Official Game Thread Week 4: #20 Florida Gators 33, #11 Tennessee Volunteers 38, 9/24/2022

[DRU2012]

As frustrating as this loss will be, this is a good game with over 1,000 yards of offense between both teams.

No. IMHO, it had the MAKINGS of "a good game".
But when I find myself turning off the TENNESSEE game in pain at the start of the 4th quarter, that BY DEFINITION is NOT "a good game"...It is my idea of gross DISAPPOINTMENT, when "promising play" falls SHORT of what was and is "within reach", it is NOT enough to simply cough, shake our heads and say, "Nice try. Good job."

The Gators showed flashes of brilliance in this rebuilding year. Losing sucks, but this game had over a thousand yards of offense and great quarterbacking from both teams. Officiating was horrible. Penalties were annoying. Otherwise this was the best Florida-Tennessee game I have seen since the Spurrier era, despite the loss.

Ok--gotta give you that much...
But still:
I refuse to even TRY to find "positives" in what amounted to a TERMINALLY FRUSTRATING AND DISAPPOINTING game and loss.
I mean, for ALL of the admitted "flashes of brilliance" it just KEPT on repeatedly bumming us--giving hope, then falling SHORT.
I ask the burning questions:
How good ARE we?
Where IS the "turning point"?
When does it all pay OFF, finally?

 

[DRU2012]

One last thought:
The worst part is that we HAVE "come close", that we really COULD (with a few breaks, a couple of TWEAKS here and there) have really BEEN 4-and-0 at this point! As things are, however, we must accept the reality of our record and the failings that put us here.
STOP bemoaning lost opportunities, bad calls and unforced errors: This is who we are and WHERE we are. We can somehow pull ourselves together and go UP from here, or continue to sink and wallow in our deepening mediocrity.
This sort of thing is tough to stop, escape its negative momentum once it gathers pace.
I believe THAT is why Billy chose to come HERE--He saw its practical potential in this regard.
Only by relaxing, somehow going EASIER--the coaches and players on themselves and each other and the fans on EVERYONE--while maybe counter-intuitive, is I think the only way out.
LESS "pressure" is the way forward. And really, what have we got to LOSE now??!
It looks like it'll be some SEASONS before we'll be in position to challenge the CFB Elite. We are NOT after a fluke 10- or 11-win season here and there (as, in retrospect, it now appears was Mullen's aiming point)...agsin, not Billy--who came, assembled his staff and began his ongoing epic recruiting rebuild with NOT simply the idea of ATTAINING a "Championship" or two, but in building a PROGRAM that ANNUALLY challenges for inclusion AMONG THE ELITE--a la Saben and Bama, obviously, now emulated (so far in somewhat transient fashion) by UGA, Oklahoma, Clemsen and others, as I say to a progressively lesser extent "thus far".

 

[Escambia94]

Florida QB Anthony Richardson completed 24-of-44 passes for 453 yards and two touchdowns while
rushing 17 times for 62 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.

Richardson finished with 515 total yards of offense, which ranks third all-time in a single game in
Florida program history.
1. Emory Jones vs. Samford (2021)
2. Tim Tebow vs. Cincinnati (2009)

Richardson’s 453 yards passing ranks ninth in a single game in program history.

With two rushing touchdowns against No. 11 Tennessee, Richardson now leads all FBS quarterbacks
with five rushing TDs this season.

 

[Escambia94]

Richardson became the first Florida quarterback to pass for 450-plus yards and two-plus passing
touchdowns while rushing for 50-plus yards and two-plus rushing touchdowns in a single game.
o Richardson is the first FBS QB to accomplish the feat since Sept. 21, 2019, when UCLA’s Dorian Thompson-Robinson did so against Washington State.

Richardson is one of seven FBS quarterbacks to accomplish this feat in the last 25 years: Caleb Evans, Devin Gardner, Garrett Gilbert, Patrick Mahomes (twice), Baker
Mayfield and Dorian Thompson-Robinson.

Florida outgained Tennessee, 594-576, and also out-passed the Vols, 453-349.

 

[Escambia94]

Pearsall and Shorter became Florida’s first 100-yard receivers in a game this season.

This is Florida’s first game with two 100-yard receivers since Dec. 19, 2020 vs. Alabama.

 

[Escambia94]

The Gators recorded three sacks in tonight’s game.

Florida’s 163 sacks since 2018 season ranks second in the SEC and fifth nationally – Clemson (198), Pittsburgh (195) and Alabama (175), Oklahoma State (164).

Florida ranked tied-for-14th in the FBS and second in the SEC with 34 sacks last season.

 

[Escambia94]

Florida and Tennessee have met 25 times while ranked. Florida is now 16-9 in ranked matchups against the Vols.

 

[Escambia94]

Florida has made 42 all-time appearances on ESPN college gameday. The Gators fall to 26-16 (.619) on College Gameday.

The Gators are 6-3 against Tennessee on Gameday, including a 4-2 mark in Knoxville.

Florida has now played Tennessee on Gameday more than any other team (eight vs. FSU).

 

[DRU2012]

@Escambia94,
So the one main message I am getting from you above here E-- is that even though somewhat uneven (I mean, he DEFINES "up and down performance"--perhaps to be expected.in a young QB with very little game experience, now finally starting--but under another brand new Coach and another brand new SYSTEM),
Anthony Richardson is ALSO displaying regular extended flashes of superior talent, from a statistical point-of-view.
In other words, HARD EVIDENCE OF GREATNESS from a kid despite his being, due to circumstance, "unfortunately handled" these last crucial couple of years.
Can Anthony Richardson be "reclaimed"?
Properly handled, given the vagueries of our modern world, of public scrutiny and "the quick buck", can he, WILL he likely somehow be convinced that his best interests and chance for real and lasting success lie under this Coach, staff and PROGRAM'S guidance and teaching?
Will he choose to risk taking the time, making the "leap of faith" that would be required, that our people would be offering, should they choose to do so?
It would be unique. But this young man IS "UNIQUE" so far, in so many ways (and I am NOT speaking solely in terms of PHYSICAL talent and skills--though pro-scouts and so many others describe him as "a FREAK" in that regard...).
In many ways THAT could be said to be "clouding the picture"--for everyone, including ANTHONY.
But this is how it is, where we all are in the middle of this confused reality.
Here's hoping someone can "cut through the Gordonian Knot", as the story goes...somehow reduce it all to a clear and simple choice for him to manage, find his way through.
I don't know his family background and/or situation there in Gainesville--but at least they are close by...Which may or may NOT be an advantage for him now. I can only imagine the forces at work, the pressures, distractions and concerns vying for his attention and priorities now. I hope there is someone he can trust and rely upon; above all, that he can ultimately "trust and rely upon" HIMSELF. It may just come to that.
Personally, I expect him, of still offered that "early 1st-round money" etc, to simply bolt after all--and Pronto.
As for our Coach and the eventual viability of our program AND it's return to "Elite Status", all that may take at least a couple of seasons more after all: Part of the delay will BE the developing of a "QB pipeline" into UF...the rest of the team may well begin coming into its own, talent and depth across-the-board elsewhere here on both sides if the ball--but with AR gone after 2022, it remains to be seen how we will fill that crucial vacuum.