Richardson had 274 total yards and three touchdowns as Florida upset No. 7 Utah 29-26 in front of a raucous 90,799, the largest season-opening crowd in school history. He did what the Gators needed with one highlight play after another — from a dazzling 2-point conversion that left multiple defenders sprawled on the turf, to a huge fourth-and-2 conversion, to the game-winning 2-yard touchdown on 1: 25 to remain. Richardson finished with a career-high three rushing touchdowns on Saturday after entering the game with three in his career. The performance helped coach Billy Napier get his first win at Florida while handing the Utes a heartbreaking loss to open a season that began as a College Football Playoff sleeper. 2 Related “My wife could play with that guy at quarterback,” Napier said of Richardson. “His legs, they make the difference. You saw it tonight. The fourth-down play, the last drive. The 2-point conversion, I mean, come on. He did the exact same thing in practice one day. I’m talking about the exact script. “I think we understand here that this guy is a very special player.” Richardson said he was nervous before the game, but he got over it after the first few runs. With the game over and Florida trailing 26-22 with the clock winding down, Richardson said Napier told him to go for the game-winner. “My heart just froze,” Richardson said. “I had never really heard those words. Especially in a situation like this, with so many people. Just having the ball in my hands, I feel like the team trusts me. The coaches trust me to make a play, make something happen. I’m glad they trust me for that.” However, Utah got the ball back with 1:25 left in the game and drove to the Florida 6-yard line. On second down, Amari Burney intercepts Cameron Rising in the end zone for the win. The interception marred a solid performance by Rising, who went 22-of-32 for 216 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 91 yards. “It wasn’t Cam’s best shot,” Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said. “I’m sure he’d want it back.” Utah missed several opportunities in the red zone that ultimately cost the Utes the win. Twice they got inside the 6-yard line only to come up short. Florida, meanwhile, turned their red-zone trips into touchdowns. At times, Utah’s offense pushed Florida all over the field, including those two red-zone punts. Utah had 230 yards rushing and averaged 5.9 yards per carry. But Florida found a way to make plays when it counted, and its offensive line found a way to push Utah as well. The Gators rushed for 283 yards and four touchdowns, averaging 7.3 yards per carry. Much of that is due to Richardson, who had 106 yards on the ground. His ability to run and create plays makes him a dynamic player who still has a full season ahead of him to continue to improve. But perhaps more than what Richardson did is what Florida showed in a game that went down to the wire. A year ago, Florida lost six of its last nine games after starting the season ranked No. 13 in the preseason. Coach Dan Mullen was fired before the season was even over, as many questioned the direction of the program because the precipitous decline seemed to happen so quickly. Napier came in and emphasized a disciplined and run-based approach to the offense, thanks to Richardson and a room that includes Louisiana transfer Montrell Johnson Jr. and true freshman Trevor Etienne, the younger brother of the Jacksonville Jaguars . back Travis Etienne. Napier noted that when he took the job, one of his friends who had worked at Florida told him in the past that the program had the most competitive players it had ever had. He believes competitiveness allowed Florida to overcome the upset. “This team has been fighting,” Napier said. “They have a little bit of a different edge to them. The execution wasn’t always what we wanted out there and we have so much work to do. We were fortunate to overcome a lot of mistakes tonight, but the intangibles showed as a team, kept responding until the end and made a play . “We’ve got work to do. We won a game and it’s a special moment. We’re going to enjoy it and come back tomorrow and get ready for SEC play.”
