Florida Football Suffers Tough Opening Loss Against Miami

Florida lost 41-17 against No. 19 Miami in a one-sided season opener Saturday at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

The heated rivalry was not as competitive as it’s been in the past. Third-year UF coach Billy Napier was confident his team improved in the offseason, but the trust didn’t bear fruit Saturday as the Gators allowed the most points to open the season in program history and saw their NCAA-best 34-game winning streak in season openers snapped.

Final.

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Gator Offense Struggles

From beginning to end the Hurricanes dominated Florida on all fronts.

The offense could not get going in Florida’s sixth consecutive defeat. Quarterback Graham Mertz completed nine passes for 91 yards and an interception in three quarters before coming out with an injury early in the fourth quarter. Napier said Mertz suffered a concussion.

Mertz had high expectations coming into his second season in The Swamp, but the lackluster start is concerning, especially when you consider the strength of Florida’s schedule.

The fault isn’t entirely on the quarterback. The offensive line struggled to keep Mertz protected. The line allowed three sacks and eight tackles for loss in the game.

Third downs were another big issue for the Florida offense, only converting one of nine.

Napier called the performance embarrassing in the postgame news conference:

Defensive Woes

The defense wasn’t much better.

Containing Miami’s scrambling quarterback Cam Ward was the key to success Saturday, but the Florida defense couldn’t do so. Ward threw for 385 yards and three touchdowns in his Miami debut. Ward saw little to no pressure from the Gator defensive line. His ability to get out of the pocket and throw on the run allowed him to combine with receiver Xavier Restrepo consistently in the game. Restrepo recorded seven receptions for 112 yards and a touchdown.

Defensive penalties were also crucial early. A roughing the passer call on third down allowed Miami to get in the end zone on their first offensive drive. That first touchdown allowed the Hurricanes to get settled into the game and led to further offensive success throughout.

Florida Bright Spots

There weren’t many positives to take away from Florida’s perspective.

However, running back Montrell Johnson Jr. rushed for more than 100 yards that included a 71-yard touchdown run in the second quarter.

The other major standout was the debut of highly touted freshman quarterback DJ Lagway. Lagway came in for the injured Mertz early in the fourth quarter and showed some flashes of his potential. He only got a few drives, but was able to lead the team to a touchdown in one of them. Some designed run plays also showed his athletic ability. Napier liked what he saw in Lagway’s performance:

The Road Ahead

It was an overall disappointing performance from Florida on Saturday.

Miami proved to be a tough opponent, but there are more road blocks ahead. The Gators have seven games against ranked opponents with the new conference schedule.

Florida does get a bit of a buffer game up next. It hosts Samford on Sept. 7 at 7 p.m. (SEC Network+, 98.1-FM/850-AM WRUF). The Gators should treat that one as an opportunity to improve.

Napier said it’s obvious how the Gators can get over the loss and improve: