Gators quarterback Anthony Richardson waves to the crowd after his 60-yard touchdown dash in last weekend's win at Texas A&M. (Photo: Hannah White/UAA Communications)
Charting The Gators: QB Richardson Trending Upward
Wednesday, November 9, 2022 | Football, Scott Carter
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — He was being mentioned as a possible Heisman Trophy candidate after the second start of his career. In case anyone needs a reminder, that was 67 days ago.
When Gators quarterback Anthony Richardson led the Gators to an upset win over then-No. 7 Utah in the season opener, you could say perspective got sacked. Richardson was good against the Utes, but the following week, the third-year sophomore struggled in a home loss to Kentucky. Richardson didn't look much better in Week 3, an escape victory over USF.
However, Richardson shined in Florida's 38-33 loss at Tennessee in Week 4, passing for a career-high 453 yards and two touchdowns. Richardson added 62 yards rushing and a pair of scores to keep the Gators close to the Vols and their Heisman Trophy-contending quarterback Hendon Hooker until the final play.
Richardson's seesaw season seemed to turn a corner in front of more than 100,000 at Neyland Stadium. While Richardson has transitioned from hot to cold to hot in his first season as Florida's starter — he is set to make career start No. 11 on Saturday at home against South Carolina — he has undoubtedly shown signs of improvement as the season has progressed (see chart below).
Following Florida's 41-24 win at Texas A&M last week, UF head coach Billy Napier offered perhaps his strongest endorsement of Richardson's growth yet. Richardson passed for 201 yards and two touchdowns, while adding 78 yards and two scores on the ground as the Gators snapped a two-game losing streak.
"Anthony's going to play this game for a long time and I think he'll look back and I think this will be one of those days where he'll say, this was a pivotal day — playing with confidence,'' Napier said. "Thought he started fast, really thorough in his prep during the week. He's a 20-year-old first-year starter in a new system. Again, I think Anthony's problems aren't physical. I think it's about development, it's about getting comfortable with a role, being a leader, being vocal, improving as a communicator, playing as a competitor and playing for your teammates. I just really think today was a big step was in the right direction for him."
Richardson's brief brush with the Heisman hype two months ago seems like forever. Still, because he is so physically gifted and learning on the job, his name will continue to surface in mock drafts heading into next spring's NFL Draft. He has that kind of potential.
Richardson has thrown for 1,839 yards, nine touchdowns and seven interceptions, completing 55.7 percent of his passes. As a runner, he is second on the team with 488 yards and eight rushing touchdowns. He is dangerous each time he drops back to pass or takes off with the ball.
Richardson appears to have a good grasp of where he is as his stock once again trends north.
"I've just been working on my leadership, just trying to hold guys together and just keep the team pushing,'' Richardson said after Saturday's win. "Allowing us to come out there and play fast, play strong. But [coach] told me this was going to be a turning point of my career in my life. I kind of see that, because I think I'm getting back with my leadership. So, that's kind of something I want to keep improving on.
"It's a challenge trying to be a leader, but sometimes you gotta fight through those challenges and try to grow. It's definitely new. Because as a leader, I haven't always been the type of guy to communicate a lot. I just try to lead by example and show guys how to do things. But, I see that's not the only way you can be a leader. You can lead by example and then communicate with guys and connect with them. It makes it a lot easier to lead people."
True. So does playing like he did against the Aggies.
When Gators quarterback Anthony Richardson led the Gators to an upset win over then-No. 7 Utah in the season opener, you could say perspective got sacked. Richardson was good against the Utes, but the following week, the third-year sophomore struggled in a home loss to Kentucky. Richardson didn't look much better in Week 3, an escape victory over USF.
However, Richardson shined in Florida's 38-33 loss at Tennessee in Week 4, passing for a career-high 453 yards and two touchdowns. Richardson added 62 yards rushing and a pair of scores to keep the Gators close to the Vols and their Heisman Trophy-contending quarterback Hendon Hooker until the final play.
Richardson's seesaw season seemed to turn a corner in front of more than 100,000 at Neyland Stadium. While Richardson has transitioned from hot to cold to hot in his first season as Florida's starter — he is set to make career start No. 11 on Saturday at home against South Carolina — he has undoubtedly shown signs of improvement as the season has progressed (see chart below).
| STATISTIC | FIRST 3 GAMES | LAST 6 GAMES |
| Passer Rating/Efficiency | 89.0 | 147.2 |
| Passing Yards Per Game | 141.0 | 236.0 |
| Touchdown Passes | 0 | 9 |
| Interceptions | 4 | 3 |
| Rushing Yards Per Game | 44.7 | 59.0 |
| Rushing Yards Per Carry | 5.6 | 7.1 |
| Team Offense Per Game | 353.0 | 468.5 |
| Team Yards Per Play | 6.0 | 7.2 |
| Team Points Per Game | 25.3 | 34.2 |
Following Florida's 41-24 win at Texas A&M last week, UF head coach Billy Napier offered perhaps his strongest endorsement of Richardson's growth yet. Richardson passed for 201 yards and two touchdowns, while adding 78 yards and two scores on the ground as the Gators snapped a two-game losing streak.
"Anthony's going to play this game for a long time and I think he'll look back and I think this will be one of those days where he'll say, this was a pivotal day — playing with confidence,'' Napier said. "Thought he started fast, really thorough in his prep during the week. He's a 20-year-old first-year starter in a new system. Again, I think Anthony's problems aren't physical. I think it's about development, it's about getting comfortable with a role, being a leader, being vocal, improving as a communicator, playing as a competitor and playing for your teammates. I just really think today was a big step was in the right direction for him."
Richardson's brief brush with the Heisman hype two months ago seems like forever. Still, because he is so physically gifted and learning on the job, his name will continue to surface in mock drafts heading into next spring's NFL Draft. He has that kind of potential.
Richardson has thrown for 1,839 yards, nine touchdowns and seven interceptions, completing 55.7 percent of his passes. As a runner, he is second on the team with 488 yards and eight rushing touchdowns. He is dangerous each time he drops back to pass or takes off with the ball.
Richardson appears to have a good grasp of where he is as his stock once again trends north.
"I've just been working on my leadership, just trying to hold guys together and just keep the team pushing,'' Richardson said after Saturday's win. "Allowing us to come out there and play fast, play strong. But [coach] told me this was going to be a turning point of my career in my life. I kind of see that, because I think I'm getting back with my leadership. So, that's kind of something I want to keep improving on.
"It's a challenge trying to be a leader, but sometimes you gotta fight through those challenges and try to grow. It's definitely new. Because as a leader, I haven't always been the type of guy to communicate a lot. I just try to lead by example and show guys how to do things. But, I see that's not the only way you can be a leader. You can lead by example and then communicate with guys and connect with them. It makes it a lot easier to lead people."
True. So does playing like he did against the Aggies.
Players Mentioned
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