Final: Florida 31 USF 28

FINAL

FL 31

USF 28

A missed field goal in the final minute allows Florida to avoid overtime and secure a 31-28 victory over South Florida. Florida improves to 2-1 heading into its first SEC road trip of the season at Tennessee. 

4th quarter

– END 4Q: The holder drops the ball and Shrader misses the field goal. Florida’s going to escape with a three-point victory, in dramatic fashion no less. Richardson kneels it out to tick the final seconds off of the clock. 

– The snap goes through Bohanon’s hands, and the quarterback has to dive on it at the 33-yard line. 3rd-and-20 incoming for the Bulls, and Battie is brought down at the 31-yard line. Florida calls timeout with 28 seconds remaining as USF looks to attempt the field goal. 

– Bohanon keeps it out of the timeout and picks up five yards. USF calls a 30-second timeout. 

– Florida calls timeout with 50 seconds remaining to talk it over. UF’s first timeout of the second half. USF is on the 23-yard line with a fresh set of downs. 

– USF has rushed for 294 rushing yards with a minute to play. Florida has been unable to stop the rush all night long. On 2nd down, Bohanon completes to Weaver for another USF first down. Weaver has eight receptions so far tonight. 

– On 3rd-and-1 from the 41-yard line, Bohanon, in the shotgun, keeps it for another USF first down. Bulls are to the 36-yard line as the clock ticks under two minutes. 

– Bulls start on their 30-yard line. Brenton Cox Jr. drags Dukes down for a one-yard loss on first down, and Bohanon keeps it for a yard on second down. As Ben Hill Griffin Stadium roared, Bohanon dropped back to pass and completed to Khafre Brown for a 20-yard gain to extend the drive. With the ball at midfield, the Bulls hand it to Battie, who breaks a tackle and picks up eight yards to get into Florida territory. 

– SCORE: Rather than throw it from several yards out, the Gators stick with the current hot hand: Etienne. He punches it in from three yards out to put Florida back in front, 31-28, after Mihalek’s extra point. 

– The toss goes to Trevor Etienne on 2nd-and-7 goes for 15 yards and the Gators are at USF’s 10-yard line. Etienne keeps it again and picks up seven yards. Florida’s knocking on the door once again. 

– Princely Umanmielen drags down Bohanon for a one-yard loss on 2nd down, and Tre’Vez Johnson appears to have come up with the interception near the 30-yard line. They’ll review it first but he thinks he made the play. Replay confirms he made the play. Gators take back over at the Bulls’ 28-yard line. 

– Montrell Johnson keeps it again, this time for an 18-yard gain, and Florida is at USF’s 10-yard line. A late hit out of bounds moves the Gators to the 5-yard line, but disaster strikes again as Richardson is intercepted in the end zone. USF takes over on its 20-yard line. Florida is nearing a shocking upset at home. 

– Justin Shorter with a 30-yard reception from Richardson. Florida’s longest reception of the season so far. And now Montrell Johnson comes back in for just his fourth carry of the night after having so much success earlier, and he immediately picks up a first down. Hard to fathom why he’s been rotated out frequently. 

– SCORE: USF scores from a yard out on 2nd-and goal as Bohanon pitches to Michel Dukes, who evades a tackler and bounces outside for the touchdown. With 11:14 remaining, the Bulls takes a 28-24 lead after the extra point. 

– USF is knocking on the door and head coach Jeff Scott wants to talk it all over a little bit longer. Bulls use their first timeout of the second half with 11:59 remaining in the game. 

– Brian Battie picks up 13 yards and gets to Florida’s 1-yard line. The Gators bring down Battie for no gain, but Florida’s whistled for offsides. Desmond Watson checks back in for the goal-line stand. 

3rd quarter

– END OF 3Q: Bohanon slides for a first down as the Bulls get across midfield just as the quarter commences. Desmond Watson is credited for a tackle-for-loss to bring up 2nd-and-12 on UF’42-yard line. Florida squandered its first possession of the quarter and went three-and-out on its second, and the Bulls are driving for the go-ahead score when the final quarter commences. 

– Florida’s offensive woes continued. After Nay’Quan Wright picks up six yards on 2nd down, but a false start on Keon Zipperer backs Florida up to the 17-yard line. Richardson overthrows Whittemore on third down to end the drive, and Crawshaw comes back out to punt it away. Weaver fields the punt at the 29-yard line and gets to midfield to begin the Bulls’ next drive. 

– Chris McClellan records a pair of tackles, including on 3rd-and-short, and the Bulls opt to go for it on 4th-and-2 from UF’s 35-yard line. A false start penalty, however, moves the ball back to the 40-yard line, and Andrew Stokes comes out to punt it away for the first time tonight. After a delay-of-game penalty backed the Bulls up to the 45-yard line, the Gators took back over on their 15-yard line following Stokes’ 30-yard punt. 

