Dan Mullen shares real reason Anthony Richardson missed South Carolina game
Florida Gators quarterback Anthony Richardson wasn’t available to play for Dan Mullen on Saturday versus South Carolina. The reasoning, however, is not what everyone thought going into the weekend.
Richardson suffered a concussion in his first career start in the Week 9 game against Georgia but the Florida medical staff cleared him to play by Thursday. The redshirt freshman fondly referred to as AR15 actually couldn’t play on Saturday because he hurt his knee on Friday night.
Richardson was dancing in the team hotel on Friday night when he tweaked his knee, Dan Mullen shared in his press conference on Monday.
Sophomore quarterback Emory Jones got the start versus the Gamecocks instead and the Gators went down in an embarrassing fashion. Jones went 17-for-30 with 238 passing yards, two scores and an interception. The Gators had a net of 82 rushing yards in the 40-17 loss.
Anthony Richardson has 474 passing yards, five touchdowns and five interceptions on the year. He’s also added 347 rushing yards and three more scores on the ground.
Gators fire two coaches after loss to South Carolina
The Florida Gators confirmed reports from Sunday night that they are making staff changes heading into Week 11. The Gators are parting ways with defensive coordinator Todd Grantham and run-game coordinator/offensive line coach John Hevesy.
The staff changes require Dan Mullen to move some coaches around. The program shared that linebackers coach Christian Robinson will take over defensive play-calling duties. Also, Paul Pasqualoni, special assistant to the head coach, will take an on-field role for the remainder of the 2021 season.
Additionally, Michael Sollenne, who has been with the team since 2020 as a graduate assistant on the offense, will work with the OL for the rest of the year.
Robinson is in his fourth season with the Gators. Pasqualoni was a head coach at Syracuse and the University of Connecticut, in addition, he coached at several stops in the NFL.
Todd Grantham and Florida’s defense have been the focus of criticism since 2020, when cornerback Marco Wilson cost the Gators a chance at the College Football Playoffs by tossing an opponent’s shoe. The Gators defense ranks No. 43 of 130 in the FBS, allowing 353.6 yards per game and 28 touchdowns.
Since losing to Kentucky in upset fashion, Florida has dealt with issues on the recruiting trail. With six decommitments, including five from the 2022 class, the Gators have dropped to No. 20 in On3’s consensus team rankings.
Saturday’s loss brought Florida’s losing streak to three. Disappointing losses to Kentucky, LSU and South Carolina bring the Gators to 4-5, and 2-5 in the SEC. Florida now needs two wins over the final three games to become bowl eligible.