Saturday, November 13, 2021 | Football, Chris Harry
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By: Chris Harry, Senior Writer
THE QUICK SLANT
FLORIDA 70, SAMFORD 52
WHAT HAPPENED: Quarterback Emory Jones passed for 464 yards and six touchdowns and smashed the UF single-game record for total offense with another 86 yards rushing and a score in leading the Gators from a two-touchdown first-half deficit to a wild victory in a Saturday afternoon's shootout over FCS foe Samford at Spurrier/Florida Field. Jones completed 28 of 34 passes, with scoring tosses of 9, 45, 49, 7, 13 and 18 yards to five different receivers. He ended the day 18 yards shy of Tim Tebow's single-game yardage record of 482 (set in Tebow's final game, a win over Cincinnati in the 2009 Sugar Bowl), but finished with 550 of total offense (Tebow's previous mark was 533). The story of the game, however, was the Gators averting utter disaster against a 1-AA opponent that had not beaten a Southeastern Conference team since 1934. The Bulldogs, who came in with a 3-4 record in the Southern Conference (with a blowout loss of 55-13 against Tennessee-Chattanooga just three weeks ago), scored touchdowns on their first three possessions, and five of their first six during a first half when they broke a record for most points ever scored in a half against the Gators. Ever. As in since they started playing football here in 1906. Samford, behind quarterback Liam Welch's 400 yards and three touchdowns passing, plus a 98-yard kickoff return by Montrell Washington, had a 42-28 lead with less than three minutes to play in the first half. Jones' 45-yard touchdown pass to running backNay'Quan Wright with 1:03 to go in the half cut the lead to seven. The Gators got the opening kickoff in the second half and went 70 yards in nine plays to tie the game at 42 and then, after a Mordecai McDaniel interception, took their first lead of the game, 49-42, on a seven-yard pass from Jones to Kemore Gamble. After the UF defense held on downs, Jones hit Dameon Pierce for a 13-yard TD to give the Gators 28 straight points and a two-touchdown lead at 56-42. Over right? Nope. After Welch threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to Washington, the Bulldogs executed a successful onsides kick that led to a field goal, and the UF margin was just 56-52 with 11:58 remaining. Jones, though, added TD Pass No. 6 (to Gamble) and Pierce ran 24 yards for a score with 5:37 left for a 70-52 lead ... that was safe, at last. The final two-team point total of 122 was the second-largest in Florida history, behind the 144-0 win over Florida Southern in 1913. Florida's 717 yards of total offense was second-most in UF history (and most since 1997), falling shy of the record 774 set against West Texas State in 1982.
Florida senior tailback Malik Davis (20), who scored on a 49-yard reception and 6-yard run, in action Saturday against Samford. (Photo: Craig Haas/UAA Communications)
WHAT IT MEANS: It wasn't a loss. Beyond that remains to be seen. That's the best I got.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Jones became just the ninth Florida quarterback to reach 400 yard passing in a game, joining Tebow (1), Kyle Trask (6 times), Rex Grossman (2), Danny Wuerffel (3), Doug Johnson (1), Eric Kresser (1), Terry Dean (1) and Kerwin Bell (1). Jones' six TD passes was one shy of tying the school single-game mark.
STAGGERING STATISTIC: The previous record for points in a half by an opponent was 38 by Florida State in 1992 (in the first half of a 45-24 loss at Tallahassee) and by Tennessee (second half of 45-3 loss at Knoxville). After that: 35 against Nebraska in the 1996 Fiesta Bowl (first half of a 62-24 loss in the national-championship game); Alabama in the 2016 SEC Championship Game (first half of a 54-16 loss); 32 against Notre Dame in the 1992 Sugar Bowl (second half of a 39-28 loss).
UP NEXT: The Gators step back into Southeastern Conference East Division play with a road trip to Missouri. The Tigers (4-5, 1-4), who are home Saturday afternoon against South Carolina, have definitely had their struggles this season, most recently a 43-6 loss at Georgia. UF is 2-2 when playing at Columbia since Mizzou joined the SEC in 2013.