– Richie Leonard, in the game at left guard for Ethan White, is called for a false start on the first play of Florida’s second drive of the second half. On 3rd down, Richardson drops back to pass but it’s incomplete. He had Trevor Etienne uncovered, though he didn’t see him. Florida punts it away and the Bulls take over on their own 42-yard line. An unpromising start by the Gators out of halftime. 

– SCORE: USF cuts Florida’s lead to 24-21 on Gerry Bohanon’s 6-yard rush up the middle. On the two-point conversion, Bohanon finds Weaver uncovered in the back of the end zone. Richardson’s turnover on Florida’s opening drive proves costly. 

– Florida’s first drive of the second half starts on the 25-yard line, and Richardson extends the drive with his legs on a well-designed call. Great block by Dante Zanders allows Richardson to cut inside and slide before contact arrives. Two plays later, Richardson drops back to pass and is picked off by Dwayne Boyles, who takes the interception 37 yards to Florida’s 18-yard line. Richardson makes the tackle near UF’s sideline and the Bulls are in the red zone already in the opening minutes of the second half. 

2nd quarter

– HALF: Thanks to Jalen Kimber’s timely pick-six, Florida takes a 24-13 lead into the halftime locker room instead of clutching a narrow one-score lead over USF. Kimber’s interception for a touchdown marked Florida’s first pick-six since Chauncey Gardner-Johnson’s against Michigan in the 2018 Chick-fil-a Peach Bowl – a 39-game span – and it subsequently widened a narrow margin in a game in which the Gators were heavily favored coming into kick-off. The Bulls did manage to add to their total just before the conclusion of the first half, however, on Shrader’s 49-yard field goal. The Gators will get the ball to start the second half. 

– SCORE: The drive stalls out at Florida’s 32-yard line, and the Bulls call on Shrader to try a 49-yard field goal attempt, which sails through the uprights. Florida with a 24-13 lead over the Bulls with 10 seconds left in the 2nd quarter. 

– USF is whistled for offensive pass interference on 2nd-and-7 to back the Bulls up from UF’s 42-yard line to their own 44. A 2nd-and-22 pass attempt from Bohanon to Xavier Weaver is complete, bringing up 3rd-and-4 from the 39-yard line with 38 seconds remaining in the first half. South Florida is looking to cut into Florida’s two-score advantage before the half draws to a close, and coach Jeff Scott calls the Bulls’ second timeout of the first half on 1st-and-10 from Florida’s 35-yard line. 

– USF is over 200 rushing yards now as Bohanon picks up 13 yards to the Florida 45-yard line. Not a desirable showing so far by Florida’s rush defense. 

– SCORE: Jalen Kimber jumps the route, intercepts Bohanon near the 40-yard line and dashes into the end zone for the pick-six. Like that, the Gators have taken a double-digit lead in the span of 90 seconds. Florida with a 24-10 lead on USF with 3:15 left in the second quarter. Kimber’s first interception with Florida is an impactful play for a UF team still working on pulling away from the visiting Bulls. 

– SCORE: Nay’Quan Wright takes the outside hand-off for seven yards for Florida’s second touchdown of the night. Mihalek’s succesful extra-point attempt gives the Gators a 17-10 lead on USF with 4:45 remaining in the first half. 

– Richardson escapes on 3rd-and-7 to give UF another first down. Wright takes the hand-off and loses a yard to bring up 2nd-and-11 from USF’s 14-yard line. Richardson looks to throw on 2nd down but he instantly faces pressure and has to roll to his right. He runs out of bounds for a loss of a yard, and the Bulls are credited with a sack. Florida’s third-down attempt doesn’t gain much, but USF’s whistled for an unnecessary roughness call on the play to gift the Gators a first down. Florida catches a break when it appeared as if they’d have to settle for another field goal from close range. 

– Richardson finds Trent Whittemore for a 26-yard gain and a UF first down. Whittemore’s first reception of the season. Florida’s at the 50-yard line now and sticking with Etienne at running back. He picks up another Florida first down, and Nay’Quan Wright checks in. Richardson looks deep to Justin Shorter and it’s slightly overthrown, but the officials throw a flag for defensive pass interference, moving the ball to the 24-yard line for another first down for the Gators. 

– Another penalty on Florida on a kickoff. It’s a personal foul penalty on Derek Wingo, which means Florida’s third drive of the night will start at the 13-yard line. On the first play of the drive, freshman running back Trevor Etienne takes his first handoff of the night for 15 yards and a Florida first down. On second down, Richardson is chased in the backfield and he’s forced to throw it away. Etienne gets it again on 2nd-and-10 from the 28-yard line, and he appears to have another first down, but Richard Gouraige is whistled for holding to make it 2nd-and-14. 

