Redshirt freshman quarterback Anthony Richardson went untouched on his 73-yard sprint in the fourth quarter Saturday night.
Charting the Gators: Rushing Eruption
Sunday, September 5, 2021 | Football, Chris Harry
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Early Sunday morning, Dan Mullen ducked into his post-game Zoom. One question in, the Florida coach was talking quarterback controversy following 13th-ranked UF's 35-14 victory over Florida Atlantic after backup Anthony Richardson rushed for 160 yards, all but 28 in the fourth quarter, highlighted by an scintillating 73-yard sprint for a touchdown that marked the longest TD run by a Gators QB in nine years.
Mullen dumped water on the QB fodder, but had no problem addressing a suggestion that the Gators, who ranked first in the country in passing last season, were headed the other direction after rushing for 400 yards, the ninth-most single-game total in school history.
"I've done it before," Mullen said. "We're going to do what our guys do well."
Richardson was joined in the evening's 100-yard club by fifth-year senior tailback Malik Davis, who carried 14 times for 104 yards and a touchdown. All told, the Gators rushed 40 times (compared to 35 pass attempts), had 13 runs of 10 yards or more and averaged 8.7 yards per carry. Richardson, with gains of 20, 26, 73, 22 and 11 yards, averaged 22.9 per carry. Of Florida's 553 total yards, 72.3 percent came on the ground.
Yes, it was the first game. Yes, it was a severely out-manned opponent that was vulnerable late-game against a fresh-legged, 6-foot-4, 236-pound thoroughbred. And, no, the Gators probably weren't showing very much, given the opponents on the horizon.
But it was quite a rush, nonetheless.
Mullen dumped water on the QB fodder, but had no problem addressing a suggestion that the Gators, who ranked first in the country in passing last season, were headed the other direction after rushing for 400 yards, the ninth-most single-game total in school history.
"I've done it before," Mullen said. "We're going to do what our guys do well."
Richardson was joined in the evening's 100-yard club by fifth-year senior tailback Malik Davis, who carried 14 times for 104 yards and a touchdown. All told, the Gators rushed 40 times (compared to 35 pass attempts), had 13 runs of 10 yards or more and averaged 8.7 yards per carry. Richardson, with gains of 20, 26, 73, 22 and 11 yards, averaged 22.9 per carry. Of Florida's 553 total yards, 72.3 percent came on the ground.
Yes, it was the first game. Yes, it was a severely out-manned opponent that was vulnerable late-game against a fresh-legged, 6-foot-4, 236-pound thoroughbred. And, no, the Gators probably weren't showing very much, given the opponents on the horizon.
But it was quite a rush, nonetheless.
CHARTING THE GATORS
UF's 400 rushing yards, keyed by 160 from quarterback Anthony Richardson, was ninth-highest single-game total in school history, and only the third time in the last four decades of Florida football the Gators reached 400. Here's the top 10.
| Yards | Opponent | Date | Outcome | |
| 531 | Utah | 1977 | Won 38-29 | UF passed for 1,134 yards all season. |
| 489 | The Citadel (@Jacksonville) | 1953 | Won 60-0 | Was the forward pass a thing yet? |
| 466 | New Mexico | 1989 | Won 27-21 | Emmitt Smith with school-record 316 yards |
| 454 | Vanderbilt | 1975 | Won 35-0 | Jimmy DuBose 180 yards |
| 418 | Georgia (@Jacksonville) | 2014 | Won 38-20 | Kelvin Taylor (197), Matt Jones (192) gash Dawgs |
| 415 | Houston | 1976 | Won 49-14 | |
| 405 | @Kentucky | 2011 | Won 48-10 | Jeff Demps 157 yards, Chris Rainey 105 |
| 404 | Duke | 1975 | Won 24-16 | DuBose (141 yards) with 1,307 in '75, still 3rd-most in UF history. |
| 400 | Florida Atlantic | 2021 | Won 35-21 | Take a bow, "AR-15" |
| 398 | @Tulane | 1967 | Won 35-0 | Dueling Larrys (Smith/Renz) in Steve Spurrier's Heisman season. |
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