On Thursday evening, the Gators wrapped up spring practice with the first Orange and Blue Game since 2019.
The game provided Gator Nation with their first chance to watch Billy Napier’s team play on Spurrier-Florida Field, and it also gave them a chance to watch the program’s seven newcomers for the first time.
As usual, there were some good things to be excited about and some bad things to be concerned about as the Gators enter the next phase of the offseason.
The Blue team defeated the Orange team, 34-0, in front of an estimated crowd of 45,000.
Here is our instant recap.
Players of the Game
The Blue offense looked sharp through the air, as Anthony Richardson did a nice job of going through his reads, throwing with anticipation and delivering accurate passes. He completed 18 of 24 passes for 207 yards and two touchdowns and didn’t turn it over. He also added a 12-yard touchdown run on a scramble.
Trent Whittemore was one of Richardson’s top targets, as he caught three passes for 36 yards.
Ja’Quavion Fraziars had a nice game for the Orange team, catching five passes for 53 yards.
Montrell Johnson played for both teams and totaled 15 carries for 62 yards and a score. He displayed the kind of power running that made him a star as a freshman at Louisiana last season.
Tight end Dante Zanders played with the starters on the Blue team and caught five passes for 56 yards.
Walk-on defensive end turned tight end Noah Keeter also played with the Blue team and caught three passes for 53 yards and a score.
Defensively, Jalen Kimber played solid coverage throughout the night for the Blue team and intercepted Jalen Kitna in the fourth quarter. He was credited with six tackles and two pass breakups.
Linebacker Amari Burney started alongside Ventrell Miller for the Orange team and was a tackling machine, finishing with 11 stops. Nine of his tackles came in the first half.
Safety Mordecai McDaniel turned in a good game for the Orange team, racking up eight tackles and forcing a Demarkcus Bowman fumble on the game’s opening kickoff.
Plays of the Game
On Blue’s first drive of the game, Richardson completed a slant to Ja’Markis Weston on first down at the Orange 19. Weston bounced off of a poor tackle attempt by Kamar Wilcoxson and scored the first touchdown of the game.
On the ensuing Orange possession, Tyreak Sapp pressured Jack Miller on second-and-7 at the Blue 10. Miller lofted the ball into triple coverage in the end zone in the direction of Daejon Reynolds. Donovan McMillon jumped up and made an athletic interception.
On Orange’s first possession of the second half, Bowman took the handoff from Miller and was almost immediately blasted by defensive end Tyreak Sapp. Defensive tackle Jalen Lee recovered the fumble, which led to Richardson’s touchdown run on the very next play.
Walk-on kicker Adam Mihalek, who has never attempted a kick in a regular season game, made a 52-yarder late in the third quarter, which tied for the longest field goal made in the spring game this century.
Stats of the Game
225 total yards for Blue in the first half, 3-for-3 on third downs in the first half
The Blue team had the first-team offense, and the Orange team had the first-team defense. In an exhibition format like this, the offense often has the advantage, and that proved to be the case once again.
Six combined penalties
Napier was irritated by the number of undisciplined penalties that his team committed in their scrimmage last weekend. They responded to his message and cleaned up those mistakes on Thursday.