Dan Mullen sticking with Emory Jones
The plan was to get both quarterbacks reps with Emory Jones starting and Anthony Richardson getting the third series of the game before some later reps. What ended up happening was Richardson running roughshod all over the FAU Owls and a near instantaneous reaction in the fan base.
While social media has already benched Jones in favor of the redshirt sophomore, Dan Mullen is not ready and his decision is the only one that matters.
"Obviously, Emory is our starter and we say, but as you get the experience you roll the guys through," Mullen said after the game. "We did that tonight and it was great to see them both make some really explosive plays."
Jones has put in his time. It's his fourth year in Gainesville, he's sat patiently behind Feleipe Franks and Kyle Trask, this is his team. He's been the starting quarterback since the second quarter of the Cotton Bowl.
Still, it's hard to not be impressed and enamored by Richardson's play and potential.
Jones started hot, leading the Gators on an 11-play, 75-yard touchdown drive after receiving the opening kickoff. Jones completed seven of his first 10 pass attempts and finished the night 17-27, for 113 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions.
The interceptions were not reassuring. The first came after Zach Carter and the Gator defense forced a turnover. Jones starred down a receiver allowing Diashun Moss to slide over, picking off the pass in the end zone. The second, another poor decision, was thrown directly to Teja Young. Gifts to an FAU team that struggled to do much of anything else.
"When you’re second-guessing yourself or not really sure what’s going to happen on that play, you lose rhythm," Jones said. "It happens to everybody. Just got to get more comfortable with being in the game every play.”
Richardson, meanwhile, looked like the Auburn version of Cam Newton. Grated, as Richardson played more snaps in the fourth quarter he was fresh going against an Owl defense that was gassed but the electricity when he took off for a 72-yard run, stiff-arming defenders without any regard for their well being or families, hurtling another, had Gator fans dreaming of another quarterback who used to wear No. 15.
Richardson's passing numbers, on the other hand, less inspiring. The redshirt freshman completed just 3-of-8 pass attempts for 40 yards. He rushed for a team-high 160 yards, the first quarterback to rush for 100 yards in a game since Jeff Driskel in 2012.
Richardson flashed more and looks to be the future at the position for Florida but crowning him the Heiman on September 4 is premature.
"I think our concern, we missed a couple little reads, and we missed some reads that we shouldn't miss," Mullen said of both quarterbacks. "A couple of checks, you know? That type of deal is stuff that we've got to get cleaned up and stuff that you haven't seen a ton in practice but all the sudden it's different, you know what I mean? The difference between practice and a game, in practice, quarterbacks start scrambling we blow the play dead. Well we saw tonight those are big, explosive-hit plays. In practice, though, you don't hit the quarterback and you see them and they get used to certain kind of looks and making certain reads, well now you get into a game you're playing a different defense. You've got to be able to adjust and take what the defense gives you. I think we missed some of those throws tonight."