Florida Gators

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Less than a minute remained in the first half of Thursday night's Orange & Blue Spring Game. The Blue squad was threatening to turn a two-touchdown lead into three as both teams gathered on their sidelines during a timeout. 

In the middle of the field, though, stood men's basketball coach Todd Golden and women's basketball coach Kelly Rae Finley. The two had been tabbed by UF's new football coach, Billy Napier, as the honorary coaches for the game. While their teams huddled on the sidelines, kept Golden and Finley chatted. 

That's when a text popped into Golden's cell phone reminding him that was a football game, rather than a social hour, and suggesting he go coach his team. Maybe call some ball plays. Golden laughed and sent a pithy reply. 

I'd say my squad is operating efficiently. 

Yeah, he had Anthony Richardson. 

Just calling it like it is, the difference in the Blue's 34-0 shutout victory at Spurrier/Florida Field was the quarterback position, where Richardson, the 6-foot-4, 237-pound homegrown sophomore, left little doubt as to where the QB battle — much as it is — stood with the culmination of the spring season. Richardson, who's path to the starting spot became all the more clear when incumbent Emory Jones entered the transfer portal last month, completed 18 of 24 passes (75.0 percent) for 207 yards, led his team on touchdown drives on all three of his first half possessions and did not turn the ball over. He had touchdown tosses of 19 yards to wideout Ja'Marcus Weston and six to tight end Noah Keeter to help his team to a 21-0 first half lead, then then added a 12-yard scramble for a score four minutes into the second half. 

"I feel like I played good," said Richardson, who last season while mostly backing up Jones  completed 38 of 65 throws for 569 yards, six touchdowns and five interceptions before a hamstring injury ended his season in late-November. "My main focus was just staying consistent, playing fast. I had some good highs and some bad lows [last season], so I just try to find a midpoint out there and just stay consistent throughout that whole time." 

Ambitious goals, for sure, and exactly what Napier wants from his signal-caller.  Last year, Richardson erupted onto the scene — a virtual unicorn — in the first two games of the season, running circles around (and jumping over) defenders for Florida Atlantic and South Florida. The good times, though, gave way to Southeastern Conference reality (especially in a three-turnover disaster against Georgia), and eventually to a re-aggravated hamstring in the regular-season finale against Florida State. 

By the time the Napier Spring rolled around, Richardson was ready. So ready, in fact, Jones lasted just two practices before hitting the portal, thus leaving "AR15" to fend for himself against Ohio State transfer Jack Miller III and redshirt freshmen Carlos Del Rio-Wilson and Jalen Kitna.

Miller hit 13 of his 23 attempts for 121 yards and one interception (in the end zone, unfortunately). Kitna and Del Rio-Wilson, in limited action, combined to go 0-for-5 with a pick. Ultimately, the outcome was predictable, but even Napier seemed impressed by what Richardson put on film Thursday night in a game when the squads were split evenly by a draft held the day before. 

"I think Anthony is a production of a lot of hard work. I can't say enough. His approach has been first class," said Napier, who positioned himself behind both offenses during the game to watch the action develop. "Standing behind him back there, it wasn't too big for him. He communicated well and the ball went where it was supposed to go. The players around him played well. The pocket was clean. Guys [caught] the ball. It was a good day. To win, you need good quarterback play." 

When the ball is snapped, yes, but Napier has seen much more from Richardson relative to his preparation at the position. 

"When I think about a quarterback we think about a person who represents everything of what the organization is about," Napier said. "Certainly, at the highest level of football, the quarterback is the face of the organization They set the greatest example with their work ethic, their attention to detail, their self-discipline, their approach. He's a product of his work."

The product produced right away. Richardson led his Blue mates on a seven-play, 80-yard touchdown drive the first time he got hands on the ball. Completions of 16 and 12 yards to wideout Trent Whittemore, plus another 14 yards to tight end Dante Zanders, the converted defensive lineman, moved the ball to the Orange 19. From there, Richardson slammed a dart to the slanting Weston, who bounced off defensive back Ethan Pouncey and finished the play for the TD. 

The second possession netted another 80-yard march, highlighted by a 29-yard completion to Keeter up the sideline, with tailback Montrell Johnson, the sophomore transfer who followed Napier from UL, scoring on a 1-yard run for a 14-0 lead. 

At that point, Richardson was eight of nine for 117 yards.  "Coach Napier, he keeps things simple and he has certain ways to call certain plays," Richardson said. "It's just as simple as, 'Do you want to throw that? Yes or no? Can you throw it? Yes or no?' And if you can't, then just work this side and this side most likely within the coverage. So it's just a matter of keeping things simple, just helping us know, because we have a lot to handle in this new offense." 

He handled the rest of the half with an 11-play, 65-yard drive, with a couple more key catches by Zanders and capped with a play-fake and short scoring toss to Keeter from six yards out with 29 seconds left. 

It gave the Blue (and Coach Golden) a 21-0 halftime lead. 

Richardson made it 28-0 when he flashed his legs and scrambled for his 12-yard touchdown, scoring untouched — not that anyone was allowed to touch him (ie hit the quarterback) anyway. 

Especially No. 15. 

"He's a leader and he's earned a lot of respect from this team," sophomore linebacker Derek Wingo said. "Everybody trusts him." 

The next 10 weeks — the time between now and the start of fall camp in August — figures to only fortify how the Gators feel about their quarterback. 

The attendance for the game was estimated at around 45,000. Everyone who left the "Swamp"  knew who the most important player on the field was Thursday night. And will be come Sept. 3.

Frankly, that includes Richardson.

"Leadership," the QB said. "That's going to be my main focus now. Just try to be a better guy to the team. Be more vocal. Hang out with them just to gain their respect and give them respect."

Whatever it takes to keep things operating efficiently.