Dan Mullen, Nick Saban on Florida's two-point conversion attempt vs. Alabama

Despite being down 21-3 at the end of the first quarter, Florida came back and gave Alabama a tight game on Saturday. With the Gators down 31-23 late, Florida drove down the field and found the endzone behind a 17-yard rush from running back Dameon Pierce. Florida’s two-point conversion attempt was no good, and the play looked to be blown up from the beginning. If the attempt was successful, Florida would have tied the game against Alabama with three minutes remaining.

Mullen: We had a guy go the wrong way

Florida head coach Dan Mullen did not have much to say about the failed two-point attempt against Alabama. On the play, Florida quarterback Emory Jones handed the ball off up the middle on a read and was blown up by Alabama’s defense, falling short of the goal line.

“We were right there with an opportunity to be within two points at the end of the game,” Mullen said to reporters after the game. “There was two (missed assignments on the two-point attempt). I’m not going to get into specifics of the play. But we had a guy line up around him and a guy go the wrong way.

“There was a couple options within the play. I’m not going to get into specifics of what the actual play call was and what our design on that play was and draw it up for you.”

Emory Jones completed 18 of his 28 passes on the game for Florida. The Gators rushed for 245 yards and four touchdowns as a team. Florida hosts Tennessee next weekend.

Alabama’s Nick Saban on Florida’s two-point attempt

Alabama head coach Nick Saban also commented on the two-point attempt after the game. Saban said that Alabama did a great job at loading the box and stopping Florida’s push to the goal line.

“Well, we knew that they were getting empty and they read the box,” Saban said of Alabama’s defense on Florida’s two-point attempt. “That’s how they scored on the fourth and one or two that they had before. We actually had a loaded box and if you have a loaded box, you throw it. On that one, we actually were playing split safety coverage, so he had to run read. And our guys just did a really good job up front of stopping the dive. He (Jones) really rode the guy for a long time, so the runner couldn’t like hit it. It was a good job by the defense, especially the guys up front.”

For Alabama, quarterback Bryce young threw for 240 yards and three touchdowns against Florida. Alabama remains undefeated, as Florida falls to 2-1 on the year. Next up for Alabama is a home game against Southern Miss next weekend.