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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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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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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.
Jones answered Anthony Richardson’s touchdown with a dart of his own.
Emory Jones would not be outdone in Florida’s Week 2 game against South Florida. The redshirt junior quarterback had struggled on Florida’s first two offensive possessions, and on the third, coach Dan Mullen went to redshirt freshman Anthony Richardson for a change of pace.
The pace certainly did change, as Richardson tossed a 75-yard touchdown to Jacob Copeland on his first play. But Jones came out to start the next series, and he decided it was time for a highlight play of his own.
Jones led an eight-play, 67-yard drive that culminated in a gorgeous touch pass to Xzavier Henderson in the end zone.
EMORY JONES ABSOLUTE DIME 🐊#CFB
— PFF College (@PFF_College) September 11, 2021
Fans have certainly been captivated by the play of Richardson since his 160-yard rushing performance in Florida’s debut last week, but this drive served as a reminder from Jones why he won the starting job heading into the season.
Still, with both quarterbacks seeing significant reps, it appears to still be an open competition, to some degree.
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Despite the fact that not all of these guys are among the most famous or talented the program has to offer, their performances will dictate a lot about this season.
Much has been made of the remodeling Gators football underwent this offseason, and rightly so. The offense was a raging success under the stewardship of draft-eligible players who went pro and the defense was so tragically overmatched that a touch-up is necessary to field a passable team this year.
That being the case, the identity of this Orange and Blue squad is still fluid. A single matchup against a much weaker non-conference opponent is hardly educational about how they’re going to fare in the choppier waters of the SEC.
One of the oddities of football, though, is that because of the intrinsically co-dependent nature of play, the best players aren’t always the most important in defining the identity of a team. To that end, let’s take a look at the players on the 2021 Florida roster who have the potential to radically shift the way this team functions for better. Despite the fact that not all of these guys are among the most famous or talented the program has to offer, their performances will dictate a lot about this season.
The Florida quarterback said that he made too many mistakes against Florida Atlantic, even before the two interceptions.
For a while, things seemed to be going great for Emory Jones in his first start as Florida’s signal-caller. He led two quick touchdown drives to begin the game, one of which culminated in a passing touchdown from Jones to Rick Wells.
From there, things went less swimmingly. Jones made several mental mistakes, tossing two interceptions on poor decisions (one of which came in the end zone) and botching a play-call on a 4th and goal opportunity from the four.
Jones said he needs to become more comfortable while sitting back in the pocket.
“It’s a mixture of just seeing the defense, making decisions right there, and second-guessing yourself or not really being sure what’s going to happen in that play,” Jones said. “I was kind of losing my rhythm a little bit, but it happens to everybody. I just have to get more comfortable with being in the game and in every play, and just keep getting better.
“I just need to evaluate this game and evaluate my performance knowing that I have to get better every week. Just mentally and physically, I have to go out there and perform better.”
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While the mistakes soured a strong start from Jones, who finished 17 of 27 for 113 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions (to go with 74 rushing yards on the ground), he wasn’t pleased with his play before them, either.
“I feel like I still made a lot of mistakes early in the game that you probably couldn’t see,” he said. “For myself, just knowing that I missed too many throws that I never do. It’s just getting more comfortable being out there and actually being a starter. I just have to lock in and get better every week.”
After the game, Mullen affirmed that Jones would be the starter moving forward. But he was pushed by backup Anthony Richardson, a redshirt freshman who dazzled with his plays on the ground and led the team in rushing. Jones has his coach’s vote of confidence for now, but Richardson isn’t going away.
Jones will need to play much better moving forward if he’s going to hold on to the starting job he’s worked for so long to attain.
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After 30 minutes of football, there’s a lot to take in for Gators fans. There’s a new QB, a new strategy on offense and a new season ahead.
The Florida Gators are up 14-0 at halftime against the Florida Atlantic Owls in the 2021 season opener.
After 30 minutes of football, there’s a lot to take in for Gators fans. There’s a new quarterback, a new strategy on offense and a new season ahead. Here’s what we know after two quarters of Gators football.
Mel Kiper Jr. thinks that that anything is possible for a quarterback on a Dan Mullen team.
Emory Jones didn’t make Mel Kiper Jr.’s Big Board of the top 25 prospects in college football nor did he make it on the analyst’s top 11 quarterbacks list heading into the season. But the senior ESPN analyst said that the Gators quarterback has the potential to shoot up draft boards as the season goes on.
“You think about a 6-foot-2-inch, 215-pounder with a strong arm and tremendous running skills that drives defenses nuts — this kid, Emory Jones, it’s his time to shine at the Swamp,” Kiper said on SportsCenter Friday morning. “If he does, with his skill set as a dual-threat quarterback, Emory Jones at Florida is a name to keep an eye on.”
The conversation came after Scott Van Pelt remembered names like Joe Burrow and Zach Wilson turning into first-rounders over a single season. Kiper considered naming Texas Tech’s Tyler Shough as this season’s potential breakout candidate but gave Jones the edge thanks to Gators coach Dan Mullen.
“He plays for Dan Mullen,” Kiper said. “He’s been developed. Mullen is kind of a quarterback whisperer. He develops quarterbacks, that’s the bottom line. Remember Dak Prescott what he did with him at Mississippi State?”
Jones is replacing Kyle Trask, who led the Gators to the SEC Championship Game last season in his own breakout year. Trask was selected by Tampa Bay in the second round, but Jones is a very different player than him. If Jones can take down Georgia and get back to the conference championship, he might have a shot at making Kiper’s prediction come true.
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The Athletic drafted a field of potential Heisman award winners and the Gators’ offensive leader lasted until the 18th pick.
Few players on the Florida 2021 football roster have grabbed more digital ink than presumed starting quarterback Emory Jones. He deserves a ton of attention as he takes over a radically transformed offense after sitting on the Gators’ bench for several seasons. How well he plays next season will be an important factor, if not the most important one, in determining how well the team is able to perform on the whole.
Being a former top 100 recruit leading a team with a good reputation for quarterback coaching in the nation’s best football conference, Jones is sure to excite a segment of the population. Matt Fortuna, a national college football reporter at The Athletic, can be considered among Jones’ supporters.
Fortuna participated in The Athletic’s annual Heisman Draft, a quick fantasy draft among a few of the publication’s authors wherein they are awarded points for selecting players who finish as top ten finalists for the trophy, are the Midseason leader for the award, or receive an invite to the award ceremony in New York.
With his second selection, the 18th overall pick, Fortuna snagged the Gators’ signal caller.
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”We’ve already seen what Dan Mullen can do at Florida with career backup quarterbacks he didn’t even recruit. (See: Kyle Trask finishing fourth in Heisman voting last year,)” he wrote. “Now we get to see him, and this Gators offense, unleashed with a former top-100 dual-threat signee who has quietly been waiting his turn and absorbing the offense the past three seasons. I can’t believe Jones was available this late.”
I can’t believe Jones was available that late either! He’s a savvy pick in a draft that awards points for getting close to the mark almost as well as hitting it exactly. Frankly, between his name recognition and opportunity to play on one of college football’s biggest stages in the Swamp, Jones has a shot to sneak into the voting even if he is underqualified for the award.
There are a few potentially limiting factors that could hold him back from the heights of Heisman consideration. The orange and blue receiver room is largely filled with unproven guys and their offensive line lost some stalwarts after last season. Additionally, it’s not possible to know just how well his arm will play against SEC defenses, which could leave him hamstrung if his accuracy isn’t up for the task.
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