In his press conference on Monday, Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier placed an emphasis on keeping the positive momentum going after upsetting the Tennessee Volunteers last Saturday night.
My Takeaways from Florida’s 22-7 Win Over Charlotte
The Gators did just that, but it was far from elegant as Florida defeated the Charlotte 49ers 22-7. The win over Charlotte caps off a three-week home stand, all of which being wins for Florida.
First-half Suspensions and Injuries
In the final seconds of the Tennessee victory last Saturday, Florida QB Graham Mertz was hit late on a kneel-down attempt by a Tennessee player.
The late hit then started a scuffle between Florida and Tennessee players that resulted in two starting offensive linemen for the Gators, Micah Mazzccua and Damieon George, along with TE Dante Zanders, getting suspended for the first half of the matchup against Charlotte.
As far as injuries are concerned, WR Eugene ‘Tre’ Wilson did not play due to the shoulder injury he suffered against Tennessee. Starting center Kingsley Eguakun did not play due to a “setback” he had with his ankle injury and was sporting a boot once again on his injured right foot. TE Tony Livingston was out, and safety/linebacker Ja’Markis Weston was also out.
WR Thai Chiaokhiao-Bowman was back after missing the first three games of the season due to injury.
An update on an injured Gators offensive lineman was revealed this week as OT Kamryn Waites, who tore his Achilles nine months ago, was back on the practice field in a limited capacity earlier this week. Waites was then working out on the field pre-game as well, hinting that he could potentially play at some point this season. Waites playing that soon after a torn Achilles would be some feat for someone who stands 6-8, 365 pounds.
Takeaways
Florida Defense Shines Brightest
Florida Gators LB Shemar James (6) – James Gilbert/Getty Images
Florida defensive coordinator Austin Armstrong’s unit played tenaciously all game long, and outside of the touchdown they allowed in the second quarter, they clamped down on Charlotte’s offense, allowing just 210 total yards.
The Gators recorded two sacks, six tackles for loss, 10 QB hits, and a forced fumble. Charlotte was 3-12 on third down and 0-1 on 4th down.
Had the Gators’ defense not played as well as they did, the Gators easily could have lost to Charlotte. But the defense shined bright under The Swamp lights all game long.
What was most promising about the defense’s performance was seeing a number of freshmen make plays all game long. Safety Jordan Castell, DL Kelby Collins, and safety Bryce Thornton all made plays that stuck out to me.
Florida WR Ricky Pearsall Made One of the Best Catches I’ve Ever Seen
Florida WR Ricky Pearsall (1) – James Gilbert/Getty Images
Florida WR Ricky Pearsall caught six passes for 104 yards against Charlotte, but his best catch (the one pictured above) came in the first quarter.
Pearsall leaped and caught a pass while being hit by two Charlotte defenders with his right hand and somehow managed to hang onto the ball to give the Gators a first down.
Watching it in real-time didn’t do it justice, but the slow-motion replays sure do if you can watch the replays, I highly suggest doing so because it’s one of the greatest catches you will ever see.
Napier commended Pearsall as a player and a leader in his post-game press conference and called his one-handed catch “one for the books.”
Reworked Offensive Line for Gators
With the injuries and suspensions, the Gators played with a reworked offensive line in the first half and really the entire game against Charlotte.
From left to right, the starting offensive line was Austin Barber, Richie Leonard, Jake Slaughter (starting in place of Eguakun), true freshman Knijeah Harris (starting in place of Micah Mazzccua), and Lyndell Hudson II (starting in place of Damieon George).
After the second quarter ended, though, Damieon George returned at RT, but Micah Mazzccua did not play for the Gators against Charlotte.
Napier commented on Mazzccua after he was asked why he didn’t play in the second half in his post-game press conference.
“Yeah, obviously Micah was suspended for the first half and then a little bit of in-house there in that regard for the second half.”
The offensive line did not play as well as they should have against Charlotte, but the Gators did rush for 136 yards and passed for 259 yards. Finishing drives with touchdowns was the biggest issue.
Red Zone Woes
The biggest takeaway from Florida’s sloppy win over Charlotte has to be their red zone miscues. After scoring on the opening drive of the game, the Gators settled for FIVE field goals, three of which came inside the red zone.
Napier commented on those red zone woes in his post-game press conference.
“We moved the ball up and down the field; we’ve just got to have better red-zone production,” Napier said.
Had the Gators been able to turn those red zone possessions into touchdowns, the outlook of this game changed drastically.
That said, the Gators did learn something about their special teams unit with those red zone woes.
Gators Have Found Their Permanent Placekicker
Florida Gators K Trey Smack (29) – Matt Pendleton/USA Today Sports
Redzone woes may have plagued the Gators against Charlotte, but it allowed the opportunity for them to find their new permanent placekicker in Trey Smack, who was a perfect 5-5 on field goal attempts, including a career-long 54-yard FG that would have been good from 60 yards.
Smack also, well, smacked all of his kickoffs into the end zone for touchbacks, not allowing Charlotte the opportunity to return any kicks.
After Adam Mihalek had two kicks blocked by Tennessee a week ago, Napier said that a kicking competition would commence this week leading up to the Charlotte game, and it’s safe to say Smack won that competition.
Puzzling Situation Involving Gators Safety Kamari Wilson
When the depth chart for the game against Charlotte was released, a notable name was absent entirely: safety Kamari Wilson.
Wilson, a former five-star recruit Florida signed in their 2022 recruiting class, appeared in every game a year ago as a true freshman for the Gators but has been somewhat buried on the depth chart due to the rise of true freshman Jordan Castell. Napier confirmed in his post-game press conference that Wilson did not make the 80-player travel roster that Florida is allowed for home games.
Wilson was not spotted on the field during pre-game warmups, but during the second quarter, Wilson came onto the Florida sideline out of the locker room dressed in sweatpants with a jersey on but was then swiftly escorted back to the locker room.
It’s uncertain what will happen with Wilson going forward, but it’s just a bizarre situation for everyone involved.
Final Thoughts
It was far from pretty, but a win is a win, which the Gators will take before they head up to Lexington to take on the Kentucky Wildcats next week. The Florida defense played very well and continues to prove that they are one of the best defensive units in the SEC this season. The red zone miscues on offense are slightly concerning, given the opponent, but Napier said after the game they are “correctable.” Trey Smack taking over the kicking duties for the Gators is much more significant than most people will give it credit for, as reliable college kickers are not easy to come by.
