Florida Gators WR Kadarius Toney Earns SEC Co-Special Teamer of the Week
The SEC has named Florida Gators wide receiver Kadarius Toney its co-Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance against Kentucky this past weekend. He shares the honor with Vanderbilt kicker Sarah Fuller, the first female to ever play in a Power 5 football game.
Toney returned a punt 50 yards for a touchdown near the end of the second quarter, securing a halftime lead for the Gators as they were in danger of their first halftime deficit of the season. He also made an acrobat grab off of the bounce of a punt within UF's ten-yard line, with coverage defenders enclosing, and somehow managed to squeeze a nine-yard return out of it.
In addition, Toney added three receptions for 38 yards, as Florida's passing attack flowed through tight end Kyle Pitts in his return to action after missing two games.
Head coach Dan Mullen was pleased with the Gators' all-around special teams plays sans a missed field goal by typically automatic kicker Evan McPherson. Running back Dameon Pierce ran for 15 yards to convert a fake punt on Florida's first offensive drive of the game. Punter Jacob Finn had a punt pinned at the Kentucky one-yard line after UF's defense had given up scores on consecutive drives, and Kentucky failed to score again from that point on.
"Overall I thought it was a really good special teams day and we talk about all three phases being equal," Mullen said post-game. "A lot of times young players or guys that come into the program are, 'Hey, what about my reps on offense, what about my reps on defense?' Worry about your reps and executing on special teams because those can be game-changing plays and you saw that with game-changing plays today."
Fuller attempted one kickoff for Vanderbilt, an admirable pooch-kick that yield no return.
