Trio of Gators listed in College Sports Wire’s top SEC performers of Week 7
Week 7 saw some superlative performances by a trio of Florida football players, whose team stormed back from a 10-point game with less than 10 minutes remaining to seal a 41-39 victory at the South Carolina Gamecocks.
The Gators were en fuego on offense for a good deal of the game, coming out strong, scoring on their first four drives and five of six in the first half. Quarterback Graham Mertz, while still showing some struggles on downfield passes, had one of the best games of his collegiate career — thanks in large part to the efforts of wide receiver Ricky Pearsall and tight end Arlis Boardingham.
Following last weekend’s action, College Sports Wire took a look at the top performers in the Southeastern Conference during Week 7, which includes the three aforementioned Gators. Below is a breakdown of each of their respective efforts.
Passer: Graham Mertz, Florida Gators
Week 7 Stats:
30/48 (62.5%) | 423 Yards | 8.8 YPA | 3 TD
Mertz showed something Florida and Wisconsin fans alike hadn’t seen from him much over the weekend in South Carolina. He led a 14-play, 75-yard drive to make it a one-score game. He evaded a free rusher on fourth down late in the final quarter and found Ricky Pearsall to keep Florida’s hopes alive. He fired the final 21-yard touchdown into a tiny window. He completed 10 of his 19 passes on the last two scoring drives for 146 yards, and the Gators converted three of their four fourth-down attempts. Mertz’s 79.4 QBR was his second-highest of the season (94.7 against Tennessee)
Receiver: Ricky Pearsall, Florida Gators
Week 7 Stats:
10 Receptions | 166 Yards | 16.6 YPC | TD
The former Arizona State wideout joined the Gators last season, and he’s taken a huge step forward this year. Each of the senior’s last five receptions went for either a first down or a score, and he caught six of his eight fourth-quarter targets for 101 yards. He won a jump ball on a key fourth down on Florida’s last drive before he found a seam for the game-winning touchdown. He’s up to fourth in the SEC with 619 receiving yards this season.
Tight End: Arlis Boardingham, Florida Gators
Week 7 Stats:
5 Receptions | 55 Yards | 11 YPC | TD
The third head of Florida’s offensive hydra during the comeback, Boardingham has really made a name for himself over the past two weeks. The freshman caught two touchdowns against Vanderbilt a week ago and another on Saturday. He marched Florida down the field in their second-to-last scoring drive, catching all four of his targets for 31 yards. He forced a key missed tackle to convert a fourth down to keep the Gators alive, and he ended the series with a circus touchdown catch.
Read more
Sunday Hash: Key takeaways from Florida’s comeback win at South Carolina
Pat Dooley’s Six Pack: Instant reactions to Florida’s win at South Carolina
Five takeaways from Florida’s nail-biting win over South Carolina
Good, Bad and Ugly: Gators Wire reacts to Florida’s epic Week 7 win
Twitter reacts to Florida’s thrilling victory over South Carolina
Twitter reacts to late-game juggling touchdown by TE Arlis Boardingham
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