Post Game Texas A&M

2022 Florida Football Postgame Notes
Florida 41, Texas A&M 24
November 5, 2022
Kyle Field – College Station, Tex.
Richardson + Run Game Power Comeback Win in College Station

• Florida picked up its fourth come-from-behind win of the season (trailed against No. 7 Utah, USF, Eastern Washington and at Texas A&M).

• However, Florida’s win over Texas A&M marks the Gators’ first win of the season in which they were trailing at the half.

• Florida won its first SEC road game since Dec. 5, 2020 at Tennessee (W, 31-19).

• With today’s victory, Florida improves to 3-3 (.500) vs. Texas A&M and 2-1 (.666) in College Station.

• Florida’s 20 explosive plays marked the team’s most in a game this season.

• The Gators rushed for a season-high 291 yards on the ground – Florida’s sixth 200-yard rushing game of the season including the fourth in the last five contests.

• QB Anthony Richardson passed for 200-plus yards for the fourth time in his career and finished with two passing TDs and two rushing TDs each for the second time this season (Week 4 at No. 11 Tennessee).
o In two road games this season, Richardson has a 148.8 passing efficiency with 327.0 passing yards/game, four TDs and one INT while averaging 70.0 rushing yards/game with
four rushing TDs.
 Florida is averaging 37.0 points, 543.0 yards, 327.0 passing yards and 216.0 rushing yards on the road.

Gators Offense
● The Gators’ 5.9 yards per carry ranks third in the FBS and is on track to tie the school record set in 2008.
o Florida averaged 5.8 YPC against Texas A&M, rushing a season-high 50 times for 291 yards.

● Florida did not turn the ball over for the third-consecutive game.

● The Gators eclipsed 400 yards for the fourth time this season including the third time in the last six
games.
o Florida amassed 400-plus total yards for the 21st time in its last 32 games including 34 of the
last 51 contests.

● The Gators have rushed for 100-plus yards in 11-straight games including all nine games so far this season.
o The Gators have now rushed for 100-plus yards in 20 of their last 22 games.
o Florida has rushed for 100-plus yards in 49 of its last 60 games.

● Florida rushed for 200-plus yards for the sixth time in nine games this season and for the fourth time in the last five games.
o Florida posted its 12th game of 200-plus rushing yards in the last 22 contests.
o This marks Florida’s 24th 200-plus yard rushing game in its last 60 games.

● The Gators have out-gained their opponents in 16 of the last 22 games dating back to last season
(South Carolina, UCF, USF, Missouri, LSU, Georgia).

● Florida scored 30-plus points for the fifth time this season including the fifth time in the last seven games.
o The Gators scored 30-plus points for the 37th time in their last 60 games, including scoring 30-plus in 24 of the team’s last 36 games.
o The Gators scored 30-plus points seven times in 15 games last season.

● Florida scored 40-plus points for the second time this season – with both coming in the team’s last five games (Week 5 vs. Eastern Washington).
o Florida scored 40 points for the 21st time in the last 60 games and for the sixth time in 22 games since last season.
o The Gators scored 40-plus points four times last season.

● With just one sack allowed at Texas A&M, Florida posted its eighth game with one sack or fewer surrendered in nine contests this season.
o Florida has allowed only nine sacks in 2022, which is tied for 18th-fewest in the FBS (t-third in the SEC)

 

● Florida had seven explosive rushes in the first half at Texas A&M after recording zero in the first half vs. No. 1 Georgia last week.

● RB Montrell Johnson Jr. rushed for 100-plus yards for the fourth time in his career and for the second time as a Gator.
o Johnson Jr. finished with a career-high 22 carries.

● Johnson Jr. and Etienne have combined for one rushing TD in all nine games this season.
o Johnson Jr. recorded his eighth rushing TD of the season and the 20th of his career at Texas A&M in Week 10.
o The duo has combined for 34 of Florida’s 55 explosive rushes (10-plus yards).
● WR Ricky Pearsall has hauled a pass in 24-consecutive games.

● QB Anthony Richardson’s 60-yard TD rush in the first quarter marked the fourth-longest by an SEC quarterback this season.
o It was his third TD rush of 45-plus yards this season.
o It was also the fifth-longest TD rush by a Florida quarterback since 1996. Richardson also occupies the No. 1-3 spots on that list, with Jeff Driskel sitting in fourth (70 yards, Oct. 13, 2012 vs. Vanderbilt)
o Across the last 10 seasons (2013-2022), Richardson owns each of the five-longest TD rushes
by a Florida quarterback:
▪ Oct. 15, 2022 vs. LSU: 81-yard TD rush
▪ Sept. 11, 2021 at USF: 80-yard TD rush
▪ Sept. 4, 2021 vs. FAU: 73-yard TD rush
▪ Nov. 5, 2022 at Texas A&M: 60-yard TD rush
▪ Sept. 3, 2022 vs. Utah: 45-yard TD rush

● Richardson recorded his seventh and eighth rushing touchdowns of the season in the first quarter at Texas A&M.
o Richardson’s eight rushing TDs are tied for sixth all-time in a single season by a Florida quarterback (Tim Tebow – 2006, Jimmy Fisher – 1979)
o Richardson’s eight rushing TDs rank second among SEC QBs, t-sixth in the P5 and t-sixth in the FBS.

