GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida had hoped that a matchup against a clearly overmatched opponent in USF would be just what the Gators needed to take away the bitter taste of last week’s loss to Kentucky. Instead, UF found itself in a dogfight throughout before pulling out a hard-fought 31-28 win Saturday night.
USF kicker Spencer Shrader’s 48-yard field goal missed its mark, preserving the win.
Florida tailback Trevor Etienne scored on a 3-yard run with 5:05 left for what would be the go-ahead touchdown.
The Bulls rushed for a season-high 288 yards as tailback Brian Battie (150 yards) and quarterback Gerry Bohanon (102) ran for at least 100 yards apiece.
Early on, it was a return to basics for No. 18 Florida which leaned into a balanced ground game to turn an early 7-3 first-quarter deficit into a 24-13 advantage. But issues that plagued the Gators in their loss to the Wildcats presented themselves again in the second half.
Quarterback Anthony Richardson looked calm and in control of UF’s offense throughout much of the first half, but the sophomore tossed his third interception of the season at the start of the third quarter. USF converted the mistake into a 6-yard touchdown by Bohanon to cut the lead to 24-21.
Richardson’s problems continued as he completed just one of his next five pass attempts, overthrowing several receivers in the process. He would throw his second interception of the night when USF cornerback Aarmaris Brown picked off his pass in the end zone, squashing a potential go-ahead score with 7:50 left in the fourth.
Montrell Johnson Jr., Nay’Quan Wright and Etienne rushed for combined 196 yards.
It was an uneven performance for Florida’s defense, which spent much of the game struggling to contain a potent USF ground game. The Bulls took advantage of the spacious running room to account for 178 yards, including seven runs of 10-or-more yards.
One bright side was cornerback Jalen Kimber, who plucked a Bohanon pass out of the air and return it 39 yards for a touchdown with under four minutes in the first half that seemed to flip the script for the Gators.
UF defensive back Tre’Vez Johnson would pick off a Bohanon pass deep in USF territory with 6:51 left. The takeaway set up the Etienne score.
Standouts
Florida (1-1, 0-1 SEC)
— Anthony Richardson: The quarterback went 10-for-18 passing for 112 yards while adding 23 rushing yards on six carries. He also threw two more interceptions, including one in the end zone.
— Montrell Johnson II: The sophomore running back led the team in rushing with 103 yards, highlighted by a 62-yard touchdown run at the start of the second quarter. It was the longest Gators run since Richardson’s 80-yard touchdown run against USF on Sept. 11, 2021.
— Antwaun Powell-Ryland Jr.: The linebacker forced a fumble in the first half.
USF (1-1, 0-0 AAC)
— Gerry Bohanon Jr.: The transfer quarterback went 12-of-28 passing for 116 passing yards and an interception while adding 102 yards rushing and a 6-yard touchdown run in the first half.
— Brian Battie: The sophomore running back had 14 carries for 148 yards highlighted by a 10-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. It was the second straight game in which Battie has rushed for at least 100 yards.
— Mekhi LaPointe: The safety had five tackles, including two tackles for loss and a sack.
Noteworthy
— Florida safety Trey Dean III stripped the ball out of USF receiver Xavier Weaver’s hand and linebacker Shemar James dove on the ball at Florida’s 41 in the first quarter. It was the first fumble recovery of the season for the Gators.
— South Florida rushed for 216 yards in the first half, averaging 9.8 yards per attempt.
— Kimber’s Pick 6 was the first interception for a touchdown by a Gator since C.J. Gardner-Johnson’s 30-yard score against Michigan in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on Dec. 29, 2018.
— The Gators forced multiple turnovers for the first time since their 24-21 win over Florida State on Nov. 27, 2021.
