ESPN reacts to Florida’s placement in AP Top 25
Florida’s win on Saturday over Florida Atlantic wasn’t the most inspiring performance from the Gators, but the team held control of the game throughout its entire, and it was never really in danger. The 35-14 win over a team that went bowling last year was certainly a better showing than some of Florida’s ranked counterparts had this weekend.
UF entered the season ranked No. 13 in the AP Top 25. Though some teams ranked above it struggled (like Iowa State and Oregon) and even lost (like North Carolina and Wisconsin), but the Gators weren’t able to move up. The losses from the Tar Heels and Badgers were counteracted by Iowa and Penn State, whose ranked conference victories on Saturday propelled them above Florida.
Here’s Alex Scarborough of ESPN’s take on UF’s season opener and ranking in the Week 2 AP Top 25.
The Gators are going to do things a little differently this year. With no Kyle Trask, Kyle Pitts or Kadarius Toney, the passing game will take a bit of a back seat. Emory Jones showed in his debut as starter that while he is a talented running quarterback, he isn’t as refined of a passer yet. Pairing him with a deep set of backs, including Malik Davis and Dameon Pierce, could lead to a more run-heavy offense that should help ease the burden of a defense that struggled for much of last season.
Florida certainly looks like it can run the ball again. Though the Owls are no world-beaters, they did have one of the better defenses in college football last year. That didn’t stop the Gators from rushing for 400 yards, the most since coach Dan Mullen was hired in 2018.
UF’s defense also looked better, though it’s harder to tell if that is the result of actual improvement or just playing an FAU offense that was, in turn, one of the worst in college football last year. Still, the unit put a lot of pressure on an experienced and talented mobile quarterback in N’Kosi Perry, and it resulted in a largely successful performance.
The Gators still have a lot of questions, largely in the passing game after Jones threw two interceptions in the opener. But this is a talented team, and it delivered a solid performance in the win on Saturday. Now, Florida has the chance for another tuneup against South Florida, who shouldn’t be able to present the Gators with as tough a challenge.
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