● Of Richardson’s 27-career touchdowns (16 passing, 11 rushing), he has:
o Six TDs of 70-plus yards, 11 TDs of 40-plus yards and 13 TDs of 25-plus yards.
o Three TD rushes of 70-plus yards, four TD rushes of 60-plus yards and five TD rushes of 45-plus yards
o Four 75-yard TD passes, six 40-yard TD passes, seven 30-yard TD passes and eight 25-yard TD passes

● Richardson posted his third game this season with three-or-more total TDs.
o Richardson has eight passing TDs and eight rushing TDs in 2022 – good for 16 total.
o He is one of six FBS players with at least eight passing and rushing TDs apiece.

● Richardson posted his second game this season with four-or-more total TDs (Sept. 24 at No. 11
Tennessee).

● WR Ja’Quavion Fraziars caught his first passes of the season, finishing with a team-high four receptions for 50 yards and one TD.
o Fraziars set career highs in receptions (four), receiving yards (50) and receiving long (19).
● With Fraziars finding the stat sheet, 17 different players have now caught at least one pass for Florida this season.
● RB Trevor Etienne carried the ball a career-high 17 times and finished with 80 rushing yards on three double-digit carries.

● WR Caleb Douglas’ second-career reception came in the form of a 12-yard TD catch to extend Florida’s lead to 34-24 in the third quarter.
o Both of Douglas’ first-two career receptions went for touchdowns of 10-plus yards (61-yard TD reception vs. Eastern Washington).
o Douglas finished with a career-high three receptions

 

Gators Defense
● Florida shut out Texas A&M in the second half, holding the Aggies to 106 total yards including 11 rushing yards from halftime onward.
o This was Florida’s first second-half shutout since Oct. 9, 2021 vs. Vanderbilt (W, 42-0).

● Florida held Texas A&M to 4-for-13 on third down (30.8%) and 0-for-1 on fourth down.
o Florida’s performance on third down (30.8%) tied for the defense’s top third-down performance of the season (30.8% vs. No. 20 Kentucky).

● The Gators recorded two sacks in today’s game.
o Since the start of last season, Florida has out-sacked its opponents by a plus-29 margin.
o Florida’s 172 sacks since 2018 season ranks second in the SEC and t-sixth nationally –
Clemson (212), Pittsburgh (206), Alabama (191), Miami (178), Ohio State (174) and
Oklahoma State (172).
o Florida ranked tied-for-14th in the FBS and second in the SEC with 34 sacks last season.

● Florida recorded its 16th turnover of the season with a pair of fourth-quarter forced fumbles.
o The Gators have had at least one turnover in eight of nine games this season.
o Florida has recorded multiple takeaways in six games this year.

● With two takeaways at Texas A&M, Florida’s defense has now produced 94 turnovers since 2018, which ranks third in the SEC and tied-for-20th in the FBS.
o The Gators have produced 16 turnovers this season with at least one each game.
o The Gators’ 16 forced turnover this season rank t-first in the SEC and t-14th in the FBS.

● Making his first start of the season, JACK Antwaun Powell-Ryland Jr. set career highs with six tackles (three solo) and 2.0 TFL while adding one sack and one forced fumble (his second of the season).

● DE Princely Umanmielen posted 1.0 sack, 2.0 TFL and two QB hurries and one forced fumble.
o Umanmielen now has 4.0 sacks and 7.0 TFL this season.

● LB Ventrell Miller finished with 1.0 TFL and four tackles (three solo).

● DB Jason Marshall Jr. logged two pass breakups – his fourth and fifth of the season.

● DB Jaydon Hill picked up his first-two pass breakup of the season.

● Florida registered its first takeaway of the game in the fourth quarter, as Umanmielen forced his second fumble of the season, followed by Lloyd Summerall III’s first-career fumble recovery.

● Powell-Ryland Jr. gave Florida its second takeaway with a fourth-quarter strip sack on the next drive, which LB Amari Burney recovered for his first fumble recovery of the season and second of his career.
o Burney has now been involved on five takeaways this season: two interceptions, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.

● S Donovan McMillon recorded 1.0 TFL – the first of his career – finishing with two solo tackles.

Florida Special Teams
● P Jeremy Crawshaw punted three times for an average of 44.7 yards, including a long kick of 47 yards and one kick inside the opposing 20-yard line.

● K Adam Mihalek went 2-for-3 on field goal attempts.
o Mihalek connected on a 50-yard field goal in the first quarter, marking his third 50-plus-yard kick of the campaign and his second in as many weeks.
o He later made a 24-yarder in the second quarter, but missed on a 28-yard attempt in the fourth.

