Thoughts of the day: September 20, 2022

A few thoughts to jump start your Tuesday morning:

By his own admission, Anthony Richardson is probably too much of a perfectionist for his own good, something he needs to work on and the sooner, the better.

“Sometimes that’s my biggest downfall because in practice, if I miss a throw by six inches I’m like, ‘Bro, that’s a bad throw’ but it’s completed,” Richardson said at Florida’s Monday press conference. “So sometimes that is my downfall. Just trying to be too perfect sometimes definitely can mess me up, but I feel like it helps me grow as a quarterback.”

Billy Napier needs Anthony Richardson to think less and grow more. If he can do it prior to Saturday when the 18th-ranked Gators (2-1, 0-1 SEC) take on 11th-ranked Tennessee (3-0, 0-0 SEC) at Neyland Stadium (3:30 p.m., CBS) that would be a real blessing. If the Gators are to break out of their offensive doldrums they need Richardson to be on point like he was in the season-opening win over then 7th-ranked Utah. In that game, Richardson completed 17-24 passes for 168 yards and ran 11 times for 106 yards and three TDs. In Florida’s two games since, Richardson is 24-53 passing for 255 yards with zero touchdowns and four picks. He’s averaging 4.8 yards per pass attempt in the last two games. Additionally, Richardson has gained only 28 yards on 13 attempts.

For those numbers have to change dramatically for the Gators to score a win over a UT team that is favored by 11 points, Richardson needs to relax a bit. His high school coach at Gaiensville Eastside, Ceddrick Daniels, offered a bit of advice after Richardson went 10-18 for 112 yards passing and ran seven times for 24 yards in the Gators’ 31-28 win over South Florida last Saturday.

“He [Daniels] said I was thinking about too much,” Richardson said. “He felt I wasn’t being myself. I wasn’t being Anthony and he said he could see that when I walked out there for warmups.”

For Richardson to be himself, he needs to use his legs more. He has had to be more cautious with backup quarterback Jack Miller III still recovering from surgery on a broken hand. In the Utah game and again against South Florida, Richardson slid to avoid big hits, something he never did when he was in high school. Coaches have told him to be careful, to avoid taking big hits, and that has weighed on him mentally.

“I guess I started holding myself back from running and that’s a part of the offense that helps us move the ball,” Richardson said. “So I guess I’ve just got to pick that up and bring that back.”

To win at Neyland, the Gators have to keep the Vols and their Blur Ball offense off the field. One of the best ways to do that is for Richardson to get involved in the running game. Florida has a dynamic trio of running backs in Montrell Johnson Jr. (240 yards, 9.2 per carry, 2 TDs), Trevor Etienne (166 yards, 7.5 per carry, 2 TDs) and Nay’Quan Wright (100 yards, 4.17 per carry, 1 TD). When you add Richardson’s game-breaking speed into the mix and a few completed passes, the Gators may have what it takes to slow the Vols down and leave Neyland with a win.

UF Volleyball: Gators move up to No. 12

Florida’s 5-set win on the road over then No. 4 and last year’s NCAA champion Wisconsin moved the Gators up four places to No. 12 in the weekly American Volleyball Coaches Association top 25 poll.

Freshman Alexis Stuckey was named SEC Player of the Week and Freshman of the Week while Elli McKissock was named SEC Defensive Player of the Week. Stuckey had 86 assists in Florida’s wins over Florida State and Wisconsin. In the Wisconsin win, Stuckey had 45 assists, six digs, three blocks and one kill. McKissock averaged 4.25 digs per set in Florida’s two wins.

The Gators (8-2) open SEC play Wednesday night (7 p.m., SEC Network+) at the O-Dome against Alabama (6-6).

AVCA top 25 poll: 1. Texas 8-0; 2. Louisville 9-1; 3. Nebraska 8-1; 4. San Diego 9-1; 5. Stanford 5-3; 6. Wisconsin 6-2; 7. Ohio State 4-4; 8. Minnesota 5-3; 9. Penn State 11-0; 10. Pittsburgh 9-2; 11. Purdue 9-1; 12. FLORIDA 8-2; 13. Georgia Tech 7-2; 14. Baylor 10-2; 15. Kentucky 5-4; 16. BYU 7-3; 17. Pepperdine 9-2; 18. Washington 8-2; 19. Marquette 9-1; 20. Arkansas 9-1; 21. Oregon 6-2; 22. Creighton 8-3; 23. Rice 10-1; 24. Western Kentucky 12-2; 25. UCF 8-0

SEC football

No. 2 Alabama (3-0, 0-0 SEC): Injured wide receiver JoJo Earle will start running again this week although there is no timetable yet for his return … Alabama is a 40-point favorite Saturday against Vanderbilt.

No. 10 Arkansas (3-0, 1-0 SEC): The chief operating officer of Beyond Meat, which makes plant based products that taste like real meat, was arrested outside Reynolds Stadium in Fayette Nam for biting a man’s nose in a rage incident that happened in a parking garage after Arkansas beat Missouri State last Saturday evening … The Razorbacks are a 2.5-point underdog Saturday against Texas A&M.

Auburn (2-1, 0-0 SEC): Asked Monday if he considers the upcoming game with Missouri a must win, Auburn HBC Bryan Harsin replied, “I would categorize every Saturday as a must-win.” Harsin is expected to become the latest Auburn head coach to be fired, perhaps even before the season ends … Auburn is a 7-point favorite against Missouri Saturday.

