Florida football takes down FCS Idaho in mismatch at The Swamp

Florida football made quick work of an Idaho team that dropped from the FBS to the FCS in 2018. Here is how things went down in Gainesville.

Even if Idaho was still playing in the Sun Belt this season, or as an FBS independent, the Vandals would have been a heavy underdog on their visit to the Swamp. Against Florida on Saturday, Paul Petrino’s squad was a 41.5-point underdog. The Gators had that covered before halftime even rolled around, as Dan Mullen’s squad rolled to a 63-10 victory to get to 8-3 heading into the season finale against non-conference rival Florida State.

Feleipe Franks, the Florida quarterback who has alternately flashed talented performances and inexplicable struggles, nearly matched his top passing stat line of the season in just the first half of play. In the first two quarters, Franks went off for 274 yards through the air and three touchdowns on 19-of-27 passing. The quarterback added 21 yards and a touchdown on the ground before ceding the field to true freshman backup quarterback Emory Jones.

In his first substantial playing time of the season, Jones went 12-of-16 for 125 and two touchdowns. The youngster added 19 yards on seven carries, occasionally using his feet to get out of tight situations. Third-stringer Nick Sproles also got some snaps in the final minutes of the game.

The Florida defense had plenty to celebrate on Saturday. They were playing against a sub-.500 FCS squad, so it is wise to look at their performance with a skeptical eye as to how it translates to tougher competition. Still, the Gators held junior quarterback (and coach’s son) Mason Petrino to just 70 yards on 12-of-31 passing. Petrino did manage to throw a late touchdown, but two of his passes were picked off. That included his first attempt of the day, which Chauncey Gardner-Johnson returned 26 yards for a touchdown.

The Gators could still put together a 10-win season in Mullen’s first year at the helm in Gainesville. They need to defeat Florida State next week and then beat whoever they end up facing in a bowl game this year. Getting to double digits, especially if they keep playing the way they did against the Vandals on Saturday afternoon at the Swamp.