The Florida Gators returned to the Swamp with a blowout victory over the Arkansas Razorbacks. The Gators looked razor-sharp as they routed the Razorbacks 63-35. Florida quarterback Kyle Trask had another great performance against the second-ranked pass defense in the SEC.
Trask didn’t have any trouble against the Arkansas defense and despite not having his star tight end available. Kyle Pitts was not available since he’s still in the concussion protocol. The Gators needed some of their other players to step up in the absence of Pitts and they did.
While the Florida offense continues to amaze, its defense didn’t have a great night. Former Florida quarterback Feleipe Franks didn’t get the win but he played well against his former team. The Gators’ defense had a difficult time avoiding the explosive plays. The Razorbacks had 458 yards of total offense and 212 of those yards came on three plays. Let’s look at three takeaways from the Florida vs Arkansas game.
Three Takeaways from Florida vs Arkansas Game
1. Is Trask the Heisman frontrunner?
The Florida Gators’ offense has been terrific all season and might be coming off their best performance yet. The redshirt-senior is in the middle of an amazing season in which he might have become the Heisman front runner.
In the Arkansas win, Trask completed 23 out of 29 for 365 yards and six touchdowns. With that performance, he broke the SEC record with most touchdowns by a quarterback in their first six games. Former Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa previously held the record with 27 touchdowns and Trask broke it with 28.
Trask might have had his Heisman moment when he threw for 474 yards and four touchdowns against the Georgia Bulldogs. The rest of the schedule should play in Florida’s favor as its final four games are against Vanderbilt, Kentucky, Tennessee, and LSU. If Trask can continue to perform like this for the rest of the season, he might be the fourth Gator to win the Heisman.
2. No Pitts, No Problem
The Gators’ offense was without their star receiver, Pitts, on Saturday night. Under those circumstances, Florida needed some of its other receivers to step up in which they did. Senior wide receiver Trevon Grimes had a career night with six receptions for 109 yards and two touchdowns.
True freshman Xzavier Henderson had three catches for 62 yards and a touchdown. Sophomore tight end Keon Zipperer had three receptions for 47 yards and two touchdowns. Jacob Copeland had his first touchdown of the season and Penn State transfer Justin Shorter caught his third touchdown in three straight games.
The Florida offense had some of its younger players make plays and didn’t have to rely on Kadarius Toney. While Trask did a great job of spreading the ball around and making good decisions. It’s unlikely that Pitts will be available this Saturday against Vanderbilt.
3. Defense needs to limit explosive plays
The Florida offense was the talk of the game but the defense struggled. The Gators’ secondary, which has been a strength in the past, is a weakness now. The unit as a whole gave up 458 yards of total offense and most of it was through the air.
Arkansas quarterback Franks has one of the strongest arms in college football and he used that to his advantage on Saturday. Franks was able to throw the deep ball with precision downfield accuracy.
However, it wasn’t all bad for the Gators’ defense. Zachary Carter had Florida’s first defensive touchdown of the season. Carter scored a 35-yard scoop and score late in the game. The Gators also recorded their 19th sack on the season which now places them #1 in the SEC.
