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The Florida Gators came into the 2022 season eager to make a strong first impression. Following a disastrous 6-7 season, the Gators canned head coach Dan Mullen and replaced him with former Louisiana head coach Billy Napier. With a matchup against No. 7 Utah in week one, Florida football had a great opportunity to kick off its new era with a marquee victory.
The Gators did just that by upsetting the Utes 29-26 at home on Saturday night. Florida took the lead in the game's final minutes, then sealed the deal with an interception in the end zone. With the upset, the Gators made a crucial statement in Napier's debut.
“This group’s got fight in them. I think I’ve said that publicly,” Napier said in a postgame press conference. “That’s one thing about our team. They compete. I’ve got to slow them down sometimes.”
Florida football put together a full team effort to take down Utah, but a few key players stood out from the pack. These three players played an especially big part in the Gators' upset.
3. Trevor Etienne
Etienne came to Gainesville this season with some hype behind him. He was a unanimous four-star recruit across 247Sports, ESPN, and Rivals, and is the younger brother of Clemson legend and current Jaguar Travis Etienne. After an offseason of hype, Etienne showed flashes of what he could be in the future.
The freshman running back got just five carries on the day, but he definitely made them count. Etienne racked up 64 yards on those five carries, averaging 12.8 yards per touch.
Montrell Johnson Jr., who also played under Napier at Louisiana, holds down the starting running back job for now. However, Etienne could find himself getting more touches if he keeps running like he did on Saturday.
2. Trey Dean III
Florida football's defense wasn't spectacular on Saturday night, but it did what it needed to get the win. While senior linebacker Amari Burney made the game-sealing pick, one defensive player stood out above even him.
Dean, a fifth-year senior safety, was all over the field against the Utes. The Hampton, Georgia native led the team with 12 total tackles, including six solo and one for loss. He is also coming off a season when he finished second on the team with 88 tackles.
The Gators' defense was solid, but struggled at points last year. Florida allowed 362.2 yards per game, seventh in the SEC, and 26.6 points per game, 11th in the conference. The defense should improve this season, and Dean should be a huge part of that improvement.
1. Anthony Richardson
After winning the starting job from Emory Jones, now at Arizona State, last year, Richardson came into the season with massive hype behind him for Florida football. Richardson saw the field sparingly last season, but still threw for 529 yards and six touchdowns in eight games played. On Saturday night though, the Gainesville native flashed his true potential for the world to see.
Richardson was solid in the passing game, completing 17 of 24 passes for 168 yards. Those numbers aren't spectacular, but the 71% completion is encouraging after he completed just 59% of his passes last year.
Where Richardson really shined was in the running game. He carried the ball 11 times for 106 yards and three touchdowns to lead the team. Those touchdowns included a 45-yard scramble and the go-ahead score from a yard out with less than 90 seconds remaining.
Run it back.
📼 Highlights from the win over No. 7 Utah pic.twitter.com/bKSOotSdQ1
— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) September 4, 2022
Richardson's performance was so strong that it vaulted him into Heisman consideration for some. If he keeps performing like that, the Gators will be tough to bring down for any opponent.
