It was a mistake you just can’t make.
On the second play of the third quarter, Ole Miss brought one of its safeties into the flat and used the other to blitz quarterback Kyle Trask, leaving no one covering the defensive backfield.
Tight end Kyle Pitts licked his chops.
The 6-foot-6-inch tight end, expected by many to be the premier player at his position this season, slipped between the linebacker and the nickel corner on a seam route. There was no one left to stop him.
Trask hit him in stride, and 71 yards later, he found paydirt, giving the Gators a 35-14 lead. The score was one of six on the day for Trask and four on the day for Pitts, the leaders of a stellar Florida offense that accounted for 642 yards in a high-powered 51-35 victory over the Rebels.
Trask completed 30 of his 42 passes for 416 yards and no interceptions. His six scores through the air were the most for a Gators quarterback since Chris Leak in 2004.
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— Florida Gators (@FloridaGators) September 26, 2020
He led Florida to a touchdown on its opening drive, culminating in Pitts’ first touchdown of the afternoon. He finished with eight catches for 170 yards.
UF also found some success on the ground, as well. Kadarius Toney led the team in rushing with 55 yards on two carries due to a run he broke for 50 yards, leading to a score. He also had five catches for 59 yards and a touchdown, finishing second in receiving behind Pitts.
Running backs Dameon Pierce and Malik Davis saw a fairly even split in carries, taking nine for 54 yards and seven for 49 yards, respectively.
Florida’s offense was nearly unstoppable and forced Ole Miss into a shootout.
But the Rebels were prepared. Coach Lane Kiffin pulled a bit of subterfuge heading into the game, announcing that Matt Corral would start at quarterback instead of John Rhys Plumlee, who many expected to win the job.
Corral was sharp, as well, tossing three touchdown passes on 395 yards. He threw just one interception in the outing, and it came on a pass that was tipped at the line of scrimmage.
His favorite target was senior receiver Elijah Moore, one of our players to watch heading into the game. Moore had an even bigger day than Pitts, catching 10 passes for 227 yards, though he was kept out of the end zone.
Running back Jerrion Ealy had 79 rushing yards and Corral scrambled for an additional 50, contributing to a 170-yard day from the Rebels ground game.
Florida’s defense struggled to make tackles and gave up big plays as Ole Miss utilized trick plays and looks that included both Corral and Plumlee. The Rebels also surpassed 600 yards on Saturday.
But ultimately, the Gators defense got the stops it needed. Meanwhile, the offense couldn’t be slowed down.
UF stretched its lead to a game-high 44-21 lead in the fourth quarter, and though Mississippi managed 14 more points in garbage time, the Gators weren’t truly in danger at any point in the second half.
Though the big victory provided encouraging signs for the team’s direction on offense, its defensive struggles are a cause for slight concern.
Safety Shawn Davis exited the game in the first quarter on a targeting penalty, and his absence certainly impacted a secondary which got burned all game.
When Florida opens its home slate next Saturday against South Carolina, it will hope to do a better job at preventing big plays and getting its defense off the field.
The Gators offense looks to be the real deal. The question now becomes how much of a limiting factor their defense will be.
𝓕𝓲𝓷. pic.twitter.com/2PRzDtOQ9O
— Gators Football (@GatorsFB) September 26, 2020
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