Two Gators take home weekly SEC Honors
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — A career night for Gators quarterback Anthony Richardson led the redshirt freshman to be named SEC Offensive Player of the Week for the first time in his career. Brenton Cox Jr. also claimed his first conference player of the week honors, being named SEC Co-Defensive Lineman of the week.
Richardson ran for a career-best three touchdowns, including the game-winning two-yard rush that gave Florida a lead late in the fourth quarter. The Gainesville native is the first FBS quarterback to rush for three touchdowns in a game this season.
Richardson is one of only five Florida quarterbacks to rush for three touchdowns in a game since 1996. He joined Emory Jones, Jeff Driskel, Jesse Palmer, and Tim Tebow, who did it twice.
“I feel like every time Anthony has the ball something good’s going to happen. He just has so many abilities and different things,” Gervon Dexter said after the game. “He can run the ball, he can throw the ball, so when you play a quarterback like that, you kind of got to watch out for both, and it’s tough to stop a quarterback like Anthony Richardson.”
His 168 passing yards were also a new career high. That topped his previous best of 167 last year at LSU on Oct. 16, 2021. He added 106 yards on the ground, ending the season opener with 274 yards of total offense. Richardson is one of just three Gator quarterbacks to rush for three touchdowns and pass for 150-plus yards in the same game, joining Jesse Palmer and Tim Tebow, who did it twice.
Cox recorded a career-best 10 tackles against Utah on his way to being named SEC Co-Defensive Lineman of the Week for the first time in his career. He was one of only eight SEC players to tally double-digit tackles over the weekend.
A preseason All-SEC honoree, Cox posted his seventh-straight game with a quarterback hurry, and his sixth-straight game with a tackle for loss, two categories he led the Gators in last season.
Florida hosts No. 20 Kentucky on Saturday for a 7 p.m. kickoff on ESPN.
Full list of SEC honors
OFFENSIVE
Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida
DEFENSIVE
Christopher Smith, S, Georgia
Bumper Pool, LB, Arkansas
SPECIAL TEAMS
Barion Brown, KOR, Kentucky
FRESHMAN
Jayden McGowan, WR, Vanderbilt
OFFENSIVE LINE
Darrian Dalcourt, C, Alabama
LaQuinston Sharp, OL, Mississippi State
DEFENSIVE LINE
Brenton Cox Jr., JACK, Florida
Jordan Domineck, DL, Arkansas
