Emory Jones accounted for 187 yards of total offense in his UF starting debut before giving way to talented, big-play backup Anthony Richardson in the fourth quarter.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — It wasn't vintage "Swamp" Saturday night, but it was football in front of fans — more than 86,000 of 'em — and it was a welcomed sight.
So was Florida's 35-14 victory over Florida Atlantic, of course. It wasn't dominant, but it officially dropped the flag on the 2021 season and looked like the way college football is supposed to look.
Post-game quarterback debate, included.
OK, so UF coach Dan Mullen wasn't biting on the latter after fourth-year junior Emory Jones had a ho-hum performance in the first start of his career, completing 17 of 27 passes for 113 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions to go with 10 rushes for 74 yards. All told, it wasn't an overwhelming starting debut, even by Jones's standards.
"I don't really feel good about it, honestly," he said.
And it probably didn't help that assessment when redshirt freshman backup Anthony Richardson, who got a series in the first half, entered in the fourth quarter and led the Gators (1-0) on a pair of touchdown drives, including an electrifying 73-yard touchdown run. Richardson finished with seven carries for 160 yards (that's a 22.9-yard average) to go with 40 yards through the air on 3-for-8 marksmanship.
"He's exciting with the ball in his hands, isn't he?" Mullen said after. "I think he's going to be a great player for us, and I think you saw that tonight."
The Florida coach also had this to say: " "The nice thing is, I'm confident with both of them. Emory is our starter."
After Florida's first home game without pandemic restrictions in nearly 21 months, UF coach Dan Mullen said the best part of Saturday night was the crowd. "The energy in the stadium, you realize how much you've missed that."
Jones had a couple nice runs and also threw a 9-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter to sixth-year senior Rick Wells. Fifth-year senior Malik Davis rushed 14 times for 104 yards and a score, while senior Dameon Pierce had a couple short TDs runs that — with the fourth-quarter pile-on by Richardson — helped the offense generate 553 total yards, including a whopping 400 on the ground, the ninth-highest single-game total in program history.
The Gators led 14-0 at the half, 21-0 through three quarters and 28-0 midway through the final period before the Owls (0-1) put together a couple lengthy touchdown drives against a collection of mostly backup UF defenders. Facing a unit that finished 89th in total defense and 100th in passing yards allowed per game in 2020, FAU quarterback N'Kosi Perry, a grad-transfer from Miami, completed 19 of his 33 attempts for 261 yards and a touchdown, as the Owls tallied 353 yards of offense. Just 92 of those were on the ground — 308 fewer than the home team — but the UF defense forced two turnovers and sacked Perry six times.
"I would say that was a sneak peek," said senior defensive end Zachary Carter, who had three of those six sacks, said of the Florida pass rush. "It was the first game."
With a lot of firsts for guys on the field, none more scrutinized than Jones, who the last two seasons patiently waited his turn while Kyle Trask, the 2020 Heisman Trophy finalist, was shattering UF passing records. For what it's worth, Jones's first drive as a starting quarterback ended with a touchdown; 11 plays, 75 yards on the first, then 10 for 80 on the second.
After throwing behind his intended receiver on his first attempt, Jones hit Jacob Copeland for 15 yards on a third-and-8. A 31-yard run by Davis and a 10-yard completion to Ja'Markis Weston on third-and-4 to the FAU 4 set up a 2-yard touchdown run by Pierce — on an audible at the line by Jones — and got the night going for the Gators.
The second drive was more of the same, only this time with Jones' escapeability — a big change from the statuesque Trask — coming into play. Davis had an 8-yard run on third-and-7, followed by 17-yarder. In between, Jones set up in the pocket on a third-and-7 and with protection collapsing took off for a 23-yard dash. The march ended with Jones chucking into the left flat to wide receiver Wells, who zipped into the end for his first career touchdown and a 14-0 lead with just under two minutes to go in the first quarter.
Fifth-year senior tailback Malik Davis (20) had 88 of his 104 rushing yards in the first half.
That would wrap the Florida scoring for the half, with the Gators twice coming up short on drives that ended in the FAU red zone; first when Jones underthrew his intended receiver for an interception just across the goal line, then on a miscommunication between Jones and his sideline that resulted in Jones getting stuffed on a quarterback sneak on fourth-and-goal from the Florida Atlantic 4.
"We missed some reads we shouldn't have missed, and some checks," Mullen said. "That's stuff we have to clean up."
Jones, clearly frustrated during his post-game Zoom, concurred. "Sloppy, rusty. Need to get better," he said.
The Owls opened the second half with four plays and a 55-yard punt that pinned the Gators at their 12. Jones went back to work and triggered an 88-yard touchdown drive — with a 10-yard run on 3rd-and-1 and another 13-yarder that moved UF to the FAU 13 — that ended with Pierce's second scoring run of the game and a 21-0 lead with 6:47 to play in the period.
FAU wasn't coming back from three TDs down on the road, but the Owls didn't go away, either. Even after a tailback Javion Posey was hit and fumbled the ball away to UF defensive lineman Gervon Dexter after they'd penetrated the UF 20.
Enter Richardson, who took off for 26 yards on first down. On fourth-and-4 from the FAU 41, Richardson lofted a pretty pass to Weston that was good for 36 yards down the sideline and a first and goal. Two plays later, Davis scored his first touchdown since the 2019 season to cap just the second 100-yard game of his career and push the Gators in front 28-0.
The Owls took the ensuing possession and, thanks to a 46-yard Perry completion to LaJohntay Wester on third-and-9, reeled off a 68-yard touchdown drive to avert what would have been UF's first shutout in a season opener since 1988.
On the Gators' second snap of their next possession, Richardson hit the right edge, found the sideline and sped the distance for the longest run by a Florida quarterback since Trey Burton went 80 yards at Tennessee in 2012. That made the score 35-7 and made a lot of people in the stadium (and watching at home) wonder if the Gators had a quarterback controversy on their hands.
"I coach the quarterbacks. They're not very controversial," Mullen mused. "They're both nice guys."
And they're both going to play this season, too. With fans in the stands to speculate, pontificate and bloviate.
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