FSU coach Willie Taggart says Gators were being ‘disrespectful’ after beating Seminoles

Rivalry Week brings out the passion – and bitterness – in college football. Florida snapped a five-year losing streak to Florida State on Saturday with a 41-14 thumping and the Gators were ready to celebrate.

DB Chauncey Gardner-Johnson took one of the Florida flags to midfield to plant on the Seminole logo. First-year Florida State coach Willie Taggart, who did not go to FSU, but grew up a Seminoles fan in Bradenton, Fla., prevented that from happening.

The photo tweeted below shows the confrontation at midfield.

After the game, Taggart called it “disrespectful” of the Gators.

Florida fans were quick to point out that the Seminoles have celebrated with a gator head when beating UF at Doak Campbell Stadium and in The Swamp.

Those FSU teams, however, were coached by Bobby Bowden and Jimbo Fisher. Perhaps Taggart, yet to coach in The Swamp, won’t continue the tradition if FSU wins in Gainesville during his tenure. The Gators would obviously prefer to not find out.

Florida coach Dan Mullen also voiced disapproval with planting the flag at midfield. He left his on-camera postgame interview to tell Gardner-Johnson to take the flag over near the Florida fans and band.

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