Give Me Five: Breakdown of Florida's Orange & Blue Game
Following each Florida game, Gators Online Senior Writer Zach Abolverdi will analyze UF’s performance in his Give Me Five breakdown.
Five observations, five key plays, five key quotes, five notable stats and five standout Gators. Here’s the Orange & Blue Game:
Five observations
Anthony Richardson’s elite throwing motion:
Richardson has really refined his throwing motion. The ball jumps out of his hand with a quick delivery that is smooth and mechanically sound. Richardson fired a fastball to Justin Shorter in the second quarter, which caused Steve Spurrier to stop mid-sentence during the broadcast. “See that throw there,” Spurrier said. “He’s a natural. He’s a natural quarterback.”
Dante Zanders has found a new (old) home:
Gators coach Billy Napier called Zanders a godsend at tight end, and he showed out at his old position in the spring game. The converted defensive lineman finished with team highs in receptions (5) and receiving yards (56). “That’s a significant stat right there,” Napier said. “Dante Zanders, you can immediately see where he’s got a future. I can’t compliment him enough.”
Lloyd Summerall III looks like a million bucks:
You could not miss No. 99 coming off the edge Thursday night. Summerall, who enrolled at 210 pounds, is now pushing 240 and has filled out his 6-foot-5 frame. He made five tackles in the spring game — matching his season total from last year — and appears ready to contribute for the Gators at JACK. “A kid with all the talent,” outside linebacker coach Mike Peterson said of Summerall. “Has the size, all the measurables, long arms, can rush the passer.”
Diwun Black is a playmaker at his new position:
After making “a lot of plays” in camp behind closed doors, including a few picks, Black put his play-making ability on display Thursday. He had four tackles and a team-high two pass breakups at inside linebacker, his new position. Starter Ventrell Miller credited Black for improving his game this spring. “I’ve just seen the progress,” Miller said. “He always gets his hands on the ball. He’s just a playmaker, you just see him flying around.”
Billy Napier didn’t hold players out in the fourth:
Some head coaches elect to sit some of their starters and veteran players in the spring game, at least in the second half. Not Napier. He played his first-team offense and first-team defense late into the fourth quarter. With under three minutes left and the score 34-0, Richardson was still in the game along with Miller, Amari Burney, Trey Dean III, Gervon Dexter and several starting offensive linemen. Burney, who led all Gators with 11 tackles, appeared to hurt his left wrist when he made a huge hit on Zanders and fell to the ground in pain moments later.
Five key plays
Ja’Markis Weston’s 19-yard touchdown:
Kamar Wilcoxson was playing nickel against Weston and had an opportunity to tackle him at the 12-yard line, but led with his shoulder instead of wrapping up. Weston ate the contact and then outran two more Gators defensive backs to the end zone.
Donovan McMillon’s end-zone pick:
On the ensuing series, Jack Miller III and the Orange offense reached the 10-yard line with a chance to tie. Miller had Demarkcus Bowman open on second-and-7 but threw into triple coverage and was picked off by McMillon, who hit ‘The Griddy’ in celebration.
Jordan Young’s third-down stop:
With the Orange team trailing 14-0 and inside Blue territory at the 37, Young put an end to their drive with an impressive open-field tackle on third-and-5. As Montrell Johnson caught a pass on an out route, Young broke on the ball and upended him.
Montrell Johnson moving the chains:
Johnson, who played for both teams, would find success on the next drive. On third-and-7 inside the red zone, Johnson shook Burney at the 11 and then spun forward to the 3-yard line. His 8-yard run moved the chains and set up the Blue’s third TD.
RELATED: Montrell Johnson is on a mission to prove he belongs
Tyreak Sapp’s TFL and forced fumble:
The Blue defense created three turnovers Thursday, including a forced fumble by Sapp. On the Orange’s opening drive of the second quarter, Sapp shot through his gap and tackled Bowman for a loss, jarring the ball loose. Jalen Lee recovered.
RELATED: Watch the best moments from Florida’s Orange & Blue Game
Five key quotes
Anthony Richardson on the offensive tempo: “Honestly, I love the tempo. … In this offense, if you do one thing wrong, you mess up the whole play. I just tell them we’ve got to play fast and play concise. If we do that, I don’t think anybody can stick with us because our tempo is pretty fast. We should know the plays like that. Honestly, I love the tempo.”
Montrell Johnson on his strengths: “I think one of my strengths is I’m a very patient runner. I wait to see when the hole is going to open up. One of the things I can work on is my speed. I’m trying to work on my stamina. You know, trying to stay in the game longer without having to come out.”
Jordan Young on his performance: “I feel like I did good. I put my trust in God and just went out there and played ball. … I really played mostly corner all spring, but we had a little incident (in the spring game) and I had to step up and play STAR. I just did what my team needed me to do.”
More from Napier on Dante Zanders: “He’s been the story of the spring. We moved him over from defense and the guy picked it up quickly. He did the extra. I mean, I saw him around the facility more than some of the coaches. He was in there grinding away. And he has ability. I mean, the guy’s 6-5 and a quarter, he’s 260 pounds, he’s loose, he can transition, he’s got good ball skills. Most importantly, he’s smart and he’s consistent. The guy is heavy-handed at the point of attack. I mean, he’s a godsend. Not only did he make the move, that guy running out there is going to make a lot of plays for us. Extremely pleased with Dante.”
Napier on the pros and cons of spring camp: “I can’t compliment the players’ work ethic enough, their competitive spirit. One thing about this group now, when you put the ball down, they’re gonna compete. And I think tonight you can see them competing. The practice field has been full of emotion, full of energy. There’s passion. We’ve got to funnel all of that towards execution, poise, discipline. I think that’s where we need to make progress. I think they want to do well. We’ve got to channel all that energy and emotion into the things that will help them play better. Ultimately, it’s about doing your job when it counts. So, our job as coaches is to recreate the game in practice and we’ve got some work to do to help this group get where they want to go.”
RELATED: Anthony Richardson’s ‘first-class approach’ produces stellar spring game
Five notable stats
- Team Blue held Team Orange scoreless, which marks the second time in the game’s history where a team has scored zero points (2017).
- Adam Mihalek’s 52-yard field goal tied the longest field goal in the Gators’ spring game history (Chris Hetland ’06 and Eddie Pinerio ’16).
- Bowman rushed for 61 yards and led all ball carriers with 17 carries, which surpassed his season total of 14 carries last year.
- The Blue offense scored touchdowns on all four of its red-zone trips, while the Orange offense was 0-for-2 inside the 20 with a missed goal and Miller’s pick.
- Gators tight ends Zanders, Noah Keeter and Keon Zipperer combined for 10 catches for 142 yards and a touchdown.
RELATED: Five takeaways from the Florida Gators spring game
Five standout Gators
QB Anthony Richardson: 207 yards and two touchdowns on 18 of 24 passing; 22 yards and a score on six carries.
RB Montrell Johnson: 62 rushing yards and a touchdown on 15 carries.
TE Dante Zanders: Five catches for 56 yards, both team highs.
CB Jalen Kimber: Six tackles (four solo), a pick and two pass breakups.
CB Jordan Young: Six tackles (three solo) and a pass breakup.
