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These 3 players could play a vital role in the Alabama vs. Florida matchup!
Nick Saban will take his top-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide to Gainseville this Saturday to take on the No. 9 Florida Gators.
In the young season, Alabama has defeated the Miami Hurricanes and the Mercer Bears. Florida has defeated Florida Atlantic and South Florida respectively.
There is plenty of talent across the board for both teams and today we are going to look at three players that could make a tremendous impact on the outcome of the game.
Let’s get started!
Mullen once again reiterated that Florida will use both quarterbacks against Alabama.
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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Florida’s “quarterback controversy” should continue this week against Alabama.
Anthony Richardson cramped up around the 50-yard line but that didn’t stop him from legging out an 80-yard touchdown run on Saturday against USF. It appears Richardson will be healthy for the Alabama game after Florida coach Dan Mullen updated reporters on his condition.
“He’s done fine,” Mullen said to reporters on Wednesday. “He’s practiced every day. He’s still getting treatment, making sure that he’s healthy and ready to go. He’s had a pretty good week of practice.”
Richardson has a remarkable 275 yards on the ground on just 11 carries, and he is tenth in the nation in terms of total rushing yards. Florida’s 711 rushing yards are good for second-best in the country, and much of that is thanks to Richardson’s explosive carries.
Emory Jones is still the starter for the Gators, but Richardson being available gives Florida a second option should he continue to struggle. A mistake against Alabama will mean a lot more than a mistake against FAU or USF did, so Mullen may need to pull the trigger quickly if Richardson is available and Jones begins to slip.
Alabama coach Nick Saban said the Crimson Tide is planning for both quarterbacks and their dual-threat style of play.
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Behind Enemy Lines: Preview of Alabama-Florida with Gators Wire
No. 1 Alabama was able to take care of Miami and Mercer the first two weeks of the season. But now they have their sights set on the Gators as they travel to “The Swamp” this Saturday.
We had a chance to catch up with Tyler Nettuno of Gators Wire to get a closer look at the 2021 Gators! Here are his thoughts.
Here’s what ESPN’s Alex Scarborough said about the quarterback battle between Emory Jones and Anthony Richardson.
For the second week in a row, starting Gators quarterback Emory Jones struggled against an inferior opponent. He threw two interceptions for the second week in a row, and he was outshined by his backup, redshirt freshman Anthony Richardson.
Richardson has been a force in the first two games, and against South Florida, he tossed for 152 yards and two touchdowns going a perfect 3-for-3 through the air. He also totaled 115 yards and a score on the ground, which came when he broke an 80-yard run. That run also ended his day as he left the field with an apparent hamstring injury.
Still, if he’s healthy moving forward, Richardson’s play has called Jones’ status as the starter into question. Here’s what ESPN’s Alex Scarborough said about the emerging battle in Gainesville.
Emory Jones waited three years to be Florida’s starter, and at times he has played OK, especially running the football. But in terms of passing, he has been inconsistent with two interceptions in each of the past two games.
Then there’s the freshman, Anthony Richardson, who hasn’t been asked to do nearly as much in terms of running the offense but nonetheless keeps making big plays. He did it against FAU in the season opener, rushing for 160 yards and a touchdown on seven carries. And he did it this past weekend against USF, throwing touchdowns on each of his first two pass attempts, followed by an 80-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
Coach Dan Mullen said Richardson “doesn’t always do the right thing, but he does special things,” which explains why he continues to stand by Jones publicly. Regardless, there’s going to be an interesting dynamic moving forward, both in terms of the division of labor and what opposing defenses have to do to prepare for both players. If anything, it gives Nick Saban and No. 1 Alabama a lot to consider heading into Saturday.
Gators fans await Richardson’s status for the Alabama game on pins and needles, but Mullen has affirmed that even if he’s healthy, Jones will be the starter. But Jones has struggled against Group of Five teams, and if he has similar struggles against the mighty Crimson Tide, Florida will have no choice but to look for a spark elsewhere to keep the game competitive.
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Richardson was practically perfect in his limited action against USF.
Florida’s performance against South Florida as a whole wasn’t especially confidence-inducing. But there’s one thing that the game made abundantly clear: Anthony Richardson can play some football.
The Gators backup outshined starter Emory Jones once more, tossing for 152 yards and two scores on a perfect 3-of-3 passing day. On the ground, he broke off 115 yards on four carries, including an 80-yard score.
Jones continues to struggle with reads, and Richardson makes eye-popping plays every time you put the ball in his hands. It seems like the decision might be obvious for coach Dan Mullen, but after the game, he reiterated that Jones is the starter.
Still, that hasn’t stopped the rest of the college football world from talking about the painfully obvious. On CBS Sports‘ list of winners and losers from Week 2, Richardson was listed among the winners.
Richardson was responsible for just seven total plays in No. 13 Florida‘s 42-20 win over USF. All he did was threw for 152 yards and two touchdowns, rush for 115 yards and a touchdown and shockingly out-gain incumbent starter Emory Jones (35 plays) in both categories. Florida coach Dan Mullen said after the game that he was sticking with Jones as starting quarterback for the Gators against No. 1 Alabama next week. But if things get sticky early, Richardson has proven he deserves his shot.
