Making A Case For Each Florida Gators Quarterback To Start vs. Georgia

Making a case for quarterbacks Emory Jones and Anthony Richardson to start for the Florida Gators against the Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday.

The Gators quarterback battle has come to a head.

Just one day away from their annual SEC East battle with the Georgia Bulldogs in Jacksonville, the Florida Gators keep outsiders in the dark about who the head signal-caller will be.

At the beginning of the season, Emory Jones entered for his first snaps as a full-time starter at UF. He was groomed for three years to be the heir to Feleipe Franks and Kyle Trask in head coach Dan Mullen’s system.

However, after a rocky start to Jones’ starting career, backup Anthony Richardson was thrust into a significant amount of snaps in relief.

Richardson’s injury against USF – which sidelined him for two games – delayed judgment day for the quarterback controversy. Coming off a four-touchdown performance in the second half against LSU, Richardson has forced Mullen’s hand heading into their matchup with No. 1 Georgia.

As a result, Saturday has the potential to be the defining moment of his tenure at the University of Florida. Who should he start?

AllGators makes a case for both quarterbacks to trot out as the starter for Florida’s first offensive series against Georgia.

Emory Jones

He’s not the flashy choice, but he is the safe option of the two.

Met with ups and downs at the helm of the Gators offense in 2021, Jones has produced in big-time moments when given complete trust by the coaching staff.

Receiving uninterrupted snaps against the last No. 1 team they played this season, Jones was a significant piece in the Gators’ success, falling just two points short of victory over Alabama.

Tossing an early interception, Jones settled firmly into the contest to complete nearly 65% of his passes for 195 yards while picking up 77 yards and scoring on the ground.

With that performance, he momentarily silenced critics who called for his replacement after two games.

Now, with the calls coming for his successor yet again — this time even louder — Jones’ case to start is his experience.

Understanding how to combat the magnitude of facing off with the team regarded as college football’s best, Jones has the blueprint to remaining cool, calm and collected against a team like Georgia.

That’s because he’s done it before and did it well.

Growing mentally throughout the season, Jones is the best option for ball security — even with his fair share of mistakes still mounting. 

Before you close out of the article, let me explain.

In situations where pass-rushers beat Florida offensive lineman and no one is open downfield, Jones is more likely to tuck the ball and run instead of electing to force it downfield where it can be picked off.

It is something he tried to do early in the year, but he hasn’t put the ball in harm’s way as frequently in recent weeks,

Understanding what is asked of him in the offense — now in year four of the system — Jones can operate beyond first and second reads, keeping the offense from being simplified.

According to Mullen, Jones is further developed to depict defensive tendencies both pre-snap and during the play. 

Consequently, the Gators have chances to dig further into the playbook.

With Jones, Florida isn’t given the breadth of opportunities to score from anywhere on the field. They are, however, in a better position to manage the game if they find themselves out in front down the closing stretch.

Anthony Richardson

If Richardson is to be the starter on Saturday, his reps would be unquestionably earned, not given.

Richardson was expected to see an increased role in 2021 following a redshirt season in 2020. Scheduled to play every third series for Florida, he has consistently made his mark with his strong arm and effortless athleticism.

Accumulating 740 yards and eight total touchdowns in his limited appearances, the Gainesville native has drastically outplayed expectations.

During his stretches of excellence, Richardson has allowed the Gators to open up a passing game that has been riddled with conservativeness under Jones.

Despite Mullen’s assertion that he is behind the curve when it comes to scanning the field when option A or B is not open, Richardson averages nearly three more yards per completion than Jones, including a 75-yard touchdown in week two.

By taking more shots downfield and establishing UF’s best weapon in wide receiver Jacob Copeland more consistently, Richardson gives Florida’s offense multidimensional against the stout Georgia defense.

Some may argue that Richardson’s inexperience and poor decisions with pressure in his face put Florida in an unfavorable spot, as ball control will be a massive factor in the team’s success on Saturday.

The gripe is understandable, as starting Richardson would subject the Gators to more growing pains than they’ve already experienced this season against the nation’s best team. 

It’s also a situation that could stunt his development in the process.

However, the knack he has shown to make splash plays through the air and on the ground gives Florida their best chance to knock the Dawgs off their throne.

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