For the second week in a row on Saturday, redshirt freshman quarterback Anthony Richardson outperformed starter Emory Jones, a redshirt junior who has been the primary backup the last two seasons. Jones has had some good moments and has been asked to do a lot more in terms of managing the offense, but he’s also tossed four interceptions in the first two weeks.
Richardson, meanwhile, seems to make magic happen whenever the ball is in his hands. And some are beginning to wonder if Richardson is the player who gives the Gators the best chance to win.
Coach Dan Mullen is not one of those people, however. He reaffirmed Jones’ status as the starter after Saturday’s game and during the week, but he said that both quarterbacks will have a role to play in this week’s matchup with No. 1 Alabama and that they “know the plan,” according to ESPN’s Alex Scarborough.
“They know what we have scheduled going into the game,” Mullen said.
Richardson’s health heading into this game was a cause for concern heading into the week, as he tweaked his hamstring on an 80-yard touchdown run Saturday and had to exit the game. Mullen said he’s been practicing this week, though, and it seems he’s expected to play on Saturday.
In what role, however, will remain a mystery and may be dictated by the circumstances of the game. Mullen is likely trying to remain cryptic about his quarterback plans to make things more difficult for No. 1 Alabama to prepare for.
However, Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban said that the team is preparing the same way for either quarterback, considering they’re both guys with the ability to run.
“When the quarterback can run — and they run quarterback runs — it’s almost like playing against Wildcat, so they’ve got an extra blocker but they also have the ability to make big plays in the passing game, which they’ve made and been pretty efficient in the passing game,” Saban said.
There’s certainly a large portion of the fanbase that wants to see Richardson get the majority of the reps, but Mullen is not prepared to pull the trigger on a move like that just yet. But depending on how the game goes on Saturday, circumstances could force Mullen’s hand.
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