Good, Bad and Ugly: Reacting for Florida’s impressive Week 11 win
Florida football hosted the South Carolina Gamecocks for its final home game of the 2022 season and came away with a decisive 38-6 victory on Senior Day. The two Southeastern Conference East Division rivals were expected to battle it out on Ben Hill Griffin Stadium’s turf but the matchup ended up being a blowout after the Gators ran off to an early 24-0 lead.
This one was all about the running game, which kicked into high gear in the first quarter and never let off the gas. Two Gators finished with 100 yards or more on the ground while a third fell just four yards short of the mark. The Orange and Blue also managed to go almost the entire game without coughing up the ball, but unfortunately, it came loose with less than two minutes remaining in the game and the Gamecocks recovered.
The Gators Wire gang quickly convened after the end of the game to give its collective takes on what they saw on the field in Gainesville on Saturday. Take a look below at how each member of the crew interpreted the outcome of the huge road win and what it means for Florida as the season quickly comes to a close.
Adam Dubbin - Managing Editor
Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun
GOOD: The Gators played very well in most aspects of the game, especially on the ground. The running attack absolutely trampled the Gamecocks with two (almost three) different players notching 100-plus yards in this one. The defense also came to play, shutting down Spencer Rattler and South Carolina with authority.
BAD: Not necessarily “bad” but for as well as[autotag] Anthony Richardson[/autotag] played overall, his passing stats were quite lackluster. The redshirt sophomore’s completion percentage was sub-50% and he only amassed 112 yards. He also took a few sacks, which is pretty unusual for him — but at least he did not turn the ball over.
UGLY: Yes, SCAR has one of the best special teams units in the country but Florida simply could not figure them out. A fake punt for a touchdown as well as a blocked field goal are among the big plays the Cocks’ corps made — which represents the high-water mark in this game for the visitors.
David Rosenberg - Assistant Editor
Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun
GOOD: You have to praise the defense for their performance today, especially after the bumps in the road the unit has faced over the course of the season. Allowing just six points on a surprise fake punt is a major improvement from weeks past, and forcing three-straight turnovers is always a positive.
BAD: Do I have to pick a bad for this game? Yes, Anthony Richardson struggled to hit all of his targets, but he was down two of his top receivers and still found true freshman [autotag]Caleb Douglas[/autotag] three times for 53 yards. I’m not picking a bad this week. Sometimes, you’ve got to enjoy wins like these without nitpicking the little things.
UGLY: I won’t pick a bad this week, but the special teams performance today was certainly ugly at times. A blocked kick and the fake punt would normally be the cherries on top of an ugly loss, but instead, they were two simple blemishes for the team to work on over the week. I’ll take a few mistakes on fourth down over giving up every third-and-long any day, though.
Pat Dooley - Staff Writer
Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun
GOOD: Gaaaawwww-lee, as Gomer Pyle used to say. Do you think it might have been the running game, Florida dominated South Carolina because the Gators continued to pound the ball. Once all the Saturday games are played, it will be surprising that a team that ran for 374 yards and 6.9 yards per rush is not leading the country in yards per rush. By the way, is [autotag]O’Cyrus Torrence[/autotag] any good?
BAD: A team that was doing a great job on reducing penalties has been struggling of late. There were 10 last week and seven more this week. Gotta clean that up. Just silly mistakes.
UGLY: You know, I was going to praise [autotag]Adam Mihale[/autotag]k for doing a great job with [autotag]Trey Smack[/autotag] out with an injury. But this was a special teams disaster. The only Gamecocks touchdown came on a fake punt after a Florida time-out. There was a blown field goal on a flubbed snap. None of it affected the result, but it is not something that has been a positive for [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag].
Sergio De La Espriella - Staff Writer
Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun
GOOD: Last week, I was very vocal about how the sluggish defensive performances were something that needed to be fixed. Well, [autotag]Patrick Toney[/autotag] listened. The Gators defense was dominant from start to finish. They extended their streak to six straight quarters without allowing an offensive touchdown (fake punt counts as special teams).
The offense continued to show why they’re one of the best rushing teams in the country. Trevor Etienne’s 85-yard touchdown run was electric and his 100 rushing yards make him the first Florida freshman to rush for 100 or more since [autotag]Malik Davis[/autotag] in 2017. [autotag]Montrell Johnson Jr[/autotag]. and Richardson also contributed to the Gators’ 374 rushing yards performance.
BAD: Speaking of Richardson, his passing performance wasn’t the most inspiring. We know how talented he his and how his arm strength is among the best in the nation. His 11-for-23 and 112 passing yards were lackluster in comparison to his contributions on the ground. I know this is a rushing team, but if Richardson wants to play at the next level, he’s going to need to find that consistency with his arm.
His performance against Texas A&M last week was another sign of what he could become, but not what he is right now. With NFL draft speculation in the air, it wouldn’t just benefit Florida if Richardson stays an extra year, it would benefit Richardson himself.
UGLY: Special teams. Outside of that fantastic [autotag]Jeremy Crawshaw[/autotag] fourth-quarter punt that pinned South Carolina inside their own five-yard line. South Carolina’s only score of the game came on a fake punt. It’s partially to do with how great at coaching special teams Shane Beamer and Pete Lembo are. Regardless, it’s horrendous and needs to be fixed.
Tyler Nettuno - Gators Wire alumnus
Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun
GOOD: You already know what I’m going to say. Florida’s run game was phenomenal on Saturday night, totaling 374 yards. Both Montrell Johnson and Trevor Etienne went over the century mark, and Anthony Richardson nearly got there as well. All three scored a rushing touchdown, and it was the fourth-straight game without a turnover for Richardson.
BAD: As lopsided as this one was, it could have been even worse if Florida executed better. The Gators went just 5 of 8 in the red zone, and though they forced three South Carolina turnovers, that only resulted in seven points. I’m reaching a bit here, but UF needs to do a better job of taking advantage of these opportunities.
UGLY: Uhhh… Florida fumbled the ball four times in this game, though fortunately, only one of them was lost. Clean that up, I guess. They won by 32, what do you want from me?
Editor’s note: Tyler is the managing editor of LSU Tigers Wire and a college football staff writer for FTW!
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