4 Samford Bulldog Impact Players the Florida Gators Must Know

The Florida Gators are heavy favorites over the Samford, but the Bulldogs have several players who can cause problems.

The Florida Gators and head coach Billy Napier should cruise against Samford on Saturday, but quarterback Quincy Crittendon can pose problems. / Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

GAINESVILLE, Fla.— The Florida Gators (0-1) will look for its first win of the season on the field, and off the field will look to turn off outside noise, in a matchup against FCS opponent Samford (0-1).

Here are four key Bulldogs who the Gators must stop if they’re to rebound for its first win of the season. 

QB Quincy Crittendon

Week 1 Stats: 24-41, 307 yards, two touchdowns, interception. 19 carries, 90 yards, two touchdowns.

In his first start since the 2022 NCAA Division I-FCS Quarterfinals, Crittendon shined despite the loss to West Georgia to open the season. A dual-threat quarterback, he also led the Bulldogs with 90-yards rushing and two scores to go with his 300-yard performance through the air. 

Last week, the Gators were abysmal keeping Miami dual-threat quarterback Cam Ward under pressure and allowed him to extend plays with his legs multiple times. Although Samford isn’t Miami, Florida cannot allow last week’s woes to carry over to a matchup against another capable quarterback. 

“Making sure that we stay in our rush lanes, plaster, all that good stuff. Like you said, their quarterback is mobile and they run with him as well,” said linebacker Grayson Howard. “So this would be a great opportunity for everybody to do their job and everybody to fly to the ball.”

WR Brendan Jenkins

Week 1 Stats: Four receptions, 86 yards, touchdown

After touting all offseason about its new and improved secondary, the Gators did not show much of it against Miami as multiple defensive backs were out of position, and combined with Ward’s escapability, allowed receivers to get open down the field. 

Florida doesn’t have much margin-for-error this week, either, with another dual-threat quarterback in Crittendon to go with Jenkins, the reigning Southern Conference Freshman of the Year. Last week, he led the Bulldogs with 86 yards on four catches.

It won’t help that Florida will be without three starters in the secondary this week with Devin Moore, Sharif Denson and Asa Turner all out due to injury.

“The focus this week is just everybody doing their job,” said safety Jordan Castell. “Like, everybody wants to win. We felt embarrassed last week and we don't want to feel like that anymore.”

LBs Noah Martin and Jaden Mosley

Martin’s Week 1 Stats: 11 tackles (eight solo)

Mosley’s Week 1 Stats: 10 tackles (six solo), 1.5 tackles-for-loss, sack

Samford’s dynamic duo at linebacker each recorded double-digit tackles in last week’s loss. Martin, a preseason All-American, led the Bulldogs in total stops (11), while Mosley led the team in tackles-for-loss (1.5) and was tied for the team-high in sacks with one. 

Last week, Florida only accounted for 261 yards of total offense with two total touchdowns, one of which came well after the game was out of reach in the fourth quarter. With freshman DJ Lagway making his first-career start, it’s crucial Florida finds any early rhythm, and it starts with stopping Martin and Mosley. 

In particular, Florida’s offensive line struggled mightily against Miami. They’ll have an opportunity to turn the tide of its production on Saturday. 

“I think that, ultimately, those guys understand that if we’re going to have a football team, a quality football team, it’s always going to start up front,” Napier said. “Who ever had a great team without a good offensive line? Who ever had a really good offensive unit without a great offensive line? And the film is who we are at this point. No matter how much work we’ve done since the first day of the offseason until now, we went out there and we put that on tape. Ok, so, that’s who we are. There’s only one way to fix that and it’s to put good tape together one week at a time moving forward.”

Samford at Florida kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. EST and will be aired on ESPN+. Florida is given a 98% chance of winning by ESPN's Gamecast.