs of having one of the nine best offenses in the Southern Conference. Mocs 20, Keydets 17.
Mississippi State at Georgia: Watching Georgia offensive coordinator Jim Chaney match wits against Mississippi State defensive coordinator Todd Grantham should be a treat, provided they leave some room. Georgia 27, Mississippi State 16.
Auburn at Missouri: These two Tigers are just trying to get to each Saturday without having another player leave the program. Auburn 30, Missouri 17.
Florida at Kentucky: The Wildcats last beat Florida on Nov. 15, 1986, a day after the movie "Hoosiers" was released. Gators 17, Wildcats 16.
Last week:
Winners..........19
Orgerons..........7
Pasquali is 60-13 overall (82.2 percent) this season.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.