GAINESVILLE — Florida’s 38-14 victory against Vanderbilt was flawed but what Billy Napier’s team needed after a humbling loss at Kentucky.
“Bigger challenges are ahead,” Napier said.
As the Gators (4-2, 2-1 SEC) prepare to visit struggling South Carolina (2-3, 1-2), the top priority is winning away from Gainesville. UF is 1-7 under Napier, including 0-2 in 2023, outside the Swamp.
Here’s three things learned during the Gators’ latest home win:
Graham Mertz, team’s offensive MVP, can be even better.
Florida’s quarterback has completed 80% of his throws (140 of 175) after he went 30 of 36 against Vanderbilt. Mertz’s remarkable and unexpected efficiency has exceeded expectations for the Wisconsin transfer.
He still can be sharper.
He was well off the mark a couple of times Saturday, including overthrowing leading receiver Ricky Pearsall in the slot by several yards.
“I’m thinking about all the misses right now,” Mertz said.
Mertz also drew a flag — one of 8 for 70 yards on a sloppy day by Florida — for intentionally grounding. The miscue cost the Gators 15 yards and a down, but UF still wound up scoring.
“I’ve played football long enough to know you’ve got to throw that past the line,” the 22-year-old said. “You just … don’t make a bad play worse.”
Mertz has generally made the best of things.
Three touchdowns throws against Vanderbilt were a season high and give him 9 against just 2 interceptions. A 170.1 passer rating was the fifth in time in six games he’s surpassed the 145 threshold Napier seeks. (Mertz’s rating was 137 during a season-opening loss at Utah.)
He also suffered a season-high 5 sacks against the Utes. Against Vanderbilt, Mertz took 3 sacks for the third straight game. One sidelined him for two plays while another left him slowly getting to his feet.
“He’s going to look at it and say, ‘Man, I’ve got to get through this thing and get it out,’ ” Napier said. “We took a sack on like 2nd-and-1 today. I’m about to break my headset.”
Napier can get a new headset.
Replacing Mertz? Not quite so easy.
Edge rusher Princely Umanmielen needs to be better.
Umanmielen entered 2023 poised to be a star. Instead he reaches the season’s midpoint as perhaps the Gators’ biggest disappointment.
The 6-foot-5, 255-pound Umanmielen looks the part. He appeared the perfect fit for first-year coordinator Austin Armstrong’s aggressive defense.
Rather than become the next great defensive linemen in a long line at Florida, Umanmielen has too often been invisible. While he had 2 quarterback hurries against the lowly Commodores to give him a team-leading 8, he otherwise managed just 2 assisted tackles and just 14 in 2023 — just 2 of them sacks.
Getting to the quarterback has been an issue across the board. UF entered with an SEC-low 7 sacks and managed 2 against Vanderbilt.
To become the defense Armstrong expects, the Gators must to affect the quarterback, especially when leading late in games at home. Umanmielen needs to lead the charge on a defense with promising young edge players Kelby Collins and T.J. Searcy and indefatigable veteran Tyreak Sapp, who recorded his second sack.
Arlis Boardingham addressed a critical need.
For a day, Boardingham solved the Florida’s lack of production at tight end. The question is whether his 7-catch, 99-yard, 2-TD performance is a sign of things to come or a product of Vanderbilt’s suspect defense.
The redshirt freshman’s breakout performance did not surprise the Gators. Throughout spring and fall camp, the converted wide receiver from California exhibited the blend of size (6-3, 240) and speed coaches seek at his new position.
“He’s a mismatch-type player,” Napier said.
Boardingham entered Saturday a determined one.
During the Gators’ second series at Kentucky, the Wildcats jarred the ball loose from his hands for an interception to set up their first touchdown. The play gnawed at Boardingham all week.
“It was a lot because that was my first collegiate drop,” he said. “I just went back and had better preparation than I did before.”
Despite Boardingham’s two scores, his biggest play might have been a 20-yard catch on third-and-15 to keep alive a scoring drive. UF took a 28-7 lead two plays later on a 9-yard touchdown by true freshman Eugene Wilson III, another young weapon developing a key role.
Boardingham’s role was unclear when he arrived as a 4-star “athlete” without a defined position but unmistakable potential.
“There’s a set of fundamentals you have to learn at tight end,” Napier said. “It’s not like he had any background in that before he showed up, so it was all new. It’s turned out to be a good evaluation.
“I’m hopeful we’ll get more of that out of him in the future.”
Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com
