Florida held onto a commanding first half lead despite an unconvincing second-half display Saturday to win 42-20, while Emory Jones did little to cement his starting quarterback position this season.
Jones raised eyebrows from the first possession, as an errant throw played in a quick three and out and an exceptional punt from Jeremy Crawshaw. The junior quarterback completed a strike down the right sideline to start the next drive, but the devastatingly powerful Dameon Pierce led UF into the endzone with 43 yards on just three carries.
The first cracks in a very malleable Gators defense came soon after, as a 17-play, 75-yard USF drive preyed on Grantham’s conservative play calling. Cade Martin continued to find open receivers underneath the UF defense, but a botched snap forced the Bulls into a field goal.
Freshman phenom Anthony Richardson continued to impress from his first appearance of the ball game, completing a 75-yard touchdown pass to a wide open Jacob Copeland across the middle. Jones answered the bell from his rookie competitor, going a perfect 4-4 on the ensuing drive to lead the Gators into the endzone and build a dominant 21-3 lead after just one quarter of play.
After a summer full of closed-door practices, Anthony Richardson continued the program’s increasingly public quarterback controversy. Richardson linked up with his new favorite target Jacob Copeland in the endzone, this time for 41 yards, as the Gators continued to run up the score on their in-state opponents.
Jones capped off the first half with another long touchdown drive, as the Gators entered the locker room with a 35-3 halftime lead and an impressive display from both quarterbacks.
However, Jones’ visible confidence shattered after just two drives in the second half, as Florida’s starter threw a pair of ugly interceptions — one came after a clean pocket and about five hitches, and another was nearly a pick-six after Jones missed the lurking linebacker.
Richardson had no such second half struggles, leading an effective drive into the redzone before breaking off another show-stopping, 80-yard rush into the endzone. The freshman quarterback walked off the field injured after his explosive touchdown rush, but Mullen suggested that there were no serious injuries from the afternoon’s game.
Richardson’s rush ended the scoring for UF on the afternoon, and USF tacked on a late consolation touchdown after a long punt return set the Bulls up with excellent field position.
The Gators will move on from less, in state competition to host the top-ranked Alabama next Saturday. Kickoff will be at 3:30 from Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
Stay tuned to Gators Territory.
