The Gators looked to convert a 3rd-and-15 in Vanderbilt territory as they tried to build on their double-digit lead.
Redshirt junior quarterback Graham Mertz tossed the ball to redshirt freshman tight end Arlis Boardingham, who had a defender right in front of him. He shook off the first defender, and then broke another tackle as he bowled his way down the field for 20 yards and a first down.
The big play led to a UF touchdown and encapsulated the tight end’s career day and the impact his fellow freshman teammates have made this season.
Mertz applauded his tight end for executing the game plan and doing what he needed to do when he got the football.
“I thought Arlis played great,” Mertz said. “We talk about [catch-puncture], and he did a great job of catching the ball and puncturing, getting vertical and playing physical.”
Boardingham finished the game with seven catches for 99 yards and two touchdowns — all three of which are career highs.
Fresh faces flew all around the field during the Gators’ Homecoming victory against the Vanderbilt Commodores and have been integral to UF’s success in head coach Billy Napier’s second season.
The Florida Gators (4-2, 2-1 SEC) bounced back after a rough outing against Kentucky with a 38-14 win against the Vanderbilt Commodores (2-5, 0-3 SEC) in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium Oct. 7. The win helped keep UF undefeated at home.
While year one of Napier was highlighted by the superhuman athleticism of former quarterback Anthony Richardson, the head coach’s second season has been more focused on a fusion of youth.
While veterans like Mertz and senior wide receiver Ricky Pearsall have drawn attention, young players like Boardingham and freshman wide receiver Eugene Wilson III have breathed new life into the offense.
Wilson missed the last two weeks with an injury but made his return against Vanderbilt. The receiver is dangerous in space and has quickly made an impact in the UF wide receiver room.
Mertz pitched it to Wilson late in the game Oct. 7, and the freshman speedster sprinted nine yards around the edge into the endzone for his first career touchdown as a Gator.
“[Wilson] is tough to tackle,” Napier said. “He's got unique acceleration. He's got some play strength to him, although he's a little bit smaller guy.”
The freshman receiver finished the game with eight catches for 64 yards and a touchdown. Napier expressed the importance of involving him in the offense in any way possible even to give the Gators a chance at winning games, he said.
“We were trying to get him the ball as much as possible,” Napier said. “We want to make sure when the game is over every week that he had his opportunity to impact the game.
On defense, the Gators started a tandem of true freshmen at the safety positions against Vandy — Jordan Castell and Bryce Thornton.
Castell was quiet on the box score in the Gators’ win, but he’s been one of their most impactful players all season as a true freshman.
The former three-star recruit has compiled 28 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and one pass deflection this season as he has already begun to blossom into one of the better safeties in the conference.
Thornton, who had a pass breakup against the Commodores, has also played in all six games this season and has made 10 total tackles with two coming for a loss.
Not only have the young players shown an ability to hang with SEC competition, but they’ve shown poise under pressure. UF cornerback Ja’Keem Jackson has come up big with three pass deflections in six games this season.
Vanderbilt wide receiver Junior Sherrill beat Jackson in coverage and got open for a 52-yard pass to set the Commodores up for a 1st-and-goal situation.
Jackson stood tall and on 4th-and-goal got in front of the receiver and forced an incompletion to get the turnover on downs.
Napier credited Jackson on the play as one of the biggest momentum shifts in the first half.
“He gives up the play, and then we were able to stop them, and then he makes the play,” Napier said. “I thought that was one of the more pivotal sequences of events in the first half.
On another fourth down in the game, a Florida freshman once again made a big play.
Vanderbilt quarterback Ken Seals found receiver Quincy Skinner Jr., who got past the sticks for a first down. UF freshman edge rusher T.J. Searcy came in and ripped the ball out, which led to an eventual Gators’ score after they recovered the loose ball.
For a young Florida football team, chances to make big plays and contribute to the team’s success have come early and often. Making the most of an increase in playing time has paid dividends for players like Boardingham, he said.
“All the success that I've had is really just opportunity-based and when it comes my way just trying to make the play and make the best of what I got,” Boardingham said.
The Gators still have questions to answer, but for Napier’s team, early signs of success from his first full recruiting class is a step in the right direction if he wants to return Florida to the heights it reached in the mid-2000s.
The Gators will head back on the road to take on the South Carolina Gamecocks Oct. 14. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on SEC Network.
Contact Jackson Reyes at jacksonreyes@alligator.org. Follow him on Twitter @JacksnReyes.
Jackson Reyes is a UF journalism senior and The Alligator's Fall 2023 Sports Editor. He previously served as Digital Managing Editor and was a reporter and assistant editor on the sports desk. In his free time, he enjoys collecting records, long walks on the beach and watching Bo Nix.
