The X-factor in this game could obviously be Anthony Richardson. The redshirt freshman quarterback won’t be starting, Mullen has made that much clear, but barring a massive leap forward from Emory Jones, Richardson is likely the only player who can spark the offense enough to challenge Alabama. Here’s Sallee’s take on the quarterback situation and where the UF offense currently stands.
Florida has several problems heading into its showdown with Alabama. The most pressing one is at quarterback where Emory Jones and Anthony Richardson are still vying for the top spot on the depth chart. Jones has tossed four picks — two each vs. FAU and South Florida — while Richardson is nursing a hamstring injury that popped up as he crossed the goal line on an 80-yard touchdown run against the Bulls.
The question facing coach Dan Mullen is whether he should start the guy who will give the ball to the Tide … or start the guy who could be a superstar but isn’t 100%. The answer might depend on what we haven’t seen the Gators do offensively. Wide receiver Jacob Copeland said this week that the Gators’ playbook has been shrouded in secrecy.
“I feel like camp was the thing that showed everything for us. We’ve seen what we had to see during camp. We came in, everybody is saying this and that about us in the first two games,” he said, “but they haven’t seen everything.”
Will it matter, though? The combination of a dicey quarterback competition and a playbook that hasn’t been fully unleashed is a tricky situation heading into the game against Alabama, a team that can turn a game sideways in a hurry.
There is certainly some merit to the idea that Florida has kept some offensive looks under wraps so far, but that doesn’t necessarily mean things will improve when the playbook opens up. Jones has really struggled with timing and reading the field, and adding more complexity to the system doesn’t seem to be the solution.
UF has a lot to prove in this game, and if it even wants a chance at the upset, it will have to play much, much better than it did in the first two weeks.
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