Explosive Plays (20)
● Ja’Quavion Fraziars (from Anthony Richardson): 17-yard reception, first quarter

● Ricky Pearsall (from Anthony Richardson): 23-yard reception, first quarter

● Montrell Johnson Jr.: 12-yard rush, first quarter

● Anthony Richardson: 11-yard rush, first quarter

● Trevor Etienne: 12-yard rush, first quarter

● Trevor Etienne: 11-yard rush, first quarter

● Anthony Richardson: 10-yard TD rush, first quarter

● Ricky Pearsall: 15-yard rush, first quarter

● Anthony Richardson: 60-yard TD rush, first quarter

● Xzavier Henderson (from Anthony Richardson): 17-yard reception, second quarter

● Montrell Johnson Jr. (from Anthony Richardson): 18-yard reception, second quarter

● Trevor Etienne: 10-yard rush, second quarter

● Ricky Pearsall (from Anthony Richardson): 21-yard reception, third quarter

 

● Ja’Quavion Fraziars (from Anthony Richardson): 19-yard TD reception, third quarter

● Montrell Johnson Jr.: 22-yard rush, third quarter

● Anthony Richardson: 12-yard rush, third quarter

● Ricky Pearsall: 20-yard rush, third quarter

● Ricky Pearsall (from Anthony Richardson): 21-yard reception, third quarter

● Montrell Johnson Jr.: 24-yard rush, third quarter

● Montrell Johnson Jr.: 16-yard rush, fourth quarter
Series Updates

● Today’s game represented the sixth all-time meeting between Florida and Texas A&M including the
third matchup in College Station.

● With today’s victory, Florida improves to 3-3 (.500) vs. Texas A&M and 2-1 (.666) in College Station.

• This year’s matchup marked the first time in the last four meetings between Florida and Texas A&M that the final score was not decided by three or fewer points.
o 2012 – TAMU 17, UF 20 l 2017 – TAMU 19, UF 17 l 2020 – TAMU 41, UF 38

• HC Billy Napier defeated TAMU HC Jimbo Fisher in their first meeting as head coaches.

• Florida’s 492 yards was its most against Texas A&M across the last four meetings.

Other
● Florida has scored in 432-consecutive games -- which is an NCAA record and 56 games longer than any other college football team in history.
o The Gators broke Michigan’s record of 365-consecutive games (1984-2014) against LSU onOct. 7, 2017.

● Florida Game Captains: #9 Gervon Dexter, #51 Ventrell Miller, #54 O’Cyrus Torrence, #15 Anthony Richardson

● Texas A&M won the toss and deferred; Texas A&M defended the south end zone.

● Attendance: 97,797

 

2022 Florida Football Postgame Quotes
Billy Napier, Florida Head Coach
Florida 41, Texas A&M 24
November 5, 2022
Opening statement...
“I think that this game of football – we spent countless hours on scheme, we spent countless hours training, lifting weights, running, working on fundamentals, working on situational football – but there’s
a human element to this game. And that’s a battle that we’ve been living with this group of players.

And I really can’t compliment the leadership on our staff and the leadership amongst our players enough, relative to the character, the accountability, the brotherhood. Playing the game with a special team dynamic, a certain morale. Just out of respect for the game and the way it should be
played. And I think we saw some of that.

I think we could’ve easily got frustrated with our defensive performance in the first half, but man, in that locker room, you would never know. It’s really a group that stuck together. They knew exactly what the issues were. The ownership in each position group. Being vocal about the things that they could do better. And I think the staff did a terrific job making
adjustments.

Just really proud of the overall response here. I think that it’s a certain part of this game that we’ve been working hard on, I think showed up today. And the execution was there.

Really proud of the defense to shut that group out in the second half. To play complimentary football – I’m pretty sure we didn’t turn the ball over; three weeks in a row that we didn’t turn the ball over. We’ve
gotten takeaways. We’re starting to play football the way it’s intended to be played. Just the energy and the approach. So, extremely proud of the players and of the staff.”

On the improvements to the third-down defense...
"Again, I go back to what I mentioned earlier. I don’t think it’s about the play call. I don’t think it’s about the fundamentals. I think it’s about what’s going on between the ears. I think it’s about the relationships in the room. It’s about being committed to the people around you and playing the
game with those intentions. And I think that early-kick, we stumbled out of the blocks.

Obviously, we all watched it. There’s nothing to be proud of about it. But ultimately, when adversity is presented to
you, it gives you an opportunity to prove what you’re made of. It gives you a chance to refine and develop your character, and I think that’s what we saw. It’s good to see players lead. And I think that’s a part of our team that we’re developing. We took a step in the right direction in that regard
today.”

On Anthony Richardson’s dual-threat performance...
"I told Anthony there late in the game – I think Anthony’s going to play this game for a long time – I think he’ll look back and this will be one of those days that he will say was kind of a pivotal day. I think just playing with confidence, thought he started fast. Really thorough in his prep during the week.

He’s a 20-year-old, first-year starter in a new system. And I think, again, I really believe Anthony’s problems aren’t physical. It’s about development. It’s about getting comfortable in a role. Being a leader, being vocal. Improving as a communicator. Playing as a competitor and playing for your
teammates. Taking yours and beating theirs. I just really think today was a big step in the right direction for him."