– SCORE: Jalen Kimber breaks up a pass on 2nd-and-goal from the 4-yard line, and Bohanon’s third-down pass sails out of the end zone, but the Bulls tie the score at 10-10 on Spencer Shrader’s 21-yard field goal. Florida will receive the kick-off with 10:45 remaining in the second quarter. 

– On 4th-and-1, Bohanon tosses it to Battie, who picks up 51 yards and would have scored if it weren’t for Amari Burney’s effort in pursuit. Bohanon keeps it on the next play and picks up 11 yards to get USF 1st-and-goal from Florida’s 4-yard line. 

– SCORE: Montrell Johnson runs 62 yards for Florida’s first touchdown of the night, which marked UF’s longest rush since Richardson’s 80-yard sprint during the Sept. 11, 2021 win over USF at Raymond James Stadium. Johnson wasn’t touched as he sprinted down the USF sideline into the end zone. Florida is back in front, 10-3, with 14:49 remaining in the first half. Now that’s a response. 

1st quarter

– END OF Q1: Not a promising start for the Gators, who find themselves trailing to USF, 7-3, after 15 minutes of play. Florida’s first drive stalled out, though Mihalek got UF on the scoreboard first with a 31-yard field goal. The Bulls had little trouble with Florida’s offense and have out-gained the Gators, 133 to 68, in total yards. For a team looking for a response after last week’s loss to Kentucky, Florida’s first quarter was far from desirable. 

– On the first play of Florida’s second drive, Austin Barber’s whistled for unnecessary roughness to make it 2nd-and-16 at the 19-yard line. Florida’s first penalty of the night, but the Gators respond with a 14-yard completion from Anthony Richardson to Ricky Pearsall. Montrell Johnson, on 3rd-and-two from the 33-yard line, takes his first carry for a first down. USF’s whistled for offsides as the first quarter draws to a close. 

– SCORE: Brian Battie rushes 10 yards up the middle to put USF in front, 7-3, with 1:21 remaining in the first quarter. Florida, which came into the game favored by more than three touchdowns, has found itself in an early hole to their in-state counterpart. 

– USF has 1st-and-goal at Florida’s 10-yard line as the clock ticks under two minutes. Brenton Cox Jr. and Rashad Torrence combined for a crushing hit on Bohanon, but he gets right back up and remains in the game. 

– On 3rd-and-18, Battie takes the hand-off and picks up 21 yards to extend the drive. USF is whistled for a false start on the proceeding play. Regardless, the Bulls pick up another first down to keep their second drive of the night alive. With the ball at the 45-yard line, Jaren Mangham rushes for 23 yards to UF’s 22-yard line. USF is already over 100 total yards of offense on the night – Florida has just 45 yards with the second quarter approaching. 

– Brian Battie takes the kickoff out of the end zone and only gets to the 19-yard line. Bulls run an outside handoff and Jason Marshall Jr. makes the tackle, but not before it picks up five yards. USF picks up a first down on another completion by Bohanon, and appears to have another as Bohanon’s forced to escape a collapsing pocket, but a holding call will back the Bulls up to their 23-yard line. 

– SCORE: Florida’s first drive of the night stalls out at the 14-yard line, and Adam Mihalek comes out to attempt a 31-yard field goal, which is successful. 3-0 Florida with 8:12 left in the first quarter.

– The Gators are in the red zone for the first time tonight as Anthony Richardson hits Keon Zipperer for a 20-yard completion. Great protection there gives Florida’s signal-caller plenty of time to throw. 

– Nay’Quan Wright gains seven yards for a first down on 2nd-and-two, and the Gators are quickly into USF territory. 

– The Bulls are into Florida territory on the opening drive of the night as Gerry Bohanon picks up 15 yards and gets to UF’s 44-yard line. USF appears to be moving quickly on its opening drive of the night, but a fumble on 1st-and-10 is recovered by freshman linebacker Shemar James. Credit Antwaun Powell-Ryland Jr. with forcing the fumble and ending a promising start for USF. 

– USF starts its opening drive on the 22-yard line. USF picks up a first down on 3rd-and-five on a 12-yard reception by Xavier Wright. 

Pregame

– Florida won the toss and deferred to the second half. USF will start with the ball.

– Jaydon Hill is out for Saturday’s contest with USF. Hill was listed as “questionable” Wednesday on Florida’s depth chart. He hasn’t played since the 2020 campaign after suffering a torn ACL in preseason camp last season.

– As expected, Michael Tarquin and Ventrell Miller aren’t dressed out for pre-game warm-ups. Both players are in walking boots. Marco Ortiz, who remains out after suffering an injury against Utah, has his left arm in a sling. 

