Florida football’s 2022 regular season ended with a 45-38 loss to the Florida State Seminoles, but there was plenty to like about what was mostly a disappointing game.
The Gators kept pace with FSU early, scoring 14 points in the first quarter and taking a three-point lead into the half, but things fell apart in the second half. Anthony Richardson went cold and struggled to find any of his receivers with a decent pass. Even Ricky Pearsall, who was outstanding in the first half, couldn’t buy a reception in the second half.
Fortunately, Florida came back after allowing the ‘Noles to take a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter. Trevor Etienne was instrumental in the comeback effort, even if his 45-yard game-tying score was in vain. Florida’s defense was simply unprepared to stop a mobile quarterback, and Jordan Travis made the difference for FSU.
It’s not the outcome anyone in Gator Nation wanted, but it was a predictable one given the way the rest of the season has gone. All in all, staying competitive with a team ranked No. 16 in the country is a good result for a now 6-6 team.
Billy Napier needs to produce much better results in year two at the helm in Gainesville, and enough mistakes were made throughout the year that he should have been able to learn a lot about his team.
Here are five major takeaways from Florida’s disappointing loss to Florida State on Black Friday.
Talk about a shootout!
Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images
Well, that was about as exciting a rivalry game as you could ask for, huh? There’s so much to say about this game but somehow so little.
In many ways, Florida was the same team they’d been all year. The defense was embarrassing, even after Ventrell Miller returned to the field, and Anthony Richardson gave his impression of both Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
Big plays (and bad penalty calls) made the difference in this one for both teams. Jordan Travis ran all over Florida’s defense, and Ricky…
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