Three things we learned during No. 13 UF’s 35-14 win against FAU:
1. The Gators have a quarterback competition on their hands.
Emory Jones waited four years for his chance to become the starting QB at Florida. Redshirt freshman Anthony Richardson wasted little time throwing into question Jones’ stranglehold on the job.
Jones’ red-zone struggles and lack of explosive plays as the starter against FAU stood in stark contrast to the lift and excitement Richardson provided off the bench. The juxtaposition of the two performances on Week 1 naturally leads to the question of what the Gators’ future holds at football’s most important position.
Coach Dan Mullen was not biting on the topic at the tip of everyone’s tongues: Are Jones and Richardson now embroiled in a QB controversy?
“They’re not very controversial guys,” he quipped. “They’re both really nice guys.”
Richardson often was the better man whenever he was on the field Saturday night in the Swamp.
The 6-foot-4, 236-pound redshirt freshman showed the dual-threat abilities and athletic prowess well-suited to Mullen’s spread-option attack. Wearing the No. 15 Tim Tebow made famous, Richardson ripped off a 73-yard touchdown run during mop-up time and hurdled a would-be tackler later during an electric 11-yard run.
Richardson also connected on his first three passes for 40 yards, but he then was off the mark on his final five throws.
“He’s exciting with the ball in his hand, isn’t he?” Mullen said
Jones had a shining moment or two but also a number of lackluster ones.
The 6-foot-2, 211-pound Jones’ 23-yard run on 3rd-and-7 during the Gators’ second touchdown drive was the highlight of a 74-yard night on the ground. Richardson, though, racked up 160 yards, joining Tebow and Jeff Driskel as the only UF quarterbacks to rush for 100 yards in a game.
Jones’ miscues and general mediocrity in the passing game might be more cause for concern. He finished 17-of-27 passing for 113 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. One of his picks occurred in the red zone on 3rd-and-7 from the FAU 12-yard line following a delay-of-game penalty.
On the Gators’ next series, Jones miscommunicated with the sideline on 4th-and-goal from the 4 and was stuffed well short of the goal line.
“That’s an experience deal in a first start right there,” Mullen said. “He’s sitting out there and saying I got to make plays. You called this and I got to make a play and he got the wrong signal from the sidelines. In that situation if it doesn’t seem right, he’s got to take a timeout for us and say, ‘This doesn’t seem right.’ ”
UF staked a quick 14-0 lead with Jones on the field and the Gators’ run game rolling. Too often, though, Mullen’s attack was unremarkable with Jones at the helm.
Given Richardson’s success, albeit against a tired and undermanned FAU defense, Jones knows calls for his job are coming.
“That’s expected,” Jones said. “He went out there and did his thing. He played good. I’m happy for him. I’m not really worried about that. I’ve just got to focus on next week.”
Jones said once he finished speaking with reporters he planned to get to work breaking down the game film and learning from his mistakes.
“I’m going to watch it right now ... right now,” he said.
When the Gators face USF at 1 p.m. Saturday in Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium, the Bulls, 45-0 losers Thursday to N.C. State, are unlikely to pose much resistance. A week later, top-ranked Alabama visits the Swamp.
Mullen will need to have something special in store for Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide. Could it even be a two-quarterback system a la Steve Spurrier?
“You see both of them have the ability to make explosive plays,” Mullen said. “The nice thing is I’m pretty confident with both the quarterbacks.”
2. Waiting game pays off for three key Gators.
Tailback Malik Davis, linebacker Jeremiah Moon and receiver Rick Wells have been in the Florida program a combined 17 years.
The trio’s patience and staying power paid off against FAU.
Davis ignited a 400-yard night on the ground by the Gators, finishing with 104 yards on 14 carries. The redshirt senior’s second career 100-yard rushing game was his first since Sept. 30, 2017, against Vanderbilt.
Back then, the Tampa high school record-holder appeared poised for big things until he tore his ACL against Georgia to begin a two-year struggle with injuries.
“It’s definitely been a journey, and I just thank God,” Davis said. “I’m just excited, as you can see. At a loss for words. I love this game and everything that comes with it.
“I’m definitely going to enjoy the night and enjoy this win.”
Davis will celebrate the victory with Wells and Moon, a pair of sixth-year players who capitalized on the extra “COVID” year the NCAA offered 2020 fall athletes due to the impact of the pandemic on their seasons.
Moon’s 2020 season ended early due to yet another injury for the 22-year-old linebacker. Healthy and hungry once again, Moon spearheaded the Gators’ defensive effort early against FAU and finished with six tackles.
Wells, another sixth-year player and member of the Gators’ 2016 recruiting class with Moon, caught a 9-yard touchdown pass from Jones. It was the first touchdown at UF for the Jacksonville native, who led all UF receivers five catches for 36 yards.
“When I threw it and he scored, he came back and told me ‘Thank you,’” Jones said. “I said ‘You know I’ve got you.’ I know what he’s been through in his time here. I was just excited to give him an opportunity to go score. He’ll definitely be in the rotation a lot. He’s been making plays at practice. He’s ready.”
3. Defensive lineman Zach Carter sets on torrid pace with three sacks
Carter returned for one more season rather than leave early for the NFL, aiming to raise his draft stock and make his mark at UF before moving on.
Carter’s belief he’d be able to focus on playing end, rather than multiple positions along the defensive front, led to some lofty goals. UF 2020 sacks leader with five told the Orlando Sentinel in June he hoped to at least double last season’s total and become the 10th Gator to reach double digits in a season.
The 6-foot-4, 285-pound Carter made a nice step in that direction during the first game of 2021, getting to FAU quarterback N’Kosi Perry three times for the Gators.
“Gotta give credit to my back end, they did a great job covering tonight, helping me get back there,” Carter, a redshirt senior from Tampa, said. “Especially my guys inside for giving me that push. It was just one of those games. I was feeling it tonight and, you know, I’m excited for this year.
“I’m planning on having a big year.”
One reason is the Gators’ beefed up the interior line with transfer tackles Daquan Newkirk, Antonio Valentino and Tyrone Truesdell. Each played against FAU, with Newkirk and Valentino recording QB hurries.
“You’ve seen tonight a sneak peek of what they can do and I’m looking forward to them balling out all season,” Carter said.
Carter hopes his performance also was a preview of things to come from himself.
