Where Graham Mertz’s QBR ranks among SEC QBs after Week 3 win
A large reason for Florida football’s victory over the Tennessee Volunteers in the Swamp last Saturday was the success of the offense — particularly in the first half — headlined by Trevor Etienne’s efforts on the ground. But quietly, the Gators’ game manager under center put up a performance that nearly rivaled his running back.
Starting quarterback Graham Mertz had received a lot of criticism for his underwhelming value on the field heading into the Vols game, and the numbers supported that negativity. However, the former Wisconsin Badger showed why Billy Napier entrusted him with the most important position on the team.
With a quarter of the regular season having been played, College Sports Wire’s Ryan Haley once again ranked the Southeastern Conference’s starting quarterbacks by QB rating. Florida’s primary passer got a good bump after the win, moving from No. 13 to No. 9 with an overall passer rating of 65.1 — up from 40.1 last week.
Here is what Haley had to say about the quarterback’s improvement.
Another Week 3 riser, Mertz posted one of the higher QBRs of the week (91.6) in Florida‘s home upset over Tennessee. He scored twice and completed all but five of his 24 attempts despite dealing with a hand injury for most of the game. The most accurate quarterback in the SEC so far this year, Mertz is 33/41 over his last two games.
Next up for Napier and the Gators are the Charlotte 49ers who come to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 23. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. EDT and the game will be broadcast on the SEC Network+.
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