It’s basically impossible to not be impressed with what Richardson does with the ball in his hands, but it’s unclear how big of a role he’ll play against Alabama, both because of Jones and his tweaked hamstring (the status around which is currently still a mystery).
Jones could certainly still improve, but it’s hard to argue Richardson doesn’t give this team the best chance to win right now.
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Mullen said Richardson “doesn’t always do the right thing, but he does special things.”
It’s hard not to be blown away with what Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson did on Saturday. Though he didn’t see a lot of action behind starter Emory Jones, Richardson was essentially perfect when he was on the field. Through the air, he was 3 of 3 for 152 yards and two touchdowns, and on the ground, he led the team with 115 yards and a score on four carries.
But his play was even more impressive in the context of the game. Because once again, Jones struggled to pass the ball. He tossed two interceptions and didn’t look comfortable reading the field at all. It’s becoming clear that Richardson is the quarterback that gives Florida the best chance to win.
Clear to everyone except coach Dan Mullen, that is. After the game, he reiterated that Jones will be the starting quarterback moving forward.
“Yeah,” Mullen said when asked if Jones would retain his job. “Yes. As I said, we have two really good quarterbacks. We’ll play two every game.”
Mullen said that in spite of the walking highlight reel that Richardson has been, he isn’t always making the correct decisions when he’s on the field.
“He doesn’t always do the right thing, but he does special things,” Mullen said. “We’ve got to keep coaching him to be efficient and make sure we’re making all the right reads.”
If Florida’s going to have a chance to beat Alabama, it will need Richardson on the field. After breaking an 80-yard touchdown run, he left the game with what appeared to be a hamstring injury or cramp. His status moving forward is unclear and will definitely be a storyline to watch this week.
But, healthy or not, it seems Mullen isn’t pulling the trigger on a quarterback change just yet.
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Florida’s backup quarterback Anthony Richardson continues to make a strong argument for taking over the starting role.
Florida’s backup quarterback Anthony Richardson continues to make a strong argument for taking over the starting role after breaking free for yet another rushing touchdown in his young career to give his team a 42-13 lead.
The scoring scamper came on the first play from scrimmage after the South Florida Bulls gave the Gators the ball with a 33-yard punt. Taking the snap from the 20-yard line, the redshirt freshman scooted to his right before bursting forward through the line of scrimmage, bouncing off one mid-level defender before showing off his break-away speed — but not before stiff-arming another defender. Here is a look at that impressive 80-yard run.
Anthony Richardson stats the last two weeks:
Passing: 6-for-11 for 192 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs
Rushing: 11 carries for 275 yards, 2 TDs
This is the guy #CFB pic.twitter.com/7NC5YpABRX
— Trevor Sikkema (@TampaBayTre) September 11, 2021
You may have noticed that after outrunning numerous defenders, he came up a little lame when one last Bull nipped at his heel around the 25-yard line. The young quarterback turned left and crossed over the goal line while grasping at the rear of his right thigh, a common reaction to a hamstring cramp.
The event looked ominous at first, especially when he laid on the ground in obvious discomfort. However, as any Floridan can attest, the heat and humidity of mid-September are enough to put down even the most seasoned swamp person.
At the time of publication, the situation has not been officially updated but it was announced that Richardson’s day was done. We are hoping the best for him ahead of the Alabama game next week.
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Anthony Richardson and Emory Jones are lighting up the scoreboard against USF so far. Here’s what we know after two quarters of play.
The Florida Gators lead the USF Bulls 35-3 after one half of play and the Gators offense has been on fire.
Anthony Richardson and Emory Jones went back and forth with big plays as the Gators went for five straight touchdowns. Although the first drive started poorly with a three and out, Florida picked things up after Dameon Pierce willed the ball down the field.
The defense also perked up after a sluggish first drive. After allowing a field goal on USF’s first drive, the Gators held the bulls scoreless.
After two quarters of play against USF, here’s what we know.
The redshirt freshman quarterback entered the game on the third series, and he didn’t take long to make a big impact.
Florida’s quarterback competition got a little bit more interesting on Saturday. On the third series of the game, Anthony Richardson entered the game to spell Emory Jones, who had missed a couple throws on the first two drives.
Richardson didn’t take long to impress once again. On his first play, he faked the handoff, rolled to the left and immediately turned his eyes downfield. That’s when he saw receiver Jacob Copeland flying uncovered toward the end zone.
The redshirt freshman loaded up and hit his target in stride, and Copeland scampered across the goal line to extend Florida’s lead over the South Florida Bulls to 14-3.
Anthony Richardson's first throw of the game 🚀🚀 pic.twitter.com/hLphq3c25x
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) September 11, 2021
Richardson dazzled with his legs last week, rushing for 160 yards and a touchdown against Florida Atlantic. But this is the first time we’ve really seen him show off his cannon successfully this season.
Despite the impressive play, Jones re-entered the game on the next drive, leading a drive that culminated in a touchdown pass to Xzavier Henderson. It will be interesting to see how this battle continues to play out throughout the game.
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