Richardson Carrying Weight of Florida's Loss to Kentucky on His Shoulders
Photo: Anthony Richardson; Credit: Alex Shepherd
24 hours ago, quarterback Anthony Richardson was viewed as a potential 2022 Heisman Trophy contender and the type of elevational talent that could turn the Florida Gators into a threat during head coach Billy Napier's first season in Gainesville.
Then, the No. 12 Gators were defeated at home by the No. 20 Kentucky Wildcats on Saturday night, thanks in large part to Florida's inability to move the ball through the air.
Richardson was unable to complete more than two throws in a row throughout the loss, which he only did twice. He finished with a 14-of-35 passing line for 143 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions, the first pick setting up a six-yard Kentucky scoring drive and the second returned 65 yards for six points by Keidron Smith.
"I feel like I let everybody down," Richardson somberly admitted following the loss. "Especially the defense, because I looked everybody on the defense in the eyes and I told them that I've got them but obviously I didn't."
Richardson started the evening with a handful of explosive passes that moved the Gators' offense down the field in the first quarter. He found Justin Shorter on a bang-8 route for 16 yards on the first drive, a second drive shot down the seam to Ricky Pearsall went for 24 yards, and a designed roll-out allowed him to connect with Xzavier Henderson 28 yards down the sideline on the third drive.
But only the series featuring Pearsall's big play resulted in points, and it was worth merely three. Richardson went a combined 0-of-6 passing to complete those drives.
And really, aside from his two-point attempt completion to Trevor Etienne following the freshman running back's second-quarter touchdown set up by a Gervon Dexter interception in Kentucky territory, it was all downhill from there for Richardson. He only completed four passes of 10 or more yards after the earlier deep shot to Henderson, and UF didn't score once in the second half.
One might wonder if a hit to his legs on the second play of the game, which has garnered arguments for a missed penalty, knocked Richardson out of his comfort zone from the jump. His lack of rushing production — four yards on six attempts, a far cry from his 106-yard outing vs. Utah — would support the theory.
He claimed otherwise, not making any excuses for his performance and noting his effort to pass the ball more this week than last. Napier indicated that quarterback rushing opportunities were also limited by Kentucky's defense.
"I was pretty good to start the game off, but I missed a lot of different throws and my confidence got shot," Richardson said. "It affected my receivers poorly, missing them wide open so I know their confidence probably went down as well. I didn't help my O-line, I didn't help my running backs. I failed the team, so mentally I shot myself down a little bit but I tried to stay in it.
"Physically, I was fine. I just tried to play through it and just play the game."
Napier foreshadowed Richardson's disappointment when he met with reporters just prior to Richardson's emotional press conference.
He stressed that, while he believes the offense as a whole could have played better which would have led to a better performance from Richardson, his quarterback isn't intimidated by the idea of sharpening his game.
"There’s no one that’s his own worst critic than Anthony," Napier remarked. "Anthony’s a perfectionist. He’s the ultimate competitor, and he wants to do his job on the team ... One thing I know about Anthony, he’s a fighter. He’s going to show back up, and he’s going to work hard to improve. He has that level of investment and commitment to the players and the people in the organization.”
Richardson's commitment to the organization led him to his transparent address after the game, where he owned up to his performance and vowed to rebound with hard work and support from his teammates.
"I take full responsibility for the loss," Richardson stated. "[I've] just got to grind a little harder. I feel like I took a step back from the Utah win, and I shot myself in the foot this game. Just got to grind a little harder. Just trying to pick my teammates up. Everybody’s counting on me, and I’m definitely counting on them."
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