If Jordan Reed has gotten this far without a full grasp of Florida’s playbook, imagine what he could do if he ever picked up the offense.
Reed accounted for four touchdowns in the Gators’ 48-10 win against Appalachian State, throwing one and rushing for three from the quarterback position.
UF coach Urban Meyer has said Reed still hasn’t mastered the offense enough to run it full time, but he’s producing solid numbers in his limited role. Reed ran for 71 yards on 11 carries and completed 2 of 3 passes for 14 yards.
“He’s getting close, isn’t he?” Meyer said.
Reed has thrown a touchdown in each of the last three games — the only contests where he’s attempted a pass. Meanwhile, starter John Brantley has thrown for just two scores in the last seven games.
Brantley was 16 of 22 for 222 yards and an interception Saturday. He also scored on a 5-yard touchdown catch, when he lined up at receiver and was left open by the defense until Reed hit him on the right side of the end zone.
“He’s doing a really good job,” Brantley said of Reed. “I’m really happy for him. He can run the ball really well and he can throw because he has a great arm. He’s picking it up. He’s taking more and more reps in practice to get him ready for that kind of stuff.”
But the playbook doesn’t seem to be expanding for Reed. He was expected to serve as a wildcat quarterback before preseason hamstring and knee injuries derailed the plan, and since taking a more active role, he said he’s still studying the same packages of plays in addition to his duties as a tight end.
“I still don’t know if he’ll stay at quarterback (long term),” Meyer said. “I still don’t know what’s best for our team.”
Next season, the Gators expect to add highly touted prep quarterback Jeff Driskel — a UF verbal commit — to the mix. The Oviedo Hagerty High star accounted for five touchdowns (two passing, two rushing, one receiving) and 494 yards of total offense in a loss to Lakeland High on Friday.
Happy send-off for seniors: Saturday was the final home game for 23 seniors, and they were honored in a ceremony before kickoff. Center Mike Pouncey was the only senior who ran out of the tunnel with his helmet on when his name was announced.
“I didn’t want to show everyone I was crying,” Pouncey said. “It was an emotional day. I gave my life to this program, and it paid off today by getting the win out there.”
Pouncey said he and safety Ahmad Black, who he’s played with since high school, got choked up while looking back on their careers before the game, and perhaps no one has come as far as Black.
Meyer stated that fact Saturday, saying Black had made as big a leap in four years as any player he has coached, and he called him the nation’s best strong safety. Black leads UF in tackles, recovered a fumble against the Mountaineers and entered Saturday first among active Southeastern Conference players with 11 career interceptions.
“As a freshman, I got told to go get Gatorades for the whole position group, and trying to get a rep in practice was like pulling teeth,” Black said. “To go from where I was to where I’m at now is just a tremendous opportunity.”
Etc.: Cornerback Jeremy Brown (hamstring) and receiver Andre Debose (ankle) didn’t dress out. … Cornerback Janoris Jenkins and defensive lineman Earl Okine both left the game with concussions, but Meyer said he expects Jenkins to be fine. … Freshman defensive tackle Dominique Easley was on crutches after the game with a sprained ankle.
