Nothing about Friday’s Spring football game felt real.
Not the lackluster — compared to normal game days — 48,000 fans who showed up. Not defensive back Chauncey Gardner jamming out to Migos' "Bad and Boujee" while warming up. Not Feleipe Franks tossing a 46-yard bomb down the sideline on the game’s first drive.
And there’s a good reason for that: It wasn’t a real game.
It was UF’s first-team offense against its second-team defense and vice-versa, meaning that takeaways should be taken lightly.
However, the biggest takeaway was at the quarterback position, where redshirt freshman Feleipe Franks established himself as the favorite to win the starting job.
“I think he’s ahead,” coach Jim McElwain said. “There’s no doubt about it.
“We’ll find out over the summer.”
It was Franks who led the Orange team — Florida’s starters — to a 31-0 “win” over the Blue team — its backups — in Friday’s Orange and Blue Debut. On the night, he went 8-of-14 for 119 yards and a touchdown. A year after throwing three interceptions in his first Spring game, he was interception-free on Friday.
“Compared to a year ago, just getting in and learning the playbook, it was hard for me,” he said. And with a year’s process... it made me a whole lot more comfortable coming in to play today.”
Fellow redhsirt freshman quarterback Kyle Trask, meanwhile, struggled, going 4-of-13 for 31 yards working with the second-team offense. He did lead a touchdown drive on his one opportunity with the first-team offense, though.
“It was tough at times going against the best defense in the country,” he said.
Early enrollee Kadarius Toney also got in the game at quarterback, tossing a touchdown pass and leading the Gators in rushing with 65 yards. After the game, McElwain praised his playmaking ability.
Other standouts on offense were Antonio Callaway, who led the team with 51 receiving yards, and Mark Thompson, who led the running backs with 43 yards on the ground. Brandon Powell also grabbed four catches for 50 yards.
“We have a bunch of returning starters, and I think our wide receiver corps is as deep as it's been for a while,” McElwain said of the offense. “So our biggest jump will be depth. You need that when you're going late into the season."
On defense, redshirt freshman Jeremiah Moon was the biggest standout, smacking Mark Thompson in the helmet near the sideline on one play and showing impressive coverage skills on another. He finished tied for the team lead in tackles with five after missing last season with a thumb injury.
“He’s a freak,” defensive back Chauncey Gardner said. “Last year we didn’t see it because of the injury, but this year Jeremiah is definitely gonna be a factor.”
But again, it’s hard to judge the offense and defense. They’re both playing inferior competiton. One area that’s more judgable, though, is special teams.
Not so much returns — the Gators didn’t do tackles on special teams plays, although C.J. McWilliams and Dre Massey were the go-to return men — but kicking. At those postions, the Gators appeared elite.
Eddy Pineiro hung his kickoffs high in the air, getting both good hangtime and distance. He also converted one field goal and missed another — from 49 yards out — off the upright. He had more than enough distance to make it.
And at punter, starter Johnny Townsend blasted one a Spring-game record 57 yards. Backup Jon Gould stood out with his own 55-yarder.
The only other important observation came with injures. The Gators managed to stay almost completely healthy both in the game and in Spring. The only exceptions on Friday were corner Duke Dawson, who had a wrist injury flare up but came back in, tight end Moral Stephens, who “popped a hammy,” and corner Joseph Putu, who “got his eggs scrambled.”
“Nothing major,” McElwain said. “That’s always good.”
Overall, McElwain said he was pleased with the team’s performance. It’s hard to gauge how good a team is in Spring, but he said he’s especially excited for the offense’s potential.
“I like our ability to stretch the field and create some explosives,” McElwain said. “So it should be fun.”
Contact Ethan Bauer at ebauer@alligator.org or follow him on Twitter @ebaueri.
UF quarterback Feleipe Franks drops back to pass during Florida's Spring game on Friday night at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
