Coach Will Muschamp called Matt Jones into his office on Monday.
Since returning from a viral infection that sidelined him for more than a month, Jones was timid.
He fumbled twice and tallied only 96 yards on 30 carries through two games.
Muschamp wanted his bruising runner back.
“You need to cut it loose and play,” Muschamp told Jones. “You’re very tentative when you run it. You look like last year at the beginning of the year. If you make a mistake, hell, put it on me. I don’t care. Everybody else does.
“Just run the ball hard. Cut it loose and go play.”
Florida always needed Jones to produce, but Saturday’s game took on extra meaning after a rough week in Gainesville.
Quarterback Jeff Driskel and defensive tackle Dominique Easley both suffered season-ending injuries.
But after losing two key playmakers in four days, Florida got one back in a 24-7 win against Kentucky on Saturday night in Commonwealth Stadium.
Jones was a workhorse for the Gators, carrying 28 times for a career-high 176 yards and a touchdown.
He described his stellar performance as “a relief.”
“That’s what I grind for all offseason,” Jones said. “Definitely missing the camp took me off track. This is what I was really grinding for — games like this to come back to me.”
The sophomore’s longest touch was a 67-yard run during the second quarter that set up Florida’s go-ahead touchdown.
Jones might have found the end zone himself had wideout Quinton Dunbar not accidentally tripped him from behind.
The tailback wanted to cut back and change direction, but Dunbar simply got in the way while trying to throw a block.
Still, the play brought a smile to Jones’ face. Before eating up two thirds of the gridiron on his seventh carry, the Seffner native’s first six only went for 12 yards.
“It was definitely a big weight off my shoulders because I had so much pressure on me,” Jones said of his career-long run.
The big play marked a turning point for Jones, who racked up 97 yards on his final 21 rushing attempts against the Wildcats.
He carried the ball 18 times in the second half.
With the Gators ahead comfortably and aiming to milk the clock, Jones delivered.
“My mentality was great at the end of the game,” Jones said.
“I knew I was going to get the ball mostly every play, but I ran hard knowing I needed to get the first down every couple of plays.”
Teammates were happy to see Jones get back on track.
Wide receiver Trey Burton said Jones looked “100 percent” Saturday night.
“I’m excited for the future,” Burton said. “He’s an unbelievable running back and just excited to see what he has in the future.”
Tyler Murphy, who made his first career start on Saturday, was also happy to see Jones in top form. The redshirt junior signal-caller said Jones makes his life easier under center.
“They’re always up in the box playing for the run,” Murphy said. “It just creates some holes down the field for you to nickel and dime them and keep the offense moving.”
Jones was not ready to return when he took his first snap on Sept. 7 in Miami Gardens.
However, three weeks later, he appears to be in midseason form.
“Physically, I wasn’t really ready, but my mind was telling me, ‘You ready,’” Jones said.
“I just kept telling myself that, but I think I’m really getting better. I’m at my peak right now.”
Alligator Staff Writers Phil Heilman and Adam Pincus contributed to this report.
Follow Joe Morgan on Twitter @joe_morgan.
Matt Jones runs down the field during Florida’s 24-7 victory against Kentucky on Sept. 28 at Commonwealth Stadium in Lexington, Ky.
