Five Takeaways: Two-quarterback attack has Florida up big against USF at half
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.
Anthony Richardson is a machine
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After tearing it up on the ground last week against FAU, Anthony Richardson is showing off his big arm against USF. He came in for the third series of the Gators offense and needed just one play to launch a 75-yard touchdown to Jacob Copeland. When he came back in during the second quarter, he broke an 18-yard rush before ripping another long touchdown to Copeland. This one went for 41 yards and put Copeland over the 100-yard mark on just two catches. WATCH: Richardson throws 75-yard TD on first pass against USF
Whatever Dan Mullen is doing at quarterback is working for now
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Coach Dan Mullen maintained that Emory Jones was the team's starter following last week's game but Richardson continues to make the most of his opportunities. His solution to the convenient problem of having two good quarterbacks is to play them both. Mullen has Richardson come in for specific offensive series and it led to two touchdowns in the first half this week. Jones followed both series up with big touchdowns of his own — one on the ground and one in the air. Mullen has found a way to play two star quarterbacks on the same team, at least for now. It's hard to say if this will continue to be the game plan going forward, especially against Alabama next week. On the other hand, the versatility may come in handy for Florida. WATCH: Emory Jones drops a bomb to Xavier Henderson
The defense doesn't look ready for Alabama
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With No. 1 Alabama coming to Gainesville next week, allowing the USF Bulls to march down the field for 75 yards in their opening drive is a bit of a red flag. Florida did hold USF to a field goal on the drive, but they allowed three third-down conversions along the way. Better teams will punish Florida for these mistakes and it will be the difference in closer games.
Florida's running game is deep
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Dameon Pierce only needed two carries to eclipse his total from last week. He battled the final seven yards into the end zone for his third score of the season and caught a pass for 13 yards too. Malik Davis, a 100-yard rushed last week, racked up 22 yards in the second quarter. The quarterbacks, Jones and Richardson, combined for 61 yards on five rushes/scrambles. With four scary runners and Nay'Quan Wright getting some good reps in, opposing teams are going to have to plan for Florida's multiple rushing threats. WATCH: Pierce opens scoring for Florida with rushing TD
Elam gets first pick for secondary
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After an inconsistent week against FAU, the Florida secondary started off a bit shaky against USF. Jason Marshall Jr. missed a tackle and the opening drive by the Bulls couldn't be stopped for 17 plays. Things changed after that drive though, and pre-season All-American Kaiir Elam broke open the turnover battle with his first and the team's first interception of the year. The defense nearly got another interception in the first half, but it got called back on a penalty. If Florida is going to beat good teams, the secondary will have to continue to force turnovers. WATCH: Kaiir Elam snags first interception of 2021 season
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