WATCH: Billy Napier’s opening statement after Florida's win over EWU
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Billy Napier and the Florida Gators got back in the win column Sunday against Eastern Washington in blowout fashion. After falling behind 3-0 on the game’s opening drive, UF scored 52 consecutive points en route to a 52-17 victory.
The Gators racked up 666 yards of offense, led by quarterback Anthony Richardson with 240 passing yards, two touchdowns and a 45-yard run. Backup QB Jalen Kitna came off the bench and threw for 152 yards, including a 62-yard touchdown.
Florida finished with 14 plays of 20 yards or more, highlighted by a 75-yard touchdown catch by Justin Shorter on the first offensive play and a 76-yard touchdown run by Ricky Pearsall. The Gators rushed for 274 yards, with their top four backs totaling 118 yards.
After the Eagles scored a field goal and turned it over on down their second series, UF buckled down defensively and allowed just 139 yards over the next eight possessions before EWU put together two touchdown drives in the fourth quarter.
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In the video below, Florida coach Billy Napier discusses his team’s win over Eastern Washington.
Billy Napier opening statement
“The game today, I was pleased to see us start fast in the game. Our defense, early, kind of bent but didn’t break. We forced a field goal in the red area and got off the field on fourth down. Although they moved the ball a little bit at times today, overall, offensively, able to answer. I thought we were pretty sharp. I thought we had our best week of practice, offensively in particular. Sometimes the opponent doesn’t matter. I think it’s about your urgency, your focus, your intensity. I thought our detail was better. We threw and caught the ball in practice this week better. That showed up on game day. We say to the players all the time, practice performance equals game-day reality. I thought we saw a little bit of that today. The second half, obviously a handful of things to clean up there. There’s a lot of young players that got a chance to play for the first time today. Jalen Kitna would be a prime example of a guy who I thought the first time between the lines really did a lot of good things. And there’s a number of other freshmen that played, so a lot of growth there. We’re going to make the most of this learning experience and we’re going to turn the page pretty quick here and get ready for the SEC East opponent.
“I think we played clean. Offensively in particular. I think when we watch the tape, we’ll see a little bit more. But just the maturity … think about what you’re walking into here. It’s Sunday, 12 noon, an FCS opponent on the other side of the country. Do you have enough maturity to show up and play? Do you play fast and physical early and execute at a high level? I thought we did that. These games are beneficial in a lot of ways. To see us take advantage was I think important.”