– Ben Shelton, the youngest honorary ‘Mr. Two Bits’ in the nine-year history of the tradition, does the pre-game routine with a racquet in hand. He’s applauded by a Florida crowd that’s still trickling in here. Two minutes later, the Bulls run out of the visiting locker room and are booed by the Florida faithful. 

Notes:

Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. ET from Ben Hill Griffin Stadium

– Florida plays host to South Florida for the second time in school history in the third-ever meeting between the schools.

– The Gators are 2-0 in the all-time series including 1-0 in The Swamp.

– The two teams last met in Tampa in Week 2 of last season (Sept. 11, 2021) with UF prevailing, 42-20. The Gators totaled 666 yards of offense (sixth-most all-time), rushed for 363 yards and passed for 303 yards.

– That game represented one of four times since since 1996 that UF posted 300+ yards passing and rushing in the same game. The feat has been accomplished just 11 times by Power Five schools since the start of the 2021 season.

– QB Anthony Richardson was 3-for-3 passing for 152 yards and two touchdowns and also rushed four times for 115 yards (28.8 YPC) and one touchdown.

– With that performance, Richardson became the first FBS player in the last 25 seasons to rush for 100-plus yards, pass for 150-plus yards and complete every pass he threw in a game.

– Richardson became the first FBS player to record an 80-plus yard rush and 75-plus yard pass in the same game since Taylor Martinez (Nebraska) in 2010 and is one of three FBS players to accomplish the feat dating back to 1996.

– Going back to the first-ever meeting between UF and USF, the Gators defeated the Bulls in The Swamp, 38-14, in 2010 thanks to 139 yards and one TD from RB Jeff Demps and an 172-yard, two TD game (18-for-31) by QB John Brantley.

– UF has outscored USF, 80-34 (+46 pts/23.0 PPG), and out-gained USF, 1,089 to 627 (+ 462 yds/231.0 YPG).

– This is the first meeting between UF’s Billy Napier and USF’s Jeff Scott as head coaches, although the two coached together at Clemson from 2008-10. Napier served as TE/RC Coach (2008) and OC/QB Coach (2009-10) while Scott was WR/RC Coach.

– Florida has won 13-straight regular season non-conference games since the start of the 2018 season.

– In six non-con games since 2021, UF ranks fifth among P5 schools with 520.0 YPG and second with 273.8 rushing YPG.

– Florida opened the season with a 29-26 upset of No. 7 Utah, which tied for UF’s highest-ranked victory in a season opener in program history (Florida 59, No. 7 Houston 34 – Sept. 20, 1969).

– Florida is the only team in the nation to face opponents ranked in the AP Top 25 during each of the first two weeks this season. Florida is the only team in the nation that has faced two opponents ranked in the current AP Top 25.

-Paired with Week 1’s attendance of 90,799 (10th all-time, most ever for home opener), Florida’s Week 2 attendance of 89,992 equated to a combined 180,792 fans through two games. Florida’s 180,792 fans represented the fourth-largest two-game attendance start in program history.

– UF HC Billy Napier is the first UF HC to defeat a ranked opponent in his first game at the helm.

– Florida has only allowed a total of 22 rushing yards in the first half this season (59 vs.Utah, -37 vs.Kentucky).

– Florida boasts a 351-112-13 (.751) all-time record at The Swamp, holding the third-highest home winning percentage in the nation since 1990 with a 170-33 (.837) record.

– The Gators have outscored opponents 7,648 to 3,256 in 203 games since 1990 inside The Swamp, putting the average outcome at 37.7 to 16.0 (21.7 points).

– Florida has scored in 425-consecutive games dating back to 1988–an NCAA record and 56 games longer than any other college football team in the history of the sport.

– Florida has won 13-straight regular season non-conference games since the start of the 2018 season.

– 2021 All-Sun Belt Freshman of the Year RB Montrell Johnson Jr. and freshman RB Trevor Etienne paced UF running backs in rushing for the second-straight week in Week 2.

– Johnson Jr. led the backfield with 62 yards on seven carries (8.9 YPC) while Etienne led with nine carries and totaled 46 yards (5.1 YPC), scoring his first-career touchdown with a go-ahead, 11-yard scamper in the second quarter.

– Etienne then caught a pass from Richardson for the two-point conversion, becoming one of three UF players (Kyle Trask, Anthony Richardson) to score a rushing touchdown and a two-point conversion in the same game in the last 25 years. He is the first with a rushing TD and a receiving 2-pt conversion.

– Johnson Jr. and Etienne combined for 108 rushing yards on 16 carries in Week 2 (6.8 YPC), equating to to 53.3% of carries and 79.4% of UF’s rushing yardage.

– UF’s O-Line took over six quarters to surrender its first sack of 2022, which came on Florida’s first drive of the third quarter vs. Kentucky.