No. 1 Georgia (3-0, 1-0 SEC): Sean Lewis, head coach of the Kent State Flashes, the sacrificial lamb that will take a beating for a big paycheck on Saturday, calls the Bulldogs “the greatest collection of talent that has ever been assembled on a football team.” That might be a slight exaggeration but what else should he say in light of receiving a $1.9 million guarantee? … The Bulldogs are a 44.5-point favorite to beat Kent State.

No. 8 Kentucky (3-0, 1-0 SEC): Although the Wildcats moved to 3-0 with their win over Youngstown State, HBC Mark Stoops wasn’t happy with 10 penalties, three turnovers and four fumbles. He was fortunate the Wildcats did that against a D1AA team and not a team from the Southeastern Conference.

LSU (2-1, 1-0 SEC): After scoring an SEC win over Mississippi State, HBC Brian Kelly wants to know, “Can we handle success?” The oddsmakers must think they can because they’ve established LSU as a 30-point favorite to beat New Mexico Saturday.

Mississippi State (2-1, 0-1 SEC): In analyzing the Bulldogs’ 31-16 loss to LSU, HBC Mike Leach said Monday, “We play hard and we practice hard and I think we’re a little too quick to get discouraged. We’re fragile to get discouraged when we face adversity. We have to fight through that” … The Bulldogs are 30-point favorites to beat Bowling Green.

Missouri (1-2, 0-0 SEC): Mizzou’s offensive line was flagged for five holding calls in the Tigers win over Abilene Christian … The Tigers are 7-point underdogs on the road at Auburn.

No. 20 Ole Miss (3-0, 0-0 SEC): Lane Kiffin praised Tulsa’s passing attack, which averages 413 yards per game and has 12 TDPs to only one pick this year. The Golden Hurricane quarterbacks have been sacked 10 times this year. Ole Miss pass rushers already have 13 sacks and the defense is allowing opponents only 5.2 yards per pass attempt … Ole Miss is favored by 21 points.

South Carolina (1-2, 0-2 SEC): Despite backlash from the media against HBC Shane Beamer for getting annoyed when a Title IX ceremony ran long during the Georgia game, women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley has been very supportive. Staley tweeted that Beamer has “done nothing but support our programs” … The Gamecocks are 22.5-point favorites to beat Charlotte.

No. 11 Tennessee (3-0, 0-0 SEC): After losing 63-7 to the Vols, Akron coach Joe Moorhead praised the UT offense, saying, “Put too many in the box and you’re one-on-one outside for deep shots. Load the box and they run the ball right up the middle with incredibly wide splits. They have a great quarterback and a great line” … Leading receiver Cedric Tillman (17-246, 1 TD) is listed day-to-day for Saturday’s close encounter with Florida after suffering a lower body injury in the win over Akron … The Vols are 11-point favorites over Florida.

No. 23 Texas A&M (2-1, 0-0 SEC): WR Evan Stewart, WR Chris Marshall, DB Denver Harris and DB Deyon Bouie, who were suspended for the Miami game, will return for Saturday’s game with No. 10 Arkansas at Jerry’s World in Arlington … The Aggies are 2.5-point favorites.

Vanderbilt (3-1, 0-0 SEC): Regarding Saturday opponent Vanderbilt, Alabama’s Nick Saban said, “This is a good all-around team and it’s going to be challenging for us.” Bama is favored by 40.

Our SEC orphans in the Big 12

No. 6 Oklahoma (3-0, 0-0 Big 12): Wide receiver Marvin Mims has caught 14 passes for 310 yards (22.14 per catch) and two touchdowns in three games … Oklahoma is a 13-point favorite at home against Kansas State (2-1, 0-0 Big 12).

No. 21 Texas (2-1, 0-0 Big 12): True freshman left tackle Kelvin Banks hasn’t given up a sack while committing just two penalties in 171 snaps. True freshman right guard Cole Huston has yet to allow a sack in 98 passing snaps … Texas is a 6-point road favorite at Texas Tech.

ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: In a halftime impromptu press conference with reporters at last Saturday’s Miami-Texas A&M game in College Station, Southeastern Conference commissioner Greg Sankey said the league is leaning toward a single division but hasn’t decided whether there it will be eight or nine conference games when Texas and Oklahoma join the league.

“The focus in football is on a single division right now,” Sankey said. “The real debate is eight or nine games. That doesn’t mean divisions are completely erased from our consideration but they’re not at the forefront of our thinking.”

Back in May, the SEC Spring Meetings in Destin adjourned without a decision on whether teams will be playing eight or nine league games. Some schools prefer to remain at eight because it allows a paycheck game that typically is a sure win that helps with bowl eligibility. A nine-game schedule would allow for three permanent SEC opponents for each team while playing the other 12 teams home-and-home at least once every four years.

Although Sankey said that moving to nine conference games “is not certain by any stretch of the imagination,” that seems the most likely scenario because it would allow the 3-6 scheduling format.

A better scheduling format is a necessity. There is no rhyme or reason to the current scheduling format in which Texas A&M still hasn’t hosted Georgia even though the Aggies have been in the league since 2012. Missouri, which has also been in the SEC since 2012, will be making its first road trip to Auburn this weekend.

Sam Kahn Jr. of The Athletic reported that Sankey hinted the earliest Texas and Oklahoma can join the SEC will be 2024. You can all but figure ESPN and the SEC will do whatever it takes to make that happen since the new contract that grants exclusive SEC rights to ESPN begins in 2024, the same year the Fox/CBS/NBC deal with the Big Ten kicks in. ESPN needs Texas and Oklahoma in the league in 2024 and Sankey is no fool. He knows that he can exact an even bigger contract increase with ESPN if Texas and Oklahoma join the league to ensure the SEC will easily be the most-watched conference and not the Big Ten.