In their first game in The Swamp in 2023, the Florida Gators looked to put their rough loss against Utah last Thursday behind them.
On Saturday night, the Gators did just that by running right through McNeese, winning the game 49-7.
Run. The. Ball.
Gators RB Montrell Johnson (2) – Molly Kaiser/Florida Athletics
The Gators rushed for 327 yards, and four different players scored a touchdown(s) on the ground.
RB Montrell Johnson rushed for 119 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries.
RB Trevor Etienne rushed for 84 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries whilst also catching a pass for 14 yards.
Freshman RB Treyaun Webb rushed for 71 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries. Webb looked explosive and, like Etienne, added a nice play in the passing game, catching a screen pass for 12 yards.
The dynamic duo of Johnson and Etienne were on full display, and the Gators appear to have an excellent third RB in their midst with Treyaun Webb.
Gators QB Graham Mertz Played Well
QB Graham Mertz passed and rushed for a touchdown, threw for 193 yards, and completed all but three of his passes, according to Sports Reference. His best throw of the game was his TD pass, a 50-yard deep ball to WR Ricky Pearsall.
Mertz was accurate and should have had two passing touchdowns had it not been for a dropped pass by TE Dante Zanders in the end zone.
The most important aspect of the game concerning Mertz is that, for the most part, his jersey was kept clean, aside from one big hit he took on a slide, which is all you could ask for from your starting QB. Metz was not sacked by McNeese after being sacked five times against Utah.
Freshmen Made Plays All Night Long
Gators DT Jamari Lyons (95) – David Bowie/Gator Country
Whether it was DT Jamari Lyons blowing up a rush and tackling McNeese RB D’Angelo Durham for a safety, WR Eugene “Tre” Wilson showing off his dynamic playing ability in the run and receiving game once again, DBs Ja’Keem Jackson and Bryce Thornton making plays on the ball and tackles in in the open field, or DL T.J. Searcy recording more tackles for loss, Florida got some excellent production from their freshmen all game long against McNeese.
Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier spoke of the freshmen in his media availability after the McNeese win.
“Look, there’s a lot of young cats running around out there. A good thing for the Gators in the future.”
Any possible game reps are crucial for freshmen in games like this, which was to be expected considering the opponent and the lopsided score. However, it’s still good to see for not only the 2023 season but for the future of the program as well.
Self-Inflicted Mistakes Kept to a Minimum
Gators RB Treyaun Webb (20) – James Gilbert/Getty Images
Aside from a botched snap by Rocco Underwood on the first extra point attempt and a fumble late in the game by reserve RB Eddie Battle, the Gators largely avoided the self-inflicted errors that plagued them against Utah. The Gators were only penalized for one false start (four penalties total) and didn’t give up any big plays on defense.
Yes, the opponent isn’t exactly top-tier, but seeing the Gators not make those same mistakes is a positive sign moving forward.
Defense Nearly Pitches a Shutout
Up until the Battle fumble that led to a McNeese TD, the Florida Gators’ defense pitched a shutout against McNeese. The opponent is a factor in that, but handling the teams you are supposed to, like Florida did with McNeese, is a positive nonetheless.
The Gators allowed just 112 yards of total offense, recorded two sacks, five tackles for loss, and allowed just two third-down conversions on ten attempts, including two drives where McNeese went three-and-out on offense.
Up Next for Gators: Tennessee Volunteers
Next Saturday at 7 PM EST on ESPN, in primetime, the Gators welcome their first SEC East opponent, the Tennessee Volunteers, to The Swamp to start SEC play. Tennessee hasn’t beaten the Gators in Gainesville since 2003. The crowd will be rowdy, and the energy levels will be high.
For quite some time, Florida and Tennessee had been an early measuring stick for how the SEC East would shake out by season’s end. In recent years, though, it’s been the determiner for the second-place team, given Georgia’s recent dominance.
That being said, the Florida-Tennessee rivalry runs deep, and this game will very likely determine who is in the driver’s seat for second place in the SEC East behind the Bulldogs.
Next Saturday night’s matchup should be a fun one.
