Trattou's pick changes the game

<p>COLUMBIA, S.C. — Justin Trattou single-handily changed Saturday's game.</p><p>Actually, he used two.</p><p>Playing with a barely-functioning left biceps, Florida's defensive end stole the show by stealing one of South Carolina quarterback Stephen Garcia's passes on the first play of the fourth quarter.</p><p>With the Gamecocks down 17-14, riding a wave of momentum and standing just 22 yards away from Florida's end zone, Garcia ripped a pass to receiver Moe Brown on a quick slant over the middle, hoping to pick up four yards on the third-and-3.</p><p>Instead, Garcia's pass deflected off of Brown, sailed into the air and fell into Trattou's arms.</p><p>But Trattou shouldn't have been there. He was rushing up the middle trying to get to Garcia but was blocked and sent to the ground. Just as he was getting up, he happened to see the ball falling his way.</p><p>Talk about being in the right place at the right time.</p><p>Trattou quickly turned around and took off for the other end zone. On the way he eluded chasing Gamecocks and even shook off a tackle attempt from Garcia by stiff-arming him with his banged up arm.</p><p>If he hadn't been tripped up by fellow defensive lineman Jermaine Cunningham 53 yards later at the USC 26-yard line, Trattou insists he would have had the stamina to score.</p><p>"Everyone thinks because I'm white that I'm slow," Trattou said.</p><p>Trattou was anything but slow on a play that led to a 1-yard touchdown run by quarterback Tim Tebow, putting the Gators up 24-14 and shifting all the control back into the Gators' hands.</p><p>"They had all the momentum at that point in the game, and I feel like I brought some momentum back for us," Trattou said.</p><p>Adding to Trattou's glory was the fact that he played in pain all night. It had been only five weeks since Trattou left the Arkansas game after falling awkwardly on his shoulder and having his biceps muscle literally fall off the bone.</p><p>Originally ruled out four to six weeks, Trattou bounced back two weeks later against Georgia, something UF coach Urban Meyer said Trattou promised he would do.</p><p>There was no structural damage, but Trattou said he plays in pain every game and even had his arm go numb Saturday when he fell on it during a play, causing him to miss only a few minutes of action.</p><p>"They're not going to tell me to sit unless I really can't go," he said.</p><p>Senior linebacker Ryan Stamper knew something good was going to happen when he saw Garcia's ball fly into the air. Once Trattou got a hold of it, he turned upfield and started blocking everyone in black. He didn't realize the significance of the play initially, but when he helped Trattou to his feet, he knew the game was in the Gators' favor.</p><p>"That was a game-changing play right there," Stamper said.</p><p>"I knew the game was over from there."</p><p>Meyer has been a part of some very special defensive plays in his time with the Gators. He was there when Jarvis Moss blocked USC kicker Ryan Succop's potential game-winning field goal in The Swamp in 2006. He watched from the sidelines in January as safety Ahmad Black miraculously intercepted Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford in the fourth quarter of the national championship.</p><p>To Meyer, Trattou's play was just as significant.</p><p>"It was huge," he said. "The whole field was tilting (in favor of South Carolina).</p><p>"That play by Trattou will go down in history as one of the great plays (in Florida history)."</p>