KYLE CURTIS: FLORIDA-USF GAME NOTES
This Florida season, like so many others before, has already been an emotional roller coaster. Billy Napier pulled off the upset and became the only coach in Florida’s history to beat a ranked opponent in his first game as head coach against Utah. Just as high as fans were after week one, they were just as low after week two. A poor offensive performance, and maybe some nerves by Anthony Richardson in The Swamp humbled the Gators in week two resulting in a 1-1 record going into the USF matchup. Nonetheless, before the season started most fans would have accepted the 1-1 record after the first two games with open arms. In his weekly press conference, Billy Napier discussed what the reality check for his team meant and how they will use the loss as motivation moving forward.
“It comes back to really evaluating the game independent of the result," Napier said. "Is the effort good? Are the fundamentals good? Is the communication where it needs to be? If we’re having execution issues, why?
"So many people contribute to a football team, so a loss gives you a chance to hit the reset button, recenter.”
On to this week’s opponent, the University of South Florida Bulls. The Bulls are no stranger to either Richardson or Napier. Although meeting for the first time as head coaches, Napier and USF head coach Jeff Scott coached together as assistants at Clemson from 2008-2010, Napier as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach and Scott as wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator.
The Bulls became familiar with Richardson during last year's contest in Tampa in which he torched the USF defense with 152 yards passing and two touchdowns on only three pass attempts. He rushed four times for 115 yards in what turned into his own coming-out party.
Flashback: The viral 80-yard rushing touchdown Richardson ripped off against the Bulls last year is also where his hamstring injury originated that held him out of a few contests last year.
Going into the matchup this weekend, Florida will likely stick to the same game script of last year and establish the run game early. With Trevor Etienne showing promise along with veteran backs Nay’quan Wright and Montrell Johnson Jr., the backfield looks to get a lot of work. Last season when these two teams met, Florida accumulated 666 yards of total offense, 363 on the ground. Those 666 yards is the sixth-most all-time by a Gator offense.
The Gators will look to stay undefeated in the all-time series with the Bulls. The Gators won last year’s matchup in Tampa with a score of 42-20 and defeated USF in The Swamp, 28-14, in 2010, the teams' only previous meetings.
In addition to staying undefeated against the Bulls, the Gators also look to continue their 13-game win streak against non-conference opponents dating back to 2018.
As good as the Gators have been rushing the ball, they may have been better at defending it up to this point. In the first half, Florida has only allowed 22 rushing yards through the first two games.
Florida is the only team in the nation to face two AP top-25 teams in its first two weeks.
The Florida offensive line has been stellar through two games, opening holes for Johnson and Etienne. In addition to the successful run blocking, the line has also managed to provide stellar pass protection -- it took six quarters for the opponents to register a sack. The first sack of the season came on the opening drive in the third quarter of the Kentucky Game.
The Gators will be down two starters in the USF game: Linebacker Ventrell Miller and right tackle Michael Tarquin, both out with lower leg injuries. Napier described Miller's absence as missing “your best communicator.” The timetable for both players' returns is unknown.
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