Blake Sims leads Alabama past Florida

Neither Florida’s defense nor Alabama’s mistakes could contain Blake Sims and Amari Cooper.

Sims threw for 445 yards, the second-best passing performance in school history, and Cooper scored three touchdowns as the third-ranked Crimson Tide overcame a sloppy performance to beat the Gators, 42-21, on Saturday.

The Tide (4-0, 1-0 Southeastern Conference) committed 11 penalties for 80 yards and four turnovers that turned into 21 points for the Gators (2-1, 1-1), who still couldn’t handle Sims and the prolific passing connection.

Sims threw touchdown passes of 87 yards to Kenyan Drake on the opening play and 79 to Cooper later in the first quarter. Still, 400 yards for an Alabama offense known more in the past for bruising running games?

“I didn’t think it was possible,” Sims said. “I just try to take what I take and what the defense gives me, and just try to trust my guys that they’re going to be there.”

Cooper, who came in leading the nation in receptions, caught 10 passes for 201 yards and three touchdowns. He broke Dennis Homan’s 47-year-old record of 18 career touchdown catches.

The Tide’s turnovers and miscues kept the game close into the fourth quarter. Alabama’s 645 total yards were the most the Gators have allowed.

The previous high was Nebraska’s 629 yards in the 1996 Fiesta Bowl. Sims was 23 for 33 passing with four touchdowns, and was already up to 335 by halftime. That placed him a yard shy of the Tide’s top 10 passing games.

Derrick Henry gained 111 yards in 20 rushes.

The Gators’ offense wasn’t much more successful than its defense.

Florida’s Jeff Driskel was harassed and ineffective passing. He was nine for 28 passing for 93 yards and was intercepted twice while the offense produced just 200 yards.