Anthony Richardson's shadow looms large on Florida Gators QBs
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Fans came to the Florida Gators spring game hoping to see some fireworks from Graham Mertz and/or Jack Miller III. For many of them, however, the highlight of the night was interacting with soon-to-be NFL quarterback Anthony Richardson.
As Mertz and Miller sputtered at the start of a scoreless third quarter, their predecessor made a lap around the stadium. He signed autographs and took pictures with countless fans. Most seemed more interested in meeting him than watching the game.
Richardson, a regular around the team this spring, was in no way trying to steal the spotlight, but his presence and popularity — coupled with the uninspiring play of his successors — underscored just how difficult it could be for Florida to replace him in 2023.
Richardson’s running ability is one area of his game that the Gators will miss the most. Perhaps don’t overact to the nine sacks Thursday because all the defenders had to do was tag the QBs, but it’s safe to say Richardson would not have taken that many sacks.
There were two obvious examples in the game where Richardson’s wheels would have made a difference. On Mertz’s second drive, he scrambled right on fourth-and-7 and ran out of bounds a yard short for a turnover on downs.
On Miller’s second-to-last series of the first half, he also scrambled right on a third-and-7 and came up two yards behind the first-down marker. On both plays, Richardson would’ve had enough space and speed to move the sticks.
To Miller’s credit, he pulled the ball twice during the spring game for gains of 11 yards and 8 yards. He netted 24 yards on his three rushing attempts.
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“I think I’ve gotten a lot faster, honestly, probably since last year, so I feel pretty confident,” Miller said. “I think it’s a part of my game that can definitely be utilized. I feel good about it.”
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Both quarterbacks threw a touchdown and no interceptions, although each had a pick dropped. Mertz outproduced Miller with both units, throwing for 244 yards on 18 of 29 passing to Miller’s 144 yards on 10 of 20 attempts.
By comparison, in last year’s spring game Richardson had 207 yards and two touchdowns on 18 of 24 passing along with a third score and 22 yards on six carries. Mertz was not content with his first showing with the Gators.
“You’re a little frustrated,” he said of his feelings. “Couldn’t get the ball rolling. And then when something big would happen, we kind of got set back a little bit. It all comes down to execution. I mean, I’m definitely not satisfied with it. We did do some good things.”
Just not enough to compete with Anthony Richardson’s growing stardom. Despite his up-and-down season as a first-year starter in 2022, it was clear Thursday night that he is beloved by Florida fans and leaves behind big shoes to fill for Mertz or Miller.
