When Gators quarterback Anthony Richardson led the Gators to an upset win over then-No. 7 Utah in the season opener, you could say perspective got sacked. Richardson was good against the Utes, but the following week, the third-year sophomore struggled in a home loss to Kentucky. Richardson didn’t look much better in Week 3, an escape victory over USF.
However, Richardson shined in Florida’s 38-33 loss at Tennessee in Week 4, passing for a career-high 453 yards and two touchdowns. Richardson added 62 yards rushing and a pair of scores to keep the Gators close to the Vols and their Heisman Trophy-contending quarterback Hendon Hooker until the final play.
Richardson’s seesaw season seemed to turn a corner in front of more than 100,000 at Neyland Stadium. While Richardson has transitioned from hot to cold to hot in his first season as Florida’s starter — he is set to make career start No. 11 on Saturday at home against South Carolina — he has undoubtedly shown signs of improvement as the season has progressed (see chart below).
Â
| STATISTIC | FIRST 3 GAMES | LAST 6 GAMES |
| Passer Rating/Efficiency | 89.0 | 147.2 |
| Passing Yards Per Game | 141.0 | 236.0 |
| Touchdown Passes | 0Â Â Â Â | 9 |
| Interceptions | 4 | 3 |
| Rushing Yards Per Game | 44.7 | 59.0 |
| Rushing Yards Per Carry | 5.6 | 7.1 |
| Team Offense Per Game | 353.0 | 468.5 |
| Team Yards Per Play | 6.0 | 7.2 |
| Team Points Per Game | 25.3 | 34.2 |
Following Florida’s 41-24 win at Texas A&M last week, UF head coach Billy Napier offered perhaps his strongest endorsement of Richardson’s growth yet. Richardson passed for 201 yards and two touchdowns, while adding 78 yards and two scores on the ground as the Gators snapped a two-game losing streak.
“Anthony’s going to play this game for a long time and I think he’ll look back and I think this will be one of those days where he’ll say, this was a pivotal day — playing with confidence,” Napier said. “Thought he started fast, really thorough in his prep during the week. He’s a 20-year-old first-year starter in a new system. Again, I think Anthony’s problems aren’t physical. I think it’s about development, it’s about…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Florida Gators…