Florida Struggles to Sustain Momentum, Gets By Charlotte 22-7

Florida utilizes kicker Trey Smack's leg to overcome Charlotte in a sluggish Week 4 performance.

Photo: Ricky Pearsall; Credit: Alex Shepherd

GAINESVILLE -- It was far from smooth sailing, but the Florida Gators used the right leg of kicker Trey Smack to fend off a game Biff Poggi-led Charlotte 49ers squad on Saturday night, 22-7.

The sophomore kicker finished the day 5-for-5 on his field goal attempts, including a 54-yarder midway through the second quarter to uplift Florida's struggling offensive attack.

"Hats off to Trey Smack," Florida head coach Billy Napier said postgame, "to step up and hit all five of those."

The Gators opened the contest strong, producing a quick-hitting nine-play, 95-yard drive capped off by a six-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Graham Mertz to tight end Arlis Boardingham — the first of his collegiate career.

The second drive started similarly promising, highlighted by a highlight reel grab by Florida wideout Ricky Pearsall down the seam for a 25-yard gain.

OH MY!!!! WHAT A CATCH @S1ickSzn 😳

💻 ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/4zzupSxOfJ

— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) September 23, 2023

However, Florida was significantly plagued by its own inability to close out drives from there. The Gators were forced to opt for field goals on three straight possessions by a stout 49ers defense.

Smack knocked through kicks from 27, 23 and 54 yards out, respectively, on those consecutive drives to build the Gators a 16-point cushion while simultaneously solidifying himself as the undenied top placekicker for the unit moving forward.

However, it didn't remain intact for long.

On the ensuing possession, as the first half ticked under three minutes, the 49ers found pay dirt behind the leadership of former Gators quarterback Jalon Jones. Orchestrating an eight-play, 75-yard drive in 5:15, Jones marched the Charlotte offense to its best drive of the evening with both his arm and his legs.

A 34-yard pass to Colin Weber placed the unit deep in Florida territory for the first time, offering an opportunity to close the gap just before the halftime break.

Three plays later, Jones kept it himself up the middle, stepping out of an ankle tackle attempt at the goal line to post the 49ers' lone score of the night from seven yards out.

Florida took the locker room for intermission ahead 16-7.

When the two squads returned to the gridiron, Florida's sluggish late-half outing continued as two of the first three dives ended in fumbles by Mertz and Caleb Douglas. The two turnovers were split by another Smack field goal, giving Florida a 19-7 lead with 7:27 remaining in the third.

He later added a 23-yard field goal with 2:28 remaining for good measure en route to the 22-7 victory.

The Gators will look to rebound after the sluggish performance next Saturday as they hit the road for the first time in conference play to take on the Kentucky Wildcats at 12 p.m. ET.

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