Anthony Richardson subtly calls his shot ahead of Florida vs. Florida State

Florida has a big challenge following their upset loss to Vanderbilt last weekend as they take a trip to Tallahassee this Friday to take on rival Florida State. The Gators loss was the first time Vanderbilt secured consecutive conference wins wince 2018, as they now face the No. 19 ranked Seminoles that haven’t lost a single game in the month of November. Gators quarterback Anthony Richardson spoke about last weeks lost and his mindset heading into their next matchup.

“A lot of people are disappointed, but it comes with the sport, you win some you lose some even though we don’t want to lose,” Richardson explained. “It happens if you’re not on top of your A-game, so things like that happen.”

The Gators definitely were not on their A-game last Saturday, as their offense struggled to reach the end zone failing to score a single touchdown in the first half. Richardson and their offense generated some points in the second half, but it was too late in the game for them to capitalize.

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“But momentum is always something that we try to work towards, always try to put something in our favor when it comes to momentum and we try to win every game,” Richardson said. “So we’re not really focused on who we’re playing because that can really alter your mind, the way you’re thinking about when it comes to the game plan and stuff like that.”

Hopefully, Richardson’s focus and attention to momentum give the Gators better luck this week, as he made a rather bold statement about the outcome of Friday’s game versus the Seminoles.

“So we just try to focus on winning the game, and when we win this one it’s definitely gonna build momentum for us,” Richardson said.

Billy Napier seeking better intensity early in games

Florida suffered from a big upset loss this weekend, losing to Vanderbilt 31-24 and snapping an eight-game winning streak against the Commodores. The Gators got off to a slow start in their game this weekend, a problem that they’ve faced on various occasions this season. Head coach Billy Napier was asked about the slow start of his team and agreed with it being an issue.

“I agree with you, I think about that at times,” Napier admitted. “Until you get in the middle of the fight, I think that’s one of the things kind of like we’re talking about Mark’s question relative to performing with consistency.”

The Gators found themselves down 14-6 at halftime, and then down 28-12 headed into the fourth quarter on Saturday before making a late rally that wasn’t enough to secure them a win. Napier elaborated on his team’s sluggish starts and the factors that contribute to them.

“Handling success, handling failure, being a consistent competitor, and I think ultimately when you see that you kind of flip that switch at times when you get behind or maybe you’re behind the eight ball or it’s a closer game than you expected,” Napier said.

It’s safe to say that Florida may have underestimated their opponent last weekend, and hopefully for them, they don’t do the same this weekend as they face rival Florida State at Doak Campbell Stadium. The Seminoles are currently ranked No. 20 in the country and have put together four straight wins, and will definitely require a fast start if the Gators want to leave Tallahassee with a win.