'Matchup Issues': Weapons Emerging in Florida's Passing Offense

Six Gators pass-catchers hauled in multiple receptions during Florida's 41-39 win over South Carolina.

Graham Mertz's performance — he became the first quarterback to reach 400 yards passing in a Florida vs. South Carolina game on Saturday night — rightfully commands the headlines crafted in the wake of the Gators' 41-39 victory over the Gamecocks in Week 7. 

Perhaps the biggest contributing factor to Mertz's career day was the emergence of a diverse arsenal of pass-catchers. 

Senior receiver Ricky Pearsall has been a household name, making his team-leading 13 targets logged against South Carolina no surprise. Although like Mertz, Pearsall reached career-highs in the event with 10 catches for 166 yards, despite the Gamecocks' best efforts to shut him down with effort from six different coverage defenders. 

South Carolina threw the kitchen sink at Florida WR Ricky Pearsall in coverage yesterday. Almost nothing worked.

His frequent pre-snap movement vs. zone played a big part in these splits. From PFF: pic.twitter.com/mFgzqtVa3k

— Zach Goodall (@zach_goodall) October 15, 2023

But another seven Florida pass-catchers found the stat sheet, too. Six, including Pearsall, tallied multiple receptions during the matchup. 

"We're getting there from a skill standpoint, to where we've got a number of players that can create matchup issues for you," Napier said about Florida's materializing receiver corps after the victory. 

True freshman wide receiver Eugene Wilson III also produced a career-high in receiving yards against the Gamecocks with 83 over six catches, shattering his previous high of 63 yards on eight receptions just last week.

Redshirt freshmen tight ends, Arlis Boardingham and Hayden Hansen, continued to showcase significant progression considering neither played the position earlier than their junior season of high school. Boardingham began his transition to the spot from wide receiver last year.

Yet, Boardingham persists as Florida's leader in touchdown receptions this season with four. He hauled in his most recent on Saturday, making a bobbling grab in front of the end zone and crossing the line to narrow South Carolina's lead from 10 points to three with fewer than five minutes remaining in the contest.

And while Hansen has primarily been deployed as a blocker at the "Y" tight end spot this year, the former quarterback, too, set personal records with two catches for 23 yards. Both of his catches went for 10+ yards, including an 11-yard, third-down conversion in the first quarter. 

"The tight ends, they’re both freshmen. I think they’re improving," Napier said. "I think [Wilson] is unique. He presents you opportunities to be creative and get him plays. I mean, he made some incredible plays out there today." 

One of the most important plays in the game was made by yet another Gators receiver. Former walk-on Kahleil Jackson has already made a name for himself by producing multiple acrobatic catches this season, but he created his biggest one to date early in the second quarter, a diving reception for a 45-yard gain that set Florida up in the red zone for a lead-taking touchdown.

The score was also caught by Jackson, in the back left corner of the end zone.

"He's stepped up in a major way," Napier described Jackson. 

Only running back Montrell Johnson Jr. was dinged for dropping the ball, as two passes fell out of his hands. But he redeemed himself by taking three short passes for meaningful gains with an average of 8.7 yards after the catch, including a 3rd and 21 catch and run for 11 yards in the third quarter to arrange a lead-taking 54-yard field goal by Trey Smack on the next play. 

Johnson, Boardingham and Hansen each caught passes on Florida's opening drive, which ended in a Trevor Etienne rushing touchdown.

"We had a good plan and we started with a good mix there early and we executed it at a high level," Napier described Florida's opening drive. "Featuring a lot of different players in that drive and Mertz was outstanding." 

The plan was put in place during a week of practice that Napier described as the best the team has had this season. 

Pearsall expanded upon the effort he witnessed from Florida's younger pass-catchers during those practices and his message to those players as they prepared for the Week 7 bout.

"Throughout practice, we rep these plays a million times. All these guys are winning across the table," Pearsall said about the Gators' youthful receiving corps. "They’re younger guys, yeah, but man, they got all the ability in the world.

"So I told them, 'Just go out there and play with energy, play with confidence. Because you can do it, man. Believe in yourself.' "

The message was received, and the young receivers rose to the occasion. 

Upon exiting the field victorious, Napier approached Mertz and Pearsall — both players transferred to Florida from elsewhere — in UF's locker room to share the following dispatch in the wake of their performances.

"'This is why you come to Florida, to get an opportunity to play in that type of venue in this league and make critical plays in critical moments,' " Napier recalled.

The duo wasn't alone in doing just that for Florida's offense on Saturday.

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