These two Gators earned SEC honors for their Week 1 performances
Florida football scored an epic win to open the 2022 season in the Swamp, outlasting their top-10 opponent, the Utah Utes, for an upset victory that hopefully sets the tone for the team in head coach Billy Napier’s first year at the helm.
It took a total team effort to score that victory, from the coaching staff all the way down to everyone else who contributed to the outcome on the field. Among the gridiron warriors who went to battle for the glory of the Orange and Blue Saturday night, two particular players stood out from their Southeastern Conference peers.
#SECFB 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐘𝐄𝐑 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐊
ᴏꜰꜰᴇɴꜱɪᴠᴇAnthony Richardson • @GatorsFB
🔗 https://t.co/8blgegmJhh pic.twitter.com/yFPbTKljoV
— Southeastern Conference (@SEC) September 5, 2022
Quarterback Anthony Richardson put up Heisman Trophy-worth stats against the Utes to earn the SEC Offensive Player of the Week honor, looking solid with his arm while setting a career-high in rushing touchdowns with his three scampers. Only five other Florida play-callers have achieved that accomplishment, a list that also includes Emory Jones, Jeff Driskel, Jesse Palmer and Tim Tebow. Of course, Tebow did it twice.
#SECFB 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐘𝐄𝐑 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐊
ᴄᴏ-ᴅᴇꜰᴇɴꜱɪᴠᴇ ʟɪɴᴇᴍᴀɴBrenton Cox Jr. • @GatorsFB
🔗 https://t.co/8blgegmJhh pic.twitter.com/OKgfHQmbtS
— Southeastern Conference (@SEC) September 5, 2022
On the other side of the ball is defensive lineman Brenton Cox Jr., who roped in his first SEC weekly honor — Co-Defensive Lineman — thanks to a career-best 10 tackles against Utah. The former Georgia Bulldog was expected to anchor the D-line for Florida this season and did not disappoint against the opening opponent, ending up just one of eight conference players to record double-digit tackles in Week 1.
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